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Dissertation Prospectus

A Reciprocal Investigation of Charter School Leadership Qualities and Style

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Dissertation Prospectus

Introduction The leaders or administrators of any school are supposedly responsible for the academic successes of their forts. Modern academic trends demand that they also be up to date with curriculum application processes, discipline handling means and the public relation tools necessary to deal with ever demanding parents (Marlow, 2007). Marlow (2007) observes that charter schools’ heads have a responsibility to all stakeholders to make clear and concise communication. Involvement with the community is also crucial as is having character traits like decency, perseverance, honesty, respect and empathy (Marlow, 2007). The distinguishing factor in charter schools is their innovativeness in teaching techniques and learning methods, as opposed to the regulation bound public schools. Charter schools introduce a new dimension in as far as control and freedom in creativity and curriculum development is concerned (Zimmer & Buddin, 2007). The skills possessed by the leaders in these schools have significance in that they are not leaders in only instruction methods but will also fill in as financial and operational managers of their respective institutions. By the mere fact that these schools are mostly start-ups, there exists no set system that they must follow, thus, the onus of developing and maintaining the financial, operational and instruction modules to be adhered to mainly falls with the leadership. Zimmer and Buddin (2007) observe that the leaders, thus, have to shoulder the responsibilities of management, principal and leader of instructions. The profiling of the techniques and qualities of leadership style among charter schools in Florida is the main goal of this study. This profiling is necessary owing to the high turnover rates for students, low test scores in National and state tests as well as high levels of parent dissatisfaction. The profiling will enable the development of a best-practices guide to act as a benchmark for future charter school leaders.

Background of the Study According to the Texas Education Agency (2005), a third of the students in public schools in Texas who had previously been considered to be at risk and were in Charter schools passed the Texas skills and knowledge Assessment Test. By 2006, December, out of 249 charter schools, 56 had had their charters revoked or considered in an otherwise unfavorable manner. This is an indication of the mixed results emerging from charter schools. Marlow (2007) attributes this to the different leadership styles applied by the schools’ leaders. Though both charter schools and public schools are funded through public means, the major difference between the two is that more flexibility in curriculum development is enjoyed by the charter schools and that an individual or group of individuals can start a charter school. The charter schools may develop around various focus areas; particular teaching methodology e.g. the Montessori method, specific subjects e.g. the arts, math etc., aimed at a particular demography such as students ‘at risk’, theme based curricula’s e.g. the environment or personnel policies e.g. merit based pay for teachers. The leaders of these schools are only tasked with an extra obligation of ensuring better results in exchange for more freedom and are also required to seek charter renewal every five years (Griffin & Wohlstetter, 2001). The main reason behind the establishment of these schools was the provision of more educational options to the students. Due to the fact that they are not limited geographically, they provide potentially better performing options for low income families. The TCER report of 2007 informs that even with these advantages, charter schools only enroll 2% of the student population, and this is attributed to their low capacity and tendency to be small in size. Leaders in charter schools are likely to have time limitations, and as such spend less time in instructional leadership and guidance to teachers. Peebles (2007) notes that such time constrictions eventually cause weak organizational culture development and hence Objectives, goals and timelines in teaching become hazy with time constraints and the teachers do not find time to prepare for learning activities. Though this is mostly a universal problem in school leadership, the ideal situation would be where leaders and teachers would have ample time not only to deal with student’s issues but also address leadership and cultural organization issues (Peebles, 2007).With all these challenges, charter school leaders enjoy a unique position where they could act both as coaches and life mentors. They are capable of being more active as participants in teacher’s professional advancement than their peers in other schools (Zimmer & Buddin, 2007). They also enjoy the discretion of deciding the time load for each subject as well as the durations for school days and terms. They also exercise discretion on how long a subject is to be studied (Zimmer & Buddin, 2007).

Problem StatementWhat constitutes a successful and well-rounded leader for efficient running of a charter school is not well known, the issue is further worsened by the many variant hurdles the leadership has to overcome in creating and implementing such a school. The roles of the school heads are ever expanding, and their duties and tasks continue expanding making it a hard task to meet all the daily demands to their time (Rutherford, 2006). Specifically, the closure of charter schools by the state is of utmost concern. Thus, the leaders and other stakeholders need developed guides from the experiences of peers who have implemented successful curricula for their students. This study will investigate the leadership skills and styles employed by some of the more successful leaders of charter schools in Florida.

Purpose of the Study The purpose of the qualitative research study will be to gather, sort, analyze and present interpretations on data collected about skills in effective leadership among leaders of various chartered schools in Florida. The research will employ a qualitative approach since the hypothesis involves a human scenario which is open ended and as thus will open broader perspectives (Creswell, 2005). Interviews will be the most ideal data collection means.

Research Questions and Phenomena The study will more specifically seek to answer the following Questions. This is from the observation that charter schools are faced by the problem of scarcity in materials, personnel, support, space and poor anticipation of various needs from all stakeholders (Downing, Spencer and Cavallo, 2004, P.18). Zimmer and Buddin (2007) observe that the major benchmark for charter schools is the continued renewal of their charters for long consecutive periods. This is mainly because the charter committees have well established scales through which they measure all aspects of the schools performance. For this research, the successful school will thus be considered as those who have been in existence for long periods and have been consistent in their performance rating by the charter committee.

Research Questions and Phenomena Description

R1: What are the leadership skills employed by successful charter school leaders in effectively managing their schools.

R2: What issues or concerns influence the thinking of these school leaders once they have functional organizations?

Significance of the StudyA reciprocal analysis of the leadership qualities exhibited by the leaderships of various charter schools will assist in formulating the best practice guideline. The guideline will be applicable to future and current leaders in assessing their decisions. Knowing what caused failure or success will also aid in firewalling against possible shortcomings that could lead to deregistration or school collapse. Further, the trend of under par performance by students in these schools could be significantly reduced with school leaders formulating blue prints based on best practices.

Preliminary Review of the LiteratureAccording to a 2004 report from the U.S. department of education, a charter school is a public school operated and designed by private person(s) and/or organizations. They have the leeway to operate within or outside the public school programme but with monitoring from state or local school authorities (Estes, 2006). They give more opportunities to students, choice to parents and flexible innovativeness to teachers. Leadership is crucial in this sector since leaders provide managerial skills and act as educators. Successes in these schools as businesses and educational facets could be directly attributed to the leaders (Zimmer & Buddin, 2007). Qualitative study is the most appropriate mode since the aim is to understand the skills necessary to increase creativity and innovativeness leaders might apply to broaden methods in instructional delivery. The following will be broadly analyzed.

What is the most effective combination of leadership skills for effective management of a Charter school?

Do these sets of skills occur naturally to some and are absent in others? Could these skills be learnt and internalized as a set of best practices in all schools?Research MethodologyThis qualitative study will involve the use of questionnaires and person-to-person interviews in trying to achieve its objectives. It is seen as desirable to use qualitative methods since it describes the incidence from the participant’s viewpoint (Creswell, 2005). This can be contrasted to quantitive techniques that use narrow lineation to assign numeric values to experiences. The research can further be defined as non-experimental in that the aim is not to test or set out to define a relationship between different variables.

Research DesignThe research will seek to interview leaders of successful charter schools in Florida that can be considered to have ‘at risk’ students. These students are those with more probability of dropping out of school due to various factors. Geographically, the research will be within the boundaries of Florida. Consent will be sought from the participants with complete information being supplied to them. Confidentiality of their response will be fundamental, and anonymity will be assured where sought.

Sources of Data

The interviews will be conducted in real time through person to person interviews, where resources cannot allow, the researcher will arrange to interview the principals over the phone or on the various online channels that allow for video calls. The interview questions will be open ended, and an introduction letter together with a consent form will be provided to the respondents. The researcher will seek permission from the respondents to record these conversations for further analysis and where such permission is not granted, simple note taking will be carried out. The researcher will arrange follow up meetings to get more clarification if an issue so demands.

Data Collection Procedures

The study will seek to interview at least ten principals of successful charter schools with ‘at risk’ students within Texas. The interview questions will be formulated in a way that gathers sufficient information on the leadership skills that might lead to success in charter schools. The researcher will use a self administered questionnaire to guide the data collection process.

Data Analysis Procedures

The questionnaires will be reviewed exhaustively and coding of key phrases and words done. The QSR international made NVivo8 software will be used to analyze the data.

Ethical Considerations

The research will follow the informed consent approach to research. All respondents will be informed of the use of the information that they will provide. The respondents will have the discretion on whether to provide their names, the name of the institution, and position held. All information given will be handled with utmost confidentiality.

ReferencesTop of Form

Brouillette, L. (2002). Charter schools: Lessons in school reform. Mahwah, N.J: L. Erlbaum Associates.Top of Form

Buddin, R., & Zimmer, R. (June 06, 2005). Student Achievement in Charter Schools: A Complex Picture. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 24, 2, 351-371.Bottom of ForBottom of FormTop of FormTop of Form

Bulkley, K. E., & Wohlstetter, P. (2004). Taking account of charter schools: What’s happened and what’s next?. New York: Teachers College Press. Top of Form

Fuller, B. (2000). Inside charter schools: The paradox of radical decentralization. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.Top of Form

Gerstner, L. V. (1994). Reinventing education: Entrepreneurship in America’s public schools. New York: Dutton. Top of Form

Griffin, N. C., & Wohlstetter, P. (April 01, 2001). Building a Plane While Flying It: Early Lessons from Developing Charter Schools. Teachers College Record, 103, 2, 336-65.Bottom of FBottom of Form

Lynch, S., & Colorado. (2008). Colorado charter schools special education compliance plan guidelines: Negotiating new and renewal charter contracts for Colorado charter schools. Denver, Colo: Colorado Dept. of Education, Exceptional Student Leadership Unit.

Marlow, E. (2007). Preparing school administrators. Reading Improvement, 44, 149-152.

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Rutherford, D. (2006). The Cambridge companion to early modern philosophy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

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Government

Author

Institution

A presidential election, in America, constitutes two results: the electoral and the popular vote. The popular vote constitutes the voters’ choice for the vice president and president while the electoral vote constitutes the electors’ choice; electors are political party representatives. The electoral vote acts as the chief deciding vote for vice president and president, which is in accordance with the constitution (Shea, 2007). In order to get the electoral vote, political parties select their popular party candidates, who usually has a strong attachment with the party presidential candidate; the process of selecting electors is different depending on state. After winning the electoral vote, these electors vote for their own party presidential candidate.

One of the chief advantages of the electoral college is that it influences the manner in which campaigns are run. It takes a campaign into state by state battlefields. In case the electoral college was not there, candidates would probably ignore rural areas and concentrate on the media so as to obtain a maximum number of voters (Shea, 2007). On the other hand, the electoral college bars true democracy through limiting the number of political parties that are capable of competing in presidential elections. Besides, the electoral college permits candidates to take states for granted, if voters in those states consistently vote for one party in national elections. Therefore, the current electoral college process should be changed.

The electoral college system may work without formally abolishing it, but through changing the manner in which the system works. A proposal to such a change would be proportional representation. In such a system, the citizens would vote for parties, which present the electorate with their platforms. After the election, the parties become awarded with the number of seats proportional to the votes that they earn. It is after this that the parliament can select the executives (DeLaney, 2011).

Although the electoral college helps in the representation of the minority, it is not democratic enough since political parties with an interest of flagging a presidential candidate may not do so since many parties fielding a presidential candidate are likely to lose in the electoral votes (DeLaney, 2011). Therefore, many parties participating are likely to become spoilers of the election. The electoral college may end up presenting a president that majority voters do not want on the basis of his incapacity to lead.

References

DeLaney, A. (2011). Politics For Dummies. New York : Wiley & Sons.

Shea, T. (2007). America’s Electoral College: Choosing the President, comparing and analyzing charts, graphs, and tables. New York: Rosen Pub. Group’s PowerKids Press.

A Recreation Program for a Therapeutic Patient

Name

Institution

Contextual Environment

The category of the organization, which I am establishing a curative recreational course is Moses Montefiore home located in Randwick. This association handles supported living for persons with or those not having disabilities. The elderly in this association have right of entry to care provided they encompass are physically handicapped.

Philosophy of Organization

The philosophy of the association is quality of life as well as promoting values. The aspects of quality of life are solitude, poise, comfort, purposeful competences, self-sufficiency, religious and culture welfare, enjoyment, independence, connections, security and lastly significant activities that assist residents to perk up their progresses and their emotions.

Policies/Principles

In addition, their supporting principles are distinction in care, solidarity, respect, expressive sustenance, nonstop growth, education and staff increase, investigation and best practice, discussion, society, safe surroundings and corporate.

Mission of Organization

The overriding mission of this association is to augment the superiority of the life of the elderly Jewish society, by giving an outstanding standard of service along with care, and boosting the affluence of the Jewish civilization and custom. Following an investigation by social scientists, the verdicts incorporated that a majority of the Jews who are elderly suffer several physical disabilities, which instigated their life doomed. In line with this research, a number of non-Governmental organizations worked out better methods of tackling the troubles of the elderly. Among these strategies comprises of setting up of supported living homes aiming the disabled and elderly Jews. The Jewish society advocates for supporting one another being a Christian civilization with numerous accounts of Jesus Christ (Judith, 1993).

Client Group Served

The Montefiore quarter is for elderly people having or not having disabilities plus they encompass divisions that rely on their capability of moving and performing things. The association gets its customers from the civilization where well wishers tender them to the association. After welcoming this people, analysis is the initial step to institute whether they have any additional difficulty excluding the physical disability.

Goals

Montefiore home has established set unique goals to direct everybody in the association in to a direction of attaining the set goals. The Montefiore association has a viewpoint of care centered on capitalizing on the inhabitants’ quality of life. The goal of restorative recreation experts is to encourage chances for articulateness; sense of belonging; social communication; fine or unpleasant motor abilities; sensory inspiration; exploitation of the imaginative skills; build self-worth; cognitive stimulation; focus dexterity and sense of accomplishment.

Resources (Human/Material/Technological)

The materials along with technical resources are exact for every activity. They consist of Craft tools, paint brushes, manuscripts, scissors, trimmings and glue. The music-instruments consist of (piano and violin); CD recorder and song book. There are as well numerous other resources, for example, table game; scrabble, as well as, quiz-questions. Undeniably, the activity surrounding is a space established that does not have throw traffic; the category and layout of seating around a table, horseshoe chairs; tools establishment (basin mats and chairs, design of the table paraphernalia, piano with regard to partakers); employment of music CD recorders and players and the musical category.

The Corporate Culture

The personnel of Montefiore home gets refresher classes whether specialized or not. Most of the elderly persons subsist differently from a normal person’s life, where a majority of them have several exceptional needs commencing with diet (Ian & Hetherington, 2010). The association’s managing structures, policies and processes and promoting values centers on delivering the components concerned with value of life. The value of life of each occupant in Montefiore habitat is the primary main concern in any process and curriculum of the association. Everyone who is dedicated to supporting these citizens must put up with the directives set to attain the objectives of the organization. To attain these objectives, well-wishers contribute goodies for assisting the programs.

The Montefiore association presents music analysts, dancers, performers, and nurses who maintain and assist the elderly all through the activities. The objective of the activities, which therapeutic recreation experts do is to uphold chances for lucidity; sense of belonging; societal relations; fine or gross motor expertise; sensory motivation; exploitation of the imaginative skills; build self-worth; cognitive motivation; focus skills and sense of attainment. In truth, the activity plan centers on the residents’ requirements and their civilization of Jewish background.

Montefiore activity strategy accesses the member appropriateness and interest from societal profile, as well as, care plan. In addition, they attempt to classify the inhabitants’ actions as well as notify them of laws, demonstrate the appropriate activities, skills and absorption abilities of the inhabitants. In this association, there is a schedule with dates and time for the Jewish fiesta festivities. The Sound operation system in the Lounge room has a precise design. This design in the room has three diverse directions. The sound emerging from the presenter is capable of reaching the residents.

The home encompasses five floors; the primary floor is utilized in laundry and cooking activities. The following floor is utilized as being the reception area and management offices. The third floor is an amalgamation of a boarding house and special treatment for those customers having horrible behaviors. The fourth floor encompasses a treatment home where all sicknesses diagnosis and individual treatment by nurses along with Doctors are offered. The last floor is a boarding house where assistance depending on gender is given to the inhabitants. At different instances, the inhabitants discuss the sixth floor that materializes like an unreal floor for the deceased occupants (Anker, 2001). For example, when an occupant passes away, the members articulate that the person has travelled to the sixth floor.

The Management Plan for the Case Study

Management issues

Environment selection and structure

The hospital is designed to sustain and facilitate state-of-the-art medication and knowledge, patient wellbeing, and standard patient care, and also to host the patient, relatives, and caregivers in a psycho-socially accommodating therapeutic environment. The characteristic of the substantial environment in which a client receives care influences patient outcomes, patient fulfillment, patient wellbeing, staff effectiveness, staff happiness, and organizational outcomes. Therefore, a healthcare setting is therapeutic when it supports clinical fineness in the cure of the physical body and produces assessable positive influences on patients’ medical outcomes and staff efficiency. Montefiore home is situated in a storey building which has five floors in Montefiore home; the first base is for laundry and kitchen where tidiness and food preparation takes place. The next floor is for reception and management offices. The third storey is an arrangement of a hostel and individual care for those patients with the worst conducts. The fourth floor contains a tending home where all ailments identification and individual healing are taken care of by nurses and Doctors (Anker, 2001).

Quality management (monitoring, assessment, action, follow up and feedback)

The information of the patient whom I attended to was called Julie, who was 92 years old born on, 20th October 1919. The patient is currently not obtaining any advanced care from other doctors but previously stayed at Montefiore home. Julie suffered from a fractured arm and consequently her movement was reduced and, therefore, required assistance in showering and use of toilets. Julie moved to the care hospital because she was unsteady in her balance and could not maintain the body posture at all times. The client is getting medication of some drugs directed to her on an everyday basis that consists of Morphine, pethidine, sulphur and codeine. The hospital requires that the languages of each patient are determined, and it was identified that Julie speaks Spanish, French, Italian, and Arabic (Masson, 1985).

Staff selection and support

Nursing is vital to what is distinctive about Montefiore. The vision holds that the maximum standards of quality in client and family-centered care, which is achieved through teamwork. The nurses contribute in nursing control and are supported by in progress instruction and training that improves professional growth.

Budget/resources

It is the single leading company in the borough, with over 8,000 employees and a yearly budget of $350 million. Its Federal Medicare resources for the aged are the leading of any infirmary in the country.

Time management

All patients are accorded equal time for treatment and check up services by qualified nurses. Time is essential in ensuring that no patient skips the required exercises and, therefore, is managed adequately at the hospital.

Selection and sequencing of activities

Nature, needs, interests and expectation of selected target group

The old patients require specialised treatment that will ensure and enhance quick recovery of the ailments. The interests and expectation of the old clients and their families was to facilitate and restore the happiness of the people concerned.

Aims of quality improvement project

Quality improvement is aimed at offering the better health care service provision to the patients. This is achieved by offering modern treatment to patients and individual attention to each of the clients.

Expected outcomes of quality improvement project

The expected outcome is that all the patients receive quality treatment that enables them to be fit again. This aids in the quality improvement of all the departments that handle the patients.

Sequence of experiences

The sequence of experiences gained helped a lot in the service provision of treatment to the respective patients. This consisted of taking of personal details and history of the sicknesses that the patients experienced.

Teaching/learning methods/strategies (adult learning, guided discovery learning)

Teaching method was through observation and sometimes administration of medication to the clients. This was only applicable in the presence of qualified nurse or care givers at the hospital.

Evaluation

The program has beneficial impacts, which are infrequent in the living homes, which are assisted. This is because it encompasses personalized training, which facilitates for direct interactions since it is unsophisticated. Development of a program aimed at assisting the disabled requires personnel who are knowledgeable through training. This will enable the provision of professional services to clients (Ellenberger, 2000). Therefore, such programs only involve relevant personnel. Also, the programs are characterized by offering of activities, which augment white blood cells production to bolster the immunity to resist predominant diseases. The program, however, has some shortcomings in the there is deterioration of the learning levels as age advances are realized. The program requires close monitoring to avoid strain during the program activities. The client chooses the suitable program their needs hence the program has the priorities of the client. The program incorporates the responses of the client concerning aspects like her hobbies and interests while in school. I observed that the days that I brought colored pictures to her, performance was visibly better. She excited about the program and was impressed by my drawings depicting a dog, which she positively identified. This activity aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of the client ensuring a better life brought about positive outcomes, which were encouraging. This is based on the evaluation outcomes of the program derived from the responses of the client. The program is straightforward and involves the implementation of tasks, which are simplistic in nature. The program will strive to develop the talent that is naturally existent in the client and interests, without the employment of medication or chemicals due to the concern of side effects. There will be a corporation between the administration and clients involved in the program to bolster the realization of positive developments and ensure comfort for the client during their living days. The effects of dementia can be minimized through interactive sessions and reminding the client constantly on forgotten issues. Physical therapy will facilitate a hastened recovery of fracture. This is, however, dependent on the corporation rendered by the client, which is imperative at this stage. The ability of clients to participate in painting pictures is a plausible occurrence in the program. If the overall program achieves success, it shall be afforded to other clients facing similar conditions. This will be, however, dependent on various factors including age among other circumstances. Outcomes expected from recreation and leisure programs are integrated with simplified activities, which may include perusal of photo albums to enhance learning. The [program will be availed to other individual based on their interests on activities like plaiting, decorating, weaving and pottery.

Personal Comments

The Experience

The program has enabled me to outline the experiences of the elderly in shelters. This is based on the observation of the challenges experienced by the elderly, and how to enhance their livelihoods, to ensure they enjoy a comfortable stay in their last days. This includes involving them in activities, which interest them to bolster their lives quality.

The Value

The program is efficient in ensuring that life’s quality of the home inhabitants is enhanced. This is using various activities, which interest the clients. This will result in the management of symptoms of diseases and also bolster the immune systems, in addition, the clients will become happier hence enjoy life more. The program is, therefore, valuable in ensuring the wellbeing of the clients.

The Future

The future of the program is promising since its expansion will result in better living for home inhabitants. If successful, the program will be replicated across homes ensuring similar benefits for clients.

References

Anker, P. (2001). Imperial Ecology: Environmental Order in the British Empire, 1895-1945.

Cameron, L. (1999). A Nice Type of the English Scientist: Tansley and Freud. History Workshop Journal 1999 (48): 64–10. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Cooper, W. S. (1957). Sir Arthur Tansley and the Science of Ecology. Ecology 38 (4): 658– 659. Dynamic Psychiatry ([Repr.] ed.). New York: Basic Books. pp. 443, 454

Ellenberger, F. (2000). The Discovery of the Unconscious. The history and evolution of dynamic

psychiatry. New York: Basic Books, Inc.

Godwin, H. (1957). Arthur George Tansley. 1871-1955. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the

Royal Society 3: 227–226.

Godwin, H. (1958). Sir Arthur George Tansley, F. R. S. 1871-1955. Journal of Ecology 46 (1): 1–8.

Gowin, H. (1977). Sir Arthur Tansley: The Man and the Subject: The Tansley Lecture, 1976. Journal of Ecology 65 (1): 1–26.

Ian Woodward, F.; Hetherington, A. M. (2010). The New Phytologist Tansley Medal. New Phytologist 186 (2): 263–264.

Joseph, M. (2007). Triumph of the Expert: Agrarian Doctrines of Development and the Legacies of British Colonialism. Ohio University Press. P. 144.

Judith, M. M. (1993). The Evolution and Application of Clinical Theory. Simon and Schuster

Masson, M. (1985). The Complete Letters of Sigmund Freud to Wilhelm Fless, 1887–1904. Harvard University Press, pp. 268, 272.

Pigman, G.W. (April 1995). Freud and the History of Empathy. The International journal of psycho-analysis, 76 (Pt 2): 237–256.

Tansley, A. G. (1947). The Early History of Modern Plant Ecology in Britain. Journal of Ecology 35 (1): 130–137.

Tansley, A. G. (1941). Sigmund Freud. 1856-1939. Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 3 (9): 246–226.

Student’s name

Lecture’s name

Course

Date

The Significance of College Education

Introduction paragraph

Hook: Graduating from college and pursuing desired dreams is one of the most vital and life-changing achievements for college students. Most students value and anticipate graduating from college immediately after starting their first year in their respective learning institutions

Thesis statement: Students from different institutions seek college education due to its significance and relevance in the modern world.

Body paragraphs

1st Topic sentence: Besides expanding students’ knowledge base as far as their course and practicals are concerned, college also helps them identify and align with their career of choice depending on their passions and drive in life.

2nd Topic sentence: Furthermore, a college education provides a platform where students can network and build their portfolios to establish their careers when they are done with school.

3rd Topic sentence: It is easier to secure employment opportunities in the labor force with a degree from a recognized college.

Conclusion

Conclusion: It is undeniable that college education is essential to students in the modern world. Nearly all aspects of life require an individual to have a college degree

The significance of the “Cathedral”

Student’s Name

Institution

The significance of the “Cathedral”

It is right that empathetic people may begin to solve their internal issues through moving out of their comfort zones and allow others to guide them when they offer their mind to someone else as well as start seeing things in other person’s perspective. It is showed in the “Cathedral” an article by Raymond Carver which is touching and talking about the experience of a blind man who had a stay with a couple at their home after losing his beloved wife. What makes human internal being is the way of thinking and doing things. However, in every part of life as well as well-being change is inevitable and people have to take it in the right way so as to be sound in their livelihood.

As one move from one level to another new things and experiences come into being and in many instances they tend to make the internal issues better or worse. Therefore, it is prudent to always make sound choices and consider the utilities that will lead to maximum satisfaction. It is well known that stress and depression are among the fatal stimulants and causes of mental illness. Thus, when having internal stress and other disturbing issues it is recommendable to find people who can either be friends or relatives whom one can share the things with to become relieved.

Trait of the protagonist

The narrator’s wife is loving and compassionate while the narrator is careless and accommodative. “ If you love me, you can do this for me.” She loves both her husband and the blind man as well as understanding that the blind man need her help and it is right to have him in their house. The narrator does not care about the blind man as he had no past experience of such a person but later he goes with her wife’s will of accommodating him. The blind man used to work in an office, have affection sensation as well as making good friends with the people he intermingled with while he had no capability of seeing and distinguishing physically between the right thing and the wrong.

Specific conflicts that links to Character traits

The narrator’s wife significantly affects the life of the blind man and her husband and made them one people who can stay as well as share things together. She was at first a lover to the blind man before getting married to the husband and this could be clearly shown through the romantic poems she used to write, narrating her lifestyle to the blind man through the tapes and her final act of admitting the man into her marital home. “I do not have any blind friend.” The narrator could not believe that he can share a house or spend time with a blind person but through giving his mind to her wife made this possible and he ends up enjoying the stay with the blind man. For instance, they shared many stories about their past and the two men ended up getting into the art of watching the TV and drawing the Cathedral together.

Climax of the conflict and its dynamic change

As elaborated above, it is true that moving out of the comfort zone and giving up someone’s mind to other people can change the internal issues and be a beginning of thinking and doing things differently according to other peoples’ perspective.

A Princess of Mars

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Introduction

Prince of mars is comparable to many other books written in the 19th century. The novel begins with the author discovering a manuscript and remembering his uncle’s memory. Burroughs has used the instrument well to create the legendary of John Cater and later goes direct into the story. The first chapter elaborates John Cater’s journey to mass. He discovers that he is stronger than most people in Mars are. Here Burroughs has portrayed John Cater as a strong character physically who can use his muscles to challenge almost anything (Burroughs, 2010).

Burroughs has used a lot of time describing the outside world and this makes current readers complain that the author is dumping senseless information. There is no need for the reader to complain because this style was even useful in history. At the end of chapter one, John cater falls in love after meeting the princess of mars Dejah Thoris. Burroughs has portrayed John cater as an extraordinary person who is strong and has fallen in love with the princess of mars. Burroughs has portrayed John Cater as an extraordinary person with superior strength, very attractive, intelligent and has problem solving skills. This makes him extraordinary and that there is nothing he cannot do in mars. “It appears as God created Cater from 20 natural people and cater knows how to take advantage of his gift” (Burroughs, 2010). He has established a strategy to transverse in the low gravity of mars. He uses his knowledge of civil war battle in fighting the aliens of different races. The green color of people in mars does not amaze him. John Cater learns to speak alien language despite coming from earth. He was familiar with English as his only language.

It is not shocking that he conquered the conviction of the people around him. He considers the few people who do not like him as evil. The reader knows that Cater will punish them using his sword. The other part of the story is a narration of uniting Carter with Thoris. The two couples separate on the second chapter and the author focuses on bringing them together again (Burroughs, 2010). The author is a leader who leads good aliens against evil aliens. It is interesting to understand that there are honorable aliens as well as evil aliens.

The book is very interesting and world building even though aliens appear more like humans. This is not a failure because most books followed that suit during that time. The author has used the characters consistently hence, the reader cannot stop following the story.

John Cater is a mysterious man from Virginia and a captain who fought in the civil war on the confederate side. During the end of the war, he went looking for gold in Arizona and apaches attacked him. He went to mars miraculously to search for gold. “John Cater disappeared for nine years in mars and people on earth thought that he was dead”. He stunned people when he appeared to settle in a house adjacent to Hudson River. Later he dies and leaves a manuscript for Burroughs, which refers to Cater as his uncle. John leaves his nephew with a manuscript that he is not supposed to publish for anther 21 years. “Cater claims that he does not remember his life before the age of 30 and he has never aged”. He is skilled with a lot of strategy including firearms and weapons. He is physically attractive, with black hair and gray eyes. He is a honorable man courageous and very positive thinking in the inside.

The novel is full of sword fighting and it is an example of 20th century fiction. It is also an example of romantic mars play with science fantasy (Burroughs, 2010). The begging chapters of the book contain western elements. The setting of the story is in Mars and is comparable to a dying desert with harsh conditions. “Mars vision has connections to the works of an astronomer known as Lowell whose ideas were very popular in the 19th and 20th century”. This book became an inspiration to scientist who wanted to discover life out of earth. The novel is a science fantasy but also contains planetary romance associated with swords and witchcraft. Planetary romance is evident during sword fighting and swashbuckling.

The story starts from the west just after the civil war. Carter and his friends are mining gold when Indians ambushed them. Carter escapes to the Top Mountain when his friend was killed but mysterious gases paralyze him. Since he could not move, he desperately and effortlessly looked at his body. It appears as if he has turned into a ghost and has drawn in the red planet. After getting into the planet, he notices that he is more human but has lots of strength that makes him able to walk on low gravity. He has enough energy to fight the aliens. He is strong enough that he fights the aliens without difficulty and reaps off their heads. Carter is daring as he goes to one of the alien’s incubators where he risks his life. “His strength and ability to fight impress the aliens and they decide to take him as a prisoner”. He later learns that the aliens live to fight and respect brutal actions.

Watching John Cater appears to be a disaster since it emanated from confusing circles. The movie has enough visual elements and good production values but its major problem is a lot of story telling. It is difficult to keep track for the many characters that are in the movie. It is quite easy for a person who has read the book princess of mars to understand the movie John Cater. This is because there is direct connection of the movie to the book (Chmielewski & Keegan, 2012). John Cater is a soldier who fought during the civil war but apparently turns to be an animal and uncontrollable. This is partly because of family problems and he is ready to fight anyone and everyone. Circumstances take him to mars where he jumps through the lighter gravity. This ability impresses the fiercest worriers including an energetic princess. “The father’s princess forces her to marry their enemies to create a peaceful relationship”. The overriding question to the reader is whether Cater will be involved in other people’s battles. “This epic production is so physically bona fide that it is tricky to tell whether it is magical”.

This is a challenging movie to understand since there many changes in character. “The biggest edit in the movie is 9-foot tall green aliens that inhabited the world of Barsoom”. The true nature of aliens should be like giant insects with bug eyes. The director of the movie tried to make the aliens appear as humans. Therefore, he made them able to emote. This does not give the real picture of aliens since they do not have the intended impact to the viewers.

Conclusion

Burroughs has portrayed John cater as an extraordinary person who is strong and has fallen in love with the princess of mars. It is not surprising that he wins the trust of the people around him. The few people who do not like him are evil and the reader knows that Carter will punish them through his sword. Burroughs has portrayed John Cater as an extraordinary person with superior strength, very attractive, intelligent and has problem solving skills. John cater is a mysterious man from Virginia and was a captain who fought in the civil war on confederate side. The novel is full of sword fighting and it is an example of 20th century fiction. It is also an example of romantic mars play with science fantasy. The story starts from the west just after the civil war. Carter and his friends were mining gold when Indians ambushed them. Watching John cater appears to be a disaster since it originated from confusing circles. This is a challenging movie to understand since there many changes in character. The movie has enough visual elements and good production values but its major problem is that it has lots of storytelling.

Reference

Burrughs, E. (2010). A prince of mars. Retrieved on May 27 2013 from,

<http://escapepod.org/2010/11/08/book-review-a-princess-of-mars-by-edgar-rice-

burroughs/>

Chmielewski, D & Keegan, R. (2012).Why did Disney’s ‘John Carter’ flop? Retrieved on May 27

2013 from,

< http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/13/entertainment/la-et-john-carter-flop-20120313>

Marketing

Students Name

Institution

A pharmaceutical manufacturer followed sales representatives in the field to observe some 150 interactions between sales reps and physicians and support staff. They watched sales reps approach the doctors, how they got around their gatekeepers, how they delivered their brands’ messages, and so forth. These observations led to improvements in training new reps. In what category of research would this study fall? Provide advantages and disadvantages of this category of research. What would be the next step in the marketing research process? Category of Research in which the study falls

It is clear that the pharmaceutical company was involved in observation technique which falls under the qualitative research methodology. This is because the pharmaceutical company sales representatives were involved in observing the doctors being approached by sales representatives who had to go round gatekeepers to deliver their messages. Observation is a very innate as well as a demanding qualitative data collection paradigm. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of Qualitative research are outlined below (Denzin and Lincoln, 2010).

Advantages of Qualitative Research Method

Qualitative research methodology derives its strength from its capacity to provide intricate textual descriptions of how researchers do experience a certain research issue. Secondly, it offers information on the human side of a phenomenon thus means: the overly contradictory individual’s relationships, behaviors, emotions, beliefs and opinions. Thirdly, qualitative research methodology is very effective in the identification of intangible factors such as gender roles, religion, social norms, ethnicity, and socio economic status (Denzin and Lincoln, 2010).

In addition, qualitative research method provides more in depth details about a phenomenon of research this is because it digs deeper than evaluating counts and ranks through recording behaviors, attitudes and feelings. Fifthly, it tends to simulate the individual experiences of participants; in the end through qualitative research it is possible to build a detailed perception on why people act the way they do and their attitudes towards their behaviors. Finally, it tends to steer clear of pre judgments by explaining why certain assessments are provided (Denzin and Lincoln, 2010).

Disadvantages of Qualitative Research

The gathering and analysis of qualitative data is time consuming and thus very expensive. Secondly, the fact that it uses very few participants as samples makes classical researchers not to embrace it. Thirdly, the researcher is usually a participant in qualitative research through observation and thus bias in the final analysis is unavoidable. Fourthly, it has a comprehensive and in depth approach to the collection of data which limits its scope. Fifthly, Qualitative methodology does not involve the formulation of statistical data. Apart from that, qualitative data findings cannot be generalized over a wider population. Lastly, given that it is more time consuming, it tends to use a small number of participants to avoid budgetary constraints (Denzin and Lincoln, 2010).

The Next Step in the Marketing Research Process

The next step in the marketing research would be to take the observed data into the research office and try to integrate the observed phenomena into its physical context in order to understand their behaviors before coming up with sound conclusions about them.

A large international rental car company decides to develop a customer retention program. The program’s goal is to motivate its heavy users to continue being loyal to the company by offering them appropriate incentives. Create a marketing research plan to help the company design the retention program. Specifically, you need to identify:

1). Why this program is important. 2). The type of information the company needs to design the retention program. 3). Where to get this information. A Marketing Research Plan in Designing a Customer Retention Program

Target the Right Customers

Instead of attempting to acquire customers just for the sake of it the car rental company should describe the type of customers it desires. As soon as the marketing objectives are laid out efforts should be geared towards the right market segments (Reicheld, 2009).

Begin a Positive Relation by Acquisition

The process of acquisition is what sets the relationship’s tone. The car rental company can segment its customers and target the most affluent that go for convenience and quality of service rather than price (Reicheld, 2009).

Integrate Customer Advocacy into Day To Day Services

Impressions tend to have a direct impact on the satisfaction of customers. It would therefore be imperative for the car rental company to train its drivers on how they can impress their customers for them to market the company to their friends (Reicheld, 2009).

The Importance of Customer Retention Program

The main objective of Customer Retention programs is repurchasing. The logic behind it is that repurchases made by customers is the main source of a company’s profitability. Through retaining customers a company would be in a position to actualize its marketing goals which is to create customer relations that are profitable, mainly done through the deliverance of superior products and services to the customers (Reicheld, 2009).The type of information the company needs to design the retention program

The car rental company will need to have the following information to design its retention program: tactics that best address its customers, timely and relevant offers that can be made by the company, how it can retain all its customers from both the economically disadvantaged and the affluent segments, best practices in the market, how it can come up with loyalty programs, how the company can incorporate advocacy into its relations with its customers (Reicheld, 2009).

Apart from that, the company needs to get information on how it can not only meet but also exceed customer expectations, how the company can increase its level of service, how the company can penetrate the market, how to prevent the defection of its customers to other companies, how to ensure that the loyalty selling will run continuously and finally how to win back its customers who had moved to other companies (Reicheld, 2009).

How to Get This Information

The company can find out all this information through engaging with its customers on the social media which is the easiest way of modern day communication. This is because social media presents a very good platform to reach out to millions of its customers around the globe given that it is an international car rental company (Reicheld, 2009).

Jobe Smith has decided to build his manufacturing business (lawn mowers in the U.S.) around the production concept. If this approach is taken, what will be Mr. Smith’s primary areas of concentration as he builds his business? What issues might Mr. Smith face in deciding to go with this concept as he builds his business?

Primary Areas of Concentration in the Production Concept

The primary areas of concentration that Jobe Smith will have to deal with include: a strategic opportunity assessment and business planning. This would be closely followed by the generation of ideas. Upon ascertaining a strategic bearing he would have to identify a grouping where there seems to be a gap that provides opportunities for a new line of products. The intention of the ideation phase is to uncover, create and discover as many product ideas as possible. Regardless of the number of new product ideas generated most of them are likely not to be feasible. Apart from that, every company in spite of its size does not have enough resources to develop. In this regard the next primary area after ideation would be to screen ideas in regard to financial, technical, marketing, manufacturing and distribution feasibility (Gill and Spring, 2008).

Issues likely to be faced by Mr. Smith as he builds his Business with the Production Concept

Mr. Smith will face the task of turning his noble ideas into concepts. After that he will also have to employ marketing research techniques in order to elicit the reaction of his targeted customers to his concepts in order to evaluate their level of interest before moving on to the prototype development stage. While still at the concept testing and development stages he would have to research on the development of his product (Gill and Spring, 2008).

References

Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (2010.). Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications.

Gill, B., B. Nelson, and S. Spring. (2008). “Seven Steps to Strategic New Product Development,” The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development . New York: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 19-33.

Reicheld, Frederick (2009). The Loyalty Effect: The hidden force behind growth, profits and lasting value. Watertown MA: Business Harvard Review

The seed is a representation of the basic unit of reproduction in flowering plants, it has the ability to transform to another plant and it also enables the survival of the species under unfavorable environmental conditions. The seeds acts as the storage of nutrients. The stored nutrients help the plants, grow survive and to reproduceCITATION Joh173 l 1033 (Harrison, 2017). It is beneficial for the seed to store nutrients for the plant embryo even after the plant is already acquiring its food through photosynthesis. The stored nutrients nourish the plant during winter when the sunlight available is limited and hence photosynthesis may not actively take place. The nutrients stored include carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The nutrients as important in the formation of plant hormones such auxins which aid in the elongation of the plant. The stored nutrients may also nourish other tissues and cause them to be specialized for their functions.

Auxins are useful growth hormones produced naturally by plants. The production of auxins is aided by the availability of nutrients. Auxins are located in the shoots and root tips and facilitate: cell division, stem and root growth. Auxins affect the orientation of the plant by promoting cell division to one side of the plant in response to sunlight and gravity CITATION Mic13 l 1033 (Michael sauer, Stephanie Robert, 2013). Auxins stimulate the growth of the root geotropically and also promote the growth of the shoot by positively influencing the gibberlins which promote the elongation of the shoot. In this case the plant will curve downwards as the auxins will migrate away from the light and it will result in the growth of the shoot. Light is the energy source in plant growth.References.

BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Harrison, J. H. (2017, July 07). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https.//www.britannica.com|science|plantdevelopment.

Michael sauer, Stephanie Robert. (2013). Auxin: Simply Complicated. Journal of Experimental Botany, 64(9), 2565-2577.

The Self and Society

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Professor’s Name

Date

The Self and Society

List of ten groups to which I belong.

1. Family

2. Friends

3. Coworkers

4. Classmates

5. Church

6. Sports teams

7. Clubs

8. Organization

9. Neighbors

10. Boys.

How those Groups Influence my Ought Self and How far my Ought Self is from my Ideal

The groups that I am a part of influence my Ought self in that they provide me with a set of expectations that I am expected to meet. My ideal self is the individual I would like to be, and my Ought self is the individual I am expected to be. The two are often quite different, and I am usually much closer to my ideal self than my Ought self. I am ever striving to be the best type of myself and to live up to the ideals that I have set for myself. In the groups, I participate in discussions, offer help and support to others, and try to be a positive force in the group. I also try to be open-minded and respectful of others, even if we have different opinions. However, I am also realistic, and I know that I will never be perfect. I am always working towards becoming the preeminent type of myself, but I am also okay with imperfection (Sanford 2017). I will use two main groups in which I am a member and explain how the groups have influenced my Ought self and how far my ought self is from my ideal.

The first group is the classmate group. The classmate group has influenced my Ought self in a few ways. First, they have helped me to understand better what my ideal self would be like through interactions with group members. The various topics and skills I have learned in school have helped me have a clearer understanding of my ought self. Second, they have helped me to set goals for myself that are realistic and achievable. Finally, they have helped me to stay motivated and focused on achieving my goals. This has been through encouragement and combined efforts. However, my Ought self is still quite far from my ideal self. I always feel that I have not achieved enough to enable me to realize the validity of my dreams.

The second group I will discuss is the church group. I was raised in a very religious household, and the church was a big part of my life growing up. My parents instilled in me a strong sense of right and wrong, and I had a very clear idea of what my ought self should be. Unfortunately, I have not always been able to live up to my ideals, and I often fall short of the person I want to be. The church has definitely influenced my ought self, and I am still working on becoming my ideal self.

How Membership in these Groups Affect my Self-Presentation and Impression Management

The membership in these groups has affected my self-presentation and impression management by providing me with a shared identity and purpose. This has made it easier for me to project a positive image of others, as I feel they are part of a larger group with similar values. Additionally, membership in these groups has provided me with a sense of belonging and social support, which can help me boost my self-esteem and confidence.

Reference

Sanford, N. (2017). Self and society: Social change and individual development. Routledge.

A Philosophical View On The Use Of Animals In Scientific Research

The use of animals in scientific experiments is one of the major controversies facing the society today. It has led to the formation of many theories about the place of humankind in relation to animals and nature. There are many people who support the use of animals in scientific experimentation just as there are those who strongly oppose the practice. In my opinion unnecessary experiments that do not benefit humans or animals in any way should never be condoned. However, I strongly support the use of animals in research experiments that are beneficial to the health of either humans or animals, and which are conducted with great caution to avoid inflicting unnecessary pain or agony to the animals.

While arguing in support of animal experimentation, Fox (1986) states that “the fact that animals can suffer, although morally significant because it gives animals the status of moral recipients, is not by itself a sufficient ground on which to accord them equal moral status with humans” (p. 70). I absolutely agree with Fox on the premise that animals are not of the same moral status as human beings which means that we are not morally restrained from using animals for beneficial purposes. From a philosophical viewpoint, an act that is not morally wrong is, consequently, morally permissible. Therefore using animals in meaningful scientific experiments is morally acceptable. However, this moral argument should be approached with caution for it does not give us the right to abuse animals or treat them without moral concern for their suffering.

Opponents of animal experimentation accuse scientists of speciesism, which elevates humans to a higher level than animals. They however fail to extend this accusation to the use of plants for human sustenance. This is because if we were to refrain from using plants for nourishment and medicinal purposes on the grounds that such uses would cause them pain or suffering, then life would not be possible on this planet. A similar argument can be applied to the use of animals in scientific experiments. Furthermore, unlike other harmful activities such as pleasure hunting and exploitation of animals for fur, scientific research hardly affects the balance of nature. Hunting poses a risk of wiping out an entire animal species but scientific research uses animals raised in laboratories. The number of animals used in experiments is too low to upset the ecosystem (Yarri, 2005).

It can also be accurately argued that human suffering is of greater concern than that of animals. It is more preferable for an animal to suffer than a human being (Degrazia & Rowan, 1991). For example, in a case where it is absolutely necessary to deform a toe of a being in a research aimed at saving human or animal lives, the most prudent choice would be to use an animal rather than a human being. This is because in human beings “the number of possible conditions – to which animals are not subject- that can produce a sense of thwarted agency, diminished selfhood, or ineffectualness, from which suffering so often arises, is astronomically high” (Fox, 1986, p. 69). An animal will not suffer psychological humiliation from a deformed toe, and might not even realize that it has a deformity.

In conclusion, I am of the opinion that using animals in research does not imply that we do not respect the rights of animals. However, it is the only way through which we have been able to understand the human nervous system, developed vaccines, and discovered cures for many ailments. Until another way of experimenting for cures to diseases such as AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer is found, animals will continue to be used in laboratories.

References

Degrazia, D. & Rowan, A. (1991). Pain, suffering, and anxiety in animals and humans.Theoretical Medicine, 12, 193-211.

Fox, M. A. (1986). The case of animal experimentation. Los Angeles, CA: University ofCalifornia Press.

Yarri, D. (2005). The ethics of animal experimentation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.