Developing Effective Teamwork in Organizations Essay

There are many different opinions and definitions of organizational structure. Structure in a sense is the arrangement of the functions used to do the work. Thompson said the structure â€Å"is the inner structure of the differentiation and the relations.† He referred to the structure as the means by which the organization sets boundaries and limits for the effective performance of its members, by the definition of responsibilities, resource control and other issues. Katz and Kahn said that â€Å"the structure is a series of interconnected events that occur, fill and renew a cycle of activities.† Culture, in an organizational context, can generally regard as the sum of a group or as a nation to think, believe, feel and act can be defined. Culture is the way of life of a group of people. More formal culture includes acquired as a complex whole, knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits of the members of a society. A corporation may be represented by the members of a nation as well as of members of an organization. Organizational structure and culture of the Uni-Lever Brothers Organizational structure called Unilever is common hybrid. The company operates three regions of the division: two product segments and five functional segments. They developed a simple structure to communication processes and effective use of available resources for the growth of the organization to accelerate. Company executives set up consists of six layers of the junior managers (local officials) to the Manager of the fifth year (the managers Unilever). Apart from this, the company employs many non-executives and cooperatives working in factories. As a multinational company Unilever a common culture for their activities has developed. They believe that all the people who work for their business and their ability to grow. The corporate culture is to believe in the ideas and support. Be a diversified company, they need to create a common working environment by combining carefully the needs of different people, so that they are motivated and proud to work for the company. Unilever is to develop a high commercial principles and code of ethics for the company a good reputation in the industry. Organizational structure and culture of Shaheen PHARMACEUTICALS Shaheen Pharmaceuticals is a drug known and reputable with more than 350 employees from different regions. Shaheen Pharmaceuticals has the distinction of being the first organization in the Swat Valley, which has received ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management is one of the famous and recognized IIC organization in Dubai received, UAE-based Arab countries and the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) in 2007. Shaheen in recent years has initiated the implementation of the reform of the human resources in a structured way. Shaheen Pharmaceuticals successfully the process of human resources development at the beginning, with the changing needs of the organization of knowledge, skills and competencies aligned started. Shaheen pharmacy have a management style, the traditional functional departments are available to perform various activities of the organization. DIFFERENCE OF THE TWO ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES AND CULTURES The organizational structure of the Uni-Lever Brothers is a functional the functional structure, the structure is constructed so that each part of the Organization grouped according to their purpose. Functional Structure is well suited for small businesses, in each case where department can count on the talent and expertise of its employees and support. However a disadvantage of a functional Structure the coordination and communication between Services may be limited by the boundaries of the organization have different departments working separately as in the case of Uni-Lever Brothers. Shaheen has a pharmaceutical organization chart the format of a functional structure, but the difference in the two Top organizational structure uni-lever is that brothers have a hybrid Form. These organizations will help projectized Departments. Often report directly to the project Head or as a separate functional group to support specific Functions. The main advantage that a hierarchical organization. The communication overhead reduced, as each team has a Superiors and subordinates. TASK 1b IMPACT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE ON THE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE Unilever has such a multi-domestic strategy of decentralization of strategic and operational decisions in every country that the product can be adapted to local preferences. Unilever global geographic structure has its food area that it can be adapted in different countries on trends and consumer demand regionalized. In addition, the company has developed a growth strategy as a â€Å"path of growth† that. During pruning it’s 400 brands of 1600 brands with fierce competition in the world of multinational and national companies to accelerate growth in the next five years. The company has taken to prevent significant restructuring and organizational changes with the organization’s goals. Alignment with senior management goals of the company are divided into two units, the unit of food and home and personal care products unit split. They distributed control subsidiaries with headquarters and selling companies are not profits. Organizational structure of Unilever is commonly a hybrid one. The company operates three regions of the division: two product segments and five functional segments. They developed a simple structure to communication processes and effective use of available resources for the growth of the organization to accelerate. The corporate culture is to believe in the ideas and support. Be a diversified company, they need to create a common working environment by combining carefully the needs of different people, so that they are motivated and proud to work for the company. Unilever is to develop a high commercial principles and code of ethics for the company a good reputation in the industry. Today’s business world has become globalized, the resources left Training strategic internal and external, in order to further the objectives of the organization. The main goal is the company HR strategy with the company to combine a competitive advantage. After major restructuring of business processes Unilever concentrates the use of its resources to its business strategy. They established a work program simply smart people work on three levels: †¢ Manage time effectively and simplify their work with a series of tools †¢ To work in a team within the company †¢ Easy to work in terms of process and organizational commitment of employees Its HR function was restructured into three components, which allows them to remove the complexity of the HR model.. The first is to their day to day transactional problems, manage shared services. Second component included the centralization of units within the company in areas such as education, administration, compensation and organizational development. Third component included development and delivery of HR solutions to solve business problems with the help of a group of human resource management specialists. Unilever is a global name in the world today, and has a large number of employees worldwide. For the company to be competitive in the world market must carefully synchronize their HR policies with the company’s strategy to achieve their goals. Building a corporate culture is part of a key strategy that includes employee passion to win in behavior, attitudes and motivation. What can be achieved in restructuring the organization, employee assessment, workshops and awards? Unilever has a model called competitive leadership for the growth profile, the various components of the process of creating a vision of growth for every person in the company, to motivate them for the purpose of work is developed combined organization. The implementation of this model is a challenge in a specific job, but the goal was also the commitment of the staff to get to work towards. Using factors LGP new company is trying to change the behavior of the manager, to the strategic objective of business growth and development, and recruitment process management (Sustainable Development, 2008) are linked. TASK 1c INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOR Culture of an organization is very important to play an important role, whether or not the organization is a happy, healthy place for many executives do not deny work, the importance of corporate culture in employee satisfaction, a sudden certainly shaping realize some direct implications it. It is often assumed that cultures are fixed, but this assumption is wrong. It is important that leaders at all levels about their roles and responsibilities in the defense of the positive work environments that can increase employee satisfaction are. Dissatisfaction is the leading cause of revenues and costs, and may have adverse environmental effects on the body. Individual Behavior Individual behavior refers to how individuals behave in the workplace; their behavior is influenced by his attitude, personality, perception, learning and motivation. This also refers to the combination of reactions to internal and external stimuli. Factors affecting individual behavior can be; Demography: Demographic factors, socioeconomic background, education, nationality, race, age, gender, etc. are organizations that people who belong to a higher socio-economic well-educated, young people, etc. because they prefer to be more effective than others probably. Young and dynamic professionals who have a good academic background and effective communication skills are always in high demand. The study of demographic factors is important because managers help you choose the right candidate for a position. Ability and Skills: Physical ability of a person to do something can be described as the ability. Competence can be seen as the ability in a way that allows a person to perform well defined act. Individual behavior and the performance is strongly influenced by the ability and skills. A person may well in the organization if their skills are matched with the job requirements. Managers play an important role in the skills and abilities of employees with the requirements of the position correspond. Perception: It is a cognitive process to interpret environmental stimuli and to make responses accordingly. Each individual on his preferences can base and organize its responses. To interpret environmental stimuli there are several factors that affect the perception of one. The study of perception plays an important role for managers. It is important for managers to create a positive work environment so that employees can perform better. Employees are most likely to succeed if they perceive a positive way. Attitude: According to psychologists, the attitude as a tendency to respond positively or negatively to certain objects, persons or situations are defined. Factors such as family, community, culture, colleagues and organizational factors influence the formation of attitudes. Manager of a company, the variables associated with the task. Working environment in a favorable way, that people are trying to create study form a positive attitude toward their jobs Employees can better in the organization, if they are positive. Personality: Personality as the study of the properties and characteristics of an individual can be the interdependent relationship between them and how a person reacts and adapts to different people and situations. The various factors that influence an individual’s personality are heredity, family, society, culture and situation. It implies that individuals differ in their nature and meets the organizational environment. Personality can be considered the most complex aspect of human behavior that is significantly affected. We can conclude that the study of personality traits is a chance to understand people. It helps them to properly orient their efforts and motivation to achieve the organizational goal. It refers to the fact that various environmental factors to produce different responses. The study of these reactions is very important for the organization. Every organization needs a certain kind of conduct of their employees, and such behavior can be discovered through obs ervation, learning, exposure, education, etc. LEARNING OUTCOME 2 Task 1 Leadership Styles A style of leadership leading provider of consulting, implementation plans and motivate. There are many different types of leadership that can be presented by the leaders in politics, business or other. Authoritarian Leadership Style An autocratic leader has strict custody and tight control over followers by giving the strict regulation policies and procedures, to the disciples. To keep the focus on the distinction between authoritarian leaders and their followers, these kinds of guides are implemented so as to make sure to create a professional relationship separate. Direct supervision, is what they believe to be the key to maintaining an efficient and trailer boat. In fear, unproductive supporter’s authoritarian leaders keep a watchful eye and it is necessary that something be done. Examples of communicative behavior authoritarian stage a traffic cop, a teacher ordered a student to do his duty, and a cleaning supervisor instructed a subordinate workstation. All of these positions require a significant number of features that give the leadership to put things in order or a point of view. Authoritarian features: sets goals individually, engaged primarily in one direction, downward communication, control conversations with the faithful, and the interaction donation. Paternalistic Leadership Style As a paternalistic leader, by taking care of you as a father figure would work to their subordinates as parents. In this way the leadership of the Chief provides comprehensive care for his followers or workers. In return, he gets the full trust and loyalty of his people. Workers under the leadership style should be very committed to what the leader thinks and do not strive and work independently. The relationship between the leaders and colleagues are extremely strong. Workers should stay with a company for a longer period due to the loyalty and trust. Not only do they treat each other like family into the labor market, but also outside. These workers are in a position to the other with all the problems that they are going through something; because they believe what they say, really help. One of the drawbacks of a paternalistic leader is that the leader can begin to play in the decisions favorites. This guide includes workers are more likely to follow and for those who were less fai thful to exclude. Democratic Leadership Style Democratic leadership includes the leaders of the decision-making skills to share with the group to promote the interests of the members of the group and the practice of social equality. This style includes discussions to encourage debate and the exchange of ideas and people feel good about their participation. The boundaries of democratic participation in the rule of the organization or group needs and the instrumental value of these attributes (skills, attitudes, etc.) are limited. Democratic style includes the idea that everyone needs, due to their status as human beings play a role in the decisions of the group. But the Democratic leadership still needs guidance and control by a specific leader. The democratic style requires the leader to decide who should be called within the group and make the right decisions and to participate and vote. Research has shown that this type of leadership is one of the most efficient and creates greater productivity has improved contributions from the members of the group and group increased morale. In situations where the roles are not clear or time is short, the Democratic leadership to lead the communication failures and unfinished projects. Democratic leadership works best in situations where group members are qualified and willing to share their knowledge. It is also important to allow sufficient time to help people develop a plan and then vote on the best way to have effect. Laissez-faire Leadership Style Laissez-faire leadership style was first described by Lewin, Lippitt and White in 1938, and the autocratic leadership and democratic leadership style. The laissez-faire style is sometimes referred to as â€Å"hands off† management style, because the leader delegates tasks to their fans and has little or no significance for the disciples. If the leader moves to its followers, it can sometimes lead to a lack of productivity, satisfaction and cohesion. Laissez-faire leaders loyal to complete freedom can make decisions on the conclusion of their work. It allows supporters a high degree of autonomy and independence, while providing advice and support at the same time the demand. The weary head with the Freedom Tour, trailer with all necessary materials in order to achieve their goals, but do not participate directly in the decision, unless the disciples to ask for their help. Transactional Leadership Style Transactional leadership style was first described by Max Weber in 1947 and later in 1981 by Bernard Bass. In this style he mainly used management to focus on transactional leaders. They guide their followers and motivated them by a system of rewards and punishments. There are two factors that are the basis of this system, rewards and management by exception. Offers rewards contingent rewards, both material and psychological for the efforts and recognize good performance. Management by exception allows the driver to maintain the status quo. Occurs when the subordinates do not meet an acceptable level of performance and corrective intervene to improve performance. Management by exception relieves managers, as they are called in when employees are away from. Comparison of the Five Leadership Styles Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision making or better informed when the leader of the member of the group. The paternalistic leader promotes the organization because she workers to perform tasks, so you can allow them to stay on top of their work. A worker task that boosts confidence and makes them work harder to achieve a goal and to exceed proved that they work hard. With this style of management can also help a reward system. This system allows employees to better, because there is something for them at the end of the tunnel. While doing this, they will also be able to perform more work in a given period. The democratic style requires the leader to decide who should be called within the group and make the right decisions and to participate and vote. Democratic leadership will give you better ideas and creative solutions to problems because the group members are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas. Although democratic leadership style is one of the most effective leadership, it has some potential drawbacks. The laissez-faire style effective for use: †¢ The fans are highly qualified, experienced and educated. †¢ The fans are proud of their work and will do it on their own. †¢ Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants are used. †¢ The fans are experienced and trustworthy. This style should not be used if: †¢ The followers a sense of insecurity to the unavailability of a leader. †¢ The leader cannot or do not regularly reporting back to their disciples Effective leadership styles Uni-Lever Brothers In large multinational companies such as Uni-Lever Brothers Company endorsed the concept of leadership not only with traditional dimensions such as strokes and styles, but also at the level of the leadership skills developed through the process generated history of organizational learning. It forms what is believed to lead can affect considerable strategic importance, announced the general performance of the multinational Unilever in 2001 â€Å"Path to Growth† of the new strategy by the number of products in its portfolio in 1200 400 to instead Unilever brands create a space for global growth. A key strategy as â€Å"building a corporate culture† aims to encourage employees to gain market behavior due to their state of mind, passion and motivation. This culture has been developed through an organizational restructuring, assessment, workshops and awards. The most important is the strategic reorientation model combines Unilever new skill, leadership for the growth profile (LGP), and the following elements. First of all, everyone in the company should have a vision for growth. Growth is considered the key criteria for the conduct of employees of Unilever. Second, any increase in growth through the implementation and for other growth stimulating. Third, it is important to get the commitment of growth. And defining a new set of skills LGP / factors and the use of management development and recruitment Unilever tries to change the behavior of managers and increase behaviors that are related to the strategic objectives of growth. Unilever said Expatriate Manager Orientation power is lower than the other cultural attribute value to the company. Low score on this scale reflects the heritage management and previous painful realities of economic transition. Effective Leadership Styles in the Pharmaceutical Shaheen The basic goal of the pharmaceutical industry Shaheen is to produce high quality medicines at affordable prices with the latest technology and a highly technical. To achieve this goal, the Company has GLP, GMP and ISO 9001:2000 GWP requirements and continual improvement of their management and marketing tasks. Shaheen Pharmaceuticals by style bureaucratic activities of the HR department, that all core businesses which position a person has only one main HRD activities. Shaheen pharmacy has one of the best systems management career. The Company periodically reviews its employees and as far as the improvement of their career is to be feared, the company has an appropriate strategic planning, through which it raised the level of staff training. The company offers workshops, seminars, visits, key employees and other pharmaceutical training courses that focus on the injection of expertise and professionalism of the staff. TASK 2 ORGANISATIONAL THEORIES Organizational theory as â€Å"the study of organizations in favor of the identification of common themes in order to solve problems, the maximization of the efficiency and productivity and to meet the needs of the stakeholder organization theories are theories of classical, neo-classical and modern. It complements studies of organizational behavior studies and Human Resource Management. Organizational theory aims to understand the structure within organizations. The research aims to find out if it. Better way of structuring organizations, or if it varies depending on the situation. Another goal is to understand what causes. These theories are further categorized into three categories namely classical, neo classical and modern theories. Advantages and disadvantages of the classical theory of management practice Although classical perspective promotes efficiency, it is often to ignore the needs of people criticized. Moreover, it is rarely considered human error or the variability of the performance. One of the advantages of the traditional management structure is a clear organizational hierarchy with three levels of separate management. Each management group has its own goals and responsibilities. One of the advantages of the classical approach to management is the division of labor. The projects are divided into small tasks easy to accomplish. The division of labor leads to increased productivity and efficiency, because the workers should not multitask. According to the classical theory of management, employees must be motivated by financial rewards. Owner of a small business can take to motivate this approach by staff to achieve production. The approach of the autocratic leadership is the central part of the classical management theory. The autocratic leadership approach is generally to be made quickly by a chieftain of small decisions without a large group of people, such as advising a board. Small businesses, sole proprietorships, may have a particular advantage in this approach because they have a strong leader need to grow. Classical management theory was rigid and mechanistic and it is a clear inadequacy of the classical organization theory. Its main drawback is that it has tried to explain the motivation of the people who work strictly for economic success. Another weakness of the classical organizational theory rests on the assumption that all organizations are somewhat similar. Thompson and McHugh (2002: 6) Quote Salaman (1979: 33), which states: â€Å"A real organizational sociology is not by the efforts of some analysts helped organization hypotheses about organizations in general to develop an amalgam of these examples as diverse as voluntary organizations, charities and political organizations. Advantages and disadvantages of neoclassical theory in practice management The human relations movement developed in response to the strong and authoritarian structure of the classical theory. He raised many questions which theory from the classical. The most serious objection to the classical theory is that it created on the compliance and stiffness, wading creativity, personal growth and motivation. Neoclassical theory appears genuine concern for human needs. Neoclassical theory focuses on individual behavior or group, and the relationships determine productivity. The main features of the neoclassical approach are individual group work and participatory management style. Neoclassical theorists have recognized the importance of individual and collective behavior and emphasized human relationships. Based on the Hawthorne experiments, stressed the neoclassical approach, the relationship between the social or human operators, researchers and regulators (Roethlisberger and Dickson, 1943). It has been argued that these considerations were consistent determination productivity as simple changes in working conditions. Productivity gains achieved as a result of high morale, which was affected by the amount of each employee, personal attention and get intimate. Advantages and disadvantages of the modern theory of management practice Modern theories are based on the idea that the organization is a scalable system that must adapt to changes in their environment. Modern theories are systemic approach, the socio-technical approach and the concept of contingency or situation. The systems approach views the organization as a system consisting of a series of interconnected composed and interdependent subsystems. The socio-technical approach is to look up the organization as a social system, the technical system and its environment. They interact with each other and it is necessary, according to balance for the effective functioning of the institution. The contingency or situational approach recognizes that organizational systems are interrelated with their environment and different environments call for different organizational relationships for effective organization. Some major features of the modern approaches of the organization are: †¢ Theses approaches are a systemic and dynamic process of viewing and interaction. †¢ These approaches are multilevel, probabilistic, multi-motivated and multidimensional in nature.

H&M marketing Essay

Q1. To what extent is H&M marketing orientated? What evidence is there in the case to support your view? Market orientation is when a company organizes its activities, products and services around the wants and needs of its customers. In the case of H&M it can be seen that the organization follows the market orientation philosophy as it focuses on the needs and wants of the customers before making its products. The company recognizes the ongoing slump in the world economy and sees the fact that it is hard for consumers to buy expensive fashion clothing so it comes up with the idea of trendy and fashionable clothes but within the reach of the common man. From the case study there is evidence of the company following and believing in market orientation school of thought. For example, H&M has its strong footholds in both Europe and the US but the way they market and sell their products in these two regions is very different. In Europe H&M is seen as more of a department store however in the US the company targets the young and more fashion conscious females. In other case H&M keeps the customers and there wants in mind when designing or launching a new product line, as seen from the case study, Ann-Sofie Johansson a designer for H&M admits that finding the needs of the customers is very important, she says and admits that she used to follow people off the subway and questioned them about their fashion needs. Q2. Into which cell of the efficiency-effectiveness matrix does H&M fall? Justify your answer. Efficiency means doing the thing right and Effectiveness means doing the right thing. In regards to the matrix H&M is both efficient and effective. Efficiency is achieved when a company produces its goods economically, by keeping overheads and costs to the minimum, H&M does the same, it outsources its production to low cost countries like China, Bangladesh etc thus saving up on cheap labor. A company is effective in markets when its strategy is successful within the consumers. H&M successfully achieves this as not only H&M customers buy their products but they also become loyal customers to the brand as it is of an affordable price as well as in line with fashion, H&M recognizes that there products do not last long but it does not affect them or their customer as both of them know that the customer will buy a particular coat or jacket for only a season. For example in the case study it shows the comparison of prices between Dolce and Gabbana trench coat worth 600 pounds and that of H&M’s 35 pounds trench coat. Q3.What is the basis of the customer value H&M provides for its customers? Customer value is the consumer’s assessment of the product’s overall capacity to satisfy his or her needs. In the case of H&M the company does its best to satisfy its customers’ needs and does well in it. The basic formula of the company is the cheap-chic formula in which the customers are provided with cheap yet fashionable products. This formula of the company has been there since the beginning of the company and has been successful since, the foremost reason for this is the cheap price of the product as well as the freshness of the product. The company does not believe in stacking high inventory as it also raises costs as and makes the product obsolete as well. Q4. What are the marketing benefits to H&M of commissioning Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney to design limited edition clothing ranges? Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney are both famous designers working for high priced and luxury clothing brands like Chanel. Employing both these designers was a very effective strategy implemented by H&M which turned out to be quite efficient as well because even after employing such high priced designers H&M could sell off their new range with nominal prices like 55-70 pounds. The marketing benefits which H&M achieved were that their customers felt that not only H&M provided their customers with cheap fashionable clothes but also cheap designer clothes which is quite rare in the fashion industry. This was proven by the range of Karl Lagerfeld being sold within hours of its launch at the H&M stores. Q5. What challenges are likely to face H&M in the future? Since the formation of the company it has been experiencing growth in its markets and achieving higher profits in comparison with its competitors, for example in 2005 H&M had a pre-tax profit of 1 Billion pound on sales of 4.5 Billion whereas GAP; a competitor of H&M had profits of 978million pounds on sales of 8.7 Billion. However H&M will have to cautious in regards of the future as the economy is still showing a downward trend which is directly proportional to the consumer’s net disposable income, because fashionable and trendy clothes are wants of the consumers not needs. Secondly many other small brands recognize the strategy of H&M and may provide completion to the company in its sector of cheap fashion clothing. So H&M should have a plan to counter these threats which can become a challenge for the company. Q6. Do you consider the marketing of disposable clothes contrary to societal welfare? Justify your answer? H&M treats fashion as a perishable product; the company keeps its costs low and passes on the low cost to the consumer in the form of cheap yet fashionable clothes. In regards to the question, no, I do not consider marketing of disposable fashion opposite to societal welfare. Cheap and trendy clothes keep the customers satisfied within their disposable income which in itself is for the betterment of society.

Masculinity in Science Fiction Essay

Throughout the past couple of centuries science fiction has become one of the most popular genres worldwide. Thousands of people of different age, gender, racial and ethnical origin submerge into a world where the level of technological development is incredibly high, and where the machines often seem to dominate their creators, humans. To begin the essay we should first give the definition for what the science fiction is. So, the Wikipedia says that: â€Å"Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals.† Scientists have long been arguing about the reasons that make science fiction so popular among the readers. The realm, depicted in science fiction novels isn’t magical or fairy, like the fantasy world is. On the contrary, it’s often more cruel and merciless than our reality is. One of the main hypothesis is that people like to drift into the worlds of robots, intelligent machines and spaceships because there the easy ways to solving the emerging problems exist. In most of those books there is little attention paid to the human to human relations. On the contrary, the problems that are dealt in science fiction novels are rather more global than the relations between the individuals. The authors of this kind of books prefer to write about the rise and fall of the empires, about the giant wars, won or lost with the help of the mind, intrigues and power. For lots of people in our Western, highly individualistic world, reading science fiction books is one of the few ways to forget about the necessity to maintain and keep social relations with others. Nowadays, when the society allows us, its members, to open and develop our individuality freely, communication between the individuals becomes more and more complicated, as people, given the opportunity to develop the way they want, find more differences between each other, so that they have less in common with each passing year. This fact, combined with the absence of the defined standards of communication that existed in traditional societies, make communication a tough task for the contemporary people. It’s well known, that women adapt easier and faster than the man do, thus they experience less difficulties in adjusting to this new way of communication. On the contrary, men are those who sometimes experience severe troubles when some advanced form of social interaction is required. Thus, man read science fiction in order to transfer themselves in the world where mind and power decide a lot, and emotions are usually seen as something lateral and even useless. This hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that males comprise the main auditory for the books, shows and films in this genre. In order to better understand what is science fiction about, and why is it preferred by man, we’ll research the inner genres science fiction has in it. Kay Fowler offers his classification for the genres of science fiction which is: World at Risk SF and Apocalyptic Science Fiction Political/Massive War/Doomsday Weapons Disaster Alien Invasion/Conquest of Earth Plague/Disease/Epidemic Agricultural/Ecological/Population Disasters Far Future or Ancient History-Future History . Utopias/Dystopias/and in-between Utopia near utopias; ambiguous utopias, heterotopias Dystopias Alternate Earth/Alternate History (What If?) Time Travel, Time Paradoxes, Time Patrolling, Time Wars, Alternate Time Lines Religion/Theology/Anti-religion and Science Fiction Space Opera Robots, Androids, Cyborgs, Clones and Cyberbunk/Virtual Reality, Genetic Engineering, and Nanotechnology. World Building/Terraforming/Scientific and Social Inventiveness ESP/Telepathy/Psi Powers Underwater living/ocean worlds Human Colonization/Conquest of Other Worlds Feminist Science Fiction/Alternate Sexualities/Gender Benders SF with a theme of deafness or a focus on non-oral communication (Kay Fowler, Themes/Genres in Science Fiction: An idiosyncratic and woefully incomplete list) As you can note from the list above, science fiction is mostly the literature of action, the field of action for the active people, warriors, politicians and scientists, where there is little place for emotions and emotional life. Contemporary critics say that science fiction is one of the genres whose main characteristic is reflecting and reproducing masculinity, creating the specific, sometimes even perverted image of it in the minds of those who fancy this kind of literature. Of course, some researchers of the SF literature consider that: â€Å"science fiction †¦ seem(s) also to promise more freedom than do non-genre literature to imagine alternatives to the privileged assumptions of heterosexuality and masculinity that suffuse our culture », as it is noted in The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts.   But, in the reality, the authors of the SF books put â€Å"the male as the central role and in a position of power†, as it is noted in the article Science fiction’s use of Utopian and Dystopian visions of the future in relation to challenging boundaries of gender and / or sexuality. Today, when the amount of novels, stories and tales written in this genre is enormous, science fiction authors will do anything to attract the reader’s attention to their novel. Some years ago, when the SF began its rapid development, it was new and original to make the protagonist of the story female. Unfortunately, for most of the SF writers it meant only the change of setting or decorations, not touching the key points of their writings. To attract the readers’ (and, as we can recall, those are mostly males) attention they   provide their main protagonist with huge eyes and breasts, enormously long legs and a tempting smile, but inside their â€Å"heroines† are as masculine as any male monster slayer with the huge gun is. Thus, changing the decorations for their stories, the authors evade the convictions in gender discrimination, in the same time attracting new waves of male readers who are longing to read about the long-legged half-naked amazons fighting with the evil. Thus, the heroes of science fiction novels are mostly males to the marrow of their bones, and it doesn’t depend of their physical sex. Science fiction literature usually describes conflict situations, like war, ethical, racial or cultural conflicts. The protagonists of the science fiction stories are always the people of action; those who possess notable decision-making skills, and are able to actualize their choices immediately. If we analyze current researches in the field of gender psychology, a conclusion can be deduced that those qualities characterize mostly males, while women are considered to be more of the facilitators, peace makers. Stereotypical women behavior is characterized by irrationality, which’s doesn’t belong to the features that characterize this genre. A considerable part of science fiction novels and stories are characterized by the external conflict between the protagonists of the story. Of course the existing external conflict in science fiction, like in some of the other genres, is often the reflection of the internal protagonist’s conflict, but in most science fiction stories this internal clash is moved on the background of the story. Most SF stories are written for the man to allow them to drift into the world, where power and mind is the key to solving all of the existing problems. The external conflict in the story is usually characterized by the considerable amount of power the opposing characters possess, for whether it is physical or mental. Power is the key to becoming a winner in the clash, which’s the only goal the masculine protagonists usually have in mind. Another gaze into the gender psychology study book provides us with the information that the necessity to prove one’s superiority by becoming a winner in some conflict is also mainly male characteristic. Science fiction novels are usually the stories describing concrete situations, where the plot develops, and one event causes another. To cut the long story short, SF books are usually based on logical interpretation of the events. The causal consecutive ties there are usually very strong, thus there are usually little unfinished plot lines and the events that do not have any substantional meaning to the development of the plot of the story. All the technologies used in the story are scientifically validated, the principles of their operation are usually explained or understandable to the readers, in contradiction to the principles that stipulate the usage of magic in fantasy books.   One of the reasons for which less women read science fiction than man do, is the lack of the elements of decoration that make the book â€Å"alive† in women’s opinion. In the feminine literature the event that is described or the person that appeared may be introduced only in order to help the reader to feel the atmosphere of the setting described by the author. Only few of the science fiction novels hold such seemingly useless elements in them, while in all of the others â€Å"every gun that’s hanging on the wall is going to fire†, and every person appearing, and every action been committed are the basis for some further development of the plot, as Justine Larbalestier proves in his research book The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction. Science fiction novels’ protagonists are also often characterized by their orientation on victory. It’s a usual pattern of action for the SF heroes to fight the things they don’t like or don’t understand. They rarely seek for the round-abouts for reaching their goals, preferring the straight and habitual way of defeating and destroying the things that prevent them from getting the needed things. Such a way of solving the problems is also mostly male characteristic. For women the strategy would rather be to understand the enemy, to find the reasons for which he’s opposing and try to get rid of them, preferably uniting their forces with the past rivals. Women tend to understand and not to fight, as destroying diverges with the basic female ideals, while creation is their field.   But, as we can note, there are fewer science fiction novels that tell about the cooperation between the aliens and people, than of those, that describe the wars between the different races. In addition, most of the novels that actually describe that cooperation show it is based on the military, political or economic needs only. Actually, the situation with the aliens’ psycho type for lots of SF writers is the same as it is with gender appurtenant of the protagonists. The description of the aliens’ phenotype is called to create the impression in the consumer’s mind that humans in the story are contacting with the creatures totally different from them, but if the reader looks closer he begins to feel himself pigeoned, as there are the same humans under the scary carnival masks. Unfortunately, only a small amount of the writers puts an effort to design the psycho type different from the humans’ one.   Of course, most of them don’t even need it, as it’s not necessary and is even harmful to research the enemy’s psychology thoroughly, as it may summon sympathy or, which’s even worse, the desire to find the reasons for the antagonist’s inappropriate behavior. Psychologists prove this is typically masculine approach to problem-solving. That’s why only a few books describe cultural cooperation between the people and aliens. Human to human cooperation has been thoroughly researched and described, so it’s ineffective to create the â€Å"human in masks† type of aliens, while creating and designing the psychology of the race much different from humans requires lots of time and effort. Science fiction got its name because of the numerous elements of scientific research and the results of progress that characterize the books written in this genre. Science is the world of rationality, of the casual-consecutive bonds, where all the events have their reasons, and provoke certain consequences, the world where the miracle is unlikely, because it deprives that world of the reality it possesses. Introducing miracle in SF novel is the same as bringing the atomic bomb into the world of the faeries and dragons. If it is done without the proper skills only the excellent writers possess, those new elements ruin the authenticity of the imaginary world, making it look like a child’s picture with the broken proportions. SF world is primordially opposite to the woman’ irrational view of the surrounding world, the place where the content is valued and the form is neglected. Most of the science fiction worlds demand their protagonist to belong to one of the two categories, either the warrior or the scientist, in order to survive in the surrounding society. Of course there are woman whose nature is of one of this two types, but for most of the females those roles are unfamiliar and unwanted. It sometimes happens in the SF that the woman have to play those roles despite of their desires or longings in order to survive, but most writers prefer to describe the beings that feel themselves comfortable in those two roles, as only than their heroes are capable of actualizing their hidden potential and revealing some of the inner qualities.   Thus they prefer to write about males, who are naturally designed to play those roles. It is also important for the science fiction protagonist to be centered on the goals put before him by the gods, doom or just the consequences, and the science fiction writers know that man are much more suitable for this role than woman are. Realistic heroine will be distracted dozens of times a day from her high mission by the cute kitty mioving, new wrinkle appeared or the handsome man walking nearby. It is also worthy of mentioning that science fiction literature rarely describes the societies where the human’s individuality is valued. For most of the heroes their surroundings are not valued for their personal qualities, but for the things they can do, thus the notion of personality is often replaced by the notion of function in the mind of the protagonist of the SF novel. This also belongs to the typical masculine qualities, described by the gender psychologists. Te contemporary world becomes more and more feminine with each passing year, and the science fiction is often used to , distract the males’ attention from this fact. Using the example of Terminator 2, Amanda Fernbach in her article The Fetishization of Masculinity in Science Fiction: The Cyborg and the Console Cowboy says that: â€Å"Ordinary masculinity lacks, and the technological Terminator represents a fetishized, idealized masculinity that is a desirable alternative. In Terminator 2, the Terminator represents an idealized phallic masculinity heavily dependent upon technofetishes to ward off the anxieties of the male spectator faced with the prospect of a future vision of castrated masculinity. Although he learns to make jokes, the Terminator admits he could never cry. He becomes more human in every way except those that display weakness or vulnerability.† Thus we can make a conclusion that science fiction is a genre designed specially for man in order to solve some of their psychological problems and satisfy some of their needs. SF is designed for man and about them, at least most of the examples are. References Fernbach, A   2000, The Fetishization of Masculinity in Science Fiction: The Cyborg and the Console Cowboy. Science Fiction Studies, Volume 27, Part 2 Fowler. K 1999, Themes/Genres in Science Fiction:   An idiosyncratic and woefully incomplete list. Ramaro College of New-Jersey. Viewed 11 May, 2005.   http://orion.ramapo.edu/~kfowler/sfthemes.html Larbalestier, J 2002, The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction. Wesleyan University Press Science fiction. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. Viewed 11 May, 2005  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction> Science fiction’s use of Utopian and Dystopian visions of the future in relation to challenging boundaries of gender and / or sexuality. 2002,   Viewed 11 May, 2005 http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/papers/sf_gits_esca.doc. Summers. C (ed) 2004, The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts. Cleis Press.      

Dentistry and St. Louis Essays

Dentistry and St. Louis Essays Dentistry and St. Louis Paper Dentistry and St. Louis Paper 1. American Academy of Periodontology. Glossary of periodontal terms. 4th ed. Chicago: American Academy of Periodontology; 2001. *2. Anusavice KJ, Phillips RW. Phillips science of dental materials. 11th ed. St. Louis: W. B. Saunders; 2003. 3. Aschheim KW, Dale BG. Esthetic dentistry: a clinical approach to techniques and materials. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2001. 4. Ash MM, Nelson SJ. Wheelers dental anatomy, physiology, and occlusion. 8th ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders; 2003. 5. Ash MM, Ramfjord S. Occlusion. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1995. 6. Avery JK, Chiego DJ. Essentials of oral histology and embryology: a clinical approach. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby, Elsevier; 2006. 7. Bagg J. Essentials of microbiology for dental students. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2005. 8. Baynes JW, Dominiczak MH. Medical biochemistry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Mosby; 2005. 9. Berne RM, Levy MN, Koeppen BM, Stanton BA. Physiology. 5th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. 10. Block MS, Kent JN, Guerra L. Implants in dentistry: essentials of endosseous implants for maxillofacial reconstruction. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1997. 11. Brown P, Herbranson E. Tooth atlas. 5th ed.: Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 2007. 12. Burt BA, Eklund SA. Dentistry, dental practice, and the community. 6th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders; 2005. * 13. Carr AB, McGivney GP, Brown DT, McCracken WL. McCrackens removable partial prosthodontics. 11th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2005. * 14. Cohen S, Burns RC. Pathways of the pulp. 9th ed. St. Louis: Mosby, Elsevier; 2006. *15. Craig RG, Powers JM, Sakaguchi RL. Craigs restorative dental materials. 12th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. 16. Craig RG, Powers JM, Wataha JC. Dental materials: properties and manipulation. 8th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. 17. Daskalogiannakis J. Glossary of orthodontic terms. Chicago; London: Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 2000. 18. Dorland WAN. Dorlands illustrated medical dictionary. 31st ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2007. * 19. Enlow DH, Hans MG. Essentials of facial growth. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders; 1996. 20. Finkbeiner B. Mosbys comprehensive review of dental assisting. Mosby; 1997. 21. Finkbeiner BL, Finkbeiner CA. Practice management for the dental team. 6th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2006. 22. Forest D. Medecine buccale: methodologie du diagnostic. 2e ed. Boucherville, Quebec: G. Morin; 1994. 23. Gage TW, Pickett FA. Mosbys dental drug reference. 7th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby; 2005. 24. Gartner LP, Hiatt JL. Color textbook of histology. 3rd ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier Saunders; 2007. 25. Gluck GM, Morganstein WM. Jongs community dental health. 5th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2003. * 26. Graber TM, Vanarsdall RL, Vig KWL. Orthodontics: current principles techniques. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby; 2005. * 27. Guyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of medical physiology. 11th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2006. 28. Haines DE. Fundamental neuroscience for basic and clinical applications. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier; 2006. * 29. Brunton LL, Lazo J, Parker K. Goodman Gilmans pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 11th ed. : McGraw-Hill; 2006. * 30. Ingle JI. PDQ endodontics. 5th ed. : BC Decker Inc. ; 2005. 31. Ingle JI, Bakland LK. Endodontics. 5th ed. Hamilton, Ont. London: BC Decker Inc. ; 2002. 32. Jekel JF. Epidemiology, biostatistics, and preventive medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2007. 33. Jordan RE. Esthetic composite bonding: techniques and materials. 2nd ed. St. Louis;Toronto: Mosby Year Book; 1993. *34. Katzung BG. Basic and clinical pharmacology. 10th ed. : McGraw-Hill Professional; 2007. 35. Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N, Robbins SL, Cotran RS. Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease / [edited by] Vinay Kumar, Abul K. Abbas, Nelson Fausto ; with. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2005. * 36. Kumar V, Robbins SL. Robbins basic pathology. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2007. 37. Langlais RP. Exercises in oral radiology and interpretation. 4th ed. St. Louis: Saunders; 2004. 38. Liebgott B. The anatomical basis of dentistry. 2nd ed. St. Louis; Toronto: Mosby; 2001. *39. Little JW. Dental management of the medically compromised patient. 7th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2008. 40. Logan BM, Reynolds PA, Hutchings RT, McMinn RMH. McMinns color atlas of head and neck anatomy. 3rd ed. Edinburgh; Toronto: Mosby; 2004. 41. Lund JP. Orofacial pain: from basic science to clinical management. Chicago: Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 2001. 42. Malamed SF. Sedation: a guide to patient management. 4th ed. St. Louis; Toronto: Mosby; 2003. 43. Malamed SF. Handbook of local anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby; 2004. 44. Malamed SF, Orr DL. Medical emergencies in the dental office.6th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. 45. Male D. Immunology. 7th ed. : Mosby Inc. ; 2006. *46. McDonald RE, Avery DR, Dean JA. Dentistry for the child and adolescent. 8th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. * 47. Misch CE. Contemporary implant dentistry. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 1999. 48. Mohl ND. A textbook of occlusion. Chicago: Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 1988. 49. Moore KL, Persaud TVN. The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2003. 50. Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Medical microbiology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Mosby; 2005. 51. Nanci A, Ten Cate AR. Ten Cates oral histology: development, structure, and function. 6th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2003. *52. Neville BW. Oral maxillofacial pathology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia; Toronto: W. B. Saunders; 2002. *53. Newman MG. Carranzas clinical periodontology. 10th ed. : W. B. Saunders; 2006. 54. Nisengard RJ, Newman MG. Oral microbiology and immunology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia; Montreal: Saunders; 1994. 55. Nizel AE, Papas AS. Nutrition in clinical dentistry. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1989. 56. Nolte J, Sundsten JW. The human brain: an introduction to its functional anatomy. 5th ed. St. Louis; Toronto: Mosby; 2002. 57. Okeson JP. Management of temporomandibular disorders and occlusion. 5th ed. St. Louis; Toronto: Mosby; 2003. * 58. Peterson LJ. Contemporary oral and maxillofacial surgery. 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2003. *59. Phoenix RD, Cagna DR, DeFreest CF, Stewart KL. Stewarts clinical removable partial prosthodontics. 3rd ed. Chicago: Quintessence; 2003. 60. Pinkham JR. Pediatric dentistry: infancy through adolescence. 4th ed. Philadelphia; London: Elsevier Saunders; 2005. * 61. Proffit WR, Fields HW, Sarver DM. Contemporary orthodontics. 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. * 62. Regezi JA, Sciubba JJ, Jordan RCK. Oral pathology: clinical pathologic correlations. 4th ed. St. Louis: Saunders; 2003. * 63. Roberson TM, Heymann H, Swift EJ, Sturdevant CM. Sturdevants art and science of operative dentistry. 5th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. * 64. Rose LF, Mealey BL. Periodontics: medicine, surgery and implants. Elsevier Mosby; 2004. *65. Rosenstiel SF, Land MF, Fujimoto J. Contemporary fixed prosthodontics. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby; 2006. * 66. Samaranayake LP. Essential microbiology for dentistry. 3rd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2006. * 67. Sapp JP, Eversole LR, Wysocki GP. Contemporary oral and maxillofacial pathology. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. 68. Shillingburg HT, Jacobi R, Brackett SE. Fundamentals of tooth preparations for cast metal and porcelain restorations. 2nd ed. : Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 1991. * 69. Shillingburg HT. Fundamentals of fixed prosthodontics. 3rd ed. Chicago: Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 1997. 70. Sonis ST, Fazio RC, Fang LST. Principles and practice of oral medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 1995. * 71. Standring S, Ellis H, Healey JC. Grays anatomy, the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 39th ed. : Elsevier; 2005. 72. Stevens A, Lowe JS, Young B. Wheaters basic histopathology: a colour atlas and text. 4th ed. Edinburgh; Toronto: Churchill Livingstone; 2002. *73. Summitt JB. Fundamentals of operative dentistry: a contemporary approach. 3rd ed. Chicago: Quintessence Publishing Co. ; 2006. * 74. Walton RE, Torabinejad M. Principles and practice of endodontics. 3rd ed. Philadelphia; London: Saunders; 2002. * 75. Weine FS. Endodontic therapy. 6th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. * 76. White SC, Pharoah MJ. Oral radiology: principles and interpretation. 5th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. *77. Wood NK. Review of diagnosis, oral medicine, radiology, and treatment planning. 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 1999. 78. Yagiela JA, Dowd FJ, Neidle EA. Pharmacology and therapeutics for dentistry. 5th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. 79. Young B. Wheaters functional histology: a text and colour atlas. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier; 2006. * 80. Zarb GA, Bolender CL, Eckert SE. Prosthodontic treatment for edentulous patients: complete dentures and implant-supported prostheses. 12th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2004. 81. Zwemer T. Mosbys dental dictionnary. 2nd ed. : Mosby Inc. ; 2004.

Free Essays on Organic Farming Movement

â€Å"You can’t have any dessert until you finish your vegetables.† A phrase anyone can relate to whether you are the 5 year old receiving these harsh demands to eat your colorful, vitamin enriched food, or if you are the parent giving out these healthy demands. The parent telling their children to eat their vegetables knows that vegetables are nature’s way of providing nutrients that are essential for the human body. A question that has been in the making for almost a century now, is that really all these vegetables are providing to our loved ones. Are there hazardous chemicals in our food? Numerous groups and individuals know the answer is yes, and have found refuge in the organic way of life. Organic farms are now well-regulated thank you to legislation passed in the year 2000 that have just recently been enforced this passed year in 2002. These were not the goals of the organic farming movement, which can be ultimate traced down a very narrow path, but deep into the beginning of the 20th century. The focus will be to introduce the pioneers of the organic movement on a linear line through time to the point where the concerns of these pioneers were finally in the public domain. Once the early pioneers have been recognized, the movement will be clearly identified, with groups forming to bring about change. The ideas brought forth by the groups and their leaders will be discussed also on a linear line, showing how the group’s demands change as time changes. Finally the present day will be discussed, concerning where the groups are now and their position on current legislation. In the early 1900s, Sir Albert Howard, a Chemical Botanist to the Government of the Raj at Pusa in India, carried out a variety of noted agricultural experiments. Observing the reaction of properly grown varieties of plants subjected to insects and other pests, Howard found the primary factor in soil management was a consistent supply of fresh humus prepare... Free Essays on Organic Farming Movement Free Essays on Organic Farming Movement â€Å"You can’t have any dessert until you finish your vegetables.† A phrase anyone can relate to whether you are the 5 year old receiving these harsh demands to eat your colorful, vitamin enriched food, or if you are the parent giving out these healthy demands. The parent telling their children to eat their vegetables knows that vegetables are nature’s way of providing nutrients that are essential for the human body. A question that has been in the making for almost a century now, is that really all these vegetables are providing to our loved ones. Are there hazardous chemicals in our food? Numerous groups and individuals know the answer is yes, and have found refuge in the organic way of life. Organic farms are now well-regulated thank you to legislation passed in the year 2000 that have just recently been enforced this passed year in 2002. These were not the goals of the organic farming movement, which can be ultimate traced down a very narrow path, but deep into the beginning of the 20th century. The focus will be to introduce the pioneers of the organic movement on a linear line through time to the point where the concerns of these pioneers were finally in the public domain. Once the early pioneers have been recognized, the movement will be clearly identified, with groups forming to bring about change. The ideas brought forth by the groups and their leaders will be discussed also on a linear line, showing how the group’s demands change as time changes. Finally the present day will be discussed, concerning where the groups are now and their position on current legislation. In the early 1900s, Sir Albert Howard, a Chemical Botanist to the Government of the Raj at Pusa in India, carried out a variety of noted agricultural experiments. Observing the reaction of properly grown varieties of plants subjected to insects and other pests, Howard found the primary factor in soil management was a consistent supply of fresh humus prepare...

How to Write a Homeschool Progress Report

How to Write a Homeschool Progress Report For many homeschool families, tasks for wrapping up the school year include writing an annual progress report or compiling a portfolio. The job doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. In fact, it’s often a delightful opportunity to reflect on the complete school year. Why Write a Homeschool Progress Report? A progress report may seem unnecessary for homeschooled students. After all, isnt the point of a progress report to let parents know how their children are doing in school? Its true that, as a homeschooling parent, you dont need a report from your childs teacher to know how he is advancing academically. However, for some reasons you might want to complete an annual assessment of your students progress. Meeting state laws.  The homeschooling laws for many states require that parents write an annual progress report or compile a portfolio for each student. Some parents must submit the report or portfolio to a governing body or an educational liaison while others are only required to keep such documents on file. Assessment of progress.  Writing a progress report also provides a means for objectively assessing how much your students have learned, experienced, and accomplished over the course of the school year. Comparing these reports year after year can reveal your child’s strengths and weaknesses and help you chart their overall academic development. Feedback for the nonteaching parent.  Progress reports can provide an interesting snapshot of your homeschool year for the non-teaching parent. Sometimes the teaching parent, who is with the kids every day, doesn’t realize all the moments that the nonteaching parent misses. Feedback for your students.  A homeschool progress report  can provide valuable feedback for your students, helping them identify areas that need improvement and recognize patterns of strength. Consider having your students complete a self-evaluation to include with the report you write. Providing a keepsake.  Finally, detailed homeschool progress reports become cherished keepsakes over the course of your childs school years. Writing a report for your first-grader may seem an unnecessary  chore, but you’ll read it with fondness when she’s about to graduate high school. What to Include in a Homeschool Progress Report If youve never written a progress report, you may be unsure what you need to include. Your states homeschool laws may dictate the components to some degree. Beyond that, a progress report can be as concise or as detailed as youd like to make it. Basic details.  A homeschool progress report should include basic, factual information about your student, regardless of whether you are required to  submit it  to anyone. You will likely enjoy looking back over these reports as your student  gets older, so be sure to include details such as age and grade level, along with a photo. Resource list. Include a resource list for your school year. This  list may include the titles and authors of your homeschool curriculum, websites visited, and online classes. You may also want to add a course description for the classes your student completed. List the titles of books your children read as well as family read-alouds.  Include outside classes such as co-op, driver’s education,  or music. List any nationally standardized tests your students completed along with their scores. Activities.  List  your student’s  extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, or scouting. Note any awards or recognition received. Log volunteer hours, community service, and part-time jobs held. List any field trips taken. Work samples.  You may wish to include work samples such as essays, projects, and artwork. Include photos of hands-on projects that your students complete. You can include completed tests, but dont use those exclusively. Tests dont show the full spectrum of your students education. Even though you and your student may want to forget the areas of struggle, keeping samples that capture them can help you see progress in the coming years. Grades and attendance.  If your state requires a certain number of school days or hours, include that in your report. If you give formal grades, even satisfactory or needs improvement, add those to your progress report. Using a Scope and Sequence to Write a Progress Report One method of writing a progress report is to use the scope and sequence of your homeschool materials to help you outline the skills and concepts your child has started or mastered. A scope and sequence is a list of all the concepts, skills, and topics that the curriculum covers and the order in which they are  introduced. You can find this list in most homeschool curricula. If yours doesnt include it, check the table of contents’ main subheadings for ideas on what to include in your childs progress report. This simple, somewhat clinical method is a quick and easy option for meeting state laws. First,  list each subject you covered in your homeschool during the year. Some examples include: MathHistory/social studiesScienceLanguage artsReadingArtDramaPhysical education Then, under each heading, note the benchmarks your student achieved, along with those that are in progress and those to which he was introduced. For example, under math, you might list accomplishments such as: Skip counting by 2s, 5’s, and 10’sCounting and writing to 100Ordinal numbersAddition and subtractionEstimationGraphing You may want to include a code after each, such as A (achieved), IP (in progress), and I (introduced). In addition to your homeschool curriculum’s scope and sequence, a typical course of study reference may help you to consider all the concepts your student has covered over the year and help you identify those she may need to work on next year. Writing a Narrative Homeschool Progress Report A narrative progress report is another option- a bit more personal and composed in a more conversational style. These can be written as a  journal entry snapshot, indicating what your children have learned each year. With a narrative progress report, you as the homeschool teacher  can highlight a student’s progress, include observations about areas of strength and weakness, and record details about your child’s developmental progress. You can also add notes about any  academic struggles you’ve observed and areas  on which you’d like to focus on in the upcoming year. Whichever method you choose, writing a progress report doesn’t have to be tedious. It’s an opportunity to reflect on all that you and your homeschooled students have accomplished during the year and begin to focus on the promise of the upcoming year.

Introduction to the Dirac Delta Function

Introduction to the Dirac Delta Function The Dirac delta function is the name given to a mathematical structure that is intended to represent an idealized point object, such as a point mass or point charge. It has broad applications within quantum mechanics and the rest of quantum physics, as it is usually used within the quantum wavefunction. The delta function is represented with the Greek lowercase symbol delta, written as a function: ÃŽ ´(x). How the Delta Function Works This representation is achieved by defining the Dirac delta function so that it has a value of 0 everywhere except at the input value of 0. At that point, it represents a spike that is infinitely high.  The integral taken over the entire line is equal to 1. If youve studied calculus, youve likely run into this phenomenon before. Keep in mind that this is a concept that is normally introduced to students after years of college-level study in theoretical physics. In other words, the results are the following for the most basic delta function ÃŽ ´(x), with a one-dimensional variable x, for some random input values: ÃŽ ´(5) 0ÃŽ ´(-20) 0ÃŽ ´(38.4) 0ÃŽ ´(-12.2) 0ÃŽ ´(0.11) 0ÃŽ ´(0) ∞ You can scale the function up by multiplying it by a constant. Under the rules of calculus, multiplying by a constant value will also increase the value of the integral by that constant factor. Since the integral of ÃŽ ´(x) across all real numbers is 1, then multiplying it by a constant of would have a new integral equal to that constant. So, for example, 27ÃŽ ´(x) has an integral across all real numbers of 27. Another useful thing to consider is that since the function has a non-zero value only for an input of 0, then if youre looking at a coordinate grid where your point isnt lined up right at 0, this can be represented with an expression inside the function input. So if you want to represent the idea that the particle is at a position x 5, then you would write the Dirac delta function as ÃŽ ´(x - 5) ∞ [since ÃŽ ´(5 - 5) ∞].   If you then want to use this function to represent a series of point particles within a quantum system, you can do it by adding together various dirac delta functions. For a concrete example, a function with points at x 5 and x 8 could be represented as ÃŽ ´(x - 5) ÃŽ ´(x - 8). If you then took an integral of this function over all numbers, you would get an integral that represents real numbers, even though the functions are 0 at all locations other than the two where there are points. This concept can then be expanded to represent a space with two or three dimensions (instead of the one-dimensional case I used in my examples). This is an admittedly-brief introduction to a very complex topic. The key thing to realize about it is that the Dirac delta function basically exists for the sole purpose of making the integration of the function make sense. When there is no integral taking place, the presence of the Dirac delta function isnt particularly helpful. But in physics, when you are dealing with going from a region with no particles that suddenly exist at only one point, its quite helpful. Source of the Delta Function In his 1930 book, Principles of Quantum Mechanics, English theoretical physicist Paul Dirac laid out the key elements of quantum mechanics, including the bra-ket notation and also his Dirac delta function. These became standard concepts in the field of quantum mechanics within the Schrodinger equation.