The Mixtape

Mr. Lonely – Akon In the song the singer’s girlfriend runs away and now he is lonely and his whole life has come crashing down, and â€Å"he has nobody to call his own. † This song relates to the theme of Holden’s loneliness. Throughout the book Holden is desperately and constantly seeking for companionship. Holden even calls up a prostitute so he can talk to her and hopefully form some kind of relationship. Phoebe is the only one who is close to Holden. He is constantly trying to fill in other people with whom he can have relationship with similar to how the singer of Lonely is trying to find his girlfriend. .Firework- Katy Perry In this song the singer asks if one has ever felt so sensitive, so ‘paper thin’, like a plastic bag, wanting to start again. Which is how Holden feels, he is depressed and feels as though there is no turning back. No one has been able to help able to help him, although he has looked for someone to help him. But there is a chance for Holden to get out of that depression, the song says ‘Do you know that there’s still a chance of you? ’Holden’s chance to get out of this depression is to seek counseling from a psychiatrist. 3. Help! – The BeatlesIn this song the singer talks about his seek for help because he is feeling down, he feels insecure and not so self assured, the singer looks for someone that will help him bring his mood back up, and the song also says that the person’s life has changed in so many ways which has led him to feel insecure. Holden feels down and depressed throughout the book because of Allies death, which changes his whole life around and constantly looks for someone to help him release his depression and help him be happy again, he seeks for a friend.4. Like a Stone- Audioslave In this song the guy is in a room full of emptiness, talks about how he is ost and he is reading a book of death and how he will die alone, the song also about being lost and loneliness. The song talks about death, which at one point in the book Holden thinks about death which leads him to think about Allie. Holden loneliness leads him to depression and thinks about death. 5. Rehab- Amy Winehouse The song talks about being a drunk, which is what Holden is half the time not caring of what his age is, though he is under aged. The song also says that â€Å"I’m never going to drink again; I just need a friend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Holden relies on the alcohol as his friend, since he feels lonely and depressed.Alcohol, being a depressant itself does not help Holden get any better, yet it makes him feel worse. 6. Use Somebody- Kings of Leon In this song the singer talks about how lonely he is and how he needs somebody to be with him. He has been roaming around the streets and he needs someone to talk to and share his thoughts, this relates greatly to Holden because in those three days that he goes off on his â€Å"trip† he desperately lo oks for someone to listen to him, and not only during the trip but also throughout the book he looks for someone to listen to him. 7.What’s My Age Again? – Blink 182 In this song the guy is on a date with a girl, the guy acts immature. The speaker makes prank phone calls and acts â€Å"like a freshman. † This song relates to the coming of age them in the novel. Holden is still young, naive and immature but faces many adult situations such as violence and sexuality. Both the singer and Holden appear to be between childhood and mature adulthood. Both come across adult situations and handle them in childish etiquettes, such as when Holden runs away from school or calls up a prostitute just to talk to her. . Yesterday-The Beatles The song says that only yesterday the troubles seemed so far away, and now it seems like they’re here to stay. The singer talks about a â€Å"she† and says why she wouldn’t stay, and now she’s gone and now he lon gs for yesterday. This relates to Holden losing Allie, right after Allie’s death is when his problems really started and Holden asks himself why did Allie had to leave, and he blames himself. It seems like it was only yesterday that Holden lost Allie since he always brings him and talks about him.

Incomplete related Literature Essay

According to Aquino (2005), importance of computer application is increasing day by day. Nowadays we can’t stop the innovation, technology help us from living. â€Å"Lacks of enrollment system in schools can lead to chaos ant troubles† as stated by Ace Adrian (2011). Students will be confused on what they should do to be able to enroll that is why such systems is extremely useful in the way that it retrieving vital information of the students. Without it can lead difficulty both the administration of school and student in enrollment processes. Many countries nowadays, especially the developing nations are challenged by the rapid technological changes. This has radically changed the living and working styles of the entire society. This transformation has been driven partly by rapid technological innovation. In the 20th century saw the rise of the industrial revolution with steam-powered machines intensifying and expanding human productive power, the 21st century was characterized by the birth of machine-powered flight and the human creativity even more made possible new ways by which humans could live and work together( Victoria L. Tinio, 2002) . Transformation of manual enrollment to a automated and now into web based automation is one example of what has driven partly by rapid technological innovation. Technology innovation had influenced man’s work from data processing, business transaction, research planning and monitoring. Web applications are popular due to ubiquity of its application. Significant advantage of building a web application to support a standard browser feature is the ability to perform as specified, regardless of the operating system installed on a given client (Bacala & Reanno, 2009). A web- bases enrollment system has featured that meet most of academic institution system’s needs and requirements. This includes standardized modules for students registration, enrollment, grade management and payment that are necessary to operate a school.

Transformation of Work

Bachelor of Science (Hons) In Marketing BMME1 1142A Type of Assignment: Module: Lecturer: Member: UOB ID No. : Date of Submission: INDIVIDUAL TRANSFORMATION OF WORK (BAFW4) MR JOHN NEO BOON LEONG KAM YONG KUAT 10038891 27th JUNE 2012 Page 1 of 4 BMME1 1142A Transformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891) A critical review of an academic article concerned with certain aspects of new issues of work Cross, S. and Bagilhole, B. (2002) Girls’ Jobs for the boys?Men, Masculinity and NonTraditional Occupations. Gender, Work and Organization, Vol 9, No. 2 pp204-226 Introduction of Gender segregation of the labour market By nature, there has always been occupational segregation through gender in all countries. This is the case, despite the differences in economy or political situation in the different areas. Even though it has been a long while since women have participated in the working force, women and men still tend to work in diffe rent industries, for one reason or another.Research conducted by Simon Cross and Barbara Bagilhole (2002) has shown that men dominated industries like drivers of road goods vehicles, production works, maintenance managers, warehouse and storekeepers, technical and wholesale representatives. And on the other end of the spectrum, only two occupational groups are wholl y female dominance (more than 90%); nurses and care assistants. Other female dominated industries including counter clerks, cashiers, catering assistants, primary and nursery school teachers and cleaners or domestic helpers.Unfortunately, gender segregation operates both horizontally and vertically in the working force. Not only are men and women allocated qualitatively in different field or work, women happened to make up the vast majority of the lower levels of the occupational hierarchy. Taking example from the nursing industry in the US, men makes up only the clear minority, yet, most are strongly encouraged to apply for promotions into managerial positions.William (1992) has highlighted on a very interesting metaphor of the ‘glass ceiling’ to that of ‘glass escalator’ in order to reflect the men’s smooth and inexorable rise to senior management. Many theories have been put forward to explain the persistence of gender divisions in employment, and it has mainly focused on women’s inability to compete on equal terms to men in the labour market. (Cross and Bagilhole, 2002) Men, masculinity and ‘non-traditional work’According to research conducted by Hearn (1992), masculinity has been found to be far from uniform and it is seen not as ‘the essence of men’, but rather as a product of cultural and historical forces. There have been other theories that highlight that man who worked in nontraditional occupations tended to present a less masculine gender-type compared with men in traditional male-dominant occupations (Chusmir, 1990). Judg ing from the entertainment and media scene in Singapore, it seems to further prove what Chusmir (1990) has argued. 0% of make-up artist, hairstylist and fashion designers tend to portray a more feminine persona, moving away from the traditional male masculinity. Some have even been regarded as a ‘fairy godmother’ (David Gan – Asiaone News, 2010). It may be due to the fact that clienteles from these industries are mainly female, thus the feminine persona, and eventually, homosexuality. But these also further clarify the point that Collinson and Hearn (1996) made, that masculinities are ‘socially produced, reproduced and indeed changeable’.There are also arguments that suggests men adopted a ‘transformed’ masculinity in nontraditional occupations such as teaching (Galbraith 1992) and men who reject stereotyped gender roles, and who performed non-traditional work, reported little or no gender role conflict (Luhaorg and Zivian, 1995) Page 2 of 4 BMME1 1142A Transformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891) Cross and Bagihole (2002) however maintain that masculinity is the shorthand for ‘gender identity’.And therefore, through this study of the various subjects, it looked at ways in which masculinities are defined, ‘transformed’, (re)constructed, and maintained by men working in non-traditional jobs. Findings of the study of masculinity in non-traditional work One of the subject interviewed mention that ‘caring is seen as a predominantly female job because people see carers as being female, and aspects of caring like being empathic and sensitive to people’s needs are seen as something that men can’t do’.This has initiated the subject to challenge traditional ideas of appropriate gender behaviour in the work of a caring job. Another participant also highlighted the need to challenge the traditional culture of getting inv olved in the caring scene, even though he has been introduced to traditional masculine values since young, through the doings of his father and brother. He would be deemed as different from being a ‘real men’ if he would to pursue in caring work.One younger participant also noted that he have received adverse reactions when he mentioned to girls he met during a party, that he was a male nurse. He has to resort to lying about his occupation as women were not interested if he’s a nurse. The vast majority of women will start to question his sexual orientation or start to share their problems with him. These are just a few of the challenges that the participants have shared with regard to their sexuality and masculine identity. Nonetheless, the participants also have their fair share of attempts in challenging the challenges.A male gynaecologist who was also part of the study highlighted that he often felt otherwise when he observed his female counterparts treating f ellow female patients, and thought it was a bit shoddy. And because of that, he strives to ensure that he handles his patients with more tact and effort to ensure that his patients felt comfortable. This has gone down with well with his patients and he has been duly recognised for the efforts. One of the other participants, a male nurse, views his work as a lifelong career, something that he will be doing for the rest of his life.With this attitude and approach, he tend to take the job more seriously and look to strive better than his female counterparts, whom many a times, enters the industry, viewing it just as a second job or something to do until something better comes along. (Re)constructing a different masculinity There are also the few that look to (re)construct a different masculinity, by identifying with their work as being better indications of their true self (Cross and Bagilhole, 2002). The participants see their job as something that genuinely brings out their true natu re as a caring person.One of the male nurse involved in the study commented that he used not be able to express his emotions in public, due to the stereotypical views of the general public. But after joining the nursing industry, it has helped him to better express himself in a more liberating manner. He now has no problem sharing his emotions with people around him. This could also be the reason why based on recent reports, it has shown that more male nurses have been reported to enter the industry (More male nurse entering the industry – Asiaone, Page 3 of 4 BMME1 1142ATransformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891) 2010). It could also be largely due to that fact that people have grown to understand and empathise that the work one does, is not a direct reflection of your sexual orientation or personality. Conclusion Based on the studies of the various subjects, Simon and Bagilhole (2002) was able to establish that the male s either attempted to maintain a traditional masculinity by distancing themselves from female colleagues, and/or partially (re)constructed a different masculinity by identifying with their non-traditional occupations.The men involved in the study have also shown to be actively maintaining traditional male values, and not challenging their gender identity. When challenged about their masculinity, some of the subjects have maintained themselves as the dominant gender by reformulating the perception of their work as being more men’s work, for example, by denying that a care-taker’s job involves caring only. It has a certain element of planning and management involved that will make the male dominance stands out. Just as how Segal (1999) argued, ‘men have remained the dominant sex by constantly refashioning masculinity’.Through this study, it is apparent that men have been able to successfully maintain their traditional advantages even in female-dominated work places. Even in female-dominated workplaces such as nursing, it does not naturally set the change or biasness in the women’s favour. The men’s behaviour and practices contributes to their dominance in the industry. WORKS CITED Feminine Males within Entertainment Industry Yoshio; http://www. whatshappening. sg/events/index. php? com=detail&eID=51825 David Gan; http://news. asiaone. com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20101110 -246661. tml More male nurses entering the industry http://www. asiaone. com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100712-226496. html Cross, S. and Bagilhole, B. (2002) Girls’ Jobs for the boys? Men, Masculinity and Non -Traditional Occupations. Gender, Work and Organization, Vol 9, No. 2 pp204-226 Chusmir, L. H. (1990) Men who make non-traditional career choices. Journal of Counselling and Development, 69 (September-October), 11-16 Galbraith, M. (1992) Understanding career choices of men in elementary education. ‘Journal of Educational R esearch. 85,4 (March-April), 246-53 Hearn, J. 1992) Men in the Public Eye; The Construction and Deconstruction of Public Men and Public Patriarchies. London: Routledge Luhaorg, L. and Zivian, M. T. (1995) Gender role conflict: the interaction of gender, gender role, and occupation . Sex Roles, 33,9/10, 607-20 Segal, L. (1999) Why Feminism? Cambridge: Polity Press Williams, C. L. (1992) The glass escalator: hidden advantages for men in the ‘female’ professions. Social Problems 39,3, 253-67 Page 4 of 4 BMME1 1142A Transformation of Work (BAFW4), Individual Assignment, 27th June 2012 Kam Yong Kuat (UB: 10038891)

Problem Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Problem Solution - Essay Example Put differently, the corporate culture was not conducive to the introduction of new improvements that could have helped with the overall quality and quantity of the plants output. This kind of an environment at the plant in turn produced the low morale of the workers there. The challenge is to find ways to motivate the employees without necessarily threatening them or their sense of security pertaining to their jobs, as proposed change is always perceived as a threat (Shook, 2010, p. 65). An important thing is to gain employees trust. 2. Section 4 (Possible Solutions) - the new combined management at the NUMMI plant made the right decisions regarding gaining employee trust so that there will be cooperation from the workers. In particular, it is vital to have the so-called â€Å"employee buy-in† wherein the workers are themselves convinced of the proposed solutions coming from management. However, not all of the proposed solutions came from the top only, the workers down below in production lines were also given new responsibilities together with the corresponding authority to detect problems with quality, if ever these defects come up, by allowing them to â€Å"stop the line† which is a novel or new idea for most of the previous workers at the old GM Fremont plant. In other words, they are now given the capability to manage their work. They are now empowered to check quality. Shook, J. (Winter 2010). How to change a culture: Lessons from NUMMI. MIT Sloan Management Review, 51(2), 62-68. Retrieved January 31, 2014 from

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Business law - Essay Example The company core product is hamburgers. Other products that the company offers include fries, sandwiches, beverages, and salads. Those against the organization assert that the enterprise has been behaving in an unethical manner by producing unhealthy food. Although the group has continued to expand its operations globally, McDonalds once used to receive negative media coverage. The hamburgers that they sell have been associated to cause obesity in some countries. In addition, people have questioned the employment practices of the company. Accusations of unfair employment practices have been leveled against McDonalds with many employees reporting a high degree of job dissatisfaction (Taylor, 197). In the U.K, the company once underwent a series of the legal battle with the public perceiving the company as being unethical in its employment practices. Initially, the corporation had empowered managers to recruit employees solely without a clear guideline for the process. The action meant that managers had an upper hand in determining their preferred potential employees. The process of hiring employees was biased and lacked transparency. Consequently, the company ended up hiring the wrong employees. This sparked mass protest from the public because they felt that they were not offered equal job opportunities for the enterprise. Furthermore, the only job vacancies that were easier to secure were less motivating and dissatisfying. Consequently, negative media coverage was intensified which was a big blow to McDonald’s reputation because it adversely affected its operations in the U.K. Interestingly, most of the employees revealed that they had negative attitude towards their employer given the fact that most jobs they had been offered were of inferior quality (Taylor,198-199). McDonalds embarked on a vigorous employer branding initiative given that the image had been considerably

Recommendations for Market Entry in India (Gap Inc.) Essay

Recommendations for Market Entry in India (Gap Inc.) - Essay Example It is recommended that Gap Inc. take immediate advantage of this market opportunity in order to secure Indian consumer loyalty to Gap brands prior to competitor market entry; which will likely escalate with the removal of Indian import quotas. Gap Inc.'s strengthened balance sheet and debt reduction activities leading to U.S. $3 billion in cash and investments (Gap Annual Report) suggests that the company can adequately support the demands of higher logistics costs and employee compensation demands within this region. When retail companies consider additional retail expansion they are faced with a variety of options for market entry: that is, acquisitions, franchising or joint ventures. Due to the obvious drawbacks in securing local talent to effectively operate franchise facilities in the short-term, it is the recommendation that Gap Inc. consider foreign direct investment as an appropriate option for initial market entry. Direct corporate investment will accomplish two distinct objectives: First, to familiarise the firm.

Corporation law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Corporation law - Essay Example Andy and Robert made some mistakes by not signing a written agreement on their partnership, by not choosing to set up an appropriate legal entity and by letting their personal relationship interfere in business. the real type of partnership between Andy and Robert, considering that the enterprise is called Freedom Diving, Leisure & Co, & Co – referring to a specific level of employees’ involvement in the management of the company; First of all, the legal status of Freedom Diving, Leisure & Co should be analyzed in order to seek out the legal implications of the two partners. Including ‘&Co’ in the name of the company implies that the employees participate in the management of the enterprise. Considering that at the beginning of their partnership Andy and Robert did not have employees, it is possible to assume that they were not aware of the legal stipulations in this matter and they just went along with the name they liked. On the other hand, the partners had legal alternatives to their partnership, but I would have advised them to choose a form of Limited Liability Partnership or Limited Company, both options having their advantages. On the other hand, a limited partner cannot participate in the management of the company4, otherwise he will become just as liable as a general partner5. In the case of Andy and Robert, the non-participation in the management of their own company is far from being possible, as it is they who are qualified in diving and it is a hobby that has become a source of income. As it has already been mentioned, both legal structures have numerous advantages, but there are some disadvantages that are difficult to avoid. The partners – Andy and Robert - should choose the one that fits their type of business best. On the other hand, there is a big minus in the LLP option – the fact that limited partners cannot participate in the management of the company, otherwise they

What Causes Cancer Mutations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What Causes Cancer Mutations - Essay Example As genes are the basic control machine of the cells, alteration of any kind may bring devastating consequences, or malignancy. When compared with the normal cells, where damage of any kind is taken care by the repair system, tumor cells do not have any repair mechanism for the damaged DNA and there is a constant proliferation of cells without displaying senescence hence, generating a series of abnormal cells, with altered cellular pathways for uncontrolled proliferation, figuring malignant tumors (Alberts 2007; Katzang et al. 2009). The Genesis of a Cancer Cell A normal cell turns into a cancer cell because of one or more mutations in its DNA, which can be inherited or acquired. Mutation is sudden abrupt changes that occur in the genetic material i.e. the DNA of the cell. This genetic material is facilitated by various agents called mutagens. Mutagens can be either physical agents such as UV radiations, X-rays etc or they could be some chemical agents which are capable of producing c hanges in the cell by reacting with cellular macromolecules. These chemical agents form bond with the cellular macromolecules, thereby alter their normal structures. If they combine with the genetic material, the peptide formation is affected. Thus, these mutagenic agents affect the normal well being of the cell and when such a defective cell replicates the cellular modification is also passed on. These cellular alterations may lead to cancer, where the carcinogenic agents (cancer causing) are capable of altering the cell division leading to the uncontrolled proliferation of the cell (Alberts 2007; Chemical Carcinogens, Web.). In case of the breast cancer, woman who inherits a single defective copy of either of these tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 displays an augmented risk of developing breast cancer. However, carcinogenesis is a complex, multistage process, usually involving more than one genetic change. Other epigenetic factors responsible for carcinogenesis involve epige netic factors, such as level of hormones in the body, exposure to carcinogens and tumor promoting agents. These epigenetic factors do not produce cancer by themselves but enhances the likelihood of genetic mutation(s) resulting in cancer (Katzang et al. 2009). These genetic changes are categorized as - A. The activation of proto-oncogenes to oncogenes: Proto-oncogenes are the normal genes present in the cells and are responsible for controlling cell division, cell differentiation and apoptosis. A triggering factor such as a virus or exposure to any carcinogen brings malignant changes in the cell. B. The inactivation of tumor suppressor genes: A cell has the mechanism to protect itself from uncontrolled proliferation and tumor formation due to expression of genes called tumor suppressor genes. These genes possess the ability to suppress malignant changes and are also referred as antioncogenes. Mutation in proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes results in the proliferation of tumor . Thus, a loss of function of tumor suppressor genes can be the critical event in carcinogenesis (Rang et al. 2007; Katzang 2009). More than 30 tumor suppressor genes as well as more than 100 dominant oncogenes have been found to be associated with various types of cancers (Rang et al. 2007). Characteristics of Cancer cells The genetic basis of cancer has been revealed through numerous animal models. The Cancer Genome Atlas aims at methodically differentiating the configurational source of cancer, through recognition of the genomic mutations linked with every cancer form. A corresponding progress and description forms the basis of understanding growth and external appearance of the cancer or tumor called the phenotype of the cancer, is essential for designing drugs that can

Petition for a Grade course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Petition for a Grade course - Essay Example I not only enrolled in the class, which entails paying the fee and working to complete the course, but I also put a lot of hard work in it, which resulted in me getting an A grade. I registered in the class because my professor, Dr. Dekmejain, led me to believe that the course was a grade course. When I received the transcript, much to my surprise, the class was listed as a Credit/Non Credit Course. By this time I had completed my research, and not only that, I was hoping to get a Cumulative GPA of 3.0 with the grade that I achieved in this class. Now, as it stands, not only is my GPA going to suffer, because the class is a Credit/Non Credit course, instead of a grade course, but because of the GPA being lower than 3.0 (it stands at 2.9 now), I cannot get the job that I was hoping to get, because I will not receive the MBA diploma I was hoping to, with a GPA of 2.9. I am desperately in need of this course to get a job, as without a GPA of 3.0 I will not be able to land the job that I so desperately need. My situation is made more serious by the fact that I have a parent to support who is completely reliant on me financially and for whom I am the only â€Å"bread winner†. I would reiterate here that I would be grateful if you consider my situation with sympathy and keeping all the facts in mind (how I was misled to believe that it was a grade class, how I did well in the class and received an A, how I was relying on this course to boost my Cumulative GPA to a 3.0 to receive the diploma, how I will not be able to get a job without this diploma, and, finally, how I have financial obligations towards my parent for which I need to land this job), covert the class from a Credit/Non Credit Course to a Grade Course. I will be extremely grateful to you if you do grant my request. Once again, it is a very serious matter to me and I would be extremely thankful if you did all that you can to help me solve this

Expert system in motorcycle engine troubleshooting Essay Example for Free

Expert system in motorcycle engine troubleshooting Essay People in different cities and provinces in the country, two-wheeled motor transport became useful for people going to work and in the business. People choose motorcycle than the four-wheeled transport for the following reasons: price, fuel efficient and easy maintenance service. It is fuel efficient for the reason that it consumes less fuel than a four-wheel vehicle. The price of motorcycle is cheaper and easier to maintain due to it’s accessibility of replacing brand new spare parts. No wonder why people in lower class can afford to have one motorcycle nowadays. The Land Transportation Office or (LTO) comparative report in the year 2010-2012 that motorcycle registration in 2010 has 681,196 in the entire region and in the year 2012 motorcycle registration with 820,817 1.2 Statement of the Problem The following problems included in this study. a.Riders may not know how to diagnose the problem when a motorcycle breakdown happens. In most cases, riders may seek nearest shop to repair it. b.The idea of mechanics are not the 1.3 General Objective The objective of this research is to develop an expert system for Android phones that will be used to diagnose motorcycle problems step by step. 1.3.1 Specific Objective The specific objectives of the study are the following: a.To capture the expertise of a motorcycle mechanic in diagnosing motorcycle breakdowns, breakdowns are engine won’t start or hard to start, engine lower end and exhaust problems, carburetor problems, electrical problems, and other related problems. b.To capture the expertise of a motorcycle mechanic in pinpointing the most likely cause of problem in motorcycle engine. c.To analyze the symptoms related to problem based from the knowledge acquired with the domain expert and other sources as e-books, manuals and the web. d.To test and fine tune the encoded knowledge of the expert system. 1.4 Scope and Limitation The following defines the scope and limitation of the research: 1.4.1 Scope of the Research a.The expert system based on the knowledge of a motorcycle mechanic in troubleshooting of a motorcycle engine using E2GDroid expert system shell. 1.4.2 Limitation of the Research a.Only the following four-stroke engines with 110CC and above were included in the system. b.Two-stroke engines including with cooling system are not included in the system. 1.5 Significance of the Research The developed expert system will benefited for the motorcycle riders in diagnosing the problems of their own motorcycle engine. The developed expert system aims to help riders to repair their own motorcycle engine in the without the engine mechanic. The features includes mobility, and it is mobile based, does not require a laptop/netbook. Being portable, it can be used anytime and anywhere.

Leadership and Employee Turnover in Hotel Industry

Leadership and Employee Turnover in Hotel Industry With the highest employee turnover rate, the hospitality industry need to encourage employees to voice their opinions, ideas, and any of their other concerns for improving performance and reducing employee turnover. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of different types of organizational culture and different leadership styles on employee voice in the hospitality industry. Hospitality human resource practitioners could modify their organizational culture and leadership style according to the results of the study, in order to encourage their employee voice. The results of this study could also contribute to the literature about factors that influence employee voice. Introduction As according to www.skagitwatershed.org Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. Leadership is a process of getting things done through people. Leadership is not a science. So being a leader is an adventure because we can never be sure whether we will reach our goal at least this time. The touchdown drive may end in a fumble. The troop may have a bad weekend during the camporee. Or the citys citizens may not be convinced that the mayors policies are right. So these leaders have to try again, using other methods. But they still use the same process the process of good leadership (Orans, 1997). Employee Turnover As according to Wood (1992), defines employee turnover as the rate of change in the number of employees of a concern during a definite period commonly a month. In some other ways it is defined as a measure of the extent to which old employees leaves and new employees enter the service of the concern. Whereas in its sociological context employee turnover implies to a process of change in the size of the work force and this signifies the reasons, which cause this phenomenon to occur in any industrial unit. Employee turnover is in fact movement of employees in and out of firms and the main reasons could be voluntary or involuntary. Rationale Through the ages we have learnt that the only way to put the customer first in the hospitality industry is by putting the employee first. The rationale may not be very obvious, but it is certainly compelling. Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers. Worldwide researches have suggested that employee turnover is among the highest in the hospitality industry. Studies have shown that average annual employee turnover range from around 60 to 300 % (Mehta, 2005). Hotels spend thousands every year for each new employee they must train to replace a seasoned worker who leaves. It is no longer a startling fact that the cost of losing an employee is between half and one-and-a-half times their annual salary. Background There are studies that support the fact that employees leave an organisation for many reasons, but two common causes are the quality of the selection system and the quality of leadership (Mehta, 2005). Arguably hotels support a culture that fosters dependence and relies on the traditional chain of command, and not all supervisors are good managers and good team leaders that leads high employee turnover. In the light of this proposition, the proposed research plans to examine as whether leadership leads to high employee turnover. The research will be conducted with reference to Delhi based hotels. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The proposed research aims to examine as whether leadership leads to high employee turnover. The research is to be conducted with reference to Delhi based five star hotels. The research will attempt to accomplish following objectives: To examine the degree of employee turnover problem in hotels To identify and evaluate the foremost causes employee turnover in hotels To examine leadership role as causing employee turnover in hotels To investigate what are the causes for the high employee turnover in the hotels. To examine are what the consequences of the high employee turnover in hotels. To study how the reduce turnover and increase employee retention in hotels. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Are qualities of leadership foremost reasons of employee turnover in hotels? Is wrong leadership causes high degree of employee turnover in hotels? Structure of dissertation Author has divided the dissertation in five chapters, in the first chapter author has discuss about the aims and objectives of the report, research mythology in which he has used primary and secondary research. He has discussed about the limitations and background of the dissertation in this chapter. In the second chapter author has given a literature review discussing the meaning of employee turnover and its importance in todays world. Author has also explained leadership and employee turnover and how it can make a difference in successful and not so successful businesses. Also the author has shown different ways to measure employee turnover. Finally, the author has explained how employee turnover is making a difference in a hotel industry and their employee. In the third chapter author has done a research mythology discussing sampling techniques and sample size which is been used for a completion of the report. In the forth chapter author has done findings and analysis based on a q uestionnaire prepared by the author. And finally in the last chapter author has done his conclusion on the report. Literature Review This section presents the theoretical concepts in the context of above mentioned research aims objectives and research questions. Employee turnover is the rotation of workers around the labour market; between firms, jobs and occupations; and between the states of employment and unemployment (Abassi et al., 2000). The term turnover is defined by Price (1977) as: the ratio of the number of organizational members who have left during the period being considered divided by the average number of people in that organization during the period. Frequently, managers refer to turnover as the entire process associated with filling a vacancy: Each time a position is vacated, either voluntarily or involuntarily, a new employee must be hired and trained. This replacement cycle is known as turnover (Woods, 2002). Most researchers (Kalliath and Beck, 2001; Kramer et al., 1995; Saks, 1996) have attempted to answer the question of what determines peoples intention to quit by investigating possible antecedents of employees intentions to quit. To date, there has been little consistency in findings, which is partly due to the diversity of employed included by the researchers and the lack of consistency in their findings. Therefore, there are several reasons why people quit from one organization to another or why people leave organisation. The experience of job related stress (job stress), the range factors that lead to job related stress (stressors), lack of commitment in the organization; and job dissatisfaction make employees to quit (Firth et al., 2004). This clearly indicates that these are individual decisions, which make one to quit. They are other factors like personal agency refers to concepts such as a sense of powerlessness, locus of control and personal control. Locus control refers to t he extent to which people believe that the external factors such as chance and powerful others are in control of the events which influence their lives (Firth et al., 2004). Manu et al. (2004) argue that employees quit from organization due economic reasons. Using economic model they showed that people quit from organization due to economic reasons and these can be used to predict the labour turnover in the market. Organizational instability has been shown to have a high degree of high turnover. Indications are that employees are more likely to stay when there is a predictable work environment and vice versa (Zuber, 2001). In organizations where there was a high level of inefficiency there was also a high level of staff turnover (Alexander et al., 1994). Therefore, in situations where organizations are not stable employees tend to quit and look for stable organisations because with stable organizations they would be able to predict their career advancement. The imposition of a quantitative approach to managing the employees led to disenchantment of staff and hence it leads to employee turnover. Therefore management should not use quantitative approach in managing its employees. Adopting a cost oriented approach to employment costs increases employee turnover (Simon et al., 2007). All these approaches should be avoided if managers want to minimize employee turnover an increase organizational com petitiveness in this environment of globalization. Organizations valuable assets are its high performing employees; and when they start leaving, its an indication that the organization is in trouble.   It appears that organizational management does not care much when low performing employees leave the organization.   In other words, the employers have to understand the damages resulting from high performance employees leaving, and the benefits resulting from poor performance employees leaving. (Hong and Chao 2007, p. 216).Employees may stay longer in an organization if they are motivated and rewarded.   Studies show that a motivated employee is a productive employee; therefore, it is the responsibility of organizational leadership to ensure that all employees are productive.   To be productive means supporting the mission and vision of the organization. Employees may stay longer with organizations if they are well paid and motivated.   Management and leadership motivate and reward high performance e mployees in order to prevent them from leaving. Organizational management and leadership pay particular attention to high performance employees and the attention given them has made them less likely to leave.   The negative relationship between performance and turnover appears to be the major conclusive finding, indicating that high performance employees would be less likely to leave than lower performance ones. (Hong and Chao, 2007 p.217).   Losing high performance employees means higher costs of human resources in form of rehiring, training, and placement.   Management action may cause some low performing employees to leave an organization; this is due to the fact that such employees are viewed as liabilities and may not be contributing to the accomplishment of the organizational mission and vision.   In SLT, leadership effectiveness is thought to be enhanced if a manager uses the style of leadership that best matches the readiness, ability and willingness of subordinates and that a good match between leadership style and subordinate readiness leads to a higher level of subordinate satisfaction and performance. The four quadrants in SLT represent four basic leadership styles: high task and low relationship ; high task and high relationship; low task and high relationship; low task and low relationship, The central precept is that as the level of follower readiness increases, effective leader behavior will involve less structure and less socio-emotional support, A leaders task and relationship behaviors interact with subordinate readiness to significantly influence leader effectiveness, which is defined as the extent to which a follower demonstrates the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task. According to Hersey et al. (1996), at the lower levels of readiness, the le ader needs to provide direction but with higher levels of readiness, followers become responsible for task direction. There is no one best way to influence people and leaders need to assess the readiness level and then use the appropriate leadership style. Thus, it is the follower who dictates the most appropriate leader behavior. In the high tech hotel industry, a work environment with proper implementation and management of technology is vitally important. Any great manager will agree that human resources still plays the most important role in any successful high tech hotel venture. Employees are the backbone of hotel industry, and they need effective leadership so that they will be motivated to do the best jobs they can do. Today, the high tech industry is beset by several factors that make it difficult to hire and retain good employees. The economy is down and the national unemployment rate is high. Good leadership, however, can inspire employees and motivate them to work harder at their jobs. The question is how. Leadership is not a random event. Rather, it is a dynamic process continually adjusted to an ever-changing environment. A great leader is able to influence the behavior of individuals and groups. Harry Truman once said, Leadership is getting people to do what they dont want to do, and like it. In the past, a leaders personality or charisma was considered key. Leadership effectiveness also was defined in terms of attitudes. The most effective leaders were deemed to be those who placed the greatest emphasis on people and production. Today, this view has been modified. Now the leader needs to vary his style to fit the readiness of his subordinates. A leaders attitude is based on his concern for both his people and their productivity. Leadership behavior also is based on two dimensions: task behavior and relationship behavior. In attempting to lead, an individual always engages in each of these behaviors to some extent. Task behavior involves directing others telling or showing them exactly what to do and how to do it correctly. Typically, direction is characterized by unilateral communication, which may take the form of oral or written instructions expected to be carried out as dictated. Instructions to employees may be explained by saying, This is how you would do this. By contrast, relationship behavior is characterized by more supportive, facilitating actions and by bilateral communication among individuals. Here, direction typically involves dialogue between a manager and his subordinates or between co-workers. The number one reason an employee leaves a company is because of their manager. The leader that employees work for determine who sticks around and who hits the road. Employee turnover costs are substantial ranging from 150% to 250% of an employees annual compensation. That means to replace an employee that makes 100,000 it will cost the company 150,000 to 250,000. If you can reduce your employee turnover then clearly you will reduce your bottom line. Extraordinary leaders make a substantial impact on employee turnover and therefore, the bottom line. How to reduce employee turnover Few things in business are as costly and disruptive as unknowingly having the proverbial revolving door for employees to exit from. While there are many secondary and tertiary items that can influence an employees decision to leave, in this weeks column Ill address the one single factor which constitutes the overarching reason that drives a persons decision to leave their employer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Leadership Continuity: Great companies have a clear vision, mission, and strategy, which are evangelized by a cohesive leadership team. A crisply articulated vision, and continuity of leadership creates an engaged workforce that understands the business model and key objectives of the enterprise. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A Planned Transition: Outstanding leadership teams set employees up for success and not for failure. They have an established on boarding process which puts forth an initial roadmap for a successful transition by clearly defining key performance indicators, business objectives, and other key metrics. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Compensation: Great leadership teams understand the value of tier-one talent, and are not afraid to pay-up in order to attract it and retain it. While todays column was a bit of an extemporaneous highlight covering only a few critical issues, I hope it clearly portrayed the value of leadership in employee retention and development. Now that so much is being done by organizations to retain its employees, why is retention so important? Is it just to reduce the turnover costs? Well, the answer is a definite no. Its not only the cost incurred by a company that emphasizes the need of retaining employees but also the need to retain talented employees from getting poached. The process of  employee retention  will benefit an organization in the following ways: Interruption of Customer Service:  Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued sponsorship of the business. When an employee leaves, the relationships that employee built for the company are severed, which could lead to potential customer loss. Turnover leads to more turnovers:  When an employee terminates, the effect is felt throughout the organization. Co-workers are often required to pick up the slack. The unspoken negativity often intensifies for the remaining staff. Goodwill of the company:  The goodwill of a company is maintained when the attrition rates are low. Higher retention rates motivate potential employees to join the organization. http://retention.naukrihub.com/importance-of-employee-retention.html A career in the hospitality industry can be both challenging and rewarding. The hospitality industry includes restaurant, hotel, and resort positions that cater to serving guests with a smile. However, the staff turnover is high in the hospitality industry, and anyone considering a management position within this segment should understand the reasons people leave their jobs. Common reasons for high turnover include: 1. Seasonality- Many hospitality positions are seasonal in nature. While lay-offs are a necessity for business survival, they are hard for workers who will receive minimal unemployment benefits. It can lead to understaffing during off-peak seasons which has a negative impact on employee morale. 2. Organizational culture Leadership If an organization does not possess a positive culture, the work environment will be unpleasant. With other considerations, this adds to the reasons why employees quit. 3. Labor Pool -The labor pool for the hospitality industry is often untrained, unskilled workers. Higher skilled workers are harder to find, and even those workers are vulnerable as they seek better opportunities. Many employees are young, students, or using hospitality jobs as a fallback or stepping stone to other careers. This increases the chances of turnover. http://www.helium.com/items/1912987-staff-turnover-in-hospitality Five Leadership Fundamentals He then realized that his job as manager became very simple. To motivate high performance and, at the same time, ensure employee satisfaction within his group, he just needed to:   Provide employees with a clear sense of where were going and why. Make sure they have the necessary resources to get their job done. Be attuned to their professional needs and try to provide them with assignments that meet these needs (not always easy but still attainable). Regularly meet with them both formally and informally to give and get feedback on whats going on. Get out of their way and, at the same time, be available when needed. What are the leadership qualities that make all this possible? First and foremost the leadership qualities that build and create a change readiness culture are totally focused on understanding and reverse-engineering the critical disconnects between organizational leadership and management, and the rest of the non-management employees. These disconnects can be summarized as an organizational management and leadership that is detached from direct feedback from the frontline and the human consequences of their decisions. This is all about moving away from the prevalent transactional leadership style with its reward and punishment mechanisms to gain compliance, and moving towards facilitative leadership that engages directly with the informal networks and aspects of the organization. This isnt so hard for organizational leadership to take on board and enact once they realize that in so doing they are dealing directly with the crustacean rock bottom root causes of resistance to change whilst simultaneously unleashing a flood of new innovations and solutions. Implicit or Informal Theories of Employee Turnover Employers and employees share some common causes of employee turnover in India. Among demographic factors, the majority of Singaporeans hold the view that the young and more educated change jobs more often than the old and less educated. Labour shortage (or perceived alternative employment opportunities) and job-hopping among the uncontrollable factors stand out in the perceptions of most people as important factors causing turnover (Debrah, 1993;1994). Further, most Indians consider satisfaction with pay, a controllable factor, one of the most important causes of turnover intention (Debrah, 1994; Koh Goh, 1995). We do not propose any hypotheses on implicit theories of employee turnover. However, we would like to explore to what extent these implicit theories are valid. Specifically, how much of the variance in the turnover model do age, level of education, perceived alternative employment opportunities, job-hopping, and satisfaction with pay explain? If these factors explain a lot of unique variance, we can say that there is a lot of truth in implicit theories on employee turnover held by Indians. METHODS Sampling and Data Collection Data were collected using a questionnaire that contained measures of job satisfaction (satisfaction with pay, satisfaction with nature of work, and satisfaction with supervision), organizational commitment, organizational justice (distributive and procedural), job-hopping, perceived alternative employment opportunities, and turnover intention. In addition, the questionnaire included questions on demographic characteristics of the respondents. The Ministry of Labour, India, publishes quarterly resignation rates by occupations and industries. These quarterly resignation reports provided us the starting point. Both manufacturing and services sectors are important for the Singapore economy. Consequently, we included industries from both manufacturing and services in our sample. Within each sector, we selected one industry with the highest resignation rates and the other with the lowest resignation rates over the last four years. In the manufacturing sector, the food and beverage industry had the highest resignation rates and the marine and shipping the lowest. On the other hand, in the services sector, the retail industry had the highest resignations and the banking the lowest. Employee turnover in hotels has received substantial attention from both academics and managers. Much of this attention has been focused on understanding its causes. Implicit in this approach is the assumption that turnover is driven by certain identifiable characteristics of workers, tasks, firms, and markets, and that, by developing policies to address these characteristics, managers might reduce the occurrence of turnover in their respective organizations. Moreover, Van Vianen, Feij, Krausz, and Taris (2004) distinguished between two motives for turnover; push and pull. Push motives are related to dissatisfaction with ones current work situation, whereas pull refer to available opportunities to improve ones career opportunities on the external labour market. Nevertheless, the job satisfaction-turnover relationship is not stable across different organizations, or that satisfaction may relate more closely to immediate or short term variables such as daily effort, rather than longer term variables such as turnover intention (Ajzen Fishbein, 1977). The research may point out that there are some problems in the hotels in recent years on the employee turnover; generally speaking, employees leave the hotels for some common reasons, such as they are not satisfied with their positions of salary. Pavesic and Brymer (1990) confirmed dissatisfaction with income, mainly in relation to the number of hours worked, to be a primary reason for managers with hospitality administration degrees leaving the hospitality industry. Although the most significant reason is that they want to seize more space for position and trainings. There is unsuitable for the promotion and management system in hotels. Hotels have taken the employee satisfaction system in order to catch up with large scales. While hotels are not marketable enough to compete with other larger scales because of some systematically reasons. In this study, hotels are very cooperative with us, and the management complies with our requirements. Therefore, this research is for the managem ent of the hotel to find out the problems and to solve the problem.

Mineko Iwasakis Geisha, A Life :: Mineko Iwasaki Geisha, A Life

Mineko Iwasaki's Geisha, A Life Geisha is a wonderful book for people who want to learn about Japanese culture and the geisha arts. Iwasaki explains the intricacies and politics of the business while telling of her life as a geisha in post-World War II Japan. Reviewer Alyssa Kolsky writes â€Å"there’s something alluring about a book that details the day-to-day minutes of one of the world’s most fascinating, secretive and oldest professions† (74). Mineko Iwasaki is a strong willed woman who becomes the Number One geisha of Kyoto’s top geisha house, the Iwasaki oikya. Starting her career at age five, Mineko quickly gains notoriety and overcomes the hurdles that come with being a geisha. She retires at age 29 after fourteen years as Japan’s most famous geisha. People experienced with Japanese culture might find the narration too simple and straight-forward, but beginners will gain a wealth of knowledge. As Mineko describes her life in the oikya, she also includes the histories of the Gion Kobu district where she lived, and the women in the oikya, along with the details of the social-political structure between geishas, their clients, and the businesses that support the geisha arts. Some readers might also find Geisha a little dispassionate for their tastes. â€Å"Her lack of reflection and tendency toward mechanical description make the work more of a manual than a memoir,† (56) writes Sarah Gold and Mark Rotella. An anonymous reviewer for Kirkus Reviews describes a number of passages as â€Å"quite a mouthful for the uninitiated† (1198). Despite Iwasaki’s writing style, Geisha is a wonderful book for fans of the geisha arts and women rising above obstacles that stand in their way. Resources â€Å"Geisha, A Life (Book)† Kirkus Reviews.

American Honda Motor Corporation :: Essays Papers

American Honda Motor Corporation Honda Corporation and U.S. Markets After investigating the U.S. market and getting positive feedback, Honda exported over 50,000 CR-Vs to the U.S. in 1997. The target markets for this sporty looking new CR-V were consumers between the ages of 23 - 34, referred to sometimes as generation X. At $20, 000 however, in comparison to its competitors who offer vehicles at a cheaper cost, one might ask the question - why such a high price tag? An article on generation X from demographics.com sums the answer to this question up nicely:  § 54 percent of Gen Xer's have established a financial plan  § 88 percent want investment advice  § 46 percent already own mutual funds  § Population size of 44 million and growing The increased use of information technology in today's economy also creates an environment that facilitates better-informed decision-making. The internet, a powerful source for information is more than readily accessible. For instance, instead of watching 30-second commercials on television, generation X can tap into the net and spend as much time as they need researching products before making a purchase. As a result, generation X is better educated than previous generations and has more disposable income. They value quality more so than ever before and basically look for products that work for them. Economic forces that will impact Honda To continue selling record breaking units Honda will have to keep in touch with the needs of its changing customer base. For instance, the fastest-growing states, metropolitan areas, cities, and countries were concentrated in the South and West, according to the Census Bureau.  § The states whose population rose the fastest between 1996 and 1997 were Nevada (4.7%), Arizona (2.7%), and Georgia and Utah (both 2,1%). Meanwhile, Las Vegas, was the most rapidly growing metropolitan area from 1990 to 1996, with a 41% population increase, followed by Laredo, TX (33%), and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (29%).  § The story for cities was much the same. Among those with more than 100,000 people in 1996, the fastest growing from 1990 to 1996 were Henderson, NV (88%), Phoenix, San Antonio, and Houston. Each gained more than 100,000 people during this period.  § According to projections, the U.S. population in 2050 will have risen to about 394 million mostly in part due to increasing ethnic groups. Significance of these trends In 1997, an estimated 26 million persons, or nearly 1 in every 10 residents of the United States, were foreign born, the highest level since 1930.

Against Louis Riels Execution :: essays research papers

Louis Riel should not have been hung because he represented those who couldn't represent themselves. Louis Riel was disappointed with the way the MÃ ©tis were, so he took it upon himself to represent the MÃ ©tis and their rights. Even though the actions that followed, such as keeping the new governor out the colony, was illegal and very wrong. Riel risked it for the rights of the MÃ ©tis. As for Thomas Scott, Riel has absolutely no legal right to have him shot, but Riel himself never touched a gun for that purpose. He had a firing squad shoot Scott. Although, Riel may have ordered the squad to shoot, but the men could have backed down, no matter how powerful Riel seemed. After the rebellion, he was elected by Manitoba to sit in the House of Commons. Riel went to Ottawa but was not allowed to sit as a member in the House, for he was threatened by many to be shot if he appeared in the House. This was the mistake of the government. They should have sopped the nonsense and threats. For Riel was a man of ideas. He was a man who was knowledged in the government. It was obvious since he formed his own government. Riel would have been an asset to the Canadian government. In 1884, Gabriel Dumont rode to Montana and asked Riel to defend the MÃ ©tis once again. Riel returned to help the natives once more. Riel was risking capture when he returned. This was a very noble act on his part. Instead of staying nice and safe in Montana, Riel gave up his safety for the MÃ ©tis. Riel decided to try an unviolent approach this time instead of starting an all out rebellion. Riel and the MÃ ©tis drew up a petition and presented it to the government. The petition, which demanded more food and money for the natives, was looked over but not acted upon. The petition was fair in all parts but the government turned it down. It only demanded that what belonged to the natives be returned. In early 1885, Riel formed another provisional government, and started another rebellion. His followers killed many army troops, but once again it was not the hand of Riel that killed so many. It was of people who had their own thoughts and intuitions. They could have easily said no to Riel instead of shooting. In which case Riel was

How Permanent Are Permanet Markers

For my science fair project, I figured out what solvent would work best to erase permanent marker. The solvents I tested were: lemon juice, vinegar, water, and rubbing alcohol. I tried each of these solvents on a permanent marker line on plastic, paper, fabric, and wood. In this research paper, I will be talking about what a permanent marker is, how they are made, why they work so well, what rubbing alcohol is and its common uses, what vinegar is and its common uses, what water is and why water is so essential, and what exactly lemon juice is.I will also be talking about how plastic is made, how fabric is made, how wood is made, and how paper is made. A permanent marker is a type of writing utensil that is used to create permanent lines on almost any surface. The ink of a permanent marker is water resistant, contains propanol, butanol, diacetone alcohol, and different dye colorings, and can vary between all colors from black to yellow. The process of creating a Sharpie permanent mark er is not very long or complicated. First, the barrel of the marker is molded out of a plastic resin.Screen printing is added to the barrel, including information such as the description of the color of the ink and the Sharpie logo. A filament made out of cotton material is used to hold in the ink as it is inserted into the barrel. A needle is used to inject the permanent ink from the opposite end of the barrel. Then the writing tip is applied. The cap is placed on the Sharpie marker and the permanent ink is slowly absorbed into the tip of the marker. The Sharpie is the most popular permanent marker company worldwide.The brand â€Å"Sharpie† was founded in 1857 and sold ink and glue. Any permanent marker’s ink must contain three ingredients to work. These ingredients are colorant, carrier, and resin. The colorant is what gives the ink its color. Colorants in permanent markers are often pigments, instead of dyes, because pigments fade less easily and do not bleed throug h paper. Dyes are soluble in water, whereas pigments are not. Dyes cannot withstand light as long as pigments can, although dyes are generally available in a wider spectrum of colors.Carriers are what transmit the dye to the paper. They must be able to evaporate quickly once the ink is used. Carriers used to be made up of chemicals such as xylene and toluene, but were vastly replaced by alcohol-based markers in the 1990s. The resin is what causes the ink to stick to a surface. It must have a â€Å"sticky† quality. The resin forms a film over the pigment once the carrier evaporates. The reason that permanent marker works is because permanent ink soaks into a surface, whereas regular erasable ink does not soak into surfaces, but binds to surfaces.Permanent ink is made with resins and dyes dissolved in glycol and water. The ink dries when the glycol or water evaporates and it soaks into the surface, leaving a permanent mark. There are ways to effectively remove ink from permanen t markers. Alcohol will work to erase permanent marker on almost any surface. Many items, such as hairspray or deodorant, contain alcohol and could effectively erase permanent marker. Baking soda is another well-known permanent marker remover. Vinegar was one of the solvents I experimented with. Vinegar is the product of the fermentation of ethanol.The very slow fermentation process can take weeks or even months and occurs naturally. With a machine to help promote oxygenation, however, fermentation can be as quick as a few days. The typical pH of vinegar can range from 2 to 3. 5. Vinegar can be used for many things, such as a cooking ingredient or condiment, it can be used for household cleaning, it has medicinal properties, and it even has agricultural applications. Lemon juice was another solvent I experimented with. Lemon juice is exactly what it sounds like. It is lemon juice squeezed from a lemon.Lemon juice has similar nutritional values as the whole lemon. Lemon juice is an e xcellent source of Vitamin C and can help your body against harmful germs and bacteria. Lemons are also antioxidants and can help the brain and nerve cells as well as having calcium to help your bones and teeth. The solvent that worked best in my experiment was rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is a denatured alcohol especially used as an antiseptic. It can also be used to cool, warm, or soothe skin. It can inflame the skin and if ingested, may potentially be fatal.Rubbing alcohol consists of 2 ingredients: isopropyl alcohol and water. In fact, rubbing alcohol consists of so much isopropyl alcohol (70%) that it is often referred to just as isopropyl alcohol. Water was the final solvent that I used in my experiment. Water is essential for anything and everything. Human beings need water to stay hydrated and survive. All living creatures need water to stay hydrated and survive. Everyone uses water every day; whether it’s to shower, brush their teeth, to drink, swim, wash their h ands, or to water plants.Seventy percent of the world is made up of water. Water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and is often referred to as H2O. The H2 stands for the 2 oxygen atoms and the O stands for oxygen. Water can be a liquid, solid, or gas. Water in its regular state is a liquid, can be frozen to form ice, which is a solid, or boiled at 100 ° C to evaporate it and turn it into water vapour, which is a gas. Plastic was one of the surfaces I used in my experiment. Plastic comes from the Greek word plastikos, which means fit for moulding.Plastic is made using a long and complicated process. First, petroleum is drilled and transported to a refinery. Then, crude oil and natural gas are refined into many petrochemical products such as fuel for your car, ethylene, and propylene. Catalyst is combined with ethylene in a reactor, resulting in polymer, a powdered material. Afterwards, the polymer is combined with additives in a blender. The polymer is put in an extr uder, where it gets melted. The melted plastic is now cooled and a machine cuts the plastic into small pellets. The pellets are shipped to industries.The industries manufacture plastic products by melting the pellets to a semifluid state, putting it in a mould under great pressure, and hardening it. The mould opens and the product is completed except for detail work. Another surface that I used in my experiment was paper. To make paper, first trees are specially harvested like crops for the purpose of making paper. Logs of wood are put through a machine that takes off all the bark on the tree. Then, wood chippers cut the wood into 1 inch bits and the bits are put inside a pressure cooker with chemicals and water.The pulp is then washed, refined, cleaned, and turned to slush in a machine that beats the pulp. Color dyes, coatings, and other substances are mixed in and the slush is pumped onto a moving wire screen. The water is drained away on the screen and is recycled. The web of slu sh is rolled between large rollers to remove a large amount of the excess water and to ensure smoothness and uniform thickness. The resulting product is run through heated drying rollers to remove all of the remaining water. The completed paper is wound into large rolls, which can measure up to 30 feet wide.A slicer cuts the paper into small, more manageable rolls. The paper is now ready for use. Wood was the third surface I used in my experiment. The process for making wood is quite simplistic. First, logging companies cut trees down and bring them to a mill. There, they are prepared for particular uses. Machines cut the logs into boards and are sealed or pressure-treated to preserve them. Then the boards are either sold through a lumberyard or sold directly to companies which need them. Fabric was the final surface that I tested the removal of permanent marker on. Cotton fabric also has a lengthy process.First, the ginning, which is the method of separating cotton fibres from seed pods. This is done by machines in a cotton field. Then, the cotton fibre is spun. Yarn is produced from spinning cotton fibre. In this stage, the cotton yarns are made of different thicknesses. Afterwards, a machine weaves threads of yarn, which eventually turn them into cloth after weaving many threads together. Now, the cloth is basically constructed, but must go through some detail work. First, the cloth goes through singeing, which is the process that burns off excess fibres sticking from the goods.Then, the cloth goes through scouring, which is the cleaning of the fabric. Then, some fabrics are bleached to make it a lighter colour. Mercerizing, which is the dipping of fabric in alkali to make it stronger, shiny, durable, shrink free, and stretch free, comes next. Finally, the fabric is treated with chemicals to make it more durable, and it is shipped off to companies that will either use or sell it. Vinegar, water, lemon juice, and rubbing alcohol all have many uses around the house, but when it comes to erasing permanent marker, rubbing alcohol definitely beat the rest.

Curriculum as Influenced by Society and Technology Essay

The current trend of technology in the classroom can be traced back to the early1900s when schools and museums, as a complement to verbal instruction, began to use visuals aids including drawings, paintings, and slides. In the 1920s, as film became widely used, The National Academy of Visual Instruction was formed to help distinguish between films that were for entertainment or educational value. As technology progressed and the television was introduced, the educational system began to use instructional television. During the 1970s and 1980s the biggest influence in the classroom, to date, came in the form of computers. As the 1990s progressed, computers and multimedia equipment continued to become more affordable and they began to be used across the world. The trend of technology in the classroom currently consists of multiple categories including Multimedia, Internet and Networking, Computer-assisted instruction (CAI), Computer-managed instruction (CMI), and teacher training. As the current trend of technology in the classroom continues to be centered on the inclusion of computers and other mediums, it only awaits to incorporate the next big step in technology. The Ever-changing Technology Trend The abacus, the slate, the red pad of paper, it is amazing to view the ever-changing technology in education today. As a society, not only has our language and communication developed, but the way that language and communication are expressed has changed drastically. In Mathematics an abacus was used to solve problems, now a student can program a graphing calculator to solve problems for them. Some schools allow children to bring laptops into class with them, in other schools it is mandatory that all students have a laptop to bring to school. From having no computers in the classroom to having dozens of computers in the classroom has been an evolution of the educational system. Technology in the educational system consists of many mediums, and the history to the current educational system is quite fascinating. What remains to be seen is how the ever-changing, ever-evolving technology will impact the schools today, and how technology will affect our schools in the future. The view of a teacher as the possessor and transferor of information is shifting to a new paradigm in which the teacher is now a facilitator or a coach. These new teachers provide appropriate learning environments that engage students in collaborative activities that require communications and access to information that only technology can provide. Technology engages students, and as a result they spend more quality time on basic learning tasks than students who use a more traditional approach. Students who have the opportunity to use technology to acquire and organize information show a higher level of comprehension and a greater likelihood of using what they learn later in their lives (Impact, 2005). The integration of technology into the curriculum has been shown to decrease absenteeism, lower dropout rates, and motivate more students to continue on to college. This current trend of technology in the classroom consists of multiple categories including multimedia, Internet and networking, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), computer-managed instruction (CMI), and teacher training: Multimedia Interactive multimedia combines text, graphics, sound, animation, and video into a single learning environment. The hardware of multimedia can include: Macintosh computers, audio digitizers, CD ROM players, graphic scanners, and videodisc players. Since information is presented in visual and verbal modalities, individual learning styles of students are easily accommodated. It is not only a presentation tool for the teacher, becoming the basis for classroom lectures, discussions, and simulations, but it is also a reporting and reference tool for students in preparing class assignments. Example of use: There is an ongoing multimedia project that is part of the seventh grade science curriculum at the Baker Demonstration School at National-Louis University. Students choose a mammal to study at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. They then spend several sessions at the zoo observing this mammal’s physical characteristics, behavior, locomotion, and its zoo habitat. These observations become the raw data for constructing a multimedia presentation about their mammal. Internet and Networking There is a clear direction towards using the Internet to open education to students everywhere. The use of the Internet ranges from making course materials available on-line, to using the Internet as the communication tool for the course. With the vast capabilities of the Internet, computers are being networked for communication, research, and remote collaboration. Networks can help to break down communication barriers and connect students and teachers with the outside world. Access to a computer, a modem, and phone lines frees students and teachers from the physical limits and time constraints of the school environment. Networking also allows them to send electronic mail, participate in computer conferencing, and access information from remote sources. Example of use: Students studying the solar system can send questions directly to NASA scientists. Classes from different parts of the world could read the same book and share ideas and conclusions throughout the reading of the book. Another idea is for one class to write cliff hangers and have the other class finish the stories. In some cases, classes have done parallel science experiments or conducted surveys and then compared results with the other class. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and Computer-managed instruction (CMI) (CMI) is the use of the computer to maintain records associated with student performance. This usually includes, but is not limited to, the results of particular Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) packages. As the student completes each lesson, the computer stores the progress, scores, records the results of all tests or quizzes completed, and it provides progress reports to the teacher. These reports, either individual or class-wide, may be used to rapidly identify unsatisfactory progress or weak areas (Harrison 1983). Example of use: An individualized curriculum could be written for each student allowing the teacher to more effectively utilize the limited class time available. These tools can help remediate students lacking in certain skills and allow students access to information presented in multimedia formats. Teacher Training Tremendous increase in technology-related in-service teacher training is taking place. Teachers are learning how to use electronic grade books and other teacher utilities to create puzzles, tests and quizzes, and other materials in order to assist them. Examples of training: After-school workshops conducted by the computer enrichment instructor and/or volunteers is one form of teacher training available, another is one-on-one tutoring carried out by volunteers or a computer enrichment instructor. Technology conferences attended by selected members of the faculty and teacher-to-teacher instruction utilizing those faculties with advanced technology skills also provides valuable teacher training. In addition to the technologies mentioned, the Education Coalition (TEC) considers the merger of computing, television, printing, and telecommunications as the most significant trend in education and technology. â€Å"Bringing them together results in the whole having greater impact than each individual part†¦ † (Lane & Portway, ND). Technology is abundant in the classroom today in many forms such as computers, the internet, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc. However, technology in the classroom â€Å"can be traced back to the early 1900s, when schools and museums began to include visuals such as drawings, paintings, slides, films, and models as a complement to verbal instruction† (Summary of Major Events in the Field, 2005). In the early1900s, still and video cameras were considered to be the technology of the future, the likes of which had never been seen before. It was hard to imagine, at this time in history, that they would be used on a daily basis in the home, let alone in the schools. Contrary to popular belief, the history of technology within education goes back a lot further than simply the introduction of computers and televisions into the classroom in the 1980s and 1990s. Throughout history, many people have had high hopes of how technology would affect education in the future. Thomas Edison said, â€Å"books will soon be obsolete in the schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture. Our school system will be completely changed in ten years†(Major Trends of the Decade, 2005). In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Thomas Edison was working on perfecting his invention, a kinetophone, which synchronized sound on a phonograph cylinder with pictures on a screen (Life of Thomas A. Edison, 2005). Edison dreamed that films would one day revolutionize education. â€Å"In 1911, he released a series of historical films about the American Revolution, becoming one of the first producers of films for classroom use† (Major Trends of the Decade, 2005). While his invention did not exactly revolutionize education, the modern version of inventions like the kinetophone is used on a regular basis in the classroom via television, video, and DVD. In the 1920s, film was seen as a progressive style of teaching, and was used in only a few select classrooms across America. To aid in the process of incorporating film into education, The National Academy of Visual Instruction was formed in order to help distinguish between films that were for entertainment and films that had educational value (Major Trends of the Decade, 2005). During this time, there was also an attempt to use radio broadcasts in the classroom; however, this trend died out within 15 years as there were often technical problems that could make teaching unpredictable. As film began to be used more often in classrooms across the world, the United States government had to prepare teachers for the advancement of technology in order to keep up with other advancing countries throughout the world. This was hard to do as many teachers worried about the fire hazards from film projectors and also feared that technology would one day replace them and they would no longer have jobs (Major Trends of the Decade). Classrooms would continue to experiment with this new technology for years to come, in hopes of keeping up with the changing times. In the 1950s and 1960s, the demand for instructional television reached its height due to a shortage of teachers and overcrowded classrooms. In 1959, the Midwest Program of Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI) was created and 34 courses were televised to 2,000 elementary and secondary schools in six states (Saettler, 1990). Students were able to watch and learn from their classrooms, and many schools that were unable to participate in the program tried to acquire it by borrowing from other schools across the nation. It was a big step forward for the educational system and later in 1990, Christopher Whittle created a more advanced version of this known as Channel One, a show that aired in almost 12,000 public and private middle and high schools nationwide, while reaching 7. 7 million students (Borja, 2005). Studies done on MPATI showed that teachers disliked the program and found it interrupted their classes, so it lost much of its attraction to schools. While teachers did come to understand the importance of bringing the world into their classroom, the same situation evolved later with the classroom interruptions and Channel One in the 1990s and it has steadily declined in its use in classrooms. The decade of 1960 saw the introduction of computers into the educational setting, although it was not in many schools as the costs to supply them was too great for most school systems. The development of computers would continue to grow in the ‘70s and ‘80s, when microcomputers became available; more convenient for schools and somewhat more affordable. These decades saw rapid advancement in the way of computers, television, and video recorders, making it hard for schools to keep up with the latest equipment. As the 1990s progressed, computers and multimedia equipment continued to become more affordable and were widely used in many classrooms spanning the globe. While in the past students were content and well supplied by having a set of crayons, pens, pencils, books, and a chalkboard, technology has quickly advanced over the years to a point in which no classroom or student is complete without sophisticated sets of computers, DVDs, scanners, and the Internet. Technology has had a great impact on education in recent years. The trend to modernize schools and increase the amount of technology in the classroom has become apparent with the passing of new educational legislation and an increase of electronic devices in classrooms. Studies by major universities have also been undertaken to look at the use of computers and other items in learning and the effect that they have on students. The impact of technology on schools has been both positive and negative. While educators embrace the idea and the opportunities that new technology provides students, the trend has caused an increase in costs for an already under-funded system. Keeping up with such advances will be increasingly more expensive as time goes by. This cost is worth paying; however, as the trend in the workplace has also been moving toward technology as well. Studies have been undertaken by universities and researchers to learn the impact and necessity of technology in schools. A research project at the University of Georgia focused not only on the United States, but on many other English speaking countries as well, including Australia, Canada, and Great Britain. This study focused on the incorporation of media and technology in schools and the impact to which it has had on students and learning. The researchers found that these tools â€Å"are effective in schools as phenomena to learn both from and with. † (Reeves, 1998, The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools) The results of this effort point towards the importance of technology in school, and make an argument for its continued and increased use. Legislators, voters, and school officials have also realized the benefits of giving students an education involving technology. In recent years, the number of computers and other devices in schools has increased drastically. According to a study done by the California Department of Education in 2004, there were 1,181,649 computers in classrooms across the state. At that time, this was approximately 1 computer to every 5. 3 students. (California Department of Education, 2004) The number of computers in classrooms is expected to increase yearly, although the data has not yet been released for 2005. As these electronics do not come to schools cheaply, unless through donation, the State of California, as well as other states across the Union, have passed legislation to assist schools in purchasing the items. An example of this is California’s SB 1863, which was a bill signed into law by Governor Davis in 2002. This act grants non-profit organizations, such as public schools and hospitals, the ability to purchase computers and telecommunications systems at a discounted price (Bowen, 2002, SB1863). With legislation such as this in place, it is easier for schools to afford the necessary items they need to keep up with changing technology. As computers and other items are introduced into classrooms across the nation, teachers are being forced to learn how to use the technology and software in order to incorporate it into their lessons. For some, learning to do this can be difficult, while for others it may be simple. The amount of time it takes to learn the information and skills needed cuts into personal lives, taking away from family events and other activities. These hours are often unpaid, and are done from the teacher’s own desire to better instruct students for the future. Educating oneself to use computers and other devices is also expensive. Computers and their components are quite costly. Many teachers have to afford to buy the computers themselves. Teacher salaries are not exceptionally high, and purchasing such items is not always feasible. According to the American Federation of Teachers: The average teacher salary in the 2003-04 school year was $46,597, a 2. 2 percent increase from the year before. This falls short of the rate of inflation for 2004, this was 2. 7 percent. When adjusted for inflation, the 2003-04 salary actually drops 0. 4 percent from 2002-03. (American Federation of Teachers, 2005, Teacher Salaries Lag Behind Inflation) Teachers are also placed in another predicament as workplace trends are requiring computer and technology skills be incorporated into everyday business. A teacher’s job is to prepare their students for the future. In order to accomplish this goal, educators must be able to instruct their pupils in the areas of technology. To do this, teachers must be educated themselves, and in such a fashion that the teachers are forced to purchase nearly unaffordable items out of their own salaries. Including technology into the classrooms is important. Teaching students to use these items is beneficial to them and their futures. However, getting the tools to all students is difficult as funding is limited. Underprivileged schools tend to be less likely to have the computers that they need as funding is simply not available for them. This contributes to the problem of the technological divide, in which students from lower income areas do not have the equipment or skills to keep up with students in better neighborhoods and situations. In 1998, the incorporation of technology in schools cost roughly 16 billion dollars (Reeves, 1998, The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools). This money comes mostly from federal funding, but according to the study at the University of Georgia, it will not be enough to keep up with future needs. Technology in the schools is important. The inclusion of computers and other media in education of students will have a drastic impact on their future. These items are expensive but needed. Legislators are passing actions that will allow for funding to be available to purchase these items and place them into classrooms. In order for teachers to keep up with advancements in education, they have to learn to use the technology themselves. This takes their time away for other activities which they participate in and it can be costly in itself. The monetary cost of the inclusion of this trend in education is the biggest impact to which the system faces. Affording to pay for such material is difficult, as funds are hard to obtain. So, where will classrooms be in 10 years, 20 years? The question becomes where will teachers be? There are many proponents for online and virtual classrooms where a school room is not required, but there are many who object to this because school is not only where a child goes to learn, but it is also where a child goes in order to learn how to function in society. Currently in California, a new program has been implemented into high schools, it is the virtual enterprise, which gives students the opportunity to learn about business. However â€Å"there are no textbooks in the virtual enterprise (VE) programs. The classrooms don’t have the average-looking furniture; the furniture generally consists of cubicles, office desks, computers, fax machines and telephones. The teacher is called the coordinator, and the daily instruction is conducted with direct input from appoint company officers† (Tekaat-Davey, 2006). This form of environment is giving children a look into a more corporate environment, and for those students interested in a corporate world it is a very interesting form of education, and it is giving students a heads-up into how the â€Å"real-world† functions. Often, it takes a lengthy period of time for schools to implement new technologies because of the money constraints, however â€Å"a unique component of VE is the fact that it is very cost effective for the respective sites† (Tekaat-Davey, 2006). Many businesses donate the computers and other supplies that are needed in order to make the virtual enterprise environment work. This is an innovative approach that is giving the teacher a different role, but it may take on force because it is so much more cost effective. It seems that the goal of the future is to show children how to integrate technology into their lives effectively. Another aspect of technology is how small it makes the world, everything is so much closer through computers now, and students are going to be taught how best to interact and learn about different cultures, but schools in the United States are also going to need to compete more thoroughly with technologies in schools worldwide. Currently, 90 percent of schools have Internet connectivity and more than 33 percent of teachers have Internet access in their classrooms (Gahala, 2001). So yes, technology availability is there, but how to use it effectively is going to be the constant battle between teachers and technology experts. This country has developed in technology gradually over the years, even though sometimes it seems like it has been overnight. The growth of technology has been an ever-adapting process, and it is constantly changing. â€Å"Technology is not transformative on its own. Evidence indicates that when used effectively, ‘technology applications can support higher-order thinking by engaging students in authentic, complex tasks within collaborative learning contexts’ (Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton, Morocco, Remz, & Zorfass, 1993)† (Gahala, 2001). But, will technology change the role of a teacher is what concerns many teachers today, and the answer is possibly. â€Å"As students become more self-directed, teachers who are not accustomed to acting as facilitators or coaches may not understand how technology can be used as part of activities that are not teacher-directed. This situation may be an excellent opportunity for the teacher not only to learn from the student but also to model being an information seeker, lifelong learner, and risk taker† (Gahala, 2001). So, even though the process of education may change, the traditional principles still hold, teachers are there to be a guide and a facilitator for education and knowledge. It is a teacher’s responsibility to incorporate current technologies into the history of teaching in order to give students the best possible education they can receive. Technology use impacting student grades All four research questions considered how technology use (low/high) as defined by overall use, teacher use and student use in the classroom effected at-risk students’ classroom grades. Inferential statistics showed no significant affect on at-risk student grades for any of the independent variables—teacher use, student use or overall technology use. For all the independent variables of teacher use, student use and overall technology use, the 1st quarter grades are higher for high technology using teachers. But that trend did not continue into second quarter for any of the independent variables. Since low GPA is a criterion for being identified at-risk at the studied school, it is logical that these students had low grades. However, some of these students had no passing grades, which is equivalent to a GPA of zero. The grade point average mean for the 66 at-risk students is 1. 52 at the end of the school year 2000–2001. Any grade mean above a zero is an improvement for some of the identified at-risk students. A possible explanation for this decline in grades is a greater use of technology in the 1st quarter. The researcher informally observed that students are immersed in technology in many of the classes: Power Point slide shows, travel brochures, postcards and video interviews are being created for presentations. During the 2nd quarter the classrooms slowly returned to a more traditional style. Some teachers, in informal discussions with the researcher, said they are using drill and practice, word processing for writing, and Internet for research projects. Without the use of technology infused in the classroom teachers would never know that with more constructivist methods students could achieve at higher levels. From research on the ACOT classrooms, students use technology as a tool to collect, organize, and analyze data; to enhance presentations; to conduct simulations and to solve complex problems. One of the changes seen over this 10-year study is the change in the lower-achieving students; the ones teachers could not reach with the teacher-centered learning. These students began to respond positively given the alternate ways of expressing their knowledge, which not only raised their self-esteem but their status with the teachers and their peers. The at-risk students are likely to show improvement in academic achievement when technology is used in the classroom appropriately. The conditions needed for appropriate use of technology to improve education are: first, the successful use of technology requires teachers to face their beliefs about learning and the efficacy of different instructional activities. Second, teachers view technology as one possible tool that must be used in the curriculum and instruction framework with meaning. Third, teachers need to become risk takers, experiment with technology, help and share with peers. Fourth, technology can be a catalyst for change, but the process of integrating technology is a long-term challenge for the teachers. In closing on student grades and technology, from the ten-year study conducted by ACOT comes this statement: â€Å"teachers also discovered that students who did not do well in a typical setting frequently excelled when working with technology. Low achievers had a chance to experience success and began concentrating and applying themselves to their projects† (p. 95). This study supports the findings in the present study indicating that the technology should be incorporated into the curriculum in meaningful, student-centered methods. Conclusion The impact of technology in schools is somewhere between it’s the only way to make a positive change in schools to it’s a new fad. They see technology as a strong tool for positive change but it must be presented in the right ways. Steps must be taken for technology to make a difference. Leaders of the schools must include everyone at the beginning of the plan, not after technology arrives. Leadership in the school system must plan for technology. Hire a full time technology director, involve the school in the changes, and provide the services that are needed for technology to succeed in the schools. Teachers must change the way they teach. Classrooms must take on the student-centered learning methods. Teachers need to become facilitators. Students need to be allowed to use technology as a tool, which will enable them to collect, analyze, and create major projects. When schools are prepared for technology, the entire school benefits. The quality of the time for technology to be integrated into the curriculum is the key to student learning, not the quantity of time with technology. Technology is not the entire solution for keeping at-risk students in the classroom, but it is a start in the right direction. References Aitoro, J. R. (2005). No Child Left Behind. VAR Business, 21, 1-2. American Federation of Teachers, (2005) Teacher Salaries Lag Behind Inflation. Retrieved from http://www. aft. org/presscenter/releases/2005/100605. htm on December 15, 2006 Borja, R. R. (2005). Channel one struggling in shifting market, Education Week, 24(43), 3-14. Bowen, D. (2002). SB 1863. 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