Hals Hardware Essay Example for Free

Hals Hardware Essay Hal’s Hardware Inc. s regional, therefore they only have stores (14 of them) in three states. This scope of customers is a weakness because of their competitors such as Home Depot and Lowe’s are not regional Franchise Hardware Stores. Hal’s Hardware Inc. doesn’t have a good business process to deal with a national scale demand. The size of the products that can be delivered directly to the customer is also limited. Hal’s Hardware Inc. can adapt to an online website filled with the items they sell because all of they have a database of all their items they ever had. Hal’s Hardware Inc. will be able to expand their stores as well as apply their demonstrations online, have accessibility, and a will adopt new ways means of attracting customers. Convenience to the customers is especially possible to provide due to the ‘order online and pick-up in-store’ idea. Hal’s Hardware Inc. , if developing an e-commerce, will have to consider the factors of their decision. They will be facing immense competitions from larger Hardware industries and e-commerce Businesses who in which has a higher area profile, a vast scope of customers. With other e-commerce Businesses, the threat of losing manufacturing companies from selling via Hal’s Hardware Inc. , and directly selling their products online using e-commerce sites such as Amazon, and other sites with a wide target client coverage. There are numerous additions that the company may resort to in order to remain strong amidst other competitors. Hal’s Hardware can make use of the aspect of community and service that they’ve developed in-store and apply it on their website. This can be done in various ways. First, wanted ads from constructors should have a place on the website. From these projects, the web site could suggest tools and materials which would bring the attention of customers to certain items by showing how they can be used. Second, website could also be host for methods of instruction. In the store and tool demonstrations already occur. Online, the instruction manuals that they give out in store could be uploaded, for example. There could also be videos of the tool demonstrations to help online customers see the products in action. Third, seminars and workshops may be accessible online. Fourth, customers should be allowed to submit reviews of products that they’ve purchased either online or in-store. Moreover, schedules of seminars and workshops should be available online in order to advertise store events and draw in more people both to the website and to the store. With regard to their purchasing process, Hal’s Hardware should implement a way by which customers can find the store nearest to them prior to completing a transaction. Seeing as some items cannot be delivered directly to the customer due the size of the product and its effect on the price of shipping, the company should consider giving the customer the option of hipping their orders to their home or to a store. To go along with this, solid return and warranty policies should be constructed in order to cater customer satisfaction. To address areas in which their stock and resources are lacking, the company may make use of the site to post advertisements for manufacturers and distributors wh o would like to have their products or resources available in the store. Otherwise, the existence of a database will be a great help in forming the website. Stock will likely be updated as much as possible as the current database is changed in real-time. The amount of stock and location of products are already integrated into the current system. Both elements are incredibly useful to online customers. Overall, the website should focus on forming a good relationship between the company and the customers. The community atmosphere should translate to the website. The tight-knit nature of HHI’s customer community isn’t usually present in large chain stores. If the website contains features that nurture this, then it has a standing chance against its competitors.

Social responsibility

Social responsibility 2.Social responsibilities of an organisation Social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society. This responsibility can be negative, in that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting (resistance stance) or it can be positive, meaning there is a responsibility to act (proactive stance). While primarily associated with business and governmental practices, activist groups and local communities can also be associated with social responsibility, not only business or governmental entities. (Wikipedia, 2008) Business is expected to create wealth and employment, while society is expected to provide a favourable environment for the business to flourish. The value and ethical standards that a company adopts are the long-term assets of the organization. There are a number of tasks that a business has to fulfil to the society. These include the financial task, political task, environment task, adaptive task, economic task, and social tasks. Financial tasks include laying down policies and guidelines for the proper functioning of the financial systems. The environmental tasks include the responsibility of an organization towards the environment. With the perceptions of the consumers changing towards products that are harmful to the environment, companies have to show their concern for the environment by producing environmentally friendly products. The maintenance tasks include the involvement of organizations with non-profit organizations in providing service to the society. Social task include providing equal opportunity for all the members of the society by organizations and taking into consideration the basic human rights of an employee. The way an organization responds to its responsibility to the society has been discussed with special reference to the enlightenment matrix. Further the social challenges of an organization have been discussed with community involvement choice flow. It is a process that guides an organization in fulfilling its role to the society. (ICMR Case studies, 2007) The 10 Best Corporate Citizens for the year 2007 in Sri Lanka were (in alphabetical order)  § Aitken Spence  § AMW  § Cargills  § CTC  § Holcim  § JKH  § Nestle Lanka  § Sampath Bank  § HSBC  § Unilever The awards honour the corporate community for their efforts in promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and evaluate its applicants on five categories before selecting the â€Å"Best Corporate Citizen. Leading up to the grand award, best practices in Community Relations, Employee relations, Customer relations, Economic Performance, and Environment will be rewarded with awards to the top three Corporate Citizens. Awards will also be given to the winners of each stakeholder category and to the Top Ten Best Corporate Citizens. (Sunday Times, 2008) 2.1 Code of conduct A statement and description of required behaviours, responsibilities, and actions expected of employees of an organization or of members of a professional body. A code of conduct usually focuses on ethical and socially responsible issues and applies to individuals, providing guidance on how to act in cases of doubt or confusion. In simple its a set of rules to guide behaviour and decisions. (B-Net Business Dictionary, 2008) 2.2 Stakeholders and Business responsibilities towards them A company has responsibilities to a wide range of interested parties, people who have a stake in what the company does. A companys stakeholders so defined include not only its customers, owners, workforce, suppliers and their families, but also those living near its sites, as well as special interest groups, and of course society as a whole, including society in its role as steward of the environment. (Times Newspapers Ltd and MBA Publishing Ltd, 2008) In terms of understanding the objectives of a business or other organisation, there are two traditional views. 1. The Shareholder Concept In the theory of accounting and finance, it is assumed that the objective of the business is to maximise the value of a company. Put simply, this means that the managers of a business should create as much wealth as possible for the shareholders. Given this objective, any financing or investment decision that is expected to improve the value of the shareholders stake in the business is acceptable. In short, the objective for managers running a business should be profit maximisation, both in the short and long-term. 2. The Stakeholder Concept In recent years, a wider variety of goals have been suggested for a business. These include the traditional objective of profit maximisation (in other words the shareholder concept has not been abandoned). However, they also include goals relating to earnings per share, total sales, numbers employed, measures of employee welfare, manager satisfaction, environmental protection and many others. A major reason for increasing adoption of a Stakeholder Concept in setting business objectives is the recognition that businesses are affected by the environment in which they operate. Businesses come into regular contact with customers, suppliers, government agencies, families of employees, special interest groups. (Tutor2u, 2007) Therefore stake holders can be categorized as internal and external. Internal stakeholders Shareholders Employees Management External stakeholders Consumers Suppliers Creditors Competitors Community Shareholders are important to the business, because they have a primary stake in the business. Organizations responsibilities towards the stakeholders are: to provide professional management, fair returns on their investment, disclose relevant information, protect shareholders assets etc. The organizations responsibility towards employees are improving working conditions, maintaining open and honest communications, welcoming suggestions/complaints, providing equal opportunity etc. Management plays a key role in balancing the multiple claims of stakeholders. Therefore the responsibility of management involves maintaining healthy relationships among the stakeholders. The organizations responsibilities towards consumers include offering quality goods, providing prompt services, treating customers fairly etc. Good relations with suppliers will determine the profitability of the company. The company must treat its suppliers with respect. Suppliers /creditors must be paid promptly. Companies must also follow ethical competitive practices. Finally, the responsibilities of the organization are, respecting human rights, improving workplace safety and economic well being etc. (ICMR Case studies, 2007) 2.3 Investors rights As a shareholder in a company, you can enjoy certain rights:  § To receive the share certificates, on allotment or transfer as the case may be, in due time.  § To receive copies of the abridged Annual Report, the Balance Sheet and the PL A/c and the Auditors Report.  § To participate and vote in the general meeting, either in person or in proxy.  § To receive dividends in due time once approved in General Meetings.  § To receive corporate benefits such as rights, bonus, etc. once approved.  § To apply to the Company Law Board (CLB) to call or direct the Annual General Meeting.  § To inspect the minute books of the General Meetings and to receive copies thereof.  § To proceed against the company by way of civil or criminal proceedings.  § To apply for the companys winding-up.  § To receive the residual proceeds. Group rights: Besides these rights you enjoy as an individual shareholder, you also enjoy the following rights as a group:  § To requisition an extra-ordinary general meeting.  § To demand a poll on any resolution.  § To apply to CLB to investigate the companys affairs.  § To apply to CLB for relief in cases of oppression and/or mismanagement. Debenture holder: As a debenture-holder, you have the right to:  § Receive interest/redemption in due time.  § Receive a copy of the trust deed on request.  § Apply for the companys winding up if it fails to pay its debt.  § Approach the Debenture trustee with your grievance. The above mentioned rights may not necessarily be absolute. For instance, the right to transfer securities is subject to the companys right to refuse transfer according to the statutory provisions. Your responsibilities: While you may be happy to learn of your rights as a stakeholder in the company that should not lead you to satisfaction; because you have also certain responsibilities: To remain informed. To be vigilant. To participate and vote in general meetings. To exercise your rights on your own or as a group. (The Hindu Business Line, 2001) 2.4 Ethical and Moral dilemmas face by businesses One of the defining features of an ethical conflict is that it involves being pulled between two or more objectives, values, or ideals which often draw strong emotional reactions. The competing objectives or values may both be ethical in nature, as in the conflict between loyalty to a friend and duty to report that friends unlawful behaviour. Alternately, one of the competing values may be ethical (e.g., the desire to help a person in need or in danger) while the other is pragmatic (e.g., financial prudence or self-protection). In either situation, a moral or ethical conflict more than other conflicts often has a strong emotional component. One of the challenges decision makers face in such situations is the need to integrate their emotional reactions to different choice options with their cognitive evaluations of the possible or expected outcomes of these options. Following this definition of an ethical decision, ethical or moral decisions do not simply constitute a specific conten t domain of decisions that parallels and complements other content domains such as financial decision making or recreational decision making(Weber, Blais, Betz, 2002). Instead, ethical decisions can occur in any substantive content domain; putting it differently, many decisions across content domains include ethical aspects or considerations. The factors that contribute to whether a specific decision is being construed as an ethical issue or a health or financial issue are themselves an important topic of experiential investigation that have implications for the ethical training and education. Morality can be defined as a system of judging acts in light of an ideal or a code of conduct. Moral judgments involve judgments about what somebody (either the decision maker or another person) should do in a certain situation. Haidt (2001) defines moral judgments as judgments about the actions or character of other people, using as a standard of comparison the moral prescriptions and ideals of ones culture or subculture, which are frequently formalized in written or unwritten codes of conduct. Most scholars agree that moral or ethical decisions need to be intentional and in response to a sense of obligation that is shaped by an ideal. (Blasi, 1987) Mainly there are four types of psychological processes when behaving morally. interpret the situation in terms of the actions possible, and the effects of these actions on the self and others; judge which course of action is morally right; give priority to what is morally right over other considerations; demonstrate the strength and skills to follow through on the intention to behave morally. (L.K Trevino, 1992) Here is a good example explaining above facts. A woman called Shani works for a company that treats people simply as a means for making profits. Customers are appreciated and engaged solely for the purpose of adding to the bottom line. She has found it difficult to find other employment, and has a family to provide for one of her highest values. One day Shani is pressured by her boss to increase her performance (get more customers using any means possible) or she will be terminated. The conflicting values for her are: Providing for her family; Providing an honest days work for an honest days pay; Valuing people over profits. At this point she is clearly faced with a moral dilemma. The dilemma was not quickly or easily resolved, but here is what Shani did;  § She made a decision to never violate her second and third values. In her mind people always come before profits. She also wants to be known as a good employee with a strong work ethic who works hard and gets the job done. She made a conscious decision to do her best in fulfilling her bosses instructions (i.e. get more customers) without violating her value of people over profits. Her production improved as she worked harder and she knew she was contributing to the organization in ethical ways.  § She also stepped up her job search. That day she came to the realization that the companys values and hers did not mesh. She knew that she would have to change venues in order for her to be able to feel comfortable in her work while providing for her family. Today she does a similar job for a different company, and loves it. In her job search she made sure she asked important questions about how the companys values would fit with her own. In her new company she is able to be productive, value the customer over company profits, and provide for her family. 2.5 Organisations encourage ethical behaviour As an airline company directors and employees in Jet Airways should attempt to promote ethical behaviour and to encourage employees to report evidence of illegal or unethical behaviour to appropriate Company personnel. It is the policy of the Company to not allow retaliation against any employee who makes a good faith report about a possible violation of this Code. Suspected violations of this Code may be reported to the Chairman of the Board or the Chairman of the Audit Committee. All reported violations will be appropriately investigated. When in doubt of the best course of action in a particular situation, employees are encouraged to talk promptly to their supervisor, managers or the Head of Human Resources. Employees are expected to fully cooperate in internal investigations of misconduct. (Jet Airways Sri Lanka, 2006) Patients, consumers, doctors and governments want to use medicines from companies that they trust. Therefore, ethics policies require all GSK employees to meet the highest standards of ethical and legal compliance in their work. Company has led efforts to create the first marketing code for the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry based on the IFPMA Code. These are some of the policies they conduct to encourage ethical behaviour; GSKs 12,000 managers completed self-certification confirming that they comply with our Code of Conduct. All new sales and marketing staff in the US completed ethics training and over 9,000 existing staff received two hours of annual refresher training. Employees are encouraged to seek help and to report any concerns or suspected cases of misconduct. They can do this through their line management, our network of compliance officers, or through our confidential Integrity Help lines. (GlaxoSmithKline, 2007) 2.6 Rights and responsibilities of employers and employees Employers and employees have responsibilities to each other where they should also expect their rights to be upheld. These rights and responsibilities relate to areas such as Health and Safety, the provision of Terms and Conditions of Employment, Equal Opportunities and the right to be paid a Minimum Wage. The Health and Safety at Work Acts set out responsibilities and rights for both employees and employers. Employees are expected to carry out their work in a way that has regard to the safety of others. Employers are expected to abide by a range of requirements governing such aspects as providing safe machinery and equipment, carrying out regular health and safety checks, ensuring the training of employees in health and safety issues, and carrying out a risk assessment to assess the dangers of particular work activities. There are also specific regulations about the way in which potentially harmful substances should be used and stored. There are a number of requirements about the mi nimum temperature at work, and other aspects of working conditions. Employees are expected to receive the terms and conditions of their work setting out when their work commences, what their main duties are, who they are accountable to, rates of pay, and other entitlements. Equal Opportunities legislation sets out that all employees should receive the same pay and conditions for carrying out the same or broadly similar work. There are also laws against sexual, racial and disability discrimination. The Minimum Wage Act sets out the Minimum Wage that workers can expect to receive which today is more than a  £5 an hour. The Minimum Wage is regularly reviewed and will increase over time. There is also European Union requirements governing the maximum number of hours that workers will be expected to work in a typical week which is currently set at 48 hours. Employers and employees are expected to meet minimum legal requirements for such areas as Health and Safety at Work, and minimum standards and conditions related to hours, and the treatment of people in the workplace. Along with rights for employees there are corresponding responsibilities such as the expectation to work in a safe way and to have regard for the safety of work colleagues. (Times Newspapers Ltd and MBA Publishing Ltd, 2008) 2.7 Ethical issues caused by information technology Ethics and the Information Revolution, De George (2003) describes his approach to the ethical questions he will discuss. He locates the issues within a common and universal framework of ethical norms. Murder, stealing and other such acts are generally inconsistent with societal norms across societies despite their cultural differences. Within a society, norms exist for many practices that bear certain similarities to new and emerging practices made possible by information technologies. This suggests a two-step method. First, when evaluating a new practices such as monitoring e-mail, one can use analogical reasoning from similar practices and norms; for example, opening and reading private correspondence. He applies his method of analysis to the general system of IT taken as the basis for the information society. Here he argues that core values of an information-centric society are truthfulness, accuracy, information sharing, and trust. While important in other types of society (agricultural, industrial), these values take on greater role in an information economy, in contrast to punctuality, for example, which is critical in an assembly-line industrial economy. Ruth Rikowski (2006) pointed out that computers are changing the face of the work scene. For some people, their jobs are becoming redundant or they have to play quite different roles, and others are suffering increasing levels of stress from work pressures. Others are, obviously, reaping the benefits of having more rewarding jobs, and there is certainly more emphasis on knowledge, information and I.T. skills than ever before. However, this all clearly poses various ethical issues. Should those that lose their jobs be compensated? How can the pressure be eased on those that are suffering stress? Is it acceptable for computer programmers to be made redundant ‘on the spot etc? There are many ethical issues that need to be addressed here. Clearly writing and spreading virus programs are unethical acts. They have very serious consequences, and cause systems to crash and organisations to cease operating for certain periods. One of the most concerning consequences of such actions is when viruses interrupt the smooth functioning of an organisation such as a hospital, which could in extreme cases even cause people to die. Logic bombs are also sometimes planted. There is obviously a lot of anti-virus software on the market now though that helps to deal with this ever-growing problem. Many different computer crimes are committed, which clearly poses ethical questions for society. Various illegal acts are performed on computers, such as fraud and embezzlement. This includes, for example, using imaging and desktop publishing to create, copy or alter official documents and graphic images. There are also various ethical dilemmas, such as whether copying such files is as bad as stealing something. So, this conflict might mean that companies do not, in reality, give enough consideration to the ethical issues in I.T., as the drive to create new products and upgrade products, thereby raising the profit margin, takes precedence over moral considerations. Some of the ethical issues in I.T. are being tackled more effectively though (although there is obviously always room for improvement). Great efforts are being made in regard to finding ways to deal with viruses, for example, and more and more attention is now being given to ergonomic and health issues. 3. Industrial relations 3.1 Trade unions The field of industrial relations (also called labour relations) looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Sri Lanka has approximately 1000 Trade Unions. Out of these about 20 have more than 100,000 members. Out of these 1000 Trade Unions, 750 are in Government Departments where labour laws do not apply. These workers come under the establishment code. Only 30 per cent of the countrys workforce is organized in Trade Unions. Here are some trade unions in Sri Lanka. All Ceylon United Motor Workers Union Ceylon Federation of Labour Ceylon Mercantile Union GCSU Sri Lanka United Corporations and Mercantile Union (Wikipedia, 2008) 3.2 Enterprise bargaining Enterprise bargaining is an about introducing change in the workplace with everyone sharing the benefits. It is an opportunity for an employer and his/her employees, either directly or through their union representatives, to undertake cooperative negotiations. Enterprise bargaining is a way to discuss how work is performed, conditions and productivity improvements that will benefit both employer and employees. This can foster a culture of change in the workplace which can be a valuable tool in the process of continuous improvement. It can assist in the creation of vital, responsive and flexible enterprises and improve productivity and efficiency. 3.3 Industrial disputes Industrial dispute means any dispute or difference between anemployer and a workman or between employers and workmen orbetween workmen and workmen connected with the employment ornon ­employment,orthetermsofemployment,orwiththeconditionsoflabour, or the termination of the services, or the reinstatement inservice, of any person, and for the purposes of this definitionâ€Å"workmen†includesatradeunionconsistingofworkmen. (BOI, 2008) The Industrial Disputes Act (IDA) provides for the prevention, investigation and settlement of industrial disputes and for connected/incidental matters. The IDA also specifies the methods by which the Commissioner of Labour is empowered to help settle an industrial dispute. These methods are as follows. with reference to a Collective Agreement where such an agreement is in force between employers and workmen; Through conciliation at conference either by the Commissioner himself or an authorized officer (usually attached to the Industrial Relations Branch in the Department of Labour); Through voluntary arbitration. Where the parties to the dispute do not consent to reference of the dispute to an arbitrator, the Minister is empowered to refer the dispute for settlement by arbitration to an arbitrator or to a labour tribunal. The Minister can also refer any industrial dispute to an Industrial Court for settlement. The ideal process would be for a time span to be fixed between the making of a complaint to the Labour Department and a reference to arbitration, tying up the processes of arbitration and conciliation so that the whole dispute could be settled within a reasonable length of time instead of the parties having to wait for years in order to see an end to the dispute. It may also be worth looking at the possibility of establishing an Appeal Court to go into positions of dissatisfied parties within a short period of the arbitrators award so that settlement could be reached speedily. (Globalization and Industrial Relations in Sri Lanka, 2000) 3.4 Awards systems Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) carries out two major award systems in Sri Lanka. Ø Peoples Awards This includes people from all walks of life advocating their favourite personality, brand, company, advertisement, film, teledrama, song etc. Men and women throughout the island, excluding the North and the East, take part enthusiastically. To ensure that the results represent the diverse population of Sri Lanka, the interviews are carried out in all the provinces excluding North and East. SLIM Nielsen Peoples Awards is based on a sample survey conducted by The Nielsen Company encompassing a sample of 5,050, equally split between males and females, and between the ages of 16-65 years living in both urban and rural areas. The survey will go on for a period of 5 consecutive months with a random sample of 1,010 per month conducted through face to face interviews at an all island level (excluding north and East). The Nielsen Company assures quality and clarity of answers given by the respondents. To ensure accurate feedback, its stringent quality control measures adhere to the WatchBuild er standards, a process, globally unique to the Nielsen Company. Ø Brand Excellence The SLIM Brand Excellence Awards is a celebration of brand excellence at national level and rewards the outstanding efforts of outstanding marketers. Through this event, SLIM endeavours to not only encourage best practices in branding, but also to raise local brands to global standards, to enhance the image of marketing in the country and that of SLIM in the region. This event translates as industry recognition of the motivation, dedication and hard work that great marketers have demonstrated in making brand champions. Each year panel of judges evaluates the contenders for each category of award, looking for those elusive qualities which elevate a brand above the sea of nondescript products. For the Brand Excellence Awards to be truly successful there must be industry-wide, representative participation which will ensure healthy competition. (SLIM, 2008) 4. Sri Lanka and international business 4.1 Trends in Sri Lankan trade Sri Lankas exports grew 14.7 percent helped by strong prices for tea, while apparel exports grew by a slow 5.3 percent where the trade deficit expanded 92 percent on higher oil and capital goods imports. The Central Bank said April export earnings increased 14.7 percent to 610 million US dollars with agricultural and industrial exports contributing 59 percent and 37 percent. According to official data, agriculture exports grew 46.5 percent in April 2008 compared with a year ago on the back of increased export prices of tea. The average export price of tea was four US dollars a kilogram, the highest recorded up to then. Industrial exports grew by 6.9 percent supported by increased exports of garments, food, beverages, tobacco, rubber products, petroleum products and ceramics, official data showed. Cumulative exports during January to April 2008 grew 11.3 percent to 2,488 million US dollars. Expenditure on imports in April increased 37 percent to 1,269 million US dollars. The Central Bank said import expenses on consumer goods such as food expanded significantly in April 2008 owing to increased expenditure on rice and sugar. Import expenditure on intermediate goods which increased 38 percent from a year ago contributed 64 percent to the increase in import expenditure in April 2008. The Central Bank said import expenditure increased owing to high crude oil and fertilizer prices. Imports of investment goods such as transport equipment, machinery and building materials have also recorded a growth of 33.5 percent. The cumulative expenditure of imports during the first four months of 2008 amounted to US dollars 4,533 million, an increase of 37.4 percent from a year ago. The Central Bank said higher oil and capital goods imports have widened the trade balance from 394 million US dollars in April 2007 to 659 million US dollars in April 2008. The overall balance of payments recorded a surplus of 320 million US dollars from January to April 2008 increasing the gross official reserves to 3,383.8 million US dollars by endApril2008, which is sufficient to finance around 3.3 months of imports. (LBO, June 16,2008) 4.2 Trading partners Major trading partners;  § Export (% of total, customs basis): US 28.2%, UK 11.5%, India 9.0%, Germany 4.1%. Export Commodities: Textiles garments, tea, diamonds jewellery, petroleum.  § Import (% of total, customs basis): India 18.5%, China 10.5%, Singapore 8.7%, Hong Kong 4.2%. Import Commodities: Mineral products, textiles, machinery transport equipment, base metals. Ø United Kingdom Trade and Investment with the UK UK imports from Sri Lanka have consistently exceeded UK exports to Sri Lanka. Exports have declined during the period 2001 to 2004 from  £142.4 million to  £138.8 million and imports have steadily increased from  £400.8 million to  £466.9 million during the period 2001 to 2004. The UKs net investment in Sri Lanka has averaged some  £50 million per annum over the last 20 years. The UK is the largest European investor in Sri Lanka and second overall in terms of projects. Further progress in the peace process would lead to more opportunities for British companies in Sri Lanka. Cultural Relations with the UK The British Council has English Teaching Centres in Colombo (one of the fastest growing in the network with well over 3000 students) and Kandy, and is involved in English language projects throughout the island. It also runs busy libraries at the teaching centres, and maintains a lively arts programme. The Council runs an education information service that offers detailed information on all aspects of the British education system, and administers exams in Colombo and Kandy. In Sri Lanka the Council also works closely with the Ministry of Education on its education reform agenda, particularly at Primary level. (www.iptu.co.uk) Ø USA The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), signed by the USA and Sri Lanka on 25th July 2002 in Washington DC, provides an ideal platform for the two Governments to maintain a closer dialogue on a number of areas / fields that are of mutual interest to them. On the Sri Lankan side: (a

The Game Of Volleyball Physical Education Essay

The Game Of Volleyball Physical Education Essay Volleyball is a team sport that has earned his place in every competitive level, based on very quick and explosive movements, such as jumping, hitting, diving and blocking (Mario. C Marques, Roland Van Den Tillaar, Tim J. Gabbett, Victor M. Reis, and Juan J. Gonzalez-Badillo, 2009). The squad consists of 12 players with team positioning depending on the attributes the player has, the positions are broadly defined as setters, hitters, opposite and outside hitters (left and right), middle blockers and liberos, each of the positions have a specific role within a match (Mario C. Marques et al. 2009). The left and right outside hitters positioning is at the net, and the priority for these players is to spike the ball and block opponent attacks. The percentages of attack and block jumps performed according to the position played in the court were 33 and 67 % for Position 2(right side outside hitter), 29 and 71 % for Position 3 (middle blocker), and 59 and 41 for position 3 (left side outsi de hitter). The left outside hitter focuses more in spike jumps than blocking because the right outside hitter is the one that helps more the middle blocker, focusing mostly in block jumps (Black, 1995). Every spike is made approximately at 100MPH, the player with the greater strength blocking or spiking will be the one that wins the joust (Scates et al.,2003). The athletes in volleyball generate a great deal of force when landing after performing an approach jump, blocking a spike, during a spike and while diving (Gadeken, 1999). Data gathered within the past competition seasons tells us that the athletes that are involved in volleyball sport do short run distances, vertical jumps and change directions frequently in a matter of seconds during the games. The trainings made by coaches should be based on this data to increase the attributes needed for a maximal performance but keeping a minimum reduction in performance due to fatigue (Black, 1995). According to Gadeken (1999) players must have a solid strength, plyometric and conditioning foundation in order to be able to absorb the forces generated while performing jumps and sudden movements. Certain abilities must be developed during training activities such as the high jumps, hand-eye coordination, fast response to change positions rapidly maintaining body balance, short distance running amongst others. Volleyball is a high speed sport in which anaerobic training is needed to gain energy; the source is the phosphagen system which provides ATP (adenosine triphosphate) (Scates, et al. 2003). Athletes according to Scates, et al. (2003) do not only have to be in good physical condition to play volleyball, an athlete has to be in volleyball condition in order to be able to perform as expected, this involves the capability of the athlete to perform high jumps at the same height during a match, and must have the energy to maintain the physical feats while sustaining their levels of strength, power and agility. Timothy J. Piper tells us that in womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s intercollegiate volleyball the most important factor for success is the upper-body strength and for spiking velocity the main factor is the shoulder extension strength at high speeds. The major muscle groups utilized while hitting, blocking, passing, setting and moving at a volleyball game or training drill were studied to determine the movement patterns. Balance and coordination are required in order to comply with the demands of body movement while the athletes are on their feet (Gadken, 1999). In order to produce a greater force while jumping the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves work together to produce the power necessary to impulse the body up (Scates, et al. 2003). According to Marques et al. (2009) there are differences in anthropometric, muscular strength and power characteristics of volleyball athletes according to the position they are playing. The outside hitters have a significant difference in maximal bench press strength, parallel squat and throwing distances than the setters and liberos, demonstrating to have greater lower-body strength. Outside hitter skills and drills are different from a setter or libero, while the setter focuses in well set passes, an outside hitter will focuse on block jumps, backpedaling for 4 m, rapid spike approaches and spike jumps, every exercise done within a short period of time (Allen Hendrick, 2007). Volleyball training is in need of anaerobic conditioning due to the short and explosive movments and high power outputs, games may last a long period of time but the game plays are not continuous with many breaks during the game (Scates, et al., 2003). Specificity and overload are necessary to increase the body efforts and improvement, according to Black (1995) the overload training must be stimulus; this means that the weights, speed, height and duration must be greater than usual in order to have a direct impact in body resistance, strength and conditioning. Increasing the speed, power and overall coordination is important and it can be achieved by doing Olympic-style lifts and Power cleans to develop the hip and back power (Timothy J. Piper, 1997). The volume of strength training varies depending on the exercise. Olympic style lifts never exceed 6 repetitions in some programs due to the fact that performing more than 6 repetitions may place the athlete at risk for injury (Gadeken, 1999). The use of free weights and of upper and lower body ballistic training is important in developing strength and power (Gadeken, 1999). Like basketball players, volleyball athletes need to be able to leap with agility and power but also be able to hit the ball with an enormous force while suspended in mid-air (Scates et al., 2003). Importance made on movements in which the athletes are on their feet, the exercise is similar to the demands of volleyball, and balance and coordination are required (Gadeken, 1999). It is necessary for the volleyball player to have a great upper-body strength, stability of the shoulder socket, and functional trunk strength to allow the athlete to swing faster and more powerfully (Scates et al., 2003). The shoulder joint musculature and rotator cuff muscles are of major concern because of their roll in stabilization of the shoulder and because of the high forces produced while spiking and blocking (Gadeken, 1999).

Neurobiological Mechanisms for Alcoholism Essay -- Biology Essays Rese

Neurobiological Mechanisms for Alcoholism While alcohol could well be considered the most socially acceptable psychoactive drug in our society, the dangers of alcohol abuse and addiction are well known. However, not everyone who uses, or even abuses, alcohol will actually become an alcoholic who is physically dependent on the drug. Not all of the mechanisms that cause one to become addicted to alcohol have been clarified. However, there seem to be two main reasons for alcohol addiction. One is that the chronic consumption of alcohol causes changes in the brain that result in a dependence on alcohol. Another is that some individuals have abnormalities in their brains that result in a greater tendency to become addicted to alcohol. The report in 1990 of the discovery of an "alcoholism gene", while not fully supported by subsequent studies, is illustrative of many observations that the brain chemistry of alcoholics is different from nonalcoholics.1 The acute effects of alcohol on the brain result mainly from its effects on the postsynaptic receptor sites for various neurotransmitters.2 The depressant effects of alcohol arise from its action on GABA-A receptors, the principal postsynaptic receptors for the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. When stimulated by GABA, these receptors respond by opening an ion channel that allows Cl- ions to enter the neuron, which hyperpolarizes the membrane and reduces the chance for an action potential to occur. These receptors are also sensitive to alcohol, and its presence allows even more Cl- ions to enter the cell, resulting in further inhibition.3 However, the effects of the chronic use of alcohol are quite different, and result in a decreased sensitivity of GABA-A receptors to both alco... ...s/Blum-full.html 2. OTA Report: Biological Basis for Substance Abuse and Addiction http://www.drugtext.nk/norml/aaota_cont.html 3. Center Line Vol 8 No 3 http://www.med.unc.edu/wrkunits/3ctrpgm/alcohol/cenline/8_3_1.html" 4. Ibid. 5. OTA Report 6. SPRINGER LINK - Psychopharmacology - Abstract Volume 129 Issue 2 (1997) pp 99-111 http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/jounals/00213/bibs/7129002/71290099.htm 7. OTA Report 8. Ibid. 9. American Scientist 10. OTA Report 11. American Scientist 12. Ibid. 13. OTA Report 14. Honours Thesis by Karen Johnson, UNSW Australia 1996 http://javelin.commed.unsw.edu.au/karen/thesis/ 15. American Scientist 16. OTA Report 17. Ibid. 18. American Scientist 19. Honours Thesis (visit this site for a comprehensive listing of major studies on this subject) 20. American Scientist

Being a Good Leader in the Marines Essay -- Marines Leadership Counsel

Being a Good Leader in the Marines â€Å"In order to be a good leader, there are two things to remember. Lead from the Front and always set the Example. From these two leadership principles, everything else will fall into place.† These are the words that have ended all of my counseling sheets with since I began writing them as a Corporal and will continue to do as long as I counsel Marines. I was brought up in the Marine Corps with this philosophy and have adopted it as my own. Leading from the front is often times one of the leadership principles that is easier said by some than actually done. Those so called leaders that would tell their Marines to do something that ‘they’ would never really do themselves. Coming in font of your Marines on a Monday morning without a fresh haircut or pressed uniform and actually having the nerve to address them on how ‘unsatisfactory’ they appear. I have actually had the unpleasant experience of witnessing this, from a receiving perspective. Is this what anyone would call Setting the Example? I have had both the pleasure and discomfort of being led by good and bad leaders. The way I simply define leadership is by being able to do as you say. Lead from the front and Set the example. There are several different items that I have stored in my leadership â€Å"bag of tricks†. The one that I find myself applying the most is the ability to be both stern but flexible. I am a true believer in the statement that no one is perfect. As a leader I feel tha...

Background of the Study Essay

Introduction What is Portal? A portal is known as links page which presents information from diverse sources in a unified way. It may contain services that provide standard search engine feature, e-mail, news, information, database and entertainment. Portals provide a way for enterprises to provide a consistent look and feel with access control and procedures for multiple applications and databases, which otherwise would have been different entities altogether. Campus portal is defined as a entry point for a college or university that provide a centralized source of information services for students, prospective students, faculty, suppliers, administrators, alumni and friends. The term campus portal implies from a relatively simple set of Web-based calendar and e-mail services, to a broad online interface offering highly personalized and customizable access to nearly all the features and benefits of campus life and work. Campus portal can provide entry points to anything from Web access, student activity information, class resources, syllabi and assignment listing, homework submission, to online forums for topic discussions since the campus portal is accessible to any Web-enabled computer, it’s a powerful tool for pulling together a far-flung university community. The portal allows alumni and friends to participate in campus life. At least to the extent it is enabled via the Web. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to develop a Campus Course Portal that will give solution to the problems of the student and faculty members on every each department in terms of getting updated with the announcements, online examination, viewing of grades, student ledger accounts, class schedule, student profile, library catalogue, and available materials for the course. The purpose of this study is to solve the following problems: 1.Not all the students are informed and aware about the events, sudden changes of class schedule and other activities that are announced by the faculty members or by the institution. 2.The dissemination of the information in such social medium sites like Yahoo groups, Google groups, Facebook groups and the like is not controlled as to the recipient of the data that is being shared. All registered members of a specific group (e.g. Yahoo Groups) have complete access to all of its content which compromises security and privacy due to absence of an option to choose a specific or group of recipients. 3.The manual pre-assessment system such as checking of balance is to slow. This usually consumes a lot of time. Causing the delay in completing the entire enrolment process. Objective of the Study General Objective To be able to develop and implement a Online Course Portal on a Campus that will benefit the faculty members, students and the administration of an institution. Specific Objective 1.To have an effective way of providing information or notification anywhere and anytime to the students about rapid changes of schedule, activities or other announcement by via Web. 2.To improve the privacy, user-friendliness and to enable convenient access to the different kinds of information and services mounted on the web by users, it would be desirable to set up a portal for channelling the vast information resources to the different users in an efficient and effective manner (e.g posting announcement or messages to selected group people). 3.To create an Online Course Portal on a Campus which provide a lot of information regarding to their academic standing. In addition the Online Course Portal can also automatically evaluate and show the report of grades of the students being distributed by their respective professors. Significance of the Study To the Researchers, The researchers will not only provide information and develop a Online Campus Portal, but will also gain knowledge and help them develop their skills when it comes to web-based applications and for their professional career in the future. To the Students, Through this system, the students will increase their knowledge by having sufficient resource materials, and receive important information from the faculty members and the administration by login in on the said link page. To the Faculty Members, Through this system, the faculty members can provide all the necessary information and resource material to their students, in addition to that, faculty members can simply post announcements to their students in case of sudden change of schedule or additional activities that should be accomplished on a given date and time. To the Future Researchers, The future researchers could gain knowledge from the study and benefits, advantages and disadvantages, impact of developing web portals which they may apply to their research in the future. Hypothesis Online Portal on a Campus will hell the students, faculty and college department to have a reliable and more secured way of file sharing, circulation of information and privacy that will be beneficial and useful in the future. The faculty members used to announce changes of  classes/activities or events vocally in front of the students or through sending text to the class president and disseminating the information to the whole class. There can be inconsistency in spreading the message there are still students who are not informed and mislead that may affect its school performance. In terms of sharing of files or discussions over the internet, students and faculty rely on social networks such as Facebook, Multiply and Friendster wherein conversations or information can be accessed or viewed by the public. Instead of using social networks, the Online Campus Portal can be more secured because only the members for that group is allowed to view discussions and it can also provide an op tion on who can only read and reply to the discussion board. This Online Campus Portal allows the College of Computer Studies Department to have an effective way of providing secured information within the school. Faculty members and administrator will able to notify students anywhere and anytime about sudden changes of class schedules, activities and events. Review of Related Literature Foreign Literature According to Robert Moskowitz of Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Education, when you hear the word â€Å"portal† you might immediately think of one of the many commercial Web sites, such as Yahoo or Excite, that populate the Internet today. As the term implies, these services are the gateway to the Internet for many people, offering news, search functions, sports scores, shopping and movie reviews. A campus portal, on the other hand, is the entry point for a college or university. It provides a centralized source of information and services for students, prospective students, faculty, suppliers, administrators, alumni and friends. The term campus portal can mean anything from a relatively simple set of Web-based calendar and e-mail services, to a comprehensive online interface offering highly personalized and customizable access to nearly all the features and benefits of campus life and work. Campus portals can provide entry points to anything from e-shopping for books and campus regalia, to Web access, student activity information, class resources, syllabi and assignment listings, and homework submission, as well as online class registration and tuition  payment. Because the campus portal is accessible to any Web-enabled computer, it’s a powerful tool for pulling together a far-flung university community. Students studying abroad can remain in touch with friends, professors, activities and services at the main campus as though they’d never left. The portal allows alumni and friends to participate in campus life–at least to the extent it is enabled via the Web. Local Literature FEU-EAC Online Student Portal For the past few years, FEU-EAC has been continuously trying to find ways on how to improve its services for the students in terms of providing information, registration and other school transactions. It is eyeing the step-by-step growth and enhancement from manual, partial automation and full-automation of its systems. Considering the ideal goal of providing fast and convenient services and also the advantage of reaching out to its students from distant areas, online enrolment is definitely the most recommended innovation. Bearing in mind this ultimate goal, the College took its first step by having some of it services online. From thereon, My FEU – East Asia College Student Portal was conceptualized. My FEU – East Asia College Student Portal was made to assist FEU-EAC students in providing basic information related to their academic records, registration and assessments. Likewise, this will also give privilege to the students to submit their requests and transactions via Internet. Enrolled students will be given accounts, usernames and passwords, to access and login to My FEU – East Asia College Student Portal. Students can then access this portal via Internet wherein they can now conveniently inquire information or do basic student transactions anywhere and anytime they want. This system basically includes the following: †¢My Profile – this is where students could view their personal and contact information. A special feature was provided for the students for possible requests to update their personal information or records. †¢Student Academic Information – this is where students could view their academic  records such as grades, class schedules and current assessments. †¢On-line Self–Enrolment – this allows the regular students with no previous balances and accountabilities to do self-enrolment via Internet. †¢Other Services – this is where students could access the Student Coordinating Council Voting System, upload files through My Portfolio or mark the important events or activities on their calendars through My Planner. Certainly, FEU – East Asia College Student Portal will be enhanced and additional services will be incorporated in the future. Nevertheless, the Student Portal definitely raised the bar of the College in rendering qua lity services for its students. Review of Related Study Foreign Study Study made by AlirezaHejazi, an MS Student of IC Management University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Effectively developing and deploying campus portals can dramatically increase productivity and profitability of research and education. The cutting edge of this initiative lies in aligning portals with students’ current needs. Our study aims at identifying these needs and provides a preliminary theoretical framework for portal developers to benchmark their objectives according to educational requirements. The study is mostly done based on local observations and experience of its conductors within higher education communities in Iran. The result of this primary study paves the way of implementing campus portals in the Iranian higher education communities which will be paced by the authors of the article in the near future. E-Learning usually refers to â€Å"learning that is delivered or enabled via electronic technology† (Sun Microsystems). It encompasses learning delivered via a range of technologies such as the internet, television, videotape, intelligent tutoring systems, and computer-based training. E-Learning is a subset of the larger worlds of both â€Å"information technology† and â€Å"education and training†. It can be valuable when used as a part of a well-planned and properly supported education and training environment, but e-learning is not a magic bullet that replaces or renders obsolete existing pedagogical theories and approaches. Many learning and technology professionals believe that e-learning will have â€Å"arrived† when we  stop referring to it by a separate name and begin considering it as an integral part of a complete learning environment. Recent advances in the availability and speed of Internet access and in the power and availability of personal computing platforms have dramatically increased the opportunities for the use of collaborative environments and other distribu ted learning technologies. As a result, a wide range of new products are being developed and many new companies have entered the learning technology market. New categories of products continue to emerge, some providing new capabilities and others combining existing functionality into new product configurations. It can be a challenge to determine how these systems relate to each other and how they fit into a complete e-learning environment. The emergence of e-learning does not mean that existing software applications are obsolete. Systems such as Student Administration, Human Resources, and Library Management provide critical components of e-learning environments. The challenge is to integrate these systems effectively with e-learning application services. This has been done today in what is being called as â€Å"Campus Portal†. Campus portals merge a wide range of educational applications into an integrated web-based system. These portals are designed and developed at many modern colleges and universities within recent years and are becoming more popular as useful tools in offering academic services. They are being used by both the current and distant students. Some colleges even offer their portals to their staff as official media for internal communication. These capabilities have proved portals as effective systems of e-learning. The remaining question is: â€Å"How can we align portals with students’ current needs?† Sometimes, adding new contents or services to a portal may answer this question; but, changing needs of students makes the job harder and requires enough flexibility of portals both in nature and usage. We have made an effort in this study to identify those needs of Iranian students which may be satisfied through implementing portals and to provide a theoretical framework for portal developers to allign their objectives according to educational requirements. Study made by TharitpongFuangvutofUniversity of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia A Campus Portal is an exciting recent phenomenon forming part of the new generation of online services for all stakeholders in institutions  of higher education. Conceptually the general notion of a Portal should be to be distinguished from that of other Web-based applications and the traditional Intranet of the institution. The literature review in Phase One of this research indicates that the major distinguishing characteristics of a Campus Portal are: (i) personalization, by which end-users are only able to access information and online services pertinent to their activities, and (ii) customization, by which end-users are able to select their preferred information channels and optional online services. The major objective of this research is to propose a development methodology specifically suitable for Campus Portal projects. While there are many accepted development methodologies for traditional and Web-based Information Systems, no clear body of knowledge on the development of Campus Portals has yet been recognized. Additionally, as this is a new area, the definitions, terms, concepts and important issues agreed to by academic researchers and practitioners, are still evolving. This research, therefore, needs to clarify and identify some important issues regarding Campus Portals and their development, prior to composing the development methodology. In the second and third phases of the research, two studies were carried out, a preliminary study and a case study. These generated more understanding of the issues and extended the body of knowledge on Campus Portals, especially concerning their development. The preliminary study explored and investigated the online services and Campus Portals of 40 higher education institutions sites in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Canada. The findings of the preliminary study show that there are no standard patterns in the function of personalization and customization in Campus Portals. A set of research questions were then put forward to drive further investigation into design and implementation issues regarding the personalization and customization functions of Campus Portals. The case study was conducted in an Australian university among the major stakeholder groups, namely, the development team and the end-users (students and academic staff). For the study of the development team, interviews were used to gather information on their current practices and their vision for the future direction of the Campus Portal. Students were the primary focus of the end-user study, from which data was collected using a survey to build  up usage patterns of their online activities. In addition, a group of academic staff were interviewed to obtain data from their perspective to identify and clarify some important issues. The results and findings in this phase of the research is contributed to the body of knowledge on Campus Portals and their development. In the final phase of the research, the review of existing development methodologies was continued filtering them through a set of identified criteria based on the findings of the two studies. Finally, the most appropriate development methodology was selected and modified in order to support the requirements identified in this research as critical for the development of a Campus Portal. The result was proposed as a Campus Portal Development Methodology (CPDM) fulfilling the main objective of the research. Study made by Ayman H. AbuhamdiehofIndiana State University, USA Portals are gateways to information resources and different kinds of services. They are enjoying expansive use in all sorts of organizations. From corporations to educational institutions, organizations are striving to provide their constituents with prompt and reliable services through their Web portals. There is a general agreement in the literature on the concept of a portal. It means a web site that integrates and concentrates information resources. The audience could be limited to a particular group, such as auto mechanics, physicians, chemists, students and educators (vertical portals), or it could be open to everyone, such as the popular search engines and categorization web sites such as Google, Yahoo!, and Excite. The uniqueness and recent use of portal systems, and the wide array of constituents they serve, along with the different kinds of challenges they bring invites a closer examination of their acceptance and use. Few studies have provided a detailed examination of these kinds of portals in terms of their user acceptance, and their most used features. The uniqueness and recent use of portal systems, and the wide array of constituents they serve, along with the different kinds of challenges they bring invites a closer examination of their acceptance and use. Study made by Suhong Li and Wallace A. Wood ofBryant University,Smithfield, Rhode Island This study investigates the status of portal implementation in  the academic world. A two stage cluster analysis was used to divide the sample colleges and universities into three groups (Internal Focus Implementers, External Focus Implementers and Starters) based on the portal features implemented by each school. The differences among the three groups were assessed based on the type of school and their status of portal adoption, implementation and evaluation. The results show that in terms of status of portal adoption and implementation, Internal Focus Implementers are the most advanced group, the External Focus group is in the middle and the Starters are the least advanced one. Most schools in the Internal Focus group are private schools, have the longest use of campus portals, favor Blackboard as the portal software, have widely shared responsibilities for the content of the portals, consider integration and implementation of a single logon as the biggest implementation challenges and are the most satisfied with their portal. In contrast, the Starters lag behind in terms of the adoption and implementation of the portal. For example, they have the shortest history of portal implementation, do not have dominant portal software, and have only one or two departments in charge of the content of the portal. In addition, they are the least satisfied with their portals. Portals, originally thought of as search engines whose purpose was to facilitate access to information spread through the Internet, eventually developed to be gateways to the Web that allow vast amounts of information available on Internet and intranet Web sites to be organized and customized through a single entry point. Portals can thus be used to consolidate information from a vast array of sources, provide a centralized means of collaboration and offer a personalized workspace for both individuals and teams. Moreover, portals have the potential of providing organizations with a rich and complex shared information workspace for the generation, exchange, and use of knowledge. Local Study Study made by Tina Arceo-Dumlao of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila, Phillippines FILIPINOS are undisputedly the best in the world when it comes to text messaging. So if Filipinos use their mobile phone’s short messaging  service to send greetings, stay in touch with their loved ones or share jokes, why not harness its power to improve the quality of public education? A consortium of Philippine companies composed of Ayala Foundation, Globe Telecom, Nokia, Seameo Innotech and the Department of Education did just that with the launch in May 2003 of the Text2Teach program. Education divide Text2Teach is the Philippine project under the BridgeIt program, a global initiative that aims to narrow the educational divide between nations by improving the teaching of basic education in developing countries using high speed, wireless digital connection. The text message-based program was deemed ideal for the Philippines not only because everybody knows how to use it, but also because the technology is cheap and can reach the farthest islands of the archipelago. Text2Teach aims to help improve the quality of teaching in grades 5 and 6 classes in elementary school by providing multimedia packages designed to make science, math and English learning more exciting and meaningful among young learners. The first phase of Text2Teach used the mobile phone, satellite technology, and media master to deliver content to the classrooms. The teachers use the mobile phone to order video clips which are delivered via satellite, stored in the media master, and viewed on TV. For the second phase launched this year, the mobile phone is the storage device and is preloaded with the educational videos. All a teacher has to do is plug the phone to a TV and play the video lesson. New videos will be accessed by downloading them through the mobile phone using Globe’s 3G technology. The videos are integrated with specially developed lesson plans that comply with the Basic Education Curriculum and designed for grades 5 and 6 students in public elementary schools. The teachers then show these materials on television to public elementary school students who would not have had access to these multimedia presentations if not for Text2Teach. The teachers were trained by experts from the Seameo Innotech on how to integrate multimedia learning experience into their lesson plans. There are 387 video modules in the electronic library and 480 lesson guides for teachers on topics that are generally discussed in the science, math, and English classes of Grade 5 and 6 students. More interesting Teachers show topics in line with the curriculum defined by the Department of Education. Jeff Tarayao, head of community relations and corporate social responsibility of Globe Telecom, says that with Text2Teach, learning about volcanoes, for instance, has never been more interesting. The students agree. Just six years since it was launched, absenteeism among students attending Text2Teach classes has been reduced; student performance has risen as shown by higher average scores in science; teacher-pupil, pupil-pupil interaction got a boost, and, the classroom atmosphere has become more upbeat. Tarayao says the teachers have been clamoring for even more content to show their enthusiastic students. Since 2003, more than a million public elementary school students and more than 1,700 teachers and school officials in about 250 schools all over the Philippines have benefited from the program. And Text2Teach is reaching more schools in the country, targeting an additional 350 schools nationwide by 2010. Text2Teach went to 118 public elementary schools in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through a grant from the United States Agency for  International Development. Tarayao says some schools are even sharing their content with the out of school youth who come to the Text2Teach classrooms after regular classes. He says the challenge is to further expand the program to cover even more schools that want to experience the same benefits of Text2Teach. It is possible given the commitment of the many organizations behind Text2Teach. Ayala Foundation is the overall project leader, handles resource and partners mobilization and technical support for the project; Globe Telecom is the cellular capacity provider and powers the SMS network; Nokia Philippines provides the private sector funding, which includes the provision of a 3G-enabled device such as the Nokia N95 8GB, equipped with the Nokia Education Delivery (NED) software that allows the teacher to select from the 387 education videos specifically created for the project; Seameo Innotech crafts the lesson plans and handles the teacher training; while the Department of Education provided coordination with the public schools system. Text2Teach’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed.Text2Teach was a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge in Sweden—the world’s leading ICT Prize for entrepreneurs and projects who use information and communications technology to improve living conditions and increase economic growth. Text2Teach was also awarded the best in Support and Improvement of Education Category during the 2006 Asian CSR Awards But for Globe, the reward is knowing that Text2Teach has helped make mobile phone communication and SMS technology relevant to the upliftment of education in the Philippines.

Characterization of Lydia Bennet Essay

In Pride and Prejudice, the character of Lydia Bennet is characterized as someone who is immature, critical, and foolish. Lydia is a young, spoiled teenager who is accustomed to getting what she wants and is a favorite of Mrs. Bennet. Through over-indulgence on the part of her mother and neglect on the part of her father, she has been allowed to grow to be â€Å"vain, ignorant, idle and uncontrolled.† This characterization is revealed through both direct and indirect characterization. Through the use of description, dialogue, and actions the overall meaning of the novel is conveyed. Lydia is characterized as being a very immature young girl. Lydia goes shopping with her sister and tells everyone that she wanted to treat them all to lunch, but they would have to lend her the money because she spent all of hers. She then continues to say, â€Å"I have bought this bonnet. I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as not. I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it up any better.† She also says that there were much uglier ones in the shop and that this one is tolerable. This statement shows that Lydia is very immature in how she spends her money and is a spendthrift. Lydia Bennet’s dialogue shows that she is very critical of other people. Jane and Elizabeth tell the waiter that he doesn’t need to stay. Lydia then laughs and says, â€Å"Aye, that is just like your formality and discretion. You thought the waiter must not hear, as if he cared! I dare say he often hears worse things said t han I am going to say.† She then says that he is very ugly and has such a long chin and that she’s glad he’s gone. Lydia also says that her news about Wickham is too good for the waiter. Elizabeth then tells Lydia that Wickham is safe because Mary King is gone to Liverpool. Jane says, â€Å"But I hope there is no strong attachment on either side.† Lydia says, â€Å"I am sure there is not on his. I will answer for it he never cared three straws about her. Who could about such a nasty little freckled thing?† Through Lydia’s conversations we see that she is a critical person. Lydia is also a very foolish person. She is very concerned with the militiamen. She is very happy to hear that they are in town for the summer. Lydia tells Elizabeth, â€Å"They are going to be encamped near Brighton; and I do so want papa to take us all there for the summer†¦ Only think what a miserable summer else we shall have!† Lydia only seems to care about flirting with the militia. She thinks that she will be miserable all summer if she doesn’t go to see them. Elizabeth says, â€Å"Good Heaven! Brighton, and a whole campful of soldiers, to us, who have been overset already by one poor regiment of militia, and the monthly balls of Meryton.† When Mary says, â€Å"Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book,† Lydia rarely listens to anyone besides herself for more than a minute, and never listens to Mary at all. Lydia seems to only be concerned with the little, unimportant things that happen. Through the dialogue between Lydia and the other characters, the character of Lydia is clearly described. Lydia is constantly obsessed with the officers in the regiment, and sees no purpose to life beyond entertainment and diversion. She lacks any sense of virtue, propriety or good-ju dgment, as well as maturity.