The Decision Making Process How Communication Is Important Essay Example for Free

The Decision Making Process How Communication Is Important Essay Good decision making is an essential skill for career success generally, and effective leadership particularly. If you can learn to make timely and well-considered decisions, then you can often lead your team to spectacular and well deserved success. However, if you make poor decisions your organization can tumble. Regardless of the size of business you are in whether a large corporation, a small company, or even a home based business effective communication skills are essential for success especially when a decision has to be made. Decision making in management is an important skill and making the right decisions is essential. Every manager should be looking to improve their decision making skills and communication skills. The process of business decision making is of the utmost importance for effective management. Decision making process in management must be informed by expert knowledge and experience in all departments. â€Å"The decision-making role in organizations is crucial. If things are going smoothly, there is not much for management to do, but if things go wrong or new opportunities arise, somebody has to decide on hiring and firing workers, investing in new machines or scrapping old ones, marketing new products and dropping old ones, and how to raise the necessary finance. † (Fong, Kwok, 2005) The role of management is to take these decisions, communicate with all the departments in the organization that are involved, and make the right decision. The people who do the managing, this may involve a members of the organizations at different ranks, with subordinates, branch, or assistant managers exercising limited caution, and the managing director as the overall boss of an organization, laying down general outline of policy, all of the people can help to carry out the decisions. They all need to communicate and bring out their point of views before making a decision. â€Å"The six step decision making process is a balanced decision making process. It is based upon thinking about, comparing and evaluating various alternatives. † (Dollak, 2008) Each step must be completed before going to the next step. And occasionally it may be necessary to go back several steps to more fully complete them before moving forward again. The steps are: * define the situation and the desired outcome * research and identify options * compare and contrast each alternative and its consequences * choose an alternative * design and implement an action plan * evaluate results Decision making is at the heart of business operations. High quality decision making is essential for businesses to succeed and prosper, and communication is really crucial during that time. Unfortunately, the decision process is hard to pin down and understand and often receives far less attention than it deserves. The future of ones business is written in the decisions of today. Every effort to make those decisions of high quality will be rewarded. Organizational decision making involves translating inputs of information to outputs of courses of action and implies that the capacity to act depends on a shared understanding among organizational members. â€Å"Interactive communication and decision making within the organization and any group within the organization, at that time there will be varied opinions on the suitable actions to take in any scenario but these differences exist within a structure of shared values and agreed procedures. † (Kelly, 1994) Decision making and communication in organization go hand in hand, one relates to another, and they are both essential in any organization.

Contextual Environment For Business Commerce Essay

Contextual Environment For Business Commerce Essay This article talks about External Environmental forces which force the organization to change their business strategy and its effect directly or indirectly on their business. This article also reviews the current and future demographic and culture trends changing in UK. In this article you will find out the PESTLE and forecasting techniques of Micro soft in detail according to UK Market with SWOT analysis of organization Analysis the data to uncover and understand cause-effect relationships, thus providing basis for problem solving and decision making Including demographic, socio-cultural, legal/political aspects and demand trend 1.2 Synopsis This article highlights the various factors affecting, creating changes and impact on the organisations performance globally. It deals with those critical scenarios in which companies decisions are derived by the globalisation phase. When organisations are almost compelled to restructure their competitive strategies to achieve the overall organisations objectives. This article discusses about the changes in the global environment 1.3 Literature Review According to an independent research, over 95 percent of the worlds computers work on Microsofts operating platform. In the current global perspective, Microsoft has the largest market share, so thats make them as a market leader. This badge Market Leader opens great opportunities and unexplored market territories. Companies periodically carry out different analytical tools such as SWOT and PESTEL analysis, to be aware that how they are performing and they examine those overlooked segments for market which had been undiscovered. These tools help them to analyse internally pros and cons of the company and help them to identify the external environmental forces which tends to either organisation make others to follow or vice versa. Microsoft is currently facing tremendous change in the trend of consumers, people are more inclined towards Macintosh and Linux based platforms due to much stable platform and above all there are comparatively fewer viruses developed on Macintosh and Linux based platforms. People are diverted towards other brands and Microsoft is losing its creditability and market share which ultimately weaken its grasp on the monopoly which they have created. Microsoft has huge political pressure on it that US government is putting up efforts to divide the company into near about forty different companies, the company has expanded so tremendously that now its one of the greatest threats for US government that Microsoft will be in position to control politics within near future if they remain expanding with the same pace, furthermore US government wants to maintain a healthy competition in the market so that various products can be developed through competitive strategies. Whereas Microsoft is such a company which creates numerous business opportunities for their partner organisations. When measuring the economic impact of a company like Microsoft, organisation has to consider both either direct or indirect impact induced by the effective creation of the new business opportunities. Gates strategy has been to leverage Microsofts desktop operating system to dominate all software sales-from word processing to spreadsheets. Because most new PCs are equipped with the Windows operating system, Gates can place icons for Microsoft software packages on the desktops when a computer is purchased. Also, Microsofts large cash reserves give it an advantage over its competitors. Microsoft can enter a new market or introduce a new package without needing to make a profit from the outset. In April 1995, when Microsoft attempted to make the biggest acquisition in the history of the software industry by purchasing Intuit, a maker of personal-finance software, the antitrust division of the Department of Justice blocked the deal and Microsoft backed off. However, competitors continue to complain that Microsoft uses an existing monopoly to retard the development of new technology. It was the bundling of software, such as Web browsers with Windows 95 and 98 that prompted the Justice Department to file an antitrust lawsuit against the company in 1998. A U.S. Court of Appeals panel ruled that Microsoft was free to bundle its software, but a court date was set for September 1998 to determine the final ruling. In addition, Gates invested $1 billion in the cable company Comcast in 1998 in an effort to persuade the cable industry to assist in developing faster connections using cable modems. That same year, Microsoft formed the Cable Broadband Forum with Intel,  TCI, and Time Warner to promote cable modems. The company also invested $425 million to guarantee itself a 20 percent equity stake in the cable access venture, Road Runner. Microsoft employs around 20,000 people in 48 countries. A typical Microsoft employee is very intelligent, but may only have little if any experience much like Gates own background. Gates also invites challenge and confrontation to maintain flexibility (Microsoft Corporation, 2010) (Bruno Van Pottelsberghe De La Potterie, 2005) Read more:  Gates, Bill Overview, Personal Life, Career Details, Social and Economic Impact, Chronology: Bill Gates  http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/6234/Gates-Bill.html#ixzz0k2F2Txf9 Gates took very efficient strategic change by setting up a software house in India, due to several reasons behind. The basic purpose behind was to acquire huge market of India which was a tremendous business opportunity for Microsoft Corporation. The other related target was to control Indian IT immigrants to come to US finding opportunities at Microsoft when they can find wide scope in their home land. The added benefit which Microsoft Corporation has got was of low cost IT personnel which ultimately help them cut down the cost of developing new softwares. In return what advantage India has got is massive amount of economical growth into their country, substantial amount of foreign investments came into their country, demand for IT personnels drastically went up and moreover they got the technology for designing and developing softwares. Due to this several different local software houses emerged into and they now built it into a Software Industry. These are the pros of globalisatio ns, well sometimes it may be misused in order to fulfil specific interests and objectives. With this strategic movement of Microsoft Corporation, it enhances up the demand of IT personnel in India thus resulting up a great vacuum for IT people. People not only from India but several different ethnic groups came to India to join Microsoft, which ultimately helps India to stop brains into their country and a great opportunity for them to get the most out of those brains. Plus India has got an extra benefit from Microsoft that, it got a huge discounts on Microsofts licensed softwares only for Indian market which on the other hand help them to capture huge market of India which were before using pirated softwares. Microsoft lowered down their software prices which could be affordable for the local market and made compulsory for every single person to use Microsoft Licensed Softwares. Organisations periodically carry out SWOT and PESTEL analysis just to be aware of them where they are standing and where they have to reach. The most important issue and which Microsoft has been facing since early stage are of piracy. Microsoft still couldnt be able to overcome this problem and facing substantial losses due to its pirated products. Microsoft has developed and followed various different software monitoring teams which search those cooperate users which do businesses on pirated products. To overcome this thing in India they developed a strategy they lowered the prices of those softwares which were commonly used in both cooperate and domestic sectors, so that it came in the reach on every user. This strategy reduces the usage of pirated Microsoft products in India, whereas in other Asian countries like Pakistan, Microsoft didnt follow the same strategy in Pakistan too, due to insubstantial market as compared to India. With the implementation of cost reduction strategy in India, Microsoft was seems to be obliged to do the same strategy with Pakistan too, but it doesnt happen due to the market analysis conducted before implementing the same strategy in Pakistan. The major reason was the size of the substantial market of Pakistan, which wasnt enough to compensate with the reduced cost. Microsoft is currently facing change in buying behaviour of their well known gamming console called Xbox 360, customers are demanding shake and twisting intelligence systems in their gaming consoles whereas their competitors Nintendo Wii gaming console has more advance shake and twist intelligence features in it which Microsoft is compelled to follow if they still want to be in market leader position. This compilation of bringing up same or more advance features in their products is actually customer driven and according to the demand in the market, Microsoft has to modify their product. In developing and implementing a business strategy, organisation should follow the standard set of procedure so that every step should be organised, well prepared and organisations must also develop a backup plan if in case strategy doesnt go in favour then a backup plan must be ready all resources being used in it also have to be ready in order to act fast. Sometimes after doing secret homework and all company was just in position to announce any marketing campaign, these campaign sometimes leaked my one of an official and competitor launch campaign before the original developer of the campaign, so these cases organisations have another plan to attract potential market towards their products. Microsoft has various different mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures with other organisations. Usually Microsoft acquire small to medium size competitors to remain their monopoly in the sector but big giants like Yahoo and Google, Microsoft has partner collaboration with them. Microsoft acquire Yahoo, but in this acquisition the brand of Yahoo remained, Microsoft didnt eliminate the brand of Yahoo because Microsoft still wanted to remain competition within these two giants in either cases profits will be on Microsoft. Yahoo lovers remain with them and similarly Microsoft market remains with them. Couple of years back, Microsoft and Google did a joint venture named as a GooSoft the two formal archrivals will work cooperatively for the first time in history. Google will use an Open Source version of Windows Mobile to develop similar platform like Apple iPhones platform. On other hand, Microsoft will get chance to redevelop its search engine operations with collaborations with Google, this is one of the sectors in which Microsoft is losing battle very badly. This joint venture will help both of the companies to develop their weak parts and can better perform against Apple, Palm and other handheld devices manufacturers. (Freeman, 2010) Currently demography has been changed a lot within the last couple of year due to various reasons. There is now three censuses based record covering all constituent parts of the UK. All three of them include linked data from vital registration systems. During the last couple of years population of United Kingdom drastically increases due to the easy approach of immigrants in to the country. The amount has been projected to be increased tremendously as Olympics 2012 event is going to be in United Kingdom. Organisations are constantly scanning the external environment where they can cater market with their services. People from all ethnic groups, age groups, religion arrive here and it could be a huge opportunities to cater them. Globalisation plays very potent role in expanding the canvas of business of an organisation. Due to this several different entry barriers are removed and most of the time organisations started new market development where they started to explore new territories. With the globalisation of the company as Microsoft, when Windows Vista was going to launch, Microsoft launched it in its 4000 stores across the globe at a same time, all marketing strategies and planning were done centrally and they launched it on a same day everywhere. Globalisation is bring up various different changes in social trends in United Kingdom, now a days people prefer more to chat and greet virtually (i.e. online, mobile phone and etc) with their relatives rather than meeting them personally. This trend has drastically increased with the development of advanced IT and telecommunications products. While on the other hands young children are also now slaves of these high tech products. Children prefer more to play on virtual devices rather than involving in physical games. Following are the statistical data for United Kingdom Migration is an important driver of population change but migration patterns vary across the EU. Much migration is economically driven but there are other drivers of migration which include for example educational and familial factors. Factors that influence migrant choices of destination country include geographical proximity, historical and cultural ties and economic globalisation, whereby jobs are created outside the country of the sponsoring company. Data are not available to assemble a complete matrix of migration flows between the individual countries of the EU. None the less, a recent Council of Europe report that presents analyses of the data that are available shows the following patterns in moves by people of working age. The majority of economic migrants from central and eastern EU countries move to elsewhere in the EU, Germany and Austria receive a high proportion of economic migrants from central and Eastern EU countries. This containment within Europe is also seen in ot her countries such as Sweden. On the other hand, looking at migrants to countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, Malta, Spain and Italy, there is a high proportion of migrants from outside the EU. A subject of much debate in Europe is the extent to which EU enlargement will impact on migratory flows. Since accession there has been some movement of citizens of the acceding countries to some other parts of the EU but the extent to which migration to and from non-EU countries might be affected is unknown. Changes in the patterns of marriage, divorce and cohabitation have implications for family formation and dissolution. The traditional nuclear family through marriage is still the norm in the EU but a wider range of family and household types is emerging, from lone parent families to step and extended family types. Within Europe, the rise in cohabitation, divorce and remarriage has been particularly evident in the Nordic member states, the Netherlands and the UK. The trends in partnership formation and dissolution mean that children are likely to experience family disruption whilst growing up and some will experience it more than once. There has been a marked increase in the number of births outside marriage over the last decade. The rate has raised from 9.6 percent of all live births in 1990 to 28.6 per cent in the countries of Europe prior to enlargement and similar rises have been seen in many of the acceding countries. The increasing numbers of older people and increased life expectancy have very significant implications for retirement, pensions, health and care, particularly as the number of the oldest old (aged over 85) continues to grow. With improved health the less old are much more active participants in society, for example, taking on caring roles for younger generations in their family, participating in the voluntary sector or continuing in the labour market. Recent reports have highlighted the need for people to anticipate that they should expect to live longer and build this into their financial planning for their retirement, particularly for their oldest years.9 Higher life expectancy means there is a longer period between departure from the work force and becoming highly dependent on services. More people may want to work past retirement age or adopt more flexible working patterns as they get older, perhaps making more use of part-time working opportunities past the usual retirement age . At the same time, larger numbers of older people are taking advantage of property markets to spend significant periods living in another country. There are fundamental difficulties in making reliable estimates of migration, due principally to the lack of data, particularly on emigration. It is generally recognised that more needs to be done to obtain estimates that are accurate, coherent and comparable. Not only is information required about the flows of immigrants and emigrants and their characteristics but also about the numbers of immigrants and their integration into the society and economy of their new country. In individual countries there is considerable interest in international migration that is between Member States as well as migration from outside the EU region. Such information is important in understanding population change and in assessing the diversity of the population and its structures. In addition to international migration, Member States require reliable information about population migration within the country because there are significant implications for housing provision, service provision, local regen eration and local labour markets. The UK are planning for the next Census in 2011, working closely with colleagues in other census-taking countries, both in the EU and internationally, to share experience and lessons learned from the 2000 round of censuses. In Europe a UN ECE Census Task Force exists to review recommendations for the 2010 round of censuses. Between now and 2011, considerable efforts are in hand to improve the quality of intercensal population estimates for local areas and migration estimates. Post 2011, the vision is to move towards an integrated population statistics system that utilises address registers, population registers, administrative sources and surveys. This approach will involve the linkage of records at an individual level for statistical purposes. There are substantial issues to be resolved, such as barriers that currently prevent the linkage of administrative records and the need to gain acceptability from the public, but the benefits in terms of the quality of population statistics wi ll be significant. Policy makers in much of Europe have expressed deep concerns with regard to the increasing pressure on health and social care costs arising from the demographic ageing of their populations (Richter 1992). Although a number of (cross-national) studies have considered the determinants of (especially) health care costs, only one has found that the age structure of the population (proportion of population aged 65 and over being taken as the age structure indicator) is an explanatory factor alongside the effects of income, lifestyle characteristics, and environmental factors (Kleiman 1974; Getzen 1992; Gerdtham et al 1998; Hitris and Posnett, 1992; Leu 1986; OECD 1987; OConnell 1996; Gerdtham et al 1992, 1992a). This brief paper attempts to address relevant issues relating to population ageing and health and social care expenditure, including economic evaluations, drawing primarily on UK and North American literature from both medical and economics journals. Particularly the paper by Sesh amani and Gray (2002) is worthy of extra note. It should be pointed out that this is not intended to be an extensive exhaustive review of the literature on the effects of population ageing on health and social care expenditure nor on economic evaluations of health care. Indeed, as we point out later the number of journal articles on economic evaluations has increased dramatically through the 1980s and 1990s, totalling more than 5500 in peerreviewed journals in those two decades, with approximately 4000 of these in the 1990s alone. However, there seems to be a consensus of opinion in the literature addressed in this brief paper supporting a non-extensive review that economic evaluations lack methodological robustness and integrity in relation to resource allocation. Especially cross-national comparisons appear to be problematic. Before via the literature we consider the impact of ageing on health (and social) care expenditures (in the UK) and the economics of health care (evaluations/interventions), we present briefly UK (and European) population data as a demographic backdrop to that work along with a brief review of UK policy initiatives for the health and social care of older people particularly aimed at preventing dependence. Regulatory bodies are formed to create check and balance system for organisation; these bodies monitor the performance of organisations and develop fair dealing between buyer and seller. These bodies help customers if they are getting unfair deals or being ripped off from the seller. Regulatory bodies also keep strict eye on the competition practices between competitors. In United Kingdom an independent organisation know as The Office of fair Trading. A system has been developed to control and directed accordingly is known as Corporate Governance, with this system business activities of an organisations are regulated. The process includes manages customs, legislations, policies, laws and institution affecting the way a corporation is directed, administrated or controlled. Corporate governance also includes the relationships among the several stakeholders involved and the goals for which the corporation is governed. The basic stakeholders are the shareholders, management, and the board of directors. Other stakeholders include employees, customers, creditors, suppliers, regulators, and the community at large. Corporate Governance has positive impact on organisation that it strengthened economy and hence good corporate governance is a tool for socio-economic development. Corporate governance is a set of framework of accountability to users, stakeholders and the wider community within which organisations take decisions, and lead and c ontrol their functions to achieve their objectives. In this globalised world, it has various aspects which affect the world in several different ways major of them are; Industrial emergence of worldwide production houses and wider access to a range of foreign products for consumers and companies. Movement of goods between and within national boundaries. International trade of manufactured goods across borders increased drastically. Financially emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing for borrowers. Few studies have sufficient people aged 85 and over to obtain reliable results. Demographers of ageing are frequently required to compare age groups for example, 55-64 years, 65-74, 75-84 and 85 years and over. However, numbers of very old people (those aged 85 and over) in most surveys are not sufficient for more complex statistical analyses: for example, around 300 for the GHS, 400 for the BHPS. An exception is the Family Resources Survey, which has a large sample of 800 very old people. Otherwise the most usual strategy is to use two or three years data from a cross-sectional survey, assuming the same questions were asked each year. A sample of very old people can thus be assembled.29 Again, the Census, SAR and the ONS LS are the best sources for analysing the demographic characteristics of very old people. The increasing proportion of very old people, however, may generate new problems for collecting data: questionnaires should be readable by people with visual impairments; inte rviewers should be ready to cope with people with hearing problems. Interviewing older people usually takes a longer time. Additionally, very old people may not capable of being interviewed, so it is possible that the use of proxy interviews will increase in the future. Very old people may also be less likely to participate in surveys, especially when interviews are conducted door to door. Courtesy of http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/PT118_V1.pdf 1.4 Conclusion and Recommendations Finally, in the end I would like to say that although Microsoft is very good organization and they are the market leader of information technology industry but if they cannot change their strategy accordingly the demand then they will lose their position they will not over confidence but they will need to make USP of their product according to market demand.

A Study On Digital Technologies

A Study On Digital Technologies The advent of technology has transformed and changed the mode of our lives in all its aspects. People can learn in distant universities without having to travel there. They can access to various sources of information through the World Wide Web. Unlike the traditional schools where students learning was only restricted to the school context, most schools today provide students with various contexts of learning through the use of digital technologies that facilitate their communication with their friends, teachers and people from other countries. Digital technologies are increasingly used by schools to support learning and enable students to communicate with parents and provide access to school resources from home. Therefore, I believe that digital technologies consolidated the communication channels between the home and the school. This matter is of paramount importance as it increases parental engagement in childrens learning. Consequently, parents can take informed decision regarding the future of their children and can participate with teachers in developing the level lf their children. Parental engagement in the learning process enhances children achievement at school. The ever-increasing needs of individuals and society in the 21st century are constantly placing much pressure on the educational institutions. The traditional teaching methods are no longer capable of satisfying the requirements of our modern era. Therefore, we find that most schools in many nations around the world focus on the digital participations of students as an entitlement for them in the emerging digital media era. This entitlement includes knowledge, skills and understanding that are required to be involved socially, culturally, politically, and economically in everyday life. This paper is meant to elaborate and identify what has been said about the use of the internet or other forms of webs-based learning in schools and indicate how these approaches would be applied in the context in which Im teaching. Participation in Digital Technology:- The terms digital technology and new media are used to refer to a wide range of technologies which store and transmit information in digital form. This includes computers, the internet and e-mail, mobile phones and other mobile devices and cameras, video games and web 2.0 technologies the label commonly applied participatory and interactive media (Hague, Cassie Williamson, Ben, 2009. P.3) . The digitization and computerization of many aspects of our lives places a heavy burden on established educational institutions. Alexey Semenov (2005) believes that life in the new knowledge society demands more independent and responsible behavior and much less routine execution of orders. In order to make responsible decisions in new and unexpected situations, people need to continue to learn throughout life. Therefore, information and communication technology are the most efficient tools for personal growth, creativity and joy, consumption and wealth. Students can learn the use of the internet in finding papers that are relevant to their curriculum. Through summarizing papers on the net and discussing their findings with their peers and teachers, students can feel that they are creative. Moreover, Their communication channels with their teachers, peers and other people are consolidated through the net. ICT prepares students to actively participate in a rapid changing world in whic h business nature and other activities are increasingly transformed due to the employment of the advanced and multiple technologies by using ICT tools to find, explore, analyze and present information in a responsible, creative and distinguished way. Thus, they learn how to employ information and communication technology ICT to get much literature and experiences from myriad individuals, communities and cultures. When their capabilities in using information and communication technologies are increased, initiative and independent learning are consolidated as students become more capable of taking responsible and informed decisions on when and where to use information technology to have the best result and to study the uses of ICT at home and work now and in the future. According to Semenov Alexey, 2005 believes that Adams Douglas 1999 believes that using the computer enables us to combine things together to see how they work by emulating and imitating complex and interrelated processes, even life can be imitated. This is a modern era for discoveries and ICT is its gate . Among the main objectives of the national curriculum of ICT in England for the key stages 1-4 are the following: Information Communication Technology (ICT) provides opportunities to consolidate: Thinking skills through helping pupils to determine relevant information sources, develop ideas and work collaboratively to solve problems. Project and initiative skills through encouraging students to design and implement solutions for real problems. Business related learning through providing students with opportunities to have a wide range of ICT applications. Learning for sustainable development through developing pupils understanding of Information and Communication Technology in practical life, community and environment. Digital Literacy and Schools School Subjects:- Currently schools are striving hard to integrate the development of students subject knowledge with the ability to use technology safely and effectively ((Hague, Cassie Williamson, Ben, 2009. P. 7). Therefore, they focus on digital literacy and digital participation as a key to achieve this integration. Hague, Cassie and Williamson, Ben reported that there is a model which offers a conceptual framework for embedding digital literacy as an aim in the curriculum and for developing strategies to develop it through classroom activities. This model delineates types of processes students need to go through in order to demonstrate digital literacy. Moreover, it is based on the notion that learners investigate questions and problems set by teachers, and that over time they should develop sufficient confidence and competence in the skills, knowledge and understanding of digital literacy to be able to define their own questions for enquiry. The author suggests that digital literacy is an amalgamation of: Knowledge of digital tools: hardware/ software awareness and competence. Critical Skills: evaluation and contextualization. Social awareness: Understanding your identity, collaborating, and communicating to audiences in context. Guidelines for successful implementation:- The internet is not intended as a technology that should be imposed on the educational system. Educators should have at least a fair knowledge of the use and benefits of technology in delivering their message. Internet technology for schools is intended to provide a source of comprehensible, accessible information for educators about using the power of the internet within the K-12 academic environment (Mambretti, Catherine, 1999) . In order to create web-based learning at schools and achieve the maximum benefit of the internet as a promising medium for learning, schools should conduct long-range planning not only of their technology infrastructure but of their curricula and educational technologies and strategies (ibid). Since most communities and organizations believe the importance of technology for education, several corporations have established non-profit organizations to assist schools in their technology projects or have announced plans to make major donations to school technology projects. The ICT shouldnt be a closed or self -contained subject to be taught and learned independently from other subjects. However, according to Semenov Alexey (2005) it should be treated as interdisciplinary, integrative, and cross curricular. Using ICT in teaching and learning will help both teachers and students become more conscious of their capabilities and responsibilities. However, it is of paramount importance to support learning by an immediate application of technology that is meaningful and relevant to students. Children should be taught at an early age the skill touch typing which is basically for communicating between human beings and computers. Microworld-like environments allow children from the age of 3 upwards to learn and use ICT for usual applications (graphics and text-editing) and for modeling the real world and multimedia implementation of virtual realities. Semenov Alexey ( 2005) believes that number of students per computer is a common indicator of ICT development at schools. There is also another quantitative factor which is more relevant: the number of hours a week that computers are available for use. Advantages and disadvantages of using the web for learning:- Web-based learning has many benefits for students. Students can have an easy access to a huge library of training and information whether they are working from home or any other place. It is also easy to track students. As students can complete their training while they are connected to the network, it is easy to track them. Unlike with CD-ROMs that require students to print reports or save scores to disk, WBT enables the data to be automatically tracked on the server-computer . Additionally, in web-based learning, the content can be easily updated. However, there are also some disadvantages and barriers that make it difficult to implement ICT at some schools. The most significant disadvantage is that the content of the internet which includes both safe and unsafe materials. Thus, unsafe materials such as porno movies may represent a threat to the students. There are also some barriers to the implementation of ICT at some schools such as : The cost of ICT hardware, software and maintenance. The often unconscious resistance of many educators to the intrusion of still obscure technological newcomers that threaten to alter drastically long-established and time-honored practices and customs; and The lack of teachers who are trained to exploit ICT proficiently . How ICT could be applied to the context in which Im teaching:- ICT could be applied in my context of teaching through establishing a network for the school and creating a computer lab. Each student shall be assigned a computer. Teachers shall be trained adequately on the use of ICT tools to deliver their message efficiently. Students also shall be trained on the use of the web resources through the guidance of their teachers. They will be encourage to be creative and critical in their thinking by processing all kinds of information and creating a new version of their own. Through answering assignments and receiving feedback on their e-mail, students can feel a sense of independent learning. Thus, they can take a responsible decision and depend upon themselves in searching for information and generating relevant theories. Conclusion:- To conclude, I believe that the advent of technology make it inevitable to apply ICT at all schools to create universal students who care for sustainable learning and global development. In other words, ICT should be properly implemented as it qualifies students for the increasing and fast changing requirements of the outside world. Schools shouldnt be isolated from the outside world. However, it should be a mirror for the outside world. All the conflicts and changes in the outside world should be analyzed at the school to connect students with their home and community. ICT represent an excellent communication channel between the school, home and the community as a whole. Moreover, it encourages students to be creative and independent learners. The use of ICT limits the role of the teacher to an outside observer and a guide for students. They will learn what they want to learn by themselves. Although ICT is still facing some obstacles represented by the expensive tools and equipments, its a necessity for all schools to adapt with the changing requirements and changes of our age. References:- Hague, Cassie Williamson, Ben, Digital Participation, Digital Literacy, and School Subjects ( A review of the Policies, literature and evidence, August 2009 www.futurelab.org.uk/projects/digital-participation. Semenov Alexey, Information and Communication Technologies in Schools, a hand book for teachers, Unisco 2005. ICT, National Curriculum For England, Key Stages 1-4, Crown House Publishing 1999. www.qca.org.uk/nc/ http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_9.htm Mambretti, Catherine, Internet Technology for Schools, McFarland Company, North Carolina, 1999.

Theme and Setting in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Theme and Setting in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is a novella that is one story being told by Marlow within the actual story by Joseph Conrad. The novella is set on a boat, the Nellie, on the Thames river in England, but the story that Marlow tells is set in the Belgian Congo. When relating the theme of this novella to the setting it has to be looked at from both the Thames and Congo rivers. Heart of Darkness shows the superiority of whites over blacks in a context where the blacks are considered to be savages and whites are supposed to be civilized. Marlow is telling the story to his friends in the dark of night on the Thames river. As he begins the day is just ending "in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance." It is a very sombre and dull atmosphere and as the calmness begins to fade it becomes more profound. At one point Marlow stops and is interrupted by the unknown narrator who describes the setting on the Nellie. "It had become so pitch dark that we listeners could hardly see one another. For a long time already he, sitting apart, had been no more to us than a voice....I listened, I listened on the watch for the sentence, for the word, that would give me the clew to the faint uneasiness inspired by this narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy nightair of the river." As the story ends the setting on the Thames river is once again described by the unseen narrator. "The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." The superiority of whites over blacks in the novella faces the harsh reality that the whites are there not to colonize the Congo but to conquer it. As Marlow puts it "They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force-nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. Theme and Setting in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays Theme and Setting in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is a novella that is one story being told by Marlow within the actual story by Joseph Conrad. The novella is set on a boat, the Nellie, on the Thames river in England, but the story that Marlow tells is set in the Belgian Congo. When relating the theme of this novella to the setting it has to be looked at from both the Thames and Congo rivers. Heart of Darkness shows the superiority of whites over blacks in a context where the blacks are considered to be savages and whites are supposed to be civilized. Marlow is telling the story to his friends in the dark of night on the Thames river. As he begins the day is just ending "in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance." It is a very sombre and dull atmosphere and as the calmness begins to fade it becomes more profound. At one point Marlow stops and is interrupted by the unknown narrator who describes the setting on the Nellie. "It had become so pitch dark that we listeners could hardly see one another. For a long time already he, sitting apart, had been no more to us than a voice....I listened, I listened on the watch for the sentence, for the word, that would give me the clew to the faint uneasiness inspired by this narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy nightair of the river." As the story ends the setting on the Thames river is once again described by the unseen narrator. "The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." The superiority of whites over blacks in the novella faces the harsh reality that the whites are there not to colonize the Congo but to conquer it. As Marlow puts it "They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force-nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.

Wuthering Heights versus Thrushcross Grange :: essays research papers

In Emil Brontà «'s novel "Wuthering Heights" the two main residences, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, are both grand, wealthy houses lying near the wild, Yorkshire moors, "completely removed from the stir of society" (pg1). Besides these similarities though, they are almost exact opposites. Wuthering Heights is associated with passion, nature and the elemental whereas Thrushcross Grange epitomises civilisation, peace and order. The characteristics of both abodes are also evident in their respective residents. I will examine the distinct differences in their interior and exterior appearance as well as their inhabitants. A first difference is the location and exterior of the two residences. Wuthering Heights is built on high ground where it is subjected to severe storms. It is ?strong?, its ?narrow windows are deeply set in the wall? (pg2). The front is decorated by ?grotesque carving(s)? displaying a ?wilderness of crumbling griffins? (pg2). All the above depict Wuthering Heights as unwelcoming, rugged, gloomy yet natural and elemental. Thrushcross Grange on the other hand lies in a pleasant, sunlit valley below the moors where it is sheltered from adverse weather. It is surrounded by a walled park with well-kept gardens. Flowerpots decorate the windows, which are ?only half closed? by the curtains emitting a warm, amiable light (pg43). These features give the impression of a civilised, sophisticated, serene house. Apart from the exterior contrasts, the interior of the two households is also profoundly different. The furniture at Wuthering Heights is primitive: a ?vast oak dresser? and ?high-backed? chairs (pg3), meat and guns hang from the roof and Lockwood discovers a ?heap of dead rabbits? (pg8) ? further signs of nature but also of violence and danger. The huge fireplace ?glow(s) delightfully in the radiance of an immense fire? (pg7). This symbolises power, danger, uncontrollability and, foremost, passion. The dogs kept at Wuthering Heights are ?wolfish?, ?hairy monsters? with a ?guttural gnarl? (pg4,15). At Thrushcross Grange however, Edgar and Isabella quarrel over a small pet dog, which they both want to cuddle. Contrastingly, the fire at Thrushcross Grange is at first extinguished. When it glows, it gives off a harmonious but dull light. Thrushcross Grange is beautifully carpeted and furnished, with a ?pure white ceiling bordered by gold?, from which a chandelier hangs (pg44). Unlike Wuthering Heights? elemental interior, Thrushcross Grange is tranquil and refined. The two houses contrast not only in appearance but also in the characters of their inhabitants, especially in Heathcliff and Edgar.

Meiji Japan, Colonialism and Beyond

The most influential aspects that would come out of Japan’s war with China, (the First Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895) and the war with Russia (Russo-Japanese War 1904 – 1905) did not occur during the wars themselves, but rather in the years following the conflicts. These wars were, essentially, the precursors to the Imperial Japan of World War Two infamy. The First Sino-Japanese War showed Japan that the reforms and modernizations of the Mieji Restoration were working as opposed to China’s Self Strengthening Movement that had been a domestic failure. â€Å"War was†¦declared on 1st August 1894, and although foreign observers had predicted an easy victory for the more massive Chinese forces, the Japanese had done a more successful job of modernizing, and they were better equipped and prepared. Japanese troops scored quick and overwhelming victories on both land and sea.†1   This war also established a relationship with western nations that resulted in tremendous improvements in Japan’s military. So profound were this improvements that Japan would later wage a successful war of for the â€Å"rights† to imperial interests against Russia that had a far superior military. In a way, Japan’s involvement in these wars did show the nation had developed similarities with Western nations beyond simply modernizing domestically in social and industrial terms. The foreign policy of Japan began to mimic the least desirable aspect of all of Western Europe’s foreign policy. This area of foreign policy was an emphasis on imperialism and colonization. The classical tradition of imperialism and colonization involved superior powered military incursions into other countries in order to conquer the nation, subjugate the people and strip the indigenous natural resources from the conquered nations. Winning the wars with China and Russia help set the stage for the coming of an Imperial Japan that would wage a massive war in the Pacific Seas during World War Two. By 1895 Japan was beginning to see the fruits of their labor as the defeat of China in several wars and the annexation of Taiwan brought Japan political recognition from many European countries.   Recognition from the European countries meant an escape from many of the treaties that had been forced upon Japan in the 1870’s, and an alliance with England in 1902.   Japan had finally won the respect of the developed world as a military power; however, they were still viewed as an inferior culture and were not afforded the same courtesies as predominantly Anglo-Saxon nations.2 With the war with China, Japan established a foothold as a colonizing empire as it would claim Korea as the prize for its expansion. With Russia, the victory was even more complex. In the part of the world where Japan resides, the bulk of the colonial incursions and wars were bought between eastern nations and western nations as well as eastern nations vs. other eastern nations. Japan’s victory against Russia marked the first time an eastern power defeated a western power in a war, the shockwaves of which reverberated throughout the world. Japan’s standing had greatly increased while Russia’s standing was greatly diminished. For Russia, the loss was yet another link in the chain of events that would lead to the Bolshevik Revolution and for Japan, the second link in the chain (a second victorious war) that would lead to Japan’s brutal World War Two imperialist fantasies was solidified. Imperial powers are amoral, but they are not suicidal. That is, it is rare that imperial expansions are undertaken against strong or powerful nations. Japan’s wins in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Japanese-Russian War were important in the sense that, for lack of a better explanation, saw Japan gain valuable experience in the art of waging war. Furthermore, they established to the world that they were a viable, major power. More importantly, internally, the wins provided feedback to the rulers that Japan’s military strategies worked and that their army and navy was indeed formidable. The seeds were planted with these victories that laid the foundation for even further expansions that would result in the World War Two’s War in the Pacific. Imperialist nations to not launch wars that they feel they are going to lose. In terms of colonizing, a loss would be self-defeating and a drain of the nation. A successful colonization incursion eventually pays for itself by way of the colonized nation providing wealth in terms of losing the rewards of its natural resources. The victories in the wars with China and Russia emboldened Japan to have faith enough in itself to join the Axis powers. The expansion of the military from its victories against China and Russia lead to an immorality that would yield biological war in China and forced starvation in the Philippines. The mere fact that Japan attacked a superpower the size of the United States speaks volumes for the confidence Japan had in its military prowess. On the surface, these two wars Japan was involved with were seemingly successful and expanded Japan’s colonial interests and ambitions, but ultimately, the wars proved disastrous as they were step towards Japan’s downfall World War Two only brought Japan defeat, humiliation and devastation via the Atomic Bomb. Works Cited Anon., â€Å"Imperial Japan†, available , Internet, accessed 05 November 2006. Russo-Japanese War Research Society, â€Å"Forerunners, The Sino-Japanese War†, available from http://www.russojapanesewar.com/phila-2.html, Internet, accessed 05 November 2006. National Clearinghouse for U.S.-Japan Studies, â€Å"Japan's Imperial Family†, available from http://www.indiana.edu/~japan/iguides/imperial.html, Internet, accessed 05 November 2006. 1 Russo-Japanese War Research Society, â€Å"Forerunners, The Sino-Japanese War†, available from   http://www.russojapanesewar.com/phila-2.html, Internet, accessed 05 November 2006. 2 Anon., â€Å"Imperial Japan†, available from http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jearnol2/ MeijiRestoration/imperial_japan.htm, Internet, accessed 05 November 2006.

Do not rock the boat! Essay

Everybody has there own prospective on what a best friend is, from someone that makes them laugh, to simply somebody that just listens to their problems. In my eyes a best friend is a real friend, someone you can count on, someone that is always there for you when you need them the most. And that makes them a best friend in my book. Trying to find one is a different story. I have had my fair share of bad friendships they had me fooled that they were always there for me when all they had were bad intentions. At that point I had given up on the idea that there was someone in this world that I can trust, somebody that I can be myself around. Was I asking for too much? That all changed on September 11, 2010 at Kearny high school, in Ms. Cooks first period English class. It was quite a small room so it was very noticeable when someone walked thru those blue doors into the crowded room. One by one, I studied each new fresh faces walking into the class.Each facial expression sharing a nervo us, curios, but exiting look. About twenty minutes after the late bell rang (that girl was always late to everything) a dark skinned, Indian looking, Mexican about 6’2 in height walked into the classroom. Her long wavy jet-black hair caught my attention first, then her bright brown oval eyes, thick bone structure, and her big bright blue Jansport backpack she was caring in her right hand. I have not seen a backpack that large since fifth grade and for a second, I thought we where back in Elementary school. To make my description about her more clear she looked like a thicker and taller version of Pocahontas. One of the Disney princesses I grew up watching as a little kid. Her name is Jocelyn Guzman-Diaz, a corny, full of life, girl that just moved from Oregon to San Diego, California to get closer to her father. Spring Break weekend of 2010, at Camp Managuay was the coldest weekend I ever had to endure. Cold rainy days, tree roaring nights, the smell of burning oak roasting in the fire pits, the feel of the ash against your face, and the sound embrassing of all the JROTC cadets tan combat boots crunching the crisp frozen grass to wake up to every morning, in our Camo uniforms. As cold and unpleasant as that sounds, that weekend was the best weekend I have ever had with my best  friend. With tons of and tummy hurting laughter moments we had along the way. Jocelyn and I got selected to go to camp Managuay, a woodsy campsite located about two hours away from Mesa college with our JROTC instructors and about eighty or so cadets. We arrived in a whale looking tour bus. It dropped us off in front of a huge dark green pine tree with blue tent sacks sped out on the dirt. We would stay up till one, two, even three in the morning laying in our cold hard tent cracking jokes knowing we would have to wake up at six o’ clock in the morning. I remember this specific moment where the instructors marched us down to the Managuay Lake to go canoeing. The wide, open enchanting lake felt as if I was in wonderland. We all took turns grabbing a bright yellow banana looking canoe. One by one canoes started plopping in the freezing water. Jocelyn is the most careless person in the world when it comes to following instructions and the first rule she breaks is DO NOT ROCK THE BOAT! She is in her boat singing and swaying her long wavy hair back and fourth. Then all of a sudden she swayed too far to the left and her met the water and the canoe met her head. I broke down In laughter. The more I looked at her the harder I laughed. It felt like I was going have a giggle attack! That moment had our trip. We forgot all about those cold, wintery, nights and the dirty, rough, uneven, tent floors. I chose to write about this day because despite the harsh conditions that we were faced with we made the best of it and had fun with it. We did not care how people were looking at us or how strange they thought we were because we were having the best time.