Health Care and Sample Portfolio free essay sample

My career as a university teacher has spanned 30 years including the past fifteen years as a faculty at the UTMB School of Nursing with a joint appointment at GSBS and previously, fifteen years as a faculty at the University Of Arizona School Of Nursing with an adjunct appointment at the School of Public Policy. From that vantage point, I have had the opportunity to teach and learn from hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students in nursing, medicine, allied health, philosophy, ethics, health policy, and other disciplines. My educational philosophy has evolved over time in response to my own experiences and growth as a teacher and clinician as well as continued interchange with students. My overriding philosophy is based on the belief that students are not â€Å"empty vessels† to be shaped by faculty, but rather that they come to the educational enterprise with a vast array of life experiences, knowledge, and skills that can be incorporated and translated into their professional health education. We will write a custom essay sample on Health Care and Sample Portfolio or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I believe that teachers, at their best, serve as guides and catalysts who engage students in critical thinking, reasoning, and dialogue about the core scientific, clinical and humanistic knowledge that is required for promoting health and healing among their patients and the multi-faceted roles of health professionals in that endeavor. I also believe that teaching- learning is a partnership between teacher and students and that it is synergistic. I have learned far more from students than I have probably ever imparted to them. I also believe that excellent teachers help establish an atmosphere in both classroom and clinical settings that promotes honesty and integrity and that encourages students to examine their own beliefs, knowledges and assumptions as well as invite constructive debate and feedback. It is important that health professional students, who will often practice as part of a team, learn to respect diverse opinions while at the same time learn to articulate their own perspectives and judgments. Students must also learn to take responsibility for their own lifelong learning as they enter the worlds of practice and education. Describe how you have prepared yourself for your role as a teacher, assessor, mentor and/or advisor. Revised 2010 Page 1 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. My doctoral education was in Biomedical Ethics and Public Health Policy and my master’s degree in Community Health and Political Science with a functional focus on teaching. I have drawn on both of these programs as a framework for developing courses and learning experiences that help students examine complex issues in health care ethics and public policy and develop strategies for helping to resolve those issues. One of the most significant ways that I enhanced my skill as a teacher was receiving one of the first Joseph P. Kennedy Fellowships in Bioethics for Faculty at Georgetown Univ. in the early 1980’s. This Fellowship was specifically focused on the preparation of nursing and medical school faculty in the newly emerging field of biomedical ethics. That educational experience shaped my efforts to help integrate biomedical ethics into nursing and other health-related curricula at the Univ. of Arizona and later at UTMB. I have continued to expand my knowledge about the teaching of ethics and humanities and clinical ethics consultation during the past several decades through participating in a large number of diverse educational workshops and conference programs sponsored by the Association for Bioethics, the Kennedy Center for Bioethics, the Hastings Center, and the American Society for Law, Medicine and Ethics. I have especially benefited from a series of intensive summer workshops designed for educators by the Kennedy Center for Bioethics. I have also focused a lot of effort on expanding my knowledge and skills related specifically to doctoral education in nursing including a series of intensive workshops with noted nurse consultants in the field of doctoral education while at Univ. of Arizona and at UTMB. In addition, I have regularly attended the annual National Assoc. of Doctoral Program meetings and the Academy of Nursing Science Meetings which regularly address graduate education issues and initiatives in nursing. Teaching/Assessment Activities For Teaching and Assessment activities, duplicate and complete this table for each separate activity you wish to present. In the Appendix, provide examples of work that support the scope, quality and dissemination of the activity, if available. Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Revised 2010 Course in History and Philosophy of Science Core required course in doctoral program in Nursing Developer and primary teacher of Course 2002-present Fall semesters 15 weeks 3 hours per week in direct teaching and 5-6 hours per week in course preparation, student consultation, review of papers and projects Approx. 15 doctoral students course on campus and additional 5-6 students via teleconference at Stephen F. Austin Univ. In Nacogdoches Course is offered Fall and Summer semesters The goal of this course is to teach the students skills in critically examining the historical evolution of science and  comparative philosophical views of scientific Page 2 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Outcomes, and other indicators of quality Dissemination among the community of educators Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Number and type of learners (e. g., number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality research in health care and nursing The overall course evaluations for this course during the past five years have consistently been very good as reflected in the following averages on a 5 point scale: (2002-4. 5; 2003-4. 6; 2004-4. 7; 2005—4. 7; 2006 –4. 6). Students have made many positive comments about how they have honed their critical analysis skills. I received SON Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award in 2002. Presentation of Approaches to Teaching of Philosophy of Science and Ethics to Students in Health Professions at Society of Bioethics Conference Oct. 2002 and 2005 Course in Ethics of Health Care and Research Required core course in doctoral program in Nursing Developer and primary teacher of Course 2002-present 3 hours per week in direct teaching and 5-6 hours per week in course preparation, student consultation, review of papers and projects Approx. 8-10 doctoral students on campus and additional 5-6 students via teleconference at Stephen F. Austin Univ. in Nacogdoches. The goal of this course is to help students develop skills in analyzing contemporary ethical dilemmas in  health care as well as in learning strategies to respond effectively to dilemmas. The course also teaches the students to critically analyze research related to ethical issues, eg. End of life care as well as to examine underlying ethical issues related to conducting research. e. g. informed consent. Course evaluations are consistently in the 4. 6-5 point range. (2002-4. 6; 2003—4. 7; 2004—4. 7; 2005—4. 8; 2006— 4. 8) Students’ teams have developed outstanding critiques of ethical issues in health care and research and developed position papers in response to those issues. They have also developed a series of excellent PowerPoint presentations which have been shared with classmates as well as with faculty and clinicians at UTMB and other health facilities where many of the nursing doctoral students practice. One other significant indicator of the impact of this Revised 2010 Page 3 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Dissemination among the community of educators Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality course is that 10 doctoral students have developed and completed dissertation research that is related to ethical issues in health care. Wrote article Preparation of Doctoral Students in Identifying and Responding to Ethical Issues in Nursing Research: Advances in Nursing Science June 2003. Course in Health Policy This is a required course for all of the masters’ level students in the SON. Lead teacher 2002-present 3 hours per week in direct teaching and 5-6 hours per week in course preparation, student counseling, evaluating papers and projects This course has averaged approx. 40-50 students per semester including onsite and distance ed. students in Nacogdoches and Beaumont and is taught twice a year (approx. 100 students/year). One of the central goals of this course is to help nursing students in the Advanced Practitioner masters program develop abilities in critical analysis of the  context and process of policy development in health care; and development of skills that will help them engage in various stages of the policy process. Evaluations for this course over the past five years have been consistently high with average scores between 4. 5-5 on a 5 point scale. ( 2002—4. 5; 2003— 4. 6; 2004—4. 7; 2005—4. 6; 2006—4. 7). As part of the course, teams of students became involved in working with selected policy makers, e. g. legislators, Board of Nurse Examiners, and mayors to assess selected health policy issues, propose new strategies, and in some cases were involved in helping  implement selected policy at local and state levels. Dissemination among the Revised 2010 Many of the students’ comments on evaluations suggested that the course had spurred their interest in working more directly with various policy leaders as a strategic part of their professional role. Several of the students have become members of city councils in Santa Fe and Houston, members of School boards, etc. While I cannot claim responsibility for their actions, I do think the course served as a catalyst for some to become more involved in the policy arena. Article: Robinson, S. (2005) Integration of Health. Page 4 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. community of educators Policy in Curriculum for Advanced Practitioner Students published in Journal of Advanced Nurse Practitioners, vol 10, 55-60. Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year). Case Management Clinical Course This is a required clinical course for all senior nursing students Lead Clinical teacher Spring 2004, 2005, 2006 Teaching/ supervision of students in clinical sites for eight hours/day for two days per week during the semester 10-12 students per semester in each rotation Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality Dissemination among the community of educators Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Revised 2010 This course provides students with an opportunity to assess and give care to elderly and disabled clients who are living in nursing homes, group homes, as well as some family settings. All of these clients are legally wards of the state and have guardians. I have worked with a local judge to integrate our students into her assessment of these patients. Student’s asses the patients and report back to the judge as well as make referrals to physicians and other health agencies. Students have consistently rated this clinical  experience as one of the most satisfying and challenging as reflected in their averaged course evaluations (2002—4. 8; 2003—4. 8; and 2004—4. 9 on 5 point scale) Presented this teaching approach to Health Law Teachers Conference June 2006; Also have shared the Case Management course approach and successes with several Family court judges in Texas who are interested in developing a similar program for follow-up of wards of the court. CE Program—Project Help Continuing Education Program in Health Care Ethics and Law Developed and Coordinated PROJECT HELP. A distance education initiative in health care ethics and  law for nurses and physicians in rural areas of Texas 2002-2005 5-6hrs/wk. during academic year Page 5 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality Dissemination among the community of educators Approx. 50 nurses and doctors per Fall and Spring  emesters took courses during 4 year period of grant(total of 400 students) This was a blended learning opportunity for nurses and physicians in rural and underserved areas of the state to receive continuing education courses in ethical-legal issues in Health Care using both teleconferencing and web-based methodologies Goals were to provide professional clinicians with skills in assessing and responding to ethical dilemmas in care of their patients as week as to provide them with updates and resource materials on current legal cases in medicine and nursing. As noted in educational materials section, materials  used in these CE programs are being developed for a web based course in health care ethics and law for health professionals across the country. Received the American Assoc. of University Women Teacher of Distinction Award for this educational project. 4. Mentoring/Advising Activities For Mentoring and Advising activities, duplicate and complete this table for each mentoring/advising relationship you wish to present. Name of mentee or advisee Description of role as mentor/ advisor Purpose or goals of relationship Description of mentoring/advising process Current status of advisee Outcome(s) of relationship Documentation. Advisor to 15 doctoral students; and chair of 5 dissertation committees 2003-7 Provide guidance and consultation to students during progression through doctoral program To serve as a mentor and advisor through the dissertation process Meets with students frequently throughout semester to discuss and review progress on each phase of dissertation research through individual advising sessions and independent studies. Average of 3 hours per week for each doctoral student. Four of five students have completed and defended dissertation research and graduated; fifth student has defended research and will graduate in May, 2007. Students have successfully completed research and graduated. One student received Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research from GSBS in 2005. Three students have published results of dissertation research in peer-reviewed Nursing and other journals; One student has asked dissertation chair to coauthor article with him and article is in development. Use space below for descriptions of teaching accomplishments that either do not fit the other categories or fall outside the requested time frame but that are significant. Revised 2010 Page 6 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc.  are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. SECTION II: ENDURING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS 1. Describe the goals or philosophy that guide your development of educational materials. I have had a long-term commitment to helping develop educational courses and resource materials in health care ethics, law, and policy for nursing students and practicing clinicians which can help them respond to the complex dilemmas that they may encounter in their practice. Part of the goal is to help them develop sustainable skills and knowledge that will promote their continued interest and self-education in health care ethics, law, and policy. To further this goal, I have helped develop several web-based continuing education courses as well as related articles and study guides for use by students in both formal academic and informal courses. 2. Describe how you have prepared yourself for your role as a developer of educational materials. During the past several decades I have continued to develop my knowledge of relevant content in ethics, law, and policy as well as further develop my skills in innovative teaching methods both as a faculty at the Univ. of Arizona , Georgetown Univ. , and as a faculty at UTMB. I have been especially interested in distance education modalities to help reach students and clinicians in rural and underserved areas of Texas and the Southwest and was one of the first faculty in the SON at UTMB to utilize teleconferencing to teach groups of masters and doctoral level students in a variety of multiple settings, e. g. Beaumont/Port Arthur, Victoria Nacogdoches, and Brownsville. I have attended a series of instructional methodology courses during the past decade which have focused on distance education strategies including teleconferencing and more recently web-based course development with an emphasis on real-time interactive components such as WIMBA. 3. Duplicate and complete this table for each enduring material you wish to present. It is best to list your materials in reverse chronological order, with the most recent one on top. In the Appendix, provide examples of work that support the scope, quality and dissemination of the activity, if available. Educational Material Revised 2010 Health Care Ethics and Law Course(web-based) CE program for nurse clinicians Page 7 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Description of material Role in development Goals or purpose of educational material Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact of this material . Dissemination among the community of educators Educational Material Description of material Role in development Goals or purpose of educational material Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact of this material . Dissemination among the community of educators Educational Material Description of material Revised 2010 A 12 module web -based program for nurses in ethics and law( available to nurses as a distance ed. ce program offered through the UTMB Office of Distance Education Technology Co-developer of program To facilitate clinicians in developing more advanced knowledge and skills in participating in effective resolution of ethical dilemmas in the workplace Grant funding to implement project secured from Kempner Fund, 1999-2004. Approx. 200 nurse clinicians from Texas and across the US to date who have taken the CE program. Their post-course evaluations rank the course high in skill and knowledge building and impact on their overall ability to analyze ethical issues and participate in patient-centered outcomes. Many nurses are able to use this course to meet BNE requirement for ethics continuing education. Course is widely available on the web and has received excellent reviews from American Journal of Nursing and Online Educator for high-quality content and teaching methods. Ethics in Contemporary Health Care Leadership Core course in new Leadership in Health Care Organizations Program for masters-level students – uses â€Å"blended† teaching methods including web based and onsite teaching approaches Co-developer of course This course was designed to assist nurses who are in management roles in health care organizations develop more advanced know ledges and skills related to ethical, legal, and regulatory dimensions of their leadership/managerial roles . Based on the positive evaluations 2005-average 4. 6; and 2006—4. 7 on 5 point scale) from the first two groups of students, this course has been expanded to  include a totally web-based distance education program for nurses in leadership roles around the US. Journal articles: Robinson, S. and Lindquist, J. Innovative Educational Programs in Ethics, Law, and Policy for Nurse Managers (2006) Journal of Nursing Education, vol. 10, 25-30. Educational Video in Health Care Ethics One hour educational video and related case materials workbook â€Å"Hard Choices at the End of Life† examining a series of current cases related to end of Page 8 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Role in development Goals or purpose of educational material Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact of this material. Dissemination among the community of educators life care and discussion of ethical-legal issues and decision-making strategies in clinical situations Served as content specialist to video producers Baxley Films, Chicago. Goal of videotape was to provide students and clinicians with mediated learning activity to assist them in examining and responding to complex end of life  ethical dilemmas in patient care Video purchased by est. 300 SONs, SOMs and clinical facilities across US. Producers have received several national video awards from AJN (2000); Golden Eagle , 2002; Video has been widely distributed in educational facilities and is currently in revision as a web-based educational program SECTION III: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 1. Describe the goals or philosophy that guide your educational leadership. I believe that I have a responsibility to assume an educational leadership role both in my academic institution but also at state and national levels. Nursing education is at a significant crossroads in its development as it tries to respond to the growing need for more clinical nurses and nurse faculty. Faculty must assume greater leadership roles in helping develop clinicians, teachers, and researchers that can respond to the needs of complex patients and community-based health issues. There is the need for leadership that helps us develop creative teaching strategies that reach diverse populations of learners in Texas and across the country. To that end, I have tried to provide leadership within my School in the integration of ethical, legal , and policy concepts within the curriculum for students at all levels and for the development of distance education courses for academic students as well as for clinicians who are already in practice. I have also assumed leadership roles in various nursing and bioethics organizations in helping advance national dialogue regarding curricula for nursing and medical students, ethics consultation services, and educational criteria for teachers in bioethics. Describe how you have prepared yourself for your educational leadership roles. Revised 2010 Page 9 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. I have taken a number of advanced courses at UT Austin and Univ. Colorado related to Innovation in Distance Education and have also continued to attend special courses/conferences sponsored by the Kennedy Center in Bioethics, Hastings Center for Ethics, and the Society for Ethics, Law, and Policy which provide advanced and updated content on current ethical-legal issues in Health Care. 3. Duplicate and complete this table for each leadership activity you wish to present. It is best to list your materials in reverse chronological order, with the most recent one on top. In the Appendix, provide examples of work that support the scope, quality and dissemination of the activity, if available. Activity Description of leadership role Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Revised 2010 Development of New Doctoral Program in Nursing One of the most substantial contributions that I have made to health science education has been to participate as a core member of the doctoral task force that was charged with developing and implementing a new and innovative PhD program in Nursing at UTMB as part of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The program was developed in response to a severe shortage of doctorally  prepared faculty in Texas and across the country. The program has a very strong focus on Health Promotion and Healing Among Vulnerable Populations and an emphasis on the students’ integration of those concepts into their future roles as teachers, clinicians, and researchers Member of Doctoral planning Task Force199497and program was implemented in Fall, 1997. The primary goal of this program was to prepare a cadre of doctorally-prepared nurse scholars who could assume faculty and/or clinical roles in Texas and the US The PhD program began in 1997 and has attracted a very ethnically diverse group of 60 doctoral students from Texas and many  other states as well as from India, China, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Successful outcome measures of the program include the fact that many of the graduates of the program have or will become faculty in schools of nursing in Texas or the Southwest. In addition, many of the first and succeeding graduates have developed Page 10 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. programs of research that can potentially  impact the health and well-being of their patients/families and communities. Dissemination among the community of educators The evolution of this program with a major focus on Healing and Health Promotion with Vulnerable populations has been presented at sessions at the American Colleges of Nursing Annual Conference (2004) and an analysis of the program and its outcomes have been published in a peer-reviewed journal: Johnson, A. and Robinson, S. (2005) J. of Professional Nursing Education, Vol. 8, 15-20. Activity Description of leadership role American Association of Bioethics Chair Academic Curriculum Committee,  2003-05; Abstract Review Committee 19992001; 2006-07; Conference co-chair, 19992000 1998-current The goal of this organization is to provide dialogue and leadership among faculty teaching in ethics-law programs as well as clinical ethicists. I served on various taskforces and committees which have developed guidelines for proposed ethics-law curricula in schools of nursing, medicine, and allied health as well as proposed criteria and standards for clinical ethics consultation. The Society for Bioethics has published two monographs based on our committee recommendations :â€Å"Standards for Clinical Ethics Consultation† 2004  and â€Å"Proposed Curriculum in Health Care Ethics for a New Century† (2002) †which have been widely disseminated to Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health and Clinical Ethics Programs in the US. Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Dissemination among the community of educators Activity Description of leadership role Revised 2010 National Leadership Conference on Ethics, Law, and Policy in Health Care Chair of Planning Committee and Conference Page 11 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc.  are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Dissemination among the community of educators Activity Description of leadership role Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Dissemination among the community  of educators Revised 2010 2000-2001 Goal was to bring together national leaders in the field of nursing and medical ethics, law and public policy to examine the future directions of curricula, clinical consultation, and research/scholarship in the field and to examine cutting edge issues in health care ethics and law Evaluations from participants ranked the conference proceedings very high in terms of content and innovative strategies for incorporating ethics, law, and policy content into nursing and medical school curricula (average evaluations were 4. 7 on 5 point scale) I served as the co-editor of a published  monograph incorporating the major papers presented at the conference. Robinson, S. and Barton, W. (2001) Charting the Future of Ethics, Law, and Policy in Medical and Nursing Education. New York, Mosby Press. Texas Nurses Assoc. Ethics Council Served as Ethics Consultant to TNA in drafting organizational responses to proposed legislation regarding end of life issues and treatment of prisoners with mental and physical disabilities in TDCJ and providing testimony to Texas legislative committee hearings 1999-2003 Provide consultation to official nursing organization and legislative committees regarding complex ethical issues under  consideration Helped TNA draft four position papers on a series of proposed leg. Initiatives and also provided testimony to relevant leg. Committees. Language from position papers incorporated into revised bills and two passed Texas House and Senate Position papers distributed to Nursing and Medical communities as well as public through new releases; and acknowledgement of TNA role in Texas Page 12 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy.

Spanish Words Without a One-Word English Equivalent

Spanish Words Without a One-Word English Equivalent Here are some Spanish words for which there is no good one-word English equivalent: Amigovio/amigovia This word is fairly new and has various meanings dependent on context, but it often refers to a live-in girlfriend or boyfriend, or a friend with benefits. Katrina era mi amigovia, pero desde que estoy con Belà ©n no la vi ms. (Katrina was my friend with benefits, but since Ive been with Belà ©n I dont see her any more.) Anteayer The day before yesterday, formed by combining ante (before) and ayer (yesterday). Ese es el restaurante al que fuimos anteayer. (That is the restaurant we went to the day before yesterday.) Aprovechar Although this verb can often be translated simply as to use, it often carries a strong connotation of getting the most out of something. No pude aprovechar de la piscina del hotel porque prefiero la playa. (I couldnt take advantage of the hotels swimming pool because I prefer the beach.) Bimestre As a noun, a bimestre is a period of two months. El ahorro en un bimestre fue de 2,500 euros. (There was a savings of 2,500 euros in two months.) As an adjective, bimestre means bimonthly (every two months). Cacerolazo A type of protest in which participants bang on pots and pans. Los cacerolazos comenzaron ayer temprano en Buenos Aires. (The pots-and-pans protest began early yesterday in Buenos Aires.) Centenar A group of 100. The word is often used as an approximation for a large group. Un centenar de inmigrantes de origen subsahariano han intentado saltar la valla de Melilla. (About 100 sub-Saharan immigrants have tried to jump the fence at Melilla.) Concuado/concuada Someone married to a sibling of your spouse is a concuà ±ado or concuà ±ada. La esposa del hermano de mi esposa is mi concuà ±ada. My wifes brothers wife is my concuà ±ada. Consuegro/consuegra If you have a child, his or her spouses parents are your consuegros. For example, your sons wifes mother would be your consuegra. No sà © si mi consuegra es mi amiga or mi enemiga. (I dont know if my childs spouses mother is friend or foe.) Decena Just as a docena is a dozen or group of 12, a decena is a group of 10. Puedes comprar flores por decena. (You can buy flowers 10 at a time.) Desvelarse This reflexive verb refers to not getting sufficient sleep. Cuando nos desvelamos, el cuerpo obtiene energà ­a de una fuente ms accesible: la comida. (When we dont get enough sleep, the body gets energy from the most accessible source: food.) Someone who is sleep-deprived is desvelado. Empalagar To be excessively sweet, either literally (as of some candy) or figuratively (as with personality). Te voy a enseà ±ar mi receta particular, por causa de que la original me empalaga. (Im going to send you my own recipe, because the original is too sweet for me.) Entrecejo The area above the nose, below the forehead and between the eyebrows. Quiero quitarme sin dolor los pelos del entrecejo. (I want to painlessly remove the hairs between my eyebrows.) Estrenar To wear, use, perform or display something for the first time. Estrenà © las zapatillas que mi marido me habà ­a regalado. (For the first time, I put on the slippers that my husband had given me.) A noun form, estreno, can refer to a movie or play premiere or similar events. Friolento Sensitive to cold. Era friolento y se cubrà ­a los hombros con un suà ©ter. (She was sensitive to the cold and covered her shoulders with a sweater.) Friolero has the same meaning. Estadounidense From or of the United States. American is a common equivalent but is sometimes ambiguous as it can also refer to someone or something from the Americas. La cultura estadounidense est construida por la clase media. (U.S. culture was built by the middle class.) Internauta Internet user. Internauta is not capitalized and can be masculine or feminine. El acceso a Internet para la poblacià ³n mexicana representa al menos 55.3 millones de internautas. (Internet access for the Mexican population is available to at least 55.3 million Internet users.) Manco Having one arm, either from birth or as an amputee. Un dà ­a conocà ­ una muchacha manca. (One day I met a one-armed girl.) Quincena This is a period of 15 days or two weeks. British English has fortnight, which is seldom used in American English. Esta quincena es la ms tranquila del aà ±o en Pamplona. (This two-week period is the quietest of the year in Pamplona.) The word can also refer to the 15th of the month, when many workers in some countries get paid. Sobremesa After-meal conversation, from sobre (over) and mesa (table). Con poco tiempo para la sobremesa volvemos a la carretera. (With little time to chat after eating, we went back to the highway.) Trasnochar To stay up all night or put in an all-nighter. Nos trasnochbamos jugando juegos como Islander y Super Mario. (We would stay up all night playing games such as Islander and Super Mario.) Tuerto Having only one eye, or seeing with only one eye. Se llama Pirata por ser tuerto. (He was called Pirate because he had one eye.) Tutear To speak to someone using tà º, the familiar form of you. A cultural equivalent might be to speak with someone on a first-name basis. Nunca habà ­a llegado al punto de tutear a alguien. (I never have reached the point of using tà º with someone.)

Technology and knowledge Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology and knowledge - Assignment Example The organization tracks various sectors starting from ‘aerospace and defense’, ‘chemicals, materials and food’, ‘consumer products’, ‘electronics’, ‘environment and energy’, ‘health care’ , ‘Information and Communication Technologies’, ‘Industrial automation’, and ‘transportation’. (Frost and Sullivan Research Archive, n.d.). The organization currently possesses more than 1800 industry consultants, market research analysts, technology analysts and economists. The organization has been such uniquely designed that it helps to integrate ‘training’, ‘research’, and ‘strategic growth consulting skills’ with the players in the industry. The knowledge base mainly comprises of the researchers. The research analysts are supervised by the industry analysts and hence by the directors. There are ten client business units and each unit has its own director or set of directors. These groups require specialization of knowledge and expertise in the respective subject areas. The company mainly acts as growth consultant for its clients. (Frost and Sullivan: Home page, n.d.) In the year 1998 the organization saw the successful launch of the new division which was called â€Å"Stratecast†. This division was primarily built to perform actionable, conclusive, and insightful strategic analysis utilized by the telecommunications industry. The senior executives were involved in the critical ‘business strategy’, ‘technological strategy’ and ‘tactical strategy’ decisions. The organization has been able to serve its clients by developing tools which are invaluable in planning and forecasting their business. The company has also gone ahead and launched a comprehensive industry newsletter which has benefitted the clients in a big way. Clients are able to keep a track of the market trends and news. These newsletters are called ‘Global Opportunity Newsletter’ and they

Consequences of High Incarceration Rate Term Paper - 1

Consequences of High Incarceration Rate - Term Paper Example Research addressing the impact of parental incarceration on children has identified developmental, emotional, psychological, social, educational, and behavioral consequences for these children (Trice & Brewster, 2004). There is some consensus in the literature identifying some of the serious, detrimental consequences for children of all ages who experience parental incarceration. These issues must be identified and addressed as children of incarcerated parents are viewed as a unique, group with special service needs. The Bureau of Justice Statistics in an August 2000 special report identified a total of 1,284,894 prisoners of which, 721,500 were parents. Within this group of incarcerated parents, 46% resided with at least one minor child at the time of incarceration (Mumola, 2001). Of this group of parents incarcerated, 32% reported having more than one child less than 18 years of age (Mumola, 2001) and 37% reported living with their children in the month previous to their arrest (Mu mola, 2001). In the same year, 2.1 percent of the 72 million minors in the United States in 1999 had a parent in prison, which represents almost 1.5 million children (Harrison & Beck, 2006). Fathers were less likely to report living with their children prior to incarceration than mother, (47% federal inmates versus 73%). Of fathers imprisoned in 1999, reported the childs mother was their primary caregiver 90% of the time where as only 28% of incarcerated mothers cited their childs father as the primary caretaker (Mumola, 2001).

In what ways, and for what reasons, did the form and function of the Essay

In what ways, and for what reasons, did the form and function of the printed book change during the first hundred years of its existence in Europe - Essay Example There are different purposes for printing: to inform, educate, sell, and entertain or to impress. The function aspect of printing includes the audience, copywriting the message and cost of printing (Grendler 1993, p43). Form and function have to work together in order to accomplish a printing goal. Print has a rich and long history, dating back to 500-800 AD, when Chinese used woodblock kind of printing. This printing was called the woodblock method (Eisenstein 2005, p52). It involved engraving the background on wood. This was used for both illustrations and text. Page normally consisted of multiple wood blocks joined together. When the page was complete, it would then be inked and a printing surface such as a sheet of paper placed over it. This kind of printing usually consumed a lot of time and effort and it was also not durable (Moran 1973, p45). Printing as we know it could not have been possible without the important invention of Johann Gutenberg. This German inventor came up with a printing press that completely changed the world of printing (Childress 2008, p37). The printing press is a machine that integrates several technologies such as ink and paper and movable type printing. The printing press also changed the function and form of the printed book during the first h undred years of its existence in renaissance Europe (Grendler 1993, p45). This paper aims at exploring the ways in which the printed book’s form and function changed during this time. It also analyses the reasons that led to this change. In order to print one has to have type. The types used in printed books were somewhat different from those used in Manuscripts. Type fonts were created depending on the local scripts that were in use (Grendler 1993, p61). Much of the type used in the early years of printing was usually calligraphic, meaning that it imitated handwriting. In 1476, the Englishman William Caxton

Automation Technologies in IT Organisations

Automation Technologies in IT Organisations Most IT organizations would have several automation technologies in use. Scripting would be the most popular method of automation in IT. Automation is the connecting of different systems and software in a way that they become self-operating. Examples of these systems used are: Artificial Neural Network Distributed Control System Programmable Logic Controllers Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Intelligent Automation In many organizations, automation could be used for data centre operations and batch processing of large files. This would do away with the need for IT employees during this period, with the I.T professionals only being required if a processing situation accoutred. This use of mechanical and electronic equipment will decrease the need for human interaction Distributed Control systems control action is distributed and monitoring is centralised. The whole system of controllers is linked by networks for communication and monitoring. It a designed control system used to control complex, large, and geographically distributed applications in industrial processes. It divide a large application into multiple smaller subsystems, each of which carries out a portion of the application, and allow these subsystems to communicate with one another. Distributed control systems have advanced from two older technologies, direct digital control, and hybrid control. (Siemens, 2007) Distributed controllers are linked to field devices and operating PCs through high speed communication networks. Discrete field devices such as sensors and actuators are directly connected to input and output controller modules through communication bus. These field devices or smart instruments can communicate with PLCs or other controllers while interacting with real world parameters like temperature, pressure, etc. (robo, 2016) Discrete Control Systems features Can process complex processes System redundancy Scalable platform System security (robo, 2016) says An important concept in a DCS is the of breaking down of software into smaller logical parts, independent of system hardware. This makes system design much more effective as the software is smaller. This makes it easier to write, debug and maintain than the larger programs in computer and PLC systems An automated system doesnt learn from previous experiences, a simple example of this would be an email spam filter. Occasionally, vital emails wind up in the spam folder while spam emails gets past the filter (Rouse, 2012). Intelligent automation is helps to solve this errors. The benefits would not just be cost reduction but can lead to Accountability Efficiency Predictability Greater scale Product innovations Intelligent automation is changing the way business is done and has progressed substantially in recent years. These new developments is to have a massive impact in the world of work. IBM has announced a $1 billion investment to commercialize its Watson cognitive computing technology. (Deloitte, 2015) Systems and software can detect and produce enormous amounts of data that then automates the entire processes, adapts, and improves.   Application variety from the essentials to the ground-breaking. These can be anything from data analysis to unmanned self-driving cars.   Intelligent automation software needs to understand your business developments and their variations. It has to take into account that data when performing automated business developments authentication to verify that the correct business result happens. The variety of business difficulties in which these services and software can be used on the increase as new technologies for voice recognition, natural language processing, and machine learning advance. They can be used by most people and are gradually becoming accessible as open source or low-cost products. Employee resistance (worker displacement) Less versatility by having a machine that can perform a certain task limits to the flexibility and variety of tasks that an employee could do. High Cost of upgraded machines can be expensive, operating costs and maintenance for this equipment will add extra cost. Machines can be anywhere between thousands and millions of euro depending on the automation. Increase in unemployment more advanced automation will leave more people out of work. Unpredictable costs there can be several unpredictable costs that may exceed the actual cost saved by the automation itself. Some of these costs could include research and development costs of automating a process, preventative maintenance costs, and the cost of training employees to operate automated machines. The technologies are starting to become available and if applied correctly and it can lead to opportunities for the future. The opportunity could be beneficial for workers, doing away with repetitive and dangerous work in all forms. This could lead for people having a higher standard of living and a better way of life. Business benefits would not only be cost reduction over time but can better use the highly skilled workers in other project critical areas. It would lead to faster and better results, better services and products. Deloitte. (2015, 03). deloitte.com. Retrieved from deloitte.com: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/about-deloitte/us-ibm-watson-client.pdf robo, d. (2016). automationforum. Retrieved from http://www.automationforum.co/2016/04/introduction-to-dcs-distributed-control.html Rouse, M. (2012). TechTarget. Retrieved from http://searchitoperations.techtarget.com/definition/IT-automation Siemens. (2007). http://leadwise.mediadroit.com/files/7405DCS_PLC_WP.pdf. Retrieved from http://leadwise.mediadroit.com/files/7405DCS_PLC_WP.pdf

Guilt In The Scarlet Letter And The Crucible Essay example -- Essay on

The presence of guilt has been felt by all human beings. As guilt grows in a person’s life it eventually begins to have a deteriorating effect on the individual. In both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible more than one of the characters are experiencing some form of guilt and the effects of the public’s opinion on their own personal sins. Each character’s guilt originates from a different personal problem and with each character’s guilt comes a different reaction. Miller and Hawthorne use the source of guilt, the actions resulting from it and the eventual consequences to portray the concept of a guilty conscience to the reader.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each character’s guilt originates from a different source. Through different characters, Hawthorne and Miller display guilt and it’s source to the reader. In both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible the use of relationships between a man and a woman are used as a primary source of guilt. Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale and Hester, and Miller uses Proctor and Elizabeth. The men in both cases are experiencing guilt involving mistakes made sexually. Dimmesdale, who is a highly respected priest has a sinful relationship with a married woman, and Proctor, a married man, falls for a young girl and commits adultery. With Dimmesdale, his guilt stems from the concealment of his sin. He watches Hester as she confesses and for seven years he agonizes over it, while he still remains innocent in the eyes of all. However with Proctor, he confesses to his wife right away. In an argument with his wife he says, â€Å"’ I should have roared you down when you first told me of your suspicion. But I wilted, and like a Christian, I confessed!†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(55). The guilt that Proctor feels comes, not from a secret that he is keeping, but from â€Å"’The magistrate that sits in his heart†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(55), as Elizabeth puts it. With the women in these relationships, their guilt has a less drastic origin. Elizabeth knows that she has not committed any sin that can compare to her husband’s, but she admits that â€Å"’it needs a cold wife to prompt lechery†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (137). Even though John has committed the ultimate sin against... ...t that he was experiencing can be seen in two different lights. It eventually brought him to confession in the court, and the tarnishing of his good name. However, his confession was strictly to protect his wife, so his guilt could be seen also as a final reconciliation between Proctor and Elizabeth. Guilt has the capability of doing permanent damage to a person, and in both novels, the authors use guilt as a very negative force in a person’s life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible, guilt is portrayed in similar ways. Both authors use the concept of guilt to imply the idea that guilt has the capabilities to produce reactions in people that in most situations aren’t the same. The result of a guilty conscience can be used as a positive or negative force in a person’s life and through the characters in both novels, this idea is made apparent. The cause of guilt, the reactions to the guilt, and the consequences resulting from the guilt are all used by Hawthorne and Miller to show the contrasting ways of handling personal guilt in a person’s life.

Race by the Numbers Essay

In his article, â€Å"Race by the Numbers†, Orlando Patterson argued about the misinterpretation of the census results and that this misinformation is having negative effects on the perspective of the people. The misinterpreted part of the census, according to Patterson, was the idea that the population of the Whites is becoming the minority in many areas of the country. Thus, Patterson offered arguments and ideas to disprove the validity of the interpretation. However, the question is whether or not Patterson was able to persuade the readers, the citizens, that the interpretation of the census report was indeed incorrect. Patterson’s article is full of information especially statistical and quantitative information that helped him in establishing ground for his arguments. Patterson statement that â€Å"48 percent of Hispanics classified themselves as solely white† (p. 83) adds to his persuasive argument that is also supported by the next sentence in the article, â€Å"Hispanics can be of any race† (p. 83). These statements clearly supported the fact that the total percentage of Whites in was decreased as interpreted by the census report. Patterson also included studies that affirm his claim including recent census result. Patterson stated that, â€Å"whites will constitute 74. 8 percent of the total population in 2050, and that non-Hispanics will still be 52. 8 percent of the total† (p. 83) as indicated by the recent census. With such facts indicated in the article, it can be said that Patterson was able to build a strong evidence and supporting detains and information regarding his assertions. Thus, his argument, regarding the population of white Americans in the country, is a â€Å"gross distortion† (Patterson p. 83) is not a mere point of view but is supported by facts and relevant information. By establishing the facts and the arguments, it can be said that Patterson’s main purpose of writing the article was to show that the population of whites in America is still and will continue to be the majority; disproving the assumption that â€Å"non-Hispanic whites will cease to be the majority† (Patterson, p. 82). By doing so, Patterson aims to encourage the whites that they still are the majority and will continue to be. In this case, Patterson was able to do great job through his article. However, Patterson also indicated in his article the idea that â€Å"each group in the new minority-majority country has longstanding grievances against whites†, thus, Patterson may also want to claim the invalidity of this assertion through his article. But in this case, was Patterson effective? Basing from the article, Patterson was really able to encourage the whites and take away the doubt that they will cease to be the majority. However, Patterson was not able to take away the idea that minority groups in America have grievances on whites. On the contrary, it even points out another idea, that whites does not see minority groups as to be equal to them. Thus, instead of disproving the issue of minorities having grievances on whites, the article may even fuel the said issue. The article can trigger grievances against whites since the article establishes the idea that whites are and will continue to be the superior race in the country. Therefore, this may cause insecurity and rebellion against the white race since others may wish to see the downfall of a superior race. Patterson also included historical developments in regarding some issues such as the classification of races. Patterson stated that, â€Å"In 1930 Mexicans were classified as a separate race by the Census Bureau – which reclassified them as white in 1940, after protests† (p. 84). Patterson also mentioned 2 other related issues in history. In this case, Patterson was able to convince the readers regarding the misclassification done that lead to the misinterpretation of the census result. Thus, Patterson once again established a ground for his ideas and arguments by nullifying the classification made by the census bureau on the issue of which races are to be included as whites. As mentioned earlier, the author was able to establish the supporting facts about his claims. However, there are some instances that the author failed to mention relative and important information. Patterson adapted a study stating that, â€Å"Recent studies indicate that the second-generation Hispanic whites are intermarrying †¦ † (p. 83). However, Patterson did not mention what particular study reaches that conclusion. Therefore, readers in doubt of that particular argument have no means of verifying the claim. Patterson should have indicated all the necessary information about the research to enable the readers to locate the particular study, otherwise doubts will remain doubts in the minds of the readers. Although the article has its strengths, i. e. the use of statistical information, the weakness of the article is readily available to the readers. The main weakness of the article was that the author, Mr. Patterson, was obviously one sided in writing the article. The bias can be seen from the very beginning of the article. Thus, this limits the trust of the readers and the integrity of the writer. Showing personal biases is will really lead to doubts and disbeliefs of the author’s claim since the readers are aware that he or she is arguing for or against one side. Thus, in persuading the readers about a certain action or issue, one must show personal biases for this will weaken the arguments and the ideas presented by the author. In order to establish a ground proof about an argument, a writer must not show biases as much as possible. It would be better to show the different arguments of both side and show relative information, facts and evidences and let the readers decide which arguments weigh more basing from the given evidences. All in all, Patterson did a great job in laying the arguments and he was able to fulfil his main objective, to encourage the whites. However, as mentioned earlier, the article has its own weaknesses as well. Thus, the article would only be effective if the reader is taking the same side as Patterson’s, otherwise, the article would seem very racist of which whites are considered incomparable to others. The validity of the claims is thus, very subjective on the personality and side that the readers will take.

Why You Must Read the Book Hidden Figures

Why You Must Read the Book 'Hidden Figures' Books and movies have a long-standing and complex relationship. When a book becomes a best-seller, there’s an almost inevitable film adaptation in the works almost immediately. Then again, sometimes books that remain under the radar are made into movies, and then become best-sellers. And sometimes a film version of a book sparks a national conversation that the book alone couldn’t quite manage. Such is the case with Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures. The film rights to the book were sold before it even published, and the film was released just three months after the book’s publication last year. And the film has become a sensation, grossing more than $66 million so far and becoming the center of the new conversation on race, sexism, and even the doleful state of the American space program. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Kevin Costner, the film takes a fairly well-worn format- the historical, inspirational true but previously-unknown story- and transcends it by leaving that story fairly unvarnished. It’s also a nearly perfect film for this moment in time, a moment when America is questioning its own identity, its history (and future) in terms of race and gender, and its place as a world leader. In short, Hidden Figures is definitely a movie you want to see. But it’s also a book you must read, even if you’ve seen the movie already and think you know the full story. A Deeper Dive Even though Hidden Figures is more than two hours long, it’s still a movie. That means it inescapably condenses events, elides moments, and deletes or combines characters and moments in order to create a narrative structure and a sense of drama. That’s fine; we all understand that a movie isn’t history. But you’ll never get the full story from a film adaptation. Films can be like the Cliff’s Notes versions of books, giving you a high-altitude overview of a story, but with manipulation and omission of timelines, people, and events. While Hidden Figures the movie might be compelling, enjoyable, and even somewhat educational, you’re missing half the story if you don’t read the book. The White Guy in the Room Speaking of manipulations, let’s talk about Kevin Costner’s character, Al Harrison. The Director of the Space Task Group didn’t actually exist, though of course there was a Director of the Space Task Group. There were several, in fact, during that period of time, and Costner’s character is a composite of three of them, based on the recollections of Katherine G. Johnson herself. Costner’s getting deserved praise for his performance as the white, middle-aged man who isn’t exactly a bad person- he’s just so enmeshed in his white, male privilege and the lack of awareness on racial issues at the time that he doesn’t even notice how oppressed and marginalized the black women in his department are. So there’s no question that the character’s writing and performance are great, and serve the story. The issue is the simple fact that someone in Hollywood knew they needed to have a male star of Costner’s caliber to get the film made and marketed, and that’s why his role is as large as it is, and why he gets a few set-piece speeches (especially the apocryphal destruction of the â€Å"Whites Only† bathroom sign) that make him as much the center of the story as Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. If all you do is watch the movie, you might think that Al Harrison existed, and was as much a hero as the brilliant female computers that are the true focus of the story. The Reality of Racism Hidden Figures the film is entertainment and as such, it needs villains. There is no doubt that racism was prevalent in the 1960s (as it is today) and that Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson had to overcome challenges that their white and male colleagues didn’t even know existed. But according to Johnson herself, the film overstates the level of racism she actually experienced. The fact is, while prejudice and segregation were facts, Katherine Johnson says she â€Å"didn’t feel† the segregation at NASA. â€Å"Everybody there was doing research,† she said, â€Å"You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important to you to do your job...and play bridge at lunch. I didnt feel any segregation. I knew it was there, but I didnt feel it.† Even the infamous bathroom-sprint across the campus was exaggerated; there were, in fact, bathrooms for blacks not nearly as far away- although there were indeed â€Å"white only† and â€Å"black only† facilities, and the black-only bathrooms were harder to find. Jim Parsons’ character, Paul Stafford, is a complete fabrication who serves to embody many of the typical sexist and racist attitudes of the time- but again, doesn’t actually represent anything that Johnson, Jackson, or Vaughan actually experienced. Hollywood needs villains, and so Stafford (as well as Kirsten Dunst’s character Vivian Mitchell) was created to be the oppressive, racist white male of the story, even though Johnson’s recollections of her experience at NASA were largely unremarkable. A Great Book None of this means the story of these women and their work on our space program isn’t well worth your time- it is. Racism and sexism are still problems today, even if we’ve gotten rid of much of the official machinery of it in everyday life. And their story is an inspiring one that languished in obscurity for far too long- even star Octavia Spencer thought the story was made-up when she was first contacted about playing Dorothy Vaughan. Even better, Shetterly has written a great book. Shetterly weaves her own story into the history, making clear the connections between the three women who are the focus of the book and the millions of black women who came after them- women who had a slightly better chance at realizing their dreams in part due to the fight that Vaughan, Johnson, and Jackson took on. And Shetterly writes with a gentle, inspiring tone that celebrates the achievements instead of wallowing in the obstructions. It’s a wonderful reading experience filled with information and incredible background you won’t get from the movie. Further Reading If you want to know a bit more about the role women of all colors played throughout the history of technology in America, try Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt. It tells the fascinating story of the women who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1940s and 1950s and offers another glimpse at how deeply buried the contributions of the marginalized have been in this country. Source Holt, Nathalia. Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars. Paperback, Reprint edition, Back Bay Books, January 17, 2017. Shetterly, Margot Lee. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. Paperback, Media Tie In edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, December 6, 2016.

Why Mandarin Chinese is easier than you think

Why Mandarin Chinese is easier than you think Mandarin Chinese is often described as a difficult language, sometimes one of the most difficult ones. This is not hard to understand. There are thousands of characters and strange tones! It must surely be impossible to learn for an adult foreigner! You can learn Mandarin ChineseThats nonsense of course. Naturally, if youre aiming for a very high level, it will take time, but I have met many learners who have studied for just a few months (albeit very diligently), and have been able to converse rather freely in Mandarin after that time. Continue such a project for a year and you will probably reach what most people would call fluent. So definitely not impossible. How difficult a language is depends on many things, but your attitude is certainly one of them and its also the easiest one to influence. You stand little chance of changing the Chinese writing system, but you can change your attitude towards it. In this article, Im going to show you certain aspects of the Chinese language and explain why they make learning a lot easier than you might think. How difficult is it to learn Mandarin Chinese? Of course, there are also things that make learning Chinese harder than you think (or perhaps as hard), sometimes even the same things from different angles or on different proficiency levels. That, however, is not the focus of this article. This article focuses on the easy things and is meant to encourage you. For a more pessimistic outlook, Ive written a twin article with the title: Why Mandarin Chinese is harder than you think. If you already study Chinese and want to know why its not always easy, perhaps that article will provide some insights, but below, I will focus on the easy things. Difficult or easy for whom? With what goal? Before we talk about specific factors that make learning Mandarin easier than you might think, Im going to make some assumptions. You are a native speaker of English or some other non-tonal language not related to Chinese at all (which would be most languages in the west). You might not have learnt any other foreign language, or perhaps youve studied one in school.   If your native language is related to Chinese or is influenced by it (such as Japanese, which largely uses the same characters), learning Chinese will become even easier, but what I say below will be true in any case. Coming from other tonal languages makes it easier to understand what tones are, but its not always easier to learn them in Mandarin (different tones). I discuss the downsides of learning a language completely unrelated to your native language in the other article. Furthermore,  Im talking about aiming for a basic level of conversational fluency where you can talk about everyday topics youre familiar with and understand what people say about these things if targeted at you. Approaching advanced or even near-native levels requires a whole new level of commitment and other factors play a bigger role. Including the written language also adds another dimension. Why Mandarin Chinese is easier than you think Without further ado, lets get into the list: No verb conjugations - Partly because of bad teaching practice, many people associate second language learning with endless verb conjugations. When you learn Spanish or French and care about being accurate, you need to remember how the verb changes with the subject. We have this in English too, but its much easier. We doesnt say we has. In Chinese, there are no verb inflections at all. There are some particles that change the function of verbs, but there are certainly no long lists of verb forms you need to memorise. If you know how to say çÅ"‹ (kn) look, you can use it for any person referring to any period of time and it will still look the same. Easy! No grammatical cases - In English, we make a difference between how pronouns are handled depending on if they are the subject or the object of a sentence. We say he talks to her; him talks to she is wrong. In some other languages, you need to keep track of different objects and sometimes also not only for pronouns, but for nouns as well. None of that in Chinese! 我 (wÇ’) I, me is used in any situation referring to myself in any way. The only exception would be plural we, which has an extra suffix. Easy!   Flexible parts of speech - When learning most languages other than Chinese, you need to remember different forms of the words depending on what part of speech they belong to. For example, in English we say ice (noun), icy (adjective) and to ice (over)/freeze (verb). These look different. In Chinese, though, these could all be represented by one single verb å† ° (bÄ «ng), which incorporates the meaning of all three. You dont know which one it is unless you know the context. This means that speaking and writing becomes much easier since you dont need to remember so many different forms. Easy! No gender - When you learn French, you need to remember if each noun is meant to be le or la; when learning German, you have der, die and das. Chinese has no (grammatical) gender. In spoken Mandarin, you dont even need to make a difference between he, she and it because they are all pronounced the same.  Easy!  Relatively easy word order -  Word order in Chinese can be very tricky, but this mostly becomes apparent at more advanced levels. As a beginner, there are a few patterns you need to learn, and once youve done that, you can just fill in the words youve learnt and people will be able to understand. Even if you mix things up, people will usually still understand, provided that the message you want to convey is relatively simple. It helps that the basic word order is the same as in English, i.e. Subject-Verb-Object (I love you). Easy! Logical number system - Some languages have really bizarre ways of counting. In French, 99 is said as 4 20 19, in Danish 70 is half fourth, but 90 is half fifth. Chinese is really simple. 11 is 10 1, 250 is 2 100 5 10 and 9490 is 9 1000 400 9 10. Numbers do get a little bit harder above that because a new word is used for every four zeroes, not every three as in English, but its still not hard to learn to count. Easy!Logic character and word creation - When you learn words in European languages, you can sometimes see the word roots if youre good at Greek or Latin, but if you take a random sentence (such as this one), you cant really expect to understand how each word is constructed. In Chinese, you actually can do that. This has some significant advantages. Lets look at a few examples of advanced vocabulary that are really easy to learn in Chinese but very hard in English. Leukemia in Chinese is è ¡â‚¬Ã§â„¢Å' blood cancer. Affricate is Ã¥ ¡Å¾Ã¦â€œ ¦Ã©Å¸ ³ stop friction sound (this r efers to sounds like ch in church, which has a stop (a t sound), then friction (the sh sound)). If you didnt know what these words meant in English, you probably do now after looking at a literal translation of the Chinese words! These are not exceptions in Chinese, this is the norm. Easy! These are just some of the more obvious reasons that reaching a basic level in Chinese is not as difficult as you think. Another reason is that Chinese is much more hackable than any other language Ive learnt. The difficult parts are easier to hack What do I mean by this? Hacking in this case means understanding how the language works and using that knowledge to create smart ways of learning (this is what my website Hacking Chinese is about). This is especially true for the writing system. If you approach learning Chinese characters like you would learning words in French, the task is daunting. Sure, French words do have prefixes, suffixes and so on and if your Latin and Greek are up to par, you might be able to use this knowledge to your advantage and be able to understand how modern words are created. For the average learner, however, thats not possible. Its also the case that many words in French (or English or many other modern languages) cant be broken down or understood without doing serious research into etymology first. You can of course break them down yourself in ways that make sense to you. In Chinese, however, you dont need to do that! The reason is that one Chinese syllable corresponds to one Chinese character. That gives very little room for change, meaning that while words in English can gradually lose their spelling and morph over the centuries, Chinese characters are much more permanent. They do of course change, but not that much. It also means that the parts that make up the characters are in most cases still present and can be understood on their own, thus making understanding a lot easier. What all this boils down to is that learning Chinese neednt be all that hard. Yes, reaching an advanced level takes a lot of time and effort, but getting to basic conversational fluency is within reach for all those who really want it. Will it take longer than reaching the same level in Spanish? Probably, but not that much if we only talk about the spoken language. Conclusion This article was meant to convince you that you can learn Chinese. Of course, an article like this also has its dark twin, why learning Chinese is actually very hard, especially if you go beyond just basic oral communication. If youre a beginner, you dont really need such an article, but if youve already come a long way and want some sympathy, make sure you read on:Why Mandarin Chinese is harder than you think

Increasing the Number of People Downsizing in Social Housing Essay

Increasing the Number of People Downsizing in Social Housing - Essay Example With housing being a necessity, it observes with keenness that there has been a downward trend in many countries regarding people who own homes or have decent housing. It probes the root cause of the problem with the different scholars offering different views on the subject. It enhances the importance of housing and the fact that governments have played a big role in the so called â€Å"downsizing’. It therefore delegates itself the duty of bringing the solution to this societal problem that has been highlighted by the emergence of slums while at the same time posh estates of the rich exist. It simply offers solution and tries to ascertain how an increase can be made to the number of people in the social housing. With examples from countries such as Britain, United States, and Sweden it analyses their policies and checks on whether they seceded or not. To this end, it is informative, sceptical, and analytical. Aims of the strategy To understand whether there can be an increa se in the number of people who attain the social housing with the understanding that there are forces that fight this move and have led to the decrease of the same. Background Study Housing is a basic necessity. This then means that home ownership serves the purpose of ensuring that fundamental obligations are fulfilled. This may include raising the quality of family life and education. To this end, housing plays a fundamental role in the economies of both developed and developing countries with the governments of respective countries acknowledging this as a mirror of development. Housing policy then has been regarded in two different views; there are those who view it in terms of continuity or change with the change protagonist accusing the regime of short termism due to their nature of treating the housing as a â€Å"political football† and being chameleons in their nature of changing colours and direction to reflect party political preferences (Balchin and Rhoden 2002). Th ese changing political positions have made it impossible to have choices that are rational in the housing sector. This change perspective is argued by Harloe (1995) who notes that the case of British housing policy is ideal example where he links the change from the periods of 1919 to 1970s. He notes that this is as a result of both long term economic changes and shorter political tensions by stating that social housing widened from residual housing only in times of market disruptions and political upheavals. Barker (2003) supports this by contending that the role of housing policy was only to support modernization of the housing market while the social housing played a different role. To this end, the propagators of this view had their insights on the fact

Strategic and Change Management and HRM (NESTLE Company Assignment

Strategic and Change Management and HRM (NESTLE Company - Assignment Example For the marketing function to be successful, all the marketing aspects of the marketing function must be effectively executed and coordinated. The marketing mix elements include Product, Place, Price and Promotion. Product refers to the characteristics of the product and brands which is likely to give or deny the organization a competitive advantage. Price refers to the pricing regime and how it compares to the competition with regards to getting customers to purchase more. Place refers to the the distribution strategy. Channels of distribution must enable the organization to get its products to the target customers. Lastly, promotion refers to efforts by the organization to get customers to purchase more of its products. Such efforts include advertisements and other sales promotion efforts such as discounts and giving out coupons redeemable against company’s products among others efforts. Nestle brand portfolio is spread across almost every food and beverage portfolio, with consumers having a choice of different kinds of products and services. Some of the food and beverage categories covered by Nestle include baby foods, bottled water, cereals, chocolate and confectionery, dairy and frozen food. So wide and vast is Nestle UK & Ireland offering that it is estimated that about 97 per cent of UK households consume one or more of Nestle products such as Nescafe, Kit Kat, Buxton and Smarties, while about two billion of Nestle products are sold in the U.K every year (Nestle, 2014). This just shows how widespread usage the product enjoys. It is thus easy to see why Nestle is the most dominant brand in the food and wellness industry. Its expansive product lines mean that it is almost possible that someone at any given time will be having a choice between buying a Nestle product and that of the competition. Besides, the sales of Nestle products have been impressive with good profits being posted. The challenge the firm faces now is to