Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Use Bingo to Teach Any School Subject

Use Bingo to Teach Any School Subject Bingo is a wonderful teaching tool to have at your fingertips no matter what you are teaching. You can even make it up as you go along! The basic premise of Bingo is simple: players start with a grid filled with answers and they cover up spaces as the corresponding item is called from the Bingo caller. Winners make a complete line going vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Or, you can play Black Out which means the winner is the first person who covers all of the spots on the card. Preparation There are a few ways you can prepare for playing Bingo in your classroom. Buy a Bingo set from a teacher supply store. Of course, this is the easiest way, but we teachers don’t make too much money so this option may not make too much sense.A cheaper option requires you to prepare all of the Bingo boards ahead of time, making sure that all of the boards are configured differently from each other.For older students, you can hand over some of the preparation to them. Prepare one Bingo board with all of the options filled in. Also, keep a copy of a blank board. Make copies of each page, one per student. Give the children time to cut apart the pieces and paste them wherever they want on the blank boards.The most teacher-friendly way to do Bingo is to give each child a blank piece of paper and have them fold it into sixteenths. Then they get to write the terms into their bingo sheet from your list (on the chalkboard or overhead) and voila! Everyone has their own unique Bingo board! You can play Bingo with virtually any subject. Here is a rundown of some of the different ways you can play Bingo in your classroom: Language Arts Phonemic Awareness:  Kindergarten teachers can use this type of Bingo to help students learn the sounds that correspond to the letters of the alphabet. On the Bingo chart, place single letters in each of the boxes. Then, you call out the letter sounds and the students put a marker on the letter that  makes  each sound. Or, say a short word and ask the kids to identify the beginning sound. Vocabulary:  In the Bingo chart boxes, put the vocabulary words your class is currently studying. You will read out the definitions and the kids have to match them up. Example: You say to find and bring back and the students cover up retrieve. Parts of Speech:  Get creative with using Bingo to help kids remember the parts of speech. For instance, read a sentence and ask the kids to place a marker on the verb in that sentence. Or, ask the kids to look for a verb that begins with a g. Make sure there are all different types of words that begin with that letter so that they really have to think about it. Math Subtraction, Addition, Multiplication, Division:  Write the answers to applicable problems in the Bingo boxes. You call out the problem. This is a great way to reinforce the math facts that kids must memorize. For example, you say, 6 X 5 and the students cover 30 on their game sheets. Fractions:  In the Bingo boxes, draw various shapes cut into portions with some of the parts shaded. Example: draw a circle cut into fourths and shade one of the fourths. When you read out the words one fourth, the students will have to determine which shape represents that fraction. Decimals:  Write the decimals in the boxes and call out the words. For example, you say, forty  three  hundredths and the kids cover the square with .43. Rounding:  For example, you say, Round 143 to the nearest 10. The students put a marker on 140. You may want to write the numbers on the board instead of just saying them. Place Value:  For example, you say, place a marker on a number that has six in the hundreds spot. Or, you can put a large number on the board and ask the students to place a marker on the digit that is in the thousands place, etc. Science, Social Studies, and more! Vocabulary:  Similar to the vocabulary game described above, you say the definition of a word from your unit of study. The children place a marker on the corresponding word. Example: You say, the planet closest to our sun and the students mark Mercury. Facts:  You say something like, the number of planets in our solar system and the children place a marker on 9. Continue with other number-based facts. Famous People:  Focus on famous people associated with your unit of study. For instance, you say, This person wrote the  Emanicaption  Proclamation and the students put a marker on Abraham Lincoln. Bingo is a wonderful game to keep in mind when you have a few extra minutes to fill in the day. Get creative and have fun with it. Your students surely will!

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Create a Character Profile the Ultimate Guide (with Template)

How to Create a Character Profile the Ultimate Guide (with Template) How to Create a Character Profile: the Ultimate Guide (with Template) Ask any great novelist and they’ll likely tell you that good writing starts with good characters. But sharp character development is also one of the toughest hills to climb, especially if you’ve struggled to think through those tried-and-true questions that keep you up at night:Are my characters convincing?Do my characters have depth?How do I make sure my character has an arc?If you’re having these doubts, you might want to turn to the age-old solution: a character profile. In this post, we take you through all the steps of creating a character profile requires - and give you a character template that you can use with any story you’re writing.Why create a character profile?What’s the point of filling out a character template? I never end up using all the information in my story, anyway! That’s true. In fact, you shouldn’t try to pack every character detail into your novel. Only use what's relevant to the actual story - otherwise you risk turning off readers with the dreaded "info dump."But the author always needs to understand their characters like the back of their hands. In Creating Unforgettable Characters: A Practical Guide to Character Development, Linda Seger compares the depth of a character to an iceberg. The audience will only see a fraction (maybe 10%) of all that the writer knows about their character. But the remaining 90% is what makes characters actually feel well-drawn, flawed, and real - as though they could live outside of the book itself.Those are the kinds of characters our character questionnaire is here to help you write.PRO-TIP:  If you're still in the beginning stages of building a character and need a name, this character name generator may come in handy.So what makes a good character profile?There are a lot of character questionnaires out there - some are good. Then there's the character template that asks you, â€Å"If your character was a color, what color would they be?†On ce you start answering those kinds of questions in a character template, you might be dealing with overkill. It won’t move the needle at all when it comes to character development.A better character profile is one that actually helps you build a holistic picture of your character in the context of your story. With this in mind, we built a character profile worksheet in three parts. If you treat a person like an apple, they’re going to have three layers of depth: the â€Å"skin,† the â€Å"flesh,† and the â€Å"core.† (Otherwise known as their physical appearance, backstory, and psychology.) That’s how this character template is structured - and if you have a particular area that you’d like to hone, you can skip to it below. Otherwise, this questionnaire will start with the eagle eye’s view of your character. And if you'd like to download it nicely formatted for you already in a PDF format, feel free to do so below! Ready? Let’s begin.PART 1: The Outer Layer, or Physical Appearance PART 2: The Flesh, or Backstory PART 3: The Core, or PsychologyPart 1: The Outer LayerTo be able to identify a criminal, detectives build a painstakingly thorough file of said criminal’s physical characteristics.That’s the goal of this section, which covers the â€Å"skin† of your character: everything from their outer appearance to the way that they speak. Think of it as a kind of offender profile - one that can help you spot your character in the middle of a crowded Times Square.ðŸ“â€" THE BASICSNameAgePlace of birthCurrent locationNationalityEducationOccupationIncome👀 PHYSICAL APPEARANCEWhat's their:eye color?hair style?build?Do they have any distinguishing features (tattoos, scars, birthmarks)?What's their preferred outfit?Do they wear glasses?  Ã°Å¸â€˜â€œWhat accessories are ALWAYS associated with them (cane, pipe, necklace, etc.)?  Ã°Å¸Å'‚What's their usual level of grooming?DisheveledSmart, very put togetherUntidy but cleanOther?Do they have any distinguishing â€Å" tics† and mannerisms?What's their health like? Do they suffer from chronic illnesses?  Ã°Å¸  ¥Describe their handwriting (sloppy, neat, careful, unintelligible).  Ã¢Å" How do they walk?  Ã°Å¸â€˜ £Confident, powerful stridesLazy strollFast, walks at a clipDistracted, eyes on the groundOther?💠¬ SPEECH AND COMMUNICATIONHow do they talk (rapid, slow, measured, drawl, etc.)?What's the style of their speech (elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.)?Do they have an accent?Posture:Stiff, militarySlouchingCasual and relaxed‘Turtle,’ tiredOther?Do they gesture?Only when agitated or eagerDoesn’t gestureCompulsive â€Å"hand-talker†Controlled, only to make a pointOther? If so, explain:How much eye contact that they like to make (direct, shifty, etc.)?What's their preferred curse word?What's their catchphrase?Any speech impediments?What are any distinguishing speech â€Å"tics†?What's their laugh like? What do they tend to find funny?D escribe their smile?How emotive are they? Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? How easily can others to read them?They have a resting _____ face.Bitch 😒Angel 😇Neutral 😠Other?Part 2: The FleshCharacters don’t exist in a vacuum - they’re a product of their environment.This section in the character template dives a bit deeper into your character and covers their â€Å"flesh†: the people, circumstances, and formative influences that filled them out and made them who they are today. It’s the springboard to your character’s biography.⠏ ª THE PASTWhat's the name of their hometown?  Ã°Å¸  ¡What type of childhood did they have (sheltered, neglected, etc.)?Describe their education?  Ã°Å¸  Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school?Sports âš ½Debate ðŸâ€" £Gay / Straight AllianceModel UNDrama 🎠­Other? If so, explain:At graduation, they were named Most Likely To ___________ in the yearbook.  Ã° ŸŽ“Jobs (if applicable)? What would their rà ©sumà © look like?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¼What was their dream job as a child? Why?Who were their role models growing up? Describe them.  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¦What's their greatest regret?What were their hobbies growing up?  Ã¢â€º ³Favorite place to be as a child?What's their earliest memory?What's their saddest memory?What's their happiest memory?What's their clearest memory?What are their skeletons in the closet?  Ã°Å¸â€™â‚¬If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why?  Ã¢  ³Describe the major turning points or â€Å"life beats† in childhood.What are three adjectives to describe them as a child?What advice would they give to their younger self?List their criminal record.   👠ª FAMILYFather  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¨Age (if living)OccupationBriefly describe their relationship with your characterMother  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ©Age (if living)OccupationBriefly describe their relationship with your characterSiblings👠§How many?What are their names and ages?Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your characterChildren  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ¶(if applicable)Age (if living)OccupationBriefly describe their relationship with your characterExtended family  Ã°Å¸â€˜ ´GrandparentsUncles and auntsCousinsOtherWhat's their family's economic status?  Ã°Å¸â€™ °How often do they see their family in a year?ðŸ’Å" EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPSWho are their closest friends? Describe them.Who are their other significant friends?  Ã°Å¸â€˜â€¹Enemies? Describe them.  Ã°Å¸Ëœ ¡How are they perceived by:strangers in the street?acquaintances at a work function?colleagues in the office?authority figures?friends in their friend circles?children?the opposite sex?extended family?What social media platfo rms are they on?TwitterTumblrFacebookRedditInstagramSnapchatOther? If so, explain.How would they use their social media platforms?How would they fill out an online dating profile for themselves?  Ã¢Å" ¨What’s their role in a group dynamic?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¡LeaderJokerParentHype manMoochOther? If so, explain.Who do they depend on for:practical advice?mentoringa wingman?emotional support?moral support?How quickly do they respond to emails?  Ã°Å¸â€œ ¨What do they want from a relationship?Who would be their ideal partner?  Ã°Å¸â€™â€"Who is their significant other? Describe them.  Ã°Å¸â€™â€¢How many people would attend their funeral?Part 3: The CoreWe’ve come now to the â€Å"core†: who your character is deep down.This section in the character profile worksheet covers the â€Å"heart† of your character. If a backstory shapes a dynamic character, this will define them. More importantly, it will help inform the two most important points leading up to your nov el: the character’s story goal and story motivation.💠­ PSYCHOLOGYWhat do they do on rainy days?Are they:Street-smart or book-smartAn optimist or pessimistIntroverted or ExtrovertedWhat is their favorite sound?  Ã°Å¸â€Å Favorite place in the world?  Ã°Å¸Å'ŽWhat secrets do they keep? What are they most afraid of people finding out?  Ã°Å¸â€â€™What do they want the most?  Ã°Å¸â€ What's their biggest flaw?What's their biggest strength?What's their biggest fear?What is their biggest accomplishment?  Ã°Å¸â€œË†What is their idea of perfect happiness?What's their favorite quote?  Ã°Å¸â€˜Å'Do they want to be remembered? What for?  Ã¢Å'Å¡How do they approach:power?ambition?love?change?What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their burning home?  Ã°Å¸â€ ¥What (or who) bores them?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¤What makes them angry?  Ã°Å¸â€™ ¢What do they look for in a person?How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to co mpromise their morals?List the last 10 books they read.  Ã°Å¸â€œÅ¡Which fictional world would they most wish to visit?If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with the extra time?What are their pet peeves?  Ã¢Å¡  If they won the lottery, what would they do?Describe the character’s bucket list at the ages of 15, 20, 30, and 40.List the 10 songs that would occupy their All-Time Most Played playlist on Spotify.  Ã°Å¸Å½ µWhat is the best compliment that someone ever paid them?In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once?  Ã°Å¸Å¡ ªWhat would they want their tombstone to say?🔠® THE PRESENT AND FUTUREWhat is their story goal? (answer in a single paragraph)Story motivation (answer in a single paragraph)In other words: what does your character want in the story? Why do they want it? Every other answer in the character template builds up to this. This is critical information to know because it’ll make up the unshakable foundation - and raison d'à ªtre - for your story. Whenever you feel like your story is straying off course, go straight back to your character’s story goal and motivation.And if you lose physical sight of this character template, don’t sweat because we made it a portable resource for you.The Ultimate Character Profile TemplateThis downloadable character profile template will come as a fillable PDF file. Simply save it on to your computer and start typing in the text boxes to start developing your character.Additional resourcesIf you’re in an interrogatory mood and want even more questions outside of this character template, we’ve got your back. Here are some more famous tests with which to quiz your character - and a character questionnaire or two for your further perusal!The Proust QuestionnaireWhat it is: A set of questions popularized by Marcel Proust that digs into an individual’s personality.Some sample questions:What do you regard as the lowest dep th of misery?What is the trait you most deplore in others?On what occasion do you lie?Arthur Aron’s Intimacy TestWhat it is: A questionnaire of 36 questions that the New York Times in 2015 said would break down emotional barriers and accelerate intimacy between two strangers.Some sample questions:Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself your life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?The Book of QuestionsWhat it is: A series of questions by Gregory Stock that was initially published in 1987. (Note: you can find a PDF of 300+ questions here.)Some sample questions:At a meal, your friends start belittling a common acquaintance. If you felt their criticisms were unjustified, would you defend the person?Are you able to separate sex from love?When you make a big sacrifice, do you tell people about it or keep it to yourself? What would you never willingly sacrifice? Your life? Your health? Your integrity? Your dreams?Vault’s 101 Behavioral QuestionsWhat it is: A set of 101 interview questions from career site, Vault.Some sample questions:Where do you see yourself in ten years? Twenty years?Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds.Tell me about a time you had to break a promise. What was the situation and how did you handle it?If you're looking to hone your characters even further, here are seven of the best character development exercises. Keep an open mind as you work through every question and you'll be on your way to creating well-drawn, interesting characters in no time at all.Have you used a character profile or a character questionnaire to develop your characters before? Do you have any dependable character questions that our questionnaire lacks? Tell us in the comments below!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Arsonist motivations and methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arsonist motivations and methods - Essay Example The person who commits arson or the arsonist has been categorized into types, degrees by statutes and socio-psychological analyses. This paper discusses this aspect as we try to shed some light to the arsonists and their motivations and methods. There is some degree of debate whether there is such a thing as a universal profile of an arsonist. Goldstein (1996) suggested a psychological profile as explained by Rider of the typical pathological fire setter in his review of literature on the subject: {An arsonist is] an individual of below average intelligence, with a history of poor academic achievement and significant school failure. He or she comes from a large family and a harsh and unstable home environment and displays a clearly troubled and inadequate social, marital, and employment history. (p. 25) In a research undertaken by Bradshaw and Huff (1985), about 52% of the arsonists surveyed burn properties out of revenge, 12% out of excitement while the rest cover those of crime concealment, for profit and those simply without reason. (p. 1-5) For this paper, we will discuss three of the most common arsonists, the arsonists who burn homes and building out of revenge, those who do for profit, out of excitement and those who burn building in order to conceal another crime. As previously explained, the most typical type of arsonist is the one who burns buildings and homes in order to get back at someone for some slight that may be real or imaginary. Somehow this is also related to arson entailing psychological disorder on the part of the arsonist such as schizophrenia which is characterized by excessive and irrational suspiciousness. Fire is used as a weapon or a defense in this case against what is perceived as a threat. According to Rossmo and Kim (2000), targets of revenge arsonist may include individual homes and vehicles, places and symbolic targets or government buildings depending of whether their motivation is to

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Soldiers with Large Weapons in Predator-Abundant Midsummer Research Paper

Soldiers with Large Weapons in Predator-Abundant Midsummer - Research Paper Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that being in a position to comprehend the causal mechanisms and outcomes of trait variation can present imperative insights of how organismal phenotypes are manipulated in the process of evolution and how they influence communal dynamics and the population. Different approaches are used to determine the variation in the trait. One notable approach involves measuring the number of aphids in colonies that belong to each of the three wild populations, and the number of predators of each colony. Three separate colonies, all in Japan were used in the study. One aspect to the colonies that was mutual was that they were all situated at the periphery of deciduous forests, where the S. senanensis host plant was found in abundance. Each colony was surveyed one to three times each month. The survey was conducted in August 2006. In each survey, S. senanensis leaves were picked up, each must have had a colony of aphid so as to collec t both the aphid and the predator. All aphids and predators collected were placed in ethanol and then preserved in plastic bags. Aphid mothers seemingly produce sturdy soldiers as a sole reaction to environmental temperature. This is done just before the coming of the â€Å"dangerous time† as a move that can expound on the mechanism of the spatiotemporal variation in natural populations. These results may actually be the initial indication of the evidence of the actuality of an adaptive strategy in relation to the morphological characteristics of soldiers in aphids. The results do not reveal much about the defensive strategy of the aphids, in particular, the factors influencing the production of soldiers in C. japonica. The correlation between production of soldiers and soldier armature can be approximated by measuring up the number and armature of soldier produced by the aphids that have been nurtured at different environmental temperature.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Swot Analysis of M&M Essay Example for Free

Swot Analysis of MM Essay Today a motorbike industry is leading automobile industry of India. There are many domestic and foreign players in two wheeler market in India. But Hero Honda and Bajaj are the players who are dominating the market. The automobile industry today is the most lucrative industry. Due to the increase in disposable income in both rural and urban sector and easy finance being provided by all the financial institutes, the passenger car sales have increased. This project report deals with â€Å"An analytical study of Consumer behavior while buying a motorcycle†. An analysis of consumer’s behavior in terms of consumer consumption patterns, consumer preferences, consumer motivation, consumer buying process and shopping behavior is very much help to formulate a firm’s marketing strategy. Thus the marketing concept is consumer oriented and the emphasis is more on the consumer rather than the product. This research shows opinion of consumers, buying motives, factors of influencing consumer behavior and their expectations with product and it’s after sales service which is provided by company. The final observation that is made that consumer behavior is affected by a host of variables ranging from personal, professional needs, attitudes and values, personality characteristics, social economic and cultural back ground , age gender professional status to social influences of various kinds exerted a family, friends , colleagues , and society as a whole. The combination of these factors help the consumer in decision making further psychological factors that as individual consumer needs, motivation, perceptions, attitudes, the learning process, personality characteristics are the similarities which operates across the different types of people and influence their behavior. This personality sketching will help in knowing what a customer (or a potential customer) thinks about a given brand of Motorcycle and what are the possible factors guiding a possible purchase. Similarly, the idea of measuring the customer satisfaction will serve the same purpose of determining the customer perception. Thus, by measuring the† willingness of existing users of a bike to recommend it to others† will help the bike manufacturers to chalk out the entire Customer Buying Behavior. Consumer Behavior Bikes or two wheelers in India cater to various needs of consumers. With the choice of the Indians improving from bicycles to two wheelers, the Indian two-wheeler market has seen a significant growth over the years. Now owning a bike has become a must for most Indians. Even if people own a car they prefer to have a bike as it is fuel efficient. With the growth in the economy the demand for the two wheelers is increasing over the years. It is one of the most dynamic industries today and with the increasing competition companies are bringing in new products In the two wheeler segment, especially the bike segment, the various factors that influence the consumer behavior are: 1. Personal vehicle Maximum motorcycle users belong to 18 to 25 yrs age group and most of the users are college students and field workers. 2.  Maximum motorcycle users belong to middle class and upper middle class segment, which have annual family income of Rs 2 to 4 lacs and above. 3. These are the reasons for buying two wheeler: * Good mileage and convenience * Business purpose * Cost effective * Comfort drive in crowd and easy parking * College going purpose * Short distance travel in city * Affordable price * Personal vehicle 4. As far as mileage per liter of petrol is concerned, Hero Honda is ruling the market and finding favour with consumers. Yamaha and TVS are far below the expectations of the consumers based on mileage.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

I Corinthians 15:12-14 :: Religion Christianity Bible Essays

I Corinthians 15:12-14 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith (NIV). The resurrection of the dead is a mysterious concept that even some Christians have a hard time believing. Paul makes a strong statement regarding the importance of the resurrection and how it is tied to the faith of Christian believers. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was a response to a number of problems in the church of Corinth. One of the main problems the Corinthians were having was speculation on the resurrection [of the dead] which was preached to them by Paul. The passage in which Paul talks about the resurrection is toward the end of his letter, before he discusses his plans and finishes with exhortations and greetings. The first half of the letter, after he gives his greeting and thanksgiving, is in response to reports that he has received regarding the Corinthians. The second half is in response to questions and concerns that they had. In the New International Version (NIV) of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, his preaching and their faith are described as "useless" if Christ has not been raised (15:14). However, in the New King James Version (NKJV), Paul's preaching and the faith of the Corinthians are described as empty. These descriptions are very similar and both have a strong impact on the reader. If preaching and faith are empty, then they are also useless. The preaching of Paul to the Corinthians is certainly not useless and their faith, although problematic, is not empty. According to The Women's Bible Commentary, the Corinthians were convinced that already they fully enjoyed the spiritual benefits of the resurrection (321). They believed the resurrection of Christ was beneficial so they did not even consider that the dead were raised from the dead. Paul preached that Christ has been raised from the dead and the Corinthians believed what he said. It is because of this belief that Paul can bring his point across regarding the resurrection of the dead. If the Corinthians did not believe that Christ has been raised, Paul would be unable to convince them of the resurrection of the dead.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Walking and Word Swag

Got Swag? 1. What is â€Å"swag†? Being a commonly used word in the 21st century, â€Å"swag† has arisen from song lyrics and populated through postages on popular online websites such as â€Å"Facebook†, â€Å"Twitter†, and â€Å"Tumblr†. It has stemmed from the word â€Å"swagger†, which is a noun that means a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive manner. This manifestation of the word â€Å"swag† has caused most teenagers to use this term to define themselves. Swag is utilized as a noun to describe a person’s mannerisms as â€Å"cool† when compared to the ordinary layperson.In the contemporary society, a key judgment of one’s character is whether their actions contain swag or not. Swag can be defined either negatively or positively through judgment of everyday actions such as walking, talking, and self-appearance. 2. As aforementioned, the way a person walks or talks may show whether they have swag or not. Someone who would be considered to have swag would walk in a confident and self-assured manner. Key characteristics of such a person’s walking habits are having a straight posture, meticulous foot placing, and a subtle arm sway.In addition to walking habits, smooth-talking teenagers are believed to show swag by the way they speak. For example, a guy can smooth-talk and flirt with a girl to persuade her on a date with him. On the other hand, a girl can talk with swag by conveying a more confident tone. She can assertively talk about her unique qualities (e. g. her curvy body) as a sign of swag. Aside from being able to â€Å"walk the walk† and â€Å"talk the talk†, having a unique fashion sense also differentiates the layperson from one who has swag. 3. The appearance, grooming, and outfits of people may or may not indicate that they have swag.Regarding clothes, swag is gauged by one’s sense of style. The median used for this gauge is the dressing habits of many celebrities in the music industry. For instance, outfits like adjustable snapback hats, Jordan sneakers, varsity leather jackets, or sweatshirts by the label Obey are types of swag clothing. Celebrities such as rappers, Soulja Boy, Tyga, and as well as singer, Justin Bieber, wear swag type of clothing. The iconic status of celebrities influences people to dress like them. Conversely, there are many people who see the style swag in a negative manner.People such as myself do not like to dress that certain style and would rather dress in a more formal style. For example, my style of clothes would be considered GQ or Gentlemen Quality-like, which comes from a fashion magazine style regarding formal clothes. My GQ style is different from the swag style because it consists of classy clothes such as polo shirts, button downs, ties, and suits. The style dichotomy between GQ and swag shows how different types of people can have opposing opinions on the use of the word swag. 4 . My opinion of the word is in a negative connotation but others use the word as a compliment.Teenagers use swag in their everyday lives to describe their activities. For examples some teenagers consider swag as sexual activity, buying the newest swag style clothes or doing what they believe is â€Å"cool†. Everyone has different opinions of what action is considered â€Å"cool† or not. As a result, many people have the opinion that swag is an unprofessional word with unnecessary and meaningless content. The different views of the word show two different opinions. 5. A personal story involving the word swag involved one of my achievements on the dance floor of a party.My friend George and I were always partying on the weekends and were invited to a private high school party. On the night of the party, I got the chance to dance with one of the best looking girls there. As I was dancing, I saw George point at me and heard him say, â€Å"Now that is swag† to anothe r girl standing next to him. George was indicating that I had swag because I was dancing with a beautiful girl. After my dance, I told him to not label anything I do as swag. The reason why I said this stems from my non-conforming personality. I told him that I view swag has a negative description and would prefer not to change my opinions about it. . The slang word swag is common in this new generation. Therefore, the use of the word is more popular among teenagers. Having swag or what is considered to be swag is simply a word for people to describe what they believe to be as â€Å"cool†. As portrayed in the narrative, telling a person they have swag may even be taken offensively; especially if that individual does not believe in the society – defined definition of the word. Conclusively, the different aspects of walking, talking, and style can be gauged as a negative or positive outlook on swag based on one’s personal opinions.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Harrison Brothers Corporation Essay

1. Background Harrison Brothers Corporation is one of the largest traditional department stores in the United States. The goal of the company is to become the leading chain of department stores that sells high quality clothing to middle-class and fashion-concerned customers. Like other companies in the retail industry, Harrison Brothers are experiencing various changes in customers’ buying preferences. In addition to that, the problem of retention of well-trained, highly motivated salesman and managers has become even more challenging in the industry. James Harrison, the CEO of Harrison Brothers, knowing the importance of human resources, did a survey on human resource and other key managers at the store level. 2. Problem Definition The survey indicates there are lots of problems in the HR department and these problems might indirectly or directly slow down Harrison Brothers’ growth in the future. The major human resource management (HRM) problem in Harrison Brothers is that HRM is still struggling in its function of maintaining personnel. For example, since there is heavy turnover on salesman, Brenda McCain, the human resource manager, conducted about 25 to 30 interviews a week, and more during the holiday rush. Further, there is only one trainer in Harrison Brothers, causing McCain to spend a lot of time on training, neglecting bigger picture HRM issues. One of the other problems is that HRM pays little attention to employees’ business skills. This is shown in the survey where HR managers ratedthe importance of both knowledge of business and skills in managing change, as 2.0 out of 5.0, while store managers rated the importance of those skills as 4.5.One of Harrison Brothers five strategic goals is to improve productivity of sales, buyers, and department heads. And corporations must prepare their employees to cope with the complexities and accelerated speed of a future economy. If HRM perceives knowledge of business and managing change, as the least important, Harrison Brothers may have a hard time achieving this strategic goal. There are other problems as well. These include, but are not limited to, supervisors that are reluctant to assess employees’ career planning and professional development, a human resources department which is constrained by cost considerations, and low administrative efficiency. These problemsare currently existing problems. However, in the long term, if HR in Harrison  Brothers remains the same, many more problems will arise. Harrison Brothers may have difficulty in talent retention, it may experience poor employee performance and low productivity, or there may be conflict in the workplace. In all, the current overall HRM practicewill not be able to meet the challenge Harrison Brothersmay encounter in the future, and will not help Harrison Brothers to achieve its long-term goal. 3. Causes of the Problem The main cause of these problems is that there is no HR planning in Harrison Brothers.HR planning is a way to analyze needs for employee and supply of employees, and then make a plan to make sure the organization have the right amount of employees and skills. That’s probably the reason why HR department is struggling and spending most of its time on staffing and training. Another important cause of it is that human resources department didn’t see human resource management from a strategic level.As Jennifer Daft, the store manager said, human resource department seem to be struggling to keep up with the day-to-day activities. HRM should free itself from day-to-day activities and become influential in strategic decision-making process. 4. Alternative Solutions There are several approaches to fix these problems. First of all, large-sized firms like Harrison Brothers should develop HRM from its traditional functions up to more strategic level management. This would allowsomeone such as McCainto be brought induring a strategic decision-making process, giving her the ability to make or strongly influence the decision itself. To do this, she must have the skills needed to function as a strategic business partner, which lead to the solution that follows. Second of all, McCain and her HR teammates may need to be trained to learn more about business knowledge, such as markets, finance and so on. This knowledge can enhance HR’s strategic role in the organization. Training programs need to be designed and implemented to identify, coach and develop professional skills in HR. Also, McCain might want to consider transferring the old HR department’s organization to a new one in order to meet the challenges in the dramatically changing busi ness environment. For example, one of many other forms of HR structure is made up of three main departments: HRBP (human resource business partner), COE (center of excellence/expertise), and  SSC (shared service center). This type of organizational structure allows the HR unit to respond to the market rapidly. Surely there are many other forms, and regardless of which particular one it is, Harrison Brothers needs tofind one type of structure that meets the needs of their own strategy and allows the HR unit a crucial role to play. The fourth solution McCain might try is to measure HRM by using tools such as Balanced Scorecard, Dollar Value or benchmarking. Assessment of HRM could give the HR manager a new and quantifiable way to view the efficiency of HRM.In this case, McCain can benchmark and analyze competitors’ staffing and hiring by calculating HR indices such as cost per hire by job level and source, time to fill and time to start. These data can give her a better idea of whether Harrison Brothers is spending more on hiring than other companies in the retail industry. The last solution, but not least, is to enhance HR administrative efficiency. A centralized HR services department or center should be established. In this way, McCain and her team can free themselves from repeated daily routines. 5. Recommendations I would recommend trainingMcCain and her team to learn more about finance and market, as HR, finance and marketing are all important to understand how to run a business as a whole. Armed with business knowledge, she and her team can bring Harrison Brothers HR unit into a strategic level. Also, transferring HR structure and enhancing administrative efficiency will help McCain and her team to work more efficiently.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Sexual dimorphism essays

Sexual dimorphism essays Darwins theory of evolution, natural selection, plays a role in the sexual dimorphism of purple-throated caribs. Natural selection directly alters the frequency of phenotypes. For natural selection to occur there must be variation of a trait among the individuals. Secondly, the trait must be able to be passed down from one generation to the other. Thirdly, there must be differential reproductive success, meaning that one trait will survive to be passed on more often than the other. Sexual dimorphism is the difference in trait between different sexes of the same species. The female hummingbirds bills are longer than the males and are curved at 30 degrees, compared to that of 15 degrees of the males. Such sexual dimorphism evolved through the ecology of feeding; the difference in bills enables both sexes to eat different foods. The only food plants available to the caribs are red-bracted H. caribaeas and green-bracted H. bihais. Both sexes differ in the way they use the two species. T he males are more settled and tended to control and defend the densest stands of H. caribaea, which bears three times as many flowers as H.bihai. Females behaved differently. Because females have to incubate eggs and raise offspring without male assistance, they cant guard flower patches and therefore must feed from undefended patches. The females smaller size prevents them from competing successfully against males for the richest territories (H. caribaeas). Now that we know what plants each sex feeds on, the differences in flowers of the two species of plant will explain why the bills of the sexes are different. The H.caribaea flower, dominated by male pollinators, is shorter and straighter than the flowers of H. bihai. They are shorter than the H. bihai flower by six millimeters, which is also how much the males bill differs from the females. The H. caribaea flowers are curved at a 20 degrees arc, which suits the males&...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Path Analysis -- What it Is and How to Use It

Path Analysis What it Is and How to Use It Path analysis is a form of multiple regression statistical analysis that is used to evaluate causal models by examining the relationships between a dependent variable and two or more independent variables. By using this method, one can estimate both the magnitude and significance of causal connections between variables. Key Takeaways: Path Analysis By conducting a path analysis, researchers can better understand the causal relationships between different variables.To begin, researchers draw a diagram that serves as a visual representation of the relationship between variables.Next, researchers use a statistical software program (such as SPSS or STATA) to compare their predictions to the actual relationship between the variables. Overview Path analysis is theoretically useful because, unlike other techniques, it forces us to specify relationships among all of the independent variables. This results in a model showing causal mechanisms through which independent variables produce both direct and indirect effects on a dependent variable. Path analysis was developed by Sewall Wright, a geneticist, in 1918. Over time the method has been adopted in other physical sciences and social sciences, including sociology. Today one can conduct path analysis with statistical programs including SPSS and STATA, among others. The method is also known as  causal modeling, analysis of covariance structures, and latent variable models. Prerequisites for Conducting a Path Analysis There are two main requirements for path analysis: All causal relationships between variables must go in one direction only (you cannot have a pair of variables that cause each other)The variables must have a clear time-ordering since one variable cannot be said to cause another unless it precedes it in time. How to Use Path Analysis Typically path analysis involves the construction of a path diagram in which the relationships between all variables and the causal direction between them are specifically laid out. When conducting a path analysis, one might first construct an input path diagram, which illustrates the hypothesized relationships. In a path diagram, researchers use arrows to show how different variables relate to each other. An arrow pointing from, say, Variable A to Variable B, shows that Variable A is hypothesized to influence Variable B. After the statistical analysis has been completed, a researcher would then construct an output path diagram, which illustrates the relationships as they actually exist, according to the analysis conducted. If the researcher’s hypothesis is correct, the input path diagram and output path diagram will show the same relationships between variables. Examples of Path Analysis in Research Lets consider an example in which path analysis might be useful. Say you hypothesize that age has a direct effect on job satisfaction, and you hypothesize that it has a positive effect, such that the older one is, the more satisfied one will be with their job. A good researcher will realize that there are certainly other independent variables that also influence our dependent variable of job satisfaction: for example, autonomy and income, among others. Using path analysis, a researcher can create a diagram that charts the relationships between the variables. The diagram would show a link between age and autonomy (because typically the older one is, the greater degree of autonomy they will have), and between age and income (again, there tends to be a positive relationship between the two). Then, the diagram should also show the relationships between these two sets of variables and the dependent variable: job satisfaction. After using a statistical program to evaluate these relationships, one can then redraw the diagram to indicate the magnitude and significance of the relationships. For example, the researcher might find that both autonomy and income are related to job satisfaction, that one of these two variables has a much stronger link to job satisfaction than the other, or that neither variable has a significant link to job satisfaction. Strengths and Limitations of Path Analysis While path analysis is useful for evaluating causal hypotheses, this method cannot determine the  direction  of causality. It clarifies correlation and indicates the strength of a causal hypothesis, but does not prove direction of causation. In order to fully understand the direction of causality, researchers can consider conducting experimental studies in which participants are randomly assigned to a treatment and control group. Additional Resources Students wishing to learn more about path analysis and how to conduct it can refer to  the University of Exeter’s overview of Path Analysis and  Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Scientists  by Bryman and Cramer. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Health Care Management and Obama health care reform Essay

Health Care Management and Obama health care reform - Essay Example Health insurance and public health have been in the front line in this kind of debates as well as to what extent should the state offer assistance. Provision of healthcare is a task that encompasses provision of various healthcare services, relevant equipments to hospitals, pharmaceutical products, life sciences funding and funding in biotechnology (Reid 2009). The activities that relate to healthcare and the centers where this is carried out include hospitals, nursing and elderly homes, those involved in provision of healthcare plans, provision of laboratory services, drug manufacturing and delivery, diagnostic substances and biotechnology itself. Therefore, this is a line that requires care to handle in the case of governments as it is a resource intensive sector. This also shows how the introduction as well as implementation of reforms can be quite a task as the stakeholders involved are many resulting to many and divergent views (McGreal 2010). This is what characterized the heal thcare reforms bill that Obama administration brought forth. The above is not a case whose debate came with the Obama administration but rather has been with the American administrations for years now (The Economist 2008). It is on record that the issue and debates on healthcare management and reform begun well at the onset of the twentieth century and to date is an issue still attractive much public debate. It is therefore important before analyzing the current Obama administration’s reforms to look into the past in order to see why this issue has not faded away for all these years. The first recorded debate on healthcare and social welfare intervention by the US dates back in the 1854 where there was a proposed bill that aimed at cautioning the physically challenged and offering them asylums. The bill was quite popular in those day’s standards and had even passed in congress until the president vetoed it. It was rejected by President Pierce on the grounds that it was not

Friday, November 1, 2019

Business Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Policy - Case Study Example ort tries to identify the challenging environment that the company is facing in its operating environment in the recent months, along with that it gives an outline about the future strategic directions that the company might pursue. The report is based on three principal issues -1) The External Environment Analysis, 2) The Internal Capability Analysis, 3) Recommendation and Conclusion. According to the International Air Transport Association, the industry lost up to $8 billion in 2008 which is even greater than what was forecasted previously. The report uses a PESTEL analysis (See PESTEL Analysis: Appendix D) to scan the external environmental structure of the company. The business cycle of British Airways includes several parameters. This is due to the fact that airline industry is characterized by longer business cycle resulting from the lower profitability and for the lower shareholder returns. (Liehr, Nd, page 1). The marketing environment is constantly changing and with every change in the last few years airlines industry is being affected. The demand for the airline industry is highly income elastic. (â€Å"An analysis of British Airways Marketing Environment†, 2008) Thus the rise in the fuel prices last year and recent economic turmoil has affected the airlines industry in huge way as the passengers are avoiding more expensive air travels. According to a report by Air Transport association of America, the revenue generated from passenger travels for all airlines fell by 19 % during the month of February, 2009 when compared to February 2008. This is the forth consecutive month where loss is being recorded. The business sector, hit badly by the economic crisis are cutting back on their airline trips. British airways having ten flights operating daily between London and New York is among the worst hit. (â€Å"Lucrative Business class air travel hit by crisis†, 2009) The company saw a decline in 8.6 percent in premium traffic and 4.1 percent in non premium.