Wednesday, August 26, 2020

How Can Play Promote the Learning of Science in the Foundation Stage Essay

By what means Can Play Promote the Learning of Science in the Foundation Stage - Essay Example The open air condition particularly offers a wide and over the top scope of potential outcomes to arouse kids' characteristic curiosity. As the word establishment suggests the establishment stage, as a legal period of the national educational program for the United Kingdom, is crucially put resources into the way toward making a strong reason for later learning aptitudes as it works to cultivate in youngsters an energetic duty to the whole learning process. The core of instructive achievement is to instill in the youngster the enduring motivating force for truly needing to tune in, to make sense of, to reflect, to continue addressing, and to work helpfully and deferentially with peers. Deliberately structured and connecting with movement bears the best event for realizing, regardless of whether inside or outside (Hurst, V. 1997:76). For kids to have rich and animating encounters, the learning condition must be all around arranged and very much arranged. The educational plan proposes the perfect system inside which youngsters are attracted to investigate, test, devise, question, and arrive at choices for themselves, em powering them to legitimately learn, develop and grow their viewpoints. (Educational plan Guidance 2000:12) A capable expert sees how to structure completely versatile assets and settings that stir kids' curiosity and afterward benefit as much as possible from every kid's individual demonstration of enthusiasm by posing testing inquiries, invigorating reflection and cultivating examination. Little youngsters can be guided to altogether investigate the characteristic world by utilizing their fives detects, smelling things, feeling surfaces, tuning in to and distinguishing sounds, noticing shapes and materials, and discussing and sharing their disclosures, just as posing more inquiries and recording or showing their discoveries utilizing an assortment of aptitudes (Wood, E. also, Attfield, J. 1996:104). All around considered play can be a key methods by which youngsters get on delightedly and take part in the learning procedure with energy. The establishment stage likewise proposes to build up a sound early reason for future perusing, composing, and math capability in anticipation of key stage one of the national educational program (Curriculum Guidance 2000:8-9) Some accomplished experts are slanted to feel that, regularly enough, valuable little play can be joined into early years settings when an undue measure of consideration must be put resources into the errand of presenting and supporting fundamental perusing, composing and math abilities (Wood, E. furthermore, Attfield, J. 1996:11). In broad investigations of early years practice, various teachers have advanced genuine worries that the untimely inception of small kids to fundamental abilities isn't just at risk to, however really does, offend more slow students who wind up battling forcefully with the exertion. Truth be told, a few specialists attest that such undue requests on certain helpless youths may bring about noteworthy mischief to their confidence and f uture motivating forces to learn by any stretch of the imagination (Fisher, J. 1996:37). At last, the real dominance of required nuts and bolts must depend not just on the professional's accomplishment in arousing kids' enthusiasm for adapting however in the additional fitness of having the option to make each expose open as for a variety of

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The other side of the ledger1 essays

The opposite side of the ledger1 articles The opposite side of the record is an Indian perspective on the Hudsons Bay organization. The Hudsons Bay companys 300th commemoration festivity where Queen Elizabeth II among different visitors was available, was no event for delight among the individuals whose lives were attached to the exchanging stores. During the previous 300 years, the history has been composed by white men. They have just centered around the liberality of the dealers and the benefits brought to the Indians. Be that as it may, there is a sharp differentiating view from what Indians need to state about their part in the companys tasks. At the hour of the history, Hudsons Bay organization was used more than 1 million square miles of land which is presently known as Canada. The Ruperts Land around then was involved by the Indians. They (Indians) accepted that the land had a place with all men and henceforth, the land claimed by the individual was obscure. Be that as it may, they neglected to perceive that the white men had felt prevalence over force control over their personalities. Henceforth, they just floated a tiny bit at a time into white mens syndication and never received in return. By and large, I think, the film has concealed all the essential contentions of the Indians and has assisted with understanding the period and the individuals of that time. It has secured all the essential issues of Indians having with the Hudsons Bay Company. In the accompanying, I have featured the central matters shrouded in the film which represent the essential issues As it is appeared in the film, I also imagine that the presentation of the new weapons (i.e.: weapons) was the start of the Indians upset. The various chasing strategies were band. The dissemination of weapons in Ruperts land was finished by the H.B.C.. Since, organization had set up stepping posts all through the land and each post was controlled by the chief, raising up the expense for the weapons was in the hands of t ... <!

Friday, August 21, 2020

A new SIPA Financial Aid webpage COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

A new SIPA Financial Aid webpage COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The SIPA Office of Financial Aid is pleased to announce the launch of its new website. From the SIPA homepage, the page is reachable via the “Financial Aid” link, on both the Admissions and Student menus. The site is intended to provide a single location for information about financing options available to SIPA students, including fellowships, student loans, and aid from the federal government; billing and payment; external funding opportunities; and the application processes. It also includes new information specifically for both international students and dual degree students. Why all this information was not in one place before confused us but that was the past.   Now we look to the future.   Please visit the site; we hope you find it helpful and look forward to your feedback, which can be sent to sipa_finaid@columbia.edu.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Leader Persuasion - 1290 Words

How persuasive can one be, how much power can one achieve with words? Successful leaders of different time periods and different categories possess the ability to use words effectively to lead through the power of persuasion. Whether in a Business, political, or religious leadership positions, successful leaders utilize and capitalize on the needs and wants of their followers through persuasive word choice High level persons are persuasive; they have to be. Powerful speakers such as Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Barack Obama all have something in common; they all have spoken and appealed to mass audiences using similar speaking techniques. Many of the speaking techniques utilized by these highly influential†¦show more content†¦King appealed to his followers through personalization, utilizing words such as self-sufficient, independent, and unique. He appealed to one’s self-perception and identity. Brain based research has shown that this t ype of personalization through the use of the word â€Å"you† activates attention in the brain where individuals make judgements about themselves and others related to personal qualities. King made people want to posses the same personal qualities. With a further analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I have a dream speech†, which was delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In the second paragraph King starts off with â€Å"Five score years ago...† referring to Lincolns famous Gettysburg Address which began â€Å"Four score and seven years ago†. King uses a technique called â€Å"anaphora† which is the process of repeating words at the beginning of neighboring clauses. When repeating words it sets a pattern, with further repetition it emphasizes the pattern even more which increases the rhetorical effect. Emphasis through repetition makes phrases more memorable, and, by extension, make King’s story more memorable. Ano ther thing King did was to repeat the key theme, King’s most frequent word he used was â€Å"freedom† which was said twenty times. This would make sense because freedom is the primary theme of the speech. Through out King’s speech he says â€Å"we† thirty times so the people listening would feel asShow MoreRelatedPersuasion As A Political Leader905 Words   |  4 PagesThrough persuasion, one alters another’s perspective on an event or occurrence and because of this, people usually tend to accept what is being said or portrayed. According to Petty and Cacioppo (1986), there are two routes to persuasion. When one tries to persuade another by being more caring and have a good understanding of the message they are delivering, this is called the central route to persuasion. The second route to persuasion is better known as the peripheral route to persuasion. ThisRead MoreHow Does Persuasion Used Throughout History? Essay1512 Words   |  7 Pa gescontrol, rewards, motivation, and persuasion. Our focus here is the use of persuasion. Persuasion, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (2016), is the act of causing people to do or believe something (pg. 1). This literature review considers the use of persuasion in the workplace by responding to the following questions. 1. How has persuasion been used throughout history? 2. Why do people fail to implement change in this changing world? 3. How have persuasion campaigns implemented change andRead MoreLeadership Analysis : President Of A Community Agency That Assists Traumatized Children And Their Families1692 Words   |  7 PagesLEADERSHIP ANALYSIS 2 The leader I chose for analysis is the director of a community agency that assists traumatized children and their families. Bases of Power Transformational leadership as defined by Bass (as cited in Gellis, 2001) is composed of multiple, yet distinct parts â€Å"1. Charisma (idealized influence, attributes and behaviors) 2. Intellectual stimulation 3. Individual consideration and, 4. Inspirational motivation† (p. 18). In a study performed by Gellis (2001), 187Read MoreCritical Factors For Managing And Developing People Based On My Own Experiences Essay1507 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluence people’s attitude such as power and persuasion. The only difference between power and persuasion is that power must give too many pressures to force people to change their attitude, however, persuasion, which is a way of getting rid of power, make them turn out attitude(Guirdham, 2011). In order to change the attitude and behavior of human being, Kreitner and Kinick came up with nine generic influencing tactics involving rational persuasion, inspirational appeal, consultation, ingratiationRead MorePrinciples Of Influence A nd The Psychology Of Persuasion1045 Words   |  5 PagesPsychology of Persuasion Have you ever pondered on why you buy the useless odds and ends sitting in your junk drawer? What made you purchase the tread climber that you collects dust in the corner of your living room? Why did you get the Instyler when your straightening or curling iron works just as well? Why do you acquisition the name brand cereal instead of the cheaper alternative? Dr. Robert Cialdini provides an explanation in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Cialdini listsRead MoreRhetoric : Rhetoric And Its Power1656 Words   |  7 PagesRhetoric is a course in which students are taught the values of persuasion. And yet, behind this course is the utmost power to corrupt the world, changing it into a world of our own policies. This power, even though seldom discussed, has lead to many intriguing discoveries. One such discovery is how people are able to shape the world they live in simply by choosing the right words. Therefore those who would want the world to be a better place must protect this power. If in the wrong hands this powerRead MoreEssay on The Power Of Language1283 Words   |  6 Pagesto convey exactly what you want equates to the acquisition of power. An important link between language and power is persuasion. The power of persuasion is so strong it allows certain individuals to influence, and therefore, control thousands, even millions, of people and bind them together in search of one common cause. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This tactic of persuasion is also called propaganda. Propaganda is the spreading of information in order to influence public opinion and to manipulate Read MoreWhat Type Of Leader You May Be An Effective And Successful Leader?1938 Words   |  8 Pages Regardless of what type of leader you may be, an effective and successful leader must have personal power and be able to influence others to support his vision or carryout the mission of the school or business. Great leaders possess great communication skills, techniques, and tactics to positively motivate, inspire, and persuade others to join their work. After reading about the works of Robert B. Cialdini and his six principles of persuasion and Gary Yuki’s research on power and influence, althoughRead MoreCharacteristic of Persuasion Essay examples2214 Words   |  9 PagesCharacteristics of Persuasion 301/ Social Psychology Characteristics of Persuasion Persuasion surrounds us; it is everywhere that humans exist. From politicians, teachers, religious leaders, police officers, sales persons, family and friends, we are literally surrounded. Anytime you log onto the internet and see an ad, when you are cruising down the road and see a billboard, when you pick up a sales ad for your favorite store, when you read reviews of a book before purchasing it, it is allRead More Language and Perception Essay examples699 Words   |  3 Pagescommunicate ideas to each other allows empowerment and the ability to be open to new thoughts and opinions. The ability to reproduce this information to another in a certain manner can lead to persuasion. The power of persuasion allows individuals to influence and control people (Dictionary.com, 2005). This tactic of persuasion can also be referred to as propaganda, which increases power by spreading information for the purpose of promoting some cause (Dictionary.com, 2005). The propagandist informs, usually

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Special Education Philosophy Paper - 2449 Words

Describe own special educational philosophy in terms of its metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic. My Philosophy of Special Education is that special education is teaching children who have special needs, which can interfere with their learning abilities. I believe special education compared to general education is merely an extension of services in helping all children learn. Learning is a process through which we increase our knowledge as a result of the experiences in our lives. We learn through what we are exposed to and what we try to imitate. It is a process of discovery. The environment in which we live stimulates our brains to make connections of neurons to continually build upon throughout our lives. Imitation is†¦show more content†¦141). An ice – skater who has a positive experience when beginning to skate will build structures as a skater. But, someone who has negative experience while trying to skate for the first time will not develop any structures related to skating. Essentially, if a teacher is going to be successful and learning is going to take place, positive structures should be developed. A good way to develop these structures would be to follow Mamary’s four principles for a quality classroom: 1. Classrooms in which â€Å"fear of failure† does not exist. 2. Classrooms in which â€Å"fear of rejection† does not exist. 3. Classrooms in which all â€Å"uncaring practices† are removed. 4. Classrooms in which â€Å"mindless activities† do not exist. If â€Å"fear of failure† does not exist, students will be more persistent and willing to discover things for themselves. And, as I said earlier, a very important part of learning is discovering. Students who don’t feel rejected will be more outgoing and not afraid to ask questions. When students don’t feel comfortable in their environment, they withdraw from the situation and shut down. On the other hand, if they feel comfortable in their environment, they participate in class discussions and associate learning with a positive structure. If the students know the teacher cares about them, they will be more apt to do their best, if not for themselves, to impress the teacher. And the end result is likely that they will decide that they loveShow MoreRelatedIntroduction. In Their 1995 Book Tinkering Toward Utopia:1740 Words   |  7 Pagessuit. By the early twentieth century, special schools were developed for retarded children to provide them with opportunities for intellectual growth equal to those of their peers. As the twentieth century wore on and racial segregation waned, culminating in Brown v. Board of Education, education came to be viewed as a right for all children. The 1970’s brought radical reform to special education. Mainstream strategy gradually shifted toward incorporating special needs students into the general classroomRead MoreDr. Combs . . . . . . . Educators Preserve Technique Before738 Words   |  3 PagesHowever, learners retain brilliant approach ahead of comprehending findings. I acqu ire a personal philosophy through reading chapter three chapter 4 in Foundations of American Education. My personal philosophy is Behaviorism seeing it is similar to the school I worked at as an Teacher’s Assistant. The ideas are similar to what I do currently. The ensuing paper presents my philosophy on special education seeing purpose of schooling, nature of learnings, curriculum, instructional methods, classroomRead MoreExploring Inquiry Based Spatial Sense Activities1236 Words   |  5 Pagesteachers accountable for the education of America’s children. These initiatives are somewhat convoluted, but are in place to ensure that students who graduate our educational institutions are college and career ready. These reforms are reinforced by the General Assembly, who in 1995, passed legislation that requires students with disabilities be educated and held accountable to the standards of their non-disabled peers (US Government, 2015). Prior to 1995, special educat ion teachers had been affordedRead MoreWhy I Am A Teacher1287 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy Paper The first reason I decided to become a teacher because I have always enjoyed interacting, inspiring and guiding young people. I remember as a kid I always used my little chalkboard and pretend to teach to my friends what I had learned in school. I am also very patient and love to learn new material and explain it to others. The second reason, my ESL teacher during my first high school year was a real inspiration to me; I admire her ability to guide students. The third reason, whenRead MoreReflection1148 Words   |  5 PagesBy the end of this service learning project, I discovered more about interacting with individuals with special needs than I ever thought I could within a time span of only 8 hours. I learned the importance of asking questions, giving clear and concise instructions, and setting an example to help students understand the difference between inappropriate and appropriate behavior. Throughout this paper, it is evident that the most important thing I learned from my fi eld experience is to always believeRead MoreSummary Of The Tenets Of Waldorf Curriculum983 Words   |  4 PagesThe Waldorf Education curriculum, founded by Radolf Stainer, is based on his educational philosophy, anthroposophy. This philosophy is described as critical idealism. The ideal philosophy treats the child as a spirit and the education approach/practice aims at liberating the spiritual essence of the child to remove any hindrances and obstacles and ensure that the inherent childs talents are exposed for later service of humanity. The pedagogy of Waldorf involves the gradual and natural unfoldingRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Azure College A Nursing Institution1159 Words   |  5 Pagesthe nursing theories, and the nursing philosophy. Among of these three, the nursing philosophy is the one that really identifies the nursing mission, and the fundamental evidence-based practice of nursing. In this case, many health organizations include nursing schools design a nursing philosoph y which develops the concept of their existence, their mission statement, and their visions to the society in which they are serving to. In this paper, the philosophy of Azure College a nursing institutionRead MoreEce Governance Of The Early Childhood Education Governance865 Words   |  4 PagesChildhood Education Governance is been help people to look forward to a great future with different policies for child care and education. It is usually that the governance work with every decision about the people rights. Since the governance has been work toward the help people to live better. In the paper I will briefly summarize and give examples of the three phrases of ECE governance, evaluate the three versions of administrative integrations from the perspective of my own philosophy of educationRead MoreInvestigating Meaningful Teaching1044 Words   |  5 PagesInvestigating Meaningful Teaching Daniel Bowen Grand Canyon University Special Education Foundation and Framework SPE-330 May 26, 2011 Investigating Meaningful Teaching Investigating what meaningful teaching is it is having teachers that are willing to teach to the whole student by having patience, compassion and developing a meaningful relationship with their students. Being a positive influence and having effective classroom management. An effective teacher is a teacher that wearsRead MoreMaria Montessori1367 Words   |  6 Pageschildren did things step by step, they could do anything; she called this the sequential steps of learning (Gordon and Brown 13-336). According to Gordon and Brown, the Montessori concept is both a philosophy of child development and a plan for guiding growth. This concept believes that education begins at birth and that the early years in a person’s life are very important. During this time, children pass through â€Å"sensitive periods,† in which their curiosity makes them ready for acquiring certain

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Basic Facts of Sample Term Papers

The Basic Facts of Sample Term Papers Essays are normally not very long, therefore it's no real surprise that teachers would assign a whole lot of them to write. Reading documentation will give a clearer idea of precisely how you may be prepared to modify your class to you. Term papers seem to be a struggle for students for a a selection of explanations. Writing papers may well be the chance for you to learn more regarding the subject you're studying than every other element of a training course. Student sample papers can be of distinct types and students may use sample papers in nearly all academic disciplines. Students have an outstanding temptation to discover shortcuts in their studies. Tons of students have located our services as one of the very best in term paper and essay writing businesses. They also need to be careful because all the examples available are not very high quality or proof read. The Fight Against Sample Term Papers Custom writing means a severe company with high standards. Websites that supply free samples may have a rating system with diverse essays. If you are searching for a totally free sample to follow for your paper then you must keep a certain things in mind It isn't very possible that the sample you find will be a specific match to your requirements. Employing academic samples may give a concept of how the last draft will appear once all the information was refined and organized. How much you could earn while your paper work is being done by somebody, who knows the way to do it correctly! Incredible term paper-writing has an important function in keeping up a great opinion. Don't forget to download something from a dependable source It's also important to read the whole paper before you download something. You ought to know the way that your research paper will be appraised. Top Sample Term Papers Choices When you purchase your paper from us, there are several benefits which you will enjoy. Today, there are an enormous number of internet providers that you can purchase a term paper from. The sole real ways by which they can effectively do that is going to be to offer absolutely free term papers for you personally. Many term papers will adhere to a very simple structure and outline that contains A good boost when stuck A sample term paper is also an excellent boost whenever you're stuck. A term paper is normally broken into separate chapters which require appropriate sort of information. In fact, sample term paper is only one of the most searched terms in Google. It isn't simple to locate a great sample term paper. A sample term paper makes it possible to to draft an outstanding essay. The New Fuss About Sample Term Papers Many writing services do not offer sample papers since they can't offer excellent content. Thus, when you review sample papers, you get more ideas and distinct facets which you are able to memorize and improve your writing. The samples help set a good example of what you're working toward and your essay should look when it's completed. You may always pick a sample which suits your assignment requirements. There are lots of samples featuring different styles and they'll let you use the most suitable style for your assignment. For this reason, you should review sample papers to comprehend the way the above formatting styles are used. There are hundreds and hundreds of sample essays that are available on the internet. As you read sample essays, bear in mind they're only meant to inspire. Sample essays are generally utilized to review citation info and the way that it is listed. With our sample essay writing services, you're going to be in a position to write quality essays that will permit you acquire the grade you've always desired. Up in Arms About Sample Term Papers? Terms don't have to be in alphabetical order. Be positive that the entire info is pertinent to the topic sentence and overview. If you've got the option, select your topic carefully. Term paper-writing that's Good has a crucial role in keeping up an excellent opinion on nearly every educator. With our essay h elp you may be sure nobody shall receive a better mark for the work than you. With it help you may be sure nobody shall have a better mark for the work than you. Sample Term Papers - the Story Every examples term paper, at our website, is intended to underline the high degree of professionalism which our writers have and to demonstrate their proficiency. Few are worried about the simple fact that using examples term paper can be known as cheating. In case you would like help producing your essay, our authors are almost always prepared to aid you in any way they have the ability to.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Developing Management Capability Entrepreneurship Relationships

Question: Describe about the Developing Management Capability for Entrepreneurship Relationships. Answer: Introduction This report is based on different aspects and roles of managers he / she have to play in the organisation. Developing manager capabilities is the main area that organisation and individual as a manager shall focus on. This report discusses about team and group development in organisation. How team are formed, main aim behind developing so and how manager competencies come into play while team development and effectiveness. This report discuss about different aspect of team and key definition required to be understood. Another discussion point of this report is different diagnostic models that can be used for identifying team development and managing other competencies in a team. At last, personal development has been developed so as to make analysis of what competencies are required to be developed an how identified competencies can be developed. Literature review on Team and Groups One of the most important capabilities that managers of organisation shall possess is of managing people in the business organisation. Among many other features of organisation, team and groups present at work place is one of the core factor of success. Over the last few years teams and groups in the organisation has became most crucial factor in organisational structure. Many theories and models have been developed to manage people in terms of groups and teams in the business organisation. In order to understand these theories or models we need to understand what teams and groups are. Team can be defined as the collection of different individual having different set of skills and abilities (Wilson, 2009). They are formed together for a specific or some specific objectives to be achieved. Team is more of formal collection of individuals having different roles and responsibilities and each one of them is equalled important for achievement of ultimate objective. On the other hand group s in the business organisation can be formal or informal also. There is no specific target behind developing groups or there can be some informal targets behind them. Most peculiar point in group is that; group is also collection of different people having same characteristics and nature and can influence achievement of organisational goals (Whitelaw, 2015). In order to understand different aspects of team and groups exist within organisation and to possess managing capabilities following key terms shall be understood: Human resource Initial stage of groups and teams is individuals that part of human resource of the business organisation. Teams and groups are part of and group management is a process of HRM cluster. Managers are responsible for managing groups and teams within the business organisation and they are required to possess different team building capabilities and skills. Managing groups and team is with the scope of management human resource and managers require complete different skills in managing the same (Robbins, 2003). Teams and groups sometimes act as a symbol of organisation as they and their act represent particular organisation. Team Cognition Team cognition can be defined as the process of developing and self-managing teams or groups within the organisation. Team cognition lead towards developing shared understanding among team or group members by influencing their behaviour. It is very much important for manager who is responsible for managing teams and groups to influence action and behaviour of each member. Manager is required to achieve synergy gain from the pool of different skills and abilities which exist in teams and groups of organisation. Manager developing cognition among teams is required to establish co-ordination among different members and this can be developed through explicit co-ordination or implicit co-ordination (Hllgren, 2010). Other key terms under team cognition is as under: Team building- Manager has to undertake different steps for building effective team. Manager is required to arrange sequence of different activities that bring team members together. Decision making process of team or groups- Most important aspect that manager has to develop in groups or teams are the decision making process with teams or groups. Therefore it required different set skill of manager in developing so. Self Management- Manager has to develop capabilities of self-management among group member so that they are able to identify and respond to threats by their own (Burke et al., 2014). Group Development Most important aspect of group or teams is their development under different circumstances. There are various well known development models that manager of business organisation can implement in order to develop effective group or team within organisation. Therefore another important skill or ability that manager shall possess is of developing groups and teams to achieve defined objectives (Wolfenden, 2015). Following are well know and used team development model that can be used by manager to develop group: Five-Phase group-development model- Forming- It is initial stage of developing team within business organisation under which team or group members are first meet and interact with each other in limited manner. At this period of time, roles and responsibilities, target objectives, team leader, manager, co-ordination performance, etc are decided. At this point manager, will be analysing behaviour of members for selecting effective steam leader. Storming- This phase or stage also known as testing stage in steam development process. At this stage, different members proving themselves as an effective team leader or for securing particular position with the team. Many sub-groups will be formed at this stage, planning and plotting starts at this stage. Manager is required to control members activities or inflame those activities. Norming- Norming is the word which is derived from the word norms, which means rules or standards. Therefore at this stage, loud sounds of individual members of the team will comes to an end and managerial capabilities of manager starts. At this of team development, manager has to develop some rules of interaction, behaviour, rules for communication and rules for interacting with each other. Under this stage of team development, manager is required to develop group cohesiveness among different members of the group (Quinn et al., 2015). Group cohesiveness is the development of united and we feeling among team members. Group cohesiveness develops the feeling of motivation and inspiration to achieve organisational objectives and manager shall possess such capability or skill. Performing- At this stage developed team starts working as a team, within organisational structure. Each member in the group is required to perform its own role and is responsible individually. At this stage of team development, communication process and communication channels are important activity that manager has to develop. Adjourning- This is the conclusion stage in the team development which means, at this stage all objectives of team or group has been achieved and team is no longer required by organisation. At this stage, group ceases to exist and comes to an end. Individual role of each member in the organisations starts from this point (Quinn et al., 2015). Meaning of Team and Team Leader One of the most important aspects of team or group is its team or group leader that leads team to achieve defined objectives. Team leader shall possess required skills and ability that enables him / her to lead effectively. Following are some characteristic of team: Team leader is the path finder and becomes common activity After development of team accountability is of team and not of individual member Own set of rules and objectives that are to be achieved More focus is on problem solving activities rather of performing activity Individual effectiveness is not measured any more but steam performance, team cohesiveness and team achievement is measured (Whetten and Cameron, 2011). Diagnostic Tools In this section of report, different diagnosis tools have been applied so as to identify personal ability and skills to be a competent manager. These tools are made and used to analyse self in terms of capabilities and skills that are required for different management aspects (Yakhlef, 2010). In this report, since team and group development has been under as development of manager capability. In this case, following are some models and theories that shall be used to analyse personal skill and capabilities: Diagnostic Tool 1: Turknett Leadership Character Model Under Turknett Leadership Character Model a diagnostic tool, there are different activities that are undertaken in order to analyse personal capabilities as manager. This model or diagnostic tool is based on leadership character of manager and it assesses different leadership aspects in individual (Goleman et al., 2004). This tool is base on survey of self and feedback that you get. Main elements of this tool are; Custom Organizational Effectiveness Surveys Leadership character 360 Retention index of manager 360 degree feedback Follow-up 360 Team characteristics survey Diagnostic Tool 2: The Big 5 This model is based on personality of individual and these personalities are then compared with roles of the individual in organisation. This model is introduced in 1950 and is treated as personality scale for managers of organisation (Antoncic et al., 2015). Following are five key characteristics of personalities: Openness- Proves strength of mine. Conscientiousness- I as a manager possess moderate level of conscientiousness which means level of care during work. Extraversion / Introversion- This proves to be strength for me as I am socially very active. Agreeableness- This proves weakness for me which means I am lacking at empathy level. Natural reaction- Weakness (Giluk, 2009) Diagnostic Tool 3: Emotional and Social Competency Inventory This tool supports assessment of level of emotional and social competency in developing manager. This model is based on coaching and mentoring manager of organisation in terms of social and emotional intelligence (Bansal and Hingorani, 2013). This tool also serves succession programme for leaders or manger of the organisation. Following are four assessment criteria under this tool: Self-Awareness Social Awareness Self-management Relationship Management Key Strength and weaknesses in managing other capabilities STRENGTH WEAKNESS Main strength is academic achievements and requirements of job are achieved under such academic qualification. Distraction is the main weakness that I need to overcome. There are certain points of time when I get distracted easily from my target. Critical thinking is another skill that I possess and every manager shall posses while solving problem. It is difficult for me to take decisions at last moment or decision making capability under pressure is missing. Flexibility and easy adaptability is the strength that I possess. Working in a team requires such capabilities. Initiating any process or any work capability is lacking in me. That means I am lacking in terms of leadership characteristic. Empathy level is slower side therefore it is difficult for me understand issue at ground level of others. Therefore lacks as a team performer. (Jessie, 2014) Personal Development Plan Based on above diagnostic tools and personal strength and weakness, there are some areas that requires improvement in order to be a successful and competent manager. Following are personal development plan that I need to follow: The purpose of Learning Present abilities Abilities or skills which are required Opportunities for development Criteria for achievement Time Taken Proof of acquired skills Efficient Team Performer Flexibility and adaptive to change that makes team player in an organisation. I need to develop empathy social competency so that I can understand what other team members issues are and problem are i.e. at emotional and social ground. Empathy social competency can be achieved by undertaking different programme. Emotional and Social Competency Inventory is one of the effective programmes that I shall undergo. Development of ability to understand team member and their nature or issue on social and emotional level (Price, 2012). It is 3 months programme. When I became best team player in team and take all team members together at empathic level. When start feeling problem of tem member as of mine. To be a Efficient team leader At present, I have acquired skills and capabilities of effective communication, flexibility, critical thinking and many other skills that a leader shall possess. Ability to take decision under pressure or at the last moment. Therefore skill or capability of decision making is required to be developed. Undergoing, Turknett Leadership Character Model is the opportunity for development. When I am able to take right decisions under pressure. 3 months are required When I start contributing my skill and capabilities in decision making process. (Grainger, 2014) Conclusion It can be concluded that, managers are key personnel of the business organisation that supports organisation at different levels. Skill or competencies of managing others in the organisation is required by manager in them so that direction can be provided to them. It can be concluded that team and group plays important role in achievement of organisational objectives in terms of problem solving approach. Competencies in the manager can be developed by different set of models or tool that tests competencies of manager at different levels. Most effective diagnostic tool is The Big five diagnostic tool that measures personality competencies of managers. Personal development plan shall be developed so that different aspects of manager can be achieved or developed. References Antoncic, B., Bratkovic, K., Singh, T. 2015. The Big Five PersonalityEntrepreneurship Relationship: Evidence from Slovenia. Journal of Small Business Management, 53 (3), 819 - 841. Bansal, I., Hingorani, P. 2013. Mapping Emotional Competencies of Mahatma Gandhi: A Biographical Analysis Approach. Journal of Human Values, 19 (2), 133 - 145. Burke, A.E., Benson, B., Englander, R., Carraccio, C. Hicks, P.J. 2014, "Domain of competence: Practice-based learning and improvement, Academic pediatrics,vol. 14, no. 2 Supply, pp. S38-S54. Giluk, T. L. 2009. Mindfulness, Big Five personality, and affect: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 47 (8), 805 - 811. Goleman D.,Boyatzis, R.E. McKee, A. (2004), Primal leadership: learning to lead with emotional intelligence, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass. Grainger, A. 2014. Your personal development plan. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 8 (1), 6-18. Hllgren, M. (2010) Groupthink in temporary organizations International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 3(1): pp. 94-110 Jessie, E. 2014. Modifying Defining Issues Test (DIT) as a tool for assessing secondary students socialemotional competencies. Asia Pacific Education Review, 15 (2), 247 - 256. Price, B. 2012, "Key principles in assessing students' practice-based learning",Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987),vol. 26, no. 49, pp. 49. Quinn, Faerman, Thompson, McGrath St. Bright, D. (2015). Becoming a Master Manager: A competing values based approach, 6th ed., Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, N.J Robbins, S.P. (2003), Organisational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River Whetten, D.A. and Cameron, K.S. (2011) Developing Management Skills, 8th ed., Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. Whitelaw, D. 2015, "Training",Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention,vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 816. Wilson, D.G. (2009), Leading teams to effective decisions: the vital role of framing Development and Learning in Organizations, 23(2): pp 6-8 Wolfenden, F. 2015, "Learning in Landscapes of Practice: Boundaries, Identity and Knowledge ability in Practice-Based Learning",Journal of Interactive Media in Education, vol. 2015, no. 1. Yakhlef, A., Fretagsekonomiska institutional, Stockholms universitet Samhllsvetenskapliga fakulteten 2010, "The three facets of knowledge: A critique of the practice-based learning theory, Research Policy,vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 39-46.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Volleyball Essay Paper Example For Students

Volleyball Essay Paper VolleyballThe sport of volleyball was created by a man named William G. Morgan of Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1895. Morgan was a physical education teacher at the YMCA and called it mintonette. It was an indoor or outdoor pastime that had characteristics of both handball and tennis. The first rules were written down by Morgan himself. He wrote that the game called for a 6 foot 6 inch net and a court of 2550 feet. A match composed of 9 innings and 3 serves for each team in each inning. In case of a serving error they got a second chance just like in tennis. If the ball it the net on a serve it was considered a foul and it caused a side out or a point was taken away. In 1896 after a demonstration at the YMCA in Springfield and the name Mintonette was replaced with the name Volleyball. In 1900 the rules were modified and the height of the net went up to 7 feet 6 inches. Also a match length was set at 21 points. Also in 1900 Canada was the first foreign country to adopt the game of Volleyb all. In 1906 the country of Cuba discovered volleyball thanks to Thanks to a North American army officer named Agusto York who took part in the second military intervention. In 1908 volleyball reached Japan. Hyozo Omori a graduate at Springfield college in the United States who was the first to demonstrate the rules of the game at the YMCA in Tokyo. In 1910 volleyball officially landed in China. Between 1912 and now many of the rules changed and changed again. In 1924 it was demonstrated at the Olympics in Paris under the show of American sports. In 1938 the Chzechs perfected blocking and was officially introduced to the rules. In 1942 William G. Morgan the creator of volleyball died at the age of 68. He felt no jealousy when the sport he created grew and developed. In 1945 the first volleyball postage stamp was released in Romania. In 1947 Egypt was the first Arab and African country to organize a national federation. In 1952 the first womens world championship was held in Moscow a nd won by the USSR. In 1960 the first World Championship for men was held outside of Europe in Brazil. In 1965 the first world cup was held in Poland and was won by the USSR. In 1973 the first womens world cup was played in Uruguay and was won by the USSR. In 1976 at the Olympics in Montreal Poland won the Mens division and Japan the womens. In 1986 USA won the first mens World Championships. China took the womens Gold. Beach Volleyball was also first recognized. In 1987 the first Beach volleyball world championship was played in Ipanema, Brazil. Ever since a lot of these events volleyball has grown in popularity and is now played world wide and both mens and womens clubs and organizations play at national and international tournaments. At this time in Southern California volleyball is as serious as the winter games in Finland. Both Boys and girls compete year round and the competition is fierce. Not to far behind is the Northern California Volleyball association. The NCVA has put o ut many of the nations greatest. Many injuries that occur with volleyball run from Bruises to breaks. The most common are ankle or knee injuries since a lot of stop and go and jumping. Often muscles are pulled in the shoulders and back. In volleyball injuries are all too common. Whether its landing wrong or player collision injuries and volleyball players go together like rain and water. Often you may see a girl with bruises all over her knees and elbows but its just from the game or practice she recently had. Volleyball may seem like a less exsausting sport compared to basketball but in Volleyball muscles are constantly stopping and going and movements are very prisice and sharp. A player has to be almost lightning fast and and in deep concentration. Focus and playing smart are the keys to being a successful Volleyball player. Many of the most competitive players work out every day of the week to increase their vertical and hitting power. They also attend clinics and camps regularl y and play for clubs. In this day and age every volleyball player wants to play at their maximum level. .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db , .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .postImageUrl , .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db , .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:hover , .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:visited , .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:active { border:0!important; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:active , .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u651fe93ea1499bbbe493e224137d92db:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Minimum Wage Essay We will write a custom essay on Volleyball Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The normal equipment for the individual player is a pair of court shoes or special volleyball shoes, for women spandex shorts and men board or basketball type shorts, a T-shirt that is non-restricting, a pair of knee pads, and often some sort of brace for the prevention of injury or to protect an existing injury. The equipment for a team consists of any number of balls, often a ball cart, a court with a net and any other skill-training device. The disabled also play volleyball at the Special Olympics. Many associate disabled sports with the Special Olympics. That worldwide program is the guiding organization for volleyball athletes with mental disabilities, but is only one of seven organizations recognized by the USOC in support of the disabled. Additional volleyball opportunities exist for the deaf, amputee, wheelchair, and other physically disabled athletes. In October of 1998, U.S. House and Senate amended and renamed the Amateur Sports Act, to the current the. The new Olympic and Amateur Sports Act now fully incorporates Paralympics, clearly reflecting equal status for disabled athletes. It continues the original focus of the Act to integrate disabled sports with non-disabled National Governing Bodies (NGBs). Because some disabled sports are unique, it allows the USOC to recognize Paralympic sports organizations if integration does not serve their best interests, or if an NGB objects to integration. Under the measure the USOC is officially recognized as the national Paralympic Committee. A 1994 US Census report showed that 21% of the population was disabled, a percentage certain to grow as the baby boomer population ages. In any case, USOC support, from grant giving to Olympic Training Center usage, will also grow. The recognition of disabled volleyball is a great way to publicize the game. If it is able to be played by the disabled, it becomes a welcoming activity. This inclusion was mirrored in USA Volleyball, where they now have a Disabled Sport Division , led by Vice President Roger Neppl. In conjunction with the Disabled Sports Organizations, they will be working to get more athletes playing and strengthening the USA National Teams Deaf, Sitting, Standing and other areas. To play volleyball for fun you dont need to be really tall, muscular or any other qualities that serious players strive for. Volleyball is easy to play for fun. Volleyball is played both indoors and outdoors. Indoor volleyball is played on a court with six people. Outdoor can be played with any number of people and on sand or grass and even mud. Volleyball is a fun game the whole family can play and portable nets can be bought almost anywhere. This sport is played in high school, college and at professional levels. Many Clubs have formed to teach young players both male and female to the best of their ability. When it comes to digging you should not form your digging platform just before you make contact but already have it made. You should also dig with two-han d s and not just one and cushion the impact with not just your arms but with your legs also. Dont run with your platform because it will slow you down. When you dig overhand keep your fingers firm during contact. Before a game dont over eat because it will make you sluggish. Now when in comes to hitting take the last two steps of your approach to the ball and never reach. Sometimes when the court isnt open tip the ball or hit a roll shot short to take the defense off guard. When you block its not how high you get but it is how far over the net you get but you have to be careful not to net. Setting uses two hands with a quick release and often a jump set is the best to use. When blocking dont jump too early because the ball may drop in front of you and the net that will cause the ball to be difficult to get back to play. One of the most difficult skills to master is the jump serve. To be successful you need timing, strength and concentration. You must use the force of your entire bod y to hit like a pitcher because you cant just use you arm of and injury can occur. Often you may need to throw the ball up with two hands so that it is more accurate. Beginners should work on a two step approach similar to that of a spike. Many skills are obtained through years of practice and teaching. Starting the game young is the best way to achieve your best capabilities and skills. .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 , .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .postImageUrl , .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 , .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:hover , .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:visited , .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:active { border:0!important; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:active , .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931 .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u41b3286686a27189ff9fda0393296931:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drugs EssayVolleyball is a sport for the quick and concentrated. It often costs a lot of money to pay for clubs with the best coaches. In this day and age young players go to a personal trainer and clinics to clubs because volleyball is a very competitive sport and is often very political. Many faults include service faults. After the ball has been correctly hit, the service becomes a fault if the ball touches a player of the serving team, fails to pass through the crossing space, lands out or lands after a screen. The definition of an attack it is directing the ball toward the opponent except a serve or a block. The attack hit is completed after the ball crosses the plane of the net. An illegal service leads to a side-out and change of service. Things that lead up to this call would be a violation of the service order or messes up the toss twice. There are many restrictions to a back row player. They cannot attack and put a foot in front of the ten foot line while hitting but can land in the ten foot zone. The Refing staff usually consists of two line refs. An up Ref. And down Ref. are located at each ends of the net. Volleyball is truly one of the great All American sports. It has grown and developed a lot since it was first made up and changes are still being made. Volleyball has not hit such a great national level as it has in other countries and is not a sports gold mine like the NBA or NFL but maybe, hopefully one day it will be just as or more popular. From 1895 to now from Mintonette to the Olympics, volleyball has improved and has been almost perfected. Words/ Pages : 1,800 / 24

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Parole Linguistic Definition and Examples

Parole Linguistic Definition and Examples In linguistics, the individual expressions of language in contrast to langue, language as an abstract system of signs. This distinction between langue and parole was first made by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in his Course in General Linguistics (1916). Etymology From the French paraula, speech Observations Can there be a science of language, if so, do we have to stomp on it first to make it amenable? Do we have to murder to dissect, to quote Wordsworth? There are several things the would-be linguistic scientist can do. One is to slice up language in such a way as to have one part that lives and moves about in crazy ways, and another that stays in one place and thus can be dissected to reveal its inner nature. This is essentially what Saussure did, when he distinguished parole (the unruly side) from langue (the quiet side). Parole refers to the actual language use of individual people in their everyday lives, and is too erratic to be studied, according to Saussure. Langue is the shared social structure of language, and is richly structured as a system of systems. The latter is what can be investigated scientifically.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(Leo Van Lier, The Ecology and Semiotics of Language Learning: A Sociocultural Perspective. Birkhuser, 2004)Langue/ParoleThe reference here is to the distinction made by the Swiss linguist Saussure. Where parole is the realm of the individual moments of language use, of particular utterances or messages, whether spoken or written, langue is the system or code (le code de la langue) which allows the realization of the individual messages.  (Stephen Heath, Translators Note in Image-Music-Text by Roland Barthes. Macmillan, 1988) The Analogy of a Chess Game The langue-parole dichotomy was introduced into linguistics by Ferdinand de Saussure (1916), who used the analogy of a chess game to illustrate what it entails. To engage in a game of chess both players must first know the langue of chessthe rules of movement and the overall strategy of how to play. Langue imposes constraints on, and provides a guide to, the choices each player can make in the act of playing the game. The actual choices characterize parolethe ability to apply the abstract knowledge of chess (langue) to a specific game-playing situation.  (Marcel Danesi, Second Language Teaching: A View From the Right Side of the Brain. Springer, 2003) Pronunciation: pa-ROLE

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Islam Faith and History By Mahmoud M.Ayoub Assignment

Islam Faith and History By Mahmoud M.Ayoub - Assignment Example The haay is where a man or woman belongs to and not the ‘family.’ Thus, child-rearing, indoctrination to culture, and gender roles are the responsibility of the tribe. This is due partly to survival since most societies lived a nomadic lifestyle. Thus, it is crucial that families band together for mutual interests. The role of men is crucial because they are seen as the provider and protector. Women on the other hand are deemed as liability or the weak link because the tribes’ honor hinges on the honor of its girls and women. And because there is a high-value placed on female honor, it is a necessity to employ force protection. This is done one, by infanticide. The tribe would burry one or several of its female infants alive. And second, provides protection against capture and forced concubinage. Ergo, women are not just burdens but are liabilities to the tribe as well. Another way to which women are ensured of protection is through marriage. Marriage in pre-Islamic society has two types—Sadiqah and Ba’l. Sadiqah marriages are based on female kinship. As such, the man could either pay a Sadaq which is given to the bride during the time of marriage or a mahr which is a negotiated gift between the man and the bride’s tribe that would be given to her parents or closest relative. Once the bride price is settled, the woman has to consent on the marriage before it could take effect. There are two types of Sadiqah marriages: the mut’an or temporary marriage which is undertaken solely for the purpose of desire or pleasure and bina which is a permanent union. In bina, the bride remains under the protection of her tribe and the husband would only come for conjugal visits but is free from the liability of taking care of his wife and children. As such children of Sadiqah unions are the responsibility of the mother’s tribe. The ba’l marriage on the other hand is based on

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Movie Review Example The Associate has pleasantly developed characters such as Dianne Wiest, Tim Daly, Elly Wallach and Goldberg who is a brilliant financial analyst at a big Wall Street but suddenly finds out that having a man opens doors. The fact that brilliant mind such as Laurel’s cannot be recognized because she is a woman is unfortunate. It is further painful when Laurel forces herself to create a fictitious man called Cutty as her invisible partner and he is always out of town or on vacation thus making Laurel to cover for him. The man invented by Laurel turns up to be conspicuously successful in his operations thus making the public to demand to meet him (Petrie Film). It is interesting to watch Laurel enlisting skills of a celebrity impersonator so that she can appear at public events as a white man. The man whom Laurel impersonates does not seem likable and this gives the film its comical taste (Petrie Film). The male conquered society and ladder in the business world receives a blow when Laurel trains a man called Tim Daly who unfortunately gets promotion that Laurel deserves. However, Laurel who is disgusted by Tim Daly’s characters such as closing deals with clients at night decides to start her own firm. It is really amazing to see Laurel succeeding in her business in the name of nonexistent â€Å"Cutty† thus lying to even powerful investors. She is a very outgoing person and an extrovert who will not stop at pursuing what she wants. She is also sly and determined person who is largely daring. She does everything possible in her capacity to ascend to power. Goldberg is very brilliant and studious person who carefully uses her intelligence to perform her tasks in order to succeed. Goldberg does not regard gender issues and she is so bold that she does not care succeeding in a male dominated business world. He is self centered and male chauvinist who takes advantage of other people especially the

Monday, January 27, 2020

Rice brokerage firm

Rice brokerage firm Introduction and historical background Brief description of proposed entrepreneurial venture The venture into consideration is a rice brokerage firm which is a service providing firm regarding selling and purchasing of rice to and from different traders and rice mill owners. This firm will serve as a middleman and do not require investment in purchasing rice but this firm will charge 0.5% commission from each buyer and seller for a single transaction. The above said commission will be charged on account of providing services to rice traders and rice mill owners. Context of the organization The business of rice brokerage firm lies in the service industry. The nature of rice brokerage firm is to facilitate people related to rice business to search for buyers and sellers of rice. This firm is aimed at providing best level of services to the clients while providing them value in every service they are seeking for. There is a huge demand of rice in Pakistan and all around the world, and Pakistan produces enough rice to meet domestic rice needs and is able to export as well. Rice is an essential part of Pakistani meals, thats why consumer preferences is still there and they are ready to buy rice at prices that were never before. It is obvious that rice business and its industry will not end-up easily despite high rate of inflation. If domestic people eliminate rice from their lunch or dinner menu or switch to another commodity, the global demand will still be there because people around world like Basmati which is a product of Pakistan. This means that business of rice within Pakistan seems to be a still growing business with profitable opportunities for entrepreneurs. To have a start-up in the rice business, becoming a rice broker is a good option because trade facilitator are always at the safest edge of any business with a minimum investment of PKR: 10,000/- (in this case). Brief history of the industry Service industry is always there since the very start of every business in any industry. My firm is also in the service industry because this firm facilitates the clients trading in same commodity, which is rice, to get information and availability of rice in the market. When rice mill owners process the rice obtained from landlords in raw form to the finished product, it is then required to be supplied to wholesaler and other traders. To lessen the gap of communication and to ease the supply of rice to different ends of the chain brokerage firms are required. And, such services are demanded by many such like businesses to minimize overhead costs of different distribution channels. Information about economy and different trends Rice is vital cash crop and is one of the major export items of Pakistan. It accounted for 5.9 percent of value added sector and 1.3 percent of GDP in FY09. Pakistan grows ample quantity of rice to meet its domestic requirements and also export the high quality rice around the world. The production soared by a commendable 25 percent that helped Pakistan earn sizeable foreign exchange revenue. Rice exports accounted for nearly 11.21 percent of total export receipts FY09 and growers have achieved a bumper production of rice (6.4 million tons) so far in this crop year. Rice harvest was significantly higher than estimated domestic consumption of 2.5 million tons as growers were encouraged by higher rice price in international market following imposition of ban on rice exports by competing countries. Current status of the rice brokerage firms Every year Pakistan produces a decent quantity of rice and it contributes to major part of our country exports. Taking into consideration this fact, there are more and more people entering into this business because this business can be started with an investment of less than PKR 10,000/- and it is within the reach of common man nowadays. Another reason for the still growing business of rice brokerage is that there are wonderful growth opportunities and diversification of business in the field of exporting commodities to different parts of the world and there are examples of such successful people too in the present market have started from a commission agent to a successful rice exporter and rice mill owners, and hence successful entrepreneurs. So, people found this business very much profitable and most of people are still entering into this business. Aim of the service It is reasonable to say here that everybody in rice business wants to purchase and sell rice at his/her doorstep and there is a need to provide the service of brokerage firm to fulfill that need. Most of the times, it is difficult for rice mill owners to go into the market to search for buyers and it incurs a cost to that mill owners, so they prefer to contact brokers like us to search for buyers because those brokers have already contacts of buyers and their requirement in the market accordingly. This approach saves time and cost of every person involved in this business from rice mill owners to buyers to exporters. In order to provide up-to-date information about market prices of rice to traders and mill owners and to ease the process of searching for buyers and sellers is surmised by me as a good opportunity to start a business with a much lesser investment and greater growth opportunities. List of services to be provided Up-to-date information about prices of rice to clients Quality check-up of rice being bought and sold by client by randomly checking samples from the lot Making rice available to clients at best prices SWOT analysis of rice brokerage business Strengths Low investment Easy to operate ROI is high Weaknesses Ease of entry High competition Low sustainability No consistency Opportunities Diversification International trade opportunities Threats Forward and backward integration by major players in the industry Ease of entry into the business and competitor analysis There is a lot of competition in rice trade business because there is no barriers to entry this business. There is tough competition among all players in this business who provide brokerage services to rice traders as this can be done by anyone who can just coordinate between his/her clients. The only thing that matters in this area is trust and relationship building. This can only be made stronger by providing credible services and delivering on promises you have made to your clients because this will be the only differentiating factor that will set you apart from the competitors. However, there is a lack of value added services in the offerings of current brokers in the market of rice business which creates a gap in the area of this business which can be filled by smart entrepreneurs by putting creative destruction into work. This could be a challenging as well as risky task to stand out in competition in such business where most of the major players run their organization in typical seth-way, but when there is a risk there is an opportunity and if it is seen as an opportunity then an entrepreneur has done almost half of its work. Mission To serve rice buyers and sellers through continuing efforts in bringing clients the very best which is available today and ease their process of prospecting. Providing them value in our services by satisfying their requirements of rice, meeting deadline of lead time, consulting them about changing business environment and placing emphasis on trading properly and making money for clients. Vision To become a leader in commodity brokerage firm business and earn loyalty of our clientele base by assisting them in becoming more successful in their commodity trading through continuous improvement in our services by innovation, professionalism and integration. Management considerations Personal expertise Strengths Problem seeker/ proactive Experience Believe in black and white Leadership skills Communication skills Negotiator Ability to make fun oriented environment Straight forward Multi linguistic Weaknesses Cant wait Taking too much time in evaluating alternatives Do not socialize Straight forward Organizational design The proposed design for the venture is organic because of the smaller size and continuously changing outside environment. This is so because the success of the business depends upon the person who is at front end with the client and that person should be given freedom to customize services according to clients needs coping up with the challenges of uncertain external environment. Organizational culture Innovation and risk taking is very high and it will enable us to outperform others in the present market situation There will be a high degree of emphasis on attention to detail to get work perfectly done because a little mistake can lose out our credibility High degree of outcome orientation is entailed within organizations culture to achieve objectives, milestones and vision People orientation will be optimal because founder of this organization will be at front face from the very start of this business to build and maintain the customer base Team orientation is highly appreciated to carry out operations smoothly A blend of cooperative and competitive strategies will be used to sustain and survive into the industry while embedding a bit of higher level of aggressiveness within organizations culture Stability within the organization will be optimal will be taking into account innovation and progress in order to imply a proactive approach Staffing requirements A lawyer will be hired on annual basis for filing sales tax and income tax returns at the end of each fiscal year. Apart from this, a quality control checker will be employed at a monthly salary of PKR: 10,000/- whose responsibility will be to check quality of rice being bought and sold by our clients and to assure them for timely delivery of that quality of rice as demanded by the clients. Operational management issues The quality of services offered to the clients should be maintained to avoid any disappointment and shrinkage of customer base. Following dimensions of service quality are taken into consideration to maintain the consistency in our services: Timeliness: meeting deadlines of all clients Courtesy: giving clients a â€Å"wow† experience Consistency: same and even better quality of service every time Convenience: providing all services at clients doorstep Completeness: taking feedback after successful completion of each job Accuracy: never making client unhappy by doing and providing non professional services Inventory management methods There is no inventory management in the proposed venture because this venture provides no-goods services and do not invest in purchasing commodities, hence there is no inventory. Equipments required Basic equipments required for this venture are personal computer, printer, fax machine and telephone set. Marketing considerations Marketing plan In the commodity brokerage business, there is a high need of marketing to let people know that a new venture is established in this industry providing value added services other than the core activity of assisting and facilitating clients in buying and selling process of rice. The marketing of this firm focuses more on relationship building, communicating value and delivering on trustworthy promises to clients. Segmentation approaches Demographic Industry type There are no barriers to entry in the rice industry because it is a commodity market which comes into the market every year with no limitations on purchasing and selling this commodity. It is a still growing industry and people are still coming into this industry to settle their business. There are very least government restrictions on this industry because rice contribute to major part of our country exports. Company size Due to fewer barriers to entry, everybody regardless of what capital s/he has in the pocket can enter in this industry and can trade rice. Based on this fact, there are too many variations in company size. There are firms which supply rice to small scale retailers and there are firms which are rice mill owners and large scale exporters. The company size may vary from PKR: 100,000/- to PKR: 100 million worth of firm. Location Almost all rice traders do their business in the area of New Chaali (behind I.I Chundrigarh road) and some of them are in Jodia Bazaar. Rice mills are situated throughout the province of Sind but they fulfill the requirements of nearby areas. The rice mills in the area of Gharo and Hyderabad are major supplier of rice to Karachi. Most of the mill owners have offices in Karachi at the above said areas. Operating variables Technology There is no such technology employed as standard in the rice industry but different firms in this industry are using computer software to maintain their books of records, accounting, billing and other related activities. For a private limited company it is necessary to employ software to maintain operational and non-operational activities. For the rice mill owners, new mills are being set up with latest improved technology equipments/machinery to do rice processing in a more efficient and cost effective manner. Customer capabilities Customer capabilities vary from customer to customer. The trade volume varies from 0.5 metric tons to tens of metric tons of rice. Purchasing approaches Purchasing department Some large scale rice trading firms have separate purchasing department which have a huge annual turnover as compared to others, while small scale traders do not have separate purchase department. Most of the firms in rice industry are seth owned and they run their business in a typical seth way. They are responsible for all buying and selling activities. However, accounting activities are assigned to other employees but activities such as purchasing, negotiation, making payments and collecting payments are done by seth himself. Purchasing policies Almost all buyers purchase rice on credit, there are very few who purchase on cash. In Pakistan rice industry, rice buyers make payments to the suppliers/sellers within 30 days but on an average the credit period may extend to 45 days. Purchasing criteria There is no specific purchasing criterion for buying rice. Rice is being bought and sold in the market in a much simpler way, just make a phone call to a broker, s/he will note down buyers requirements, the broker will arrange rice for the client and negotiate on payment terms and conditions with the buyer, receives advance amount of money to conform the deal, finalize the deal and supply the rice to buyers warehouse. Situational factors Urgency For rice exporters, the concerned bank personnel, through which international letter of credit (ILOC) is opened and maintained by importer sitting abroad, checks the quality of rice being exported to assure whether the quality of rice meets the requirements of the importer. If those quality controllers reject the rice for not meeting the required quality, then in order to avoid disappointed customers and delayed shipments exporters rush to the rice market and rice brokers to fulfill the order of the importer. At this instance, targeting such exporters who make mistakes in performing quality control check of rice may be profitable for rice brokerage venture. Size of order If rice market falls short of rice then every trader will buy rice to stock it and then sell at higher rates to make more profits. This is very critical moment in the market and most of the traders want to take advantage of such opportunity, but such decision are based upon environmental scanning and quantity of rice exported versus domestic consumption and availability. In such scenario the size of order increases from normal orders that rice traders used to place for purchasing rice in normal situations. Personal characteristic Buyer-seller similarity There are a lot of similar characteristics among the traders in the rice industry. A buyer wants to buy and a seller wants to sell and the business goes on. The basic similarity among them is that everybody has to agree upon a specific on going market rate. Attitude towards risk There is no higher level of risk involved in the rice trade business because this is a commodity business. The rates of rice do fluctuate on daily basis but not at a higher level. The major increase in rates of rice occurs due to higher exports local/domestic market fall short of rice. Risk is involved when rice is sold at credit and buyer becomes defaulter in making payments to the supplier/seller. All rice traders are aware of risks involved in this business but they believe that trust is the key driving factor of this business and they trust each other despite of having knowledge of all risks involved. Loyalty There is no brand involved in the rice business to which loyalty can be associated. Business people in this industry are loyal to traders who are providing best services to their clients rather than just selling rice which can be done by providing value in their services. Target market selection strategy The rice brokerage venture will adapt full market coverage strategy to meet the needs of all traders of rice because no such customer group is identified in the market that do not want or need to buy or sell rice to run their business. Marketing mix strategies Service description The service to be provided by the proposed venture is to facilitate buyer and seller to look for each other, to fulfill their business needs of rice and making rice available for them at best prices so that they may run their business profitably. The service charges are 0.5% of the overall amount of the rice being bought and sold, which will be charged from each client for a single deal transaction. This venture also caters to the rice mill owners by helping them to look for potential buyers of their processed rice. The said venture will also provide its services to rice growers and so that farmers and landlords may sell rice to rice mill owners at best rates and after processing the rice will be passed on to different channels for furthering its supply into the market. According to product lifecycle, the rice brokerage business is at growth stage. Pricing The cost of service to be charged from clients is based on going-rate pricing strategy. This pricing strategy is chosen for this venture because all competitors in the rice brokerage service industry are charging same rate of commission from buyers and sellers, therefore premium pricing and other pricing strategies will not be feasible for this type of venture. The value that client will get after using our services will help us to build and maintain our clientele base through word of mouth marketing. At the initial stage, the most feasible pricing strategy will be going-rate pricing in order to survive and maximizing sales growth. Promotion All the promotional strategies for this venture focus on partnering with clients, value added selling, consultative selling and building long term sustainable relationship with the clients. All advertising will be done by personal visits to buyers and sellers premises so that interpersonal relationships can be strengthened by personal selling. To make promotional activities strategies more effective, efficient and result oriented we will try to concentrate on customers, preparing ourselves for gathering information about competition, convince the clients about our services by providing guarantee and by delivering on the promises, offering benefits to the clients and handle objections of the clients by listening to them about our offered services which will help us to mould our services according to each client needs. Place Overall marketing strategy Nowadays, business persons have become smart enough to opt for forward and backward integration. Traders buying and selling at large scale do not necessarily engage a rice broker for their trading operations. In such scenario, creating a place in the industry and market place can be a challenging and trivial task. To gain success, following strategies will be implemented for the business of rice brokerage business. Strategy 1 Continuous visits to large and small scale rice traders for prospecting and give them information about advantages associated with services offered by a rice brokerage firm while providing them value in each service, cutting down costs in warehousing and storage of rice, making process of looking for buyers and sellers easy and enabling them to meet each business entity annual revenue targets and turnover goals. Strategy 2 Creating a database of all existing and potential clients to keep individuals up-to-date record of all previous transactions, their feedback about services they have received which will enable us to take corrective measures to further improve on strategy and level of service. Tactics Regularly monitoring and evaluating of current market activities and to take actions accordingly in order to survive in the challenging business environment. Legal considerations and business structure Type of firm The legal form of entrepreneural venture into consideration is sole propreitorship because there are no complex legal requirements of establishing a rice brokerage venture. At the very start of establishing such service providing venture, we need a high level of direct control over operations and processes of business to convince and satisfy our clients about our services. Terms and conditions Goods are delivered at owners risk Seller of rice isnot responsible for any kind of unpleasant event regarding delivery of rice to buyers destination 50% of service charges, which is commission in this case, will be charged at the rate of 0.5% of trade amount from each party, and the rest will be paid by the parties after successful execution and completion of the deal. Transportation charges are to be borne by the buyer Payment agreement will be carried out according to mutual understanding of both parties The broker itself is not responsible for quality of rice not meeting buyers quality needs and requirements. However, we will try our level best to assure our clients about delivery of rice of reqired quality as decided at the time of finalizing the deal Buyout A successful entrepreneur is the person who plans for a good profitable future and not forgetting to plan for coping up with challenges due to changing external environment. Therefore, in the worst case scenario if the propreitor end up doing business with heavy losses then it is easy to exit from this business by shutting down the firm. Despite increased effective tax rate, unlimited liability and difficulties in raising funds, sole propreitorship form of organization still seems to be feasible for this venture. Legal documents The basic legal documents for a sole propreitor venture are; National Tax Number (NTN) Sales Tax Registration Number (STRN) Tax considerations Financial considerations Startup costs SOURCES OF CAPITAL Owners Investment (name and percent ownership) PKR Raj Kumar 100% ownership 1,635,000 Total Investment 1,635,000 STARTUP EXPENSES Capital Equipment List PKR Furniture (tables and chairs) 15,000 Equipment (computer, printer, fax telephone) 18,650 Fixtures (fans and lighting) 7,000 Total Capital Equipment 40,650 Location and Admin Expenses PKR Rental 15,000 Advance deposit 180,000 Telephone connection charges 600 Mobile phone 1,200 Stationary 2,580 Total Location and Admin Expenses 199,380 Advertising and Promotional Expenses PKR Advertising 10,000 Travel/entertainment 10,000 Total Advertising/Promotional Expenses 20,000 Reserve for Contingencies 20,000 Working Capital SUMMARY STATEMENT Sources of Capital PKR Owners investments 1,635,000 Total Source of Funds 1,635,000 Startup Expenses PKR Capital equipment 40,650 Location/administration expenses 199,380 Advertising/promotional expenses 20,000 Contingency fund 20,000 Working capital Total Startup Expenses 280,030

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Report of Quantitative Research Essay -- Research Analysis

EL (English Learners) students are given an added challenge of succeeding in the education system do to their lack of strong English understanding and abilities. Authors Townsend, D. and Collins, P. published the findings of their research on EL students and the advantages of a specialized learning program. Over a period of several months, the researchers studied and worked with students from a middle school in southern California. At the end of the study, it was hoped that their efforts would lead to an improvement in the students who participated in the programs understanding of English vocabulary words. Research Questions/Hypotheses No specific hypothesis is noted, but the researchers do address the issues that drive the study. They state that the current study is concerned with, â€Å"applying evidence-based strategies in a new context: adolescent EL students learning general academic vocabulary words† (Townsend and Collins, 2009, p.997). The study also addresses, â€Å"the extent to which there is a threshold of English proficiency necessary for students to learn general academic vocabulary words† (Townsend and Collins, 2009, p. 997). These issues are addressed by the following research question: 1. Can an after-school, evidence-based academic vocabulary development intervention increase the academic vocabulary knowledge of middle school EL? 2. To what extent does English learners’ proficiency in English mediate their response to a vocabulary development intervention? It was hoped by studying a group of middle school students over a period that they would see growth in those student who participated in a program designed to add English vocabulary comprehension to their academic development would help them as EL students. T... ...s a great need to continue and accelerate the research and instructional efforts to support the academic literacy development of adolescent EL students† (p. 1015). A study that incorporates greater elements of vocabulary, reading comprehension, and time, is perceived to be needed in order to improve EL learner’s education. Townsend and Collins believe that there research can lead to much needed further research and that this can in turn help EL students achieve in a greater educational level. Works Cited Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2009). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill (Pearson). Townsend, D. & Collins, P. (2009). Academic vocabulary and middle school English learners: An intervention study. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 22, 993-1019.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Frederick Douglass Learning to Read Essay

In Frederick Douglass’s narrative essay, â€Å"Learning to Read,† he explains how he taught himself how to read and write. His slave owners did not want him to earn an education, since they feared a slave who thought independently. I believe Douglass does not have an enabling figure in his life because he taught himself, through challenging other children, how to read and write. This was the stepping stone to achieving his education. Douglass overcame various obstacles in his life, such as learning to read and write, and gaining his freedom. Initially, his mistress tutored him, but turned cold-hearted and quit. Luckily, Douglass befriended the little white boys who helped teach him to read. For example, Douglass claimed, â€Å"The plan which I adopted and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers† (Douglass 347). With the aid of the white boys in the neighborhood, Douglass successfully learned to read; in other words, he creatively manipulated a negative obstacle into a powerful tool. As Douglass became more interested in reading, he contrived little steps to build his writing techniques to a climax. His masters worried that if a slave were to get an education they could endure ideas that would be harmful. He started to read newspapers and books in the free time he had between errands. This being, as Frederick began to read more he discovered what it really meant to be a slave. He started to wonder why he would not be free, unlike the other white boys. Douglass began to despise his masters because he considered that everyone should have the freedom to be educated. Thus, as Douglass worked in the ship-yard, he became more familiar with the alphabet. After learning his first four letters, he began to compose words consisting of them. Next, he would challenge other boys in the neighborhood whether they could write better than him. For example, Douglass expresses, â€Å"I would then make the letters which I had been so fortunate as to learn, and ask him to beat that. In this way I got a good many lessons in writing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Douglass 349). This being said, Douglass learned how to write successfully with the lessons learned from challenging the other boys. In conclusion, Douglass recognized the inequality that his masters were making because they thought that slavery and education were not  compatible. Succeeding at reading gave him the power to make his own decisions in discovering who he really was. His perseverance emphasizes that the only teacher, who taught him to read and write, was himself.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Aztec Origins and the Founding of Tenochtitlan

The origins of the Aztec Empire are part legend, part archaeological and historical fact. When the Spanish conquistador Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s arrived in Basin of Mexico in 1517, he found that the Aztec Triple Alliance, a strong political, economic and military pact, controlled the basin and indeed much of central America. But where did they come from, and how did they get to be so powerful? The Origins of the Aztecs The Aztecs, or, more properly, the Mexica as they called themselves, were not originally from the Valley of Mexico but rather migrated from the north. They called their homeland Aztlan, The Place of Herons., but Aztlan is a location which has not as yet been identified archaeologically and was likely at least partly mythical. According to their own records, the Mexica and other tribes were known as a group as the Chichimeca, left their homes in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States because of a great drought. This story is told in several surviving codices (painted folding books), in which the Mexica are shown carrying with them the idol of their patron deity Huitzilopochtli. After two centuries of migration, at around AD 1250, the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico. Today, the Basin of Mexico is filled with the sprawling metropolis of Mexico City; but underneath the modern streets are the ruins of Tenochtitlà ¡n, the site where the Mexica settled, and the capital city for the Aztec empire. Basin of Mexico Before the Aztecs When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, it was far from an empty place. Because of its wealth of natural resources, the valley has been continuously occupied for thousands of years, the first known substantial occupation established at least as early as the second century BC. The Valley of Mexico lies ~2,100 meters (7,000 feet) above sea level, and it is surrounded by high mountains, some of which are active volcanoes. Water coursing down in streams from these mountains created a series of shallow, marshy lakes that provided a rich source for animals and fish, plants, salt and water for cultivation. Today the Valley of Mexico is almost entirely covered by the monstrous expansion of Mexico City: but there were ancient ruins as well as thriving communities when the Aztecs arrived, including the abandoned stone structures of two major cities: Teotihuacan and Tula, both referred to by the Aztecs as the Tollans. Teotihuacà ¡n: Almost a thousand years before the Aztecs, the huge and carefully planned city of Teotihuacà ¡n (occupied between 200 BC and AD 750) flourished there. Today Teotihuacan is a popular archaeological site a few miles north of modern Mexico City that attracts thousands of tourists each year. The word Teotihuacà ¡n is a Nahuatl (the language spoken by the Aztecs) word meaning The Birthplace of the Gods. We dont know its real name, but the Aztecs gave this name to the city because it was a sacred place associated with the legendary origins of the world. Tula: Another city that developed in the Valley of Mexico before the Aztecs was the city of Tula, the early post-classic capital of the Toltecs between AD 950 and 1150. The Toltecs were considered by the Aztecs to be the ideal rulers, brave warriors who excelled in the arts and sciences. Tula was so revered by the Aztecs that the king Motecuhzoma (aka Montezuma) sent people to dig up Toltec objects for use in the temples at Tenochtitlà ¡n. The Mexica were awestruck by the massive structures built by the Tollans, considering Teotihuacan to be the sacred setting for the creation of the current world or Fifth Sun. The Aztecs carried away and reused objects from the sites: more than 40 Teotihuacan-style objects have been found in offerings within Tenochtitlans ceremonial precinct. Aztec Arrival in Tenochtitlà ¡n When the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico about 1200 AD, both Teotihuacà ¡n and Tula had been abandoned for centuries; but other groups were already settled on the best land. These were groups of Chichimecs, related to the Mexica, who had migrated from the north in earlier times. The late-coming Mexica were forced to settle on the inhospitable hill of Chapultepec or Grasshopper Hill. There they became vassals of the city of Culhuacan, a prestigious city whose rulers were considered the heirs of the Toltecs. As acknowledgment for their assistance in battle, the Mexica were given one of the daughters of the King of Culhuacan to be worshiped as a goddess/priestess. When the king arrived to attend the ceremony, he found one of the Mexica priests dressed in the flayed skin of his daughter: the Mexica reported to the king that their God Huitzilopochtli had asked for the sacrifice of the princess. The sacrifice and flaying of the Culhua Princess provoked a ferocious battle, which the Mexica lost. They were forced to leave Chapultepec and move to some marshy islands in the middle of the lake. Tenochtitlà ¡n: Living in a Marshland After they were forced out of Chapultepec, according to the Mexica myth, the Aztecs wandered for weeks, searching for a place to settle. Huitzilopochtli appeared to the Mexica leaders and indicated a place where a great eagle was perched on a cactus killing a snake. This place, smack dab in the middle of a marsh with no proper ground at all, was where the Mexica founded their capital, Tenochtitlà ¡n. The year was 2 Calli (Two House) in the Aztec calendar, which translates in our modern calendars to AD 1325. The apparently unfortunate position of their city, in the middle of a marsh, actually facilitated economic connections and protected Tenochtitlà ¡n from military attacks by restricting access to the site by canoe or boat traffic. Tenochtitlà ¡n grew rapidly as both a commercial and military center. The Mexica were skillful and fierce soldiers and, despite the story of the Culhua princess, they were also able politicians who created solid alliances with the surrounding cities. Growing a Home in the Basin The city grew rapidly, with palaces and well-organized residential areas and aqueducts providing fresh water to the city from the mountains. At the center of the city stood the sacred precinct with ball courts, schools for nobles, and priests quarters. The ceremonial heart of the city and of the whole empire was the Great Temple of Mexico-Tenochtitlà ¡n, known as the Templo Mayor or Huey Teocalli (the Great House of the Gods). This was a stepped pyramid with a double temple on top dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, the main deities of the Aztecs. The temple, decorated with bright colors, was rebuilt many times during Aztec history. The seventh and final version was seen and described by Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s and the conquistadors. When Cortà ©s and his soldiers entered the Aztec capital on November 8, 1519, they found one of the largest cities in the world. Sources Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst Berdan FF. 2014. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press.Healan D. 2012. The Archaeology of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico. Journal of Archaeological Research 20(1):53-115.Smith ME. 2013. The Aztecs. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.Van Tuerenhout DR. 2005, The Aztecs: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO Inc.