Analytical Essay #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analytical #1 - Essay Example Based on the nature of the constitution and the provisions on the powers of the federal government, the American system has created a limited government scenario as the mandate of the federal government are limited by the fundamental constitutional provisions (Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir 47). Through different approaches, the federal government controls the supply of money into the economy as a way of strengthening the currency and inflation. Through this function, the government ensures that the economy is protected from the impacts of credit and financial crisis as witnessed in the previous years. The federal government is also constitutionally required to regulate the trade within different states in the country and with international markets. This ensures that unscrupulous trading activities are controlled and illegal entry of products restricted. Treaties that border on security and protection of the territorial boundaries of the country like the north Atlantic treaties are a role of the national government. As a result, no other branch of government or state can declare war against a foreign country as this is the constitutional role of the federal government (Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir 46). The role of the national government on issues that affect the life of the citizens has remained a controversial issue and this contributed to the limitation of the powers of the federal government. Before the American civil war, debates on the scope of the powers of the national government raged but most believed that the limitation of the federal government power would be in the interest of the people. The debates influenced the limitation of the powers of the federal government and different reasons have been cited for the limited nature of government in the country (Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir 73). One of the main contributing factors was the legacy of revolution which created the fear of the establishment of centralized power system

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Essay Increase in Quality of Care Until the second part of the last century, all medical records were on paper. This system worked fine in an age of family doctors making house calls and patients never travelling far from their local hospital. Our modern society has changed and our healthcare record management has changed as well. Computerized record management (CRM) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are poised to increase the quality of healthcare. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there are numerous ways that CRM’s are improving quality of patient care. Their web site lists problems with paper records. These include, illegible handwriting, multiple healthcare providers for one patient not communicating, and increased amounts of medical and new drug information. â€Å"Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes or congestive heart failure often have to monitor their blood glucose level, weight, blood pressure, and medication regimens in their homes† (AHRQ, 2012). CMR will allow health care providers to track any abnormal values recorded from patient’s home, eliminating the need to wait until the next appointment which may be a month away. With CMR, patients will be able to go to different specialists who can all plug in to the same medical record. Also, the medical record will follow the patient if he is travelling and needs to receive care far from his primary care provider. The switch to computer records will eliminate time trying to decipher a physician’s handwriting. EMR’s will also be updated continuously with updated medical and drug information. This resource will allow the healthcare provider to keep up to date on all the latest research which will increase quality of care as well. Another aspect of increased quality of care is the patient id band being linked to the electronic record. â€Å"The system of linking hospital ID bracelets to patients EHRs has curbed medication errors†. Active Nursing Involvement While developing and implementing a CMR, it is very important to get input and direction from professional nurses. Nurses are a critical element in the management of health care records. They are the ones charting, administering drugs, identifying patients, and writing plans of care. According to the Hospital and Health Networks website, anyone who is uilding a CRM system, needs â€Å"to spend time on the nursing units and see how nurses work† (hhnmag. com, 2012). Nurses are the professionals who care for patients. The input they can offer will be useful since they are the ones using the system. Nurses have firsthand knowledge about what really works on the floor and will simplify their jobs while increasing quality of care for the patient. Th e first step will be for the nurse to give input into exactly what they would use in an EMR. Then, nurses could guide the developers in the actual flow of their duties and charting. Without involvement of nurses, programmers may include items not used by nurses or put charts out of logical order for the nursing process. Handheld Devices The current trend in computerized healthcare management is handheld devices or PDAs. â€Å"The functionality provided by PDAs has expanded exponentially from simple personal organizer to include healthcare databases and applications that check for drug interactions, aid in IV calculations, analyze lab results, provide charge capture information, scheduling functions, prescription refilling and other practice management tasks† (Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 2001). Using a handheld device, nurses are able to keep current on research, standards of care, and drugs. The nurse will be able to access patient records from the bedside, drug room, or during change of shift report. A PDA will cut down on the spread of germs since each nurse carries her own device instead of sharing a computer keyboard with the entire hospital staff. The handheld device will be able to offer real time updates if there is a change in a patients status, perhaps to â€Å"transmit telemetry waveforms from monitors at the nurses station directly to the bedside nurse† (OJNI, 2012). At change of shift, a nurse can handoff to the next nurse syncing the two handheld devices improving continuity of care and assuring that tasks are not inadvertently left off. Security Standards The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) is federal law in place to protect a patient’s privacy. Any computerized medical records must be in compliance with HIPPA as well as protect the computer records from being breeched in anyway. How to keep medical records safe and away from non-authorized eyes is a major concern for healthcare providers. The technical part of security includes firewalls, protected servers, ncryption, and secure networks. Storage and back up of all information will be integral in protecting the electronic medical records. At Epic Systems, â€Å"’we have all sorts of firewalls and security systems in effect to prevent data breaches,’ Ms. Faulkner says. On laptops used by doctors, files can be viewed but not stored. The same is true for smartphones and tablets. We do not store patient data on them, she says, so it cannot be misused if these devices are stolen† (Freudenheim, M, 2012). Hospitals also need role based access. This will â€Å"limit access to a patient’s record to only those individuals who need the information for treatment. Audit trails can automatically record who viewed the health record and can be used after the fact to identify any unauthorized access, leading to improvements in training or, if warranted, corrective action (HHS. org, 2012). As with paper charting, nurses will need to carefully guard who has access to the patient’s chart and who is allowed to view it. Computer monitors need to go blank when not in use to prevent unauthorized viewing of patient records. Cost The savings to health care systems is not only in time, convenience and increased patient safety; CMRs can also save hospitals money. The Department of Health and Human Services published a white paper outlining cost benefits of transitioning to electronic records. â€Å"The all cost-benefit analyses predicted substantial savings from EHR (and health care information exchange and interoperability) implementation. The quantifiable benefits are projected to outweigh the investment costs. However, the predicted time needed to break even varied from three to as many as 13 years† (AHRQ, 2006). The cost to implement electronic medical records vary tremendously. PracticeFusion is a company that offers an on line free EMR program. This company offers â€Å"a comprehensive practice management software platform includes charting, scheduling, billing, e-Prescribing, lab integrations and secure messaging† (PracticeFusion. com). There are no charges to use the technology. If the user prefers to use PracticeFusion without seeing the ads, they can pay a nominal $100 per month fee. On the other end of the cost spectrum, Epic Systems provides electronic medical records for large hospitals like Cedars-Sinai and Kaiser. â€Å"Kaiser estimates it will eventually spend a total of $4 billion on the software and related osts like those for equipment and training employees,† (Freudenheim, M. , 2012). For large, multi-campus hospital systems, the costs are enormous. There are extra costs associated with CMRs. Training time, upkeep, new hardware, and IT employees all go in to the continuing ? Benefits to Care The benefits of electronic medical records to the patient can be many. Patient safety can be increased, health care providers receive the absolute most current research and evidence based best practices, and timeliness of care can go up as well. Communication between members of the health care team is improved. Medication errors decrease. Time savings from transcription to reading illegible handwriting leads to more time the nurse is able to spend caring for the patient. Even the US government wants to support CRMs. â€Å"The federal government is contributing to the recent growth of Epic and similar firms by offering financial incentives to health providers who switch to electronic records. It sees these records as a way to improve patient care and reduce inappropriate costs like those for duplicated tests,† (Freudenheim, M. , 2012). Recommendation The two providers I looked at are PracticeFusion and Epic Systems. Comparing these two companies is a little like comparing apples to oranges. Epic has been in business developing electronic medical record systems since 1979 and has an excellent reputation in the industry. Epic claims to have the medical records of 127 million patients and is used by 250,000 doctors. In an industry where cross platform communication can be difficult to say the least, it is reassuring to go with a company that has such widespread market share. Epic is relatively easy to learn and use. It is the system I learned while working at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and the system I recommend. PracticeFusion is not in the same league as Epic Systems. It may be a good choice for a small, detached practice to use for internal EMRs ? Justification The cost of using Epic Systems for medical records can be prohibitive. Once the decision to go electronic has been made, Epic works closely with the staff at the hospital to design a user friendly, safe, and effective program. The government is supporting the transition to EMRs. Other hospitals have made the move, private practices are involved. Quality of patient care can be increased and that is really the best reason to make the change.

How have Cell Phones Changed Us Socially?

How have Cell Phones Changed Us Socially? Cell phones: How have they changed us socially? Cell Phone is a device through which people can call anyone and they can receive anyone’s call through a geographical area. It can also perform various functions such as Internet browsing, playing music and many more. Can anyone believe right now that there was a time when cell phones didn’t exist? Cell Phones have changed their identity from luxury good to a necessity. This study hence examined how usage of cell phones has impacted people’s life thereby changing their attitude and their behavior. Technology over the past few years has boomed a lot. People nowadays are very much addicted to their mobile phones and that’s affecting their relationship with their friends, family and their closed ones. Remembering that people used letters to get messages back and forth from one person to another. Thereby we added cell phones to our society knowingly or unknowingly. In the beginning telephones were just a mean to contact people whether they were at home when we called or not. Then was the evolution of cell phones. With them we can make and receive calls or send and receive messages in almost any part of the world. Usage of cell phones has subsequently increased in the past decade as it’s lot convenient to message anyone through cellphones rather than sending that person a handwritten note which takes time as well. Year into year cellphones are getting a lot of innovation from one level to the other. Manufacturers keeps on making cell phones that are way better than the old ones. High level of competition even gave a boom and high amount of innovation to this industry. Each And Everyone Is Connected: Around two decades ago if you didn’t answer anyone’s phone call then the most likely reason is that you were not at home but now if you don’t pick up anyone’s phone call then you must be ignoring that person or screening your phone calls or there may be number of other reasons. Cell phones have obviously changed us socially as it’s very easy to connect with anyone we want and that too instantly. Innovations keep on happening in the world in which we live. But it’s upon us how we treat those innovations, positively or negatively. However most of them are double edged and bring with them positives as well as negatives. Cell phones are no different in this case as it brings both the cases alongside. There are many benefits, which emerged with the existence of cell phones, which made life easier and better for the humans. Some of these include increase in knowledge with the help of mobile Internet, better communication with the help of its mobility. There are various negative impacts of cell phones that include death due to talking on cell phones while driving and addiction towards it. Positive Changes in the Society due to Cell Phones: One of the most innovative items of the previous century was telephone and it revolutionized the meaning of the word communication. Earlier than that people used to trust on cumbersome processes to transmit data and information, which was very slow, and it was ineffective as well. If one wanted to send messages urgently it was not possible and other consequences, which gave a boost for inventing something, which was reliable, fast and effective. Therefore it gave a rise for the invention of Telephone. With the invention of telephone people can communicate with each other irrespective of the distance. Telephones exist as they are globally accepted as a mode of communication and because of its uniformity as well. Addition to this, telephones opened up the room for further innovations as well. With Cellphones came the most important invention of modern era, which was Internet. The Internet is a great tool as it allows anyone to find information on any of the imaginable topic in seconds. The Internet allows us to purchase or sell any product anywhere across the globe. It has really changed us socially as nowadays we shop through Internet rather than going to any mall and purchasing the products because we find that to be convenient as well. E-Banking and money transfer could be done with the help of cell phones. As we know, it used to take time and money during the period of traditional mail, which is not the case now as it has been replaced by e-mail. Internet helps us to communicate orally and can make video calls as well, which are cheaper than telephone calls. People can transact business anywhere in the world with the help of cell phones. Students can study for their exams even when they don’t have books with the help of e-books available and by other means as w ell. People can conveniently send their money even when they cannot go to banks and cannot use computers; it is possible with the help of cell phones. It allowed many innovations and it even changed the way people interact in schooling, business and when they communicate personally. We need to deeply examine the advantages we receive from cell phones, which makes our life better. Social Networking is even possible with the help of cell phones; with the help of it people can interact with one another and can create new bonds. There are different kind of people in the world including shy, anti social and various others. Cell phones have many features, which allow shy people to interact with someone on Internet without hesitation and increase their confidence. This way boosts their confidence up and then they can interact with the people outside and meet new people. Moreover no person should feel himself as he is out of the community, social networks with the help of cell phone clears it off. Everyone has the right to talk through any means and they can feel like they are a part of the community. This increases the amount of happiness amongst the people and depressing thoughts about suicides and various negative thoughts stay far away. Some people would suggest that increasing amount of technology might reduce the personal interactions but the case is quite diff erent as people can meet new people with the help of cell phones and it makes social relations stronger. Portability of cell phones even added to the cause, as two people can talk anywhere through the device no matter what the location is. Security could even be enhanced with the help of cell phones since it is not easy to cut down the communication, which is the case with landlines. Parents could communicate with their children under any situations whether there’s an emergency or the other, with the help of it they can get a swift response and escalation of the situation could be prevented. When the Burglars attack the houses can raise the alarm but since they couldn’t control the mobile networks cellphones could come handy during that time. Due to easy acquisition and no maintenance almost each and every house has a cell phone through which they can call ambulance under health crisis and lives can be saved. Adding to this, fire cases could be prevented with calling fire fighters thereby saving the lives and someone’s property. Once computers were used for doing research and other work but now they are used for playing games, Facebook, twitter, online shopping and various other things. Virtually one can do whatever he wants to or buy anything that he wants to with the help of computer. Cell Phones have now became computers on the tips of your hands. One can use many applications through their cell phones, which are very useful for each and every individual. Nowadays one can watch live cricket matches on their cell phones so people don’t tend to watch sitting in a group which really hampers the social relations. Instead of meeting one another nowadays people video chat amongst them through various applications termed Skype, Face Time and various other applications. Applications like Whatsapp, Snapchat, Viber and many more applications has been very helpful to the people who use these through their cell phones and it makes the social relations between people more strong. Negative effects of Cell phone usage: Here are some of the tweets: @Mackin__Hangin: But im out tho somebody snitched at work so now we cant have cell phones on the sales floor smh. @AnotherHollyDay: The awesome power if cell phones: when you need toilet paper so you text someone to bring you a roll. #whycellphoneswereinvented @DangerrrNick: Cell phones let me be in peoples pockets at all times. @sophianguyen_: Yesyes cell phones in class :) All the above tweets suggests that nowadays people rely too much and too heavily on their cell phones. As we see the first and the last tweet are the ones, which are really sad. First off the employees should not be on their cell phones while they are working, as it’s a sign of disrespect towards the customers. It is the case for the last tweet; Students should not be using their cell phones anyways or getting happy about it. Secondly, there is less verbal communication between friends. E.g.: The person cannot yell at his friend who is near him rather he’ll text him for the toilet paper, #whycellphoneswereinvented was not the reason why cell phones were invented but it was for useful reasons. Even the third tweet is pretty much sad, for the beginning there shouldn’t be a thought process and thereafter cell phones shouldn’t be in one’s pocket all the time. Desperation at its heights: How do these things work srsly. #smart #gloves #phone #finger #touch #fashion #knit #hand #simple friction I know but what from?! The above photograph depicts those hand gloves that were specially designed to use cell phones during cold. These gloves were specifically designed to use the touchscreen through the tips with the help of some magical frictional technology. It more apparent that people are dependent on their phones to that point where they cannot choose between having frozen fingers or texting their friends about how cold it is today. It is quite evident that society feels to be connected at all the times and they can go to a far extent for it as well. Desperation is at its finest point. The above photograph proves that how cell phone gives us new ideas to create that kind of technology through which we are always connected. The above-mentioned source helps to specify my topic as it shows the eagerness of the people to use cell phones by any means of technology even when it’s cold. This source is interesting because it proves that people do not even know about the technology they use it because it works. This research is obviously related to those people who live in cold regions. Forbes: The Forbes article gives us very shocking data that says worldwide 3 billion people have mobile service. Just in the U.S around 84% of people have a mobile service. In 2012 around 51% of people said it would be very difficult to give up their cell phones. But in 2002 only 38% of people said it would be difficult. This source takes me to a direction that says maybe cell phones are much of a good thing. However, some businessmen such as Mehtani says, His Phone has not made him happier but has improved his business. This source is connected to those people with mobile phones who spend much of their time, even businessmen that smart phones have really helped too. Psychology Today: This Psychology today article is a study at Baylor and Seton Hall Universities, researchers studied cell phone and text messaging among college aged women and men. College students are the maximum users and most addicted. On an average they send and receive about 109 text messages per day. Ironically there are heavy numbers of chances for social isolation when most of your social life is connected through a cell phone. This information from Psychology today is very sad. However, with this source it helps to take me into a direction where I can really focus on the negatives with cell phone use. Other Bad Sides: Cell phones are also used for kidnapping and blackmailing, capturing blue films or explicit content. There are times when children most importantly youngsters ignore food, parents, relations while texting or sending a message which drastically affects their personal life. On the other hand there are many health issues, which affects the children and they become the direct target. Cell Phones popularity, demand and less security has made them best target for the attackers. Cell phones and Tablets gives users access to e-mail’s, the Internet, GPS Navigation and many more applications but cell phone security has not been up to the mark as it was in computers. High security measures such as Firewall, antivirus and encryption are not present in cell phones and OS of mobile are not as frequently updated as that of computers. Socially as well hackers hack the account thereby sending unwanted messages through our account and then reputation getting spoilt. Most people nowadays cannot function without having their cell phone with them. If a person leaves or forgets his cell phone at home they usually feel â€Å"naked† without it. A cell phone does not only take over learning environments and social events but they are also accused of brain cancer. Cell Phones have gone from just being a means to talk, incase of emergencies or questions to causing fatal car accidents due to people sending a text message with the content ‘LOL’. In todays society with texting and cell phone games, people rarely every spend quality family time anymore, and many accidents and problems are caused because of Cell Phones. If one is more engaged in his cell phone most of the time then sooner or later he will become less socially active and start losing on his relations. Recent advancements in communication technology have enabled billions of people to connect over great distances using mobile phones, yet little is known about how the frequent presence of these devices in social settings influences face-to-face interactions. Studies show that homework is interrupted and children become distracted when they receive notifications of a new chat messages, texts, or emails. Studies have shown that it makes it tough for students who rely so deeply on knowledge to truly converse to adults in person because they don’t quite develop all of the vital skills to grasp or even onset a face-to-face conversation. Though, these skills are a critical instrument in the workforce. If you desire a elevated paying, stable job, or perhaps even to be confessed to a university, you have to have good face-to-face contact skills. If you lack these specific skills you most probable won’t even make it across the interview. Research from www.accuconference.com states that in 2012: †¢53% of adults owns a smartphone. †¢42% of people has utilized their phone for entertainment after they are bored. †¢51% of users utilized their cell phone at least after to receive information. †¢27% said they had concern acting something because they did not have their phone. †¢29% turns off their phones to seize a break from their digital existence at night. Conclusion: We have come to a society that is completely reliant on our knowledge to converse alongside others. It’s nearly impossible for us to uphold our communal existence lacking employing a little sort of modern-day knowledge to communicate. This article is not to say that mobile phones ought to be barred due to their countless negative aspects. It depends on us whether we use this knowledge for our progress and prosperity or for our destruction. No mistrust, mobile phone is the best change of this period but people ought to use it in a positive sense.

The Role of Women in Peace-Building Essay -- international peace, human

In the undeniable patriarchy of the modern world it could be argued that with an increase in female participation in positions of power and influence there would inherently be an increase in world peace. This statement is multifaceted and riddled with a huge lack of empirical data due to only 20% of the world’s political leaders being female. Though with limited data, it can be seen that gender plays no real influence on how a leader will lead a state, and therefor has no play on whether a leader will be more peaceful. This essay intends to argue this idea through; the prevalence in the inevitability of states and war, the fact that there is already a continuing exponential decrease in war and violence in the world unrelated to gender and the idea that sex does not genetically instill in us personality traits. War is an inevitability of human nature and international peace does not relate to the gender of the leaders of the world. Women in power will still act within the states best interest and are not confined to the preconception that women have an â€Å"affinity for peace† . Realist theory suggests that the international system is anarchic and an attempt to obtain or even promote world peace would be an act in futility. In an international system with no global hegemon, states are free to act within the states best interest driven by the demand for power and state survival . From Cleopatra and her funding of the roman military campaigns to Helen Clark providing troops for the war in Afghanistan, globally, female leaders have played some part in the disharmony of the world. In April 1982, under the hand of Margaret Thatcher, Britain was lead to war with Argentina to defend British sovereignty. After 10 weeks and almost 100... ...l Leadership Inspire,† â€Å"Stanford Presidential Lectures: Mary Robinson.† Stanford Presidential Lectures in the Humanities and Arts, Accessed 13 May, 2012, http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/robinson/ Coy, Peter, Elizabeth Dwoskin. "Shortchanged: Why Women Get Paid Less Than Men." Bloomberg Business Week (2012): Accessed May 15, 2014. Eliot Smith, Jeffry Simpson, â€Å"When sex goes wrong.† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 106, No. 5 2012 Pinker Steven, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (London: Penguin Group, 2011), 23 Charlotte Hooper, Manly States: Masculinities Relations, and, International Gender Politics (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999) World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014) Saunders Malcolm, Are women more peaceful than men? (Armidale: Routledge, 2002)

Teachers should give less homework Essay

Let’s imagine waking up super early in the morning, then making your way to a place that’s complete chaos, called School, then going through seven class periods, seven slow hours. Doing tons of work in classes working hard. So when the day is finally over you’re just ready to go home and relax, not to do stressful, super hard homework that you were given that day. I believe teachers should give less homework for many reasons. One being, us students get overwhelmed when we have too much homework. If homework for one class takes us 45 minutes up to an hour, imagine doing homework for all seven classes that you attend. Another reason being children would have more times for activities outside of school, such as sports, family time, or even academic activities outside of school, if they didn’t have so much homework to finish. High School kids don’t get as much sleep as they should because they are up doing countless amounts of homework for the maximum of seven classes, and if we aren’t doing homework were studying for a test or possibly even multiple tests we might have the following day. More work doesn’t mean necessarily mean more learning. Assigning more homework isn’t helping us students learn more, especially if it’s really overwhelming and we don’t understand how to do it, so we don’t. If teachers limited the quantity of how much homework we had, then they would receive better quality back, meaning if you assign us less homework/decrease how long the assignments are, and then you can expect us to do more quality work on what you do assign. Family time is valuable. We want to be able to truly spend time with our family members in the evenings, but we can’t accomplish that because homework takes up all that time we would have normally used. And, yes, I know that for lots of students it’s the TV that’s their companion at night instead of their parents. But that’s not how it is with all the students. There are definitely families out there who want to relax together in the evening but simply cannot do so because their child is entrenched with homework. Plus, the teachers could benefit from this as well. Less homework means less tracking and grading for teachers. If this were the only reason for giving less homework, then it would not be a very good one. But as it stands, there are lots of great reasons to give less homework, but those are some reasons why I believe teachers should give less homework.

People Should Use Public Transportation Instead of Driving Essays

People Should Use Public Transportation Instead of Driving Essays People Should Use Public Transportation Instead of Driving Essay People Should Use Public Transportation Instead of Driving Essay People should use public transportation instead of driving One of the difficult choices people have to make today is that of utilizing public transportation or an automobile. Americans spend a lot on everything concerning owning a car, high prices of gas, insurance, parking, license plate registration, and maintenance of the vehicle, for example. In addition, people experience long delays driving their cars every day due to crowded roads. Also, traffic congestion seems to worsen intensely while the number of motor vehicles does not stop growing; as a result, the air gets more and more polluted. According to Texas Transportation Institute, traffic congestion costs Americans $63. 1 billion a year (TTI). The use of public transportation is indeed an advantageous choice for a myriad of reasons. First off, public transportation takes people to a lot of places for a cheap price. Nowadays, due to several economic factors, people search for alternatives that help them to save money. Cars are expensive to buy and to maintain; also, gas prices have been increasing dramatically. On the other hand, public vehicles allow commuters to go around different distances spending much less than if they had to drive a car. If you compare the cost of gas and parking to the cost of train or bus pass, you will figure out that a monthly commuting pass is far more economical. Also, according to the American Automobile Association, â€Å"the estimated cost of driving a single-occupant vehicle is between $4,826 (for a small car) and $9,685 (for a large car) per year, depending upon mileage. By contrast, the annual average cost for public transportation for one adult ranges from $200 to $2,000, depending upon mileage, time of day, type of vehicle or service† (AAA). So, when looking at public transportation, one of the main benefits is undoubtedly the ability of saving some money because it costs less than driving. Another reason to advocate the use of public transportation is that it is environmentally friendly. In other words, the more people who choose mass transit, the less air pollution. The American Public Transit Association (APTA) says that â€Å"Public transportation helps promote cleaner air by reducing automobile use, which can exacerbate smog and public health problems. For each mile traveled, fewer pollutants are emitted by transit vehicles than by a single-passenger automobile; for example, buses emit 80 percent less carbon monoxide than a car†. Furthermore, mass transit emits much less hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides than cars; these kinds of gas can cause a plethora of respiratory illnesses in humans. Therefore, the result of choosing mass transit is that it benefits the environment and consequently decreases the rate of diseases among people. There is also a social aspect to consider; public transportation is an interesting choice because it can help you widen your social life and have some fun. When you take public transport, you get to meet more people and have the chance to make new friends. Moreover, you can enjoy the scenery if the bus, subway or train goes through scenic regions, and that, certainly will make you a less stressed person. For instance, my sister met her best friend in a train. After having to go on several rides together, they built not only a beautiful friendship but also they learned several things that they can do during the trips, such as, appreciating the landscapes, catching up with some reading, and interacting with people. So, all these factors go against the idea that public transportation is boring and exhausting. In conclusion, after viewing some benefits of using public transportation, we can no longer deny that it is more advantageous than driving in many aspects. People who choose mass transit are avoiding a profuse number of concerns with expenses, and consequently, they save money. Second, they are contributing to a place with good air quality; as a result, they profit from that because they are more likely to be healthy. Lastly, they take advantage of riding public transportation inasmuch as they can expand their contacts and also enjoy their life a bit more.

Computing Professional Essays - Telecommuting, Working Time

Computing Professional Essays - Telecommuting, Working Time Computing Professional Formal Comprised Interview of Devin Blank Computing Professional Compiled by Damon Blank 10-01-00 Intro to Programming ITSE 1402 A Formal Interview of Devin Blank The computer industry has taken a remarkable turn over the past 10 years. The foundation of multi-million dollar companies rest on the hands of those skilled to handle the demands of todays business networks. Email, fax and file services, print sharing and remote file access, are among the many vital functions that business network administrators are responsible for maintaining. Devin Blank is a Web Security Analyst for the Dallas based branch of Delloite and Tousch. Being a company that was built to rely on computer networks, Delloite and Tousch requires and is comprised of state-of-the-art technology ranging from palm applications to multiple branch servers. Devin handles some of the maintenance and trouble shooting for the web based applications at the company. During our interview he elaborated on the following questions. 1. What is your formal job description? Explanation Devin is a Web Security analyst for Network Service. He said that in this position he is responsible for the maintenance and security of the web based applications connected to the company. He is often contracted by outside companies to consult and diagnose their networks for security purposes. 2. How long did it take you to obtain this position? Explanation Devin attended Texas A and M University in College Station, Texas. He graduated with a four-year degree in Business Finance with a specialization in network computing. So looking at the big picture, it took 4 years of college plus the summers of internship in his field. After the hiring process, Devin was placed with an on-the-job trainer for 6 months. The only way to learn the business is to do the business Devin commented. 3. Is there a specific method you use in performing your job? If so please describe it. Explanation When I asked this question, Devin kind of laughed and stated he always looks forward to answering this question. He explained his job methods to me as follows, Have you even seen the movie sneakers? he asked. Devin went on to explain that in the movie, Robert Redford is a paid Hacker if you will. He is hired to attempt to gain access to others networks or businesses. If and when he does, Devin will consult with others in his service group on the best type of fix for the loop-hole they found. 4. What degree or certificates should one hold to attain this position? What about industry or on the job training? Explanation Like mentioned in a previously discussed question, Devin has obtained a degree in business-finance and received 4 summers worth of internship training during his college years. The training program at the company is focused on specialized job functions depending on the type or job. After working at the company, Devin was required to secure and maintain a MCNE certification but did receive the class time and necessary training to sit for the test during business hours. (Paid). 5. What advise would you give to someone just starting out in this field? Explanation Devin said that he would encourage anyone interested in the business-computing field to start as early as they can. The industry is becoming younger and younger. Companies are snatching graduates straight out of college and training then to work the way they wish. 6. What is a baseline / ballpark starting salary for your field? Explanation Devin stated that if a new hire was brought on as a trainee they would more than likely be offered anywhere from forty-four thousand to sixty-five thousand depending on the experience they have prior to start. 7. How competitive is the industry you work in? Explanation Extremely Competitive Devin said. I have seen companies offer and counter-offer for employees they really want just like buying a house 8 Do you look forward to going to work? Explanation Devin stated that he has the best job in the world. He is allowed selected travel time to various destinations and multiple incentives. He stressed that he looks forward to going to work.

ryan lochte resume Essay Example

ryan lochte resume Essay Example ryan lochte resume Essay ryan lochte resume Essay RYAN LOCHTE Ryan Lochte has been swimming formally for eight years now. He started swimming when he was Just five years old by going to swimming classes but started competing when he Joined his college swimming team in 2005. Lochte has been practicing and competing for several events now; 200m backstroke, 4x100m freestyle relay, 200m individual medley among others. Ryan Lochte was born in Rochester, New York. Hi s mom being from Cuba and born and raised in Havana and his father being from German and English decent. His father being a swimming teacher made him go to swimming classes at the age of five but always got kicked out be cause of pulling other kids legs, blowing bubbles and hiding at the other side of the pool. He started taking swimming seriously in his Junior year of high school. Ryan currently lives in Port Orange, Florida where he trains on a daily basis and competes all over the world in different types of events. He continues to swim and prepare for the 2016 Olympics. Swimming has been recorded since prehistoric times over 7,000 years ago. This started when people of the time simply went into the ocean or the rivers. Competitive swimming started in Europe in the 1800s by mostly using breaststroke. As the years went by swimming started to evolve and it then became what it is today. Some of the basic rules for swimming are the swimming attire; you always have to swim with a swimming cap, goggles and obviously a swimming suit. In all of the styles after you finish the lap you have to touch the wall with your feet. Not swimming with your chest looking up etc.

MGMT 4370 Organizational Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT 4370 Organizational Design - Essay Example In the financial year ended December 2010 the company had made revenues of US$ 99.9 billion and had employed 426,751 employees worldwide. Over the years IBM has continued to shift its business mix, exiting commoditized segments while increasing its presence in higher-value areas such as services, software and integrated solutions (IBM, â€Å"International Business Machines Corporation SEC Form 10-K† 1).Currently, the company provides integrated solutions that leverages information technology and the company’s knowledge of business process to offer a diverse portfolio of services ranging from enterprise software to consulting to implementation of services to financing. To enable it to offer each of these services competitively, IBM has divided its major operations into five major business segments: Global Technology Services, Global Business Services, Software, Systems and Technology and Global Financing. IBM’s business model is built to support two principal goals: first is to help its clients succeed in delivering business value by becoming more innovative, efficient and competitive through the use of business insight and IT solutions; and secondly, is to provide long-term value to its shareholders (IBM, â€Å"International Business Machines Corporation SEC Form 10-K†

English liturature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English liturature - Essay Example One of the ways smaller merchants secured a future for their family name was by marrying off their daughters to wealthier merchants or noblemen. Daniel Rice (2008) points out that some of the common features of marriage in those days were the payment of a high price for the marriage certificate, the whole family became committed to the arrangement and the marriage was court ordered once the bond payments had been received. Little, if any, interest was given to the two parties getting married and this often led to other problems within the marriage contract. These issues are explored to some depth in a series of paintings by William Hogarth, executed around 1745. In this series of paintings, Hogarth shows the progression of a marriage from the initial signing of the contract through the young couples’ accustomed activities with each other and with others to end finally in their individual deaths at a relatively young age. The first image depicts the signing of the contract in which only the older members of the group seem to take any interest. The groom seems to be playing cards in corner while the bride flirts with the lawyer directly behind his back. Neither one seems overly concerned with the activities of the other. The group of men gathered around the table seems to be trying to work through the contract document, but it seems more of a distraction than the serious business deal it actually is. Meanwhile, one of the older gentlemen, presumably the groom’s father, stands looking out the window admiring the new mansion he’s building. Thus, this painting sets up the concept of marriage as little more than a business ar rangement which must bring some kind of materially mutual benefit to the families involved with very little concern for the interests and abilities of the two people who will have to live with each

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

Biomedicine - Essay Example First, it is necessary to examine the sociocultural values which have lead to our own de-habilitating illnesses. We live in a fast, paced society in which there is little room to stop for a breather. This has been influenced by the internet and the ability to access information at the speed of light. Many jobs are now conducted straight out of the office and usually involve sitting behind a desk at the computer. Due to declining economic conditions around the world, many jobs are requiring longer hours to work as well as increasing layoffs causing stress in the local population. These increasing hours along with the stress associated with the fear of layoff and daily stresses such as traffic, family dynamics and other interpersonal problems has lead to an enhanced sedentary lifestyles as well as poor dieting and use of alcohol/tobacco which has lead to inherent chronic disorders and diseases. Poor dieting has lead to an increase in obesity across most of the western countries. This c an be due to multiple things. First, it is important to recognize that the onset of fast food restaurants has made it easier for the population to have access to high calorie and high fattening foods at a low cost. This is based on the 80/20 principle in human reasoning in that the decision to eat fast food over is influenced by the ease of access and quickness over the fact that it is not nutritionally sound (Gardner, 2006). Another important aspect is that G20 populations have an increased sedentary lifestyle. Due to the stress and fatigue associated with working a job, it is a de-motivational aspect which leads to a lack of physical fitness. It is also seen at the early childhood level as there has been a detrimental increase in childhood obesity. There has been a greater emphasis on academics and children spending more time in the classroom learning which has cut time which has usually been allotted for physical activity (Buckmaster, & Brownell, 1988). This is all a result of ou r progressive lifestyle which has led to obesity. In order to meet the classification for obesity, a person must meet a BMI, body mass index, of 27 which correlates to 120% of the desirable weight in comparison to height. As a result, this excess weight has added physiological and psychological illnesses. Metabolic associated diseases associated with obesity can be insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, and hyper tension (Dwyer, 1994). In insulin resistance, insulin becomes less effective at lowering blood sugars. Certain cells in muscles and fat become affected due to the disruption of glucose and insulin. The decrease in the amount of insulin being secreted by the pancreas associated with insulin resistance can lead to type II diabetes. Hyperglycemia occurs when there is too much sugar in the blood (Myers, 2004). This can be caused by a lack of exercise, consuming too many daily calories, etc. There are many debilitating factors associated with hyperglycemia such as kid ney, neurological, and cardiovascular conditions. Hyperuricemia is a condition which is associated with an abnormal increase in uric acid. Lastly,

Kung Fu Panda and Frankenstein Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kung Fu Panda and Frankenstein - Movie Review Example But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strength" (Moviefone). With this, it has become apparent that some people are not comfortable with solitary because they have to discover themselves as shown in the movie "Kung Fu Panda, however being alone means finding one self to be complete. Finally, being in solitary is finding happiness with one's self. Along with that, in "The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life," the writer embraces the idea of solitary since being alone can be rewarding as shown by the character Po. It is explained being in solitary can help a person to love themselves and find out what makes them happy even though it is a scary experience. Furthermore, the essay and novel also show that most people are afraid of what they may find out about themselves. What had he been afraid of, I asked myself That, ... His every perception will come to him with a new freshness and, for a time, seem startlingly original. For anyone who can see things for himself with a naked eye becomes, for a moment or two, something of a genius. With another human being present vision becomes double vision, inevitably. We are busy wondering, what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think of it The original impact gets lost, or diffused (The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life). With this evidence, a person in solitary can find or discover ideas that they thought that were lost. Solitary gives people enlightenment on whatever their minds wander off to, which some find frightful since it is a part of the unknown. "I think the true test of a genius is the ability to see the follies of one's own times. The ability to change one's own times is the true test of a leader. And the ability to do both is the true test of a visionary who will never be elected" (Islam). It is about discovery of one's self, which the character, Po in "Kung Fu Panda finally accomplished this when he stopped fearing to be alone. Being a loner causes one to get real with himself and face the truth of what and who he is. It also gives him the opportunity to do the soul searching that is necessary to correct those things that he doesn't like about himself. Some people chose to be alone others are alone because no one wants anything to do with them (Being solitary.. promotes a kind of maturity and wisdom which would normally take much longer) FrankensteinIn today's world, not everything is not black and white; there is a gray area. This means what is right for one person might not be right for someone else. Everyone is

Feminism Role in Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Feminism Role in Photography - Essay Example The essay will focus on the roles women play in photography and determine if children sexual photography will ever be ethical. Women are often seen as sexual creatures globally when it comes to some of the roles they play in photography. It is a belief that sex sells, thus the need to portray it more often in attracting male or the opposite sex. Men are chauvinistic on women being behind the camera as it is, and they assume that women are not good at it. The notion has remained since the 20th century, but many women are changing these facts. In the 1950s, female photographers were about 10% in California; this figure, however, increased to about 20% in the 1970s (Warren 2006). Now, female photographers have significantly increased to about 40%. Women, however, have been taking different career roles in photography including final retouchers, print-finishers, camera operators, gallery owners and the most obvious one models (Warren 2006). The major role of women in photography is model ing. They are the people in front of the camera, making poses for the photographer’s needs (Ang 2002). The pictures produced by the photographers are never the real image of the person modeling, and this has often caused many controversies. The images, which portray a thin, tall and flawless woman, are normally not real thus a fairy tale. Edits on the images make women go through many struggles and troubles to lose weight and look flawless including surgeries (Aadland 1996). It is a major problem because of the women, who try to look like their counterparts in magazines, go through all the surgeries to be something that is not real. I recently did a photo shoot with an 11-year old girl who wanted it to be sexy. The poses were controversial and more adult like. My inspiration for the photo session was the shoot of Thylane Blondeau, an 11-year old model who featured in Vogue magazine. The images were deemed seductive, and many people disagreed. Children should be fully clothed when taking photographs like photographs that are commercial. Children should be fully clothed

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 114

Case Study Example It specializes in the manufacturing of new glass products. This has contributed to the company’s outstanding reputation in the glass and ceramics markets over the years. This corporation has eight line divisions one of them being the Electronic Product Division (EPD) which focuses on the production of electronic resistors and capacitors. Under the leadership of Don Rogers, who is the Vice President and general manager of the division, EPD’s performance has steadily improved despite its decline in 1991 and 1992. One significant achievement of this unit is that it successfully managed to distribute its products to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) due to its research and development strength. This factor opened new opportunities for the division that contributed to its growth. The growing market of the telecommunications industry is another factor that has led to the division’s growth because it has provided a ready market for products. EPD has been able to maintain competitive advantage because of its ability to respond to customers’ needs by introducing new products that are of high quality. There are various risks the division has been forced to take due to the uncertain business environment (Robertson & Caldart, 2009). The division’s leadership has further steered it to a higher level. Joe Bennett, for instance, used his management style to influence positively organizational behavior. His leadership led to group effectiveness and inter-functional coordination. Rogers, on the other hand, made sure the organization employed professional employees. The company’s success has however not gone without challenges. For example, it reached a point when EPD experienced a lack of growth. Their dollar volume dropped because of price cuts. This forced the management to reduce costs so as to maintain the gross margin. Despite these efforts the gross margin still reduced. As a result, the sales and marketing departments were blamed. The

Kung Fu Panda and Frankenstein Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kung Fu Panda and Frankenstein - Movie Review Example But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strength" (Moviefone). With this, it has become apparent that some people are not comfortable with solitary because they have to discover themselves as shown in the movie "Kung Fu Panda, however being alone means finding one self to be complete. Finally, being in solitary is finding happiness with one's self. Along with that, in "The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life," the writer embraces the idea of solitary since being alone can be rewarding as shown by the character Po. It is explained being in solitary can help a person to love themselves and find out what makes them happy even though it is a scary experience. Furthermore, the essay and novel also show that most people are afraid of what they may find out about themselves. What had he been afraid of, I asked myself That, ... His every perception will come to him with a new freshness and, for a time, seem startlingly original. For anyone who can see things for himself with a naked eye becomes, for a moment or two, something of a genius. With another human being present vision becomes double vision, inevitably. We are busy wondering, what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think of it The original impact gets lost, or diffused (The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life). With this evidence, a person in solitary can find or discover ideas that they thought that were lost. Solitary gives people enlightenment on whatever their minds wander off to, which some find frightful since it is a part of the unknown. "I think the true test of a genius is the ability to see the follies of one's own times. The ability to change one's own times is the true test of a leader. And the ability to do both is the true test of a visionary who will never be elected" (Islam). It is about discovery of one's self, which the character, Po in "Kung Fu Panda finally accomplished this when he stopped fearing to be alone. Being a loner causes one to get real with himself and face the truth of what and who he is. It also gives him the opportunity to do the soul searching that is necessary to correct those things that he doesn't like about himself. Some people chose to be alone others are alone because no one wants anything to do with them (Being solitary.. promotes a kind of maturity and wisdom which would normally take much longer) FrankensteinIn today's world, not everything is not black and white; there is a gray area. This means what is right for one person might not be right for someone else. Everyone is

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 114

Case Study Example It specializes in the manufacturing of new glass products. This has contributed to the company’s outstanding reputation in the glass and ceramics markets over the years. This corporation has eight line divisions one of them being the Electronic Product Division (EPD) which focuses on the production of electronic resistors and capacitors. Under the leadership of Don Rogers, who is the Vice President and general manager of the division, EPD’s performance has steadily improved despite its decline in 1991 and 1992. One significant achievement of this unit is that it successfully managed to distribute its products to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) due to its research and development strength. This factor opened new opportunities for the division that contributed to its growth. The growing market of the telecommunications industry is another factor that has led to the division’s growth because it has provided a ready market for products. EPD has been able to maintain competitive advantage because of its ability to respond to customers’ needs by introducing new products that are of high quality. There are various risks the division has been forced to take due to the uncertain business environment (Robertson & Caldart, 2009). The division’s leadership has further steered it to a higher level. Joe Bennett, for instance, used his management style to influence positively organizational behavior. His leadership led to group effectiveness and inter-functional coordination. Rogers, on the other hand, made sure the organization employed professional employees. The company’s success has however not gone without challenges. For example, it reached a point when EPD experienced a lack of growth. Their dollar volume dropped because of price cuts. This forced the management to reduce costs so as to maintain the gross margin. Despite these efforts the gross margin still reduced. As a result, the sales and marketing departments were blamed. The

Learning Theories Essay Example for Free

Learning Theories Essay Lev Vygotsky, born in the U. S. S. R. in 1896, is responsible for the social development theory of learning. He proposed that social interaction profoundly influences cognitive development. Vygotsky’s key point is his belief that biological and cultural development do not occur in isolation. Vygotsky approached development differently from Piaget. Piaget believed that cognitive development consists of four main periods of cognitive growth: sensory motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. Piaget’s theory suggests that development has an endpoint in goal. Vygotsky, in contrast, believed that development is a process that should be analyzed, instead of a product to be obtained. Marcy P. Driscoll stated (as cited in Riddle, 1999) that â€Å"Vygotsky believes the development process that begins at birth and continues until death is too complex to be defined by stages†. The major theme of Vygotsky’s theoretical framework is that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition. Vygoysky states: â€Å"Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological) (Funderstanding, 2001). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals. A second aspect of Vygotsky’s theory is the idea that the potential for cognitive development is limited to a certain time span that he calls the â€Å"zone of proximal development† (ZPD). Vygotsky believed that this life long process of development was dependent on social interaction and that social learning actually leads to cognitive development (Kearsley, 1998). Vygotsky describes it as â€Å"the distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through Learning Theories 3 problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers† (Funderstanding, 2001). In other words, a student can perform a task under adult guidance or with peer collaboration that could not be achieved alone. The Zone of Proximal Development bridges the gap between what is known and what can be known. Vygotsky claimed that learning occurred in this zone. Therefore, Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the cultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences. According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments. Initially, Children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs. Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills (Riddle, 1999). When Piaget observed young children participating in egocentric speech in their preoperational stage, he believed it was a phase that disappeared once the child reached the stage of concrete operations. Driscoll states (as cited in Riddle, 1999) â€Å"in contrast, Vygotsky viewed this egocentric speech as a transition from social speech to internalized thought†. Thus, Vygotsky believed that thought and language could not exist without each other. Vygotsky’s theory was an attempt to explain consciousness as the end product of socialization. For example, in the learning of language, our first vocal noises with friends or adults are for the purpose of communication, but once mastered they become internalized and allow â€Å"inner speech†. Traditionally, schools have not promoted environments in which the students play an active role in their education and in the education of their friends. Vygotsky’s theory, however, requires the teacher and students to play untraditional roles as they collaborate with each other. Instead of a teacher dictating the lessons to students and later evaluate them, a teacher should collaborate with her students in order to create meaningful ways that students can make their own evaluation. Learning then becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and the teacher. Learning Theories 4. The physical classroom, based on Vygotsky’s theory, would provide clustered desks or tables and work space for peer instruction, collaboration, and small group instruction. Like the environment, the instructional design of material would be structured to promote and encourage student interaction and collaboration. Thus, the classroom becomes a community of learning. Because Vygotsky asserts that cognitive change occurs within the Zone of Proximal development, instruction would be designed to reach a developmental level that is just above the student’s current developmental level. Vygotsky proclaims, â€Å"learning which is oriented toward developmental levels that have already been reached is ineffective from the view point of the child’s overall development. It does not aim for a new stage of the developmental process, but rather lags behind this process† (Social Development, 1996). Appropriation is necessary for cognitive development within the zone of proximal development. Individuals participating in peer collaboration or guided teacher instruction must share the same focus in order to access the zone. Samuel J. Hausfather states (as cited in Riddle, 1999), â€Å"joint attention and shared problem solving is needed to create a process of cognitive, social, and emotional interchange†. Furthermore, it is essential that the partners be on different developmental levels. In addition, the partner that is on the higher level needs to be aware of his partner’s lower level. If this does not occur, or if one partner continually dominates, the interaction is less successful. Scaffolding and reciprocal teaching are effective strategies to access the zone. Scaffolding requires the teacher to provide students the opportunity to extend the current skills and knowledge. Hausfather reports (as cited in Riddle, 1999) â€Å"the teacher must engage students’ interests, simplify tasks so they are manageable, and motivate students to pursue the instructional goal. In addition, the teacher must look for discrepancies between students’ efforts and the solution, control for frustration and risk, and model an idealized version of the act†. Learning Theories 5 Reciprocal teaching allows for the creation of a dialogue between students and teachers. This two-way communication becomes an instructional strategy by encouraging students to go beyond answering and discussing questions. A study (as cited in Riddle, 1999) demonstrated the Vygotskian approach with reciprocal teaching methods in their successful program to teach reading strategies. The teacher and students alternated turns leading small group discussions on reading. After modeling four reading strategies, students began to assume the teaching role. Results of this study showed significant gains over other instructional strategies. Cognitively Guided Instruction is another strategy to implement Vygotsky’s theory. This strategy involves the teacher and students exploring math problems and then sharing their different problem solving strategies in an open dialogue (Riddle, 1999). Vygotsky’s social development theory challenges traditional teaching methods. Historically, schools have been organized around recitation teaching. According to Hausfather, (as cited in Riddle, 1999) â€Å"the teacher disseminates knowledge to be memorized by the students, who in turn, recite the information back to the teacher†. However, the studies described above offer empirical evidence that learning, based on the social development theory, facilitates cognitive development over other instructional strategies (Riddle, 1999). School structure does not reflect the rapid changes that society is experiencing. Opportunities for social interaction have greatly increased with the introduction and integration of computer technology. Therefore, the social context for learning is transforming as well. Learning relationships can now be formed from distances through cyberspace, whereas collaboration and peer instruction was once only possible in shared physical space (Bacalarski, 1994). Computer technology is a cultural tool that students can use to mediate and internalize their learning. According to Kathryn Crawford (as cited in Riddle, 1999) â€Å"recent research suggest changing the Learning Theories 6 learning contexts with technology is a powerful learning activity†. If schools continue to resist structural change, students will not be as prepared as they should be for the world. Lev Vygotsky lived during the Russian Revolution, a time of great change in his culture. His theory was that biological and cognitive development does not happen apart from each other. These two developments sustain and grow from each other. This is when learning takes place. Because of this theory, his environment of change was a great influence in his own cognitive processes. Learning Theories 7 References Bacalarski, M. C. , (1994). Vygotsky’s Developmental Theories and the Adulthood of Computer Mediated Communication: a Comparison and an Illumination. Retrieved November 7, 2003 from http://psych. hanover. edu/vygotsky/bacalar. html. Funderstanding, (2001). Vygotsky and Social Cognition. Retrieved November 7, 2003 from http://www. funderstanding. com/vygotsky. cfm. Kearsley, G. , (1998). Social Development (Vygotsky). Retrieved November 9, 2003 from http://members. aol. com/daidpeal/vygotsky. html. Riddle, E. M. , (1999). Lev Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory. Retrieved November 7, 2003 from www. kihd. gmu. edu/immersion/knowledgebase/theorists/constructivism/vygotsky.

Understanding Optimized Production Technology

Understanding Optimized Production Technology Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR) is the Theory of Constraints (TOC) production planning methodology originated by Eliyahu M. Goldratt in the 1980s. In fact, the concepts of DBR actually preceded the Five-Focusing-Steps and the notion of the throughput world in the development of the TOC paradigm. While the DBR method is much simpler than the older Optimized Production Technology (OPT) algorithm and the recent Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems, for many production environments, especially those not currently- or consistently- dominated by an active internal bottleneck, an even simpler method can be adopted. We call this method S-DBR, to distinguish it from the traditional model, which well refer to as traditional DBR. S-DBR is based on the same concepts as traditional DBR and is certainly in harmony with TOC and the Five Focusing Steps. What distinguishes it from traditional DBR is its assumption of market demand as the major system constraint, even when an internal capacity constraint temporarily emerges. S-DBR can be easily supported by traditional ERP/MRP systems and it is specifically intended to deal with fluctuating market demand. Optimized Production Technology (OPT) 1. What is Optimized Production Technology? 2. What is the aim of Optimized Production Technology? 3. What are the main features of OPT? 4. How OPT can be developed? 5. How OPT is operated? 6. What are the benefits achieved from OPT? DEFINITION Optimized production technology is proprietary scheduling system using, computer software which was originally developed by Dr. Eliyahu Galodratt and colleagues who recognized that one of the most complex problems facing manufacturing organizations was that of shop-floor scheduling. The system is based on the concept that there are two fundamental manufacturing phenomena: Dependent events. All processes rely upon the completion of preceding operations. Statistical fluctuations. Process times fluctuate around an average. The effect of these phenomena is that the capacity of a plant must be unbalanced and therefore bottlenecks are inevitable. As defined by Johnson, the OPT method of scheduling dictates that material should only be launched on to the shopfloor at the rate at which it is consumed by the bottleneck. Furthermore, a time buffer of work should protect the production in the bottleneck. This means, that work scheduled for day three arrives on day one, creating a buffer of two days as protection against disruption in operations before the bottleneck. AIM OF OPT The aim of OPT is to schedule bottleneck capacity in an efficient way. This schedule is the master for the demand placed on other capacities. MAIN FEATURES OF OPT The main features of OPT are described by Fax as follows: Balance flow not capacity. The level of utilization of any part of the system, which is not a bottleneck, is dependent on other constraints in the system, not the potential of the worker. The utilization and activation of a resource are not synonymous. An hour lost at the bottleneck is an hour lost for the total system. An hour saved at a non-bottleneck is just a mirage. Bottlenecks govern both throughput and inventories. The transfer batch may not, and many times should not be equal to the process batch. The process batch should be variable, not fixed. Schedules should be established by looking at all the constraints simultaneously. Lead times are the results of the schedule and cannot be predetermined. DEVELOPING OPT The steps used to develop OPT consist of the following: Preparation. Measuring performance, project planning and identifying hardware and software requirements. Plant analysis. Analyzing the manufacturing processes and how they are managed. Bottleneck analysis. (A bottleneck is defined as a resource where capacity is equal to or less than the demand being placed upon it.) This is conducted by analyzing work in progress and shortages vs. excesses (potential bottlenecks are those resources which appear on the shortage list but not the excess list). Computer modeling. This is the process of developing the engineering network and instructing the OPT scheduler how to interpret details concerning the manufacture of products such as dependent set-ups, critical material, fixed batch quantities, maximum batch quantities, consumable tools, rework and uninterruptible processes. Data will be fed into the model concerning routines, bills of material and customer demand. Data definition. Establishing what data is required to be fed into the system. Defining outputs. The output will be a master production schedule (MPS), which is achieved by constraint capacity planning. This provides the basis for the process of demand management using the OPT software to carry out the scheduling the OPT identifies the relevant demand and controls the build accordingly. OPERATING OPT OPT is operated through OPT software which has been developed to control complex manufacturing processes. The software will model the process and produce the schedules in the shape ofmaterial and capacity plans using the OPT bottleneck forward-loading techniques. The shopfloor control system will then monitor progress against the schedule and initiate any action to overcome shortfalls. BENEFITS The benefits claimed for OPT are that it will schedule finite resources in order to achieve maximum factory effectiveness. The scheduling system: Addresses the key problem of bottlenecks. Improves profitability by simultaneously increasing throughput. Reduces inventory and operating expenses. Manufacturing Strategy Part 6: Optimised Production Technology (OPT) Introduction OPT is possibly the most radical of the 3 production strategies to be discussed as it requires a new way of thinking, not only about production but also about the basic accounting principles. In many areas this demands radical or revised thinking by our accountants and new approaches to the fundamentals of accounting. OPT begins by stating that the goal of a manufacturing business is to make money both now and in the future. This might seem to be rather simple but it provides a framework for all the other decisions involved in the business. The aim of OPT is to increase throughput (the rate at which the company generates money through sales) whilst simultaneously decreasing inventory and operating expense. If an action does not directly improve one of the three measures then it is irrelevant at best and damaging at worst, do not do it. The traditional approach has been to optimise each sub-system irrespective of its importance (i.e. to improve the output of the welder) but the OPT approach is to optimise the total system to maximise throughput (i.e. if the welder is not limiting your throughput then dont work on it and put your efforts somewhere else). OPT states that the optimum of each sub-system is not necessarily the optimum of the whole system. OPT defines a bottleneck as any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the market demand placed upon it. The bottleneck is thus the constraint that is preventing increased throughput from your factory. Improvements here will tend to optimise the whole system and have an increased payback by directly increasing throughput. Bottlenecks are easy to spot in the average factory they are the operations that have lots of work in progress stacked up in front of them. In this sense a non-bottleneck is any resource whose capacity is greater than the market demand placed on it and improvements here will be irrelevant in terms of increased throughput. Figure 1: Spotting the bottlenecks Operation C is the obvious bottleneck for the factory. Running A at capacity will lead to a build up of inventory in front of B. Running B at capacity will lead to a massive build up in inventory in front of C. Investment or improvement in A, B or D will do nothing to improve throughput, the only meaningful investment area would be C where the ability of the plant to earn money can be rapidly improved. Operation C must be protected from loss of output for any reason. It is the operation that controls the income of the factory. In reality the choice is never this clear and the important thing is to balance the flow and not the capacity. The bottleneck concept is best explained in the hiking analogy from The Goal. The speed of a group of hikers needs to be maximised to get to the campsite by nightfall but the actual speed of the whole group is limited by the speed of the slowest hiker (the bottleneck). Placing the slowest hiker at the front of the group slows down the whole group and increases the time required i.e. reduces the throughput. Placing the slowest hiker anywhere else in the group still slows the whole group and also increases the length of the group (the inventory). Thus the only way to reduce the length (the inventory) and achieve the fastest transit time the throughput) is to find a way of moving the slowest hiker faster i.e. working on the bottleneck. An hour lost at a bottleneck, for any reason is an hour to the whole system and cannot be recovered. Dont think you can get it back later because the way we defined a bottleneck means that you cannot. The cost for this lost hour is the total cost of running the whole factory for one hour, after all the bottleneck is governing the throughput. Factory scheduling is at the heart of OPT and a critical factor in this is the location and elimination or management of bottlenecks, a fact which is not explicitly dealt with by JIT. The set up time reduction techniques of JIT appear again but are not formally recognised by OPT. An hour saved in the set-up time of a bottleneck is an hour saved for the whole system. OPT goes on to say that an hour saved on a non-bottleneck machine simply increases inventory and does nothing to improve throughput. It is wasted effort, so dont do it. In a sense OPT shares a lot of philosophy with JIT and both concentrate on quality, lead times, lot sizes and machine set-up times. A major difference is that OPT regards the river and rocks analogy of JIT as being fundamentally flawed. In OPT terms the river is not the flat evenly flowing stream that JIT assumes but has waves on inventory moving through it depending on the order situation in the factory. All can be fine until the inventory is at the trough of a wave. If you hit a problem then it is likely to rip the bottom out of the boat and sink the business! The OPT approach is much more like reality than the JIT approach in this situation, in other words dont take any analogy too far. An underlying rule forgotten at your peril. Figure 2: The OPT view of rocks in the river In the same way OPT shares a computer based approach with MRPII and both require a large complex database of product and machine information for schedule calculation. OPT also requires information on how the product is made, the route through the factory and both set-up and run times. OPT can generally pirate a lot of this information from an existing MRPII system. One problem with MRPII is that it ignores the in-build variation of any machine and assumes that a machine will work at capacity at all times. OPT is more realistic in accepting that the actual capacity is affected by statistical fluctuations and a dependence on previous operations to supply product for processing. In many cases this makes MRPII scheduling unrealistic and time buffers are built in to cater for this. OPT can be more realistic in scheduling than MRPII by taking this into account and also allowing for improvement in times and routing. OPT is based on a set of rules which need to be adopted completely by management and basic statements are incorporated into these rules. The OPT rules Balance the flow, not the capacity. Let bottlenecks determine usage of the non-bottlenecks and do not seek machine utilisation. If a resource is activated when output cannot get through the constraint then all it produces is inventory. Utilisation and activation of a resource are not the same thing. Activation is when a resource is working but utilisation is when it is working and doing useful work. Producing stock for inventory is not useful work. An hour lost at a bottleneck is an hour lost for the whole system and cannot be recovered. An hour saved at a non-bottleneck is a mirage. Bottlenecks govern both throughput and inventory. A transfer batch is not necessarily equal to a process batch i.e. just because you have to cut 20 frames at a time on the optimiser saw it does not mean that you have to push them all on to the welder at one time. You can break the process batch (20 frames) down into small transfer batches (1 order). Process batches should be variable and not fixed. Later work shows that the best results are achieved by using a drum-buffer-rope technique to control the system. You must first find the true bottlenecks that govern the factory throughput. The bottlenecks that beat out the pace like a drum for the whole factory should be kept fully scheduled and working at all times. The bottlenecks must be protected against any interruption caused by breakdowns, quality, set-up times, labour concerns or any other variation. This protection is achieved by building in time buffers. These are a focus for process improvements. All other operations are then synchronised to the bottleneck operation and work is pulled through as if it were on a rope. Without computers the drum-buffer-rope concept works very well for limited variety production. The introduction of variety leads to shifting bottlenecks and the need for complex computer software to run the system. OPT requires maximising the flow of materials and rarely requires large investment in machinery or restructuring of the plant. By improving the flow of the product OPT seeks to get inventory moving and can make an immediate financial impact. OPT needs to be carried through to the whole company and encourages the view of the production area as a real profit maker for the company. For and Against For Quickly targets areas of concern (bottlenecks, quality set up times, high inventories). Incorporates some production and MRP. Quick results. Gives financial feedback. Suitable for discrete, batch and process industries. Possible to grow into via partial implementation at a practical level. Easily understood by the shop floor. Against Challenges traditional cost accounting. Requires simulation modelling of the process. Needs good database. Must go via one consultancy company. Summary OPT is relatively new in terms of production management systems and is an overall philosophy for running the business rather than simply being about production management. OPT starts by assuming that manufacturing is all about making money and looks at optimising the complete system to achieve this rather than just optimising individual operations on a piecemeal basis. OPT is a proprietary system in the full version (rather than just the philosophy) owned by a software and consultancy company. This does not prevent the adoption of some of the excellent ideas it contains and generates. OPT is a trademark of the Scheduling Technology Group. The only, but excellent, book on the subject is The Goal by E Goldratt and J Cox. In the previous pages we have looked at 3 different methods of production management and have reviewed the significant areas for improvement and change. As an overall summary MRPII does not seek to change anything whereas JIT actually forces a fundamental but painful search for excellence. OPT is probably even more powerful because it uses many of the JIT ideas and also follows through into the overall system. The current strategy of many companies uses a blend of these three main methods at various points in the company to achieve the right blend of success. The Manufacturing Strategy Series The Manufacturing Strategy series is designed to give production managers and their staff some insights into new manufacturing methods and to prompt the industry into considering the benefits of alternative approaches to manufacturing. The series is: Part 1: Setting the strategy Part 2: The systems and MRP II Part 3: Just in time (1) Part 4: Just in time (2) Part 5: Just in time (3) Part 6: Optimised Production Technology (OPT) (This section) Part 7: A fundamental quality Part 8: Quality management techniques tools Part 9: Theres no accounting for manufacturing strategy Part 10: Performance measurement Part 11: Changing roles and things to do NOW! Last edited: 29/03/04 Â © Tangram Technology Ltd. 2001 Our standard disclaimer regarding Internet data applies. dvanced planning and scheduling Clients in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry have revealed that many are interested in knowing more about how advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems can support them in making the right decisions to drive supply chain benefits. More and more companies are in the process of implementing such a system to further optimize their planning processes. To learn more, read the following book exerpt: How to Get the Most Out of Your Supply Chain An overview of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry by Deloittes Rhiannon Davies, Nadine Diepeveen, Erik Diks and Vincent Vloemans. Published December 2002. Requirements driving APS Pressure on performance has been steadily increasing over the last decade, and it does not appear to be abating. But where can a company still squeeze out performance improvement? According to Gartner, a leading technology research and advisory firm, supply chain management is one of the key differentiators for the future. Gartner researchers predict that: By 2004, 90 per cent of companies that fail to apply supply chain management technology and processes to increase their flexibility will lose their status as preferred suppliers (0.8 probability). Through 2005, organizations that implement supply chain planning applications with a continuous improvement program will increase ROI by 40% during a 5 year lifecycle (0.7 probability). Changing business requirements and markets are making effective supply chain management and the resulting competitiveness and flexibility more important. Customers are demanding more flexibility, more visibility of availability, more speed and highly customized products. To provide this information, more and more emphasis is put on the supply chain planning capabilities to allow the visibility along the supply chain to react quickly to changing customer demand in a cost competitive way. The alternative to reliable planning is a fully flexible supply chain. Some companies have made good headway in this area, but for many, the cost of this full flexibility is till too high. At Deloitte, we recommend balancing planning improvements with increasing flexibility in the supply chain and continuous development of supply chain professionals. Discussions with our clients in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry have revealed that many are interested in knowing more about how APS systems can support them in making the right decisions to drive supply chain benefits. More and more companies are in the process of implementing such a system to further optimize their planning processes. This book will help our clients to answer the following questions: What is an APS system and what role do they play in supply chain optimization? How APS is different from ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)? To what businesses could it apply? Will it apply to my business? How? What are the benefits that could be gained from such a system? Who are the key vendors of APS systems? How can I choose which vendor to use for my organization? How are APS packages implemented and how can I apply this methodology to my own organization? The book is written in cooperation with the 10 major APS vendors in consumer products manufacturing and process industry. As sort of an APS primer, the book includes profiles of each vendor, listing the company, its strategy, product technology, functionality and other important information. But the book also is appropriate for readers with a strong knowledge of APS, providing them with up-to-date knowledge of technology and vendors. The APS vendor assessment APS applications cover various domains in supply chain management. To structure the discussion on APS, we introduce our APS reference model. This model serves as a guideline for the general building blocks of an APS system, and allows for a level comparison of the functionality of the various vendors. Furthermore, we discuss the most common models and techniques used by APS packages and assess the level of sophistication of the functionality provided by each vendor in each of the areas outlined in the APS reference model. Each industry has its own specific business issues and these must be addressed during the definition of the requirements that need to be met by an APS package. For example, in the process industry tank planning and dealing with shelf life are usually required, whereas in the high tech industry, complex capacity planning with many constraints. We concentrate on APS packages that cover most requirements in the consumer business and process industry. We provide a classification of consumer business manufacturers to explain the different requirements that need to be addressed by an APS package. We also describe how major changes in the business environment, as well as process and technology innovations impact the requirements on APS software. To provide an up-to-date overview of the software capabilities offered by major APS vendors in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry arena, we performed a large survey among the largest APS vendors within the consumer business and process arena, including Adexa, Agilisys, Aspen Tech, Baan, i2, Logility, Manugistics, Oracle and SAP. We took a two-stage approach to the survey process. First, each vendor filled out a questionnaire that gave insight into the company, its strategy, its product and footprint, product strategy and development plans to allow us to better understand and position their capabilities. Second, we visited each vendor to discuss in more detail their answers to the survey, to view demonstrations of how their product functionality really answers supply chain planning requirements, and to get an impression of their product and company. The vendor analysis in the book is structured to allow easy comparison of vendor capabilities. First, we inventarize the capabilities of each of the vendors per functional area as outlined in the aforementioned APS reference model. Second, we compare the vendors by their industry focus and their technology capabilities. Finally, per vendor we give an overview of their user interface functionality and development areas. Selection and implementation methodology One of the objectives of the book is to serve as a guide to support the initial selection of the APS application/vendor that best meets the business needs of our clients. As such, in addition to providing a vendor selection methodology, we explain Our proven five step methodology to implement an APS system. We explain each step in detail, as well as our methods and the tools we use during an APS implementation. Finally, we provide some lessons learned (secrets of our success) based on our practical implementation experience at numerous customers. Advanced Planning Scheduling (APS) For complex planning scheduling activities especially those that are heavily constrained or require multi-stage scheduling and frequent re-scheduling our experience is that off-the-shelf software packages just dont work. Because of the many differences between problem types and industries, you often end up with a rigid system with preset objectives, logic, and scope, which doesnt quite fit your core operation. Because our Advanced Planning Scheduling (APS) system is tailored to your unique business rules, constraints, and processes, it can be used to optimise a wide variety of planning scheduling activities, including Production-line planning, scheduling, and sequencing Labour planning and timetabling Maintenance planning scheduling Equipment planning scheduling Media planning Features and benefits of our APS system include: Creating schedules that are optimised for cost, profit, or client-defined objectives (service levels, utilization, etc.) Increased delivery on time and in full (DIFOT) Reduced work-in-progress and finished goods inventory Reduced planning time Dynamically re-optimising around unexpected changes in demand and other events Conducting financial what-if analysis and scenario comparison Setting more than one objective/goal and analysing the trade-offs Centralising the planning and scheduling function across multiple plants Optimising across multiple production stages or steps Evaluating the impact of your business rules, processes, and constraints Seamless connection with your existing databases, MRP/ERP systems, and other enterprise software HOT NEWS March 2010 Â » ORDINA signs partner agreement with ICRON. HomeSolutions Advanced Planning and Scheduling Planning and scheduling has never been easy, but today it is far more challenging than it was a decade ago. Planners are feeling more and more pressure to generate accurate and timely plans by considering complex production and supply chain environment, ever changing demand, heavy constraints, conflicting business objectives and processes. And to make things worse, traditional tools at hand are becoming obsolete: spreadsheet based manual planning and scheduling cannot cope with the complexity, your ERP system hardly helps and there is no off the shelf product which can address your unique production environment and supply chain network. What you need is a flexible and reliable Advanced Planning and Scheduling solutions which is tailored for your unique requirements. With 15+ years of experience in Supply Chain Optimization, ICRON Technologies provides ICRON Advanced Planning and Scheduling (ICRON APS) solution to revolutionize your planning and scheduling activities by its mature, cutting-edge technology, and innovative modeling and implementation practices. ICRON APS provides optimized, automatically generated plans and schedules while simultaneously considering demand, resource and material constraints and business objectives. Benefits and features of ICRON APS are: ICRON APS provides significant cost and waste reduction by optimization based on user defined objectives (reduced cost of early/late job completion, inventory, overtime, transportation, reduced WIP times, etc.). ICRON APS greatly improves available-to-promise and capable-to-promise capabilities by generating realistic completion times for individual operations and jobs on entire supply chain network. This quickly translates into increased customer satisfaction. ICRON APS provides feasible, finite capacity schedules which can be readily published to the shop floor. ICRON APS significantly reduces the planning time. ICRON automatically performs most of the schedule generation activities and produces schedules in minutes rather than hours or days. ICRON APS provides tremendous what-if analysis capability. With its speed, accuracy easily generates as many scenarios as user requires and provides user friendly, efficiently tools for planner and management to selects the best scenario to be used as the official plan. ICRON APS maximizes the resource utilization by reducing the setup times by better sequencing, especially when sequence dependent setups exist. ICRON APS provides you fast rescheduling capability to respond to frequent changes. With ICRON, the production planning shifts from reactive, fire fighting planning to proactive, strategic planning. ICRON APS integrates and centralizes the planning and scheduling along the entire supply chain network. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) -Techniques that deal with analysis and planning of logistics and manufacturing during short, intermediate and long-term time periods. APS describes any computer program that uses advanced mathematical algorithms or logic to perform optimization or simulation on finite capacity scheduling, sourcing, capital planning, resource planning, forecasting, demand management, and others. These techniques simultaneously consider a range of constraints and business rules to provide real-time planning and scheduling, decision support, available-to-promise, and capable-to-promise capabilities. APS often generates and evaluates multiple scenarios. Management then selects one scenario to use as the official plan. The five main components of APS systems are Demand Planning, Production Planning, Production Scheduling, Distribution Planning, and Transportation Planning.