Strategic Management Case Study

Introduction Harley-Davidson is one of the oldest business organizations in the motorcycle industry with over 10 decades of experience in the production and supply of motorcycles. This is evident in its historical performances attributed with sustained competitive results of the company’s motorbikes in the racing arena (Vasudha 2011). This was a powerful branding strategy that propagated the company to market leadership due to sustained competitiveness of its products in the market. Specifically, the company has managed to establish a unique brand founded on proud history, unmatched riding experiences, in-depth connection with its customers, and a sustained personal relationship with its customers. In terms of rich history, the company is cherished for being the first largest manufacturer of motorcycles on a global scale. It is also closely related to one of the best motorcycles in the United States in the early 20th century with its services ranging from military activities, policing, and racing (Vasudha 2011). The firm is also linked to the origin of the famous riding leather accessories, sportster, and the origin of most of the motorcycle racing competitions in the US and the world in general (Vasudha 2011). Simply put it is impractical to analyse historical development of motorcycle technology and innovations without mentioning Harley-Davidson Furthermore, the company has for many years managed to establish powerful brand community where its customers are proud to be associated with Harley-Davidson. Specifically, the company has not only observed high quality in its products and services but also developed a powerful relationship with its customers due to its many years of portrayal of the American image of happiness, individuality, and freedom (Vasudha 2011). This culminated to most consumers valuing the experience of owning a Harley motorcycle. For instance, the formation of the Harley owners group which was the largest motorcycle club in the world allowed the company to establish close relationships with its customers. In addition, the company formed a unique anniversary celebration practice where its customers celebrated riding the motorcycles in a celebration (Vasudha 2011). These are powerful tools that made its customers feel like they really own the company. The consequence was increased levels of customer loyalt y. To enhance its competitiveness and its relationship with its customers, the company has established an online marketing platform that is not only used for promoting its products but also building on the brand community through its online HOG program (Vasudha 2011). This allowed the company to establish an online followership of its brand culminating to the emergency of a Harley lifestyle that replaced the brand in the context that consumers who bought Harley products were more interested in the lifestyle associated with owning the motorbike. As a consequence, the company established personalised relationship between it and its consumers. In conclusion, Harley has effectively managed to integrate its services into the lifestyle of its customers by providing high-quality products and services that are linked to the rich historical background and huge community attachment. This has culminated to formulation of a sentimental value on ownership of any Harley product among consumers. Its ability to sustain many years of innovativeness and still keep in close contact with its customers has culminated to emancipation of a lifestyle approach to marketing its product and hence, it is trust to say â€Å"It is a unique brand that is built on personal relationship and deep connections with customers, unmatched riding experiences, and proud history† Reference Vasudha, M 2011. Harley-Davidson’s Commitment to Brand Communities. Case study Reference no. 511-006-1

Richard the Third

Kameron Lopez Analysis Paper #2 Richard the Third February, 15tth Analyze the use of Christian allusions â€Å"Two drops of virtue for a Christian prince†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A prince of what exactly? That is a line said of Richard as he enters in Act 3 Scene 7. It was of course as Richard was standing in between two bishops pretending to be pious. He is more like a Christian prince of darkness, and he refers to himself as devil to state his mind. It can be said of Christian allusions in this text that Richard plays the part of the devil, the son, who fell from God’s grace and presence.He spends all of his time using others for his own gain and corrupting mankind. Queen Margaret has it right when she called him â€Å"Hell’s black intelligencer. † And he lives up to that title, more so that he ever lived up to the title of king. In his opening speech Richard is â€Å"determined to prove a villain. † Richard seems to be announcing that he has made a decision and i s committed to being bad. That may be true but there is another way to look at it. Richard could also be seen as being predetermined to be a villain.At that time, Christian people believed that God determines everything that's going to happen to a person and whether he or she will be saved from damnation. This idea was important in context of Shakespeare's England. Richard's use of the word â€Å"determined† is interesting because it implies two different possible meanings at once. First, Richard has decided of his own free will to be a villain or, second God has predetermined that Richard is going to be a villain and Richard has no control over the outcome.How we read this will determine on how we think about Richard and if he is a villain and evil by choice or if he has no control over the lengths he will go to get what he wants. We can then see how Richmond can be seen as the savior of this play. He is the only one that can defeat the evil Richard and take his rightful pla ce on the throne and begin to right all of the wrongs that happened by the hands of Richard. He puts an end to a war, he is forgiving to those whose fought against him and fled. That perfect, forgiving love can be seen as a savior, especially when compared to Richard’s villainThere is a sense of revelation going on throughout this play with the women characters, Queen Margaret especially. She hurls many curses at Richard throughout the play. â€Å"Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I plead. / That I may live and to say, ‘The dog is dead' When Margaret prays for Richard to be punished for his treachery, she asks God to intervene and cut Richard down. Later, when Richard is killed in battle, we get the sense that God has answered Margaret's plea and that Richard's death has come to pass because of God’s will.Lady Anne curses Richard over her husband’s grave and also curses the woman that would ever become his wife. She fulfills her own prophecy, her own rev elation. â€Å"And when thou wedd’st, let sorrow haunt thy bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As soon as she utters those words and allows herself to be woed in nearly the same breath, she succumbs to her own prophecy. As an audience, we know to take the curses, the prophecies seriously, because they all come to pass. Some of the characters seem to take them seriously, as in Christian traditions, and some do not and see them simply as mutterings from mad people, women specifically.Another allusion that can be seen in the text is how characters have a major part in their own destruction. They seem to be choosing the evil, the wrong despite the outcome, which will inevitably lead to their demise. Lady Anne and others are taken in by Richard’s charm and charisma and wit and choose not to see the evil and overlook the violence. In Christian religion, that is exactly how the devil works. â€Å"O that cunning plan of the evil one. O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of m en! How quick the characters are to recognize evil when they see it but are unable to resist being caught up in that same evil. That same relationship can almost be seen with the audience. We are so taken in my Richard’s presence that we find ourselves almost rooting for him, despite being shocked by him. That is how temptation seems to work. We are repulsed by something at first, can’t even imagine being involved in any way, and over time that same thing can become less repulsive and more intriguing.That fine line between falling into temptation and standing strong is even finer in this play, which rings true in real life. Good and evil, right and wrong, these are universal Christian ideals. And when evil looks so good, sounds so convincing, it is hard to say no even when we know it is wrong. That eternal struggle runs throughout this play and into everyday life, which is why it was so popular when it was first performed and why it is still popular today.

Human Resource Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource - Coursework Example The world has become a social platform, everyone is communicating with everyone on the ground of internet and mobile phones, the entire world is not connected at all times. Humans go out and they socialize with people on different occasions. This interaction with people then further develop into relationships, they find some to be beneficial and other to be not. During our interaction with other we find certain similarities and certain difference, and finally, we develop our relationship with those we feel comfortable. This all starts with communication at personal and professional level. At home, school, offices, social gathering and other related platforms. In our paper, we would look how the theories have been applied by us on our daily basis and how they have affected and impacted us. Theories The two theories under review are the symbolic interaction theory and social penetration theory. The two theory are the different perspective of how the societies interact with each other and how they make sense of the world around. The first of the two theories Symbolic Interaction Theory takes society as a product of the everyday social interaction of individuals. It also studies how people use symbols to create deeper meanings. The theory was formulated by Blumer in 1969 and the inspiration of the theory was further developed in 1981 by Dewey, this scientist believed that human beings are best understood if studied practically in an interactive environment (Sparknotes, 2014).

Analyzing and Recommending Best Buy in Crisis Case Study

Analyzing and Recommending Best Buy in Crisis - Case Study Example Again, consumers will acquire the information only with a well-designed marketing strategy. If innovation of the products goes together with improved marketing plan then no doubt the company will gain high reputation and loyalty from consumers. In addition, apart from retaining its current customers it will have the potential of attracting new customers which will finally enable the company to benefit from large economies of scale. For example, the consumer centricity plan drove the sales higher even without any other change in the products or operations of the company (Wells and Danskin 3). This therefore provides a proof to the benefits of a good marketing strategy. With the highly innovated products, Best Buy international division failed to produce good results, which lead to a failure (Wells and Danskin 7). This necessitates the need of improving the means of monitoring the behavior of international markets to come up with the best method of marketing most appropriate in each region. The same products that perform well at the home country should also be able to perform in another country; the only difference is the communication language that best suits each region that the organization has to know. To be able to come up with the best marketing strategies most appropriate in the modern world of consumer electronics, Best Buy has to understand the marketing challenges it faces. From the challenges, it is easier to identify the opportunities and take advantage out of them. The company faces the following challenges, The product promotional design features should directly reflect to the consumers. There is need to communicate the exact information about the product. Consumers always make purchasing decisions based on the information they have. This calls for the need to pass all the important details about the

Using appropriate theories and concepts, critically evaluate the value Essay

Using appropriate theories and concepts, critically evaluate the value of the notion of reflection in your own self development - Essay Example Furthermore, it is within such environments that there is a refining of values and this is often done without ensuring reflection is made an important aspect of thinking. It is important to ensure that reflective thinking is developed and made an essential part of individuals because it is the only way through which they can challenge assumptions, and make an assessment of their intuition, and learn more about themselves. It is important to note that some of the biggest barriers for many individuals in achieving their objectives is their lack of reflection (Bowden, 2008, p.4). This is especially because I have realized that many people tend to repeat the patterns and behaviours, which contribute to their failures. However, when they adopt an attitude of reflection before undertaking what they are aiming at, they come to achieve genuine results and personal growth. I find that reflection enables individuals to discover their ability to gain what they want, making it the key to success because without it, all actions are meaningless. Through my own experiences, I have discovered that reflective thinking is a matter of problem solving, which requires an individual to see things in a new way independent of the way that they normally see these problems. It is through their looking at problems differently that individuals are able to find solutions to them in ways that they did not expect (Edwards, 2010). Taking time to reflect on a problem from a different perspective other than the habitual one, especially for a leader within an organization, is extremely important because it makes the individual to have time for constructive thinking. Through thinking outside the box, following Kolb’s reflective model, a leader is able to develop a better understanding of the problem facing the organization and take necessary action to ensure that the solution he comes up with is not only relevant, but it can be applied in a manner that does not threaten organizational

Business strategy of General Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business strategy of General Motors - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the automobile industry is among the ancient companies whose presence has the effect in the economy. Although experiencing a process of evolution over time, the automobile industry boasts of dominance in the economy. Statistics support this assertion, given the fact that automobile industries employ almost 10 percent of the entire American population. The present research has identified that General Motors is among companies that continue to grow and develop in tremendous lengths. Thanks to excellent strategic plans based on powerful long-term goals, the multinational has spread its wings with a vast geographical presence in all the continents. The author has rightly presented that from America, where the company was founded in the early 20th century, over and across to Africa where dealer shops have been established, General Motors satisfy a lot of customers. Dealing with a wide range of products, the company mainly assembles vehicles and provides spare parts. This paper illustrates that being the mother company to such subsidiaries as renown Chevrolet, Buick, and even the Cadillac, General Motors specialize in personal vehicles; this way its customer bracket entail individuals seeking comfort and convenience, as that their vehicles are customized in order to satisfy those very needs. By doing that, the company manages to maintain its customers as well as attracting potential buyers.

Equity law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Equity law - Essay Example Firstly, this scenario raises the issue of creation of a private express trust. An express trust is like a fiduciary relationship where the person who is the trustee holds legal title for property in trust for the beneficiary who holds the equitable title. In order for a trust to be valid, it must be in writing, it must be executed by a settler who has the necessary capacity, it must have a legal purpose, must have an identifiable beneficiary and trustee, and the intent to create a trust must be clearly identifiable. In the case of Alice’s will, the validity may not be questionable in large part because it has been set out in writing. It appears that Edward is the primary beneficiary, although he is also one of the executors of the trust. One of the issues that arises in this case is establishing the validity and authority for both Edward and Alice’s carer Sandra, to function as executors of her estate. One of the first things that must be established is whether the will as written can stand as an express trust with testamentary capacity having been adequately proved. The terms of a will can be held to be valid only if it can be shown that a testatrix was in full possession of her faculties when she made the dispositions under the will. In the recent case of McClintok v Calderwood1 this was one of the issues that was raised. In this case, the defendant was the wife of one of the deceased’s nephews. The deceased had made two wills while at a nursing home, the only difference between the two was that the first one did not name an executor, while the second named the defendant as executrix of the deceased’s estate. One of the defendant’s brothers contended that the wills were invalid for lack of testamentary capacity and for want of knowledge and approval. Testamentary capacity was however, established in the case of McClintok v Calderwood. Although the deceased had been confused at times and showed early signs

Situation Analysis of the Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Situation Analysis of the Case Study - Essay Example Knowledge management is a huge matter that needs to be given proper consideration by the many organizations formed in the modern industries of global commerce at present. It could not be denied that with the effective application of efficient KM systems in particular organizations, the systems of operations of the organization are well defined as well. This is the reason why for QES/PL which is a leading provider of engineering services to mining organizations aiming to provide larger scopes of services to other markets such as that of electrical portals. This particular advancement in the industry would practically require a massive advancement on the communication and information control system that is adapted by the organization at present. This is the reason why in this documentation, a proper sense of information control system or KM approach that could be used by QES is to be presented for basis and understanding foundation on the part of the company in consideration. In a directed presentation, this documentation aims to open up the chance for each particular stakeholder of the organization to have their values be well served and assisted by the organization as much as needed. QES/PL is ... In a directed presentation, this documentation aims to open up the chance for each particular stakeholder of the organization to have their values be well served and assisted by the organization as much as needed. Table of Contents Introduction 5 Analysis 6 (Bracket 1) Problem Statement (a) Traps (b) Role Specifications 6 6 6 (Bracket 2) Culture 8 (Bracket 3) Power 10 Discussion (a) Change Management Application (b) Application of Adjustments (c) Practical Implications 11 11 13 14 Conclusion 14 Rich Picture 16 References 17 1. Introduction QES/PL is noted as a successful provider of service to mining companies with regards their engineering process suggestions as to how the organizations are better their operations through the use of modern technological solutions. However, like other organizations in the field of modern industries, QES also aims to further improve the organizational operations towards a larger market scope (Nielsen, 2007). However, with the huge contingency of employees that the company is already trying to manage today, being able to establish another set of service for a particular new market would mean a larger scope of system control especially in connection with the knowledge and informational data that is kept and re-used by the company for future projects. This system of knowledge management calls for a more systematic approach that would be much able to accommodate the growing number of people working for the organization coming from the different areas of the world, the growing number of clients who are served by the company and the projects that they open up for the organization to develop with. In this regard, this documentation serves as a response to the said need thus providing the organization with the aid

Effects on Divorce on Children Essay Example for Free

Effects on Divorce on Children Essay However some people think that its an easy process to get a divorce two separate roperties and signing papers may seem like an easy task some however there are major problems can arise from the divorce like who is going to keep the timeshare in Aspen. But one vital issue arises with the presence of children and how it will affect them in the long run studies suggest that children that go through divorce express signs of distress for example acting out in school. Divorce is Just as hard on the children as it is the adults and if they overlook this their children might be affected for even years to come showing concern for this might prevent this. More than half of all divorces involve children under the age of 18. Divorce does not only affect the husband and wife, but now more than ever their children get mixed up in the, sometimes ugly, process of divorce. A vital question every parent should consider is will divorce have effects on children and is staying together for the sake of their well-being the best resolution, if not what are the ideal approaches to minimize the childs distress? The overall reason I picked this topic is because after a divorce many young children are confused. They are confused because they are sometimes too young to nderstand what is going on so they tend to scream for help but their parents ignore them. Then they can sometimes start to act out in school and their parents know why they are doing it but cannot help them express their feelings. This topic is sociologically important because young children need help understanding what divorce is and how to cope with it. All of these reason Ill be sure to make a point of explaining them further and using reliable statistics taken from studies of children of divorce. This question should interest almost everyone that plans of getting married in the future. Divorce clearly isnt something that couples want or even expect in a marriage but unfortunately such events occur that lead to divorce and it is crucial to know how it may affect children in the long run. David Masci the author of the article Does divorce turn children into troubled adults? argues that divorce might turn children into troubled adults, and I agree because he provides viable evidence to support his theory. His argument that is supported by new research showing that almost half of all children in the United States have to deal with their parents dissolution of marriage nd these some of these children show signs of distress in the later year. Mainly likelihood of health, emotional, and behavioral problems, lower academic achievement and an increased risk of divorce when they marry. In addition, early sex, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, delinquency and suicide are more prevalent among adolescents from divorced families than among those from intact families (Masci) I wholeheartedly endorse what David Masci argues. While many children grow up leading healthy and productive lives after a divorce occurs, they are at greater risk for emotional and physical problems. Some children are more emotionally affected by divorce than others. But some do not experience serious, long-term emotional problems A childs emotional security also becomes more fragile during this difficult time of divorce. Fears that both parents will abandon the child are common. Depending on the age of the child, some of the ways a child might express this emotional insecurity may be large amounts of anger, directed both toward others and themselves frequent breaking of rules, sleep problems, defying parents or teachers, frequent guilt, increasing isolation or withdrawal from friends and family, drug and/or alcohol buse, early sexual activity, thoughts of suicide or violence. Many children of divorce believe that they caused the divorce or that they did something wrong that made one or both parents not want to be with them. These feelings can cause a child to feel sad, depressed, and angry. These negative emotions can contribute to other problems, such as poor health, difficulty in school, and problems with friends, to name a few. Parents can help their children avoid some of the negative consequences of these emotions by using emotion coaching, a process of helping children be aware of and talk about their emotions. Children who experience the divorce of their parents generally are more likely to struggle socially compared to children from intact families. They are more likely to be aggressive, have poorer relationships with same-age children, and have fewer close friends. Also, these children and teenagers appear to be less involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports or music, and other enrichment programs, such as after-school classes or summer programs. This is likely due to less money to pay for such activities, less availability of parents to drive the child and attend lessons and events, ore frequent moves, and visiting and custody schedules that interrupt participation in team sports and other activities. Children and teenagers who experience the divorce of their parents may end up getting less parental supervision. As a result, some scholars believe that these children may be more susceptible to the influence of their peers and this increases the chances of them getting involved in deviant behavior, including drug and alcohol use and smoking. Generally, research has not found large differences in how boys and girls tend to adjust to divorce. However, it seems that boys, more than girls, tend to be more aggressive toward others and this can lead to their friends and peers rejecting them. Boys may be somewhat more likely to act in defiant ways at home and in school; girls may be somewhat more likely to experience anxiety and depression. A childs age when his or her parents divorce is another factor that parents worry about. But divorce on children has not shown a consistent pattern. Some studies suggest that romantic relationships in the future of children of divorce can be affected because of their experiences as a young child. In addition, ome scholars believe that children of divorce are less likely to learn crucial social skills in the home, such as cooperation, negotiation, and compromise that are necessary for success in life. Children exposed to high levels of conflict between their parents, both before and after a divorce, may learn to model the poor communication of their parents.

A Usability Study for Promoting E-Content Essay Example for Free

A Usability Study for Promoting E-Content Essay Electronic content or e-content is defined by creating, providing, and distributing information as a digitized content. It is produced and stored electronically rather than in printed form. E-contents use in education can be in the form of e-journals, e-books, e-research reports, e-lecture modules, e-lecture notes and e-lecture slides. E-content has a huge potential in future education. Many higher education institutions publish books, research reports, lecture modules, theses and other information for academic purposes, but they are usually in print-form rather than electronic. Although, there are compelling reasons why these printed publication should be in electronic form. E-content use in education benefits from hyperlinking, non linearity, addition of multimedia, portability, and automatic searching. Hyperlinking is where contents can be linked to other pages inside and outside the book. Users can determine the order of accessing information by non-linearity. The addition of multimedia in presentation has been enhanced by the introduction of information types such as, sound and video. The data density has also been reduced where, storage capacity is decreased due to less storage of printed contents, while portability of information has increased. Searching for useful contents is enhanced by the ability of the users to locate any information instantly via e-content. As a whole, the usage of e-content requires less effort, thus making it more easier than printed contents. The outcome of some studies suggest that the involvement with computers through the use of e-content can promote positive attitude towards learning and higher achievement among learners. Studies also show that computer based learning leads to a significant increase in in the learners performance in reading, computer knowledge, mathematics and grammar. There is a huge potential in marketing e-contents to students through the internet. They can take advantage of this technology in which students can get fast access to study materials at a cheaper cost. Promoting, publishing and marketing e-contents are accomplished through electronic bookstores such as, E-campus.com, Amazon.com and e-libraries for instance e-Library.com. It serves as a portal for the e-content community and readers who are seeking information. E-content has a huge potential in increasing the satisfaction of students as well as academics. Many higher education institutions are introducing electronic learning environment through the web to their students. It is believed that,e-content can help promote academics work worldwide and assist students to immediate access to lecture notes, modules, and textbooks.

Procurement Of Contruction Services Construction Essay

Procurement Of Contruction Services Construction Essay INTRODUCTION: The construction industry deals with great number of various trades and professions acting in harmony has historically always endow with risk for insurers and customers. This involves professional risks of architects, consulting engineers and risks of contractors and subcontractors that may lead to risk of professional indemnity, public and employers liability claims. The construction is engulfed a lot physical risks connected with construction sites and their hazards like structural collapse, fire, theft and vandalism. However, to create a good environment for transparency and consistency in the management of construction risks there is need for legal contracts that guide the construction services. According to (Odeh Battaineh 2002) the successful execution of construction projects and keeping them within estimated cost and prescribed schedules depend on a methodology that requires sound engineering judgement. The uses of different form of contracts have helped in recovery of payme nt, facilities payment and resolution of disputes in the construction industry. It has lead to efficient provision for payments to contractors and subcontractors. However, this coursework discussed the four types of contract that can be used to the housing association. Also, point out the benefits that may derive from the contracts and the most suitable one for housing association. Furthermore, explained with example on how New Engineering Contract (NEC3) might be suitable for adoption by the housing association and showed the suitable form of contract the housing association can reduce their maintenance construction contract costs. Finally, this coursework tended suggestions on how the organisation can reposition itself without be affected for future consultancy commission with regards to the housing association contract and conclusion. A: FOUR TYPES OF CONTRACT AND THEIR BENEFIT FOR HOUSING ASSOCIATION: 1: COST PLUS OR REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS 2: ALL-IN OR TURNKEY CONTRACTS 3: LUMP-SUM CONTRACTS 4: ADMEASUREMENT CONTRACTS COST PLUS OR REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACT: In this type contract, the contract sum is determined before construction work is started. Under this type of contract the contractor accepts a defined amount of work in return for agreed sum. Contracts with quantities are priced on the basis of drawings and a firm bill of quantities .Contracts with quantities are priced on the basis of drawing and another document -usually a specification or work schedules. Besides that, during the contract the amount added to cover overheads and profit can be a fixed sum, a percentage or may be on reimbursement basis. This type of contract specify the labour rates to be charged on project and insurance cost is another productive area for hidden add up to in the name of reimbursing costs. This type of contract projected to avoid this automatic risk premium to the contractor (DJC, 2006).finally, according to (Haswell De silva ,1982) the contract came into existence during the first world war and deals with target time incentives for completion on tim e that is accepted for contracts subject to target costs. According to (OReilly 1999) Cost reimbursements enable to start work before the design is finalised. It has maximum contracting flexibility and can fast track easier. This type contract there is less owner management needed and accept competitive bidding on total scope. Cost reimbursement contracts always compensate the consulting firm based on the actual number of hours worked and other direct costs involve and the contract always contain a cost ceiling. ALL-IN OR TURNKEY CONTRACTS: According to (Haswell De silva ,1982) this is the type of contract where the client asks the contractor to tender all in bid or turnkey bid, that involves the provision of the job, both the design. This type of contract is acknowledge well and applied in many part of Europe, USA than in the UK and the consulting engineer plays little part in the civil engineering industry than in the UK.This type of contract the civil engineering is likely to make a substantial profit in the project. Turnkey contract are familiar with most of the customer and several analysts continue to suggest that significant number, if not the majority, of major constructions will henceforth be executed under this contractual framework .Besides that, the client can design and construct based on his / her choice without any external body, consulting engineer and contractor. According to (Dagenais, 2003) stated that the benefit is the client transacts with a single supplier for with regards to both design and execu tion of the project that simplifies its management It helps to accelerate the project, since construction can begin even before the design process is completed. Also in Turnkey contract the client can benefit from the skills of the constructor earlier in project. However, it possible to reduce eliminates the change orders during the project. However, fewer disputes are likely to occur and, if they do will be easier to resolve. . LUMP-SUM CONTRACTS: This is types of contract deals with the total costs to produce a project, together with the overhead, builder profit and any extras that the project owner specifies. After the project the builder is responsible for delivering the project under the guaranteed cost. According to (Haswell De silva ,1982) stated that alterations on lump- sum contract are expensive and follows the same line with admeasurements contract. Lump sum contract is highly acceptable to mortgage companies and this type of contract grant the builder experience to know time frame, cost to guarantee his client for the project. Lump sum is close to fixed price than other system of computing the price and is favourable for employers ask for price certainty (OReilly 1999). This type of contract there is a smaller amount risky for both the housing association and the Consultant. Lump -sum contract is most commonly used form of contract for architectural services. There is a clear understanding of the end product before construction begins in the project. The use of Lump sum contracts are generally accepted in the building industry and are well suited to small, medium or single trade projects. However, Lump sum contracts are not presently favoured for very big projects. In this type contract the design advice is independent of the builder .This is because of the extensive time required to complete documentation before any work can commence. For example many building project in Victoria Australian have been delivered through applying lump sum contract. ADMEASUREMENT CONTRACTS: According to (Haswell De silva ,1982) this type of contract involves the Bill of Quantities where detailed lists of all items of work required to be carried out with approximate quantities are prepared and the Schedule of Rates deals with comprehensive list of the various items of work to be carried out. A schedule of rates is frequently used where the degree of works has not been or cannot be completely determined. It deals with contingency sums and provisional sums for works not fully identified in the Bills. This type of contract the contractor is paid for the amount of actual work he does and a fair basis for payment because of freedom for the alteration of work. The Schedule of Rates contract expressly rejects any revision of the rates quoted by the contractor except where the tender sum has been exceeded by a certain percentage. The important difference between these types of admeasured contract is that in the Bill of Quantities contract the total Contract Sum is the Tender Sum which is given in respect of a fixed measure of work as set out in the Bills of Quantities, whereas in the Schedule of Rates contract the total Contract Sum can be calculated only upon completion of the contract. FROM ABOVE, ADMEASUREMENTS CONTRACT IS THE MOST SUITABLE TO THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION: Admeasurements contract use of Bill of Quantities facilitates competitive tendering and evaluation of changes in the work condition. While Schedule of Rates will be useful with regards of maintenance of project to housing association. However, most contractors in the UK are well-known with this type of contract and therefore are in a position to price the work in a fair and rational manner to the housing association (Haswell De silva ,1982).furthermore, in admeasurements the unit rates tendered by contractor to individual items is fixed in the project and tender knows the conception of the work that has do with way of bills. This type of contract will provide the housing association separate bills of preliminaries, day works and general items. B: HOW NEC3 MIGHT BE SUITABLE TO THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION. The New Engineering Contract 3 known as (NEC3) is the most recent used contract for UK civil engineering projects and most part the world engineering projects.NEC3 is a family of contract that make possible the execution of sound project management principles and exercise significant legal relationships.NEC3 provides suitable environment for procurement of works ,supply and services. This is to ensure efficiency and value of construction projects is essential for civil engineers in the recent economic environment. This helps to ensure the projects are delivered on time and within budget. The NEC3 is recent day family of standards contracts that accept the concept of partnership and promotes designers, both the project managers and contractors work mutually to meet up with up customers aims. According to Humphrey Lloyd the best barrister with regards to construction law experts in world recommend the NEC3 as the suitable law contracts for construction services in the world -wide use. Through his recommendation, NEC3 has rapidly used in more than 20 countries of the world based the application of NEC3 in British and South African government. According to Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) recommends NEC3 to public sector organisation with regards to construction services due to its use to encourage high-quality management system between parties involves in contracts. Also it is an understandable, straightforward document and applied in a wide variety of commercial situations. It helps to satisfy and meet up with clients target aims for all projects with regards to cost, time factor, quality and performance. The NEC3 also is recommended by the office of Government commerce for construction services and both public sector and government make use of it. For example, the London Olympics 2012, Channel Tunnel High Speed and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites used NEC3.The NEC3 is more suitable to the housing association due to the first and second editions have no provisions to deal with force majeure situations known as unforeseen events causing problems to a project site that may lead to delay of time or from being finished. For example, if a building catch shortly ahead of completion. The insurance may cover up the repair, but their no effect of delay to completion the new NEC3.Under clause 19 NEC3 the Engineering and construction contract grant project managers power to take care of unforeseen event that may stop employers main aim and the project contractor is permitted for compensation for event and its consequences with regards to time and money. The NEC3 will enable the housing association to discover, allocate and handle risk. Under NEC3 options C and D will enable the housing association know what to pay and when to pay it, for example during low inflation, they pay for goods based on the up to date market rates. Under option A provides the project with maximum certainty of price for the employer .under option E enable the contra ctor to face risk on price. While option F deals with cost reimbursable contract in so far that the employer and not the contractor bears the risk on the costs of the works contract. The NEC3 will deliberate to give consistency in the application of its core clauses and its compensation events to the housing association. The options are there prevent disputes for the contract and it permits termination at will for all the main options. However, the NEC3 is flexible and it has six main options to choose from the options to suit the housing association. C: HOW USING A SUITABLE FORM OF CONTRACT THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION CAN REDUCE THEIR MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT COSTS: According to Sir Michael Latham defined PPC200 as the full Monty of partnering and modern best practice. This is type of contract that deals with multi-party contract and founded by Association of Consultant Architects. This makes available the foundation for the partnering procedure and can be used in any type partnered project of construction services through advice of legal procedure. The PPC200 adopted radical ideas invented by the construction industry council partnering task force that guide Project Team Partnering. It is used by partnering teams that involved various project in public and private sectors From my understanding, the use PPC2000 will be suitable for the housing association to reduce their maintenance construction contract costs due to high level of integration of entire project team under a single multi-party contract and covers the entire duration of the procurement process. For example, the Joint Initiatives and Strategic Alliances under Clause 23.1 set the general key performance indicator (KPI) regime as follows: The Partnering team members shall use reasonable skill and care, within the scope of their agreed roles, expertise and responsibilities and in accordance with the partnering Document, to achieve their respective target as set out in the KPIs. Under Clause 18.1 the risk management the Partnering Team members recognise the risks involved in the design, supply and construction of the project and the costs associated with those risks for efficient maintenance construction contract costs. Also Risk management is specifically addressed with the facility to alloca te the share of risks appropriate to each team member. Besides that, the Clause 4.1 and 4.2 deals with good provision to maintenance costs. For example, Clause 4.2 states measurable continuous improvement by reference to the target and the KPIs.while Clause 4.1 states improved efficiency, cost- effectives, lean product and elimination of waste. There is tremendous mutual understanding between the Partner team member and the KPIs to reduce capital cost and whole list costs reduce accident and reduce the design, supply and construction time under Clause 4.1.PPC200 involves specialists contractors with regards to supply chain and construction processes. There is no provision for liquidated damages with the establishment of a core group. Also the core group helps to check the early warning system system for problems and reviews performance and progress to reduce maintenance construction contract costs. Under clause 6 of PPC200 provides the partnering timetables to direct all partnering team members to partnered performances, prices and supply chain and development of designs. D: SUGGESTION ON HOW MY ORGANISATION COULD REPOSITION ITSELF WITH REGARDS TO FUTURE CONSULTANCY COMMISSION TO THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION. Reposition of procurement strategy: The procurement strategy classifies the suitable way of achieving the aims of the project and value for money, through taking account of the risks involved and constraints, leading to decisions about the funding technique and asset ownership for the project. The objective of a procurement strategy is to accomplish the optimum balance of risk, funding and control to the housing association. Reposition of procurement route: The procurement route delivers the procurement strategy with regards to future to housing association. It comprises the contract strategy that will best meet the housing association needs. An incorporated procurement route ensures that design, operation, construction and maintenance are considered as a whole; it also ensures that the delivery teamwork together as an incorporated project team. Reposition of contract Strategy: the contract strategy decides the level of integration of design, construction and ongoing maintenance to the housing association, and should support the main project objectives in terms of risk allocation, delivery and other problems. There are many different contract strategies to meet up achieving Excellence principles of integration to the housing association. CONCULSION: Despite, the application of NEC3 form of contract as most suitable, I still believe other forms contract is suitable to procurement of construction services and the housing association. For example; PPC2000 was used on over  £9billion of UK construction services by 2004 and has been used in the Middle East on most of the construction services. According to RIDC survey; found that JCT contracts are used in 85% of most construction project.JCT contracts maintain big share in the market despite the increasing use of the NEC3 form of contract in construction projects. Much new building work is done under the JCT 2005 contract which has substitute JCT 1998 contract and is well understood by subcontractor. However, traditional contract is essential with regards to understand the problems and complexities of construction contracts through evaluating the relationship between the employer and the engineer, is easily to understand the obstacles that other forms of procurement try to resolve. In traditional contract, the absence of a warranty there is no contractual relationship between the employer and subcontractor and suppliers of goods and services and the third parties do not have contractual rights. It encourages little cost and time guaranteed. Besides, converting the worlds infrastructure over the coming decades to smooth the progress of a low -carbon -dioxide economy will involve clients and suppliers to have genuine confidence in long -term outcomes and returns. Through trustworthy standardised contracts that sustain project management costs down and project on track. Finally, it need global and updated information on contract status to ensure operated minimum delay and cost are properly controlled REFERENCE/BIBLIOGRAPHY Barse P.(2006) The JCT 05 standard building, sub-contract, UK. Blackwell LTD Brain E. (2009) The NCE3 Engineering and Construction Contract: A Commentary.(UK ) 2nd ed .Oxford Dagenais D. (2003) Construction law and Surety Bonds, Turnkey contracts- the clients perspective Haswell C. Silva D. (1982) Civil Engineering Contracts;Practice and Procedure. England ;Butterworth co Ltd Odeh M. Battaineh H. (2002) Causes of Construction Delay: Traditional Contracts 67 -73 OReilly M. (1999) Civil Engineering Construction Contracts, London 2nd ed , Thomas Telford Publishing Issara N. Rycroff. M. (2000)The JCT 05 Standard building Contract. Law and Adminisraction.2nd ed. Elsesiet LTD. The Daily Journal of Commerce, (2005) Cost Plus contract true costs no obvious,Portland.oregon. http://www.neccontract.com/ [last accessed on 10th Nov 2010] http://www.gmhplanning.co.uk/NEC_newsletter_45.pdf [last accessed 12th Nov 2010] http://www.ice.org.uk/Publications/NEC [last accessed 13th Nov 2010] http://www.hammonds.com/FileServer.aspx?oID=22997 [last accessed 13th Nov 2010] http://www.neccontract.com/PDF_DOC/NEC%20news-46.pdf [last accessed 13th Nov 2010] http://www.ppc2000.co.uk/documents/IntroductionPPC2000-08_000.pdf [last accessed 15th Nov 2010] http://www.minalcon.com/contracts.html [last accessed 22th NOV 2010]

Thomas Batemans Ten Years Diggings :: Anglo Saxon Essays

Thomas Bateman's Ten Years' Diggings Benty Grange, Derbyshire, 1848 May 3rd,- It was our good fortune to open a barrow which afforded a more instructive collection of relics than has ever been discovered in the county, and which surpasses in interest and remains hitherto recovered from any Anglo-Saxon burying place in the kingdom. The barrow, which is on a farm called Benty Grange, a high and bleak situation to the right of the road from Ashbourne to Buxton, near the eighth milestone from the latter place, is of inconsiderable elevation, perhaps not more than two feet at the highest point, but is spread over a pretty large area, and is surrounded by a small fosse or trench. About the centre and upon the natural soil, had been laid the only body the barrow ever contained, of which not a vestige besides the hair could be distinguished. Near the place which, from the presence of hair, was judged to have been the situation of the head, was a curious assemblage of ornaments, which, from the peculiarly indurated nature of the earth, it was impossible to remove with any degree of success. The most remarkable are the silver edging and ornaments of a leathern cup, about three inches diameter at the mouth, which was decorated by four wheel shaped ornaments and two crosses of thin silver, affixed by pins of the same met al, clenched inside. The other articles found in the same situation consists of personal ornaments, the chief of which are two circular enamels upon copper 1 3/4 diameter, in narrow silver frames, and a third, which was so far decomposed as to be irrecoverable; they are enamelled with a yellow interlaced dracontine pattern, intermingled with that peculiar scroll design, visible on the same class of ornaments that figured in Vestiges p.25, and used in several manuscripts of the VIIth Century, for the purpose of decorating the initial letters. The principle of this design consists of three spiral lines springing from a common centre, and each involution forming an additional centre for an extension of the pattern, which may be adapted to fill spaces of almost any form.

Edna Pontellier’s Self-discovery in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Theme of Self-discovery in Kate Chopin's The Awakening Edna Pontlierre experiences a theme of self-discovery throughout the entire novel of Kate Chopin's "The Awakening. Within Edna's travel through self discovery, Chopin successfully uses tone, style, and content to help the reader understand a person challenging the beliefs of a naïve society at the beginning of the twentieth century. Chopin's style and tone essentially helps the reader understand the character of Edna and what her surrounding influences are. The tone and style also helps the audience understand the rest of the characters throughout the novel. The entire content is relevant to the time frame it was written, expressing ideas of the forthcoming feminist movement and creating an awareness of what was happening to the women of the early nineteenth century. When "The Awakening" was first published, its popularity wasn't that of modern day. In fact, it was widely rejected for years. Within the context, it is considered a very liberal book from the beginning of the nineteenth century. The ideas expressed within the content concern the women's movement and an individual woman searching for who she really is. Ross C. Murfin in his critical essay "The New Historicism and the Awakening", shows how Chopin uses the entity of the hand to relate to both the entire women's issue and Edna Pontlierre's self exploration: "Chopin uses hands to raise the issues of women, property, self-possession, and value. Women like Adele Ratignolle, represented by their perfectly pale or gloved hands, are signs mainly of their husbands wealth, and therefor of what Stange calls 'surplus value'. By insisting on supporting herself with her own hands [through art] and having control of her own property [the place she moved in to and her inheritance], Edna seeks to come into ownership of a self that is more than a mere ornament. †¦She seeks to possess herself" (p 197). Within in the content, Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle represent foils to Edna. Mademoiselle represents a single woman that everyone dislikes who Edna typically confides in. Adele Ratignolle contrasts Edna because she "dutifully plays the social role of 'mother-woman'". The reader learns how Edna contrasts and transcends throughout the entire novel. From her refusal to sacrifice herself for her children in the beginning of the novel to her moving into her own house towards the end of the novel, the reader is effectively aware of the realities that face the women of the early twentieth century individually and as a society. Chopin's style in "The Awakening" is intended to help the audience understand the character of Edna and the dilemmas that she faces as a married

Bringing hydrocephalus

The history of hydrocephalus dates back to the time of Hippocrates (he died c. 375) and even further to medieval times when physicians believed that it was caused by an extractable (sic) accumulation of water. Surgical evacuation of superficial fluid in hydrocephalus children was first described in detail by Balalaikas AY Zachary in 1744 (Scoff, Kramer, Hashish & Sunken, 1999).While there have been many great strides, both in research and treatment, it seems the great pool of knowledge resides not thin the medical community, but in the adult survivors of the condition. One can only wonder if this is due, at least in part, to a perception by the medical community that it is not a survivable condition. Actually the exact opposite is now true. With proper medical treatment (done in a timely manner) and LOTS of love and support from the patient's family, many hydrocephalus children can go on to live near normal lives.Introduction The modern era of hydrocephalus research began with the st udies of Dandy and Blackman in 1914 (Grittier, 2007). To this day their work is considered an unsurpassed nutrition toward the understanding of hydrocephalus. While I applaud their work, it has been ninety-nine (99) years since any work of a similar scope or caliber has been undertaken and it is beginning to show. As an example, when I was born in 1963, I showed the early stages of congenital hydrocephalus and my family was basically told â€Å"take him home to die†.Needless to say, I didn't die and have become – even according to the local medical community – one of the best sources of information in our area when it comes to hydrocephalus. Although I feel honored to eave such distinction, it's not enough – the medical community – especially pediatricians – need to possess that same knowledge and that is my purpose in writing this paper. L. 20-Year decline in the mortality rate for hydrocephalus Before getting too involved in why hydrocepha lus research needs to be brought into the 21st century, an explanation of the condition is needed.Hydrocephalus is defined as â€Å"A condition marked by an excessive accumulation of cerebration's fluid (SF) resulting in dilation of the cerebral ventricles and elevated interracial pressure; (it) ay also result in enlargement of the cranium and atrophy of the brain† (Williams, 2006). It can take one of two forms. It can be either communicating (meaning there is not visible cause for the blockage of SF) or non-communicating (meaning it results from an abnormal flow of SF in and around the brain. It is also known as pediatric hydrocephalus since it is normally present from birth. (â€Å"Nervous system diseases,† 2008). When I was born in 1963, the life expectancy for a child with this condition was approximately two (2) years and the only known treatment, placement of a shunt, was still in its infancy. Since that time, shunt surgery has been refined and could almost †“ depending on the individual patient – be considered an almost routine procedure. In an article published in the August 2005 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, Dry. J. H. Chi, ET. AY. Stated â€Å"Congenital hydrocephalus has an estimated population incidence of 0. To 0. 8/1,000 live births† (Chi, Fullerton & Guppy, 2005). They credit this to improvements in techniques for SF shunting; however, they state that data describing mortality from congenital hydrocephalus – or that demonstrate improvements in the mortality rate are scarce. For those not familiar with shunt implantation surgery, it involves making a small incision in both the top of the head and the abdomen (in the case of a ventricular-peritoneal (UP) shunt) to insert the shunt which drains excess fluid from the brain (Goodman, 2013).To validate their hypothesis, the doctors performed an electronic search of the National Center for Health Statistics death certificate database to identify deaths f rom 1979 to 1988 directly attributable to congenital hydrocephalus, spins biffed with hydrocephalus, and acquired hydrocephalus in all children in the United States aged one (1) day to 0 years. There were 10,406 deaths attributed to childhood hydrocephalus during the 20-year period reviewed. This translates to an overall mortality rate of 0. 71 per 100. 000 person-years.Additionally, their research showed infants had the highest mortality rate with 3,979 deaths. Overall during the period deaths from acquired hydrocephalus – meaning that it occurs after birth and is the result of a tumor, injury, or disease that blocks the uptake of SF – decreased 67. 5%, deaths from congenital hydrocephalus declined 66. 3 %, and deaths from spins biffed with hydrocephalus declined 30. 4%. What does it all mean? It means that the medical community needs to re-think their position on hydrocephalus as well as what they tell patients and their families.It means saying â€Å"Take him/her h ome to die,† is no longer an option. Does it mean re-inventing the wheel? For an older doctor it could very well mean that although, in most cases, it will not be quite so drastic. The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCI) makes the following recommendations to its members: Reduce risk of infection associated with shunt surgery Approximately 8% – 10% of shunt operations result in an infection. A study is currently underway for a quality improvement technique that will reduce surgery- related shunt infection(s). (Woolens, 2013).The result will be a reduction in the infection rate thereby reducing the length of hospitalizing as well as patient morbidity. Management of hydrocephalus in premature children The HCI is investigating two (2) surgical procedures that are commonly used to manage IV-induced hydrocephalus in premature children. A sublease reservoir is an implant consisting of a tube which goes into the ventricle attached to a silicone bubble that sits under the skin. As fluid accumulates in the ventricle, it can be removed by a needle puncture through the skin and into the silicone bubble.The second procedure is an s sublease shunt, which is similar to the reservoir except that the silicone bubble under the skin has a reservoir has an opening in the side that allows fluid to flow out under the skin. The fluid is then absorbed into the tissues. Understanding the epidemiology and outcomes of Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's or TV Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's (TV) is a surgical procedure where a small perforation is made is made in the thinned floor of the third entrance allowing movement of SF out of the blocked ventricular system and into the intracellular cistern which is a normal SF space.The objective of this procedure, known as a interracial SF diversion, is to normalize pressure on the brain without using a shunt. Although TV is widely used in Europe to treat hydrocephalus, its use in North America is much less common. The H CI is working to understand when the procedure is indicated as well as its associated outcomes and possible complications. The use of TV is attractive due to the fact that infection s very rare as are other complications such as slit ventricles.Conclusion Our knowledge of hydrocephalus has come a long way since medieval times when it was believed that hydrocephalus was the result of extractable (sic) accumulation of water. It has even made significant strides since the groundbreaking work of Dandy and Blackman in 1914, but the medical community must not rest on its laurels. In order to fully bring the treatment of hydrocephalus into the 21st century, they must embrace research being done by organizations like the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network.I feel this increased awareness is long past due because, even though it has been almost [emphasis added] a half-century since I was born with the condition, the amount of information available to the medical community remain largely unchanged. I think that is due – at least in part – to the misconception that there is not a high survival rate, therefore, why waste the money? My research has shown that over the past twenty (20) years, the mortality rate for hydrocephalus has actually declined with 0. 71 per 100,000 errors/year (Chi, 2005).The vast majority of the deaths were the result of congenital hydrocephalus – meaning that it is present to some degree when the baby is born. Here is how the AC can help to make my â€Å"big idea† (the name given by our instructor to our project) a reality. Publish more articles about the condition, research into it, and current treatment such as shunting and Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's. Do feature stories about both child and adult survivors because we have a story we would like the world to know about!

Assess the Significance of the Role of Individuals in Reducing Racial Discrimination in the Period 1877-1981

Assess the significance of the role of individuals in reducing racial discrimination in the period 1877-1981. The post-civil war era of American history could be argued as one with great promise for African Americans. With the North winning the Civil War and Lincoln granting the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, surely the seeds had been sown for equality for all in America; blacks and whites included?Despite the foundations having been laid for equality, it may not be surprising that only small progress was made when Lincoln- the â€Å"saviour† of Blacks- had little interest in abolishing slavery in the first place; â€Å"if I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it†. However, it cannot be disputed that, whatever his intentions had been, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did provide just a glimpse of hope for African Americans; De Jure, the African Americans throughout America had freedom and were able to leave the slavery of Southern plantatio n owners.Why is it then, that De Facto, the years following the Civil War failed to provide this ‘new hope' for Blacks and that racism & discrimination continued for many years to come? The idea of Blacks developing the mind set they needed in order to fight for their freedom can be categorised as their ‘developing consciousness'. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, it was evident that Blacks had begun to realise that they too had rights and were entitled to the same as the Whites.Through the work of organisations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) and the Harlem Renaissance as well as individuals such as William Edward Burghardt (W. E. B) Du Bois; Blacks in American began developing their identity as a group and using this to fight back against the oppression of Whites. Du Bois was known as a vocal critic of Booker T Washington, being an educated Black- graduating from Fisk University in 1885 and studying history at Harvard University- he became the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. From Harvard. In order to develop Black Consciousness, Du Bois joined forces with the like minded activists of the NAACP. The NAACP's main focal points were: The abolition of segregation; equal voting rights; educational opportunities for black people; the enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Despite the main focuses of the NAACPs campaigns, it could be argued that the main thing they did for the progress of Black Equality was the uniting of Blacks under one force; by 1918 there were around 43,994 members in the NAACP.This gathering of Blacks under one organisation cannot be ignored, for the first time the African-Americans of America were joining together in order to fight for their freedom. One key event which argues against the idea that individuals were significant in reducing racial discrimination is that of WWI; argued by Sander's- â€Å"The First World War generated jobs and gave blacks s oldiers a glimpse of greater equality†. The treatment of Blacks abroad- particularly France- showed the African-Americans that the treatment they were receiving at home was unfair and that they were indeed in a situation which needed to change.It is a hard task indeed to decide whether or Black Consciousness increased due to the work solely of individuals such as Du Bois, organisations like the NAACP or events like WWI. Many would argue that it was not a single one of these factors which led to the increase of Black's realisation of potential. One argument however is that surely without individuals behind the organisations, the work and impact of the organisation is nothing? Individuals are able to lead, organise and even inspire; something that events and organisations are unable to do.The process of increased black nationalism is certainly one which cannot be overlooked; indeed it may not have achieved solid changes in law, and some go as far to say that it may have even hin dered the advancement of Black Civil Rights. Despite this one could argue that the development of black nationalism catalysed the civil rights movement for many African Americans; installing a sense of pride inside the hearts of many which was drastically needed at the time. Before trying to pin any credible progress on the black nationalism movement it is first important to attempt to define ‘Black Nationalism'.A simple definition of it would be that it was an ideology which stresses the desire for separatism of the black race; â€Å"unity as a people, pride in African heritage, the creation of autonomous institutions and the search for a territory to build a nation† (Cone, 1991, 122). However the ideology of black nationalists varies greatly between individuals; a perfect example of this is Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. The two vary drastically between their methods in raising black nationalism.The methods and effectiveness of Malcolm X's campaign for the improved lives of black Americans are up for questioning by many. Indeed his tactics were more radicalised than his non-violent counterpart Dr King: Malcolm X even stated in Washington, 1964 that â€Å"I'm here to remind the white man of the alternative to Dr King†. This statement could be seen to sum up the purpose of Malcolm X; due to the lack of credible change attached to him, one has to question whether his purpose was merely just to show what could happen (increased radicalisation and violence) if the demands of Dr King were not met.This lack of credible, positive actions and change by Malcolm X and his current organisation the Nation Of Islam is an idea which can be- and has been- argued in depth. One could argue that, in terms of De Jure, Malcolm X did not achieve anything significant and indeed many considered him to be irresponsible and negative; Thurgood Marshall even went as far as to say that the NOI was â€Å"run by a bunch of thugs†. Despite this, De Facto, one cannot simply ignore the fact that Malcolm X did indeed draw early attention to the awful conditions in the ghettos and according to the FBI, he was â€Å"The most successful recruiter for the Black Muslims†.This can be credited to Malcolm X being a Zeitgeist; he was able to tap into the spirit of the time and the feelings of the people, using this to draw the huge amounts of support he did for the Nation of Islam. Indeed it may be seen that a radical, passionate individual like Malcolm X was needed at that specific time for the black nationalism movement; it cannot be ignored that Martin Luther King was not at his most successful stage and the fire of black civil rights and nationalism which had been burning brightly was indeed beginning to burn dimmer or some might even say had gone out at the time.After looking at the impact in which individuals had on the civil rights movement and the contrast of events, one can still come back to the fundamentals of the debate; without a n individual to start an organisation or instigate an event surely no progress at all would have been made? If one is able to look at the larger picture of the progress made in reducing racial discrimination in the years Assess the Significance of the Role of Individuals in Reducing Racial Discrimination in the Period 1877-1981 Assess the significance of the role of individuals in reducing racial discrimination in the period 1877-1981. The post-civil war era of American history could be argued as one with great promise for African Americans. With the North winning the Civil War and Lincoln granting the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, surely the seeds had been sown for equality for all in America; blacks and whites included?Despite the foundations having been laid for equality, it may not be surprising that only small progress was made when Lincoln- the â€Å"saviour† of Blacks- had little interest in abolishing slavery in the first place; â€Å"if I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it†. However, it cannot be disputed that, whatever his intentions had been, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did provide just a glimpse of hope for African Americans; De Jure, the African Americans throughout America had freedom and were able to leave the slavery of Southern plantatio n owners.Why is it then, that De Facto, the years following the Civil War failed to provide this ‘new hope' for Blacks and that racism & discrimination continued for many years to come? The idea of Blacks developing the mind set they needed in order to fight for their freedom can be categorised as their ‘developing consciousness'. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, it was evident that Blacks had begun to realise that they too had rights and were entitled to the same as the Whites.Through the work of organisations such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) and the Harlem Renaissance as well as individuals such as William Edward Burghardt (W. E. B) Du Bois; Blacks in American began developing their identity as a group and using this to fight back against the oppression of Whites. Du Bois was known as a vocal critic of Booker T Washington, being an educated Black- graduating from Fisk University in 1885 and studying history at Harvard University- he became the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. From Harvard. In order to develop Black Consciousness, Du Bois joined forces with the like minded activists of the NAACP. The NAACP's main focal points were: The abolition of segregation; equal voting rights; educational opportunities for black people; the enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Despite the main focuses of the NAACPs campaigns, it could be argued that the main thing they did for the progress of Black Equality was the uniting of Blacks under one force; by 1918 there were around 43,994 members in the NAACP.This gathering of Blacks under one organisation cannot be ignored, for the first time the African-Americans of America were joining together in order to fight for their freedom. One key event which argues against the idea that individuals were significant in reducing racial discrimination is that of WWI; argued by Sander's- â€Å"The First World War generated jobs and gave blacks s oldiers a glimpse of greater equality†. The treatment of Blacks abroad- particularly France- showed the African-Americans that the treatment they were receiving at home was unfair and that they were indeed in a situation which needed to change.It is a hard task indeed to decide whether or Black Consciousness increased due to the work solely of individuals such as Du Bois, organisations like the NAACP or events like WWI. Many would argue that it was not a single one of these factors which led to the increase of Black's realisation of potential. One argument however is that surely without individuals behind the organisations, the work and impact of the organisation is nothing? Individuals are able to lead, organise and even inspire; something that events and organisations are unable to do.The process of increased black nationalism is certainly one which cannot be overlooked; indeed it may not have achieved solid changes in law, and some go as far to say that it may have even hin dered the advancement of Black Civil Rights. Despite this one could argue that the development of black nationalism catalysed the civil rights movement for many African Americans; installing a sense of pride inside the hearts of many which was drastically needed at the time. Before trying to pin any credible progress on the black nationalism movement it is first important to attempt to define ‘Black Nationalism'.A simple definition of it would be that it was an ideology which stresses the desire for separatism of the black race; â€Å"unity as a people, pride in African heritage, the creation of autonomous institutions and the search for a territory to build a nation† (Cone, 1991, 122). However the ideology of black nationalists varies greatly between individuals; a perfect example of this is Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. The two vary drastically between their methods in raising black nationalism.The methods and effectiveness of Malcolm X's campaign for the improved lives of black Americans are up for questioning by many. Indeed his tactics were more radicalised than his non-violent counterpart Dr King: Malcolm X even stated in Washington, 1964 that â€Å"I'm here to remind the white man of the alternative to Dr King†. This statement could be seen to sum up the purpose of Malcolm X; due to the lack of credible change attached to him, one has to question whether his purpose was merely just to show what could happen (increased radicalisation and violence) if the demands of Dr King were not met.This lack of credible, positive actions and change by Malcolm X and his current organisation the Nation Of Islam is an idea which can be- and has been- argued in depth. One could argue that, in terms of De Jure, Malcolm X did not achieve anything significant and indeed many considered him to be irresponsible and negative; Thurgood Marshall even went as far as to say that the NOI was â€Å"run by a bunch of thugs†. Despite this, De Facto, one cannot simply ignore the fact that Malcolm X did indeed draw early attention to the awful conditions in the ghettos and according to the FBI, he was â€Å"The most successful recruiter for the Black Muslims†.This can be credited to Malcolm X being a Zeitgeist; he was able to tap into the spirit of the time and the feelings of the people, using this to draw the huge amounts of support he did for the Nation of Islam. Indeed it may be seen that a radical, passionate individual like Malcolm X was needed at that specific time for the black nationalism movement; it cannot be ignored that Martin Luther King was not at his most successful stage and the fire of black civil rights and nationalism which had been burning brightly was indeed beginning to burn dimmer or some might even say had gone out at the time.After looking at the impact in which individuals had on the civil rights movement and the contrast of events, one can still come back to the fundamentals of the debate; without a n individual to start an organisation or instigate an event surely no progress at all would have been made? If one is able to look at the larger picture of the progress made in reducing racial discrimination in the years

Being Written Reading

I walked into the local bookstore and it smelled of coffee. The delta blues was playing softly. I set up my workstation on a side table, preparing to take notes. There were eight marigolds, a half-eaten muffin, and a nearly empty mug of some unknown beverage in my midst. The gothic fellow manning the coffee stand ate some sort of biscuit behind the counter. He spoke to a co-worker of an art studio that he used to have. Meanwhile, a man with glasses and slightly shaggy brown hair was setting things up for the reading: the podium, the microphone, and the chairs.At first, I thought he was the author, but he wasn’t. William Conescu, the author, had short, curly black hair and no glasses. His eyelids were red. He seemed simultaneously nervous and illimitably delighted to be here. Support was present in the form of a close friend. This friend snapped a photo of William when the reading began. Before William Conescu approached the podium, a gray-haired lady placed flyers of the books tore’s current events on the eighteen chairs arranged in the open room. Then she made an introduction, speaking largely to the seven people in the cafe area.No one had yet sat in any of the chairs lined up in neat rows facing the podium. There were only four minutes left before the reading commenced. The sky darkened. Finally, two men draped their coats and scarves over the backs of chairs. I stood up to go to the restroom where there was graffiti on the walls, which, as usual, I could not decipher. When I returned there were eight people in attendance to the reading of Being Written, a novel by William Conescu. The gray-haired lady made a second introduction and turned the microphone over to the author.Being Written is William Conescu’s first novel and was released last month. William explained that up to this point he has written short fiction. Actually, for quite some time after undergraduate study, William put off writing, waiting for some stability – for th is job to start, for that move to be over. A theme in his novel, he said that many of the actors, writers, and musicians that he knew were not acting, writing, or playing. The protagonist of the novel is Daniel Fischer, and he is the sole character in the book that can hear the scratching of the author’s pencil.Unfortunately, this also grants him the painful insight that he is a minor character, and has been for some time. So when the author seems to take interest in a young woman at the bar, Daniel throws himself into the scene and her life. He is not entirely prepared for this though, and the fact that he is minor kills his self-esteem. The second person point-of-view only intensifies this neurosis. William read the bar scene dramatically, like a play. He injected the prose with energy; it came alive. He finished the scene, gave us some more summary, and began another scene much later in the novel.Daniel has evolved into a pawn used by Dehlia, the woman at the bar, in her r elationship with pianist, Graham. Daniel is excited to have been elevated to pawn status; he has never been a pawn before. Then, suddenly, William Conescu opened the floor for questions. Someone asked about the publishing process. He said he had a good experience with them; actually, they were the reason that this story developed into the full-length novel that it is, rather than becoming a novella contained in a collection. Another person asked about point-of-view.We learned that parts of the book are told in third person, parts are told in second; this allowed Daniel to be shown as an ordinary character in the story as well as close-up and neurotic. William writes with an outline, but does not strictly adhere to it; he likes to know that his writing is â€Å"going somewhere†. â€Å"Thank you’s† were exchanged, handshakes, and even phone numbers, which I found to be shocking. The author was sitting down, signing people’s books, looking up at them, rather than across the crowd from the mic. He said, â€Å"This has been really fun. † I believed it.

Factors Affecting the School Readiness Essay

Kindergarten marks the beginning of formal education. The child’s initial school experience can influence the way he feels and acts to future school activities. I will also affect the way he relates to other people and his environment for the rest of his life. Success or failure at this stage can affect his well-being, self-esteem, motivation and perspectives. Lack of kindergarten readiness may also lead to his being held back in the next grade level. School readiness is defined as the â€Å"ability to cope, learn, and achieve without undue stress†. In the Philippines public and private schooling begins with kindergarten, when a child is about 5 years old. Kindergarten is 3 to 4 hours a day or depending on the specific requirement of a particular school. While most of the activities in kindergarten are play activities like singing, storytelling, and drawing, children are also learning basic skills through these activities that will be needed throughout their lives. These skills include listening to direction, using and managing time well, being patient, sharing, and working in cooperation with others. Kindergarten helps children adjust to school slowly, going only a few hours each day. It bridges the gap between the age when kids spent their days playing at home or in a daycare or nursery school and the more formal learning that will begin once a child moves on to the next level. Many parents still believe that kindergarten is just an introduction to school. They merrily think that children just enjoy playtime, art, story time, and maybe even learn their colors, alphabet, and numerals while they are at it. However, at present the expectation s for kindergarteners have leveled up and are much stricter than before. Today, there is actually a set of curricum that must be followed and expected to keep up. Parts of the curriculum include reading readiness, writing, math, science, social studies and other subject related. Children are also taught about proper manners, classroom rules, hygiene and sanitation. Parents should take a personalized approach and focus as their children’s potentials and skills and see if they are already prepared for kindergarten school. Parents must take the initiative to actively participate in home base learning before they heed on out to school. It is important to keep an eye on the children and decipher their behavior, to come to conclusion if they are ready to attend kindergarten or not. Some children tend to develop skills a lilltle later depending on what they have been exposed to and how fast they can grasp these things depending on their surroundings. Specialists in the field of child development feel strongly that readiness is not something that a child is trained for but is the understanding of the child’s unique development and grow pattern and what types of activities will enhance the natural development of a child in the areas of motor development, visual processing skills, auditory processing skills, language skills, numerical skills, conceptual skills, and social-emotional behaviors. TheNatioanl Association For The Education Of Young Children (NAEYC) stated that school readiness is defined as the state of early development that enables individual child to engage in and benefit from early learning experience, As a result of family nurturing and interactions with others, a young child at this stage has reached certain level of social and emotional development, cognition and general knowledge, language development, physical well-being, and motor development. (AnneArundel and Harford). Parents are the first and most important teachers in their child’s life. Staying involved and providing children with a supportive, nurturing environment will help strengthen the learning process. Parents must allow their chilred to make choices and simple decision making so that children will achieve a reliable sense of right and wrong. Language helps to shape the brain, and teaching children to speak according to Jerome Brunner helps them not only organized words in a sentence but also helps organize their minds. Children need many types of language experiences which include being read with and also participation in family conversation. Storytelling, nursery rhyme and reading enrich the language experience. Parents must spend time with oral language activities for a strong foundation in reading and spelling (Graue. 1992). There are several factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils namely: maturation, relevance of materials and methods of instruction, emotional attitude, personal adjustment, social status and tribe. Other contributors to the readiness gap are environmental stress, family income, parents’ literacy, nutrition premature birth, health, early childcare, experiences, low birth weight and genetic endowment. Maturation affects the readiness of the kindergarteners because the child has not reach yet a sufficient stage of mental and physical development needed to perform school tasks characteristics of that particular grade level which entails a higher level of performance than that of which he has at the moment. Experiences determine the kindergarten readiness for learning. Exposure to environment and varied activities will help the child learn. Children learn from seeing, hearing, touching and these experiences will help the child get to know his environment better. To interpret reality, children must experience their surroundings through imagination and discovery. Rooted in the experience of early childhood are the values that individuals will carve for themselves in later years, their capacity to live according these values, and their attitudes towards themselves and the human community. (Bredekamp,1987). Research shows that relevance of materials and methods of interest affects children’s readiness; children are more ready to learn if the material meet their needs and fits their interest. They are more ready to learn if they are having fun doing the tasks. (Karweit,1988) Emotional attitude and personal adjustment plays a great influence in children’s readiness. Emotional stress blocks them from learning especially those resulting from unmet needs, rejection from home, over protection, experience of failures, home difficulties, poverty, peace conflict, and other related issues. ( Shepard and Smith, 1986). Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson documented that children who live in poverty with poor socio-economic status are more likely not ready for kindergarten school since their parents will most likely spend for basic needs than materials for learning like books and other learning kits . Parents in families with low socio-economic status are less likely to talk with. Read with. And teach young children since they would rather spend their time looking for sources of income. Environmental stress affects school readiness according to Kimberly Noble, N. Tottenham, and B. J. Casey. They explained that chronic stress or abuse in childhood can impair development of the hippocampus the region of the brain involved in learning and memory, and reduces a child’s cognitive ability. Thus the impact of stress on brain development during childhood may explain a large portion of the gap in school readiness. Health is another factor that affects school readiness according to Janet Currie, child’s health combined with maternal health and behavior may account for success or failure of kindergarten pupils. Children’s who are not in the best health condition may not be always present in the classroom those will be missing development of skills and knowledge. Nancy Reichman reported that premature birth and low birth weight can seriously impair cognitive development. A renting which include nurturance, discipline, and home base teaching are greatly link to the development of children’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Feelings of self-worth develop as a child feels good about his environment and the way he interacts in that environment. The most important gift a parent could give his child is quality time. Children need unhurried periods to explore and experiment, to understand and affirm through idea of freedom. They must also be provided with the security, acceptance, love, thoughtful and appropriate restrictions. (htpp://www. mayoclinic. com/health/kindergarten-readiness) Everyone agrees that a child’s future academic success is dependent on being ready to learn and participate in a successful kindergarten experience. Yet, defining (readiness) can be a very difficult task. Due to children’s different prekindergarten education experiences and development, they enter kindergarten with varying skills, knowledge, and level of preparedness. Parents and teachers have different expectations for what children should know and be able to do before starting kindergarten. Furthermore, discussions of readiness do not always include how schools and community can enhance and support children’s and kindergarten readiness. It is within this premise that the researcher would want to conduct a study and find out the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. Theoretical Framework This study is anchor on various theoretical perspectives. Several theories of child development of child development and learning have influenced discussions of school readiness. These have had profound impact on kindergarten readiness practice. These three theories include the maturationist, environmentalist, and constructive perspective of development (Powell, 1991). Maturationist Theory The maturationist theory was advanced by the work of Arnild Gessell. Maturationists believe that development is a biological process that occurs automatically in predictable, sequential stages over time (Hunt, 1969). This perspective leads many educators and families to assume that young children will knowledge naturally and automatically as they grow up physically and ecome older, provided that they are healthy (Demarest, Reisner, Anderson, Humphrey, Farquhar, and Stein, 1993). School readiness, according to maturationist is a state at which all healthy young children arrive when they can perform tasks such as reciting the alphabet and counting; these tasks are for learning more complex tasks such as reading and arithmetic. Because development and school readiness occur naturally and automatically, maturationist believe the best practice are for parents to teach young children to recite the alphabet and count while being patient and waiting children to become ready for kindergarten. If a child is developmentally unready for school, maturationist might suggest referrals to transitional kindergartens, retention, or holding educators, and parents when a young child developmentally lags behind his or her peers. The young child’s underperform at the level of his or her peers. Environmentalist Theory Theorist as John Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Albert Bandura contributes greatly to the environmentalist perspective of development. Environmentalist believe the child’s environment shapes learning and behavior; in fact, human behavior, development, and learning are though of as reactions of the environment. This perspective leads many families, schools, and educators to assume that young children and acquire new knowledge by reacting their surroundings. Kindergarten readiness, according to the environmentalist, is the age or stage when young children can respond appropriately to the environment of the school and the classroom (e.g. , rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group settings and directions and instructions from teachers and other adults in school). The ability to respond appropriately to this environment is necessary for young children to participate in teacher initiated learning activities. Success is dependent on the child following instructions from the teachers or the adult in the classroom. Many environmentalist-influenced educators and parents believe that young children lean best by rote activities. Such as reciting the alphabet over and over, copying letters, and tracing numbers. This viewpoint is evident in kindergarten classrooms where young children are expected to sit at desk arranged in rows and listens attentively to their teachers. At home, parents may provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities as coloring or tracing letters and numbers-activities that require little interaction between parents and child. When young children are unable to respond appropriately to the classroom and school environment, they often are labeled as having some form of leaning disabilities and are tracked in classroom with curriculum designed to control their behavior and responses. Constructivist Theory The constructivist perspective of readiness and development was advanced by theorist such as Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori, and Lev Vygotsky. Although their work varies, each articulates a similar context of learning and development. They are consistent in their belief that learning and development occur when young children interact with the environment and people around them (Hunt, 1969). Constructivist view young children as active participant in the learning process. In addition, constructivists believe young children initiate most of the activities required for learning and development. Because active interaction with the environment and people are necessary for learning and development, constructivist believe that children are ready for school when they can initiate many of the interactions they have with the environment and people around them. Conceptual Theory This study takes into account the independent variables and dependent variables. The socio demographic factors which include age, sex, health, parents’ literacy, socio-economic status, experience, child abuse and child stress. The independent variables are presumed to affect or influence the dependent variables which are the school readiness of kindergarten pupils which include gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual discrimination skills, auditory discrimination skills, language skills, math-numeracy skills, and social-emotional behaviors. Base on the outcome of this studies, the writer aims to find the factors affecting the school readiness of the kindergarten pupils to insure that this children will have an opportunity to enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities. Furthermore it aims to encourage the parent to have hands-on training of their children. The researchers seeks to encourage the teachers to recognize pupils individual differences, re-enforce and extend their strengths, assist them in overcome their difficulties and develop in them sensitivity to community values. Finally, the writer would want to learn what the public kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B know and able to do as they enter kindergarten level. The writer wishes to find an in-depth study for the strengths and needs of individual learners, motivation for learning instruction, and interventions. The researcher believes the child’s inputs, reflections, and self evaluation are essential to the process of leaning and development. ? Schematic Presentation of the Conceptual Framework of the Study Independent Variables Dependent VariablesResult Statement of the problem This study seeks to investigate the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils. It is the objective of the researcher to determine whether or not age, sex, health, parent’s literacy, socio-economic status, experience, child stress, child abuse, and socio-emotional behavior can affect or influence the school readiness. This study also aims to answer the following propositions: 1. ) What are the factors affecting the public school kindergarten pupils in terms of: 1. 1Gross motor skill 1. 2Fine motor skill 1. 3Visual discrimination skills 1. 4Auditory discrimination skills 1. 5Language skill 1. 6Math-numeracy awareness 1. 7Social-emotional behavior 2. ) What are parents, community stake holders, teachers, and schools intervention program to enhance pupil readiness for kindergarten? 3. ) Is there a significant relationship between this interventions and pupil’s school readiness? Scope and limitation of the study This study is conducted in the public Central School in Lanao Del Sur 1 B in the school year 2011-2012. The study is focused on the factor affecting the school readiness of puplic kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. The pupils, teacher, and parents are randomly selected. Data are gathered through the questioner which is composed of pupils, teachers, and parents questioners. This study is delimited to the public kindergarten pupils in the Central School in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. Significance of the study. This study aims to identify the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils to give life on the perceptions of the parents, teachers, and school administrators. Furthermore, it wishes to determine if parenting and nurturance, maturation, health condition, experience, teachers expectation, and school curriculum has some important role in the school readiness of the kindergarten pupil. This study would investigate the underlying reasons/factors which affect the school readiness of the kindergarteners. Finally this study aims to be a significant contribution to provide opportunity to enhance the skill, knowledge, and abilities of the pupil. This study will provide an assessment of young children not only in measuring it but in their ability to work through activities, to solve problems, to work independently, and to reflect on their thinking. To The pupils- this study could assist the young learners to respond appropriately to the environment of the home, classroom and community (rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group setting, directions and instruction from the teacher other adults in the school). To The parents- this study will help the parents to provide appropriate time and management to engage their children in learning task such as reading and writing the alphabet, basic counting skills, identification of colors, size and shape. This will also encourage the parents to be patient and loving, waiting for their children to become developmentally ready for kindergarten. The parents are urge to provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities in coloring, tracing letters and numbers. To The teachers- this research study will help the teacher to understand and support the child natural curiosity and the diverse way in which the child learns. The teacher is also encourage to give the child some individualized attention and customize the classroom curriculum to help the child address his difficulties. To The school administrators- being conscious of the factors affecting the school readiness of the kindergarten pupils the school  administrators could provide small classes with higher teacher-pupil ratio, teacher with bachelor degree and training in early childhood education, parents-teacher training component that will re-enforce what teacher are doing in school to enhance children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. To The Curriculum Makers- this study will give a new perspective that will lead to the formulation of a curriculum that is cognitively stimulating and child center base. To The Community of Lanao Del Sur 1 B- this study will act as a catalyst for positive change. Local government and community agencies will have to work together to enhance programs for the learning development of kindergarten pupils. Definition of terms The terms use in this study is conceptually and operationally define for better understanding and clarity. Maturation – conceptually defined as the appropriate stage of mental and physical development, when a child is ready to perform school tasks characteristics of that particular grade . Operationally it means the chronological age of a child which is legally acceptable to enter a grade level. Experience – means the teaching exposure, learning materials, methods of learning, practices, facilities, and structures in home and in environment which help the child learns and develops in ways that are most natural and suitable for their ages and levels of maturity. Operationally defined as the results of work done by the child in whom the child retains memory, mastery, knowledge, and skills. School readiness – conceptually means the ability to cope, learn, and achieve without undue stress. This is the proficiency level of the child in specific area of a grade level. It is also the developmental stage whom the child is ready to learn new things. Operationally it means that the child is already of age to enroll in a grade level. This could also mean that the child has the ability to participate in classroom activities, work as instructed and cooperate with his classmates in group works. Fine motor development – means the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers. These skills are essential to complete task such as writing, tracing, cutting, holding things, moving little pieces of object, putting together of parts of a whole. These skills are needed in taking precision in the hand-eye coordination. Gross motor skills- are the developmental awareness and coordination of large muscles activity. These skills are needed in walking, running, jumping, dancing, and playing. Visual discrimination skills- means the ability to visually differentiate the forms, and symbols in the environment . This is needed in the matching, and sorting of colors, sizes, shapes, and quantities. Visual memory skills – means the ability to recall accurately prior visual experience. It is also the ability to remember what has been done. Heard, touched, smelled, and tasted and seen.. Auditory discrimination skills refer to the ability to receive and differentiate auditory stimuli. It is the capacity and ability to identify ,distinguish, imitate, differentiate the sounds heard. Auditory memory skills – means the ability to retain and recall auditory information. It also means the ability to remember, recite, repeat, tell, and do what is heard. Receptive language skills – refers to the ability to express oneself verbally, to say what the child thinks and feels and to engage in simple group conversations. Comprehension skills – refers to the judgment and reason as the child understands his environment. It is the ability to make comparisons, understand differences and recognized cause and effect. Social – emotional behavior – refer to the ability to relate meaningfully to others and be accepted in both one-on-one and group emotions. This also means the ability to act among other children, to cooperate with the group, to show feelings, and to demonstrate responsibility. Math and number awareness – refers to the ability to identify and recognize numerals, to count on, recognize patterns, and sorting and classifying of objects.