Australian Administrative Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Administrative Law - Essay Example In Australia, for example, administrative law involvement in decision-making cuts across tribunals, commissions formed by the government, and boards that act as part of law regulatory schemes in the country (Hocking & Guy, 2010). Principles of the ground review in Australian Administrative law (AAL) In the process of answering questions raised in workshop two of the Workshop Guide, it is necessary to understand the application of administrative law in Australia (Hocking & Guy, 2010). The AAL gives a work frame of the powers exercised by law agencies in Australia regarding the constitutional rights of the public (Hocking & Guy, 2010). Currently, Australia has a well-established Ombudsman system. It also promotes freedom of information to its citizens. Legislation governs the freedom of access to information by all people and their constitutional rights exist. The formation of legislations came as a way of grounds review brought about by western development (Hocking & Guy, 2010). In fu rther understanding of the principles of administrative law in Australia, events experienced in the factual scenario in workshop two are vital. In this case, the complainant is Miss Lister. It is stated in the beginning that Miss Lister is not an Australian by birth, but she is of Samkan nationality. She was using her Visa while visiting Australia (Hocking & Guy, 2010). ... The migration act states that upon reception of Australian Visa, the government must offer the applicant protection assuring him or her of security inside the country (Hocking & Guy, 2010). In case the applicant has fears of possible persecution in his or her country of origin on grounds of race, nationality or any other social and political stand, the country should offer protection. It is due to these articles in Australian law that Lister was using in her petition (Hocking & Guy, 2010). Miss Lister defends herself by claiming that if she happens to go back to her country, she would face persecution due to her Gonstranian ethnic background (Hocking & Guy, 2010). The case under which Miss Lister arguments lie was due to grounds review that took place in Australia’s law. The minister for migration, however, rejected the application citing inadequate evidence. Miss Lister used the law review act in the Australian law guide to appeal against the decision (Hocking & Guy, 2010). U nder section 32 of the law, Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT), a mandate to assist refugees, seeks justice after rejection of their applications. In respect to this provision in the law, RRT performed its duty and provided more material as evidence to support the complainant’s claims (Hocking & Guy, 2010). The evidence included documents from Samkan government and newspaper from media houses showing the extent of persecutions taking place in the country and the reasons. RRT has also powers to determine the case in favor of refugees after looking at the evidence available (Hocking & Guy, 2010). The RRT decision After looking at the evidence provided and the information from its tribunal, RRT exercised its duties to

The Treatment Of Errors In The Classroom English Language Essay

The Treatment Of Errors In The Classroom English Language Essay LAST PART OF CHAPTER 3 As I mentioned before, error correction is the classroom activity that most people think as one of the language teachers most important functions (Nunan, 1989: 9). This is because most of the time the teacher is the one who corrects. The first and most important step a teacher must take is to determine the aim of the activity. As Ancker (2000: 20) mentioned in his article Errors and Corrective Feedback, if the objective is to develop accuracy, then of course correction is necessary. In this case, the correct approach is to allow the student to self-correct first. If that does not work, teachers should allow peer correction. But if no one seems to know, teachers can give the answer or correct. Although error correction seems time consuming, it helps students to focus their attention and to reduce their dependence on the teacher, and this reduction of dependence encourages students autonomy. On the other hand, if the objective of the activity is to develop fluency, then correction may not be necessary (Ancker, 2000: 20). Unless the error has been made many times, then the error correction needs to take place. One important question is who should correct learners errors. There are three possible answers to the question: the teacher, the learner him/herself or the others learners (peer-correction). But this will depend on the importance or success of the error corrections, as well as the ability of the students to do self or peer correction. According to Ellis (1994: 489) studies of repair in naturally occurring conversations have shown a preference for self-initiated and self-completed repair. But, in many cases the teacher is the one who usually corrects students in the classroom. It may be appropriate to allow the learner to self-correct without any further help from the teacher by using clarification requests such as: what?, excuse me?, what did you mean by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..?, etc. That is because learners are actually capable of making changes in their developing Interlanguage systems (Allwright and Bailey, 1994: 49). Most of the times, teacher intervention should be reduced and students must be encouraged to provide feedback to their partners. In one interpretation of language acquisition, Kessler (1992: 85) suggests that the monitor can prevent or repair some errors under certain conditions. These conditions include: a) a focus on form, rather than on communication of meaning, and b) adequate time for the learner to process the output. Ellis (1994: ibidem) conducted a study to find out whether learners reformulate their use of past tense in their utterances, when given a second opportunity to do so, or ignore it. He found out that those who, when pushed through a request for clarification to reformulate their utterances, did so, by correctly forming the past tense and maintained their improved accuracy in the past tense on the subsequent occasions. Teachers must have clear that each teacher must come to an individual decision with respect to treatment of errors, just as a proverb says: what works well in Madrid may not work well in Tokyo, because not all the students have the same personality. Allwright (1996: 32) makes a strong claim for the study of error correction in the classroom in which they occur. From this observation, he came to the following conclusions: 1) Teachers just tend to repeat the correct model rather than telling the student where his error occurred and why it was incorrect. 2) Teachers are also inconsistent in their treatment of learning errors. (Because errors are not always corrected). Also, Allwright (1996: 33) asserted that another possibility is that other learners in the classroom could help by providing corrective feedback if it is necessary. In one experimental study related to this issue, Porter (1986, mentioned in Chaudron, 1993: 71) found that second language learners were able to accurately correct other learners errors, though they rarely did so. 3.1.2.3 Error Correction Techniques Although providing correct forms of learner errors is one of the most popular techniques among many language teachers (Hendrickson, 1980: 160), the use of various types of treatment methods has been recommended as it is considered to be more effective and successful than relying upon a single technique (Lynch, 1996, cited in Muncie, 2000: 50). Holley and King (1971, cited in Hendrickson, ibidem.) suggest that teachers should not use the methods which make learners feel embarrassed or frustrated. Therefore, teachers should be more sensitive about how to respond to learner errors. Fanselow (1977: 588) has argued that teachers should offer learners the greatest possible variety of treatments because different people need to be treated differently. Also teachers need to keep on trying out different possibilities of feedback that would have to be delivered in such a way as to provide affective support, so the learners will not be demoralized, at the same time as the negative cognitive information is transmitted. Once teachers do decide to treat noticed errors, and when they will do so, they have a variety of methods to their disposal. Allwright (1975, in Nunan, 1989: 32) points out the complexities of the teachers task. In the case of error correction, this can be illustrated by the following options confronting the teacher in the face of a leaners error: To treat or to ignore the error completely. To treat immediately or delay the error. To allow another student, a subgroup or the whole class to find the correct form. To return or not to the original error-maker after treatment. To test for efficacy of treatment. To transfer treatment or not. To let it be self-treated. All these suggested options are appropriate in different moments; the teacher only needs to develop the intuition, through experience and solid diverse theoretical foundation. As Allwright has a variety of options, Long (1977, in Allwright and Bailey, 1994: ibidem) also notes that teachers have three choices in deciding what to do when they find the error: To inform the learner that an error has been made To inform the learner of the location of the error To inform the learner of the identity of the error Moreover, Corder (1967, in Allwright, 1996: ibidem) declares that in order to show that there is a problem, the teacher usually a) retains evaluation, b) ignores the answer given and repeats the question, c) repeats the trouble source as a question, or d) changes addressee. Errors are inevitable, but if there are too many it is probably the result of inefficient practice or poor exploitation strategies. Teachers have an arrangement of techniques and nomination strategies to deal with any correction that needs to be made. Correction techniques should be helpful and supportive. When an error is detected, the next problem is that teachers would have to choose the best type of treatment to provide in order to help the second language learners achieve this needed awareness. There are many types of errors and according to Slimani (1992, in Panova 2002: 582), teachers often use seven types of feedback (or error correction techniques) when correcting errors that occur in the language classroom. They are: recast, translation, clarification request, metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, explicit correction and repetition. As Slimani mentioned (ibidem) a recast is an implicit corrective feedback that reformulates a wrong or incomplete utterance. Example: 1. S: Dangerous? (Phonological error. /dangerus) T: Yeah, good. Dangerous. (Recast) you remember? Safe and dangerous. If you walk in the streetsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The second type of correction is the translation (from the teacher) that can be seen in many cases when students dont know how to say a definite utterance, for instance: 2. T: All right, now, which place is near the water? S: Non, Jai pas fini (L1) T: you havent finished? Okay, Bernard, have you finished? (Translation) The purpose of clarification request is to elicit reformulation or repetition from the student who has said a wrong form: 3. S: I want practice today, today (grammatical error) T: Im sorry? (Clarification request) In the example mentioned before, Im sorry is a type of clarification request but there is also another one that is very used: I dont understand. According to Lyster Ranta (1997, in Panova, 2002: 583), metalinguistic feedback refers to comments or information related to the form of the students utterance without providing the correct answer, as: 4. S: I accord T: Oh, but thats in French (metalinguistic feedback) Lyster Ranta point out that elicitation technique is a corrective feedback that prompts the learner to correct (Panova, 2002: 584); this is an example of a peer repairing: 5. T: In a fast food restaurant, how much do you tip? S1: No money (Lexical error) T: Whats the word? (Elicitation) S1: fiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (needs repairing) T: Whats the wordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in a fast food restaurant? (Elicitation) S2: Nothing (repair) T: Nothing, yeahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The sixth type of feedback is the explicit correction. 6. S: The day last tomorrow (lexical error) T: Yes. No, the day before tomorrow (explicit correction) In this type of feedback, the teacher provides explicit signals to the student that there is an error in the previous utterance. The last type of corrective feedback is repetition, which the teacher repeats the wrong part of the students expression, usually with a change of intonation. For example: 7. S: I am agree (lexical error) T: I am agree? (Repetition) The research on teacher treatment of learner error, including studies by Allwright (1975), Chaudron (1977, 1986b, 1987), Fanselow (1977b), and Long (1977), shows that teachers do not treat all errors that occur. The findings also reveal that teachers have a wide variety of techniques available for the treatment of errors, but they do not typically make full use of the repertoire of behaviors from which they might choose in providing feedback (Allwright and Bailey, 1994: 99-100). Knowing all these types of error correction techniques (named also as feedback) teachers are more self-confident on what they are doing, because they know that the type of feedback they give to their students is mentioned in the seven techniques pointed out before, and they make sure they are doing right. 3.1.2.4 Momentum of the Correction The dilemma of; to correct or not to correct, has persistently engaged the minds of language teachers. Concerning to correction, Lyster Ranta (1977: 51) acknowledge that there is a certain dilemma in this regard: if teachers do not correct errors, opportunities for students to make links between form and functions are reduced; if teachers do correct errors, they risk interrupting the flow of communication. According to Longs (1977: 279) opinion, once the teacher has decided that an error should be treated, the next decision that he/she has to make is when to treat the error. The teacher may deal with it immediately, or delay treatment somewhat (for instance, until the learner finishes with the message he/she is trying to convey), while still treating the error within the boundaries of the same lesson in which it occurred. The `problem with immediate error treatment is that it often involves interrupting the learner in mid-sentence, it is a practice which can certainly be disruptive and could eventually inhibit the learner willingness to speak in class at all. Allwright Bailey (1991: ibidem) assert that if we adopt the notion of Interlanguage in the discussion of second language learners errors, we realize that by treating errors, teachers try to help learners move ahead with their Interlanguage development. However, they believe mistimed error treatment may not be helpful and may even be harmful if it aims at structures which are beyond second language learners in terms of their Interlingua development. They refer to mistimed with forms at the right time in the course of the learners speech. While correcting errors, teachers can make corrections at the moment the error is made or at the end of the activity. Having the correction at the moment is advisable when students do not make many errors and this will help not only the students who made the error , but also to the whole class or those who are paying attention; and having the correction at the end of the activities is advisable when students have many errors and run on them every five minutes, so that students do not feel like foolish in front of the whole class. The place of error correction has been controversial because teachers have to know the adequate moment to do the correction and how to do it in order to not inhibit students participation. Nunan and Lamb (1996, in Poppi, 2001: @), point out that it is important to consider when the adequate moment to make a correction is. They say that it is better to correct errors at the end of the activity just by writing on the board and explaining the reasons of the errors made since in that way, the teacher gives a better explanation of the error, but also focuses more on the error. On the other hand correcting at the moment is not advisable, because of the lack of time and also the teacher could demotivate the students. Alternately, Allwright Bailey (1991: ibidem) state that teachers may postpone the treatment for longer periods of time for two reasons: a) teachers do not want to explain the error to the whole group. For instance, oral errors, particularly if they are shared by a group of learners, may form a starting point for a future lesson. Long (1977: 290) observes that error treatment becomes less effective as the time lag between the performance and the treatment becomes longer. Deciding when and which errors to correct causes problems to teachers, as teachers may think they are encouraging their students, but they are doing the contrary or vice-versa. Teachers must also take in consideration, that constantly interrupting students to correct them can be irritating. If teachers do not know when to correct, it is necessary to consider the nature of the activity that is being undertaken. For example if students are performing a drill in order to practice pronunciation or phrases, then they should be stopped immediately when they make the error, otherwise they will continue repeating defective language; on the other hand, in fluency, if there are frequent errors, the teacher can make a mental or written note to provide feedback after the activity, so students can feel comfortable and self-confident. Teachers do not have to correct all the time, they have to be conscious on what and when they are going to correct in order to promote students participation, otherwise if teachers make lots of corrections, students could be irritated (Norrish, 1990: 280). Long (1977: 292) points out that the psychology of research literature shows, that the feedback becomes less effective as the time between the performance of the skill and the feedback increases. What is more, Virgil Oller (1976: 288) think that correcting errors at the moment is a waste of time and instead of doing that, teachers should avoid error correction at the moment. So, correcting at the moment can certainly be troublemaking and could eventually inhibit the learners willingness to speak in class at all, or students could forget what they wanted to say. Contrary to this, correcting at the end of activities is better because teachers have already finished their activities and can explain in detail the reasons of the errors (Virgil Oller: ibidem). In short, we may say that teachers can choose the moment to correct their students taking into account their necessities. 3.1.2.5 Students Attitude Attitudes are complex, hypothetical construction, which general definition includes some notion of evaluation. Ajzen (1988: 85) states that an attitude is a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object, person, intuition or event. In addition to this, Triandis (1971: 289) writes that an attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor. This evaluative aspect of attitude is its defining attribute, and sets it apart from other affective variables. Attitude is an emotion that all people show when they have views of an attitude object: i.e. a person, behavior or event. Attitudes come from judgments. Triandis (1971: ibidem) says that attitudes develop the ABC model (affect, behavioral change and cognition). The affective response is a physiological response that expresses an individuals preference for an entity. The behavioral intention or change is a verbal indication of the intention of an individual. And the cognitive response refers to a cognitive evaluation of the entity to form an attitude. Heider (1958, in Triandis: ibidem) points out that attitude is usually defined as a disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain thing (idea, object, person, and situation). The type of feedback language teachers provide for students reflects their view of language and their objectives. The attitude of students plays an important role in learning a second language. This attitude is developed by a variety of factors, among them feedback, which may have desirable or undesirable cognitive and affective results. Students characteristics have an impact both on the teacher who corrects the learners errors and on the learner who is corrected. The teachers treatment of error might also be influenced consciously or unconsciously by the state of mood teachers are. The attitude of learners toward error correction, not only by teachers during focused activities but also by native speakers with whom they converse, is remarkably positive (Chenoweth, Chun and Luppescu, 1983: 82). Cathcart Olsen (1976: 41) found that ESL learners who hold positive attitude toward correction like to be corrected by their teachers and want to have more correction than they are usually provided with. Another important point about attitudes is that they are subject to change; they are not set in concrete. This is good news for teachers in that poor attitude can be changed. But the good news is tempered by the fact that there are many variables associated with attitude change, such as the state of mood, the classroom environment, the students personality and so on. Probably, the most difficult aspect of the correction process is tailoring corrections to individual students. Teachers who wish to provide effective correction must consider its effect on each individual student. The problem has two aspects: affective and cognitive side. Truscott (1998: @) says that on the effective side, learners clearly differ in their reactions and attitudes to correction. For some, no adverse effect is likely unless corrections are delivered in a very aggressive or unfair manner. For others, there is a serious danger that correction will produce embarrassment, anger, inhibition, feeling of inferiority, and generally negative attitudes towards the class and possibly toward the language learning itself. Consequently, there are different reactions in students because all students are different: positive and negative. In this way, in order to avoid harmful effects and to make correction effective, the teacher should see each student as unique and to ask how each student will respond to correction in many possible forms, varying the type of error correction and the frequency of the correction, the clarity of the correction and the most important: the intensity of the correction. Nunan Lamb (1996, in Poppi, 2001: @) mention that attitudes and responses vary among students depending on the different ways that teachers treat their errors. For example, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.teachers can correct students in a way that makes students feel comfortable and some students can have a positive attitude to the correction while others will react with a negative attitude by making gestures (like a grimace) and some others will just accept the correction and repeat it with a smile (Pinazo, 2001: @) Moreover, Wajnryb (1992, in Poppi, 2001: @) makes the point that, if teachers attempted to correct every error that occurred in class, there would be little time to do anything else. Correcting at anytime many times creates a negative classroom atmosphere, discouraging learners from risk-taking and experimentation. So, when learners are corrected intensively by the teacher it could have negative consequences in their motivation. Students will think that if they continue speaking, the teacher will continue correcting, and in order to avoid this reaction (the teachers one) they stop speaking. Pholsward (2001: @), in his investigation at the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce at the Faculty of Humanities in the language department of English, about students reaction to the error treatment, concluded that most students were quite relaxed and satisfied as they helped each other in a groups attempt to identify errors. In Pholswards research, the teachers would suggest answers in guidance to students and if the students were still not responsive, the teachers would identify errors and edit them, followed by detailed explanations. In brief, Ellis (1994: 490) affirms learners attitude towards error correction can also vary according to their characteristics, their cognitive and affective states and the nature of the treatment they receive. Apart from what was mentioned before, students reaction is complemented by non-verbal gestures, too. Students talk with gestures and their meanings are clear and specific for instance: waving goodbye. Other types of gesture, the gestures that express emotional states, reflect the mood and feeling of people. Pinazo (2001: @) expresses that these gestures show anxiety or tension of the moment such as pain, triumph and happiness. The attitudes that will be taken in consideration in this research project are: positive and negative, with its corresponding classification that were taken from the works of these authors: Rebel Gà ¼nther (2002: 49-51, 96-165), Louis Porcher (1989: 77-82), Ana Muà ±oz (2002: @), Olman Martà ­nez (2004: @) and Pinazo (2001: @): POSITIVE ATTITUDE NEGATIVE ATTITUDE Move the head from up to down in a moderate form Smiles Laughs Repetition of the correction Lips movement by saying thank you Soft tone of voice Quickly movement of the head in an affirmative form Hinge or attentive look Grin Smirk Sneer Snarl Rotating the eyes upward (eye rolling) Rude tone of voice Fig. 3.1 Common attitudes on error correction 3.1.3 Error Correction, Motivation and Communication in English Language Learning Motivation is as much an effect as a cause of learning. Ausubel (in Budden, 2004: @). Motivation is related to error correction in English language learning because the manner teacher corrects, is the way in which students are going to react to teachers correction. Students main goal is to participate in communication with other people. This learning goal is possible if teachers can keep students motivation for learning during oral practice activities. Terese (2005) explains that one natural and non-treating way of encouraging students to give feedback is by using a number of strategies like: clarification requests (What did you mean byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦?), requests for repetition (sorry, can you say that again?) and the use of questioning looks. This means that motivation is the force which determines if learners initiate, or not on a task, also how much energy they dedicate to it and how long they continue in it. Famous research carried out in the second half of the twentieth century by Gardner and Lambert (1999 in Harmer, 2001: 205) suggested that students who felt more warmly about a language, who wanted to integrate into the culture of its speakers were more motivated (and learnt successfully) than speakers who were only learning language as a means to an end (e.g. getting a better job). Harmer (1999: ibidem) says that real motivation comes from within each individual. Teachers are not responsible of their students motivation; they can only encourage students by using word and action, while teaching the foreign language. Motivation is the energy that catalyzes behavior. In psychology, motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behavior (Budden, 2004: @) Motivation is a temporal and dynamic state that should not be confused with personality or emotion. It is sometimes assumed by language teachers that if students make any kind of error when talking to a native speaker they are learning, but learners frequent attitude to this is to maintain a terrified silence upon meeting a native speaker (Norrish, 1990: ibidem). This is because students think that errors discredit them with the person they are talking to. On the other hand, certain errors may conduct to a breakdown in communication, while others to social reactions. For instance, one of the breakdowns in communication is inhibition (Norrish, 1990: ibidem). Students get inhibited because they fear making errors when communicating and being ridiculous in front of the teacher or native speakers. But also when staying in the classroom or talking with other students, they feel embarrassed when making errors, because they are afraid of being seen as dumb. Nunan and Lamb (1996, in Poppi 2001:@), mention an investigation on teacher behavior and student responses on occasion of which the following question was established: Do students attitude about the types of error treatment used by their teachers in the classroom during oral classroom tasks influence their motivation? They concluded that students do hold attitudes about different ways that teachers treat their errors, and also learners would like the teacher to improve raising their awareness by allowing opportunities to self-correct and to analyze the errors; the learners would like to be provided in a positive way with information and clarification, rather than: a) being exposed by non-verbal signs, b) providing feedback without explanations, c) asking the students to repeat the sentence and d) activating the right answer on the part of the student. Additionally, students would like to build up the belief that errors are to be considered as signs of progress of the learning process , rather than evidence of failure. Correcting errors disturbs the ongoing communication process (Truscott, 1998: @) but it is important to express that errors do not necessarily guide to a breakdown of communication, because sometimes correcting errors in students encourage them to continue participating in order to improve their speaking skill. In short, along this theoretical framework, I have mentioned all topics related to error correction that will be necessary to carry out this research project. For instance, I have mentioned that errors are considered to be incorrect, wrong or should not be done. In addition to this, I have described the different types of errors like error, mistake, lapse or slip as errors, this way was easy to identify what I was referring to in the investigation. I have talked about the sources of errors; but also, and something important is that, I have mentioned error correction and the types of error correction that teachers usually use when correcting students. When correcting errors, I said that we need to take into account who will treat errors and when to treat errors. CONCLUSION Being a teacher of a foreign language implies having certain skills, whether by nature, acquired outside teaching, or arising from university studies in education. They may also gain this knowledge with books concerning issues of education or by taking professional courses on the subject. In this case, the research presented, is primarily based on improving teaching skills of those teachers who didnt study a bachelors degree in English Teaching, by providing the teaching of various courses. Improving in various teachers fields was primarily important. But, understanding two main points that serve as departure is the start point: what does teaching mean? And what does being a teacher imply? Teachers must understand that a good class depends on many factors; although the material presented to teach the class is important, the teacher should take into account that leadership and management at the beginning, during and at the end of the class is essential, for the students to learn what is taught. It is of vital importance to know the likes and preferences of the students who we give classes to; this will serve as a key piece to encourage them, especially those who learning a foreign language are a rejection. Teachers should practice self-reflection on how to teach a foreign language, and have feedback from other teachers; this is of great help in order to implement different kinds of methodologies in the classroom, especially in error correction during the communication of the students to the teachers and among themselves. Doing the research on these topics, I noticed and reflected on the magnitude of being a teacher I understood that teaching is a great responsibility, because the way of teaching depends on the likes and disposition of the students to the learning of English language, due to the motivation transmitted by the teacher. This also includes the methodology used by the teacher to teach a class, as it influences how well students understand the topic. Another important point is the attitude that teachers have in front of groups when teaching. It must be enthusiastic and positive, factors to include in the education of a class presentation. Of all these factors that I explained above, I conclude that it is very significant to continue preparing ourselves and practice teaching training, in order to perk up foreign language education. Improving internally and externally all the factors in teachers such as: learning new teaching methodologies, be at the forefront of materials that can be used with the group, making use of different types of feedback from teachers, using different tools and techniques in teaching as well as self-reflection are some of the factors explained in this research. This paper concludes that teachers that do not have a bachelors degree in English Teaching should always look for continuous improvement in different ways in all areas, in all levels of language education towards the students. Taking into account all the factors set above, this research was done, in order to improve the level of education qualitatively, pedagogically and psychological practicability in the teachers practice of English teaching at the Liceo Josà © Vasconcelos, in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas.

The Controversy Over Harry Potter Essay -- Harry Potter Essays

The Controversy Over Harry Potter The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling has created quite a stir among public schools and churches. Some parents and ministers are afraid these books are teaching wizardry, witchcraft, and evil to their children, while others think they are books of harmless fantasy. There are two sides to this controversy, but I believe that these are just a way for kids to make-believe and imagine. The Harry Potter books are about a boy who learns he has special powers and attends a school called Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here we find trials against good and evil, where good triumphs. There have been some parents who have protested these books and have been trying to get them banned from schools. In Clarence, New York, at Ledgeview Elementary School, Eric Poliner isn’t allowed to listen when his teacher, Mrs. Cusack, reads Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone aloud to her fifth grade students. His mom has him sit in the library and study while the other students listen to the story. Eric says, â€Å"There’s a lot about witchcraft and...

Stat 250 Review

Final Exam Review Part VI Definitions and Terms: Know the major definitions and terms for example 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Population Sample Descriptive Statistic Inferential Statistics Parameter vs Statistics Variable a. Categorical Statistic estimates Parameter b. Quantitative estimates , sample mean , population i. Discrete mean s, sample standard estimates , population ii. Continuous deviation standard deviation Random Variable estimates P, population ? p , sample Sampling Distributions proportion proportionParameter (Defines a population) Statistic (calculated from sample to estimate a parameter) Central Limit Theorem Law of Large Numbers Confidence Level (1- )*100 Type I error (rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact it is true) Type II error (not rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact the null is not true) What is true What you did Do not Reject H0 Reject H0 H0 true No Error Type I error Ha True Type II Error No Error 15. Level of Significance (The probability of making a Type I error) 16. Interpretation of a confidence interval 17. P-value a.The probability of making a type I error based on your sample b. The probability, computed supposing the H0 to be true, that the test statistic will take a value at least as extreme as that actually observed. 18. Interpretation of a test of significance (hypothesis test) Types of Problems 1. Reading and interpreting graphs (make sure you read the labels so you know units and whether the graph is frequency (counts) or relative frequency (percents, ratios, probabilities). 2. Calculating Measures of Center a. Mean b. Median 3. Calculating Measures of Spread a. Range b.You will not have to calculate the standard deviation, but you must understand what the standard deviation is – the average distance each data value is from the mean. c. Interquartile Range (Q3 – Q1) i. 1st quartile ii. 2nd quartile (median) iii. 3rd quartile 4. Shape of distributions 5. Shape of distributions an d effects on Mean and Median 6. Effects of outlier and skewed distribution a. Non-resistant measures of Center and Spread: mean and standard deviation b. Resistant measures of Center and Spread: median and interquartile range 7. Boxplot and 5 number summary: Min, Q1, Q2, Q3, Max 8.Binomial Distribution a. Calculating the mean , =np np(1 p) b. Calculating the standard deviation, c. Finding probabilities using the CDF output from MINITAB 9. Calculating Probabilities for a Normal distribution (Knowing how to use Table A, the standard normal distribution) a. Standardizing any normal random variable i. z x b. Unstandardizing any normal random variable i. x z 10. Sampling distributions a. Sampling distribution of the sample mean – samples of size n i. Mean, x= (can be calculated even if we do not know the shape of the distribution) ii. Standard deviation, x n the shape of the distribution) can be calculated even if we do not know iii. Shape of sampling distribution 1. If population the sample came from is normal, all sampling distributions of any size are normal 2. If the shape of the population is unknown or is NOT normal, then the sampling distribution of the sample mean is normal only if the sample size is 30 or more by the Central Limit Theorem (The shape of the sampling distribution becomes approximately Normal if the sample size is large enough. In our class a sample of size 30 or more is â€Å"large enough† to assume the sampling distribution is approximately Normally distributed. iv.Knowing how to compute probabilities based on the sampling distribution of the sample mean when applicable. v. Inferential Techniques based on sampling distribution when conditions are met (SRS and Normality) 1. Estimation – Confidence Intervals : statistic margin of error (margin of error = critical value * standard error) a. known: i. X z /2 * n ii. Sample size: We can determine the sample size needed so that a specific margin of error is observed at a spec ified confidence level: n b. z unknown: X * m 2 /2 t / 2,df * s n 2. Significance Tests (Hypothesis Tests) a. nown: test statistic, z0 X 0 n b. unknown: test statistic, t0 X s 0 n b. Sampling distribution of the sample proportions – samples of size n i. Mean, p (can be calculated even if we do not know the shape of the ? p distribution) ii. Standard deviation, p(1 P) (can be calculated even if we do not n ? p know the shape of the distribution iii. Shape of sampling distribution of the sample proportions becomes approximately normal if (our book states: np? 10 and n(1-p)? 10, that is the sample successes and failures must be 10 or more. ) np(1-p)? 10 , which is conservative. iv.Inferential Techniques based on sampling distribution when conditions are met (SRS and Normality) 1. Estimation – Confidence Intervals : statistic margin of error (margin of error = critical value * standard error) a. ? pz /2 * ? ? p (1 p ) n i. Sample size: We can determine the sample size need ed so that a specific margin of error is observed at a specified confidence level: n p(1 p) z /2 m 2 If a prior estimate for p is known, use it. If a prior estimate is not know, use p = 0. 5 2. Significance Tests (Hypothesis Tests) a. known: test statistic, z0 ? p p0 p0 (1 p0 ) n 11.Inferential techniques for 2 sample problems (means and proportions – on PowerPoint that is coming next) which are also based on Sampling distribution when conditions are met. a. You will be given the value of the standard error for two sample problems (two sample means dependent, you will be given the standard deviation of the differences, but you will have to calculate the standard error s .) n b. You will have to calculate the pooled proportion for the two sample proportions ? problems: p x1 x2 n1 n2 c. You will have to calculate confidence intervals and do tests of significance (hypothesis tests) 2. Goodness of fit test Best Way to Study 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Go over Test 1 and Test 2 Go over all qui zzes since Test 2 Go over all your quizzes Go over Post-Tests Go over Homework What you need for the final 1. 2. 3. 4. Pencil and eraser Calculator Table A and Table C Formula Sheet: you have two choices. You must choose either A or B a. HAND WRITTEN formula sheet – no copies. Must be the original. On an 8X11 sheet of paper, front and back, you can write whatever you wish. Hand written!!! b. Pristine, no writing on it, copy of the formula sheet on Blackboard. Scantron will be provided.

Mission and Vision Statements Essay

It often reflects the values and beliefs of top managers in an organization. A mission statement is the broad definition of the organizational mission. It is sometimes referred to as a creed, purpose, or statement of corporate philosophy and values. A good mission statement inspires employees and provides a focus and direction for setting lower level objectives. It should guide employees in making decisions and establish what the organization does. Mission statements are crucial for organizations to prosper and grow. While studies suggest that they have a positive impact on profitability and can increase shareholder equity, they also support that almost 40 percent of employees do not know or understand their company’s mission. Not only large corporations benefit from creating mission statements but small businesses as Photo by: sellingpix http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 1 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM well. Entrepreneurial businesses are driven by vision and high aspirations. Developing a mission statement will help the small business realize their vision. Its primary purpose is to guide the entrepreneur and assist in refining the planning process. By developing a strategic plan that incorporates the mission statement, entrepreneurs are more likely to be successful and stay focused on what is important. The mission statement encourages managers and small business owners alike to consider the nature and scope of the business. Business Week attributes 30 percent higher return on several key financial measure for companies with well-crafted mission statements. COMMON ELEMENTS While mission statements vary from organization to organization and represent the distinctness of each one, they all share similar components. Most statements include descriptions of the organization’s target market, the geographic domain, their concern for survival, growth and profitability, the company philosophy, and the organization’s desired public image. For example: Our mission is to become the favorite family dining restaurant in every neighborhood in which we operate. This will be accomplished by serving a variety of delicious tasting and generously portioned foods at moderate prices. Our restaurants will be clean, fun, and casual. Our guests will be served by friendly, knowledgeable people that are dedicated to providing excellent customer service. This mission statement describes the target market, which are families and the geographic domain of neighborhoods. It clearly states how it expects to be profitable by offering excellent customer service by friendly, knowledgeable people. When defining the mission statement it is important to take into account external influences such as the competition, labor conditions, economic conditions, and possible government regulation. It is important to remember however, that mission statements that try to be everything to everybody end up being nothing to anybody. http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 2 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM Companies should have mission statements that clearly define expected shareholder returns and they should regularly measure performance in terms of those expected returns. If the major reason for a business’s existence is to make a profit then it stands to reason that expectations of profit should be included in the organization’s mission. This means that management should reach a consensus about which aspects of the company’s profit performance should be measured. These might include margin growth, product quality, market share changes, competitive cost position, and capital structure efficiency. A mission statement sets the boundaries for how resources should be allocated and what strategic and operational goals should be set. The mission statement should acknowledge the company’s strengths and then inform employees where to direct their efforts in order to take advantage of those strengths. Before writing a mission statement organizations should take a look at how they are different from the competition, whether it is in technology, image and name brand, or employees. It can often be thought of as a recipe for success because it not only defines the organization’s accomplishments but it also provides employees with directions to help them develop plans and look for opportunities for improvement. The organization defines what is acceptable behavior through the mission statement. Values and beliefs are the core of a strong mission statement. For example: Quality and values will secure our success. We will live by our values, have fun, and take pride in what we do. Our values are to maintain a work environment where people enjoy coming to work, to serve our guests and exceed their expectations, and to be profitable and result oriented. This mission statement is simple and straightforward. It does not, however, specify the products or target market. The mission statement also provides meaning to the organization by stating not only what goals the company wants to achieve but also why it wants to achieve these goals. It is not effective unless it is challenging and forces workers to establish goals and means to measure the achievement of those goals. A mission statement should inspire employees and get them involved in the organization. It has been called the glue that holds the organization together through shared values and standards of behavior. A mission statement should be relevant to the history, culture, and values of the company. Many statements refer to the social responsibility of the organization. For example, a company can show their concern for the community in the following: http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 3 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM To be involved as good corporate citizens wherever we are around the world. We will treat customers and distributors with honesty, courtesy, and respect. We will respect and preserve the environment. Through all of this we will prove to be the worldwide leader in industry trade. One important issue in organizations today is the concern with diversity. While it is not a traditional point included in mission statements, more and more companies are including it because of the globalization of the economy and the increased diversity of the workforce. Before writing a mission statement, leaders in the organization must have an idea of what is in store for the future. This vision is the foundation for the mission statement. The vision provides a strategic direction, which is the springboard for the mission and its related goals. A vision statement differs from a mission statement. Vision statements are a view of what an organization is striving to become. For example: To bring back to neighborhoods all over America the importance of family unity. We will view ourselves as a family so these attributes will be carried over into our service. They guide an organization into the future while mission statements are a reflection of the present. Because vision statements are a glimpse into the future, they are often not realized for several years. Organizations go through many changes and can face times of confusion and uncertainty. Changes are not always expected or easy, so a well thought out vision statement will help everyone stay focused and meet the organization’s goals. Some examples of well-known companies’ mission statements: Wal-Mart: â€Å"To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people. † 3M: â€Å"To solve unsolved problems innovatively. † Walt Disney: â€Å"To make people happy. † Historically, these may have seemed arrogant. But consider the outcome of the following mission statements from each company’s early days: Ford Motor Company: â€Å"Ford will democratize the automobile. † Sony: â€Å"Become the company most know for changing the world-wide poor-quality image of Japanese products. † Wal-Mart: â€Å"Become a $125 billion company by the year 2000. † http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 4 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM WRITING A MISSION STATEMENT When creating a mission statement there are a few simple guidelines that can be followed. It is important to remember the basics so the mission statement stays simple and straight to the point. Some researchers agree that it should be kept to between 30 and 60 words, while others believe it does not necessarily have to be that brief. Some organizations have mission statements that are only one sentence, while others are a paragraph. An example of a mission statement that is limited to one sentence is â€Å"Our business is selling houses and our mission is total customer satisfaction. At a minimum, each mission statement should answer the following three questions: (1) What are the opportunities or needs the organization addresses? (2) What does the organization do to address those needs? and (3) What principles and values guide the organization? In other words, defining the organization’s purpose, business and values. Avoiding jargon and buzzwords will keep the mission statement clear and easy to understand. It should be universal and simple to comprehend for all employees in the organization. It should be unique and identify the organization. A mission statement is often what sets one company apart from the competition. It should outline the organization’s competitive advantages and differentiate it from everyone else. Specific products/services offered as well as markets or customers should be included. Also a general business definition, behavioral standards, and desired competitive position can be added to a strong mission statement. EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT It is often helpful to allow company-wide input when creating a mission statement. This â€Å"bottom up† approach results in greater commitment to the organization and a better understanding of the organization. Employees from throughout the organization can help identify the core values of the company. In order to encourage employee participation, many companies have created competitions inviting employees to submit suggestions. Cash prizes are sometimes provided as an incentive for creative and inspirational statements. Some companies find it useful to invite customers to assist in writing a mission statement because they can provide an honest perspective. Another option is to review mission statements from other companies. This can help provide ideas as the writing process begins. It is important to keep in mind that there will be a draft process involved in creating the mission statement. Employees can often provide invaluable insight on how to improve on each draft. In the end, the mission statement should reflect the personality of the organization. Thus, each company should be creative and unique in developing its own statement. Creating a mission http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 5 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM  committee that consists of members of management, frontline employees, and customers is another way to begin writing a mission statement. The major benefit of this strategy is the inclusion of all areas of the organization to ensure that everyone is represented. Another benefit is that employees will be more willing to work toward accomplishing the mission if they know they had a vo ice in its creation. A â€Å"top down† approach can be effective in smaller organizations or even sole proprietorships. There is less time involved in creating a mission statement when it comes from the top. Also, many times frontline employees and lower level managers lack the insight necessary to see the big picture. They may not be able to conceptualize the entire organization and therefore miss important aspects of the business. Participation may not always be a good option for small businesses. In small businesses that are started by entrepreneurs the mission statement is generally a vision of an individual and therefore may not be negotiable. When the mission statement comes from upper management, employees are more assured of the organization’s commitment to the statement. A word of caution should be noted when deciding whether to adopt a â€Å"top down† approach or a â€Å"bottom up† approach. If the mission statement is to be created with a wide variety of input from both employees and customers then it will take longer than a â€Å"top down† approach. There must be a sharing of views and ideas with compromises made. A consensus should be developed without the problems associated with groupthink. There is always the possibility that too much compromise will distort the mission statement and the end result is something different from the original intent. The â€Å"top down† approach is not always effective because it rarely consults employees when making important decisions. Therefore, although it is the fastest route to take it isn’t always the most effective. While the mission statement should be able to change with the times it is also understood to have a certain degree of permanence. As new businesses begin to grow and hire more employees the mission statement should provide a strong sense of stability and a clear definition of the culture. A mission statement is worthless unless it has the support of the employees in the organization. It will only be successful if each employee commits to its success and internalizes it. Once the statement is completed it is extremely important that the organization not put it on the shelf to collect dust. It should be shared with the entire company. The introduction of the mission statement should come directly from top management in order to set the example. Organizations should be creative in making employees aware of the mission statement. Placing it strategically in locations where employees gather will increase awareness and remind them of the goals of the http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 6 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM organization. Videos outlining the details of the new mission statement are often useful; however, it is critical that employees have the opportunity to discuss the statement with members of management. Setting up meetings with members of management and frontline employees can often help uncover areas where the company does not meet the standards set by the mission statement. Communicating the mission statement to customers will make them feel valued and important. It can be sent to customers in a mass mailing or posted on signs in areas those customers frequent. It sets forth the goals of the organization so customers know what to expect when doing business with the company. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that helps an organization match its internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis is important and useful in creating and executing the organization’s mission statement. Often the best strategies for accomplishing the organization’s mission are revealed through the SWOT analysis. The best strategies are those that take advantage of strengths and opportunities, offset threats, and improve weaknesses. Organizations should first begin by reviewing internal strengths and weaknesses. When analyzing an organization’s strengths it is important to identify distinctive competencies or strengths possessed by only a few competing firms. These distinctive competencies often become the competitive advantages that are included in the mission statement. Distinctive competencies can be found in financial resources, quality products and services, proprietary technology, or cost advantages. Organizational weaknesses are skills and capabilities that prevent an organization from implementing strategies that achieve its mission. They can be problems with facilities, lack of a clear strategic direction, internal operating problems, too narrow a product line, weak market image, or the inability to finance changes. The next step is to identify external opportunities and threats. Organizational opportunities are circumstances in an organization’s environment that if capitalized on will result in above normal increases in economic performance. Examples of opportunities are related to the possibility of adding a new product line, increasing market growth, or diversifying into related products. Threats are viewed as circumstances that give rise to normal or below normal economic performance. They can be found in the ease of entry of competitors, increased sales of substituted products, demographic changes, slowed market growth, or increased competition. EVALUATION http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-State ments. html Page 7 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM Evaluation of the mission statement is necessary to ensure the organization is meeting its goals. If needed, new goals may have to be created in order to accommodate changes in the organization. It may be time to reevaluate what the organization is doing or where it is headed. This is a good time to think about entering into new areas or to begin doing things differently by rewriting part or all of the mission and vision statements. In evaluating an organization’s performance, management must look at several different aspects of the organization. First, managers need to determine if the organization’s plans are clearly linked to its mission statement and related goals. Plans should be developed for both the short run and long run. Secondly, assigning jobs that are directly related to the achievement of organizational goals will help ensure they are attained. The goals should be communicated clearly so employees understand what tasks need to be carried out and what the rewards will be. Finally, when evaluating individual performance, the information gathered should be recent and compared to established standards. Mission statements are often difficult to evaluate because they are written in a somewhat abstract form. They are, many times, not directly measurable and vaguely worded. Figure 1 presents an example of how mission statements can be measured from the top of the organization to the bottom. Strategic goals are directly tied to the organization’s mission statement and apply to the organization as a whole. Tactical goals are departmental goals that support the strategic goals. Finally, operational goals are written at the individual level. Each one of these makes it possible to measure the organization’s mission statements. An organization’s likelihood of accomplishing its mission is increased as it creates strong and measurable goals at each level. It is not necessary that the mission statement be measured in quantifiable terms. It may also be measured qualitatively. For example, â€Å"We will answer all of our customers’ questions and if we don’t know the answer, we will find out. † While this is not a quantitative statement it can be measured by monitoring customer service calls and setting operational goals for employees that revolve around follow up and thoroughness. Mission and vision statements give organizations a focus and a strategy for the future. According to Bart and Tabone, they have become the cornerstones of organizations. They contribute to organizations’ success and can lead to increases in productivity and performance. They do not have to be reserved for the entire organization—each department or division can benefit from developing a mission statement, as long as they are not in contradiction to the company’s overall mission. Preferably, an individual department’s mission links it to the fulfillment of the overall http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Mar-No/Mission-and-Vision-Statements. html Page 8 of 12 Mission and Vision Statements – strategy, organization, examples, advantages, definition, company, disadvantages, business 5/19/13 2:42 PM company mission. Mission statements for functional Figure 1 departments provide the same benefits as they do for the entire organization. In conclusion, mission statements provide a sense of direction and purpose. In times of change and growth they can be an anchor and a guide in decision making. The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages and challenges when looking at the potential for increases in profitability and returns. Defining an organization by what it produces and who it satisfies are major steps towards creating a sound and stable mission statement. Setting a company apart from the competition is probably one of the biggest advantages. SEE ALSO: Strategic Planning Failure ; Strategic Planning Tools ; Strategy Formulation ; Strategy Implementation ; SWOT Analysis Amy McMillan Revised by Deborah Hausler FURTHER READING: Bart, C. K. , and J. C. Tabone.

Why Choose a Single-Sex School

Why Choose a Single-Sex School No single educational environment is right for every student. From varying learning styles to different interests, education has become an incredibly diverse and customized experience for students. For some children, the best learning environment is one that removes students of the opposite gender from the equation.  Research has shown that single-sex education offers benefits for both girls and boys. While it has long been known that girls do better academically in all-girls’ environments, more recent research has shown that boys may fare even better than girls in single-sex classrooms. The research fairly overwhelmingly and  consistently points to the advantages of single-sex schools. For example, a study at Stetson University  in Florida showed that among fourth graders at a public elementary school in the state, 37% of boys reached proficiency levels in co-ed classes, while 86% of boys in single-sex classrooms did (the boys in the study were matched so that they were statistically equivalent). While 59% of girls reached a proficient level in co-ed classrooms, 75% did when they were only with girls. This type of research has been carried out and substantiated among students of different economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds in many different industrialized countries around the world. Part of the magic of single-sex schools is that the teaching methods can be adjusted to the students. Well-trained teachers at girls’ and boys’ single-sex schools can take advantage of the specific ways in which girls and boys learn. For example, boys often need a higher level of activity, while girls might need more reassurance that they have something to offer to the classroom discussion. In a typical co-ed classroom, it is difficult for one teacher to use these specific strategies for all the students. Here are some other advantages of single-sex schools: Girls Gain Greater Confidence CRC Health studies show that one-quarter of the female members of Congress and one-third of the female board members of Fortune 100 companies attended girls’ schools. This staggering statistic might be in part because girls in single-sex schools learn to feel confident about their ideas, and they more readily jump into class discussions when they are not self-conscious. In a girls’ school, students are not worried about what boys will think about them, and they shed the traditional idea that girls should be demure or quiet. Boys and Girls Feel Comfortable in Non-traditional Subjects Boys in boys’ schools feel comfortable in areas that they learn to avoid in co-ed schools, such as literature, writing, and foreign languages. Many boys’ schools emphasize these subjects, and the teachers in these schools are able to plan the curriculum so that the themes in the books the boys read are geared towards their concerns and interests, as opposed to the usual â€Å"girl-centered† books in many co-ed schools. For example, boys may read stories about boys coming of age, such as Homer’s The Odyssey, and the students’ analyses of these works can be centered on boys’ concerns. Girls in girls’ schools, on the other hand, tend to feel more comfortable in areas that they traditionally shy away from, such as math and science. In all-female schools, they can have female role models who enjoy these subjects, and they are encouraged to be interested in these areas without competition from boys. Students Unlearn Gender Stereotypes In boys’ schools, boys fill every role- whether it’s a traditional role such as captain of the basketball team or whether it’s an untraditional role such as the editor of the yearbook. There are no stereotypes about which types of roles boys should fill. Similarly, in a girls’ school, girls are the head of every sport and organization and can comfortably take on such untraditional roles as head of the student body or head of the physics club. In this way, students in these schools unlearn traditional stereotypes and do not tend to think of roles in terms of gender. Single-Sex Classrooms Often have Better Discipline While sometimes all-girls’ and all-boys’ classrooms have a certain relaxed quality borne of freedom to express themselves, single-sex classrooms have been shown overall to have fewer discipline problems, particularly for boys. Students are no longer busy impressing or competing against the opposite sex but can get down to the true business of learning. Many parents who attended co-ed schools may feel uncomfortable at first exploring the single-sex school option for their children, but there is no doubt that many students learn better in these types of schools.

James Baldwins essays

James Baldwin's essays James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket The African-American author known as James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in 1924. In his childhood, Baldwin was a voracious reader. He read every book that he could get his hands on at his local library, which he visited several times a week. As his lust for reading grew, so blossomed his writing. By the age of 8 or 9, Baldwin had written his schools song, Farwell To 24. His mother encouraged his eagerness to write, but his father, a preacher, wanted him to follow in his footsteps. His father also felt that Baldwins writing was not intended for the black race, but rather the white. Their differences eventually go so great that Baldwin finished high school and left home. After high school, he worked in several different jobs and finally started his literary apprenticeship. In the early 1940s, Baldwin worked some in New Jersey, and in 1943 he began writing full-time. He tried his hand at writing here in the United States, but quickly realize that it was almost impossible. In 1948, he left for Paris. While in Paris, Baldwins work became world renowned. Baldwin traveled extensively , and with every place, he wrote a novel. Some were controversial covering topic such as sexuality, and personal identity. Most were based on the civil struggles that was occurring in the United States. He returned to the United States in the early 60s in order to become involved in The Civil Rights Movement. He lost many good friends during The Civil Rights Movement, including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. After the assassination of King, Baldwin returned to Paris in the early 70s. While back in Paris, Baldwin suffered writers block. He bitterly started to acknowledge that violence may be the only route to racial justice. In 1983, Baldwin became Five College Pro fessor in the African-American Studies department of the University of...

The Halayeb Triangle

The Halayeb Triangle The Halayeb Triangle (map), also sometimes called the Hala’ib Triangle is an area of disputed land located on the border between Egypt and Sudan. The land covers an area of 7,945 square miles (20,580 square kilometers) and is named for the town of Hala’ib which is located there. The presence of the Halayeb Triangle is caused by the different locations of the Egypt-Sudan border. There is a political boundary that was set in 1899 that runs along the 22nd parallel and an administrative boundary that was set by the British in 1902. The Halayeb Triangle is located in the difference between the two and since the mid-1990s Egypt has had de facto control of the area. History of the Halayeb Triangle The first border between Egypt and Sudan  was set in 1899 when the United Kingdom  had control over the area. At that time the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement for Sudan set a political boundary between the two at 22nd parallel or along the line of 22ÌŠ N latitude. Later, in 1902 the British drew a new administrative boundary between Egypt and Sudan which gave control of the Ababda territory that was south of the 22nd parallel to Egypt. The new administrative boundary gave Sudan control of land that was north of the 22nd parallel. At that time, Sudan controlled about 18,000 square miles (46,620 sq km) of land and the villages of Hala’ib and Abu Ramad. In 1956, Sudan became independent and the disagreement over the control of the Halayeb Triangle between Sudan and Egypt began. Egypt  considered the border between the two as the 1899 political boundary, while Sudan claimed that the border was the 1902 administrative boundary. This led to both Egypt and Sudan claiming sovereignty over the region. In addition, a small area south of the 22nd parallel called Bir Tawil that was formerly administered by Egypt was claimed by neither Egypt nor Sudan at this time. As a result of this border disagreement, there have been several periods of hostility in the Halayeb Triangle since the 1950s. For example in 1958, Sudan planned to hold elections in the region and Egypt sent troops into the area. Despite these hostilities, however, both countries exercised joint control of the Halayeb Triangle until 1992 when Egypt objected to Sudan allowing exploration of the region’s coastal areas by a Canadian oil company. This led to further hostilities and an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Egypt’s then-president Hosni Mubarak. As a result, Egypt strengthened control of the Halayeb Triangle and forced all Sudanese officials out. By 1998 Egypt and Sudan  agreed to begin working on a compromise as to which country would control the Halayeb Triangle. In January 2000, Sudan withdrew all forces from the Halayeb Triangle and ceded control of the region to Egypt. Since Sudan’s withdrawal from the Halayeb Triangle in 2000, there are often still conflicts between Egypt and Sudan over control of the region. In addition, the Eastern Front, a coalition of Sudanese rebels, states that it claims the Halayeb Triangle as Sudanese because the people there are more ethnically related to Sudan. In 2010 the Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir said, â€Å"Halayeb is Sudanese and will stay Sudanese† (Sudan Tribune, 2010). In April 2013 there were rumors that Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi and Sudan’s President Al-Bashir had met to discuss a compromise of control over the Halayeb Triangle and the possibility of giving control of the region back to Sudan (Sanchez, 2013). Egypt denied those rumors however and claimed that the meeting was simply to strengthen cooperation between the two nations. Thus, the Halayeb Triangle still remains in Egypt’s control while Sudan claims territorial rights over the region. Geography, Climate, and Ecology of the Halayeb Triangle The Halayeb Triangle is located on the southern border of Egypt and the northern border of Sudan. It covers an area of 7,945 square miles (20,580 square kilometers) and has coastlines on the Red Sea. The area is called the Halayeb Triangle because Hala’ib is a large city within the region and the area is shaped roughly like a triangle. The southern border, about 180 miles (290 km) follows the 22nd parallel. In addition to the main, disputed portion of the Halayeb Triangle there is a small area of land called Bir Tawil that is located south of the 22nd parallel at the triangle’s westernmost tip. Bir Tawil has an area of 795 square miles (2,060 sq km) and is not claimed by Egypt or Sudan. The climate of the Halayeb Triangle is similar to that of northern Sudan. It is normally very hot and receives little precipitation outside of a rainy season. Near the Red Sea, the climate is milder and there is more precipitation. The Halayeb Triangle has a varied topography. The highest peak in the region is Mount Shendib at 6,270 feet (1,911 m). In addition, the Gebel Elba mountain area is a nature reserve that is home to Elba Mountain. This peak has an elevation of 4,708 feet (1,435 m) and is unique because its summit is considered a mist oasis because of intense dew, mist and high levels of precipitation (Wikipedia.org). This mist oasis creates a unique ecosystem in the region and also makes it a biodiversity hotspot with over 458 plant species. Settlements and People of the Halayeb Triangle The two major towns within the Halayeb Triangle are Hala’ib and Abu Ramad. Both of these towns are located on the Red Sea coast and Abu Ramad is the last stop for buses bound for Cairo and other Egyptian cities. Osief is the closest Sudanese town to the Halayeb Triangle (Wikipedia.org).Because of its lack of development, most of the people living within the Halayeb Triangle are nomads and the region has little economic activity. The Halayeb Triangle is however said to be rich in manganese. This is an element that is significant in the production of iron and steel but it is also used as an additive for gasoline and is used in alkaline batteries (Abu-Fadil, 2010). Egypt has currently been working to export ferromanganese bars to produce steel (Abu-Fadil, 2010). Due to the ongoing conflict between Egypt and Sudan over control of the Halayeb Triangle it is clear that this is an important world region and it will be interesting to observe whether it will remain in Egyptian control.

Explain clearly what is understood by the meaning of Leadership. What Essay

Explain clearly what is understood by the meaning of Leadership. What is the distinction between Leadership and Management - Essay Example The paper will discuss certain leadership taxonomies and definitions and will also explore a few leadership theories in order to get an insight into leadership. The second part of the paper will strive to find out the main discrepancies between management and leadership and the reasons as to why both are assets to an organization. Both functions are complementary to each other and without the existence of any one of the two it becomes impossible for the other to perform effectively thereby impairing organizational growth. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 Insights into leadership 5 Leadership theories 6 Leadership and management – a distinction 8 Conclusion 10 Reference 11 Introduction One of the most popular and discussed topic is leadership. Scholars have tried to define leadership in several manners. In an examination of 587 publications, at least 221 definitions of leadership had emerged. Leadership is the manner in which an individual induces aspects of respec t, obedience, cooperation and loyalty among followers. Leadership in the 1930s was considered to be an area where organizations had to move depending on specifications provided by the leader. The 40’s definition of leadership focussed on the constructs of power, authority, circumstances and position. The 1950s definition emphasized on the essentials of team building and the authority the leader commanded on team members. The 1960s definition of leadership influenced followers to shared goals and vision. The 1970s leadership definition viewed a leader to have discretionary powers and 1980s the leader inspired the followers to conduct meaningful activity. The 1990s defined leadership as a combined task accomplished by both followers and leader to make certain modifications impacting common purposes. The first ten years of the twenty first century witnessed the leader to be solely accountable and responsible for all activities conducted in an organization. From the above, it may be observed that there are certain themes in leadership. These are as follows: a) Leadership is not limited to senior management members or the top boss b) Leadership helps in excelling performance level in followers c) Management and leadership are two distinct constructs d) There is a humanistic and sensitive dimension to leadership e) Leaders need to apply a host of skills, capabilities, qualities thereby undertaking a holistic approach f) An individual who has expertise in implementing, initiating and anticipating change is a successful leader (Bass & Bass, 2008) Insights into leadership Leadership styles vary from person to person. However, the manner in which one may be able to aptly distinguish various leaders depends on the manner in which they act on logic. This is the skill to interpret and analyze surroundings especially when they are challenged by some external or internal issues. Academic scholars have observed that leaders who delved deep within them to develop and un derstand themselves can transform their own capabilities as well as the capabilities of the organization. The effectiveness of organizations mainly depends on coordinated leadership which stems from leaders having varied levels of hierarchy. Their skills help in impacting individuals, units, teams and the overall organizational results. Academic study on leadership has highlighted that leadership significantly impact units, teams and the entire organization. Although there is vast literature on the outcomes of effective

Write a humorous speech ( could be an informative or persuasive Essay

Write a humorous speech ( could be an informative or persuasive speech) - Essay Example I-C-E. These three letters spell out the torment caused by the Frozen Menace. I shall discuss each of them in turn, and ask only that you cast off the blinkers put upon you by those who would see us kept frozen in our positions. Let us see the truth! The only thing worse about getting up on Monday morning to go to a mundane job is getting up on Monday morning to go to a mundane job and be faced with the need to chisel the half-inch-thick layer of ice that coated your car overnight. Add to that the necessity of allotting sometimes double or even triple the normal commute time, as stated by the Rochester Institute of Technology. If a person were to coat your car in such a way, he or she would be charged with some sort of criminal mischief. And if a person were to render a highway unsafe for thousands of people? Surely the arm of the law would not be able to wait to get its hands on such a vandal. Ice, however, is let off scot-free. The double-standard is heart-breaking. After spending a numb-fingered 30 minutes uncovering your door handle with a chiseling fury that would impress even Michelangelo, you now face the rest of the world and its apparent inability to recognize that a) the roads are slick, and b) due to such, they should perhaps hang up their cell phones and slow down a little bit. These poor citizens should not bear the blame wholly, for it is indeed the savage effects of the ice that turns vehicles of transportation into bumper cars. Ices timing is heartless, to say the least. During the holiday season when gifts are being bought and savings are being depleted, ice adds automobile repair to the already over-laden plate (Fiegerman). Accidents need not be only vehicular in nature. Nay, accidents also include those dignity-bruising falls that only happen when there are many witnesses available. Direct bodily harm inflicted upon another would get any person a swift trip to the local jail, even if the victim suffered little more than a

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (1532) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (1532) - Essay Example His arguments were not based on some empty theorizing or on some abstract ideas. This strategy proved efficient in making his readers to relate to the ideas in terms of their high sense of realism. The examples also enhanced the memory of the leaders as they could now convert them into other situations that related to the same ideas. It would be important to consider the fact that some of the issues that were brought about by Machiavelli derived from things and events that he had witnessed in real life. As such, his arguments were only condensed out of the political realities of the day and from facts he had deduced from historical records. Historical and contemporary examples offered his arguments some form of comparative advantage when perceived from the perspective of other competing perspectives that existed during that time. It is therefore necessary to appraise the work of Machiavelli as a derivative of historical realism. Machiavelli’s arguments could be considered in t erms of the various issues that relate to the discourse of real-politick. His arguments were diagnostic in the sense that they exposed the characteristic of leadership from the point of view of the existing monarchs in various parts of the world. Historians contend that much of Machiavelli’s arguments were based on the life and times of Cesare Borgia and King Ferdinand of Spain. Machiavelli’s insistence on his acquaintance of contemporary affairs and a continuous study of the ancient world was meant to illustrate the fact that his arguments had the backing of political realities across the historical times. It is important to consider the multiple historical and philosophical influences that weave into the thinking of Niccollo Machiavelli. For instance, his ideas were drawn out of the real-life experiences he had undergone, which he related to some of the dominant political forces that shaped the histories of the world. Reality, according to Machiavelli, is a social co nstruct. It is therefore important to consider the many issues that attend to the influences that shape and are in turn shaped by the politics of the day. As a result, Machiavelli is regarded as an honest interpreter of times and political realities particularly from a pragmatic point of view. He based his philosophy in the idea of the things that work. He sought to understand the reasons behind events and situations from the relationship between the means and the ends of such realities. As such, his insistence on knowledge of world affairs and the histories of great people was one of the illustrations of his tendency towards political realism. On this note, it becomes necessary to consider some of the influences and happenings that engaged his opinions from the perspective of experience and reality. Constraints of a Prince’s Freedom of Action Machiavelli cited virtue, righteousness, honesty, and integrity as some of the factors, which hamper a Prince’s freedom of acti on. According to Machiavelli, a Prince must adopt characters and personalities that will help retain him in power. The Prince, according to Machiavelli must engage in the habits of both a lion and a fox1. He must have the courage to fend off threats of the enemy and must have some cunning of a fox. Machiavelli recognizes the virtues of integrity and honesty as things that a Prince should only adopt for the purposes of enhancing his image, but not really to engage in them as aspects of his authentic character. Machiavelli argued that such habits

My Personal Development Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Personal Development Portfolio - Essay Example That being said, I still experienced some degree of cultural shock when first I arrived in the United Kingdom. For one thing, the legal system here operates with a higher degree of fairness, and the freedom of speech, too, is something, I admit, I had never experienced before. That being said, however, not all of my early experiences were pleasant. Russian being my primary language, I have no shame whatsoever admitting that learning the English language was rather difficult at first, though I’d like to think I have now been able to attain a certain degree of proficiency in it. Even so, I still intend to further improve in this endeavour. Last but not least, I aim to curb my issues regarding time management and procrastination. My Immediate Objectives My personal development plan places focus on rectifying my weaknesses. It has been my experience that among the weaknesses I mentioned, the most problematic is my still-developing prowess in the English language, not to mention my difficulties in time management and in public speaking. As early as now, then, I’d like to be able to get to address these problems early, so I can use my time later on to focus on more pressing concerns. In this case in particular, fixing my weaknesses will allow me to utilize my strengths to greater effect. For one, typing is a skill I want very much to improve on, but more importantly, I feel it necessary to further improve my command of the English language. Of course, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made on my own; so far, I’ve gotten by practicing with people I know. Formal classes may help me learn at an even faster rate, but if at all possible, I’d rather not have to spend more than I can reasonably afford to.

Examined life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Examined life - Essay Example It is obvious that Socrates would try to rationalize things in order to prove himself right before the jury, though the admonishment would be based on some degree of underlying truth that needs to be identified. I can know what the true wisdom is. In his reply to the second charge, Socrates tries to make undue use of his attitudes. It so seems that his point is not strong enough to convince the audience otherwise. Therefore, he takes the assistance of his attitudes to shut the audience up and enforce his perceptions on the audience. This is not right! In the capacity of seeker of truth and justice, I should strictly condemn this behavior of Socrates and impose another charge on him of having tried to convince the audience through emotions rather than logic. Critics may say that he had to be stressful in his tone because he was speaking on behalf of Athenians, though this is just a fake justification. What is right appears right whether or not one meddles with one’s tone to mak e it look right! These ideas are most evident in the study of ethics. I think so because people tend to mould ethical standards according to their taste through a mix of fake justification and emotional intelligence.

No Topic Yet Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

No Topic Yet - Research Paper Example Bowerman, Connell and Orris (2004) explains that to effectively develop a marketing plan, there is a need of the marketers of an organization to collect data that is able to depict the preferences of customers regarding the products of the company. It is this type of information that Nokia used to correct its weaknesses in the marketing strategy, Nokia began collecting data that highlighted the kind of mobile communication gadgets that consumers preferred. This paper gives a detailed analysis of how Nokia used this information to transform its business operations. Nokia Corporation is a telecommunications company that was formed in the year 1967, mainly because of a merger of three companies based in Finland. After entering the telecommunications business environment, Nokia was able to quickly develop itself as an innovative company that produced highly technological products, especially mobile handsets. In the 1980s, Nokia was able to develop a long term expansion strategy by acquiring French, Finnish as well as German electronic business organizations. These acquisitions were able to strengthen the position of the company in the field of consumer and telecommunication electronics. Approximately 80% of the revenue earned by the company emanates from its mobile business operations (Matsuo, 2013). This is despite the huge competition, and the current downward trend that is experienced in the mobile telephone market. Millar, Millar and Choi (2010) further explains that Nokia controls about one third of the mobile market all over the world. However, during the later years of 2000, the dominance of Nokia in the mobile phone industry began to diminish. This is because of the introduction of smart phone products from companies such as Apples, Samsung and Google was able to take the company’s market share. For instance, the Android operating system of Google, and the iPhone of Apples proved

Examined life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Examined life - Essay Example It is obvious that Socrates would try to rationalize things in order to prove himself right before the jury, though the admonishment would be based on some degree of underlying truth that needs to be identified. I can know what the true wisdom is. In his reply to the second charge, Socrates tries to make undue use of his attitudes. It so seems that his point is not strong enough to convince the audience otherwise. Therefore, he takes the assistance of his attitudes to shut the audience up and enforce his perceptions on the audience. This is not right! In the capacity of seeker of truth and justice, I should strictly condemn this behavior of Socrates and impose another charge on him of having tried to convince the audience through emotions rather than logic. Critics may say that he had to be stressful in his tone because he was speaking on behalf of Athenians, though this is just a fake justification. What is right appears right whether or not one meddles with one’s tone to mak e it look right! These ideas are most evident in the study of ethics. I think so because people tend to mould ethical standards according to their taste through a mix of fake justification and emotional intelligence.

Democracy though media Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy though media - Article Example The new media has exponentially augmented the access to information and has dramatically expanded the scope of free speech. The global flow of information has enabled people around the world to test and contrast the archaic models of civic life with the emerging trends and influences. The pivotal question in this context is that is the new media ubiquitous and if it is so, does it have the potential to contribute to the cause of democracy at a global scale? I s new media contributing to democratic values in Castro’s Cuba or in war ravaged Afghanistan? A general perusal of the history establishes beyond doubt that one or other form of media did play an essential role in the dissemination of political values and ideologies in the 20th century. Lenin’s smuggling of Iskra into Russia, nine decades ago is an apt example of the subversion of a regime through the usage of media (Leighley, 2003). The ground for the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1978 was possibly laid down when the supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini managed to smuggle audio cassettes into the mosques in Iran (Leighley, 2003). Actually, in many cases, the media was able to impart an aura of credibility to the political content transmitted through it, thereby manifold increasing its effectiveness and impact. For example, when the B92 Radio Station in Serbia was banned by the Milosevic regime, it managed to remain on air by closely associating with the international news organizations like CNN, BBC and Voice of America (Leighley, 2003). The net result was that the cover age of B92 being transmitted into Serbia from outside began to be regarded by its recipients as more credible and authentic than before. The recent Spring Revolution in the Middle East had an inevitable new media element associated with it. The same stands to be true for the recent uprisings in Indonesia. To a great extent it is true that though media has already been a part of most

The Issues Of Children On The Internet

The Issues Of Children On The Internet Abstract: This paper focuses on current studies on children and the Internet in historical context noting the main themes in various research papers, books and media research by summarizing both the pros and cons surrounding childrens use of computer and the internet, and on which factors society should focus when making important decisions about the role of the Internet technology in childrens lives. Is access to the Internet for children important or not? What is the purpose of access and who need the access? How parents can assure that access to the Internet for their children leads to positive and innovative learning experience at school and at home? As the Internet becomes must in our daily lives, it is necessary to understand how the growth and the development of our child is dependent on the use of the Internet and the computer technology. Parents should determine what their children should learn from the Internet and take actions which are necessary to steer them away from bad influenc es of the same. Introduction: Due to childrens passion for computers and internet, huge funds are being spent to give them access to computers and Internet in school, at home and in dorms. Now a days near about each and every school is equipped with computer systems and large number of children have access to the Internet at their home. But is the Internet and computer technology improving childrens lives? This paper examines not only how children are affected by this emerging era of computers and the Internet but also explores how the use of Internet is affecting childrens development by all means and different ways to overcome problems from these critical situations. Overview: People usually agree that, for children to enter socially and politically in this new competing world, they must get a certain level of comfort and knowledge using computers. National polls also indicate the necessity for providing access to computers and Internet for children to enable them learn computer skills and improve their education.[1] In most of the surveys parents and children believe computers and the Internet as an information highway, despite worried about exposure to inappropriate content like commercial, sexual or violent contents.[2] Some Parents also believes that the Internet can help children in their homework. They consider that children without Internet access have a lot disadvantages compared to those with access to internet. Thus, children with access to computers and the Internet at home are growing. The spread of the Internet access has been described as nine time faster than that of radio and four times faster than that of personal computers and also three times faster than that of television.[2] Also the Internet connections are rapidly increased from 15% to 52% over the five year periods from 1996 to 2000.[2] In addition to this, in USA Congress has made a national priority to give access to the Internet at school for all their nations children. Stating that the use of such technology can help students to develop and maintain a technologically literate citizen.[3] For this Congress has established many acts like Educate America act, The Improving Americas school act etc. As a result, the percentage of schools with computer with Internet increased from 35% to 95%.[3] On the other hand, children spend most of their time in computer activities at home. Such excessive and unmonitored use of computers combined with use of other screen technologies like television can place children at harmful risk on their social development. Too much time in front of computer can deviate their mind from playing sports and other social activities which are beneficial and essential to child development. In addition, also there are chances for children to get exposed to some violent and sexual inappropriate contents beyond both at school and at home internet.[11] Currently, excessive use of computers and the Internet among children is not typical. National survey indicate that children ages from 2 to 17 spent on an average about 34 minutes per day on computers at home.[4] Usage is high, however especially older children have reported spending at-least 4 hours a day on internet.[4] Children who spend high amount of time on computers and on the Internet most likely get apart from activities required for healthy development and increasing risk of obesity and could expose them to harmful impact on their eyes. Although, the number of studies suggests that the risk of excessive computer use can be significant.[4] To reduce increased risk of obesity and several other harmful effects because of extensive use of internet, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested parents about limiting childrens time spending on the Internet should not exceed one to two hours per day.[5] In addition to this time extent, they also suggested that various activities children perform on computers and on the Internet can also affect their psychological and intellectual will-being.[5] Children can use computer and the Internet for a wide range of purposes. For example, they can choose to get engage in activities across a broad range of possibilities like making projects, creating cartoons, learning different basic computer tools such as painting, power-point etc. Games: Video games introduces children to the computer technology and the internet world. Computer games have long been the most common activity for children. Online games make children adapt and be comfortable with diverse concepts of computing. This is mainly important for girls who typically not interested in high technology as much as boys. In concern with online games, boys spent much more time than girls on computers. however, now a days the computer applications has widened, as a result girls also spent time on computers as often as boys do. Children surf the Internet mostly for music and for pictures of their favorite movie stars, and also for use of email to exchange messages among their friend. However, the effect of computer and Internet usage, vary significantly by activity children perform and quality of content the child handles. For example, the experiences of children playing offensive games on computer are different from children playing educational and puzzle games online and the experiences of children using emails to exchange messages with family and friends are quite different from children using emails to chat with strangers in MUDs and chat rooms. These games vary diversely in concern with type of content and behavioral effects. Some games have been shown to have high educational value. For example SimCity. By playing this game children can develop their problem solving skills and visualization skills . But, online games like Doom 95 and counter-strike, expose children to extreme violence, possibly exposing them to aggressive behavior. However, studies suggest that the use of computers for playing games has least significant impact on childrens behavior, on their friendships and on family relationships.[12] It can also enhance certain visual or graphical intelligence skills like to visualize 3D images and to track multiple images of different colors and shapes simultaneously. Such skills can be important building blocks, for children in computer literacy and can be very useful for children to succeed in their life. In addition to the negative impact of online games, studies have shown that the more the time children spend on playing computer games and online games, the poorer is their performance in school exams.[12] It also show that many children who play online games routinely, skip their homework to play games and many student admitted that their online game playing habits are often responsible for their academic degradation. Children can pick up bad language and behavior from other people while playing online and it can make children vulnerable to online threats. According to new study published in February 2012, children spending excessive time on playing online games may show impulsive behavior and have attention problem.[13] According to this study attention problems were defined as difficulty engaging in to reach a goal. Education: Next to games, most frequently found activity at home computer and on the Internet by children is school assignments. The use of computers at home is assumed to have a positive effect on childrens learning. An evidence shows that use of home computer has slightly better academic performance but such studies failed to control other factors.[6] A study shows that children who participated in the computer program to get knowledge in mathematics and computer knowledge were better able to score higher in school tests as compared to non-participants.[6] The dark side of this is many of the educational sites on the Internet are being obscure by the commercial sites. In that, many sites are tied to some interesting television shows and attractive toy companies. By using an unique feature of internet, companies are able to integrate their advertisement on such web pages with their brand names or brand logos encouraging children to become their consumer at very early age. According to an industry report, teenagers spent approximately $161 million online in recent years.[7] In addition to this, much more information which is not intended for the children is readily available on the Internet such as bomb making procedures, and sexually explicit images and videos. It give rise to exposure to inappropriate contents and child abuse. Although, studies shows that children who viewed more cartoons and other animation type films improved their visualization skills and academic performance. [7] The extended use of the Internet to get linked with virtual world of multi user domains as MUDs, chat rooms and multiplayer games tends children to get in loneliness and depression. In this virtual world, children assume multiple identities and starts interacting with strangers. So, no one cannot predict whether a child is really communicating with a real person or with a simulator. Sometimes children are curious about sexuality and sexually explicit materials. Children may seek to establish new relationships outside their family as they are curious about use of Internet access to actively seek out such materials. So many of the sex-offenders target children and exploits these characteristics and children need. Some children also may get attracted to online offenders , although not technically, may also be dangerous.[10] Apart from this, children also make online payments because of some attractive ads to get access to those contents. However, because of such activities childrens and ultimately their parents personal and financial details may get hacked by some third party pirate and children are unaware of this.[10] Suggestions: An executive director of a non-profit group named GetNetWise which aimed at improving online safety says that parents should talk with their children about online privacy.[9] Such discussion can address many aspects of online privacy from the use of social networking sites and the disclosure of personal information.[9] Parents should remind their child not to provide their names or other personal details online without asking them.[11] Parents also should alert their child to common tricks like flashing pop-up ads that may be dangerous to their computer and on clicking them these pop-ups may installs spywares and malicious software into childrens computer to steal their personal information. To help parents and adults protect their children from such violent content, many steps have been initiated like helping children be safe and savvy, efforts to protect children from inappropriate materials on Internet that is Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act in 1998 passed by congress, efforts to promote computer literacy etc. Many companies have created several filtering and blocking tools for parents to keep their children away from online violent and inappropriate contents. However, the study found that half of the children using Internet at home have no parental restrictions on amount of time spent online and type of content they access.[3] So it is highly recommended for parents and teachers working with children that they should limit the time for children to access Internet and also supervise for the contents their children exposes to. Schools, Universities and community organizations should also provide a guideline to parents, teachers and also to children to strengthen themselves in their critical understanding and always teach children in making right choice about their computer use. Teacher should encompasses a more active role for children that allows themselves to use computers to create good applications, to invent new technologies and to design innovative models and not to just receive information passively from computer screen.[10] To reduce the potential threats of excess use of computers, as a next step, guidelines for how long, children of different ages should use Internet each day would be helpful. State and local education agencies should bear some age appropriate guidelines for childrens computer literacy. Such guidelines should be provided to all elementary and secondary teachers and also incorporated into technology centers.[8] Conclusion: Thus, computer technology is a vast and rapidly growing field. The government should ensure that schools should be well equipped with latest hardware, updated high-quality software, and well-trained mentors, resulting children to learn the required skills to live, survive and work efficiently in the twenty-first century. Although, the task is already accomplished to a certain level, appropriate monitoring and controls must be put to practice so that there is a very little abuse of the Internet technology among children and it helps in overall development of not only of their lives but also the future of the nation.