The Lost Tools of Learning

Response to The Lost Tools of Learning Sayers believed the main problem with modern education is that children aren’t being taught to think. She believed that public education does not teach students how to understand relationships between subjects, nor does the public system teach students how to make sense of the information they learned. She was frustrated that adults cannot properly debate a question, write a lucid article in the newspaper or think for themselves when it comes to evaluating propaganda or advertising. Sayers was disheartened that students are learning everything except the art of learning itself.Her argument against our current education system reminds me of the saying, â€Å"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for life. † Instead of just teaching subjects we should be teaching thinking, arguing and how to express conclusions. If we teach students with a different approach which focuses on the art of how to learn something new and how to make connections among the subjects we learn, then we will be educated on a deeper level – not just having knowledge, but understanding and wisdom as well.The Trivium is Sayers answer to our problems with the current education system. The Trivium consist of three parts: Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric. These are not subjects studied individually, but methods of studying subjects. Grammar is the first part which involves learning the language and structure of a subject. Specifically, Sayers believed the Grammar stage should include observation and memorization of key concepts in Latin, Literature, History, Geography, Science and Math.For example, the grammar of History should include dates, events, anecdotes and personalities. Dialectic, or Logic is the next stage where a student learns how to use this language through analysis of the subjects. In this stage a student takes the knowledge from the grammar stage and begins to build a deeper understanding by reasoning and analyzing what he’s learned. Rhetoric is the third stage which involves being able to critique the subject – to speak and write intelligently and defend opinions and ideas about a certain topic or subject.In this stage students will put the things memorized from the Grammar stage into new context and the concepts they analyzed in the Dialectic stage will be synthesized with new insight and perspective. A student in the Rhetoric stage will be able to articulate his thoughts and opinions of a concept. Through the Trivium students are able to learn independently, analyze logically, think critically and communicate clearly. Each stage is a building block towards a deeper level of understanding. Integration of subjects is a key difference between classical education and instruction from the public education system.In the public education system, students are taught subjects in isolation. As they get older they are encouraged to specialize in one subject. B y learning through the stages of the Trivium, students are able to understand that subjects aren’t isolated, but that everything is interrelated. As they progress through the stages of the Trivium, they learn how to make connections among subjects and put things they have learned into context together. Integration of subjects also makes new learning easier. Students who have learned how to learn can easily master a new subject.

Assessment Management Forensic Mental Health Health And Social Care Essay

Since the 1980s force per unit area is increasing on mental wellness professionals to better their ability toA predictA and better manage the degree of hazard associated with forensic mental wellness patients, and offendersA being dealtA with in the justness system ( Holloway, 2004 ) .A This increasedA pressureA has besides increased involvement within a wider scope of research workers and forensic clinicians, working in the justness system to better the truth, and dependability of their analysis of whether recidivism is a strong possibility.A The overallA valueA of rating of research is toA allowA theA improvementA in the appraisal, supervising, planning and direction of wrongdoers, in concurrence with a more dependable base line for follow up ratings ( Beech et al, 2003 ) . However, there continues to be an increasingA interestA andA expectationA on professionals from the populace and the condemnable justness system in respects to the potentialA dangerA posed byA seriousA offendersA being releasedA back into the community and the demand for the wrongdoers to be better managed, in orderA to adequately protectA the populace from unsafe persons ( Doyle et al, 2002 ) . As the appraisal of riskA is madeA at assorted phases in the direction procedure of the violent wrongdoer, it isA extremelyA important that mental wellness professionals have a structured and consistent attack to put on the line appraisal and rating of force. ( Doyle et Al, 2002 ) . This paper will compare and contrast three theoretical accounts of hazard appraisal thatA are usedA to cut down possible danger to others, when incorporating violent wrongdoers back into the community. These three attacks are unstructured clinical opinion, structured clinicalA judgementA and actuarialA appraisal. It is non intended, in this paper, to research the assorted instruments used in the appraisal procedure for theA respectiveA actuarial and structured clinical attacks. Unstructured Clinical Judgement Unstructured clinical opinion is a procedure affecting no specific guidelines, but relies on the single clinician'sA evaluationA holding respect to the clinicians experience and makings ( Douglas et al. , 2002 ) .A Doyle et Al ( 2002 ) , refers toA clinicalA opinion as â€Å" first coevals † ( p. 650 ) , and sees clinical opinion as leting the clinicianA completeA discretion in relation to what information the clinician will or will non take notice of in their concluding finding of hazard degree. The unstructured clinicalA interviewA has been widely criticised because itA is seenA as inconsistent and inherently lacks construction and aA uniformA approachA that does non let forA trial, retest dependability over clip and between clinician ‘s ( Lamont et al. , 2009 ) . ItA has been arguedA that this incompatibility inA assessmentA can take toA incorrectA appraisal of wrongdoers, as either high or low hazard due to the subjective sentiment inherent in the unstructured clinic al assessmentA approachA ( Prentky et al. , 2000 ) . Even with these restrictions discussed above the unstructured clinicalA interviewA is still likely to be the most widely usedA approachA in relation to the wrongdoer ‘s force hazard appraisal ( Kropp, 2008 ) . Kropp ( 2008 ) , postulates that the continued usage of the unstructured clinicalA interviewA allows for â€Å" idiographic analysis of the offendersA behavior † ( Kropp, 2008, p. 205 ) .A Doyle et Al ( 2002 ) posits, that clinical surveies have shown, that clinician ‘s utilizing the hazard analysisA methodA of unstructured interview, is non asA inaccurateA asA generallyA believed.A Possibly this is due, mostly to the degree of experience andA clinicalA makings of those carry oning the appraisal. The unstructured clinicalA assessmentA methodA relies to a great extent on verbal and non verbal cues and this has the potency of act uponing single clinician ‘s appraisal of hazard, and therefore in bend has a high chance of over trust in the appraisal on the exhibited cues ( Lamont et al. , 2009 ) .A A major defect with the unstructured clinical interview is the evident deficiency of structured standardised methodologyA being usedA toA enableA aA testA retest reliability A measureA antecedently mentioned.A However, the deficiency of consistence in the appraisal attack is aA substantialA disadvantage in the usage of the unstructured clinical interview.A The demand for a more structuredA processA leting forA predictableA trial retest dependability wouldA appearA to be aA necessaryA constituent of any hazard appraisal in relation to force. Actuarial Appraisal ActuarialA assessmentA was developedA toA assessA assorted hazard factors that would better on the chance of an wrongdoer ‘s recidivism. The actuarial attack relies to a great extent on standardised instruments to help the clinician in foretelling force, and the bulk of these instrumentsA have been developed, in an effort, A to foretell futureA probabilityA of force amongst wrongdoers who have a history of mental unwellness and or condemnable offending behaviors. ( Grant et Al, 2004 ) . However, Douglas et Al ( 2002 ) warns that usage of actuarial appraisal does non supply appraisal of any degree of forestalling the possibility of future force. The usage of actuarialA assessmentA has increased in recent old ages as more non cliniciansA are taskedA with the duty of direction of violent wrongdoers such as community corrections, correctional officers and probation officers. Actuarial hazard appraisal methods enable staff, that do non hold the experience, A backgroundA or necessaryA clinicalA makings toA conductA a standardized clinicalA assessmentA of wrongdoer hazard. This actuarial assessmentA methodA has been foundA to be extremelyA helpfulA when holding hazard measuring wrongdoers with mental wellness, substance maltreatment and violent wrongdoers. ( Byrne et al, 2006 ) . However, actuarial appraisals have restrictions in the inability of the instruments to supply any information in relation to the direction of the wrongdoer, and schemes to forestall force ( Lamont et al, 2009 ) .A Whilst such instruments may supply transferableA testA retest dependability, there is a demand for cautiousness when the instrumentsA are usedA within differing samples of theA testA populationA used as the validationA sampleA in developing theA testA ( Lamont et al, 2009 ) .A Inexperienced andA untrainedA staffA may non be cognizant that testsA are limitedA by a scope of variables that may restrict the dependability of the trial in usage. The bulk of actuarial toolsA were validatedA in North America ( Maden, 2003 ) . This hasA significantA deductions when actuarial instrumentsA are usedA in the Australian context, particularly when autochthonal cultural complexnesss are non taken into history. Doyle et Al ( 2002 ) postulates that the actuarialA approachA is focusedA on anticipation and that hazard appraisal in mental wellness has a much broaderA functionA † and has to beA linkA closely with direction and bar † ( p. 652 ) . Actuarial instruments rely on steps of inactive hazard factors e.g. history of force, gender, mental illness and recorded societal variables.A Therefore, inactive hazard factorsA are takenA as staying constant.A Hanson et Al ( 2000 ) argues that where the consequences of unstructuredA clinicalA opinionA areA openA to inquiries, the through empirical observation based hazard assessmentA methodA can significantly foretell the hazard of rhenium offending. To relyA totallyA onA staticA factors thatA are measuredA in Actuarial instruments, and non integrate dynamic hazard factors has led to what Doyle et Al ( 2002 ) has referred to as, â€Å" Third Generation † , or as more normally acknowledged as structured professional opinion. Structured Professional Judgement Progression toward a structured professionalA theoretical account, wouldA appearA to hold followed a procedure of development since the 1990s.A ThisA progressionA has developed throughA acceptanceA of the complexness of what hazard appraisal entails, and the force per unit areas of the tribunals andA publicA in developing an outlook of increased prognostic truth ( Borum, 1996 ) .A Harmonizing to Lamont et Al ( 2009 ) , structured professional opinion brings together â€Å" through empirical observation validated hazard factors, professional experience and modern-day cognition of the patient ( p27 ) .A Structured professional opinion attack requires aA broadA assessmentA standards covering both inactive and dynamic factors, and efforts to bridge the spread between the other attacks of unstructured clinical opinion, and actuarialA approachA ( Kropp, 2008 ) .A The incorporation of dynamic hazard factors that are takingA accountA of variable factors such as current emotionalA levelA ( choler, depression, emphasis ) , societal supports or deficiency of and willingness to take part in the intervention rehabilitation process.A The structured professional attack incorporatesA dynamicA factors, whichA have been found, to be besides important in analysingA riskA of force ( Mandeville-Nordon, 2006 ) .A Campbell et Al ( 2009 ) postulates that instruments thatA examineA d ynamic hazard factors are moreA sensitiveA toA recentA alterations that mayA influenceA an addition or lessening in hazard potency. Kropp ( 2008 ) , reports that research has found that Structured Professional Judgement measures alsoA correlateA substantiallyA with actuarial steps. Decision Kroop, ( 2008 ) postulates that either a structured professional opinion attack, or an actuarial attack presents the most feasible options for hazard appraisal of violence.A The unstructuredA clinicalA approachA has been widely criticised by research workers for missing dependability, cogency and answerability ( Douglas et al, 2002 ) . Kroop, ( 2008 ) besides cautions that hazard appraisal requires the assessor to hold an appropriate degree of specialised cognition and experience. This experience should be non merely of wrongdoers but besides with victims.A There wouldA appearA to be a valid statement that unless there is consistence inA trainingA of those carry oning hazard appraisals the cogency and dependability of any step, either actuarial or structured professional opinion, will neglect toA giveA theA levelA of predictability of force thatA is sought.A Risk analysis of force will ever be burdened by theA limitationA which â€Å" lies in the fact thatA exactA analyses are notA possible, andA riskA will ne'er be wholly eradicated † ( Lamont et al, 2009, p 31. ) . Doyle et Al ( 2002 ) postulates that a combination of structured clinical and actuarial approachesA is warrantedA to help in hazard appraisal of force. Further research appears to be warranted to better the rating andA overallA effectivity of hazard direction.

Cyclermate Report Essay

I. An executive summary Dai Armstrong and Lewis Llewellyn are the two men who planned to open their own company after being superfluous due to the shutting down of the steel plants in their town of South Wales were Dai Armstrong and Lewis Llewellyn. They became good friends because of taking part in the local club of cycle touring together and decided to start Cyclermate, which was a bicycle manufacturing company that was laid down in the year 1988. In the beginning of time, Cyclermate gained a huge influence over the share of the market. The company appeared well with no problems and difficulties up to 2010, the time when the business is in trouble, it confronted lots of consequences with respect to operation human resource and finance. Therefore, the demand by purchasers fell continue sadly even though the prices were cut down by the company; the distinguishing attributes of the goods were not up to the quality as they were earlier. The rising complaints from the customers regarding degrading quality and faults in the product and the concern by the bank manager regarding the overdraft could cause trouble if the problems are not solved as soon as possible. Because of that, the company requires a right way to deal with this issue and save it from the edge of going bankrupt. II. Introduction Based on case study research in Cyclermate Ltd. and a series of case in community, this report will work out the financial problems and various other problems confronted by Cyclermate. It has been designed to analysis the business environment and management, measured by SWOT and PET models that are required to be looked upon. The report also draws on a brief summary for the financial side of the business. In addition, this report takes into account an examination of difficulties confronted by Cyclermate and possible solution for the problems, included short and long term solutions. Another function of this report is to examine how the company could get out of the crisis and get back to the current market share. Finally, the report brings us some recommendations and conclusion of the whole Cyclermate case study. III. Analysis of Business Environment 1. PEST Analysis PEST analysis is involved in the chief external environmental that effect or control considerably a business strategy. As we can see, PEST is aimed for Political, Economic, Social and Technological matters that can affect the business. PEST is recognized to persuade it in a utile manner of summarizing the external environment. However, it may be adopted the ability of how an establishment should react to these factors. Political Factor A political factor has a powerful impact on income tax, labor law, trade restriction and many more. Company did not recruit enough workers to meet the targets and worker had to work overtime to get the work done and workers are getting paid at normal rate. Using a traditional method may harm workers health and decreased their productivity as well. These mistakes made Cyclermate become a target of health and safety agencies. They have to improve the quality or else they can be stuck in authorized issues. On the  other hand, they also need to achieve higher standard in manufacturing to meet requirements of the market, especially foreign markets. Economic Factor Cyclermate had purchased a larger storehouse for goods, which indeed was essential to them but did not suffice their requirements. Purchasing a warehouse, which fulfilled the needs of the company, could have saved a lot of money and that same money could have used in new or currently in existence projects. Another factor in economics that affects to the development of Cyclermate Ltd is labor. The unemployment rate is increasing, therefore, this is a good chance for this company to choose worker more easily, and employ them easily with affordable price. Social Factor Social factor has a powerful impact on human behavior, Cyclermate had many order but they did not have enough workforce to complete these orders. They have to work long hours in order to achieve their goals. One more important thing is that high-speed innovation as well as the increasing demands of consumers requires Cyclermate to change and improve every day. But there is a truly infact that living standard of clients could effect to their choices. The higher income distribution they get, the higher demands they re Technological Factor Cyclermate Ltd is using the oldest way to advertise their products by posting advertisement in traditional newspapers. It has limited their goods to the customers. Instead, this company can set up its own website. In addition, Cyclermate Ltd is using the oldest way to advertise their products by posting advertisement in traditional newspapers. It has limited their goods to the customers. Instead, this company can set up its own website. 2. SWOT Analysis It is a methodical technique that is utilized to categorize and identify substantial external (Opportunities and Threats) and internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) factors confronted with a specific area. (Johnson, 1993) It  renders data which are useful in corresponding the capabilities and resources to the spiritual atmosphere in which it functions and hence is a significant addition to the planning and marketing procedure. (Pearce, 2005) Let have look at the SWOT of cyclermate to understand more about the current issue that company has to face with. Strengths Direct channels of sale Cyclermate has direct channels of sales with the direct sales and direct shops; hence intermediary’s cost is largely eliminated. Reducing the cost of manufacturing could unquestionably help Cyclermate achieve a huge share of the market. As direct channels are in direct contact with the providers, thus, it could help in increasing in quantity or value of the sales and it provides a good opportunity to the providers to empathize the clients and could make required changes are per the requirement of the customers. Motivated workforce The employees at the Cyclermate are extremely pioneering and are can fully utilize and achieve any given objective or alterations in the company but they are inhibited by the administration as a result they are unable to express their views freely. The employees could have a crucial role in the company for its overall growth and development. Possession of buildings and lands Unlike Cyclermate most of the companies don’t possess either building or land and hence have to pay the heavy rents which adds to the cost but cyclermate can make any changes in the buildings and could capitalize in whichever way they wish to as they own it, which reduces the overall cost. Weaknesses Inexperience and unmotivated staffs of the company The company has made use of untrained workers. These untrained workers are not given the proper training after their employment. It is the fact that the employees and the staff are never allowed to put forward their creative and self-ideas due to the policies of the management, as a result of this  motivation in the staff is lost. Sales are decreasing in amount or degree and there is piling up of stocks in the warehouses which generates a feeling among the staff that they are not under a good management and as this feeling flourishes they lose hopes from the company and it has a very bad impact on their morale. The investors do not truly interested in the business Due to the low returns on the capital invested by the investors, they are unhappy with the performance of the company and are losing faith in it. In addition, the very fact that the shareholders were not paid any interest last year, it may result in the withdrawal of their money from the company. The quality concerns Because lack of the power to be effective of the staffs to keep up the measures of the goods and the quality of raw material utilized is leading to degraded quality of the goods eventually. Old machinery such as traditional spaying technique, painting and low-quality stock control technology needs updating as soon as possible if the business hopes to improve the production and sales in the coming time. Opportunities Take the advantages of social media Cyclermate should launch its website, which provides complete detail and range of the products available with them. Company can employ a new computer system for keeping a good database of the company. They can introduce online selling and modification according to the wish of customers. Introduction of new machines They should introduce some of the modern machinery in order to achieve higher-level productivity. Cyclermate could bring in new robotic machinery in the production process that will lead to speedy output and a superior quality of goods. Employ trained workers They have the opportunity to make use of the trained workforce, which has been recently laid off from the nearby production site. More workforce means opportunity to gain more productivity. Threats Overseas competitors As a result of the growth to a global or worldwide scale, many companies from across the globe have entered the market with products of low price and high quality, which certainly is a threat for Cyclermate as it supplies good with high cost and of lower quality. Due to recession, which is prevailing in Europe the purchasing power of people is going down. Thus, company can have reduced sales or can face financial crises. Reputation Due to poor-quality product for a period of Cyclermate’s reputation is going down and therefore people do not like to go for their products. Huge retail Merchants Retail Merchants like Argos and Halfords are captivating the market eventually and it might happen that Cyclermate may lose the market share completely. Customer threatens them to sue their company after their product was fail in delivering the good performance. IV. Analysis of Business Management 1. Financial Problems Prob. 1.1: Uncontrolled cost The main problem that company is in this situation is because of the uncontrolled cost and mismanaged budget. The costs are increasing yearly with the sales and selling price of the products going down. Let have look at the financial statement that company has  £210,800 worth of non-current assets. Loan request will be refused as company only holds cash fund of  £675 into their bank account. Costs are increasing at a rapid rate year after year. Asset turnover ratio is 2.06:1. This indicates that the profit margins for the company are very low that’s why the ratio is so high. We can also conclude from this that the company’s pricing strategy is not effective leading to lower profits. Prob. 1.2: Dealing with a big loan Creditor days – 24 days leads to the company has to pay back it its debtors in 24 days and it is just left with 675 £ of cash. The Company is liable to pay  £87,500 to the creditors and if they don’t so a legal action may be taken on them, which are not good for company’s reputation. They may talk to the creditors and ask for an extension in time for payments as they are going through financial crisis and don’t have money right now to pay back. Prob. 1.3: Lots of inventories Besides, it shows that the majority of inventories are stored and not effectively managed, that is why current ratio is at such high level, which also means low sales and low revenue gained. Moreover, the company relies on the bank loan as the main monetary support. 2. Operation Problems Prob. 2.1: Stock control system Disturbingly, materials are always in the shortage which results in the disruption of the production process recently. Although the demand is higher and higher, company cannot meet their requirement because of lacking necessary components. Prob. 2.2: Inappropriate division of duties The inappropriate division of duties obviously had made such a burden on many workers. In particular, Dai Armstrong has to deal with many tasks such as making all the frames, factory manager and business director at the same time. He himself also finds it hard to keep up the level of production (approximately 8 frames/day) because it requires the harsh physical demands. Prob. 2.3: Assembly is a complex process Moreover, assembly is a complex process, which takes 2 or 3 hours for one person. Janice Jones and Ffred Gregory often have to work overtime to catch up with the progress. As a result, their health and time issue could be heavily damaged. 3. HR Management problems Prob. 3.1: Improper workforce in manufacturing Unreasonable workforce division is one of the most serious problems of Cyclermate Ltd. Besides, lack of experienced employees and the aging workforce are worrying the production process and raising a big question for a more effective training system. Prob. 3.2: The training system creates The training system creates such obstacles for the assembly process. Typically, Fred, who is 18 years old, is a new and un-experienced person; the training for him is necessary, however, not easy at all. It takes so much time to instruct Fred in traditional way, which is apparently the cause of slow production recently. Prob. 3.3: Corporate culture The staff is highly de-motivated due to decreasing sales and profits and also the behavior of the management as in the sinking company they are not free to put up their ideas even if they do they are rejected because of the superiority of the management. V. Solution A. Short term and immediate planning 1. Financial problems: Solution 1.1: Cost in selling and distribution Cost in selling and distribution could be possible declined to save more money for the company such as cutting cost for postage and courier charges by substituting by cheaper service, as well as the travelling and hospitality. Those indirect costs contribute such high cost to the manufacturing of the cycles, restricting them would help boost the sales with cheaper price. Solution 1.2: Ask for trading debtors to repay The solution to this issue is that they should strictly resolve and for the  trade debtors to repay the loans as soon as possible. The amount of $200,571 would help the financial situation better in the coming time. Once their assets are raised through and their liquidity are proved to be valuable enough to afford the loan, it will be beneficial for them to borrow money from the banks. Solution 1.3: Direct sale prices Cyclermate’s direct sale prices are higher than shop sale price. In order to generate healthy revenue, Cyclermate needs to reduce their direct sale price. By reducing the direct sale prices will increase their sale and it will be easy for them to generate healthy revenue. 2. Operation Problems Solution 2.1: Buy stock when needed Company should only buy stock when they needed. Buying stock earlier will harm company’s financial positions, because raw material does not hold their value and it has got more chances of losing its market value. Solution 2.2: Require clear division A good answer for this problem is that the company should require clear division to who is able to undertake and separate arrangement of duties. Specifically, assigning other qualified person on frame-making position so that Mr. Dai could concentrate and dedicate himself to external relations business only. Solution 2.3: hiring more experienced labors The company should consider hiring more experienced labors for assemble line and frame-making because Mr Dai can no longer put up with the physical requirement of the task. With those simple tasks like packaging, it is acceptable for free hand employees to help out, but only when they finished all their tasks. 3. HR Management problems Solution 3.1: Employ cheaper labors In this case, the company can consider employ cheaper labors that are  suggested by Maldwyn Jones: Chinese or Taiwanese labor to make the machine for them- much better quality but half the price and move Idris Pugh to higher position as a supervisor for the whole wheel-making process. Solution 3.2: Improving the staff’s skills This training program involves directly in the new changes with a purpose of improving the staff’s skills, expertise and methods to complete an error-free task, exposing them to unfamiliar ideas and of course, giving them the chance to practice task under time/speed limit. Solution 3.3: Core business value Trust in others and a firm belief in overcoming difficulties (set up new mission: overcome difficulty, minimize waste and consequence) B. Long term and efficiency improvements Present fiscal condition of Cyclermate (Accounting ratios).The acid / liquid ratio of Cyclermate is 0.76:1, which depicts Cyclermate is incapable to satisfy indebtednesses of shorter term, which mean that it would not be competent to satisfy fiscal difficulty which may happen in the time to come. The Asset turnover ratio for Cyclermate is 2.06:1. As the ratio is excessively high, this means that profit margins are very low. The pricing strategy of Cyclermate is ineffective and because of that low profit. Return on capital employed –Cyclermate has far too less returns on the capital employed, just a mere 0.11 or 11%. Debtor days –It would take Cyclermate 115 days to get back the money from debtors. Creditor days – Cyclermate has to pay back in 24 days to its debtors with a cash balance of 675 £. The financial statement of Cyclermate shows that it has non-current assets which is of worth  £210,800.Any request regarding a loan from the bank will be refused as it has a mere cash balance of  £675. It may get a loan based on the position of its non-current assets. In place of the above-discussed alternative, it can sell its freehold land, which is worth  £160,000, and use the proceeds from the sale in the business. Cyclermate could acquire funds if they pursue its trade debtors to pay off soon. Debtors worth  £200,571 are to be recovered and the funds would be acquired soon if the debtors do not  default and pay in full. Once it has sufficient fund, Cyclermate could apply for the bank loan. VI. Conclusion Overall, Cyclermate will have a better future if they operate their business in slightly different ways. Cyclermate products were famous for its quality and price,if the company still provide what the consumer wants than it would be no harm to the company. But there few changes needs to be changed and once the new rules and regulation apply into the business than it would be a great opportunity for Cyclermate to operate their services. Moreover, With the movement of new threats into the marketplace the present systematic plan of action of Cyclermate is continuously below the acceptable level in its performance due to the fact that the new firms and the existing organizations are coming up with improved quality of products at a cheaper price VII. Recommendations The company must sign up correct individual as per the requirement of the position. Currently the management is interfering in the process of production and is unable to focus of the activities they should be concerned. The financial hardships through which Cyclermate is going through at present could be resolved by selling the unused stock that is piled up in the warehouse. In order to generate revenues and funds to invest in other arena of the company, Cyclermate must sell its freehold land that would certainly generate high revenue. In order to achieve higher output and productivity, modern technology should be applied in the production process. Installing a computer database through which the management could look into all the important and relevant data as and when required. Cyclermate should launch its website, which provides complete detail and range of the products available with them. Reducing both direct sales prices so as to sell the current stock and trade debtors. Employing young and trained workforce that is fit for the position.

Energy Consumption & Modernization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy Consumption & Modernization - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  peak load is the highest amount of power or electric value recorded at a particular period. Peak load values will be obtained when there is more demand on the electricity due to use of appliances. In this case peak load values in the student halls will be recorded during the early morning when the students will be preparing to go to class or any other activities they are involved in. The use of the instant heating showers, blow dryers, iron box coupled with the demand to ensure that the room is warm enough due to the morning cold, the amount of electricity in use instantaneously shoots up. Peak load can also be noticed in the evenings just when the students are coming back from their classes and other activities they have been engaging in during the day.  This research declares that  base load is the lowest average in energy consumption at a particular period when the consumption is steady.  Base load values will be obtained when there is les s demand on the electricity. In the students halls Base load values will be recorded during the day while most of the students will be away, because this brings down the overall consumption of energy although the values during the day might not be very reliab lebecause of the students left in the halls since the will still be consuming the electricity this may take out the steady aspect in the calculation of base load values.

Konica Minolta business solutions customer service training plan Coursework

Konica Minolta business solutions customer service training plan - Coursework Example The assessment will help in; Organizational analysis examines the areas where training is required and the explicit conditions under which the training will be conducted (Altschuld & Kumar, 2010). It will identify abilities, skills, and knowledge that employees will need for the future in order to meet the organization’s goal of providing substantial services to its loyal customers while helping health care, legal, and educational customers to embrace rapid information movement, reduce costs, improve quality, and enhance security. HR data will be analyzed to indicate areas where introduction of training will boost performance. Tagged among these are departments with high absenteeism rates, high turnover, and poor performance (Noe,  2010). Changes in automation, technology or equipment will also need to be identified. After a thorough analysis, appropriate training will be developed. Moreover, the management will need to offer the required financial support in order to ensure the success of the assessm ent. Moreover, customer complaints and employee grievances will also be considered in order to effectively cover the needs of the organization. Factors to be considered include labor pool, future skills need, and alterations in laws and conventions (Hawthorne, 2007). Individual analysis will target the employees of Konica Minolta Business Solutions and how they perform. Employees will be reviewed to reveal any deficiencies that will aid in the formulation of an effective and efficient training plan. Additionally, employees will also be interviewed (both casual and casual), surveyed, or tested to ascertain their training needs. Employees will be at liberty to indicate the various problems that they have and recommend possible solutions to the problems. Task study will begin with a comparison of employees’ knowledge and skills to

The Cold War begin out of the ashes of WWII Essay

The Cold War begin out of the ashes of WWII - Essay Example 1 As the war was coming to an end, the Soviet Union had made it clear at the Yalta conference that they wanted control Eastern Europe and that Germany would be part of the deal. The President of the United States F D Roosevelt had conceded to Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union most of his,2 this was the perception of most Americans. However, with the demise of the President of the United States Franklin D Roosevelt in 1945, the new administration led by Harry S Truman began to feel that the United States was cheated with the deal signed at Yalta.3 In addition, they blamed the soviets for lack of cooperation in ensuring that they follow the pact to the latter, the soviets were intent on expanding the communist philosophy all over the world. Americans became alarmed, and the president of the united states at that time Harry S Truman, gave an outline of points that reflected united states stand on the Cold War, these policies which he delivered to the Congress in 1947, came to be kn own as the Truman Doctrine. The British government was heavily weakened by the costs of the Second World War and as a result they could no longer provide material and financial aid to the Turkish government and Greek government.4 The British government promptly informed the United States government of their predicament, the latter became concerned about the situation of the two nations, as Greek was imminently facing civil war while Turkey was in need of assistance to enable her modernize. The Americans feared that the two nations would eventually fall into the soviet’s communist expansion plan, the then united states under secretary of state Dean Acheson presented to the president arguments, which would counter the communism expansion by the soviets. He pointed out that when the one country acknowledges communism or perhaps falls into the philosophy of communism, the adjacent countries would follow suit, he noted that Greek’s and Turkey’s neighbors had fallen i nto the communist trap. Therefore, halting the spread and increase of communism became a major foreign policy of USA, this was known as the American containment policy. The Truman Doctrine pronounced that the United States would pledge financial and material aid both to Greece and to Turkey, to curb the spread of communism and the fall of these two nations into the philosophy of communism. The Truman Doctrine has also been applied when the United States invaded, annexed and occupied Hawaii.5 He pointed out that Truman and his British allies at the end of the Second World War forced the soviets to relinquish their positions in Iran, and thereafter the president did not want to overthrow the government of Mosaddegh despite persistent requests from Britain. The policy was expanded beyond the two nations and it was spread to encompass Europe and every corner of the globe. The policy became very aggressive and the in turn became America’s formal foreign policy of containing the So viet’s, they actually did away with the detente policy that was espoused by America’s envoy to Moscow, George Kennan. As an American policy on foreign relations, the united states were forced to intervene when the soviet forces invaded and attempted to spread communism in Vietnam, Korea and Iran. However, the United States flopped heavily in the wars against the

ERP in Public Sector Oman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ERP in Public Sector Oman - Essay Example Vulnerable individuals such as the underage, old people, the mentally handicapped, the sick are ethically entitled to special considerations against discrimination, abuse, deception or even exploitation. In the conduct of research, the issue of ethical obligation to this category of the public demands a well-planned method to protect their interests, reactions, and suggestions about the ERP implementation in Oman public sector.Another ethical issue expected in this research is the circumstances where the interviewee expects or goes to an extent of requesting special services or bribery; some even ask for monetary assistance in return for their participation in the research. This is illegal and it brings about conflict of interest, as the information given will most likely be questionable.Oman is a country which is part of the expansive Arab states in the Maghreb region; traditionally, it has been using the Sharia law as part of its judicial system to govern and rule over its subjects and government operations as a whole. One of the branches of its judicial systems is the restriction it has placed on social interactions between men and women. The social segregation according to sex has made men largely prohibited from women’s realms, and vice versa. This is most likely to create difficulties in collecting data if the information has to come from a member of the opposite sex.Another legal factor that may be considered during my research is the issue of justice and fairness for all respondents.

Discussion Questions and Participation Question wk 4 Essay

Discussion Questions and Participation Question wk 4 - Essay Example Sometimes the floor or direct labor employees have great insight into how to make process improvements due to the fact of their experience work in the production line. A person’s leadership style has a tremendous influence in his / her behavior in the workplace. There are different types of leadership styles such as transactional, transformational, and charismatic. A transactional leader whose followers have the necessary exchanges for achieving routine performance agreed between leaders and their followers (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003). Such leaders do not get too close to their employees and they avoid developing personal relationship with their co-workers. Another type of leadership style is transformational leaders. Transformational leaders broaden and elevate the follower’s interest and stir followers to look beyond their own interests for the good of others (Schermerhorn, et. al., 2003). I agree with you that leaders should use power and control to exert leadership between the person and the workers. The employees have to recognize that the manager represents the controlling figure they must follow. A good manager will open the lines of communications with the workers in order to encourage greater participation and involvement. When the workers do not respect the manager in charge organizational conflict may arise. A good corporate culture includes an atmosphere in which the workers and managers mutually respect each other. The personality of the leader affects the person’s ability to influence the behavior of others. A leader with an outgoing personality is better able to captivate the imagination of the workers because this type of manager will have greater communication with the staff. A manager that keeps to himself is the type of manager that is not able to connect with the workers because his silence might be interpreted by the workers that the

Social Media's Small, Positive Role in Human Relationships Assignment

Social Media's Small, Positive Role in Human Relationships - Assignment Example She supports this claim by stating that the people are using extensive amounts of data when conversing on the social media platforms. People are using social media to maintain connectivity between themselves and people with whom connectivity could not have been possible without social media. Surveys also indicate that most families view social media is a way of improving their family lives since it enables them to keep in touch more frequently. The author’s purpose is to show the flaws that exist in the research and articles that condemn social media as one of the ways that lead to isolation and disconnect. This is to persuade the society to view social media in a different way and embrace its powerful connectivity capabilities. The intended audience includes social media users and its opponents. The author intends to inform the opponents of the mistakes they make when they overlook the positive part of social media, which she advocates for. This article is very significant to the contemporary world as it seeks to challenge a view by the majority who view social media as source of isolation. The article shows the capabilities of social media that should not be overlooked with specific concern to connectivity. Tufekci, Z. (2012). Social Medias Small, Positive Role in Human Relationships. Retrieved from

Personal Reflective Report on Strategy Formulation Assignment - 1

Personal Reflective Report on Strategy Formulation - Assignment Example s required to reflect on the involvement in strategy, whether at the micro level of the team or the macro level of the organization, based on models in the assigned readings, professional experiences, and understanding of organizations. Al Saady Company is the sole distributor for Toyota, Lexus and Daihatsu in Syria. It is an overseas division of Abdul Latif Jameel in Saudi Arabia. Al Saady Company has been established in 1993 with one centre in the capital (Damascus). By 2011, the Company has expanded to become four centres in four different cities with an average of 250 employees and 5000 cars as yearly sales, or an average of about 420 cars per month. My position and role is that of a Branch Manager to one of the four centres. I govern and administer a total of 52 employees in six departments: Sales, Parts, Service, Accounting, Human Resource and Administration departments. The overall structural type of the Company is functional specialization with classic forms of bureaucracy. The following organizational chart will briefly give an overview of the company structure: The competition in the auto market is between Korean and Japanese makers in Syria. The average income in Syria is about $10000 per annum. The most commonly purchased car is Toyota Corolla as people are looking for the most fuel-efficient car due to the increase in prices of gasoline which have manifested a 100% rise in 2007. The primary strategy type employed by the organization is top down strategy where, as noted in Depperu and Gnan (2003), it is a â€Å"rational, top-down process that can be strongly formalized and separated from implementation† (p. 4). As strategies are planned and designed within the higher organizational hierarchy, guidelines, policies and procedures are clearly developed for effective implementation by the managers and their subordinates. Policies for providing exemplary service to customers, termed â€Å"Guest delight† program, are planned from the higher echelons with

Superman and Paula Brown Essay Example for Free

Superman and Paula Brown Essay It is also ironic when she tells us of her odd friend, Sheldon became a Nazi and borrowed a goose step from the movies, but his uncle Macy was really over in Germany, and Mrs Fein began to grow thin and pale because she heard Macy was a prisoner and then nothing more. Because he was mocking the Nazis when really his uncle was over there as a prisoner. A literary effect that Charles Dickens uses is circumlocution to speed up and slow down the part of the story he is describing. An example of this is when Charles Dickens slows down the scene when he writes The company murmured their compliments. Uncle Pumblechook, sensible of having deserved well of his fellow-creatures, said-quite vivaciously, all things considered-well, Mrs Joe, well do our best endeavours; let us have a cut at this same pie. He slows it down by adding parts to the sentence. He then speeds up his text to create a feeling of panic and excitement when Pip fears that he will be found out, My sister wet out to get it. I heard her steps proceed to the pantry. I saw Mr Pumblechook balance his knife. I saw reawakening appetite in the Roman nostrils of Mr. Wopsle the sentences are sharp and quick. Like Sylvia Plath, Charles Dickens use Irony in this story. An example of his irony could be when he describes the change of dining arrangements on special occasions, We dined on these occasions in the kitchen, and adjourned, for the nuts and oranges and apples, to the parlour; which was a change very like Joes change from his working clothes to his Sunday best. I think it is ironic because Pip will be changing himself; he will change his opinions on how to act which will help him to mature. Another similarity between the two extracts is the way their parents/guardians perceive or are perceived by the characters. In Paula Brown the narrator has a strong relationship with her uncle but not with her mother, this is shown when she runs home after the accident to a greeting from her uncle Uncle Frank met me at the door. Hows my favourite trooper? he asked and then he swung me so high in the air that my head grazed the ceiling. There was a big love in his voice that drowned out the shouting which still echoed in my ears. This affection reassured her of the safety she could find in his love and that they wouldnt convict her like her friends did, but when David Sterling comes to the narrators house and tells her mother at the door that the narrator had pushed Paula into the oil, her mother immediately assumes that she had done it When mother came back to the table, her face was sad. Why didnt you tell me? she said, why didnt you tell me that you pushed Paula in the mud and spoiled her new snowsuit? Her mother isnt defending her or protecting her. In Great expectations Pip has a very strong relationship with Joe but not Mrs Joe. This is because Joe is the only person that really believes in him and protects him from getting hurt, this is why he doesnt tell him, he doesnt want to lose what they have by hurting Joe. This is shown when Pip tells us It was much upon my mind (particularly when I first saw him looking about for his file) that I ought to tell Joe the whole truth. Yet I did not, and for the reason that I mistrusted that if I did, he would think me worse than I was. The fear of losing Joes confidence, and of thenceforth sitting in the chimney corner at night staring drearily at my for ever lost companion and friend, tied up my tongue. Pip is not scared that he will be punished, but that he will lose Joes trust and that is why he keeps his secret from them. Pip also felt as if he had gotten away with it even though he hadnt actually done anything wrong. Also a similarity in the two extracts is that both the children in the story are powerless to their parents views. These extracts have many similarities despite the time difference and the different environment the two children were living in, P.B. living in the American suburbs of Boston, having the freedom to go out and play and being recognised as an adolescent rather than a small adult which is how the Victorians perceived children. Most Victorian adults did not have a very high opinion of children considering the Victorians made up the saying children should be seen and not heard. This is shown in great expectations when Pip is with the soldiers and they are about to go and look for the convicts, the sergeant asks about the convicts Anybody here seen anything of any such game? Everybody, myself excepted, said no, with confidence. Nobody thought of me. They dont think he could make a useful comment because he is only a child. Another time when this is shown is when Pip tells us I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born Maybe these stories are based on the authors experiences considering Sylvia Plath was American like the narrator and Charles Dickens lived in the Victorian times but they arent strong enough factors to rely on. What we do know is that these children realised that they couldnt rely on the safety and security of the adults anymore, they would have to start looking after themselves and start being more independent. They learned this through the experiences they have had. Amber James Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

If Division by Zero Were Allowed Essay Example for Free

If Division by Zero Were Allowed Essay Division is a basic mathematical operation by which we divide a number called dividend by another number called the divisor. This division functions is very simple and is the base of many complex mathematical functions. But there’s a very simple division which is indefinable, and that is the division of a number by zero, which is indefinable. We have been studying through out student life that division of a number is indefinable (infinite). But still if division by zero were allowed than what kind of impacts it would have on our daily lives and surroundings? If this were allowed it would open new breakthroughs in the realm of science, and also at the same time start many confusions and errors. The world of science and technology would be going under a serious and altering change, having deep impact on almost anything related to these fields. Impact on Mathematics: Mathematics revolves around its basic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. All complex and simple mathematical operations include the above basic operations. With out them solution would not be possible. It has been ruled out that division of a number by zero is indefinable (infinite). By infinite we mean that it cannot be defined Let us suppose if we temporarily allow this what kind of possibilities what would we get? Let’s take a simple example in which we take the following case. Let us consider the following equations, A/B = C We can consider A = 9 B = 0 Then the above equation can be written as, 9/0 = C If we consider division by zero as possible then we can make the following changes, 9 = 0*C 9 = 0 Now from the above example we have just considered the possibility that a number can be divided by zero and taking this hypothesis we moved forward with its testing, but in the end a very baffling result is achieved: 9 = 0 This is not possible because the number 9 is something substantial and an amount which cannot be nullified in an instant. Hence this proves that whenever a there’s division by zero there will always be an anomaly, and so it can be inferred that the answer given will always be impossible. Impacts on Technology: Our technologically advanced world is based on computer technology. The computer contains an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU). This unit handles all the mathematical operations performed in a computer. Even the computer programs are based on these operations. Computers can’t divide anything by zero, because they have been programmed not to do so. So if a computer were ever to divide something by zero we would be in big trouble keeping in view the original programming of the computers. Just imagine this possibility, world wide computer crashes would occur. Chaos would spread by the loss of data. Planes, satellites, appliances would not work. Imagine what kind of life would be there. Navigational equipment might not work properly which could lead to many disasters like airplane crashes, accidents. This has happened before when On September 21, 1997, a divide by zero error in the USS Yorktown caused all the computer system on the ship to malfunction and the boat stopped in the middle of an ocean . In the present situation of our technological development, we are dependent on our computers and other such gadgets so a loss of them would be a major blow overall. Impacts on Physics: When we study physics we may get many laws and mathematical theories in which division of a quantity with the other is made. In all these laws whenever we face a problem of division of a physical quantity with zero, we always infer it as infinite. If this zero division would be made possible the current laws would be changed as to impossible to exist in actual. We take an example of Density. Mathematically, D = m/v (Density D, mass m, volume v) We assume that volume (v) goes to zero, D = m/0 If this division is possible we can write above as, D*0 = m This would give, 0 = m This is not possible as per Law of Conservation of Mass, which states matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Again it was seen that division by zero is ambiguous and if allowed it would lead to the impossible and impractical results. In the above stated example we clearly see that a mass can never be zero, the reason being is that a mass is weight and for it to exist it would have to have some weight and thus it is proved that it can’t be divided. Impact on Commerce and Banking: If a bank employee or computer accidentally divides your bank balance by zero think what would happen. Wouldn’t your balance become something inexhaustible? You could use all the money available in the world and not be aware of it. Similarly in commerce, if during purchase buying of goods this mistake would occur. Either the purchaser or the seller would face bankruptcy. So the worst possible economic chaos would be occurring in the field of commerce and banking sector as only a sole party, either the bank or individual consumers, would be facing all the burden and humiliation of the bankruptcy.

Effective Intervention Reduce Alcohol Consumption In College Students Nursing Essay

Effective Intervention Reduce Alcohol Consumption In College Students Nursing Essay Heavy alcohol consumption among college students remains a concern across colleges and universities in the United States. Approximately 80% of all college students drink, including nearly 60% of students ages 18 to 20 (Johnston, OMalley, Bachman, Schulenberg, 2008). Even more troubling, 40.1% of full-time college students underage for legal drinking engage in binge drinking and 16.6% of students engage in heavy drinking (National Survey on Drug Use and Health [NSDUH], 2006). Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days, bringing a persons blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 or above (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [NIAAA], 2004;NSDUH, 2006). Consuming five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days is considered heavy drinking (NSDUH, 2006). All heavy alcohol users are also binge alcohol users. Many colleges and universities have implemented numerous initiatives ranging from enhanced enforcement to deferred community-wide celebratory events, but with little or no success (Turner, Perkins, Bauerle, 2008). College counselors and health education centers have been the main source of counseling for students who consume alcohol. Students have the opportunity to meet with counselors to discuss their alcohol use and their interest in moderating alcohol consumption and receive personalized normative feedback, advice, and behavioral strategies for avoiding alcohol-related harm (Barnett, Murphy, Colby, Monti, 2007). Although this traditional method is still used by counselors, advances in technology are allowing counselors to use new and innovative methods to educate students on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Key programs include wireless devices, e-interventions, and cybercounseling. Wireless devices provide counselors with an interactive method of reducing drinking and alcohol consequences in college students. They range from mobile devices such as cell phones and handheld computers to audience response technology, or clickers (Bernhardt et al., 2009; Killos, Hancock, Wattenmaker McGann, Keller, 2010; Labrie, Hummer, Huchting, Neighbors, 2009; LeGreco, Hess, Lederman, Schuwerk, LaValley, 2010; Turner et al., 2008). Compared to one-on-one counseling sessions, easy accessibility and the ability to assess a group of students during one session are advantages of using this intervention model. The use of such technology varies, but the outcome is the same- providing fast and accurate assessments about college students own drinking habits and the drinking habits of their peers (Bernhardt et al., 2009; Killos et al., 2010; Labrie et al., 2009; LeGreco et al., 2010; Turner et al., 2008). Mobile devices would alleviate the need for pen and paper assessments. The Handheld Assisted Network Diary (HAND) is an effective and valid method of evaluating daily drinking among college students (Bernhardt et al., 2009). Rather than counselors expecting a student to complete a daily assessment and have them return it to them after 30 days, counselors can have students record this same data on mobile devices. Although more students are likely to complete a pen and paper assessment than HAND, Bernhardt et al. (2009) found no significant difference between the two methods when students recorded their total drinks, number of drinking days, and drinks per drinking day. This suggests that those students who did complete HAND were comfortable with using the device and provided accurate information similar to those who completed pen and paper assessments. The difference in completion rates between the two methods is due to the design of HAND; students have a particular time-frame to comp lete the days assessment and are locked out of their devices at a predetermined time. This inhibits students from completing missed assessments. The disadvantage of students self-reporting data in the HAND should not diminish its advantage of being able to be completed daily with little deviation from a students active lifestyle (Bernhardt et al., 2009). Although HAND may sound promising, it should be noted that Bernhardt et al. developed this program and any of their published results may be biased. Audience response technology, commonly known as clickers, is a second type of wireless device used by counselors and health educators. Clickers are used in group interactive-feedback alcohol education sessions to decrease students perceived norms of how much other students drink (Killos et al., 2010; Labrie et al., 2009). During these sessions, a counselor or health educator would ask a group of students a series of multiple choice questions pertaining to their own drinking habits and their perception of their peers drinking habits. Students can then simultaneously respond and have their answers recorded and displayed to the group in graphical form. Killos et al. (2010) found that students who attend at least one of these sessions are more likely to believe that the typical student drinks less alcoholic beverages than perceived; those who do not attend such sessions are more likely to over-perceive the amount of alcohol a typical student consumes. This demonstrates that group clicker sessions are effective in positively influencing students beliefs about their peers drinking behaviors (Killos et al., 2010). Clicker sessions are practical because they can be designed for any variety of student groups including resident assistants, freshmen orientation groups, and high-risk drinkers such as Greeks and athletes (Killos et al., 2010). Labrie et al. (2009) examined the effectiveness of one type of group intervention, brief live interactive normative group intervention (BLING), on collegiate athletes. During a one-month follow-up after the clicker session, athletes showed evidence of changes in perceived norms, leading to changes in their own drinking habits; no further changes were seen at a two-month follow-up (Labrie et al., 2009). This suggests that clicker sessions are a fast and effective model for educating students. Clicker sessions have expanded to include two-way communication models promoting health and encouraging dialogue, rather than the original one-way communication from facilitator to student. Lets Talk About It, for example, is a simulation game engaging students about decision-making and drinking on a college campus (LeGreco et al., 2010). It was created to generate, identify, and challenge the social norms that students utilize to construct and reconstruct reality through narrative sharing, facilitated learning, and inter-student dialogue. A scenario prompt about going to a party with a friend was given to a group of students and they were asked what they would do in a particular situation (e.g. your drunk best friend is about to leave with a boy she just met). LeGreco et al. (2010) concluded that facilitators can encourage students to complete the story of a night of drinking, filling the gaps with personal experiences, choices, and narrative details by utilizing incomplete scenario s. The advantage of using programs like this is that simulations can provide a safe place for individuals to critically examine their more risky behaviors and experiment with different possibilities for healthy changes (LeGreco et al., 2010). Wireless devices are intended to expose the truth about perceived norms of college drinking. Although the studies mentioned above have shown the effectiveness of these devices, particular limitations cannot go unnoted. The major concern is that these programs only evaluated the short-term effects of the devices, whether it was 30 days or 2 months. More research is needed to examine any maintained changes and long-term effects of using wireless devices as an alcohol intervention in college students. Another concern is attendance and participation rates. During the clicker sessions, the response results that are presented back to the students could be misleading if a handful of students do not respond to any of the questions. Since this is a device that is intended for rapid responses, facilitators would be spending unnecessary time trying to figure out which clickers did not answer any of the questions. E-interventions Computer programs are changing the way college students are learning about the dangers of heavy drinking. Aside from changing perceived norms, these programs are increasing students readiness to change their drinking behaviors (Chiauzzi, Green, Lord, Thum, Goldstein, 2005; Moore, Soderquist, Werch, 2005; Murphy, Dennhardt, Skidmore, Martens, McDevitt-Murphy, 2010; Walters, Miller, Chiauzzi, 2005). Electronic interventions, or e-interventions, are directing students away from face-to-face counseling sessions and more towards self-education with personalized feedback and preventative interventions (Chiauzzi et al., 2005; Doumas Andersen, 2009; Murphy et al., 2010). Counselors may be wary about assessing students drinking behaviors outside of a traditional office visit. Moore et al. (2005) addressed this as they studied the feasibility and efficacy of a binge drinking prevention intervention for college students via the internet. Students were sent either four email-based newsletters or four identical print-based newsletters in the mail. In each web newsletter, there was a link to a short process-evaluation survey. Mail newsletters had a hard copy of the survey that would be mailed back. A greater percentage of students receiving the email-based newsletter completed the process-evaluation surveys than did the students receiving the print-based newsletter (Moore et al., 2005). This could be explained by many reasons, including easy accessibility and convenience. Students who are receiving the newsletter via email are already online and can simply click on the links; the other students would have to take the time to complete the surveys and mail t hem back. Interestingly, Moore et al. (2005) observed that the greatest results in decreasing the number of drinks per occasion and the number of occasions feeling drunk were seen in binge drinkers. Students and counselors alike would benefit from using an email-based intervention. Students are comfortable with internet communications and it is fast and convenient; for counselors, the intervention is cheaper than printing materials, assessment results are easy to enter, and there is a higher response rate from students (Moore et al., 2005). E-interventions are different from all other types of interventions because they rapidly give students personalized feedback (Bersamin, Paschall, Fearnow-Kenney, Wyrick, 2007; Chiauzzi et al., 2005; Doumas Haustveit, 2008; Doumas Andersen, 2009; Murphy et al., 2010; Thombs et al., 2007; Walters et al., 2005). These programs provide students with personalized information as part of the intervention or the intervention itself. Most programs rely heavily on educational content, providing text information about the physical, social, and behavioral effects of alcohol in the form of interactive games and quizzes (Walters et al., 2005). Electronic Checkup to Go (e-CHUG) is a 15-minute intervention designed to reduce high-risk drinking by providing personalized feedback and normative data regarding drinking and its consequences. High-risk students who had access to e-CHUG reduced their weekly drinking quantity by approximately 30% compared to a 14% increase in students who did not have access to e-CHUG (Doumas Andersen, 2009). There was also a 30% reduction in reported alcohol-related problems for high-risk students in the e-CHUG group in comparison with an 84% increase in reported alcohol-related problems for high-risk students in the control group (Doumas Andersen, 2009). MyStudentBody (MSB) provides students with tailored motivational feedback about high-risk drinking according to gender (Chiauzzi et al., 2005). Both students having access to MSB and those who did not have access were asked to complete 4 weekly 20-minute sessions. The respective websites was available for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so students had flexible access. Chiauzzi et al. (2005) saw a significant decrease in the number of binge episodes in a typical week among all participants and a rapid decrease in the average consumption among persistent heavy drinkers who had access to MSB. Thombs et al. (2007) were the first to study normative feedback on the basis of a known blood-alcohol concentration. At night in the residence halls, freshmens BAC would be measured and recorded. The next day, these students were directed to a website where they found their BAC measure from the night before, the average BAC of the residence hall, and interactive activities. The results, however, were unexpected. BAC levels were lower in the residence hall that just had access to their own BAC level (Thombs et al., 2007). This could have been due to a number of reasons. The most practical reason, though, is that some students may have either increased their drinking on some nights or avoided providing data on nights they did not drink (Thombs et al., 2007). These automated interventions reflect the contributions of mailed self-help and in-person approaches. However, the advantage of the computer is the ability to provide much more information upon demand (Walters et al., 2005). As new programs are being developed, some questions remain unanswered. Although there is no clear relationship between the length of the intervention and its effectiveness (Walters et al., 2005), it is still unclear as to what type of information makes a difference and which approach is most relevant to college students. E-interventions have given counselors and students much to enjoy, but there is evidence that computer-based interventions are not as effective as in-person interventions with a counselor (Barnett et al., 2007; Carey, Henson, Carey, Maisto, 2009; Croom et al., 2009). These studies compared Alcohol 101 Plus with traditional brief motivational interventions (BMI). Students participating in the BMI were found to reduce drinking and related consequences (Carey et al., 2009). Similarly, at a 12-month follow-up from the initial intervention, students using a computer-delivered intervention were consuming a greater number of drinks per occasion than at baseline (Barnett et al., 2007). E-interventions focus on preventative measures and providing personalized feedback. Throughout the literature on these programs, researchers have noted a few limitations. The most commonly noted limitation is the inability to generalize the effectiveness of e-interventions. The students that are more likely to use such programs are those who report binge drinking and heavy drinking. Also, some students may find this type of intervention adequate, while others would prefer meeting with a counselor and work collaboratively on how to reduce their drinking habits. A second limitation is similar to that of the wireless devices. These studies on e-interventions only examined immediate and short-term effects of the program on alcohol reduction. Research with longer follow-ups would be ideal to examine the consistency of the students changed behaviors. Third, consideration should be given to the willingness of the university to invest in these computer programs. Lastly, concern arises with t he possibility of computers and the programs either malfunctioning or crashing. This could result in delayed feedback for students and loss of data for counselors. Cybercounseling Little, if any, research has examined the use of cybercounseling in reducing college drinking. Cybercounseling is the practice of providing professional counseling and information to clients when both are in separate or remote locations and they utilize electronic means to communicate over the Internet (Maples Han, 2008). E-mail, electronic bulletin boards, and chat rooms are all forms of cybercounseling. Counselors and students alike see the disadvantages of cybercounseling as outweighing the advantages. Maples Hans (2008) make it clear that communication by e-mail could pose a number of potential ethical concerns regarding the protection of students privacy. For instance, email accounts are prone to being hacked and the information between counselor and student could be compromised. Also, the absence of verbal and nonverbal cues in cybercounseling makes miscommunication between counselor and students more common (Maples Han, 2008). Proper assessment and interventions become non-existent when there is uncertainty about what is being said. This is especially true for counselors. Counselors are prone to use informal language while instant messaging with students; students are more likely to decrease their perceptions of the counselor as an expert and trustworthy (Haberstroh, 2010). Lastly, instant messaging is time consuming, especially if the student, the counselor, or both are slow typers (Haberstroh, Parr, Bradley, Morgan-Fleming, Gee, 2008). This creates a time-lag between responses that can lead to being distracted and slowing the pace of the session. Summary Excessive college drinking remains a national concern across all college and universities. Technology has made it possible for counselors to expand on the models of interventions used to educate college students and prevent heavy drinking. A few of these new interventions include wireless devices such as cell phones, smart phones, and handheld computers, clickers, and computer programs. Each method provides a unique, interactive experience for both the counselor and the student. Wireless devices are typically used to expose the truth about perceived norms of college drinking, while e-interventions are more focused on preventative measures and providing personalized feedback. With all technology, there exist flaws. One such flaw is seen in cybercounseling. Too many potential problems exist that the disadvantages of cybercounseling outweigh the advantages. Conclusion Technology is rapidly advancing and colleges are trying to keep up with it so that it may provide fresh solutions to existing problems such as alcohol consumption among college students. The programs that are available today vary in their purpose and their efficacy. Counselors need to consider what they want to use the intervention model for and then further research how they can get the most out of that particular intervention. E-interventions are the most popular alcohol prevention interventions; thousands of colleges and universities have implemented such programs among freshmen orientation groups and collegiate athletes. The reason for its popularity is that it is inexpensive, fast, and easy to use. Since an array of computer programs and software already exist, researchers today should be focusing on how to use these programs in the most efficient way possible. This includes studying the required length of the intervention to be effective and when the best time would be to use s uch programs.

Richard II Essay: The Characters of Bolingbroke and Richard II

The Characters of Bolingbroke and Richard II "What tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove" is the sentence which concludes a short speech delivered by Henry Bolingbroke to King Richard II (1.1.6). These words are but the first demonstration of the marked difference between the above-mentioned characters in The Tragedy of Richard II. The line presents a man intent on action, a foil to the title character, a man of words. When Bolingbroke first appears in the play, he is accusing Thomas Mowbray of treason and then states that he is ready to act upon his accusations, to draw his sword against Mowbray. He declares, "Besides I say and will in battle prove . . ." (1.1.92, emphasis mine). Richard yields to the request of trial by combat. It is a ruling on which he later reneges, pronouncing banishment on the two parties rather than allowing their confrontation. This is a prime example of Richard using his authority by way of rulings and pronouncements rather than action, even to the point of disallowing an action. Bolingbroke, on the other hand, is quite ready to do battle no matter what the consequences. Moments before Richard puts a stop to the proceedings, Bolingbroke says, ". . . let no noble eye profane a tear / For me, if I be gorged with Mowbray's spear" (1.3.58-59). Here is a man who is resolved in his intent. To be sure, even in the ensuing banishment, Bolingbroke is not hindered. When he learns of the seizure of the estate of his dead father, John of Gaunt, by Richard, he comes back to England despite the ... ...essing anyone who was around or even just addressing himself. However, Bolingbroke is not a man of many words; he feels the need to physically atone for his part in the murder, "To wash this blood off [his] guilty hand" (5.6.50). Nevertheless, as a man of action, Bolingbroke has achieved for himself the goal of retrieving his father Gaunt's estates and much more. He, in the end, is king, King Henry IV. And though Richard as king was full of pomp and ceremony, those things were no match for ambition carried to its fullest. His strong words belied incompetence as a ruler, and he could not hold his position. It seems that it was inevitable that Bolingbroke would be the victor at last. Richard should have taken more note of his usurper, before he was such, this man he called "[Gaunt's] bold son" (1.1.3).

Educations Importance :: Teaching Education

Educations Importance An Institution of Thinkers Education is one of the most important things in modern America, but the reasons why learning is so important today is un-clear. Every modern country has a state run education system, which carries children in to there mid to late teens. The systems around the world are all quite similar, focusing on writing, math and reading, with other courses often being a second language and art. Though the systems are alike people from country to country and from town to town differ on the reasons why education is needed. Opinions range from a place to baby-sit the kids, to a needed key in the pursuit of a successful life and job. The simple un-clarity of today’s school systems is sad. An institution with so many employees and customers (students) should have a mission statement that screamed it’s meaning and lead students on a path to where they need to go. Gardner says â€Å"†¦students who have been well trained†¦do not display adequate understanding of the materials†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but what is unclear is what they should show knowledge in. Should students be able to recite the periodic table or simply know what it is? Should students know all the presidents or know where to find out about them? These questions need to be detailed before we can ever expect for the students to achieve well. Gardner speaks of seven different intelligences, which leads to a question of how is it possible to have 32 people in front of you, all programmed differently and teach them all the same thing. School can’t be designed to fit everyone in, but the institution we currently have tries to. A simple understanding of Gardners Intelligences by the people who created the current system might have drastically changed it. We need to fit all people into a system of education, but what we are currently doing is fitting all people into a cookie cutter mold, which is metaphorically cutting off there legs and arms just to fit them in it. Children are all in school to learn, but we need to isolate why they are there and work from that. I believe schools are meant as simply places to give people a start in life, have them all reading, knowing simple mathematics, history and science. Schools to the 8th grade should be molds, everyone should be taught the same things, maybe not in the same way, but they should walk out knowing the same basics.

Imaginary Journey in Dantes Divine Comedy :: Divine Comedy Inferno Essays

Imaginary Journey in Dante's Divine Comedy Dante's Divine Comedy is a moral comedy that is designed to make the readers think about their own morals. The poem could have been used almost as a guide for what and what not to do to get into Heaven for the medieval people. Dante takes the reader on a journey through the "afterlife" to imprint in the readers minds what could happen to them if they don't follow a Godlike life and to really make the reader think about where they will go when they die and where they would like to go when they die. In the Divine Comedy, Dante uses his imagination and his knowledge of the people's perception of the "afterlife" to create a somewhat realistic yet somewhat imaginary model of the afterlife. In the first lines of the Divine Comedy, Dante says "In the middle of the journey of our life I came to my senses in a dark forest, for I had lost the straight path."(Dante 1416 lines 1-3) This is the typical stereotype of today for when a person becomes "lost" or consumed in sin. The sinful life is a dark life and a sinless life is a bright, white, and pure life. Dante's coming to his senses in a dark forest symbolizes his realizing how "lost" in sin he truly was and realizing that he needed to do something about it, meaning he needed to go through the seven sacraments so that he could become pure enough to see God in Paradise and not have to spend and eternity in Hell. Dante realized that he had strayed from the true faith without realizing it, not knowing exactly how it happened, and is trying to return. Losing the straight path symbolizes losing the holy, pure, or Godlike life. Darkness is more or less a symbol of evil and light or brightness a symbol for good. Throughout the poem, Dante is advocating that man must consciously aim for righteousness and morality. People can often become so involved with day-to-day living that they will fall into a life consumed with sin. Man must always be aware of his need to perform righteously. The dark forest symbolizes a human life where every waking moment is not consciously devoted to morals and righteousness. The Inferno is probably the most realistic section of the Divine Comedy because it comes closer to fitting the people's perception of what Hell is really like then than Purgatory and Paradise do.

Emotional relationship Essay

In this essay I will be looking at two theories of attachment, â€Å"an intense emotional relationship†¦ enduring over time and in which prolonged separation†¦ is accompanied by stress and sorrow† (Kagan et al 1982). I will also attempt to evaluate the statement from Bowlby ’58, where he says that â€Å"Mother love in infancy is as important for mental health as are vitamins and protein for physical health†. The two attachment theories I will be looking at are Bowlby’s 1953 Monotrophy Theory and Freud’s Psychoanalytical Theory. Bowlby initially argued that attachment is an adaptive behaviour due to the human instinct to survive. Infants are born with a predisposition to survive and therefore have to form an attachment in order to gain food, warmth and protection etc. In order for this interaction to take place, the infant is born with Innate Social Releasers that prompt care-giving from the parent through releasers such as crying and cooing etc. Infants also need to form attachments in order to have a â€Å"secure base† from which to explore the world around them. This can be seen in securely attached infants, who are happy to explore an unfamiliar room, as long as the person with whom they have their â€Å"primary bond† is present (Strange Situation- Ainsworth and Bell 1970). Bowlby described this primary bond as â€Å"Monotrophy†, meaning turning towards one person. He recognised that this bond doesn’t always form with the biological mother, just the primary care giver. Adults also have a predisposition to care and be responsive to their offspring, as the survival of the infant into adulthood ensures the continuation of their genetic line. Therefore the have an innate response to the infants’ social releasers. Bowlby suggested that infants have a Critical Period, up to 2 1/2 years, for attachments to form. If attachments were not made by this age, it would not be possible for the child to form any attachment and the child would suffer long-term, permanent emotional damage, particularly in the formation of lasting adult relationships. This is due to the â€Å"Internal Working Model† according to Bowlby and later by Bretherton and Waters (1985) who said that â€Å"secure children have developed a positive working model of themselves, based on their feelings of security derived from having a sensitive, emotionally responsive and supportive primary care-giver†. It is therefore said that avoidant children have a rejecting, unresponsive caregiver, resulting in a negative working model of themselves. He also developed the Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis, where he claimed that infants who were unable to develop attachments would grow up having problems with relationships and have a higher chance of behavioural disorders. This hypothesis was supported by other psychologists such as Spitz and Wolf (1946) and Robertson and Robertson (1971). An alternative theory of attachment is the Psychosexual theory put forward by Freud. He said there are five stages of development a child goes through: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital. The stage that deals with attachment is the oral stage, which occurs from birth to about 18 months. Freud thought that during this time the infant is driven by the â€Å"Pleasure Principle†. This is caused by the development of the â€Å"Id†, the first component of the personality to develop. The â€Å"Id† demands instant gratification and in the oral stage, gratification comes through the mouth. The drive for oral satisfaction is vital at this age as the attention is focused on food and thus, survival. There are three parts to this stage of development: the drive for oral gratification that results in an uncomfortable feeling, so the infant cries. He is then fed, and the drive is reduced and the uncomfortable feeling, hunger, is gone. This is experienced as pleasure. Therefore the attachment is made with the person who offers the gratification and pleasure. Although at first glance, the two theories are very different, when analysed, similarities can be drawn. They both suggest stages the infant must go through in order to develop into a stable adult. Bowlby says that no infantile attachment leads to problems in adult relationships and Freud says that an unsuccessful transition through any of the five stages will result in regression in later life, for example a child with an oral fixation will suck his thumb, chew pen tops and in later life smoke. Both of these points are true to a certain degree, as there as been countless studies about children who have had maternal deprivation in early infancy and grown up into maladjusted adults. However it is difficult to be able to pinpoint exactly what is the cause of an adults’ maladjusted behaviour as there may be numerous reasons, which cannot be reduced to maternal deprivation alone. One major difference between these theories is that while Bowlby recognises that the primary bond doesn’t have to be with the mother, Freuds’ theory is dependant on the mother or wet nurse. This could lead to implications when trying to apply Freud’s theory today, as many infants are not breast-fed at all. Bowlby’s theory was very well received in the UK when it was published, as it came just after the second world war, when women were being encouraged to go back to the home and their children, so the men could return to the jobs in the factories etc. His theory gave the government something by which to almost force the women home, as the threat of a maladjusted child, due to your absence, was more than most women wanted to deal with. It was also one of the most important and influential pieces of psychological work of that century.

Foundation of Christian Thought Applied Essay

If I were to sum up what I have learned from this course it would be focused on Faith and a new understanding of the Bible. Faith is not just part of religion but every aspect of our everyday lives, and is fascinatingly carried through the Bible from the beginning to the end. It began with the Creation, and continued throughout the Fall, Redemption, and Consummation of Christ. It is the foundation of the Christian perspective and what leads God’s people to salvation and good works. Our modern world is so corrosive to faith that Jesus Christ asked, â€Å"When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8). He is there to give his people the gift of faith and to help them to grow in living faith that will last forever. â€Å"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. † (Genesis 1:1) In Genesis 1 we are presented with the beginning of a divine drama that can only be examined and understood from the standpoint of faith. How long did it take? How did it happen, exactly? No one can answer these questions definitively. In fact, these mysteries are not the focus of the creation story. The purpose, rather, is for moral and spiritual revelation. God was very pleased with his creation. Six times throughout the process of creating, God stops, observes his handiwork and says, â€Å"It was very good. † This is a great example of being a part of God’s creation. Even when I feel unworthy of his pleasure, I have to remember that God made me and is pleased with me. In verse 26, God says, â€Å"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness †¦ † On the seventh day, God rested. I often wondered if God needed to put in a day of rest for us to follow. I could not imagine God, who can do anything, being tired, but apparently he considered it important. Rest is often an unfamiliar concept in today’s busy, fast-paced world. It seems to have become socially unacceptable to take an entire day to rest, yet God knew that there would need to be a time of reenergizing. I thought a good example of this could be when Jesus, spent time alone away from the crowds. This shows that as human beings we need to rest and renew our bodies, souls, and spirits. The Creation story clearly shows that God truly enjoyed himself as he created his masterpiece. As noted previously, he stopped six times to enjoy his accomplishments. If God can stop to enjoy his handiwork, why is it so hard in today’s society to stop and truly take time to feel good about our achievements? Whether it is a job, hobby, or ministry service, if the work is pleasing to God then it should also bring pleasure to the person. When God created man and woman, Adam and Eve, he gave them many beautiful plants and trees to enjoy for food. But He also gave them one tree from which they were not to eat. This was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God’s command to them was that if they ate from that tree they would die. In The Fall of Adam and Eve The Bible says that the Devil entered into a serpent and tempted Eve (Genesis 3:1). He got Eve to doubt God’s Word. Satan told her that God knew that Eve would become enlightened and possess the same knowledge as God had if she ate from the fruit of the tree. This is much like Satan’s temptation within society today. There is constant temptation lurking over peoples whispering that there is no need for God. This is proven by all the violence, lying, murder, war, hatred, and disobedience of the 10 Commandments. The fruit was beautiful and Satan was cunning. Eve fell to the temptation and took the fruit from the forbidden tree. Finding it delicious she took it to Adam. As soon as Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, their lives, and that of all future humanity, changed. They immediately knew they had done wrong. They disobeyed God and would be punished. I can completely relate to this feeling of conscience. It is amazing when I do something wrong, and know that it is wrong, how it sits in the pit of my stomach and eats away at me until I make it right. I believe that that is how it is for people with conscience. That is the soul’s way of notifying an individual that what they are about to do, are doing, or have done is not right in the eyes of God. When God came to visit Adam and Eve in Eden, they tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. Their nakedness was something they had never even noticed before. When they heard God coming they tried to hide from Him. Of course God is all knowing. He was not looking for them because He didn’t know where they were, but because he wanted to give Adam and Eve a chance to return to Him and acknowledge their sin. God spoke with Adam, Eve and the serpent. Each one had a specific punishment from God. Adam was told that his work would be hard and become toilsome (Genesis 3:17-19). The woman would bear children with great pain (Genesis 3:16). The serpent was given the punishment of crawling on the ground and that he would be cursed more than any other creature (Genesis 3:14). God told Adam and Eve in the beginning that they would die on the day they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. One death was immediate; this was that they were spiritually separated from God. However, their physical bodies continued to live, but they would not live forever as God apparently intended. They would become old, sick and die. All three (Adam, Eve and the serpent) were put out of the guard and the curse came not only on them but on the whole world. They no longer had a personal communion with God. This is where faith really has to come into play for me. It is hard to take this all in with no proof, and yet part of me says is that not what faith is, giving one’s total self to God in body, mind, and spirit. I have to be able to trust in Him wholly. This is where I need to truly work on â€Å"letting go and letting God†. After the Fall there was Redemption. â€Å"Redemption is being set free from slavery to one’s own sinful nature, slavery to the pressures of the culture which is under the spirit of this present evil age, and slavery to principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in the high places. † When Cain became angry that the offering he had brought to the Lord did not have the same response as the offering of his brother Abel, God spoke directly to him warning him (Gen 4:6-7) that †¦ sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it’ What I feel this is saying is that sin is almost like a wild animal, waiting at the door of Cain’s life, and that it needs to be tamed and mastered. In comparison to society for all generation, this is something that is yet to be mastered. The same is true today as it was all those years ago; when an individual finds them self in a situation where they get angry because one person has more than they do, the normal reaction is to plot to ‘put down’ the other. On some occasions this even leads to murder. There is a freedom of choice in every sin committed. Even though human beings have the resources to take authority over sin; we often choose to submit our will to it and become its slave. ‘If you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness’ (Rom 6:16). As Christians, we have a belief system and a life that is based upon even some laws and regulations that are Biblical. Even people who have never read the Bible and do not therefore know what God has said; have a ‘morality’ that they like to think that they live up to, but often fall short. I feel that Paul says it best in Romans 3:23 ‘†¦ all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ and that in Rom 3:9‘†¦ we are all under the power of sin. ’ As a human being, our greatest problem is not that we are living in captivity but that we will not accept that we are in captivity. Human beings need to face up to the reality of their dilemma and not to rely upon any false hopes or ideals. Some people rely on doing good in hopes that somehow their good deeds may outweigh the evil they do, but all such arguments are lacking in a recognition of individual human responsibility, and lacking in a dependence upon the work of Christ. The dilemma, then, is not just that we subject to the bondage of sin, but that it is necessary to acknowledge it before Christ who is able to minister redemption. Jesus died on the cross for us. The penalty of sin, under the Law, is both spiritual and physical death. Jesus took that death upon Himself, paying the price for our freedom. Jesus gave His life. Mark 10:45 says ‘†¦ the Son of man came†¦ to give His life as a ransom for many’. Jesus had nothing else to give us but Himself. He is both our ransom and our Redeemer and, more than this, redemption is only found in Him even though we may try and find it elsewhere and in different people who now exist or who have existed throughout history (Rom 3:23-24, Acts 4:12). Because Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law by taking the penalty upon Himself, we can be free to look forward to the day of our death because our sin has been dealt with. Although Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for his people, it is still an ongoing task trying to figure out why individuals still behave as they do. The early chapters of Genesis helps to explain why individuals behave as they do, and to understand how we should act so as to please God. The subject of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 5:21-33 is that of submission in the context of marriage. Paul’s instructions here create a head-on collision with the beliefs and practices of our culture. Paul’s instructions are written off as the ranting of an ancient male chauvinist. It is one thing for the unbelieving world to reject Paul’s instructions; it is quite another for Christians to do so. Many Christians refuse to take Paul’s words seriously; even some of those who profess to take the Scriptures at face value, try to â€Å"tip toe† past certain passages in order to avoid the stigma of professing and practicing its teaching. Some individuals claim that they have not taken Paul’s words seriously out of ignorance. Unknowingly, they believe Paul’s teaching to be a mere reflection of his culture, and not a timeless teaching, independent of the culture of that day, and of our own. I believe most Christians fail to understand the responsibilities of Christian husbands and wives in the light of the biblical basis which underlies and necessitates them. For example, The Lord’s Supper is one of the two ordinances our Lord has given to His church in this age. As Christians we are to regularly remember the Lord’s death at communion and the New Testament church devoted itself to a regular observance of it. What if someone were to suggest that this was merely an ancient celebration, applicable and meaningful only to the saints of days gone by, instead of preserving this ancient ceremony, they tell us, let us do something more meaningful, more enjoyable, and more relevant to our culture. What if they suggest having an ice cream and pie supper? Would our unsaved friends be more likely to attend? Would people find it more beneficial? As Christians we must be able to stand up for our faith and explain that we cannot set aside that which our Lord has instituted and which His church has continued to practice, from New Testament days onward. We should also point out that the bread and the wine of communion are symbols, symbols of our Lord’s sacrificial death for sinners. If we were to change these symbols radically, we could not do so without modifying the symbolism. Chocolate syrup might taste delicious on vanilla ice cream, but it would hardly replace the wine as the symbol for Christ’s shed blood. Like communion, marriage is a divine institution. Christian marriage has certain commitments, obligations and duties which are symbolic. The roles which God has given to a Christian husband and his wife are intended to symbolize and represent a greater, more fundamental reality. While marriage is temporal, the reality which is symbolizes is eternal; and thus we cannot understand the importance of the duties of the husband or the wife without grasping the reality which Christian marriage is to symbolically communicate. This fundamental reality which underlies and explains the attitudes and conduct of a man and his wife in marriage is the relationship of Jesus Christ to His church. This relationship was not understood clearly in Old Testament times; even Paul found it to be a mystery. The symbolism of marriage can only be understood in the light of the substance on which a Christian marriage is based: the mystery of Christ’s relationship to His church. Out of all the messages in the Bible, the view of consummation and marriage is what I struggle with the most. In Genesis chapter 2, God created Adam. Adam was given the task of naming all of the animals God had made. As they passed by two by two it became apparent that every male animal had its female counterpart. Adam was conspicuous as the only creature without a corresponding mate. I believe that by this means God created a yearning in Adam for a mate of his own. God provided her, but she was not like any other creature, in that she was not made from the dust of the earth; she was created instead from Adam’s flesh and bones. God created the woman as Adam’s partner, fashioning her to correspond to him in every way. God then brought the woman to Adam, and presented her to him as his wife. Adam joyfully responded, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man† (Genesis 2:23). As creation’s first husband and wife, Adam and Eve symbolized by the marriage the unity of Christ and His church which would be achieved at the cross of Calvary, centuries later. While reading Ephesians, Paul says â€Å"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. † As I read on Paul explains in verse 23 how our Lord is the Head of His church, He is the â€Å"Savior of the body†. I understood this to mean that, the headship of Christ is evident in the salvation which He accomplished at Calvary. (Ephesians 5:21-33) In the early chapters of Ephesians, Paul spoke much more about our salvation in Christ, but he laid the foundation for Christ as the head of His church as its Consummation by teaching that all of history is being divinely directed toward the goal of â€Å"summing up all things in Christ† (Ephesians 1:10). In Genesis 2:24 Moses instructs us that when a man and a woman come together in marriage, the man is to leave his mother and father and to unite his wife, to become one flesh. While there may be practical benefits to a man leaving his parents and bonding to his wife, Moses does not bother to mention them. His words indicate that there is one fundamental reason. The Bible says that the fundamental and primary union evident in the marriage of Adam and Eve is to be reflected in every subsequent marriage, to symbolize the union of Christ and His church. Because God created Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from Adam’s flesh and bone; they began as one flesh through the creation of Eve. This union was also to become evident in their sexual union and in the bearing of children, but the first marriage on earth began with only one relationship, a man and his wife. This husband-wife relationship, Moses indicated, is the primary one, and the parent-child relationship is secondary. When President Obama announced he now supports same-sex marriage, he cited his Christian faith. â€Å"The thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know; treat others the way you would want to be treated,† he said in his interview with ABC News. I think when Christians at large talk about gay marriage, they are missing the point. The point is not that gay people want to take away other people’s right to get married. The whole struggle is really centered around the desire to be allowed in, to be able to participate in this ritualistic display of how much love the human heart can hold. It is about the basic right to choose who you want to spend forever with, and to have that celebrated by family and friends. Freedom of religion is a great thing, but since when did our ability to choose how or what we worship translate into our ability to dictate to others that they must conform to our chosen lifestyle, and that they must obey the rules of our personal faith? I find it rather alarming just how many laws are drifting to the top of legislation, laws that propose the outright imposition of one section of one religion’s believers on the entirety of the population. What is even more alarming to me is how many Christians seem completely okay with this blatant show of force. It is true that we are allowed to believe whatever we want to believe in. It is also true that we are able to express those beliefs freely. Just as the human heart has the capacity to hold so much love, it seems to have the ability to brim full of just as much hate. When we disregard the claims of others to rights do we fully enjoy ourselves, simply because we adopt a â€Å"normative† sexual preference? That is when we find that we are no better than all the people we have learned about in history classes in school who denied the rights they enjoyed to those who were not in the majority with them. It is not about whether or not it is right or wrong to be gay. What matters is when Christians begin to be okay with forcing someone else to follow the scripture, when it may not be something they are ready for or interested in. If Christians want to claim the freedom to speak our religion, and to choose our opinions, we cannot do so while denying others that same right. Christians come out in droves to protest whenever they feel their right to be a Christian is being threatened. I believe that if the Christian community were at large to have one of their basic civil rights legislated against, voted against by non-Christians, there would be a wave of outrage like this country has never seen. With a marriage license comes so many other benefits such as; taxes, home ownership, joint bank accounts, insurance policies, the decision to take a partner off life support, and being allowed in their hospital room after surgery. These are the kind of things that piece of paper can grant, and they are the kinds of things we take for granted. I believe that everyone deserves to be with someone who will cherish them as much as God cherishes us. God made man and woman in his image. We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves, and sometimes in the words of John Lennon, maybe â€Å"All you need is Love†.