Online Shopping and Amazon free essay sample

Abstract: This paper is about the customer service that is offered at Amazon. com. Amazon is a re-tailer that offers products at a responsible price. Amazon has evolved from being an online bookstore and they have become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world where customers could find and discover anything they wanted to buy online in a more convenient way. With customer service, loyalty, and customer retention were the three important aspects of Amazons that it offers. Amazon has increased their sales significantly due to its high levels of customer service that they provide. In addition to consumer customers, Amazon offered marketing and promotional services for third-party retailers and web services for developers. It allowed third party vendors to sell their products on its website. Amazon is a well-known company that was founded in 1995. It is best known for selling the Kindle, offering low competitive prices, offering fast and responsible cost with shipping that is reliable. We will write a custom essay sample on Online Shopping and Amazon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Everything could be sold online all at the click of a button. â€Å"In 2009, US-based online retailer Amazon. com, Inc. (Amazon) topped BusinessWeeks 2009 annual list of customer service champs†(Qumer 2010). Amazon is completely a customer service company that concentrates, on making sure that the customer is happy and taking care of. Which is reflected in their company values and what they believe in. Amazon was considered to be one of the most customer-centric companies in the world where customers could find and buy anything they wanted online at the lowest possible prices. Delivering excellent customer service and offering compelling value to its customers had been the core strategy of Amazon since its inception. Amazon focuses on being loyal to their customers, when they are loyal to them they figure that in return their customers would recommend others and continue to shop with them and make future purchases. Amazon makes sure that the infrastructure is taken care of so that the retention is there. When the retention is there they will continue to grow and expand their product lines so their customers will not have to take their business elsewhere. To make sure that the customer satisfaction is taken care of they live by Sic Core Values to make things happen to make sure that everything stay in order. The first on they have is Customer Obsession: With customer Obsession they start off with the customers and work backwards to make sure that things are taken care of. Secondly, Amazon includes innovation. Amazon says that if you do not listen to your customers, you will fail and if you only listen to your customers you will fail. You have to be able to find the balance. Third, you have a Bias for Action which is living in time of unheralded revolution and insurmountable opportunity and provided that they make every opportunity count. With the Fourth thing you will find that Amazon will take ownership when it comes to building a great company. Fifth they will have a High Hiring Bar that they often ask themselves† Will I admire this person? Will I learn from this person? Is this person a superstar? All of those important questions Amazon will ask themselves when they are looking to hire you. Lastly, they have frugality, where they spend money on things that really matter and believe that frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. In the future I do believe that Amazon should continue to find unique ways to reach consumers to continue to win them over. Right now Amazon should continue to grow their customer base and continue to grow social media awareness and continue to post the review of the consumers who have purchased products and how they were impressed with the arrival and how they love using what they purchased. With the role of Jeff Bezos in creating a customer-centric culture at Amazon he has done an awesome job working on Amazon and making sure that they continue to grow. Jeffrey Preston known as Jeff Bezos was born on January 12, 1964 and is an American Internet entrepreneur and investor. He is a technology entrepreneur who has played a key role in the growth of e-commerce[5] as the founder and CEO of Amazon. com, an online merchant of books and later of a wide variety of products. Under his guidance, Amazon. com became the largest retailer on the World Wide Web and a top model for Internet sales. † Bezos, J. (2013). Retrieved â€Å"Bezos believes that if you fix the customers problems then customer loyalty will be built from that. Jeff Bezos said his main goals are to provide his own perspective to the papers managing staff and to ensure the financial stability of the Post while it experiments with ways to be profitable. Though hell be active in leading the plans for the Post, he plans to continue living in Seattle and will remain the chairman and chief executive of Amazon. com. While the Post purchase took many by surprise, especially given the state of print journalism, it makes sense within Jeff Bezos unconventional business philosophy. He has said that Amazon. com management is willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time. He prefers to be patient and accept losing money for several years if he believes the long-term investment is worth it. Hes also known for an approach that puts customers needs and desires over everything else. Lots of retailers give lip service to that approach, but Amazon. com truly incorporates that philosophy into everything it does. Jeff Bezos might not do things the traditional way, but many would point to his unconventional approach as the foundation for the incredible growth of Amazon. com. His principles of growth over profit, long-term investment, and prioritizing the customer have made Amazon. com the worldwide online retailing leader. If anyone can find a way to pump new blood into traditional journalism, it might well be him. † (Beyond. com) Amazon did understand the integration scenarios and their impact on retailers, â€Å"lets look beyond the financials and think about Amazons probable thought process in the transaction: Shoes are a $40b category (online and offline) and comscore reports that online apparel in 08 was $23b. While Amazon doesnt disclose their apparel/shoe sales, they are definitely much smaller than Zappos. Thus this creates a clear leader in the category and gives Amazon mass in a third category (media, electronics, apparel). Amazons CFO said on the conference call last night: this (the Zappos acquisition) is not about synergies. This is about growing in categories that we think are interesting. † Amazon did $4m in 08 revenues in EGM (non-media categories) Zappos approximately $1b in GMV grows this 20% overnight. Also, Zappos was a large competitor to Amazons apparel business and forced them to come out with www. endless. com to counter the threat. According to compete. com, Zappos has about 6m visitors/m and endless is stuck in the 1m range. While amazon says they wont close this, they can definitely stop spending marketing dollars on it so theres going to be some savings there. There are also some shipping synergies. By injecting the Zappos approx 10m shoe shipments into the Amazon fulfillment engine, Zappos could save as much as $1/shipment which would effectively grow their profits by 50%. I also wonder if Amazon has any interest in the Zappos robotic fulfillment system and would consider moving that into their fulfillment centers to increase efficiency. Some have suggested that one driver could be Amazon wanting to sell prime to the Zappos audience. That doesnt make sense to me as with the Zappos free shipping model, why do you need Prime at all? I dont think Amazon would mess around with the Zappos model and move to something like normal S+H, free with Prime. The bottom line is Amazon gets a potentially 4-win scenario here: (1) good valuation, (2) eliminate a growing competitor, (3) grow EGM 20%, and (4) cement a leadership position on a big category (shoes+apparel). With putting this move into play I would say was the might move for both companies. Zappos focused on delivering WOW through service, they embraced and drove change, Created fun and a little weirdness, they were adventurous, creative and open minded, pursue growth and learning, built open and honest relationships with communication, built a positive team and family spirit, do more with less, be passionate and determined and they were humble. All of those core values made Zappos. â€Å"(Analysis and retailer, 2009)

R.K Narayan Biography Essay Essay Example

R.K Narayan Biography Essay Essay Example R.K Narayan Biography Essay Paper R.K Narayan Biography Essay Paper R. K. Narayan ( born 1906 ) is one of the best-known of the Indo-English authors. He created the fanciful town of Malgudi. where realistic characters in a typically Indian puting lived amid unpredictable events. Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanswami. who preferred the shortened name R. K. Narayan. was born in Madras. India. on Oct. 10. 1906. His male parent. an pedagogue. travelled often. and his female parent was frail. so Narayan was raised in Madras by his grandma and an uncle. His grandma inspired in immature Narayan a passion for linguistic communication and for people. He attended the Christian Mission School. where. he said. he learned to love the Hindu Gods merely because the Christian chaplain ridiculed them. Narayan graduated from Maharaja’s College in Mysore in 1930. In 1934 he was married. but his married woman. Rajam. died of enteric fever in 1939. He had one girl. Hema. He neer remarried. Narayan wrote his first novel. Swami and Friends. in 1935. after short. unins piring stretchs as a instructor. an column helper. and a correspondent. In it. he invented the little south Indian metropolis of Malgudi. a literary microcosm that critics subsequently compared to William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County. More than a twelve novels and many short narratives that followed were set in Malgudi. Narayan’s 2nd novel. Bachelor of Humanistic disciplines ( 1939 ) . marked the beginning of his repute in England. where the novelist Graham Greene was mostly responsible for acquiring it published. Greene has called Narayan â€Å"the novelist I most admire in the English linguistic communication. † His 4th novel. The English Teacher. published in 1945. was partially autobiographical. refering a teacher’s battle to get by with the decease of his married woman. In 1953. Michigan State University published it under the rubric Grateful to Life and Death. along with his novel The Financial Expert ; they were Narayan’s first books published in the United States. Subsequent publications of his novels. particularly Mr. Sampath. Waiting for the Mahatma. The Guide. The Man-eater of Malgudi. and The Vendor of Sweets. established Narayan’s repute in the West. Many critics con sider The Guide ( 1958 ) to be Narayan’s chef-doeuvre. Told in a complex series of flashbacks. it concerns a tourer usher who seduces the married woman of a client. prospers. and ends up in gaol. The fresh won India’s highest literary award. and it was adapted for the off-Broadway phase in 1968. At least two of Narayan’s novels. Mr. Sampath ( 1949 ) and The Guide ( 1958 ) . were adapted for the films. Narayan normally wrote for an hr or two a twenty-four hours. composing fast. frequently composing every bit many as 2. 000 words and seldom correcting or revising. Narayan’s narratives begin with realistic scenes and mundane occurrences in the lives of a cross-section of Indian society. with characters of all categories. Reviewing Narayan’s 1976 novel The Painter of Signs. Anthony Thwaite of the New York Times said Narayan created â€Å"a universe as richly human and volatile as that of Dickens. † His following novel. A Tiger for Malgudi ( 1983 ) . is narrated by a tiger whose holy maestro is seeking to take him to enlightenment. It and his 14th novelTalkative Man ( 1987 ) received assorted reappraisals. In his 80s. Narayan continued to hold books published. He returned to his original inspiration. his grandma. with the 1994 book Grandmother’s Tale and Other Stories. which Publishers Weekly called â€Å"an model aggregation from one of India’s most distinguished work forces of letters. † Donna Seaman of Booklist hailed the aggregation of short narratives that spanned over 50 old ages of Narayan’s composing as â€Å"an first-class sampling of his short fiction. by and large considered his best work† from â€Å"one of the world’s finest narrators. † Narayan one time noted: â€Å"Novels may tire me. but neer people. † R. K. Narayan was born in Madras. South India. in 1906. and educated at that place and at Maharaja’s College in Mysore. His first novel. Swami and Friends and its replacement. The Bachelor of Arts. are both set in the enrapturing fictional district of Malgudi and are merely two out of the 12 novels he based at that place. In 1958 Narayan’s work The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy. his country’s highest literary award. In add-on to his novels. Narayan has authored five aggregations of short narratives. including A Horse and Two Goats. Malguidi Days. and Under the Banyan Tree. two travel books. two volumes of essays. a volume of memoirs. and the re-told fables Supreme beings. Devils and Others. The Ramayana. and the Mahabharata. In 1980 he was awarded the A. C. Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature and in 1982 he was made an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Narayan died in 2001. Plants of R. K. Narayan ( a ) Novels:1. Swami and Friends ( 1935 )2. Bachelor of Art ( 1973 )3. The Dark Room ( 1938 )4. The English Teacher ( 1945 )5. The Guide ( 1958 )6. The Painter of Signs ( 1976 )( B ) Narrative Collections:1. Malgudi Days2. Dodu and Other Narratives3. Cyclone and Other Narratives4. Supreme beings. Devils and Others ( 1964 )( degree Celsius ) Autobiography:1. My Days ( 1974 )2. My Dateless Diary ( 1960 )( vitamin D ) Other Plants:1. Ramayana. It is an English version of the Tamil heroic poem by Kamban

Individual project 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual project 2 - Assignment Example In both cases, window-shopping is the order of the day. Customers move around as they select the products they think are best suitable for them (Garrett 2007). However, in the case of the store, the difference is that there is an attendant nearby who is ready to address to the needs of the customers. In the other hand, the web store as a section called live chat where the attendants can chat lively so that they can address the needs of the online shoppers. On the part of completing purchases, the customers are provided with the receipts upon successful payments. However, the store accepts various ways of affecting the payment process such as cash, cheque, credits cards, as well as mobile phone money transfers (Gronroos 2006). In the other hand, the web store has a little similarity as far as closing a purchase is concerned. In the first place, it also accepts credit cards and mobile phone money transfers just like the store. However, it does not accept cash, and cheque. The image portrayed in the brick and mortar store is building materials with different arrays of the blocks. However, there is also a small section of a Manson indicating how those bricks do look like when used to build a house. To an extent, it fits the segmentation strategy because they have managed to cater for the needs of different customers of different age groups as well as that belongs to different economic classes. Looking carefully, the online store is more successful as compared to the actual store. This is because it has already attracted large number of customers looking at daily sales on the web site. Furthermore, the display itself at the website is more appealing than the actual store. This is not to mention the fact that it is available to everybody irrespective of his/her location in this planet earth. All needed is the web address of the store where the customers can converge and view the products they are offering (Garrett 2007). Looking at the customers

Choose an interesting topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Choose an interesting topic - Essay Example As Alice is presented a thimble as a ‘gift’, I think back to the many aspects of my life that lacked meaning, purpose, and direction. Wonderland as a whole motivates us to challenge the traditional social order. Chapter 3 is our first glimpse at Alice becoming frustrated with her life and the community around her. Perhaps she is beginning to question the meaning of life. What exactly the author wants us to think about Alice is not entirely clear to me. I do realize, however, that life does have meaning and it is up to us to seek that meaning out. There is so much I want to do with my life. I think Alice had the same thoughts. As she wanders around ‘Wonderland’ participating is meaningless Caucus Races, she was probably questioning what in the world she was doing. Surely she hoped for something bigger than she was experiencing at the moment. It is not that she did not appreciate those around her, including the animals, but she simply wanted and needed more. In a similar manner, I feel it is important to surround myself with people who can help me locate that meaning in life that truly helps me look for a reason to continue in a forward moving

Free Will and Moral Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Free Will and Moral Integrity - Essay Example ....and chaos from recommencing her topsy-turvy reign" (William James, Essay p. 5) This essay intends to show, in the final analysis, that compatibilism and determinism can in fact operate side by side, but it is his argument on free will, or 'chance' as he likes to term it, which willbe explored. The philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, as presented in his work 'Leviathan' will be used to refute the concept of free will and morality, with E. M. Forster's 'The Machine Stops' as a counter argument in support of James. For the purposes of this discussion, free will is defined as 'being able to make a choice, without constraint, given the circumstances of the individual.' (A personal definition) William James - Free Will, Morality and 'The Dilemma of Determinism': James argues that if we take the word 'chance, consider it to be the possibility of different choices and subsequent outcomes, then free will is being applied. Following on from the quotation, an interpretation of his words might be that he considers that determinists believe chance decisions and ambiguity of outcomes are not how the universe or the world work If such a preposterous notion were to be accepted and acted upon, (can we call this notion free will) then everything would fall apart, given that the history of the universe is fixe... Yet there is much weight behind his claim that a dilemma exists, as he cites the possible response to the Brockton murder, which determinism, of necessity, would have to make - he fears the possible outcome to be a pessimistic acceptance of evil, almost, that's how it is, what can be done His argument brings to the fore, the moral questions of right and wrong, good and evil, coming down squarely on the side of free will. The beliefs in an outside Providence, in man's own ability to make moral decisions, may well be translatable to the concept of compatibilism and determinism going hand in hand. But it is the aspect of free will and morality which drives his argument, and when he states, "Chance" is ---what Just this, -- the chance that in moral respects the future may be other and better than the past has been. This is the only chance we have any motive for supposing to exist." (James, p. 19) we are convinced of his sincerity. He further contends that whether it be our creator or ourselves who decides to choose good over evil, matters little, it is necessary to admit that all decisions are in the here and now, we make them, and he describes it thus "gives the palpating life reality to our moral life and makes it tingle." (James p. 21) James is convinced that man has and uses free will, and in so doing, demonstrates a moral integrity. He considers that determinists face a dilemma in accepting that chance and choice can play a part in understanding self and the world, that a philosophy such as this denies man choice or the right to belief in Providence or humanity. The argument is supported by the events depicted in 'The Machine Stops', portraying a reality of the

Are Video Games Good For Children Children And Young People Essay

Are Video Games Good For Children Children And Young People Essay For that matter, are video games good for adults. Has anyone ever seen the effects of prolonged exposure to video games and the effects it has on someones family or the community? As a father, I have dealt with negative effects of video games first hand. There have been numerous studies and debates on the subject of video games and the effects, whether positive or negative, they have on children. Video games are not good for children because of the negative effects to a childs behavior and overall health. Violent tendencies Children that play violent orientated video games have displayed violent tendencies toward others. There have been numerous studies and research conducted, on violent video games played by children, which suggest that children may become more aggressive after playing (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010) those types of games and the conclusion behind this reasoning, are three traits of the personality, which are high neuroticism, disagreeableness, and low levels of conscientiousness (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). Playing violent orientated video games cause children to act and think aggressively (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). These conditions may cause children to commit violent acts or behavior. Violent Behavior In addition to increased aggression, children who play violent video games are associated with increased violent behavior (Souccar, 2012). Because of this behavior, there have been multiple despicable acts such as the Virginia Tech shootings where a gunman killed over thirty people in 2007(Lee, Finley, 2011). In 1999, another devastating act in Columbine, Colorado, two teenage gunmen entered a school with weapons, killed twelve students and a teacher, before taking their own lives (Belanger, Wagner, 2011). Eric Harris and Dylan Kiebold were frequent players and program contributors to a violent video game called Doom (Lee, Finley, 2011). Children or teens, that do not commit violent acts, may still display pathologic behavior. Pathologic Behavior Children that play video games exhibit pathologic behavior. There are many warning signs of pathologic behavior, such as lying about or hiding how much time is spent playing or disobeying parental limits; losing interest in sports and hobbies; choosing the game over time with friends; and continuing to play despite plummeting grades(Wagner, 2008). This is a very touchy subject in my household. My thirteen year old step-son has exhibited pathologic behavior because of video games. When the neighbors kids come to ask him to play outside, he refuses and has continued playing his games. His grades at school have suffered because he does not concentrate on doing his homework and worries more about playing video games. He has told a few lies, thrown tantrums, kicked walls and our washing machine, and is constantly disrespectful to his siblings, my wife and myself. My step-son has also exhibits signs of video game addiction. Video Game Addictions Children with video game addictions, if left untreated, could have disastrous effects as adults. There are millions of people all over the world who love to play video games, either on game systems or online social media, but that love for the video games turns into tragedy for those with video game addictions. According to Lee and Finley (2011), a couple in Korea went to a local establishment to feed their video game addiction, only to return home over five hours later to find their four month old baby girl dead because she was left alone. Also according to Lee and Finley (2011), parents in Reno, Nevada were arrested after their obsession with video games caused them to neglect to feed their two young children. Increase of Video Game Addictions The increase of video games addictions has prompted the opening of clinics in countries such as the Netherlands, United States, China, and other countries around the world, to help combat the effects of video game addiction (Belanger, Wagner, 2011). Also stated, by Belanger and Wagner (2011), the Council on Science and Public Health recently proposed adding video gaming addiction to a list of formal disorders, such as drug addiction. Video game addictions and its symptoms mirror other addictions so closely, that it was almost classified as an official psychiatric disorder (Lee, Finley, 2011) by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2007. With all of the negative effects of video games, such as addictions, there are good video games children can play. Good Video Games There are many video games that are good for children. Over the past few years, there have been many advances in good video games and game systems, such as the Wii from Nintendo and the EyeToy Kinetic from Sony, which engage the players with the game (Barros, et al, 2012). I and my family have played games on both systems, The Wii system controller is held by the player which controls the actions of the avatar on the screen. The Kinetic system is similar, but the player controls the movement of the avatar with his/her body movements through the use of a camera. One game that is used to induce physical activity, with both gaming systems, is a game called Dance, Dance, Dance (Barros, et al, 2012). The players are actively involved in the games that they are playing and are increasing their heart rate and physical activity. These Exergames (Barros, et al, 2012) are promoting exercise and physical fitness. Even though there are good video games, there are still other negative effects, su ch as inactivity from playing non-active games, which may induce childhood obesity. Childhood Obesity For children that do not have access to those types of games, cant afford the games, or just dont care to play them, often play the games that they have, for long periods of time, which leads to the lack of physical activity, and the onset of childhood obesity (Childhood Obesity, n.d.). A report, issued by the U.S. Department of Health Human Services, mentions a few reasons children may play video games for long periods of time. It may be the lack of parental control, being left alone by their parents for hours at a time, or just having to stay inside because of safety concerns (Childhood Obesity, n.d.). There is a growing concern, from parents such as myself, that children are becoming lazy from the lack of exercise because of video games. This lack of exercise contributes to weight gain and obesity. I have a personal connection with this subject because a member of my family was constantly playing video games, not getting any physical exercise, became a social outcast, and over a short period of time became obese. Video Games Are Not Good Video games are not good for children because some children exhibit too many pathologic behaviors and display violent tendencies because of video games. Children become addicted to video games which may carry over into their adulthood; they may lose all sense of reality, and their addiction to video games may become so severe, that tragedies happen because of that addiction. For other children, they may become obese because of the lack of physical activity. There are an abundance of good video games for children to play, but as a parent, I have been a witness to most of these negative effects for over 10 years and I am not going to let my step-son or any of my children play video games excessively. I will control how much time is spent playing video games; make sure that they take extended periods away from video games to get their homework completed and to get daily exercise.

The Role of Women in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein

The Role of Women in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Whether an author is conscious of the fact or not, a fictional work cannot avoid reflecting the political, social, economic, and religious background of the author. Therefore, regardless of Frankenstein's categorization being that of science fiction, Mary Shelley reveals her own fears and thoughts, and, as a result, reveals a great deal about the time and place in which she wrote. She mentions specific geographical locations throughout Europe, she raises ethical questions concerning the synthesis of life, and she writes in the context of popular contemporary philosophy and the importance of environment vs. experiences. Most importantly to this essay, however, is the manner in which Shelley reflects the characteristics of the Romantic period in which it was written and its attitudes toward women. In an article that discusses female authors during this time period, we find that Romanticism was a male-dominated movement. The same article states that this dominance prevented female authors from being given the same consideration as males (Behrendt 147). Moreover, women who crossed this "culturally-imposed boundary" were routinely charged with "unnaturalness" or "monstrosity" (Ibid.). This is clearly portrayed through the author herself, particularly in the introduction of the novel where her introduction is full of apologies for her work. Despite the self-proclaimed pressure to become a writer in the expectation of continuation of her parents' writing, the story is wrought with marks of difficulties of having been taken less than seriously. One place where it is particularly evident is in the preface of the book, although parts were writte... ...ely, in the representation of Shelley herself in the monster. Works Cited and Consulted: Behrendt, Stephen C. "New Romanticisms for Old: Displacing Our Expectations and Our Models." Midwest Quarterly. Winter 2000: 145-159. Kelly, G. "Unbecoming a Heroine." Nineteenth Century Literature. September 1990: 220-242. Lowe-Evans, Mary. Frankenstein: Mary Shelly's Wedding Guest. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Oates, Joyce Carol. "Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe." Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Seymour, Miranda. Mary Shelley. Savannah, Georgia: Grove/Atlantic Publishers, August 2001. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Edited by Johann Smith. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Tropp, Martin. Mary Shelly's Monster. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976.

Meeting the Needs of Students

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of death and disability among children and adolescents, with an annual incidence estimated at 180 cases per 100,000 children between the ages of 1 and 15 in the United States (Yeates,2005). Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are defined in the special education law in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 1990) as being an â€Å"injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment† that affects a child's educational performance (Cave,2004). Knowing that, students learning needs are different from students with other exceptionalities (Spear,2005). General and special education teachers need to use a variety of specific strategies based on learning styles and certain resources, with students who have experienced a TBI, to promote learning in all subject areas. A TBI alters a child’s mind and changes the way he or she thinks. Teachers must be aware of this and know how to adapt in order to accommodate their needs in the classroom. TBI’s change cognition and behavior in students and no two students with traumatic brain injury will display the same characteristics (Spear,2005). Students who have sustained a head injury may experience problems in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial areas. Physical effects With regard to physical deficits, individuals with TBI may have an array of problems ranging from sensory deficits to difficulty with mobility. Headaches and fatigue are common, especially during the early stages of recovery (Bullock,2005). Their muscles may be â€Å"weak, hypotonic, or spastic,† which could interfere with learning activities such as writing and keyboarding. They may also experience seizures. In general, schools are more proficient at making physical accommodations for students. Cognitive Effects Cognitive difficulties are common following a brain injury and some may seem quite baffling to educators unfamiliar with TBI (New York State Education Dept. ,1997). For example, children with TBI may have short-term memory problems, yet, may be able to easily recall information learned prior to their injury. This has significant implications for assessment purposes. Furthermore, it is possible for a student to perform well on â€Å"some widely used standard assessments† using his or her prior knowledge. Such a â€Å"false indication† of the student's current level of functioning may prevent the individual from receiving the proper services. To avoid this drawback, several different methods of assessment should be used when attempting to determine the needs of a student recovering from TBI. Memory is only one aspect of cognition that is affected by TBI. It also commonly affects a student’s ability to attend to â€Å"instruction, mental processing speed, and thought formulation and reasoning†. These are only a few of the hardships faced by students who are affected by TBI and educators must be aware of these problems. Psychosocial Effects Difficulties that result from changes in the student's social, emotional, and behavioral functioning are known as psychosocial effects (Bullock,2005). The changes in the brain resulting from the injury, along with stress and anxiety brought on by rehabilitation and recovery, may cause children with TBI to exhibit unusual emotional states, such as dramatic mood swings. This emotional state can bring negative reactions from peers and teachers and makes it difficult to maintain positive relationships. When children with TBI return to school, their educational and emotional needs are often very different than before the injury. Remembering how they were prior to the brain injury may make injured students feel â€Å"embarrassed, ashamed, or frustrated† about their change in performance in the classroom (Bullock,2005). Of the various types of difficulties resulting from brain injury, the psychosocial effects have proven to be the most challenging for school personnel and parents to manage. Resources and Services Available The effects of a brain injury include a wide range of services and accommodations that may be needed. Highly individualized planning is also required (Zabel, 2005). Many students with mild to moderate TBI’s usually return to regular general education classes with some adaptations and modifications. Students with TBI who attend mainstream classes may also receive accommodations or related services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504. Section 504 covers â€Å"all students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limit one or more major life activities, including learning† (Zabel, 2005). Students with more significant impairments should be referred to special education evaluation to determine if specialized services are necessary to address any cognitive, communication, physical, or social limitations. What Educational Interventions Are Successful? Students who have a difficult time concentrating or completing tasks need strategies. Teachers should present information to these students based on their strengths. These students have to choose a way to strengthen their learning skills by practicing modalities such as learning visually, kinesthetically, or auditorily. It is important that teachers include prioritizing, structuring, and slowing down while instructing a lesson. This can simply mean talking slower, giving less information at a time, and answering questions more thoroughly(Cave,2004). ClassroomAccommodations Altering the classroom environment is essential when trying to meet the needs of a student with a TBI (Bowen, 2005). As an educator, you may want to provide external devices and cues, which the student can use to compensate for organization, memory, and motor deficits. Assistive devices can include technical equipment and materials such as â€Å"tape recorders, calculators, electronic spellers, computers or word processors, augmentative communication devices, timers,or equipment for mobility (e. g. , wheelchair or electric scooter)†. Other external cues used to remind students include â€Å"labels, maps, checklists, pictures or icons, photograph cues, post-it-notes, calendars, planners, and journals† (Bowen, 2005). Modifications to existing materials can assist students with TBI to learn and function in the classroom setting. Typical adjustments that allow students to participate at their grade level include providing â€Å"large print books, books on tape, and graphic organizers†. A similar approach involves â€Å"altering the expectations for student participation. † For example, teachers may choose to allow more time on tests, reduce the amount of written work required, provide exams in multiple choice format, or give pass/fail grades rather than letter grades. Researchers have found that modifying the educational environment and increasing the amount of structure and predictability in the child's school day facilitates learning† (Keyser-Marcus, 2002). We must consider each child's individual difficulties and circumstances when determining appropriate modifications. Therefore, we must assess the influence of the environment on the student's ability to focus and learn; and we need to explore a variety of modifications before we modify the educational surroundings. Due to the fact that many students with TBI experience difficulty with fatigue, a modified school day may be necessary for better performance. Scheduled breaks or a shortened school day may limit fatigue. Another strategy would be to schedule difficult subjects early because the student’s alertness level is higher. In addition to modifications to the school day, researchers have found â€Å"that altering the student's workload, extending deadlines, and breaking tasks into smaller components have all improved academic performance†. TBI Organizations The Brain Injury Association helps promote â€Å"awareness, understanding, and prevention of brain injury through education, advocacy, and community support services† (Monfore, 2005). Its web site has links to support groups and has a wealth of information on various aspects of brain injury. The Brain Injury Society is a non profit organization that works with clients, families, and caregivers to identify strategies and techniques to â€Å"maximize newfound potential for a stronger recovery† from brain injury. This organization sponsors events, as well as provides general information on TBI, a newsletter, links to other relevant sites, and important contact information â€Å"for government officials in a position to affect legislation†. Summary Children and youth with traumatic brain injury can pose a significant challenge to educators in educational planning, teaching methods, and monitoring of students' performance. For students who have experienced TBI, educators should be aware of the medical, neurological, and psychological issues which shape each individuals TBI case (Stevens, 1994). The educator must understand the relevance of these issues to plan effective educational programs. Regardless of the types of accommodations and strategies we use with these students, the most effective programs depend on our willingness to learn about the specific consequences of the injuries and our attempts to customize the instruction and curriculum to meet the needs of those students. Educators have a vital role in providing the widest range of opportunities available to these students.

Elian Gonzalez essays

Elian Gonzalez essays It seems as if the last five months has been an update of the latest news and developments in the story of the most famous six year old, Elian Gonzalez. To date, I must admit that I have been somewhat biased and inconsiderate by not paying attention to the most recent developments because of the simple fact that I believed from the beginning that the boy should be returned to his biological father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez. With the timing of this assignment it has given me an opportunity to get caught up on all the facts of the Elian Gonzalez case and I'm glad I have taken this opportunity to do some reading of the last couple of reports by Newsweek. It also ties in well with a sociologist/theorist that we have been discussing in class by the name Baumgartner and the idea of "Social Control from Below". The idea of social control from below is one that we as humans come across day-in and day-out. Some of the factors that we come across in social control from below are the idea that this concept deals with the powerful and the powerless, the powerful can use physical discipline to control the powerless, the powerful can control social resources to control the powerless, and the powerless don't suspend their right to moral justice. These are just a few of the ideas that factor into social control from below, but if you look into them a little deeper you can understand why I would say that we as humans deal with this idea on a daily basis. In the case of Elian Gonzalez and his father's attempt to regain custody, this concept of powerful versus powerless runs a whole lot deeper than just these two. The idea of the powerful versus the powerless plays a major role in this idea of social control from below. The circumstances don't change either when looking at the Gonzalez case. It seems as if these "subordinates" and "elites" were the major players from the beginning and still continue to be the major players to this day. If you had to put a...

A Positive Attitude Essays

A Positive Attitude Essays A Positive Attitude Essay A Positive Attitude Essay A positive mental attitude is an absolutely indispensable prerequisite for success. Your attitude determines how well you do and how far you go in life. Most people know that you need to have a positive mental attitude to achieve any measure of happiness and success, but what is it? A positive mental attitude is how you respond to adversity and difficulty. The only way you can tell what type of attitude you have is how you react when things go wrong. Your attitude is determined by your expectations. If you expect that wonderful and positive things will happen to you during the day, you have a positive and optimistic attitude. Your mind is like a garden, whatever you plant, it will return back to you. If you plant negative thoughts and continuously feed and nourish those thoughts then that is what will grow in you life. On the other hand if you constantly think positive and optimistic thoughts, then your life will be positive and optimistic. One of the most important differences between successful people and unsuccessful people is the way they think. Successful people think and talk about the things they want. They talk about achieving their goals, good health, happiness, and prosperity, while unsuccessful people spend most of their time thinking and talking about the things that they dont want. They constantly complain, worry, and talk about their problems. Problems are consistent and constant for all of us. They are like waves large and small that keep coming every day. The way you look at your problems will in large part determine your attitude. For example, many people have the attitude that if someone is nice to them then theyll be nice in return. If someone is unkind or disrespectful to them then theyll be the same way in return. The Law of Sowing and Reaping says that whatever you sow in life, you will reap. Remember, it is the Law of Sowing and Reaping not the Law of Reaping and Sowing. Your attitude is a reflection of the type of person you are on the inside and the world you live in. For example, if you want people to be friendly, courteous, and respectful to you, then you have to be those things to other people first. Bad habits are hard to break and new ones are hard to form. So developing a positive mental attitude will take time. Start tomorrow morning by expecting the best in everything that happens to you during the day and treat every person you come in contact with the way you expect to be treated. Treat everyone with genuine, kindness, courtesy, and respect and that is what will be reflected back to you.

Problems in Chinese Education System and steps taken to improve the Essay

Problems in Chinese Education System and steps taken to improve the system - Essay Example Nine years of education is made compulsory in China at preliminary and junior secondary level. However, there is very low government spending on education. Teaching resources are not sufficient as the enrolments in schools. China’s National Auditing Office recently released the 2003 auditing results of 18 universities in China. It was found out that there were violations of financial regulations in these universities. Furthermore, when university professor Mr. Sun Guangwen and former secretary Lin Mu were interviewed about China’s education system, they identified three major problems which are unequal opportunity, expensive tuition and difficult standards for admission. There are also issues regarding course material and teaching methods of China’s education system.... ccording to survey of China’s Academy of Social Sciences, the average education related fees of universities, high schools and elementary schools account for 30 to 60 percent of a family’s income. To the low income families residing in China who accounts up to 80 percent of Chinas population, education fees are a secondary expense to food expense (Yue & Hong, 2006). Lin Mu has identified an emerging concept of â€Å"education commercialization† in China. Schools are now a commercial business; they only keep raising their fees and emptying poor family’s pockets. Even the free schools now charge some amount of money. Professor Sun regards commercialization as wrong and has drawbacks. Commercialization is based on making money. This increases burden towards students. Schools are also required to pay bonuses to teachers. Some schools pay really high bonuses. There are three levels in a school. The first level includes the president, vice president, secretary a nd vice secretary, deans and assisted deans. These people are paid 50,000 yuan or US$ 6000 per year. The second level of staff is paid 40,000 yuan or US$ 5000 and the third level is paid 30,000 yuan or US$ 4000 per year. All this money is coming from students (Yue & Hong, 2006). Through commercialization, universities and colleges have started branding their institutes which attracts students so that they can get better jobs later. Another way for these institutes to make money is by offering short courses, training classes or post graduate certificate programs. These are affordable as the teachers only care about money. As a result, the quality of education is seriously suffering (Yue & Hong, 2006). An expert once estimated and came on a conclusion, based on the ratio and people’s income, the expense of

The Aim of Business Policy and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Aim of Business Policy and Strategy - Essay Example For a company to offer quality services, it ought to lay down a framework that is going to make the company more proactive in decisions making and ensure good bright future of the firm. The company strategic vision is to offer exemplary high-quality transport services at affordable prices. For an enterprise to be functional, it ought to develop ways that are going to ensure that it is guaranteed to win the competition in services delivery. Enterprises have to develop mechanisms that are going to ensure it responds to dynamic eternal changes amicably for it to pursue its mission. The corporate strategy of a company ought to spell out the goals that are major all its priorities, the plan of events and the course of action throughout a certain period. Many transport companies tend to focus on offering only one service; transport of goods and services. A company corporate strategy ought to be based on the design, by majorly focusing on the young and beginners for services. Therefore, the growth strategy of a company should focus on diversifying its services to incorporate postally and care hire services intended to meet the diverse needs of people. The major hitches that any enterprise business will tend to face throughout its operations are competition, resources and the necessary capabilities. The corporate world is one of the most volatile areas of the economy that are had to operate without skill and, therefore, requires deliberate courses of actions. However, such challenges can be overcome by developing viable strategic plans that are going to spell out al l the courses of action to overcome them.