Leadership Style of the American Red Cross - 1110 Words

The American Red Cross is one of the oldest and most successful charitable organizations in America today. Since its founding in 1881, the Red Cross has helped millions of people around the globe. Recently, the Red Cross has dedicated some of its vast resources with the guidance of a new CEO refocusing the leadership and mission of this respectable company. This company in recent past was floundering under a leadership and management style that had become bloated and unproductive. The board of directors had swelled to more than 50 members with no clear lines of communication between the board, the CEO, and management. This created a void as directives and tasks became poorly understood and remained unfinished. The goals of†¦show more content†¦The affiliative style works best in times of stress, when teammates need to heal from trauma. There were several catastrophic events in America during the 2000s so an elevated scrutiny of The Red Cross created a lapse in the public tru st of the charity. It was time to take a serious look at this charity to strengthen what was working and to correct what was not working with a new leadership style. A democratic or laissez-faire leadership approach would not work for this company. A consensus-building approach can be disastrous in times of crisis, when urgent events demand quick decisions and quick responses. The Red Cross spends a great deal of time operating in crisis mode implementing an immediate course of action. A decentralized corporate structure would not function well when dealing with a catastrophe. People and workers need to be safe by following a prescribed course of action in any situation in which there is an elevated risk of injury or loss. There are several sources of power within this organization. The first would be legitimate power or positional power. Legitimate power derives its authority from the position a person holds in an organizations hierarchy. Positional power works best when the perso n wielding it earned it legitimately. The Red Cross, after hiring, and firing seven CEOs between the years 2001 and 2008 finally found the right person for the job. The current CEO, Gail McGovern,Show MoreRelatedCom 530 Week 3 Organizational Communication Essay1115 Words   |  5 PagesOrganizational Commitment and Communication The American Red Cross is an organization that helps prevent human suffering during events that leads the human society while in emergency crisis. The American Red Cross has the ability to mobilize the power of volunteers as well as the generosity of donors. The reader will be given a brief description on how different leadership styles affects the group communication within the American Red Cross. The reader will also be given an analysis of the differentRead MoreDisaster Response Leadership Research Evaluation Table872 Words   |  4 PagesDisaster Response Leadership Research Evaluation Table In this report, we have critically evaluated an article published in the International Journal of Leadership Studies entitled Disaster Response Leadership: Perception of American Red Cross Workers (Wheeler, Weeks Montgomery, 2013). This article was chosen because it is directly related to the topic of module 2: Leadership and Leadership Theories. Research Evaluation Table Research Topic Leadership is an important aspect of management sciencesRead More Clara Barton Biography Essay1216 Words   |  5 PagesClara Barton Clara Barton, known as an American humanitarian, the â€Å"Angel of the Battlefield,† and known for being the American Red Cross founder accomplished many things during her life. Throughout her long commitment of service, Clara achieved honor as a teacher, battlefield nurse, lecturer, and founder of the American Red Cross. Through her many years of work, Clara made a huge impact on America that can still be felt at present times. Clara was born Clarissa Harlowe Barton onRead MoreA Leader : A Transformational Leader795 Words   |  4 Pagesthey can be independent workers. Personally, my leadership assessment (Capella University, n.d.) was very accurate. It also closely matches my parenting and partner style, especially the enabler component. In most of my work career years, I have been in the position of training or teaching employees and students, to work independently, so that we as a team, could reach our goals (Smith, 2015). In assessing my past, I find that this is the style I prefer the most when I am not in the role of managerRead MoreServant Leadership And Eleanor Roosevelts Leadership Style1587 Words   |  7 PagesEach leader may also have a different leadership style than the next person. This paper will define a leader as well as servant leadership and transformational leadership styles. Finally, Eleanor Roosevelts leadership style will be determined to be either servant leadership, transfor mational leadership, or both. A leader is defined as an individual who is able to exert influence over other people to help achieve group or organizational goals where leadership is the process by which an individualRead MoreEmergency And Disaster Preparedness Education For The Latino Community3065 Words   |  13 Pagesshould go in an emergency supply kit, where to find the latest information about a potential or impending disaster or emergency, and what community resources are available to help in the event of a disaster or emergency. Leadership Role Development In terms of developing our leadership skills we hope to become more proficient at working within community networks in order to accomplish tasks. We will become more knowledgeable about how to locate needed resources in order to help clients in the communityRead MoreThe American National Red Cross Essay2626 Words   |  11 Pages The American National Red Cross: Financial Management under Congressional and Public Scrutiny Introduction Every America student in grade school learns about the Red Cross symbol, the infamous Clara Barton and her heroic work as the Angel of Battlefield across the globe, and her eventual appointment as president of the American Red Cross (ARC). In 1900, Congress awarded the ARC the first federal charter. In 1905, one year after Clara Barton resigned over scrutiny involving her management stylesRead MoreAmerican Red Cross Mission Statement1754 Words   |  8 PagesThe American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies through six key areas; disaster relief, lifesaving blood, training and certification, supporting America’s military families, and international services. The American Red Cross has both a mission statement, which defines their objectives and approach, and also a vision statement, which defines their vision and future goals. The mission statement of the American Red Cross readsRead MoreWalter Elias Di sney Had A Great Impact On American Television And Entertainment All Over The World Essay1138 Words   |  5 Pages Walter Elias Disney had a great impact on American television and entertainment all over the world. Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 just outside of Chicago, Illinois (â€Å"Walt Disney Biography†). Walt Disney moved to Missouri when he was five years old, where he began to develop a love for drawing (â€Å"Walt Disney’s Life†). When Disney was sixteen, he dropped out of school and was sent to France with the American Red Cross (Nix, Elizabeth). In 1919, Disney moved to Kansas City to become a newspaperRead MoreProfile of the Coca-Cola Company and Organizational Behavior3195 Words   |  13 Pagesbusiness ethics and the general acceptance of the company and its services among countries in different continents of the world, religious groups, ethnic groups, and races (Coca Cola 2007). Similarly, the ethical standards of the company employe es and leadership should be beyond reproach. Questionable ethical standards kill trust and acceptance of products and operations of the corporation in various parts of the world (Coca Cola 2007). The retirement benefits that belongs to top executives are extremely

Jesus For As Long As I - 1556 Words

I grew up in Taranaki and Wanganui, and I have known Jesus for as long as I can remember. At the age of 7, on Sunday the 3rd of September 2003, I gave my heart to God, and became a Junior Soldier of The Salvation Army Wanganui City Corps. Throughout my childhood I saw the hand of God in many places. My Mum and Dad and been hospitalised a number of times while we were growing up for number of reasons, and yet both Mum and Dad were strong in their faith. As a family we attended the Wanganui City Corps until early 2001, when Mum and Dad decided to leave the Army, and we moved to the Hosanna Christian Centre. Hosanna Christian Centre was a Pentecostal charismatic church. During our time at this Church, I was baptised, and had also had an encounter with the Holy Spirit. The encounter seems a long time ago, but every week I remembered praying to God, and asking him to help me â€Å"lead a life that is clean in thought word and deed.† As I did this, my behaviour at school changed dra matically. At times when I was not behaving, my teacher would remind me that as someone who claims to follow Christ, my actions should reflect the nature of the Christ I claim to represent. As a result my behaviour improved. In July 2005 our family moved to Pukekohe, which was a difficult move, as it occurred during my second year at Immediate School. When we moved to Pukekohe, we attended the Elim Christian Centre because the Pastor from Hosanna in Wanganui was now an Assistant Pastor at Elim. On the 25thShow MoreRelatedThe Baptism of the Holy Spirit Essay629 Words   |  3 PagesThe baptism of the Holy Spirit. What is it and how do I get it? A teaching from Pat Robertson. The first of two parts. PatRobertson.com - The question has been asked, How do I get the baptism of the Holy Spirit? What is it and how do I get it?. Before Jesus left, He said to his disciples, You tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. And He said, You will receive power after that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And then you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem andRead MoreEducation College Students Face A Very Long Road For Graduation919 Words   |  4 Pagesshelter. â€Å"Community College Students Face a Very Long Road to Graduation† is an article written by Ginia Bellafante and published by The New York Time on October 3, 2014. In the article, Bellafante has written about the LaGurdia Community College student, Vladimir de Jesus academic life and also talks about why Community Colleges have low graduation rate. Vladimir de Jesus is a student of LaGuardia Community College and his major is in art. Mr. de Jesus is facing many obstacles as a student becauseRead MoreExplaining the Gospel of Mark769 Words   |  3 Pages When I read Mark during church we would read the long ending, at the time I didn’t know the difference between the endings. I was confused to why there were three different parts to it and they were broken up as if they were supposed to be a new verse. When I asked the leader of the class she couldn’t give me an explanation. With the research I have done I feel that I have come to a conclusion as to which ending is the most correct and why there are multiple endings. When the Sabbath was overRead MoreMy Fellow Christians Of Berea1712 Words   |  7 PagesMy fellow Christians of Berea, I am here to put your fears at rest about what the Thessalonian Jews have been telling you: for they do not know what they speak of. Jesus is the only son of our Lord; He is the promised Messiah whom God has sent down to save us. Jesus Christ is the truth and the light, we are the descendants and I have the knowledge and truth of the way to the Lord. We can all be disciples of Jesus, living through His teachings and following His way. The Thessalonian Jews knowRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Of The Book The Passage Essay1747 Words   |  7 Pagesof this knowledge, Mary is unable to fully understand what her son Jesus is referring to. Verse 50 highlights her and Joseph’s confusion to Jesus’ response. While this may highlight the issue of confusion caused by many people when considering that Jesus was both fully God and fully man, there is another aspect in Mary’s actions that I believe the author was trying to emphasize. In this passage, Mary could be seen as a pupil of Jesus because of the way she learns from his actions. Verse 51 states thatRead MoreEducation College Students : An Article By Ginia Bellafante And Published By The New York Time980 Words   |  4 Pagesshelter. â€Å"Community College Students Face a Very Long Road to Graduation† is an article written by Ginia Bellafante and published by The New York Time on October 3, 2014. In the article, the author has written about the LaGurdia Community College student, Vladimir de Jesus academic life and also talks about why Community College have low graduation rate. Vladimir de Jesus is a student of LaGuardia Community College and his major is in art. Mr. de Jesus is facing many obstacles as a student becauseRead MoreThe Death Of Jesus s The Dark Of Night 956 Words   |  4 Pageshad been following Jesus around because of the signs he was doing. Jesus had just fed 5000 men, plus women and children, with five loaves and two fish. The crowd identified Jesus as ‘the prophet who is to come into the world’(v. 14) and were about to take him and forcefully make him King (Fowl, 1). Fast forward now, to the section I have chosen to analyze. This massive group of people, the ‘crowd’ had found him after he moved to the other side of the sea in the dark of night. Jesus accuses them: â€Å"VeryRead MoreCommunity in Christ Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a parable that I remember hearing long ago. The first scene opens with several people sitting around a table with a large pot of delicious soup set before them. The aroma alone is tantalizing. However, the only way they can reach this pot of soup is with the long handled spooned utensils that they have been given. They are able to reach into this pot to retrieve the soup, but the problem begins when they attempt to feed themselves with these enormous instruments. It is impossible. BecauseRead MoreJacob : A Friend That I Have Known Only For The Last Half Of My Friend Jacob947 Words   |  4 PagesJacob Rogers is a friend that I have known only for the last half of my high school career, but he a nd I have become close despite the short time period. He is now a freshman attending the University of Michigan. He is intelligent He is from Atlanta, Georgia and his dad is actually a Lutheran pastor. However, after many conversations with him before this initial interview I knew it was going to be interesting: he doesn’t buy this whole â€Å"Jesus† thing. Jacob was more than willing to expand on hisRead MoreA Article About Playground Video Games833 Words   |  4 PagesFew months ago, I have read a Korean article about playground. That article showed statistics of how many small towns are closing their playgrounds. The reason they close the playgrounds are, there are no kids anymore. In these days, children are not really spending time with friends to play outside. Rather, they go into each other’s house for playing computer games or video games. However, when I was young, I always went outside in the afternoon to hangout with my friends until my parents spend

The Obsession Neurosis Free Essays

According to Paul Ricoeur’s point of view in the idea of theology and religion, there seems to be no exact definition on the context of universality.   The irony follows in the context of the variation of the extent of Naming God and believing in God.   It is evident that the world of today is liberal and is open in the idea of religion and in beliefs, hence, it connotes that for some, the existence of God is still not established—although several followers tend to call for his name. We will write a custom essay sample on The Obsession Neurosis or any similar topic only for you Order Now    The valuable conviction of Paul Ricoeur, one which is far admirably different from theology experts, offers a whole new dimension of deliberation and discussion on how individuals name God—philosopher to philosopher, and idea and perception for such delight. God, leader, saviour—all of which are used in â€Å"calling† God and uttering such name for whatsoever it may serve a person.   However, the shallow connotation stressed by the author is blatantly seen in the arena of â€Å"conviction.† Ricoeur’s belief is mostly philosophical and thoroughly surfaces in the justification of External Reality.   Religion plays an important role in every man’s life. Its impact is manifested on every person daily affairs and his or her behavior. Hundreds of literatures that explicitly tackle religion have already been written. While the list may be inexhaustible, the Metamorphoses, Aeneid, Inferno and Odyssey serve as some of the popular literary works where a religious strand can be looked into. The fact that the Metamorphoses by Ovid composed of mythological stories printed in the form of poetry gives one the first impression that divine beings are already incorporated into the book and that, consequently, the â€Å"myth† in these literary piece may have something to do with religion. True enough, the various sections found within the book have a common subject— the power of a divine entity and how such power determines the fate of men. Most of the transformations that happen in the stories are of people being â€Å"punished† for â€Å"the sins† they have committed (Ovid, p. 171). This punishment of sins can be taken to mean as one way of reflecting justice in the sense that the action of man is essentially incorporated with a corresponding responsibility and that God—or religion—has a corresponding role in the provision of these sanctions.   Moreover, the author does not only fall in the line of rhetoric canonization against his own conviction, rather on the spiritual and doxological context of the question.  What are you, then, my God? . . . most high, excellent, most powerful, omnipotent, supremely merciful and supremely just, most hidden yet intimately present, infinitely beautiful and infinitely strong.[1] In this certain line, however, there seems to be another standpoint in the idea of Naming God.  Ã‚   In essence, such strengthens the point raised on the earlier part and undeniably gives further analysis and interpretation that there exists a difference in Naming God; although there has been no evidence of the â€Å"power† which individuals apparently call as God. The author often used a Freudian philosophy in substantiating his arguments.   He stresses that Freud believes that religion has played a great part in the making of society, of humankind. In his writings before, he regards religion as an illusion, which is clearly equivalent to atheism. He then realizes that the idea of God and the religious teachings are some of human being’s strangest thoughts. Freud’s argument about religion is that, it is and output of what he called the Oedipus complex, or the sexual desire of the son to the mother (Ricoeur, 1995). In his argument, he states that the child competes against the father, who also has strong libidinal desires towards the mother. Because of this interference by the father, the child is prohibited to express his sexual interests in towards his mother. The father figure represents divergence and hindrance for the child. If we look at it in another angle, this hindrance creates a limit for the mothers’ happiness, thus creating the reality principle. This leads to reason thus, this reason is the one responsible for regulating desire. This became the basis of the father figure connection, in which the Western religions glorify the submission to the father, thus creating the image of a Father-God (Ricoeur, 1995). This has been a basis of civilization, wherein they are accepting the principle of reality and the acceptance of restraints and prohibitions by an â€Å"authority.† This is the main principle in how they were able to connect human desires with the law. Further, according to Freud, as stresses in the book, neurosis is an individual religion, and religion is a universal obsession neurosis. Freud implies that religion is the suppression, the renunciation of certain instinctual impulses, which are not limited components of the sexual desire or instinct; they seek for themselves and are really socially harmful instincts, regardless of the sexual component.   The subject of illusion is another critical part of Freud’s say of that of religion. But we must always consider that illusion is different from delusion. Illusion is much more of the religious beliefs type. Included in illusions is the concept of religion. Accordingly, it doesn’t mean that it is not true, or has no validity, where in fact these things maybe true. But, what Freud questions is the source of these beliefs. The undisciplined and uncritical human wishes. By focusing on the relationship between the individuals and God in the Metamorphoses, one can immediately draw the idea that religion is the binding force between the two, bridging the invisible—and perhaps inconceivable—distance that separates the mortal from the immortal.   Consequently, the manner of Naming God depends alone on the beliefs equipped in the individual’s character and personality, per se. Reference: Ovid. (2004)   â€Å"The Creation.†Ã‚   Trans. David Raeburn. Metamorphoses. New York, N. Y.: Penguin Classics. â€Å"Perseus (I).†Ã‚   Trans. David Raeburn. Metamorphoses. New York, N. Y.: Penguin Classics, 2004. 171. â€Å"Scylla and Minos.†Ã‚   Trans. David Raeburn. Metamorphoses. New York, N. Y.: Penguin Classics, 2004. 293. Ricoeur, P. (1995). Figuring the Sacred: Religion, Narrative, and Imagination (D. Pellauer, Trans.). Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers. How to cite The Obsession Neurosis, Essay examples

Guide To Computer Forensics Investigations -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Guide To Computer Forensics Investigations? Answer: Introduction Cybercrimes are basically computer oriented crimes that involve the use of computers and networks, where such computer or network is used for committing offences or such network or computer is the target. These types of crimes are increasing day by day with the advancement of technology and therefore, in order to protect from such crimes, various legislations have also been enacted as well (Brown, 2015). But unfortunately, these legislations have various loopholes and for such reasons computer forensic investigation methods play an important role in providing protection against various cyber crimes. Computer forensic investigation methods Computer forensic investigation methods are methods, which are used for the purpose of investigating into the crimes which are computer oriented. They involve examination of digital media in a forensically sound manner, with the aim to identify, preserve, recover and present facts and opinions about such digital information (Nelson, Phillips Steuart, 2014). Computer investigation methods can be divided into two types. They are: E-Discovery- Incident Responses and Forensics The incident responses and forensics method aims particularly at the cases relating to security breaches and hacks in companies. This method makes it mandatory for organizations to have an incident response plan that includes the detection of the incident in addition to a response. It aims for an effective security strategy, which can respond effectively to unexpected and inevitable contingencies. This method mandates organizations for making a fast response team for handling security incidents. The team becomes responsible for monitoring, handling incidents and reporting during a security breach or attack (Luttgens, Pepe Mandia, 2014). The formation of a response team helps in responding to the situation immediately by classifying and prioritizing such issues and assigning the incident accordingly, which results in a bad or good decision that directly impacts the resolution to the problem. During forensic analysis, various things must be considered like systems having external influences, must be separate for avoiding further damage, or as a means of preserving evidence. This method involves the forensic analyst to work with the incident response team for making better decisions. The decisions must be made in accordance with the existing policies and it is to note that these teams have knowledge about the actual impact of the problem and are aware of the risk of reproducing certain actions on the system (Ab Rahman Choo, 2015). These procedures must be clear and form a part of the emergency plan. Relevance to Sony Pictures Hack, 2014 The Sony Pictures hack, 2014 case was a popular case of computer security breach, where North Korean Government, hacked into Sonys system and used its data and blackmailed it for not releasing a film called The Interview, involved the assassination of the North Korean leader. It took a lot of time to find out the North Korean governments involvement in the case and also caused sufficient leakage of Sonys data, causing damage. The presence of incident response plan and team along with forensic analysts in the case, would have helped Sony to minimize the damage caused and resolve the problem in a much faster way. Therefore, Sony should use the Incident Responses and Forensics for preventing such further security breaches in future. References: Ab Rahman, N. H., Choo, K. K. R. (2015). A survey of information security incident handling in the cloud.Computers Security,49, 45-69. Brown, C. S. (2015). Investigating and prosecuting cyber crime: Forensic dependencies and barriers to justice.International Journal of Cyber Criminology,9(1), 55. Luttgens, J. T., Pepe, M., Mandia, K. (2014).Incident response computer forensics. McGraw-Hill Education Group. Nelson, B., Phillips, A., Steuart, C. (2014).Guide to computer forensics and investigations. Cengage Learning.

Toronto Sun free essay sample

This preliminary project scope statement defines the scope of The Toronto Sun Caribana Parade Project. The project deals with managing a major sponsorship event for the Toronto sun and its presence in the city’s annual caribana parade, on Aug 2, 2008 at 10:00AM. The main challenge is to make the company’s float a success. The Toronto sun earned its place in the parade as the primary media sponsor for the event. Pulling the company’s float from the biggest event in the city would mean gaining valuable marketing exposure. PRODUCT amp; PROJECT OBJECTIVES Project objective is to manage Toronto Sun’s involvement at the Caribana Festival before August 2, 2008 (within 40 days) which includes:- * Designing and deployment of a parade float (i. e. Flat Bed Truck, Pieces of Float, and Design) * Hiring of entertainment and production materials. * Recruitment and management of volunteers, truck drivers and entertainers. * Giveaways (i. e. volunteer Kits, Bright Color Designed T-Shirts, Mardi-Gras Necklaces, Sunscreen, water bottles, snack foods containing Granola Bars amp; Fruit, Whistles and Assorted Candies. We will write a custom essay sample on Toronto Sun or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Decorating the float with advertising banners and other aesthetic elements of parade day tasks on the day of parade. * Cost not to exceed $400 cash in addition to contra advertisements. * Importance to show Toronto Sun’s presence during the festival as a Major Sponsor providing the return on investment and contribution to overall business of Toronto sun. PRODUCT OR SERVICE REQUIREMENT AND CHARACTERSTICS Product Acceptance Criteria:- Project MUST be completed by Aug 02, 2008 on Parade Day. Cost Constraint which includes a budget of $400 only. Requirement of TRUCK Flat Bed on Aug 01, 2008 before 10:00AM. Safety Waiver Forms for all the participants MUST be signed before 09:30AM on Aug 02, 2008. Driver of Truck should be at the venue at parade day sharp 09:00AM for 8hrs. Sign IN of float by FMC by on parade day. PROJECT BOUNDARIES * Time Constraint The project has to be completed on and before 10:00AM Aug 02, 2008. * Scope Constraint The project has many deliverables dependent on many stakeholders (internal amp; external). * Cost Constraint Cost not to be exceeded by $400 cash and contra advertisements only. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS amp; DELIVERABLES S. No. | DELIVERABLE| REQUIREMENT| | Float| Design amp; Assembly of Float| 2| Banners| Color amp; Placement of Banners on Float| 3| Truck Driver| Must be available for minimum 08:00hrs on the day of parade| 4| T-Shirt| Bright Colored T-Shirts with â€Å"Toronto Sun Caribana† written on it. | 5| Waivers| Appropriate Volunteer Waiver Forms for legal department/requirements. | 6| Giveaways| Assorted Candies, Whistles and Necklace (Mardi G ras)| 7| Entertainers| Requirement of Live Band/DJ Radio/Pre-recorded Music| 8| Truck/Tractor/Trailer| Must have a safe and easy access place for keeping giveaways. 9| Volunteer Kits| Snack food including Granola Bars amp; Fruit, Sunscreen, Water Bottle. | PROJECT ORGANISATION CHART INITIAL DEFINED RISKS Bad Weather Delay in float preparation Driver doesn’t show up Fire on float Flat tire of float Less volunteers show up Delay in banners Less sponsors for contra advertisements Delay in FMC Permission Delay in t-shirts and wrong printing/wrong color used SCHEDULE MILESTONES Volunteer Management Entertainment amp; Materials Sign In of float by FMC Float design completion INITIAL WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE TRACEABILITY MATRIX PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH The project manager Samantha Morrison is a senior promotions coordinator at the Toronto Sun. She will be responsible for timely availability of the deliverables within a short span of time. Samantha Morrison has been recently hired as a senior promotions coordinator at the Toronto sun. Larissa Presso will be the authorizing the project and she is the ‘’ voice of the customer’’. Samantha Morrison will be dealing with design department and the human resources department as well as the legal department to make the deliverables available. She will be taking permissions from the fmc representatives to bring in the float. The cost and time constraints are not flexible as the project has to be completed within 56 days and with $400 approved for the budget. The scope is flexible as the size of the float can be varied, the colour and size of the T-shirt, size of the banners and the number of advertisement to be put on the float. The budget for the project is 400$ but Samantha can get materials and services by the means of contra advertisement. The major project deliverables will be: The float, the truck driver, the T-shirts, the volunteer kits. Approved by the Project sponsor: PROJECT SPONSOR DATE:

How Insects Provide Evidence That a Murder Victim Was Moved

How Insects Provide Evidence That a Murder Victim Was Moved In some suspicious death investigations, arthropod evidence may prove that the body was moved at some point after death. Crime scene insects can tell whether the body decomposed at the location where it was found, and even reveal gaps in the crime time line. When Insects at the Crime Scene Dont Belong There The entomologist first identifies all the collected arthropod evidence, cataloging the species present on or near the body. Not every insect belongs in every habitat. Some live in quite specific niches – on limited vegetation types, at certain elevations, or in particular climates. What if the body yields an insect that is not known to live in the area where it was found? Wouldnt that suggest the body had been moved? In his book A Fly for the Prosecution, forensic entomologist M. Lee Goff tells of one such case. He collected evidence from a womans body found in an Oahu sugar cane field. He noted that some of the maggots present were a species of fly found in urban areas, not in agricultural fields. He hypothesized that the body had remained in an urban location long enough for the flies to find it, and that it was later moved to the field. Sure enough, when the murder was solved, his theory proved correct. The killers kept the victims body in an apartment for several days while trying to decide what to do with it. When Insects at the Crime Scene Dont Fit the Timeline Sometimes insect evidence reveals a gap in the time line, and leads investigators to the conclusion that the body was moved. The primary focus of forensic entomology is the establishment of the postmortem interval, using insect life cycles. A good forensic entomologist will give detectives an estimate, to the day or even the hour, of when the body was first colonized by insects. Investigators compare this estimate with witness accounts of when the victim was last seen alive. Where was the victim between when he was last seen and when insects first invaded his corpse? Was he alive, or was the body hidden somewhere? Again, Dr. Goffs book provides a good example of a case where insect evidence established such a time gap. A body found on April 18th yielded only first instar maggots, some still emerging from their eggs. Based on his knowledge of this insects life cycle in the environmental conditions present at the crime scene, Dr. Goff concluded that the body had only been exposed to insects since the previous day, the 17th. According to witnesses, the victim was last seen alive two days prior, on the 15th. It seemed that the body must have been somewhere else, protected from exposure to any insects, in the interim. In the end, the murderer was caught and revealed he had killed the victim on the 15th, but kept the body in the trunk of a car until dumping it on the 17th. How Insects in the Soil Help Solve a Murder A dead body lying on the ground will release all its fluids into the soil below. As a result of this seepage, the soil chemistry changes substantially. Native soil organisms leave the area as the pH rises. A whole new community of arthropods inhabit this gruesome niche. A forensic entomologist will sample the soil below and near where the body was lying. The organisms found in the soil samples can determine whether the body decomposed at the location where it was found, or prior to being dumped there.

Data Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Data Mining - Essay Example What differentiates KXEN from other vendors is text analytics, sentiment analysis, social network analysis, time-series analysis, support for respectable range of statistical algorithms and support for a wide range of model quality metrics and variable selection techniques. Management Intelligenter Technologies GmbH : its main product is Data Engine which is an Interface to Lab View and Bridge View. Data engine software deals with fuzzy rules, fuzzy clustering, neural networks and fuzzy neural systems are offered in combination with mathematics, statistics and signal processing. With a wide use of computers in the industrial field, a lot of data related to industrial processes is being generated every day. In respect to this bulky data there is an urgent need for developing new mathematical methods related to modeling, optimization, decision, and scheduling that fully exploit the data. Data mining software has greatly come in handy to help engineers in the industries solve this problem through current mathematical fundamentals and algorithms of data

Management of Innovation and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management of Innovation and Change - Essay Example Yes, CHANGE is the primary asset that the company upholds giving it the kind of reputation that it deserves from all the efforts that its administrators prefer to apply in the process of giving the organization a boost to continuously grow in the industry. How do they deal with the change Like others, they need to consider several points of change management that surely gives them a chance to handle the challenges successfully. To be able to successfully apply change, there are at least ten (10) major ways that should be considered by the administrators collectively. Deriving these particular procedures from the method pattern created by several experts on the organizational management field of industries, the discussion of the methodologies that follow are expected to more meaningful change of organizational structures. It is very important that the organization's vision towards the changes to be applied are strongly identified as it will certainly describe whether the changes to be done are of great importance for the sake of the organization's progress or not. 2. Planning the Procedures to be Taken The plans are to be clarified as they are the ones that would set the path that the adjustments on the organization would actually take. Moreover, the plans shall serve as the guidelines to everyone involved in the adjustments, hence, they should be modified so as to meet the needs of the company and its employees as well. 3. Collaborating with involved Higher Management Authorities After the plans have been made, asking the approval of higher managerial departments should be searched for further suggestions that they may still imply on the program. 4. Deciding on the plan's further scheduled application The plan's application is to be decided by the higher level of management. Hence, the schedule of all the activities pertaining to the change shall be well taken into consideration by the said personnel. 5. Communicating to the people (stakeholders of the company including employees of the rank and file positions) Once everything has been fixed, letting the members of the organization know of the changes and the procedures by which the adjustments are to take place is at an utmost importance to consider. 6. Empowering the People Communicating is not enough, it is strongly suggested that the people be empowered further so as to gear them with the preparation that they need for the adjustments to be further applied in the organization. 7. Applying the Action Application of the plan is then to commence once everything has been set. 8. Appointing Personnel Appointing the people who are to be stationed as supervisors of the results of the change,

Wk 5d2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wk 5d2 - Essay Example otocols on the wide area network (WAN) routers, then border routers and firewall devices, trailed by routers in data-centers and in last the desktop accessing routers. As most of internet is transitioned to IPv6 the network engineers may require to deploy dual-stack enabled switches on edges earlier. Though it is quite difficult for private networks to transition from IPv4 networks that easy but the growth and evolution of the over the Internet would urge organizations to move towards this transition. If it is than why not right now? IPv6 has its advantages that are making it better than IPv4. But still without the knowledge of technology and proper study it will be a quite difficult task. Things that are causing adoption of IPv6 so long is that it is not commonly not compatible with IPv4 networks. To make this transition possible number of transition technologies with tunneling facility are used to provide cross network compatibility. Two of those facilitating technologies are 6to4 and Teredo. While both of these technologies works in different ways, the simple idea is behind is that they encapsulate packets of IPv6 network inside the packets of IPv4 network. Beside the flow of the traffic the endpoints of the tunnel are required to extract and encapsulate the IPv6

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay The tragedy of machismo is that a man is never quite man enough. (Greer, 1987) This is a quote that could serve as a metaphor to describe how man can never be as ideal as portrayed by advertisements. The modern portrayal of men in advertisements is the one in which they all appear to be ultra masculine, and researches have shown these images to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of men, especially boys and young men (Constructed bodies, deconstructing ads: Sexism in advertising, para 2). This could be explained by the fact that men is trying to pursue the norm, of which they should be ultra masculine, leaving them under excessive emotional stress as they try to model after these stereotypically male attributes; or for some, especially feminine and androgynous men, to simply stay relevant within their social circle and essentially, the society-as discussed in Is the Malboro man the only alternative? The role of gender identity and self-construal salience in evaluations of male models. (Gnoth and Brett, 2009) The objectification of woman by modern advertising has been debated upon for many years since the start of the post-feminist era as women slowly gain their foot power in the society. As far as the apparent diminishment of advertising campaigns targeted to promote product services through the use of womens sexual appeal goes, there has also been a significant increase in the objectification of men in advertising. Unlike women who are shown as being excessively thin, men are shown as being over muscular and athletic. A 2002 study by the University of Wisconsin suggests that this new focus on fit and muscled male bodies is causing men the same anxiety and personal insecurity that women have been feeling for years. (Masculinity and Advertising, 2010) In the United Kingdom, one of the very worrying causes of death among men is suicide, which stands at a proportion of 1 out of 100 deaths. It is postulated by Mulholland (2010) that depression is one of the main causes of suicide, which main cause is poor self-esteem. Self-esteem is a concept that can only be measured by self-report. (Frost and McKelvie, 2004) It is measured by how much people value themselves and how worthy they feel their beings are. Poor self-esteem, therefore, occurs in people whose self-values or self-priorities are not met. So, where do these values and priorities come about? Why is value placed on certain things as opposed to other things? Several reasons that could have influenced how and what values and priorities people, mainly men, are adopted come to mind: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and the perception of men by the opposite sex. All factors: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and womens perception of men should be considered equally and not be discounted in any way. Hence, this paper shall seek to prove that the extent to which that modern advertising is negatively affecting mens self esteem is larger than the other factors. Advertisements vs Womens Perception of Men A quote by Ray Lewis, a professional football player featured in a viral television commercial for Old Spice, from the television commercial Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like goes: Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isnt me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like hes me. This particular television commercial (Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, 2010) was posted onto YouTube, a video sharing website, and has garnered almost 31 million views, 37 thousand comments, 114 video responses and umpteen reposts by other YouTube channels since its release in February, 2010. These staggering figures were also reflected in their sales figure: a 106% increase in sales (Old Spice Campaign Smells Like a Sales Success, Too, 2010) within 4 months of the start of the marketing campaign, Smell Like A Man, Man. The videos in this campaign, which seem to be targeted mostly at women, all feature a hunky man promoting the Old Spice products while reading a script which humorously brings across the point that no man is like him; no man can ever be like him; and the closest you can get to be like him is to smell like him. Judging by the fact that Old Spice had chosen women as the main target audience for their marketing campaignwhich they should have done extensive research to determineit can be inferred that womens perception of men, or particularly her man, has great power in deeply affecting men, influencing them in their decision making; in this context, the kind of smell they use. This inference can also be further proven by the actual increase in sales of the Old Spice products. However, to conclude that it is actually the womens perception of men that is affecting how men view themselves is a very narrow-minded act because the images displayed explicitly to the public through the form of advertisements are what are influencing womens perception of men. Hence, it can be concluded that advertising is and takes precedence and relevance over womens perception of men in lowering mens self-esteem. Next, this paper will explore this question: Is modern advertising following social and cultural trends, or is it going ahead of them? Advertisements vs Social/Cultural Trends Advertisements have always been known to be able to cause an impact, fulfilling their purpose to influence, urge and compel the public to purchase or engage the goods and services they are endorsing. In this context, it is no doubt that by doing so, they are also influencing the way people think about which are popular products or services and which are not, albeit subconsciously. However, what are the things that inspire advertisers in the way they advertise their products? Do they safely follow social conventions or do they actually set the standards? While it is easy to argue that since the sole purpose of advertisements is to persuade people to buy or engage goods and services, advertisements must surely conform to social standards; however, the possibility of it happening in reverse also deserves consideration. The following example presents evidence that supports the statement that advertising does go ahead of social trends; however isolated an example it is. In an interview conducted by CNN with Donatella Versace (Donatella Versace, CNN Interview, Part 1/3, 2009), designer for fashion powerhouse, Versace, it was mentioned that Versace was the first ever luxury brand to have entered China. Before 1979, the year China introduced Versace into its market, the idea of a luxurious lifestyle was not widespread, partly due to the then still low living standards. However, over the years, it was the upbeat advertising of the luxury goods lifestyle that started the notion of living life luxuriously. Since then, China has surpassed the United States of America to become the second-largest luxury market in 2009 (Luxury Brands in China, 2010). China is also set to become the second largest consumer of luxury by 2015 (China Luxury, 2007). The above-discussed point has proven that advertising and social trends both influence each other in a way or another. They are also factors that have in one way or another negatively affected mens self esteem. However, if we were to consider the extent to which has more direct effect on lowering mens self esteem, it will be advertising, since the visual representation in the form of images is straightforward and clear, unlike social trends, which sometimes can be unobvious, leading men to be oblivious about their existence. The Importance of Context When discussing the effect that modern advertising has on mens self-esteem, the context of the circumstances also has to be considered in depth. Across time and space, the set of priorities of men changes and is different. Therefore, we can assert that advertisements may not actually affect mens self-esteem as images portrayed by advertisements at a present time or place may not be what they desire to emulate or copy. For example, in the early to mid 20th century China, value might be put on people who had good martial arts skills because in those days, that was one of the few things people associate success with. However, nowadays, value seems to be put on wealthy people with social stature because of the change in what people associate success with-from life skills, or skills in general, to economic wealth. In addition, since martial arts originated from Asia, Westerners may lack familiarity to it and find it hard to relate to it, even though they are living in the same era. Hence, if an advertisement featuring a martial arts master were to be shown to the men of today, the effect of this advertisement on their self-esteem might actually be minimal to none. It might be true that the context in which advertisements are being displayed for public view and what they are actually about might not be applicable to some people due to the differences in each individuals set of values and priorities, but without factoring in external factors such as globalization, it will be unfair to come to the conclusion that advertisements have little to do with the lowering of self-esteem of men. With globalization, and the rise of computers and the Internet, the myriad of pages, websites and even programs are tools that have been connecting people, communities and even nations together. The exposure to advertisements online is abundant since usually, one of the key revenues for web and program developers is the endorsement of products through advertisements on their web pages and programs. The convenience and high accessibility of the Internet has enabled companies to broaden their customer market, and in the same way also helped expose people to a huge and limitless array of advertisements. Under the influence of these advertisements, which include references from both the present, past, and also all around the world, people start to learn more about the cultures of others, past and present. By accumulating more real world knowledge over time, advertisements will now be more relatable and relevant. Hence, advertising will, again, present the risks of lowering mens self este em. Conclusion All in all, although the social and cultural trends and also factors such as the womens perception of men have in a way or another contributed to the negative change in the way men view themselves, they are in fact caused by the extensive exposure to advertisements that have been making use of the objectification of men to sell their goods and services. Therefore, it is with huge certainty that I conclude that advertisements is to a large extent the main cause of the decreasing self-esteem of men.

Creatine :: essays research papers

CREATINE Athletes will put many different types of supplements and drugs to increase their physical strength. These supplements range from protein shakes to steroids. Some sports supplements are incredibly safe and effective, while others still work well but do more damage than good in the long run. In the past athletes had to turn to such things as anabolic steroids or blood doping (the process of taking out blood and adding oxygen to it and putting it back into their body in order to increase their endurance). But they are illegal. Many supplements are as simple as packaged energy and others require a strict exercise and eating regimen. I will explore creatine and it's effect on the sport world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Creatine was first introduced to the US in 1993 by a supplement company called Experimental and Applied Sciences. Since then it has become one of the most demanded items on the market. The creatine that is bought in stores duplicates the natural creatine that is produced by the kidney, liver, and pancreas. Creatine Monohydrate has been proven to significantly enhance athletic performance in the areas of power, strength, and muscle mass. Most importantly though, it doesn't seem to have any serious side effects. Also, since Creatine is found naturally in the body and in foods, it is likely that it will not be removed from sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creatine is a nutrient that is found in many foods. It is most highly concentrated in lean red meat. A half-pound of red meat contains about two grams of Creatine. Every human body also produces Creatine in very small amounts, though some people produce more than others. Creatine is necessary for proper cell functions and cell reproduction, it is also a primary storage for energy in muscles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creatine works when somebody is exercising, his or her muscles demand energy. The energy that the muscle gets is called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As the muscles keep contracting, the ATP is turned into adenosine diphosphate (ADP). ADP causes your muscles to fatigue. Creatine Phosphate helps to convert ADP into ATP when the ATP is gone. In doing this, the athlete has better endurance during his of her workout or event.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If all this were true, it would be easy to see why athletes are turning to Creatine for an edge on their competition. But are these claims real? Is their scientific proof of what Creatine does?

Pediatric Recommended Core Measures Health And Social Care Essay

After run intoing Stage 1 for the two old ages, Fletcher Allen Partners will necessitate to run into meaningful usage Phase 2 standards get downing in 2014 ( Figure 1 ) . With this following phase, EHRs will farther salvage Fletcher Allen Partners money, save clip for physicians and infirmaries, and salvage lives.The Stage 2 standards includes new aims to better patient attention through better clinical determination support, attention coordination and patient battle ( cms.com ) . The phase 2 ends would spread out the Phase 1 standards and concentrate on the meaningful usage of electronic wellness records ( EHRs ) to back up the purposes and precedences of the National Quality Strategy ( NQS ) . The Phase 2 standards encourages the usage of wellness IT for uninterrupted attention and information quality betterment. The proposed Phase 2 meaningful usage demands include strict outlooks for wellness information exchange and include: more demanding demands for eprescribing ; integrating structured laboratory consequences ; and the outlook that suppliers will electronically convey patient attention sum-ups with each other and with the patient to back up passages in attention. Phase 2 focal points on existent usage instances of electronic information exchange and requires that a supplier direct a sum-up of attention record for more than 50 % of passages of attention and referrals. The regulation besides requires that a supplier electronically transmit a sum-up of attention for more than 10 % of passages of attention and referrals. Increasingly robust outlooks for wellness information exchange in Stage 2 and Stage 3 would back up the end that information follows the patient ( Federal Register, 2012 ) . To let suppliers clip to follow 2014 certified EHR engineering and fix for Stage 2, all participants will hold a three-month coverage period in 2014. Figure 1: Phases of Meaningful Use Beginning: NeHC University ( 2012 )REQUIREMENTS FOR STAGE 2 IMPLEMENTATIONCore Aims and Menu Aims Fletcher Allen Partners must run into certain demands for a successful Phase 2 execution. The figure of Stage 1 and Stage 2 entire aims remains the same, EPs are must run into the the step of 20 entire aims and CAHs must run into the step of 19 entire aims. However, the combination of aims has changed. Under Phase 2, eligible professionals ( EPs ) must run into the step or measure up for an exclusion to 17 nucleus aims and 3 of 6 bill of fare aims and eligible infirmaries ( EHs ) and CAHs must run into the step or measure up for an exclusion to 16 nucleus aims and 3 of 6 bill of fare aims ( Figure 2 ) . This is a alteration from EP ‘s holding to run into 15 nucleus aims and EHs holding 14 nucleus aims and 5 bill of fare aims severally. About all of the Stage 1 nucleus and bill of fare aims are retained for Stage 2. Figure 2: Changes from Phase 1 to Stage 2 Phase 1 Phase 2 Eligible Professionals 15 nucleus aims 17 nucleus aims 5 of 10 bill of fare aims 3 of 6 bill of fare aims 20 entire aims 20 entire aims Eligible Hospitals & A ; CAHs 14 nucleus aims 16 nucleus aims 5 of 10 bill of fare aims 3 of 6 bill of fare aims 19 entire aims 19 entire aims Clinical Quality Measures needed to be captured by FAP In add-on to run intoing the nucleus and bill of fare aims, eligible professionals, eligible infirmaries and CAHs are besides required to describe clinical quality measures.The clinical quality steps ( CQMs ) are tools used to mensurate and track the quality of health care services by eligible professionals ( EPs ) , eligible infirmaries ( EHs ) and critical entree infirmaries ( CAHs ) within the health care system. The CQMs step many facets of patient attention to include wellness results, clinical procedures, patient safety, efficient usage of healthcare resources, attention coordination, patient battles, population and public wellness, and clinical guidelines.The measuring and coverage of the CQMs guarantee that Fletcher Allen Partners deliver efficient, patient-centered, and safe quality care.A Eligible professionals must describe on 6 entire clinical quality steps: 3 required nucleus steps ( or 3 surrogate nucleus steps ) and 3 extra steps ( selected from a set of 38 clinical qu ality steps ) . Eligible infirmaries and CAHs must describe on all 15 of their clinical quality steps ( CQMS, cms.gov ) . Centers for Medicare & A ; Medicaid Services ( CMS ) selected the recommended nucleus set of CQMs for EPs based on analysis of several factors: Conditionss that contribute to the morbidity and mortality of the most Medicare and Medicaid donees Conditionss that represent national public wellness precedences Conditionss that are common to wellness disparities Conditionss that disproportionately drive health care costs and could better with better quality measuring Measures that would enable CMS, States, and the supplier community to mensurate quality of attention in new dimensions, with a stronger focal point on penurious measuring Measures that include patient and/or health professional battle Get downing in 2014, all Medicare-eligible suppliers in their 2nd twelvemonth and beyond of showing meaningful usage must electronically describe their CQM information to CMS. Medicaid suppliers will electronically describe their CQM information to their province. As Figure 3 shows, EPs must describe on 9 of the 64 approved CQMs. Selected CQMs must cover at least 3 of the National Quality Strategy domains Eligible Hospitals and CAHs must describe on 16 of 29 approved CQMs Selected CQMs must cover at least 3 of the National Quality Strategy domains. Get downing in 2014, all Medicare-eligible suppliers beyond their first twelvemonth of showing meaningful usage must electronically describe their CQM information to CMS informations to CMS. Figure 3: Clinical Quality Measures ( CQMs )SupplierPrior to 20142014 and Beyond*EPs Complete 6 out of 44 Complete 9 out of 64 aˆ?3 nucleus or 3 elevation. nucleus Choose at least 1 step in 3 NQS spheres aˆ?3 bill of fare Recommended nucleus CQMs include:Aaˆ?9 CQMs for the grownup population aˆ?9 CQMs for the paediatric population aˆ?Prioritize NQS spheresAEligible Hospitals and CAHs Complete 15 out of 15 Complete 16 out of 29 aˆ?Choose at least 1 step in 3 NQS spheresAFor 2014, CMS is non necessitating the entry of a nucleus set of CQMs. A Alternatively we identify two recommended nucleus sets of CQMs, one for grownups and one for kids. A We encourage eligible professionals to describe from the recommended nucleus set to the extent those CQMs are applicable to your range of pattern and patient population. Figure 4 shows the recommended nucleus steps: Figure 4: Recommended Core MeasuresAdult Recommended Core MeasuresPediatric Recommended Core MeasuresControling High Blood Pressure Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis Use of High-Risk Medications in the Aged Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents Preventive Care and Screening: A Tobacco Use: A Screening and Cessation Intervention Chlamydia Screening for Women Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma Preventive Care and Screening: A Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan Childhood Immunization Status Documentation of Current Medications in the Medical Record Appropriate Treatment for Children with Upper Respiratory Infection ( URI ) Preventive Care and Screening: A Body Mass Index ( BMI ) Screening and Follow-Up Attention deficit disorder: A Follow-Up Care for Children Prescribed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) Medicine Closing the referral cringle: reception of specialist study Preventive Care and Screening: A Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up PlanAAChilds who have dental decay or pits Patient Care Improvements Patient entree to their wellness information is an of import facet of patient attention and battle, and the capablenesss of CEHRT in 2014 and beyond will enable suppliers to do this information available online in a manner that does non enforce a important load on suppliers. Patient engagement – battle is an of import focal point of Stage 2. There are 26 Requirements for Patient Action: More than 5 % of patients must direct secure messages to their EP. More than 5 % of patients must entree their wellness information online. Loss of future gross through authorities inducements Changes to Medicare EHR Incentive Programs The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible infirmaries and critical entree infirmaries ( CAHs ) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or show meaningful usage of certified EHR engineering. Eligible professionals can have up to $ 44,000 through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and up to $ 63,750 through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide fiscal inducements for the â€Å" meaningful usage † of certified EHR engineering to better patient attention. To have an EHR incentive payment, suppliers have to demo that they are â€Å" meaningfully utilizing † their EHRs by run intoing thresholds for a figure of aims. CMS has established the aims for â€Å" meaningful usage † that eligible professionals, eligible infirmaries, and critical entree infirmaries ( CAHs ) must run into in order to have an incentive payment. A The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Ince ntive Programs are staged in three stairss with increasing demands for engagement. All suppliers begin take parting by run intoing the Phase 1 demands for a 90-day period in their first twelvemonth of meaningful usage and a full twelvemonth in their 2nd twelvemonth of meaningful usage. After run intoing the Phase 1 demands, suppliers will so hold to run into Stage 2 demands for two full old ages. Eligible professionals participate in the plan on the calendar old ages, while eligible infirmaries and CAHs take part harmonizing to the federal financial twelvemonth beginnning on October 1st. ( EHR Incentive Program, cms.gov ) In order to successfully take part in the plan, EPs, EHs, and CAHs are required to subject CQMs to in order to have an incentive payment in the EHR Incentive Program.Beginning in 2014, the coverage of clinical quality steps ( CQMs ) will alter for all suppliers. EHR engineering that has been certified to the 2014 Edition criterions and enfranchisement standards will hold been tested for enhanced CQM-related capabilities.ELECTRONIC Coverage: In order to let participants to successfully describe CQMs electronically for 2014, CMS is supplying a set of electronic specifications for clinical quality steps ( eCQMs ) for eligible professionals and eligible infirmaries for usage in the EHR Incentive plan for electronic coverage. A These electronic specifications contain multiple parts which allow certified EHR engineering systems to be plan to accurately capture, calculate, and describe clinical quality steps electronically for the 2014 CQMs. A Each eCQM can be described in 3 different ways depending on the intended usage: HTML A – A This is a human clear format so that the user can understand both how the elements are defined and the implicit in logic used to cipher the step. XML – This is a computing machine clear format which enables the machine-controlled creative activity of questions against an EHR or other operational informations shop for quality coverage. Value Sets – Value sets are the specific codifications used by developers to plan the system to accurately capture patient informations in the EHR system. A ATo have the maximal EHR inducement payment, Medicare eligible professionals must get down engagement by 2012.Eligible professionals who demonstrate meaningful usage of certified EHR engineering can have up to $ 44,000 over 5 uninterrupted old ages under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program Incentive payments for eligible professionals are higher under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments- up to $ 63,750 over 6 old ages under the Medicaid EHR inducement plan Get downing in 2015, Medicare eligible professionals who do non successfully show meaningful usage will be capable to a payment accommodation. The payment decrease starts at 1 % and increases each twelvemonth that a Medicare eligible professional does non show meaningful usage, to a upper limit of 5 % . The eligibility for the EHR inducement plan is determined by the HITECH Act. The lone eligibility alterations under Phase 2 are under the Medicaid EHR incentive plan. The Phase 2 eligibility. Meaningful usage way for Medicare eligible doctors ( EPs ) : Meaningful usage way for Medicare infirmaries: *Payments will diminish for infirmaries that start having payments in 2014 and subsequently. The alterations from Phase 1 to Stage 2 are as follow: Reporting Period Reduced to Three Months – to let suppliers clip to follow 2014 certified EHR engineering and fix for Stage 2, all participants will hold a three-month coverage period in 2014. â€Å" Phase 2 ends, consistent with other commissariats of Medicare and Medicaid jurisprudence, would spread out upon the Phase 1 standards with a focal point on guaranting that the meaningful usage of EHRs supports the purposes and precedences of the National Quality Strategy. Specifically, Stage 2 meaningful usage standards would promote the usage of wellness IT for uninterrupted quality betterment at the point of attention and the exchange of information in the most structured format possible. Our proposed Phase 2 meaningful usage demands included strict outlooks for wellness information exchange including: more demanding demands for eprescribing ; integrating structured laboratory consequences ; and the outlook that suppliers will electronically convey patient attention sum-ups with each other and with the patient to back up passages in attention. Increasingly robust outlooks for wellness information exchange in Stage 2 and Stage 3 would back up the end that information follows the patient. † Hospitals- FY14 ) Providers-Jan 2014

Special Economic Zones in China

Special Economic Zones in China Since 1979, China’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ) have been beckoning foreign investors to do business in China. Created after Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms were implemented in China in 1979,   Special Economic Zones are areas where market-driven capitalist policies are implemented to entice foreign businesses to invest in China. The Importance of Special Economic Zones At the time of its conception, Special Economic Zones were considered so special because Chinas trade was generally controlled by the nations centralized government. Therefore, the opportunity for foreign investors to do business in China with relatively no government intervention and with the freedom to implement market-driven economics was an exciting new venture. Policies regarding Special Economic Zones were meant to incentivize foreign investors by providing low-cost labor, specifically planning Special Economic Zones with ports and airports so that goods and materials could be easily exported, reducing corporate income tax, and even offering tax exemption.   China is now a huge player in the global economy and has made large strides in economic development in a concentrated period of time. Special Economic Zones were instrumental in making Chinas economy the way it is today. Successful foreign investments galvanized capital formation and spurred urban development what with the proliferation of office buildings, banks, and other infrastructures. What Are the Special Economic Zones? The first 4 Special Economic Zones (SEZ) were established in 1979. Shenzhen, Shantou, and Zhuhai are located in Guangdong province, and Xiamen is located in Fujian province.   Shenzhen  became the model for China’s Special Economic Zones when it was transformed from 126-square-miles of villages known for sales of knockoffs to a bustling business metropolis. Located a short bus ride from  Hong Kong  in southern China, Shenzhen is now one of China’s richest cities.   The success of Shenzhen and the other Special Economic Zones encouraged the Chinese government to add 14 cities plus  Hainan Island  to the list of Special Economic Zones in 1986. The 14 cities include Beihai, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Lianyungang, Nantong, Ningbo, Qinhuangdao, Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Yantai, and Zhanjiang.   New Special Economic Zones have been continually added to encompass a number of border cities, provincial capital cities, and autonomous regions.

Not only were the Vikings

Not only were the Vikings brutal raiders, pillagers, and savage pirates, they were some of the greatest contributors to sea travel, and tools. They werent mindless barbarians, but they were fierce fighters who sought wealth and prosperity. Among their fighting skills lay politics, craftsmanship, and poems. One of the greatest advantages that the Vikings had over predators and prey was their means of travel. Unlike todays boats, they were built to absorb waves, and to carry vast amounts of goods, room for each warrior to carry his own. Perfectly balanced, these ships were faster than other tribes. Not only was the ship designed to harness the power of the water, but also the wind. Vikings were the first to use sails. With sails, they could travel anywhere silently, and unseen. They were built light enough to carry onto shore and to be rolled on logs. With this kind of mobility, they were able to give England a great headache, attacking Rouen, Nantes, and Paris. They took from Spain, Italy, and Rome. In 865, Vikings took over York, which they settled. Throughout a hundred years at York, it flourished and grew as a center of international trade. Vikings again showed their craftsmanship by laying out city streets, minting coin, and producing items for trade like combs and shoes. Soon after, armies of Scandinavia invaded to demand protection money from weak English rulers. Vikings continued to hold the English throne for decades. The Vikings were different from other raiders, they werent merely there to take their loot and leave, they had no homeland. They would fight for a king, and usually inhabit whatever land they charge. They were great traders, and are now part of the people from those lands. Icelands Viking pioneers created an aristo-democracy ruled by 39 chieftain-priests. They met each year in the national assembly. The Icelanders did not wish to have a king, and they raised no army

HMO versus Personality and Psychological Assessments Essay

HMO versus Personality and Psychological Assessments - Essay Example â€Å"gut feeling† to evaluate the state of mind or personality characteristics of another, objective personality tests increase the accuracy of a personality test, and decrease the bias of an observer and or tester, from confounding the results of the test. Studies consistently show that individual judgments are sensitive to error based on socio-cultural, biological, personal, environmental and other contextual influences. At an unconscious level, the human observer filters information (i.e., perceives it) though biases created through personal belief systems, values, attitudes, incomplete knowledge, and distractions in the environment (PAN, 2005). However, this does not imply that personality tests are able to take the place of the professional judgment of the therapist/analyst. The personality test is not usually completed in isolation to other measures to determine aspect of the personality, as well as other sources of information (e.g., personal interview, GP diagnosis, input from family and friends, other psychometric tests). Personality tests can be assured of their validity and reliability when they have been professionally designed, and scored and interpreted by individuals trained to do so. Though these measures, a professional therapist/analyst is able to draw informed conclusions in a holistic manner, about the whole person, at this point in time. With ensured high accuracy and consistency in scoring and outcomes, a fairer personality test allows an employer to increase the likelihood they will recruit personal who align with their job role, and the employer is better able to determine training needs, to proved the most appropriate form of training, and is able to evaluate the training methods as well as the hired and trained personal (PAN, 2005; Perry, 1992). This is the result of years, sometimes decades of empirical research testing and retesting the construction, reliability and validity of the test. A study by Vujanovic, Zvolensky, Bernstein,

Gourmet Express Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gourmet Express - Essay Example This business targets young urban professionals with a large income and do not want to eat at the hotels, are willing to have services offered at a pay and their leisure time is limited but prefer food cooked at home. Since the customers do not have time to prepare everything, they have to make orders which will be delivered. The primary competitors would be restaurants and grocery stores offering delivery services. The three levels of government are; the federal government which consists of two houses, the senate and House of Representatives. It has responsibilities that include social security, foreign affairs, currency, defense and trade which are exercised through the prime minister. The federal government reverses the power to allow or barn one from opening a business. The territory government and the State is the decision making body, its responsibilities include; consumer affairs, justice, education, health, forestry, main roads and transport. The state is mainly concerned abo ut the consumer affairs and ensures products in the market are to the required standard (Brough, 2005). . The local government has a body that makes decisions known as shire council or city council. It has a number of responsibilities which include; garbage collection, building regulations, public health and land subdivisions. The local authority must ensure that the premises under which the business is run meets the set standards and is neat. The economic factors that will affect Gourmet express are; Economic development and growth. This dictate the amount of money the whole society that you rely on for business earn. The company targets large income earners who want services at their doorstep at a pay. Demand and supply will also affect Gourmet Express services and products. Demand is the ability and willingness of consumers to purchase a commodity and supply is the business ability to provide for the consumers demand (Brough, 2005). . There are several social trends that are chan ging the business environment. Consumers want to know more about products, people want to know if the company’s products can cause harm to the environment, if the workers of that particular company are treated well? Gourmet Express has to ensure there is smooth coordination to be successful because disclosure of information is mandatory. Advertising has to be done well for success of the company because traditional advertising is less effective. Technology has become key for the success of every business, the management of Gourmet must put up with the pace of technological changes. The business must put up with new development methods and processes that arise since, there are new inventions daily and there they are supposed to be implemented in the business environment. There are many environmental factors that influence business in an economy which include; financial, political, social, employees, product quality and manufacturing. The management of Gourmet Express has to be very keen on all this because they can affect the business negatively. If there is political instability in a country a business will encounter losses because there will be no customers to sell its products to. SWOT analysis is important because it provides helpful information to the company in matching the capabilities and resources of the firm with the competitive environment where it operates. The strength of

MIB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MIB - Essay Example Wall-Mart Stores operate as chain discount retail stores spread through all 50 states in the US with the growth based on basic but unique operational principles (Ingram, Yue & Hayagreeva 2010). The industry has expanded to incorporate chain stores, multinational operations and lately, the introduction of e-commerce. With success in other foreign markets like Mexico Wall-Mart has potential to expand to the fast growing Asian market like Malaysia amidst technological and logistic challenges in the industry. This paper considers the potential of expansion into this market by analyzing the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and carrying out a PEST analysis of Malaysia. This will be used to examine the potential for expansion into the foreign market and the possible risks that may be faced by expanding into such a market. The analysis bases on the entry mode of foreign market servicing strategy that gives best strategic expansion into foreign market. PEST analysis of M alaysia Political analysis When considering the political system of a nation some of the important elements include the responsiveness of the system to corruption, tribalism (nepotism m), collusion and democracy (if any) and then the overall stability of the government system as noted by Knol (nd). This may include the legislature, judiciary and the executive arms of government. In this case the factors leading to government stability are manifested through the electoral systems, clear separation of powers and the strength of the justice system. The federal constitution monarchy in Malaysia has been able to work out a stable government with reduced political risks manifested (EDC, 2010). The political system has been able to maintain peace with the neighbourhood as well as contain internal conflicts that are a sign of low political risk to foreign investment according to the BBC (2010) and the Encyclopedia of the Nations (2010). As one of the current indicator of business security, political risk manifests in form of internal or border strife, terrorism or other unseen political matters. The Malaysian situation has witnessed internal strife between the major communities in the country (the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indians) that easily cause riots in the country (Knol nd). An example of such a strife is one that resulted from how the word â€Å"Allah† was used hence sparking up nationwide strife in most if not all government system. However, since the worst 1969 strife the communities co-exist easily in spite of the differences in the areas they live in. This means that in hiring labor the company must equally consider job distribution among these communities in terms of type and number of positions to avoid rejection by the locals. In terms of national political governance, the country has established strict immigration controls that may have an implication on foreign traders. Movement into the country may therefore require early arrangements to avo id possible hindrance of movement especially where outsourced employees are of foreign origin. The country is ruled under political monarchial government consisting representation of members from all communities in the country but mainly run by the Malays under the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and other

The Impact of ‘Scientific Ideal’ on the Development of Political Science Essay Example for Free

The Impact of ‘Scientific Ideal’ on the Development of Political Science Essay Introduction The philosophy of history is a study on how the human history is supposed to be laid down in papers. There are several studies that are interconnected with the process of knowing how and what should history contain about the human past. Along with this, an important focus on how wide the philosophies on historical set up directly affect the developments in the present systems of political science is also being observed. Political Science as defined mainly refers to the study of political behavior of people making up the government of certain specific countries. These behaviors also include the scientific examination of the acquisition and the application of power in different forms of government practiced by respectively different countries as well. According to authors Dickerson and Flanagan in their book â€Å"An Introduction to Government and Politics (2001), â€Å"Political Science is a process of conflict resolution in which support is mobilized and maintained for collective projects†. This naturally means that it is a way in which countries are able to formulate public projects de to the existence of authorities who have the power to give permission for such public projects. Other known writers and philosophers have different views towards the real meaning of the said study. As for Mao Zedong, Political Science is the study of politics wherein politics is defined as â€Å"war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed† (As cited by Slann, 2004). Another writer, Otto Van Bismarck says that Political Science is the art of politics, which is referred to as the art of the possible (As cited by Slann, 2004). To him, the said study makes impossible things to occur within the existence of the human government. Indeed, as many writers have different and at times even contrasting views regarding the study of politics which is Political Science, debates and other social issues behind the controversies of political philosophies. Among the issues concerned within the topic is the fact that the Philosophies of History sets clear points showing the connection of the ‘scientific ideal† studies and observations to the developments of Political Science itself. With the use of several literature readings and observation, an issue regarding the emergence of power within the history of human civilization shall be discussed in this paper. Along with this, some points of concern regarding the relationship between the scientific processes mostly called the ‘scientific ideal’ in putting down the historical past of the human civilization and the development of Political Science up until the present time shall also be tackled herein. Philosophy of History The philosophy of history is referred to as the branch of the study of philosophy focused on the eventual significance of human history to the present development of several aspects of living within the human society. Thus, this study includes political science within its scope. In the process of knowing the specific details of human history and its connection to the present existing systems in the human society, several questions are considered in performing the said study. First is the determination of the specific and proper unit used for the study of the human past. It mainly asks â€Å"what possible unit should be mainly considered when history is presented to the readers of the present generation, the individual points, the cities or the sovereign territories, the development of civilization or culture, or everything else comprised within the details of the human past?† Another question is concerning the broad patterns used in posting the human past in historical write-ups and literatures. The main question is â€Å"are there any patterns of progress followed in the posting of history? The last point of concern of this study is the direction passed by historical accounts. The question on this matter of concern is â€Å"what is the driving force of the progress in history?† The questions mentioned above are mainly used to observe the different aspects of human society. Moreover, among the aspects to be considered as mentioned earlier is the connection of this process to the developments of Political Science. Consequently, many debates arise because of the fact that there are many theories concerning this matter. Some of the theories of power and politics shall be discussed in the paragraphs to follow. The Introduction of ‘Power’ in the Human Society With the records written in the pages of history, it has been made clear that ever since the human civilization started to thrive in the face of the earth, leadership and power had already been a part of the human’s everyday living. There had always been a need for people to have somebody stand up as their leader to instruct them of what they are supposed to do. Simple forms of governments have been formed in the earlier years of human existence to support the said need for leadership. On the other hand, many people too wanted to have the privilege of ruling their respective small communities. With this, there came to be the birth of simple politics. According to the analysis of Michel Foucault (1977) in the journal â€Å"Politico-Historical† discourse on â€Å"Race Struggle†, politics began to thrive due to the fact that people wanted to become a part of the authoritative power who rules other people. Because of this, Foucault claims that social conflict based on ethnic groups, class struggle as well as social elements contributing to power began in the earlier human generations. Then, as years passed, the simple political set up in the human communities began to change. Some tribes or even certain individuals wanting power, already wanted the position of an official in a certain society already came up with different propagandas to get what they want. Indeed, the politics as defined by Mao Zedong earlier as ‘war without bloodshed’ began to be given birth during these times of political progression in the human civilization. Another analysis on Philosophical History by Foucault (1976) entitled â€Å"Society Must be Defended† says that politics all began with the race struggle. People began to take territories as well as claim their people’s race when the beginning of politics had been introduced to the human society. This has been proven when the said analysis of human society and politics by Foucault had been used in Great Britain for study. It has been proven that people used to struggle against monarchy thus having the motives of gaining considerable social class from not much different from that of the monarchial rulers. Indeed, as clearly pointed out on the different literatures regarding philosophy of history and how the human past accounts had been laid down into writing, politics had been proven as a developing social factor which directly affects the whole society’s life and dealings with their own communities. Today, as history makes it clear, political science has been continuously developing through the years of human civilization. From the simple forms of government and creation of simple laws to the birth of a more organized human rulership and more complex creation of laws, the ‘scientific ideal’ had helped the people understand the developments of politics in the society as well as its study. Along the pages of human history, it could be tracked down how much politics as well as political science had been developing through the passing on of generations. The accounts on the years of imperialism and colonization have also been a factor, which contributed to the present political systems applied in many countries around the world. In this regard, the introduction of democratic government around the world had been very successful because of the fact that history shows the need for such kind of rulership basing from the past occurrences that happened due to the existence of other forms of government. Although not all the nations around the world applies the said form of government, many people still began to realize that this form of government gives so much benefit to people due to the effects of many analytical literatures written to support the said idea on freedom and democracy. Developments of Political Science As mentioned earlier, political science had been continuously developing through the years. Indeed, the fact that through the scientific formulas of historical presentation of different political accounts through the years of human civilization, politics and its study had been able to aim for better ways of governing people and helping the human civilization progress further for human advancement. In the face of history, it is clearly shown how the political aspect of the society had affected so much of human activities through the years of progress. Other social aspects such as religion and social classes as well as the different ideologies regarding life had been directly affected by the development of politics in the whole world. Along with this, the analysis of the said factor in human society also continuously developed helping in further progress of politics itself. As often said by writers who endeavor in the reports of both social and political progress, â€Å"the society is constantly developing and this is all because of the impact of history to the human civilization† (Rousseau, 2005). Conclusion True, as clearly pointed out in the entire theme of this paper, ‘scientific ideal’ in the placement of history of the human civilization on paper makes it possible for political science to develop in the way it analyzes the present political situations in the world. The creation of laws and other national rules are also directly affected by the said state of development in political science. Yes, indeed, the way history is carefully written for the benefit of the present generation is truly an important factor contributing to the progress of the study conducted by political science in the development of world politics and governance. Bibliography Martin Slann. (2004). Introduction to Politics: Governments and Nations in the Twenty- First Century. Atomic Dog Publishing. Pp 14,15. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. (2005). The Plan for Perpetual Peace, On the Government of Poland, and Other Writings on History and Politics (Collected Writings of Rousseau). Dartmouth College Press. P 122. Dickerson, M. and Flanagan, E. (2001). An Introdustion to Government and Politics. Atomic Dog Publishing. 12. Foucault, M. (1976). Philosophical History. The Society Must Be Defended. Verso Publishing Company. 14. Foucault, M. (1977). Politico-Historico. Race Struggle. Verso Publishing Company. 21. Louis Althusser. (2001). Politics and History: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Marx (Radical Thinkers). Verso Publishing Company. 23. Iain Hampsher-Monk. (1993). A History of Modern Political Thought: Major Political Thinkers from Hobbes to Marx. Blackwell Publishing, Incorporated. 121. John Milton, Martin Dzelzainis. (1991). Milton: Political Writings (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought). Cambridge University Press. 145. Blackwell Publishing. (2003). History and Theory Studies in the Philosophy of History. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0018-2656. (September 6, 2006). Blackwell Publishing. (2006). History On-Line. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0018-2656. (September 6, 2006).

Impact of Technology on Teaching

Impact of Technology on Teaching Our students live in an era known as the Digital Age. More information is accessible to all people in our society, and more industries are seeking employees who are proficient in information literacy combined with highly-developed technological skills. Therefore, technology is key in helping students use learning throughout their lives. As an IT educator at my middle school, I know that my students are part of a tech-savvy generation who demand 21st century classrooms that prepare them for modern-day realities and future employment. If technology is now considered a teaching and learning approach, what are its attributes? In this paper, I will describe various characteristics of technology as a teaching and learning approach, circumstances where technology in the classroom is thought to be most effective, and specific examples of the efficacy of technology. I believe there are three unique characteristics of technology as an approach to teaching and learning. First, as technology becomes more available, teaching and learning become more flexible and tailored to student needs. For instance, with the use of some types of technology, such as the internet, hand-held devices, and online classrooms, teaching and learning can extend beyond traditional classroom walls and campuses. Hardcopy textbooks become relics of the past, as inexpensive, up-to-date, and interactive e-books are adopted by more and more institutions. With hand-held computing devices, students are no longer reliant on a single computer lab in the school. Students now have the means to conduct online research and master technology skills that they will need in their future careers. For instance, as soon as tasks are assigned by teachers, students can begin working at any time in and out of class. This bodes well for blended learning and e-learning approaches to education. Thes e are just a few examples of how teaching and learning takes place not only within the classroom but also outside the classroom too. Technology further affects teaching and learning because it changes student and teacher roles so that teachers can offer more personalized learning. As Bitner and Bitner (2002) note, the traditional role of teacher has been radically altered with the advent of technology as a teaching and learning tool: [Technologys] use can allow teachers and students to become partners in the learning process. Technology integration necessarily alters the traditional paradigm of the teacher providing wisdom and the student absorbing knowledge and for good reason. The knowledge needed for tomorrows jobs will change before many of todays students enter the job market (p. 97). Rather than acting as expert lecturers who provide knowledge, teachers in todays technological age play the role of facilitators who help students to think critically and learn actively. In this new relationship, students are much more engaged because lessons can be more customized and enhanced to fit each students learning styl e and progress. As more and more teachers are using adaptive learning software, gaming, coding and virtual reality in their classrooms, students can work and excel at their own level and pace. Students are active learners and authors, not just consumers when using technology: Students today must learn to search and discover knowledge, actively communicate with others, and solve problems so that they can become productive life-long members of our society (Bitner and Bitner, 2002, p. 97). Technology makes that happen by asking them to publish, share, and collaborate. A third unique feature of technology as a teaching and learning approach is its ability to transform classrooms into highly collaborative spaces, where learning happens both in and out of classrooms. Technology facilitates interaction amongst students so that they can share questions and information while participating in relevant, real-world tasks prepared under the guidance of the teacher. As a result, technology changes teacher practices because the classroom is more student-centered. Students roles change too from passive listener to collaborator and occasional expert. Furthermore, as tasks become more collaborative, they also become more complex, and students develop various transferable skills: Technology-based projects often require students to undertake a larger workload that can also be different in nature-completing open-ended tasks, collaborating with others, directing their own learning, and assuming new leadership roles to name a few (Groff and Mouza, 2008, p. 33). In te chnology-rich classrooms, students are more likely to be engaged in specialized group projects rather than whole class activities. People rarely work alone to accomplish important tasks in the world of work; technology is allowing schools to better reflect the collaborative nature of todays workplaces and perhaps better equip students with the skills they will need. I believe it is the skill and attitude of the teacher that determines the effectiveness of technology integration in the classroom. When the teacher is confident with technology, employing technology daily in the classroom using a variety of tools to co-create lessons, assignments and projects that show a deep understanding of content, the effectiveness of technology integration is present in the classroom: To be successful teaching with technology requires teachers to have a strong comfort level with, and consistently implement technology tools as part of their own repertoire of tools in courses they are teaching (Keengwe et al., 2008, p. 561). Teachers who are most successful at technology integration in the classroom are those who are so comfortable with technology that they intuitively know when to use and how to use it for student teaching and learning. When teachers are excited about and fully invested in employing technology, optimal teaching and learning environments are created. For instance, Darvasi (2014) recounts the story of a seventh-grade English teacher who used alternate reality games (ARGs) to transform his students study of The Odyssey. Using their teachers game-based version of The Odyssey, students had to follow QR codes and clues to re-assemble lost journals and make their way to the end of the game, often working together in groups to decipher hints in a variety of unexpected ways. Within this example, Darvasi (2014) argues that ARGs became an immersive learning system that combine[d] rich narrative, digital technology, and real-world game play, which allowed students to exercise critical thinking, resilience, and creative problem solving to succeed in the ARG (p. 1). While creating an ARG might seem implausible to many teachers, Darvasi believes that it is an achievable strategy, as it can be created via free user -friendly, web-based tools and digital software. A second example of the efficacy of technology in the classroom is a personal one based on my seven-year experience as the IT teacher at my middle school. My class is completely online and paperless, based in a wiki website where students log in to access lesson plans, assignments and resources, as well as chat in real time with each other or with me. Using a variety of web 2.0 tools on my wiki, and mind-mapping, VOKI, and comic software (to name a few), students are challenged to develop problem-solving skills to both navigate the interface and software as well as work collaboratively on open-ended assignments. In my experience, the presence of the online environment motivates students to learn, perhaps mostly because the technology eliminates a one-size-fits-all approach to learning and customizes content to meet individual needs and learning styles. Todays students cannot effectively be taught with pen and paper only. These dated technologies, while perhaps perfectly acceptable several decades ago, do not reflect the realities or needs of 21st century learners. As a teaching and learning tool, technology modernizes classrooms, transforming them into spaces that better reflect the day-to-day lives of todays learners and the skills they need to build for tomorrow. Just as we would never think of asking a student today to write a paper on a stone tablet, so too can we not ignore the necessity of various technological tools in making learning relevant and engaging for todays learners. References Bitner, N., Bitner, J. (2002). Integrating technology into the classroom: Eight keys to success. Journal  of technology and teacher education, 10(1), 95-100. Characteristics of Highly Effective Technology Teaching and Learning in Kentucky Schools.2009.  Retrieved from the web site:  http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/standards/teachtools/Documents/TechCharacteristicsARCCKDEPJK.pdf Darvasi, P. 2014. How to Transform the Odyssey into an Epic Game in Alternate Reality. Retrieved  from the web site: https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/10/13/how-students-can-channel-the-odyssey-into-an-alternate-reality-epic/ Goddard, M. (2002). What do we do with these computers? Reflections on technology in the  classroom. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(1), 19-26. Gorder, L. M. (2008). A study of teacher perceptions of instructional technology integration in the  classroom. The Journal of Research in Business Education, 50(2), 63. Groff, J., Mouza, C. (2008). A framework for addressing challenges to classroom technology  use. AACe Journal, 16(1), 21-46. Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., Wachira, P. (2008). Computer technology integration and student learning:  Barriers and promise. Journal of science education and technology, 17(6), 560-565. Venezky, R. L. (2004). Technology in the classroom: steps toward a new vision. Education,  Communication Information, 4(1), 3-21.