Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Invisible Man By Ellison - 862 Words

In response to police brutality, The Invisible Man was written by Ellison demonstrated that through his life racism was entirely present. Ellison, in fact, was faced with police brutality throughout the novel. Ellison wrote a scene in which his narrator dealt with police brutality after giving a speech at an eviction. The police threatened to shoot him and beat all of them. Ellison wrote that his character had known it was due to the racism during the time period. Even so, the rest of the novel involved rebellion groups in which responded to the police brutality and racism. Ellison wrote the book to demonstrate the racism and brutality within society for African Americans. Even so, the effect of police brutality was involved within the book. This made other African-American questioned their identity as to why they were being beaten and abused. Ellison’s work addressed the response to other police brutalities in earlier times. Then, on January 28, 2015 an African-American man was driving and he stopped at a traffic light while Officer Melendez pulled him over. Dent resisted arrest because he had a suspended license, and then Officer Melendez started to beat him to the ground. Dent was hit in the head fifteen times then the officer placed him in a chock hole causing him to lose his breath and then began to tase him after he was already on the ground lastly the officer bang his head on the hood of the car and Mr. dent Began to bleed from his head. On the police dash cam you canShow MoreRelatedThe Invisible Man By. Ellison1383 Words   |  6 PagesRaplh Ellison’s Invisible Man is an example of African American who is dealing with racism against African Americans in the USA. The main character, the narrator, go through the novel with nameless which allows him to show his life experiences with a certain degree of detachment, yet, at the same time offering the reader to see his unique perception of the events that take place throughout the novel. Invisible Man Ralph Ellison filled theme, make a deeper reading of the text is an interesting taskRead MoreInvisible, Invisible Man, By Ralph Ellison1994 Words   |  8 PagesInvisible Race and Gender in Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the unnamed narrator shows us through the use motifs and symbols how racism and sexism negatively affect the social class and individual identity of the oppressed people. Throughout the novel, the African American narrator tells us the story of his journey to find success in life which is sabotaged by the white-dominated society in which he lives in. Along his journey, we are also shown how the patriarchyRead MoreInvisible Man By Ralph Ellison1366 Words   |  6 Pagesfighter left standing, amidst unbridled carnage. The titular narrator of Ralph Ellison s novel Invisible Man, is no stranger to those experiences. In the beginning, he is forced to fight several other black boxers for the amusement of many heckling, white spectators. Through the imaginative use of objects, symbols, allusions, and the actions, thoughts, and purposes of the spectators, pugilists and risquà © entertainment, Ellison seeks to express a powerful image of American race rel ations and women sRead MoreInvisible Man By Ralph Ellison1277 Words   |  6 PagesInvisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, is a story about a young African American man whose color renders him invisible. The theme of racism as a hurdle to individual identity is present throughout the story in a variety of examples. From the beginning of the novel the theme of identity is evident as the narrator states, â€Å"All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what I was† (Ellison, p. 1254). In the midst of living in a racist American society the speakersRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison3051 Words   |  13 Pagesportrayed through the narrator’s, the invisible man, journey through life. The problems with society are foreshadowed by the racism and the symbols of the color white presented in the paint plant. â€Å"The Invisible Man† by Ralph Ellison depicts the African Americans struggle to be viewed as an equal membe r of society through the narrators struggles through life to discover his individuality or place in society while the white man or the community conspires to â€Å"keep the black man down†. The story follows theRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison977 Words   |  4 PagesBook Review: Invisible Man Invisible Man is an American Literature novel published by Ralph Ellison in 1952. The novel traces the experiences of a young college black man growing up in Harlem, New York. Attempting to succeed in a predominantly white society, the narrator encounters shocks and disillusionments from being expelled from college to hiding in an underground hole to protect himself from the people above. He lives a repressed life as an â€Å"Invisible Man† for he believes that society ignoresRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison Essay1613 Words   |  7 Pagesvary from person to person, but often members of the same race are subject to the same expectations. Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man explores the intersections of race and power, especially in a society that is very community oriented, as seen when the actions of an individual are reflected on other members of the race as well. Although Ellison’s protagonist â€Å"the Invisible Man† and other black men d escribed in the novel, on several occasions behave how they are supposed to, however their superiorsRead MoreInvisible Man By Ralph Ellison1032 Words   |  5 Pagesmodern society some people leads, and others will follow. Subjects will conditionally generate their own ideas and realize these ideas rather than just be assigned tasks that question their beliefs. The author Ralph Ellison illustrates it best. Ellison’s realistic fiction Invisible Man perpetuates the manifestation of manipulation over the minorities in this society. As the narrator embraces every identity he has been given, he starts to become more independent, and a leader in his community. WithRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison Essay2164 Words   |  9 Pagestrying to rebel against the status quo. Protest literature emerged from the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s to 1930’s. Protest literature is used to address real socio-political issues and express objections against them. In his novel, The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison exposes the racism in society by focusing on the culture, in regards to the expected assimilation of African Americans and how the time period largely influenced the mistreatment of the African American population. He also uses symbolsRead MoreInvisible Man By Ralph Ellison1246 Words   |  5 Pagesauthor of Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, was born March 1st, 1914, and died April 16, 1994. He was born in Oklahoma City and named after Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous journalist and poet. When Ellison was 3, his father died of a work-related accident, leaving his mother to care for him and his younger brother. As a young boy, he al ways wanted to major in music, and he went to Tuskegee University to become a composer and performer of music. The summer before his senior year in college, Ellison went to

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Finance 330 Essay - 791 Words

1. Generally speaking, the role of the financial manager is to plan for the acquisition and use of funds with the intent to maximize the value of the firm. True 2. The financial manager must execute his or her duties independent of the other departmental and strategic activities of the firm (i.e. in a vacuum) in order to properly maximize the value of the firm. False 3. In a competitive marketplace good ethics is a wonderful idea but an impractical standard. There are simply too few benefits to be gained from maintaining high business ethics. False 4. There is an inverse relationship between bond ratings and the required return on a bond; The required return is lowest for AAA†¦show more content†¦False 11. In accounting, emphasis is placed on determining net income. In finance, the primary emphasis also is on net income because that is what investors use to value the firm. However, a secondary consideration is cash flow because thats what is used to run the business. False 12. The difference between an ordinary annuity and an annuity due is that each of the payments of the annuity due earns interest for one additional year (period). True 13. Compounding is the process of converting todays values, which are termed present value, to future value. False 14. A preemptive right is a provision in the corporate charter or by laws that gives common stockholders the right to purchase on a pro rata basis new issues of common stock. False 15. One of the potential benefits of investing early for retirement is that an investor can receive greater benefits from the compounding of interest. True 16. A call provision gives bondholders the right to demand, or call for, repayment of a bond. Typically, calls are exercised if interest rates rise, because when rates rise the bondholder can get the principal amount back and reinvest it elsewhere at higher rates. False 17. Other things held constant, P/E ratios are higher for firms with high growth prospects. At the same time, P/Es are lower for riskier firms, other things held constant. TheseShow MoreRelatedClarkson Lumber Company Case Study Essay869 Words   |  4 PagesCapital | 411 | 330 | 161 | 170 | Q2. How attractive is to take the trade discounts? If the company can solve the cash shortage problem, taking 2% trade discount is profitable decision. The Net Income when taking non-trade discount is $ 87K and taking trade discount is 131K. The difference is obvious. Trade discount is very attractive for the company. Q3. Do you agree with Mr. Clarkson’s estimation of the company loan requirements? How much will he need to finance the expected expansionRead MoreThe Link Between Patient Revenue Cycle Management1555 Words   |  7 PagesAssociation stated two-thirds of all U.S. hospitals are nonprofit institutions (AHA, 2014). For these entities their missions, governance and leadership may look vastly different than their for-profit counterparts. The management of an organization’s finances to fulfill its objectives is a useful if not simple definition of financial management that is easy to understand. The complexity in comprehending what financial management really means, in a practical sense, comes as a more through explorationRead MoreInternational Business Competing in the Global Marketplace 8th Edition Charles W. L. Hill5106 Words   |  21 PagesSeries in Finance Alexander/Sharpe/Bailey Geisst Fundamentals of Investments Megginson Investment Banking in the Financial System Andersen Corporate Finance Theory Melvin Global Derivatives: A Strategic Risk Management Perspective Bear/Moldonado-Bear Gitman International Money and Finance Principles of Managerial Finance* Principles of Managerial Finance–– Brief Edition* Mishkin/Eakins Financial Markets and Institutions Free Markets, Finance, Ethics,Read MoreCase 12-51629 Words   |  7 Pagesunfortunately it couldn’t be completed * Equity assets are more risky they are required to gain revenue or bad. * 1600 loans (debt) real estate assets; 1400 individual properties on equity side * 700 employees (21 b assets) North America, 330 Europe (12 b assets), 175 Asia-Pacific (6 b assets) * Floating Rate book in Japan * 61% debt, 39% equity; most assets are office than owner occupied; mostly operated in North America. * Investment by NEA (Net Earning Assets) 10MM- 50MM (MMRead MoreAn Intern For A Company1997 Words   |  8 Pagestalk about the markets or their products and being constantly aware of opportunities to talk and meet with people who have been in the business for years. Interestingly enough, I even met another intern during one of these meetings who is studying finance at AM. So I was very pleased I took the time to sit in on these meetings because even though they were simple and laid back, I learned a lot and met many different people. The activity that most appealed to my interest and background during my summerRead MoreZ-Score2038 Words   |  9 Pages A Sreekanth Vidyasagar Garvit Sharma A Dixit Altman Z-score The Z-score formula for predicting bankruptcy was published in 1968 by Edward I. Altman, who was, at the time, an Assistant Professor of Finance at New York University. The formula may be used to predict the probability that a firm will go into bankruptcy within two years. Z-scores are used to predict corporate defaults and an easy-to-calculate control measure for the financial distress statusRead MoreFactoring: Alternative Model of Financing8080 Words   |  33 Pagesreceivables company B—debtor–importer executes payment on account of factor (2); 6. Factor transfer funds to the account of factor (1); 7. Factor (1) pays a company A—seller–exporter difference (e.g. 20%) funds minus the factoring interest rate used to finance the amount payable on the advance. ECONOMIC ROLE OF FATORING Factoring as advanced financial instrument provides simple and efficient financing and successful business activities with domestic and foreign companies. It represents effective andRead MoreAssessment And Recommendations For U.s. Banking System And Global Economy5851 Words   |  24 Pagespersonal wealth and to diversify their investments. Businesses often use stocks to obtain financing. Stock prices determined within the stock market give the market value of companies. The higher a company’s stock price, the easier it will be to finance its operations (Cecchetti Schoenholtz, 2015, p. 208). Occasionally, stock prices change in ways that are difficult to point to changes in the risk premium, real interest rate, or the growth rate of future dividends (Cecchetti Schoenholtz, 2015Read MoreInstructor’s Manual Fundamentals of Financial Management60779 Words   |  244 Pagesbasic financial management course. Fundamentals of Financial Management sequences things in order to cover certain foundation material first, including: the role of financial management; the business, tax, and financial setting; the mathematics of finance; basic valuation concepts; the idea of a trade off between risk and return; and financial analysis, planning, and control. Given a coverage of these topics, we then have found it easier to build upon this base in the subsequent teaching of financialRead MoreMerger and Acquisition: Current Issues115629 Words   |  463 Pagesassisted in the selection of articles for this book. GNG KLN xi This page intentionally left blank Notes on the Contributors The Editors Greg N. Gregoriou is Professor of Finance in the School of Business and Economics at State University of New York (Plattsburgh), USA. He obtained his joint PhD in Finance from the University of Quebec at Montreal, which pools the resources, with Montreal’s three major universities (McGill University, Concordia University and Hautes-Etudes (Commerciales)

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Taxation Law Assignment Ruling

Question: As a contract pilot he agrees to provide his services as, for example, a Gulfstream qualified pilot for flights aboard an aircraft owned or operated by a client? Answer: Introduction The below segment of the assignment will define the laws of judging whether the person in context is an employee or a contractor, through the effective description of the characteristics of both, for Australian taxation purposes. Body Definition of an employee Under the taxation ruling of TR 2005/16, at common law, an employee is an individual who has a contract of service relationship with the employer, and is usually compensated in cash for the labour rendered to the employer, over a period of time, with no specific task involved (ATO 2015), so as to facilitate the employer to achieve his set goals and results. Also as per s. 12(1) of the Superannuation Guarantee Administration Act (SGAA) 1992, if an individual is an employee at common law, he is deemed to be an employee under SGAA 1992 as well (OBryan and James 2012). However, even if an individual is not an employee at common law, through the structure of s. 12(2-7), 12(8a), 12(8c), 12(9a), 12(9b) and 12(10), he is said to be an employee as per SGAA 1992 for superannuation purposes. Definition of a contractor Under the taxation ruling of TR 2005/16, at common law, a contractor is an individual or individuals who is/are on a relationship with the client, of contract for services, and is typically engaged to achieve a particular set of task, rather than for a holistic goal (ATO 2015). Therefore, the contractor has the fixed task to achieve a particular goal, and makes profits or incurs losses based on his performance of those tasks. Characteristic Discussion about the differences between an employee and contractor with context to Toby Financial Risk - There is no financial risk involved with employees (Fairwork Ombudsman 2015). It means that the business operations of the company do not affect the salary of the employee. In the case of a contractor, he bears the risk to make profits or incur losses, and is considered to be the game changer for his contractual services. Toby prepares his hourly rate in such a manner that his profits are returned to Tobyair, on successful completion of work. This relates to the fact that his nature is more contractual than actually that of an employee. Leave The employees are entitles to paid leaves, which is limited to particular number of days in a financial year (Fairwork Ombudsman 2015). A contractor, on the other hand, is more of a freelancing nature and in case he decides to take leaves from work, he bears losses for those paid leaves. In the case of Toby, he calculates the prospective losses on leaves for sickness, and attaches them to the service charge for his flying abilities. Results - An employee performs on a regular routine with multiple desirable results, and does not work with the idea to achieve just one goal. A contractor is required to deliver a specific result, which is more based on the guideline of obtaining the same for his financial profitability. Toby is engaged in contractual services which involve the success of the flight, and hence has just one desirable result. Tobys remuneration model is based on the flights success rates, and hence the more the smoother, the complete the payment is granted to him. Financial Compensation - The financial compensation of an employee may be fixed or variable, or a mixture of both but certainly exists. There is no fixed financial compensation involved herein in the case of a contractor as he is entitled to receive as per the delivery of his task. Toby receives his remuneration only on the successful completion of his task, which implies that his services are in line with those of the contractors. Degree of responsibility The degree of responsibility may be shifted from one employee to another (Fairwork Ombudsman 2015). However, in the case of a contractor, it cannot be shifted to any other individual considering that the services are highly personalized. Toby delivers additional than what he is required to, and hence does not shift his degree of work. His services are highly personalized, and that is exactly what he is paid for. Employee/Contractor Decision Tool The employee/contractor decision tool is based on the Taxation Ruling 2005/16 and Superannuation Guarantee Ruling 2005/1 (Australian Taxation Office 2015). Given that the payments are made to the company Tobyair for the services rendered by Toby, and also that no labour hire payment is made in this case, the employee/contractor decision tool states that the contract has been entered with a contractor and hence the service provider is not the employee of the given client(s) (Australian Taxation Office 2015). Thus, for income tax purposes, Toby must be considered as a contractor and not an employee of any company. Also, it must be noted that the characteristics of a contractor are reflected by the working patterns of Toby. Firstly, Toby is paid on the outcome basis, or the results achieved for his work, his expertise comes on board for the work delivered, he is free to accept an assignment or reject it and at the same time, can incur a profit/loss for any piece of work (Taxpayers Austr alia 2014). Conclusion Thus, we have fairly concluded that Toby is a contractor for income tax purposes based on the characteristic features which an employee lacks, and contractors possess which are in correspondence with the nature of Tobys services (Loki Systems 2014). However, since Tony is a contractor, his clients do not have the right to withhold taxes. Nevertheless, it is mandatory for Toby to provide his Australian Business Number (ABN) or otherwise, the clients are required to withhold taxes as per law (Marshall 2006). Also, for the purpose of superannuation obligations, Toby is not an employee as he does not fulfil the condition of the individual is not paid to achieve a result as stated in s. 12(3) of the SGAA 1992 (ATO 2015). The workers compensation and payroll tax also do not fall under the obligatory payments by the clients since Toby is a contractor for tax purposes. References Australian Taxation Office (2015). Employee/contractor decision tool. [Online], available from Australian Taxation Office Website: Australian Taxation Office (2015). Employee/contractor decision tool. [Online], available from Australian Taxation Office Website: ATO (2015). Taxation Ruling TR 2005/16. [Online], available from ATO Website: ATO (2015). Superannuation Guarantee Ruling SGR 2005/1. [Online], available from ATO Website: Australian Business (2011). Fact Sheet: Independent contracting. [Online], available from Australian Business Website BDO (2014, July). An employers tax guide. [Online], available from BDO Website: Cummins, E (2014, August 6). Do you know the difference between a contractor and a temporary worker? [Online], available from Blog Nvoi Website: HR Block (2015). Income tax FAQs. [Online], available from HR Block Website: HSBC (2014). Worldwide personal tax guide 2013-2014. [Online], available from Expat HSBC Website: Lim, V and Sinclair, P (2012, February). Employee or contractor? Know your payers obligation. [Online], available from Professionals Australia Website: (Accessed January 18, 2015) Loki Systems (2014). Income and Payroll tax reporting in Australia: The basics. [Online], available from Loki Systems Website: Marshall, B (2006, October 1). Working it out Employee or independent contractor? [Online], available from ePublications Bond Website: OBryan, A and James, R (2012, March 17). Australia: ATO targets independent contractor agreements. [Online], available from Mondaq Website: Taxpayers Australia (2014, July 30). Employee or contractor? (theres a big tax difference). [Online], available from Taxpayer Website Vesperman, S (2014, September 3). ATO warns against treating employees as contractors. [Online], available from Business Franchise Australia Website:

Monday, December 2, 2019

To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of tropical revolving storms free essay sample

A tropical revolving storm is a term that covers hurricanes, tropical cyclones, typhoons and willy-willies. These intense low-pressure weather systems are associated with catastrophic wind speeds averaging at 120kmph and torrential rainfall. Tropical revolving storms are huge and extremely violent extending to about 500km in diameter. They occur in the tropics and the sub-tropics and form over the oceans where sea surface temperatures are above 27’C. Tropical storms are natural hazards, a natural event brought about by weather or climate that threatens life and property, and therefore cannot be prevented, however there are methods that can mitigate the impacts. The effects of these storms can be devastating. Examples of major natural disasters caused by these storms are Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Tropical Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and two methods that are helping to mitigate the effects of tropical revolving storms in the future are preparedness and planning. The impacts can vary in severity due to a range of human and physical factors. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of tropical revolving storms or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Human factors include how urbanised the area affected is, as built up cities tend to have impermeable surfaces which increases run-off and therefore worsens the floods that occur. Torrential rain and flooding, along with storm surges and strong winds, are all hazards posed by tropical revolving storms. These hazards, similar to the storm, are inevitable and cannot be stopped from occurring but methods can take place to try and reduce the impacts. Physical factors are out of our control. The size of the storm affects how widespread the impacts are, as well as the duration of the storm and the intensity of the storm, also affecting certain areas. Preparation and preparedness are not the only methods that can be carried out. Monitoring and forecasting with the use of satellites and radar create computer models based on historical data to predict the path of a storm. This in turn will help the country be prepared due to them having more time to react to the news. Structural approaches may also be necessary to protect coastal areas. Preparedness includes the education of populations. People need to know the dangers and what they can do to avoid them. In Florida, evacuation routes have been prepared and cyclone shelters are clearly signed and posted. Planning includes land-use planning. This regulation is used to reduce the vulnerability of people and property so for example, only low value land uses (recreational) can occupy coastal strips, the areas most vulnerable to a storm. In Northeast Florida, coastal properties have been rallied above the ground on stilts and have non-residential functions on the ground (storage). This means that hazards like the storm surges do not impact the people and less damage occurs to infrastructure. Warning systems put in place to predict incoming storms inform the public about them. This is linked with the effectiveness of the government and how developed the country is. A less developed country is less likely to have the money to be able to afford such technology and equipment meaning that no matter what form of planning or preparedness occurs, mitigation is less likely to be achieved. More developed countries have the money to install advanced technology and equipment to ensure that their population can be warned meaning that lives can be saved. In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept onto the coast of Louisiana with winds of over 160km per hour. A deadly storm surge flooded 80% of the city of New Orleans leaving an area the size of the UK lying as waste. Over 1500 people were killed and the financial cost of the damage exceeded ? 50billion, making it the costliest hurricane in US history. The impacts affected everything and everyone, especially the poorer neighbourhoods with high rates of unemployment and a high proportion of people renting their homes. Many of these people didn’t have home insurance or the money to return and rebuild. The impacts have affected Louisiana on a larger scale also as dramatic population changes have occurred. The population has fallen by 8. 4% in the aftermath of the hurricanes due to 460,000 people leaving New Orleans. In response to some of these impacts, local planners have called for the lowest-lying areas, including the Lower 9th Ward where hundreds died in New Orleans, to be used as parkland. These green spaces would serve as buffers against future floodwaters and therefore prevent many of the impacts that occurred in 2005. This form of planning would help to mitigate some of the impacts but probably not by much. Hard engineering was used to repair and improve the levees to prevent future breaching. Bangladesh suffers from the most destructive cyclones in the world. The country has a funnel-shaped coast at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal and an offshore shelf, making it vulnerable to tropical cyclones and storm surges. As many as 10% of the world’s tropical storm develop in the Bay of Bengal including the fiercest killer cyclone that hit Bangladesh on the 12th of November 1970. The storm caused the death of 500,000 people and a cost $1billion in property damage. Another powerful cyclone hit in 1991 killing another 138,000 people. In response to these deadly events, a number of initiatives were introduced. Tropical cyclones are now monitored, with warnings issued over the television, radio and Internet, a form of preparedness. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department issues two types of storm-waning signals to warn people to take steps to save their lives and property. Before 1991, cyclone-warning systems were unreliable but now, signals are passed on through volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society as well as through radio and television as mentioned earlier. In remote village communities, designated warden’s help to spread the warnings and guide people to safety. A form of planning includes the construction of concrete cyclone shelters to provide a safe refuge for people threatened by flooding. These shelters, often raised up on stilts, serve as schools or community centres at other times. All of these methods will mitigate the impacts quite significantly and this was seen in 2003, when another cyclone struck Bangladesh. Despite killing 3000 people, Cyclone Sidr had a greatly reduced impact due to these initiatives being adopted by the government. Cyclone shelters have also been constructed in Burma, Southeast Asia, after Cyclone Nargis hit in May 2008. Charities, including Care International, have become involved and are helping to build wooden houses that are raised on stilts. This means that when storm surges accompany the cyclone, they can pass under properties reducing the damage. Construction is a form of planning and because it is hard engineering, it is likely to have a more significant impact in terms of mitigating the effects of tropical revolving storms. To conclude, due to the nature of revolving tropical storms and the fact that they are natural hazards, they cannot be prevented. However, various methods, taking the form of planning and preparedness, can help to reduce the impacts. The extent to which these methods help, depends on where they are occurring and in what form. Planning and preparedness have a more significant impact on more developed countries as they have money to ensure that these methods are enforced and sufficient. They also have a much more aware and education population meaning that mitigation of the impacts caused by tropical revolving storms is significant.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Ibn Battuta essays

Ibn Battuta essays Ibn Battuta was one of the great travelers of ancient history. He traveled to Mecca on his first hajj to complete the service that all Muslims should do if they are able to. Traveling to Mecca was an adventurous experience and many people didn't make it because the trip was very rough on the body. There were rituals that had to be followed before Ibn Battuta got to Mecca and rituals that had to performed while in Mecca. These rituals sometimes symbolized events of the past. Before reaching Mecca, Ibn Battuta went through several different places such as North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, and Syra. "There were five stations on the trails leading to Mecca where pilgrims were required to enter into the state of consecration called ihram." At this point the male pilgrims prayed and washed themselves. After they finished praying they received a special garmet, also called an ihram. The garmet they received was two plain white cloths; one was wrapped around the waist and the other was wrapped around the top portion of the body, but didn't cover one shoulder. The ihram symbolized equality of all men before God, the pilgrim was to behave himself the same as he entered. In October 1326, Ibn Battuta finally reached Mecca and he went to the Holy House. Pilgrims from all over gathered in Mecca to pray in the Sacred Mosque. When a visitor arrives in Mecca, he must as his very first act perform the tawaf, the cirumambulation. He walks around the Ka'ba seven times counterclockwise slowly, while reciting prayers special to the occasion. Each time he passes the eastern corner he kisses or touches the Black Stone, he does this because the Prophet kissed the stone. Once the pilgrim has completed his tawaf he goes to the Maqam where he prays a prayer of two prostrations. Next the pilgrims go to the well to drink, the water is sacred and has a saline taste, but the pilgrims still drink it because it heals them. After drinking from the ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Understanding the Visible Learning Theory

Understanding the Visible Learning Theory Educators struggle with a number of questions regarding teaching methods, including: What educational policies have the greatest impact on students?What influences students to achieve?What are best practices for teachers yield the best results? Roughly 78 billion is the estimated dollar amount invested in education by the United States according to market analysts (2014). So, understanding how well this enormous investment in education is working requires a new kind of calculation in order to answer these questions. Developing that new kind of calculation is where Australian educator and researcher John Hattie has focused his research. In his inaugural lecture at the University of Auckland as far back as 1999, Hattie  announced the three principles that would guide his research: We need to make relative statements about what impacts on student work;We need estimates of magnitude as well as statistical significance – it is not good enough to say that this works because lots of people use it etc., but that this works because of the magnitude of impact;We need to be building a model based on these relative magnitudes of effects. The model he proposed in that lecture has grown to become a ranking system of influencers and their effects in education using meta-analyses, or groups of studies, in education. The meta-analyses he used came from all over the globe, and his method in developing the ranking system was first explained with the publication of his book Visible Learning in 2009. Hattie noted that the title of his book was selected to help teachers become evaluators of their own teaching† with the objective of giving teachers a better understanding of the positive or negative effects on student learning: Visible Teaching and Learning occurs when teachers see learning through the eyes of students and help them become their own teachers. The Method Hattie used the data from multiple meta-analyses in order to get a pooled estimate or measure of an effect on student learning. For example, he used sets of meta-analyses on the effect of vocabulary programs on student learning as well as  sets of meta-analyses on the effect of preterm birth weight on student learning. Hatties system of gathering data from multiple educational studies and reducing that data into pooled estimates allowed him to rate the different influences on student learning according to their effects in the same manner, whether they show negative  effects or positive effects. For example, Hattie ranked studies that showed the effects of classroom discussions, problem-solving, and acceleration as well as studies that showed the impact of retention, television, and summer vacation on student learning. In order to categorize these effects  by  groups, Hattie organized the influences into six areas: The studentThe homeThe schoolThe curriculaThe teacherTeaching and learning approaches Aggregating the data that was generated from these meta-analyses, Hattie determined the size of the effect each influence had on student learning. The size effect could be numerically converted for purposes of comparison, for example, an influencer’s effect size of 0 shows that the influence has no effect on student achievement. The greater the size of the effect, the greater the influence. In the 2009 edition of Visible Learning,  Hattie suggested that an effect size of 0,2 could be relatively small, while an effect size of 0,6 could be large. It was the effect size of 0,4, a numerical conversion that Hattie termed as his â€Å"hinge point,† that became the effect size average. In the 2015  Ã‚  Visible Learning,  Hattie rated influence effects by increasing the number of meta-analyses from 800 to 1200. He repeated the method of ranking influencers using the â€Å"hinge point† measurement which allowed him to rank the effects of 195 influences on a scale. T he Visible Learning website has several interactive graphics to illustrate these influences. Top Influencers The number one influencer at the top of the 2015 study is an effect labeled â€Å"teacher estimates of achievement. This category, new to the ranking list, has been given a ranking value of 1,62, calculated at four times the effect of the average influencer. This rating reflects the accuracy of an individual teachers knowledge of students in his or her classes and how that knowledge determines the kinds of classroom activities and materials as well as the difficulty of the tasks assigned. A teacher’s estimates of achievement can also influence  the questioning strategies and the student groupings used in class as well as the teaching strategies selected. It is, however, the number two influencer, collective teacher efficacy, that holds an even greater promise for improving student achievement.  This influencer means harnessing the power of the group to bring out the full potential of students and educators in schools.   It should be noted that Hattie is not the first to point out the importance of collective teacher efficacy. He is the one who rated it as having an effect ranking of 1.57, almost four times the average influence. Back in 2000, educational researchers Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy advanced this idea, stating that â€Å"collective teacher efficacy shapes the normative environment of schools† and that the â€Å"perceptions of teachers in a school that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have a positive effect on students.† In short, they found that â€Å"teachers in[ this] school can get through to the most difficult students.† Rather than rely on the individual teacher, collective teacher efficacy is a factor that can be manipulated at a whole school level. Researcher Michael Fullen and Andy Hargreaves in their article Leaning Forward: Bringing the Profession Back In  note several factors that must be present including: Teacher autonomy to take on the specific leadership roles with opportunities to participate in making decisions on school-wide issuesTeachers are allowed to collaboratively develop and communicate mutual goals that are clear and specificTeachers are committed to the goalsTeachers work as a team transparently without judgmentTeachers work as a team to collect specific evidence to determine growthLeadership acts responsively to all stakeholders and show concern and respect for their staff. When these factors are present, one of the outcomes is that collective teacher efficacy helps all teachers understand their significant impact on student results. There is also the benefit of stopping teachers from using other factors (e.g. home life, socio-economic status, motivation) as an excuse for low achievement. Way at the other end of the Hattie ranking spectrum, the bottom, the influencer of depression is given an effect score of -,42. Sharing space at the bottom of the  Visible Learning  Ladder are the influencers mobility (-,34) home corporal punishment (-,33), television (-,18), and retention (-,17). Summer vacation, a much-beloved institution, is also negatively ranked at -,02. Conclusion In concluding his inaugural address almost twenty years ago, Hattie pledged to use the best statistical modeling, as well as to conduct meta-analyses to achieve integration, perspective, and magnitude of effects. For teachers, he pledged to provide evidence that determined the differences between experienced and expert teachers as well as to assess the teaching methods that increase the probability of impact on student learning. Two editions of Visible Learning are the product of the pledges Hattie made in determining what works in education. His research can help teachers see better how their students learn best. His work is also a guide for how to best invest in education; a review of 195 influencers that can be better targeted by  statistical significance  for billions in investment...78 billion to start.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Logistics and operation managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Logistics and operation managment - Essay Example In this context, it must be mentioned that some of the most important activities of operations and logistics management in the present day scenario includes inventory management, capacity management, and delivery and scheduling among others (Harrison & et. al., 2014). All these factors and their efficacy determine success or failure for the overall operations and logistics management of any business unit (Mahadevan, 2010). Operation management is one of the most vital processes that are involved within the operations of any particular business. It include managing the overall operations of the business in a most efficient manner with due adherence to the goals and objectives of a business. In order to have a practical understanding of this particular aspect, a study of capacity and inventory management along with forecasting and scheduling has been conducted as part of a production simulation exercise. A team of few members conducted the exercise. The name of the team was Legendary. In order to determine the effectiveness of the teamwork, it will be vital to discuss about the weaknesses and strengths of the methods and approaches used to complete the process of operations management based on a given scenario. The group i.e. legendary primarily targeted on using a simplistic scheduling approach in completing the entire process. In this regard, it has been seen that the team intended to reduce as well as control the cost of inventory. This particular approach is deemed to be quite vital for controlling the cost of the overall operation management project. This approach or strategy of inventory management has its own strengths and weaknesses. Following this approach, the team i.e. legendary has been able to control and reduce the cost of inventory management of the company provided within the given scenario. This was done with the help of proper and accurate scheduling of stocks