Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release Essay

Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release - Essay Example The aftermath of the collapse was entrapment of over thirty workers at a depth of three hundred meters deep. This meant inadequate basic needs such as water, food and oxygen, a situation that downed the hearts of their relatives whose hope died after four days with their husbands, fathers and brothers trapped in a mine. New York Times (2011) asserts that there has never been such a scenario where, miners would survive after a long period trapped underground. However, the supply of food that started for two days would subsequently run into weeks after the establishment that the miners were still alive and intact. Additionally, a second collapse of one of the other remaining shafts destabilized the rescue process by making the process even more difficult. The news f this collapse spread throughout the world like a bush fire with many fearing that the miners will not last until their rescue. However, it was astonishment instead of cries when after seventeen days the first contact was ma de to the miners only to find that all the miners were safe and in a good condition. Initially, it had been, communicated to them that it should take the rescue team almost four months to rescue them onto the surface. However, at the fall of 69 days, the first miner of \all the miners who had been trapped were brought to the surface exceeding effectively (Weik, 2010). Given the fact that communication must be designed with a particular audience in mind, and there are a number of considerations to be observed. This is, in addition to, needs of the potential receivers of the information. Therefore, it is noteworthy that the person relaying the information understands the recipient, and use a proper communication, tone and even information message caries. This will enable appropriate delivery of the message, which will ensure that the audience understands, and clear doubts about any confusion (New York Times, 2011). Therefore, the company has to communicate to different people, and the se include the family, other employees and the press. Any wrong word is sure to create panic especially to the family members, and this makes family essentials extremely valuable, and, therefore, taken into grate consideration. There are certain needs of the family that have to be met to ensure their peace of mind. However, it is noteworthy that few companies have appropriate preparations for such situations, and use of addressees to convey the message. This one of the hard times in the Mining Company, for it had a hard time keeping the families of the trapped miners reassured. Ability to maintain the staff tranquil and at peace that the Chilean Copper Mining Company was doing everything to get the miners out, was their top priority. It is noteworthy that the company had an already established way of keeping the families, the local community and the other employees of the trapped miners. During this entire time of rescue efforts, the relatives of the trapped miners should have recei ved some counseling while praying for beneficial outcomes, but also being prepared for the worst. All information obtained by exerts during the process should have been shared at a gathering of family of the trapped miners with grief counseling making the necessity of the sessions of briefs. This means that the family should

The most Important Legacy of Reformation for us Today Essay

The most Important Legacy of Reformation for us Today - Essay Example The protestant reformation started in Europe in the early sixteenth century1. The works of Martin Luther King’s activities that he carried out in the late fifteenth century informed the reforms. During such times, it was evident in the Roman Catholic Church that the pope had the powers to sale of penance letters to people following the fact that he was deficient of the authority to forgive sins. In those days, the priest was highly regarded more important than any other person. Therefore, anything that he did was highly regarded as of moral right and was subject to no rejection or question. In this regard, the Catholic Church considered priests more than other considered other people. Following the ever questionable issues noticed by Luther regarding the practice of the pope, Luther advocated for provision of the Bible to everyone to read for themselves. It is due to such ill beliefs and practice that forced Martin Luther to call an end to such practices. He gained many follow ers in various countries by inspiring many religious reformers to break away from the Catholic Church and develop their own ideas. ... The reformations led to various religious wars that was termed the Thirty Years War. Christians believe in the ability of God to forgive sins since he has the power to do so. However, the notion that a person can influence God to forgive another is misleading. It is the idea of forgiveness of sins as well as the massive power accorded to the pope that led to the call to reformation. Reformation is an important aspect of human life. It is of crucial importance to highlight that different reformation always follow quests of justice with regards to certain matters that affect humanity. As such, people may always engage in protests with the hope of correcting a wrong where necessary. Such issues that always bring notable protests that mark the beginnings of reformations always arise from several sources. A major factor that may push for reformation may involve political factors. This may be evident where certain issues are considered oppressive to the general wellbeing of humanity. In ad dition, several protests championing for reforms may follow differences in religious views. As such, several religious societies may collude and strongly oppose a wrongdoing that may be evident in the society. Major reformations in history came with regards to the Roman Catholic church. The church in earlier days had several provisions and guidelines hat majority of followers considered oppressive. Such did not marry well with their beliefs and the faith they had in Christianity. Majority of such issues were being steered forth by the people of high ranks in the church. Such issues were considered oppressive to the faith and beliefs that were maintained by the faithful. This brought forth major reforms in

Using Technology to Motivate Students in the Science Classroom Essay Example for Free

Using Technology to Motivate Students in the Science Classroom Essay Each year, more students are dropping out of high school. Students are bored and feel that they are not learning anything that is useful in the real world. Teachers are finding an increasing number of students becoming less engaged in their academic studies. There are public schools willing to bribe students to pay attention and make better grades. Instead of bribery, educators need to make the curriculum more appealing to student interests, develop critical thinking skills to be able to adapt and/or solve real life problems. Today’s world is full of media and technology use that can be used in the classroom to spice things up. This paper focuses on the integration of WebQuests, virtual video games, and virtual dissections in the science curriculum. Using Technology to Motivate Students in the Science Classroom Today, a majority of students are either bored, frustrated, or feel like school is a waste of time. Many educators find that these students will not complete assignments, participate in classroom activities, or try their best. There are a number of reasons for the lack of motivation in students including they may have learning disabilities, have bad experiences in school, fear ridicule from their peers, and or they are not learning about a subject they are interested in. Many educators find that these students will not try, will not complete assignments, or participate in classroom discussions or activities. Some students who seem unmotivated may have learning disabilities, had bad experiences in school, fear ridicule, and or are not in a class or subject they are interested in. Some of these students just sit there and daydream. While others become discipline problems by disrupting class and hurting the learning chances of others. Educators are constantly assigning detention and in-school suspension to those with discipline issues. Students who misbehave or have given up tend to have this psychological perceptive that they are compensating for their belief that they are stupid (Mendler, 2000). There are number of public schools that seem to be desperate enough for students to make better grades that they are willing to bribe students, not with candy or homework passes, but with money. There are public schools around the country that have used or are currently using programs that pay students to make better grades. Students who participate in these programs may make better grades, temporarily; however, when the cash incentives are removed the grades tend to return to their normal range. Most educators agree with Sullo (2009) statement that giving students bribes like this only â€Å"devalues education and learning.† Rather than using these extrinsic rewards, educators need to use more intrinsic system that relies on students taking more interest in the topics or materials covered. Pederson’s William’s (2004) study states that the usage of more problem based learning would work better as an intrinsic motivator. In problem based learning students have to set up their own objectives in how to solve a problem given to them by the teacher. This student centered method gives students more ownership of their goals and gives more meaning to their work. In addition, using students centered assessment, where students are involve with their own evaluation, helps students to examine what and how they have performed their tasks. Using a WebQuest Some researchers say that the way to motivate students is to cover topics that relate to real life. One way to make a topic relevant to real life is to use a WebQuest. A WebQuests are inquiry-based activities that were developed in 1995 by Bernie Dodge (March, 2003). This type of activity uses a layered process in which the learner uses the internet to facilitate the acquisition, synthesis and analysis of information. It requires the learner to take charge of their own learning, resulting in better understanding and retention of knowledge. A WebQuest is made up for six critical components: an introduction, task, resources, a step-by-step process, an evaluation, and conclusion (Yoder, 1999). When implemented correctly, WebQuests not only challenges the learner to collect and gather information, but to take the knowledge and apply it to real-life scenarios, relationships and processes. The task itself can be modified in length of time it takes to complete and groups, individual or coll ective. One of the disadvantages of WebQuests is the time it takes a teacher to create or critique a pre-made task. But as with any other good teaching methods, planning and preparation is time-consuming. Most WebQuest are free to use online. Any teachers can create their own WebQuest or use an already made WebQuest. There are WebQuest wizards available online that can help a teacher through the creation process. When using a pre-made WebQuest the teacher must go through the activity and make sure the information if correct and that all the web links are working. A science teacher could create a WebQuest that would have students look at water pollution in an area. The students task would be to research ways to prevent water pollution and ways to clean it up. A few examples of pre-made WebQuest can be found on the sites listed in listed in Table 1. Place Table 1 about here Virtual Games Current and past studies on student motivation have found that traditional instruction lacks researched strategies that could promote motivation in students (Dantonio Beisenherz; 1990). Most educators tend to stick to traditional methods of teaching to the text and having students memorizing facts. Instead, teachers need to use a combination of text, activities, and projects to better engage students. Discovery learning allows students to pursue their own answers to explain an event of what happens during a laboratory experiment is an intrinsic motivational technique. What is today’s perceived mind-waster could be one of tomorrow’s educational solutions. According to an article written by Greenemeir (2009), several educators are advocating that schools use video games because it promotes discovery learning via development of critical thinking skills that students can apply to real-life situations and enhances their understanding in math and science. Video games provide multiple modes and means that can be adapted to different learning styles. They often challenge the learner competitively in order to boost motivation and learning goals. Virtual games allow the learner to take small steps to accomplish complex tasks. Learners are often in charge of their own learning and are given feedback frequently. The Director of Future Learning Initiatives at Kauffman Foundation, Merrilea Mayo, cites studies that show a 7 to 40 percent improvement in learning when using virtual games versus the traditional lecture format (Greenemeier 2009). One of the drawbacks to using video games in an educational setting is finding quality games. Many games tout being educational, but just use superficial elements that do not actually teach content (Dewar, 2010). Educators need to make sure that winning is based on thorough knowledge of material. When creating an educational virtual game the game needs to be relevant and meaningful to the student, show that what is learned can be used in other situations, such as in real life. In addition, games need to involve the student in each aspect, motivate students by piquing their interests. Some games may require a fee, but there are also some quality activities that are free. Whyville, for example, is a virtual world that engages and teaches the learner through various constructional games, role playing and activities. Other examples of virtual games are listed in Table 2. Place Table 2 about here Virtual Dissection Another way to make the topic more interesting and students willing to do an activity would be to use virtual dissections instead of real, hands on dissections in the classroom. There are some students and/or parents that refuse to dissect a real animal for the sake of a science class. One way to get around this problem is to use a virtual dissection program. In a study (Lalley et al. 2010) performed on the virtual dissection software, V-Frog ©, the researchers found that students using the software did not learn more than students who did the actual hands on dissection. However, the advantages to using a virtual dissection can out-weigh any of the possible disadvantages. In the science class, students are able to do an in-depth study of the anatomy of both an invertebrate and vertebrate animals through dissection. Within a virtual dissection, students are able to repeat their dissection as a review; no one would have to deal with the smell, and of the decomposing specimens. In addition, by using a virtual dissection, students are not handling sharp objects or going to their next class like their specimen. There are multiple virtual dissections programs available via software and through different websites, from dissecting mammals, reptiles, owl pellets, to flowers. In addition, there are several free to use, online websites with pictures of the different dissected parts visible (see Table 3). By using online websites, a school can save money on not having to buy new specimens each year per class. In addition, students can review the material in places outside of school. Place Table 3 about here Conclusion It can be hard to motivate students, especially when educators have not been train in how to actually motivate students. Educators not only need to know how to motivate students but also in managing and coping with students who come to class with the plan to create as much disruption as possible in order to entertain themselves. More and more students are dropping out of high school because they are bored and feel that they are not learning anything that is useful in the real world. Educators need to make the curriculum more appealing to student interests, to real life events and problems. If students are interested in the topic and engaged in classroom activities there will be less discipline issues which might lead to less student dropouts. Reference Dantonio, M. Beisenherg, P. (1990). Don’t just demonstrate – motivate! The science teacher, 57(2), 27-29. Dewar, G. (2010). Educational video games. Retrieved from http://www.parenting science.com/educational-video-games.html Greenemeier, L. (2009, January 1). Using virtual worlds and video games to teach the lessons of reality. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60- second-science/post.cfm?id=using-virtual-worlds-and-video-game-2009-01-01 Lalley, J.P., Piotrowski, P.S. Battaglia, B., Brophy, K. Chugh, K. (2010). A comparison of V- Frog © to physical frog dissection. International Journal of Environmental Science Education, 5(2), 189-200. March, T. (2003). In What WebQuests Are (Really). Retrieved from http://bestwebquests.com/ what_webquests_are.asp Mendler, A. N. (2000). Motivating students who do not care: Successful techniques for educators. Bloomington, Indiana: National Education Services, 7. Patrick, H., Yoon, C. (2004). Early adolescents’ motivation during science investigation. The Journal of educational research, 97(6), 319-338. Pedersen, S., Williams, D. (2004). Comparison of assessment on effects of learning and motivation in student centered classroom. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(3), 283-306. Sullo, B. (2009). The motivated student: Unlocking the enthusiasm for learning. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD. Yoder, M.B. (1999). The student WebQuest: A productive and thought provoking use of the internet. Learning and Leading with Technology, 26(7), 6-9. Table 1. WebQuest Web Resources |Internet4Classrooms |http://www.internet4classrooms.com | |WebQuest.org |http://webquest.org | |teAchnology |http://www.teach-nology.com | Table 2. Virtual Game Web Resources |Whyville |http://www.whyville.net | |Kinetic City |http://www.kineticcity.com | |Planet Science |http://www.planet-science.com | Table 3. Examples of Free Virtual Dissection Web Resources |Cow Eye Dissection |http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/cow_eye/index.html | |Frog Dissection |http://www.cumberland.k12.il.us/schools/chs/starwalt%20projects/Frog%20Dissection/frog_dissection.htm | | |http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/BL_16/BL_16.html | |Fetal Pig Dissection |http://www.whitman.edu/biology/vpd/main.html

The Purposes Of Different Types Of Organisations Commerce Essay

The Purposes Of Different Types Of Organisations Commerce Essay An organisation is a formal structure of relationships, responsibilities and authorities through which specific objectives are achieved. A work organisation is a social arrangement for the controlled performance of collective goals (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). Purposes of different types of Organisation: Business organisations: To make a profit in a socially standard way. For example: Airlines, Fast food. Non-profit service organisations: They want to help to all of people without any profit. For example: NHS, Universities. Mutual-benefit organisations: Individuals join together to pursue their own self-interest. For example: Clubs, Trade Union. Commonweal organisations: They provide service to all members of a given population. For example: Fire Service, Police. Organisations by their intended purpose: Purpose Primary beneficiary Examples Business Owners Manufacturers, Fast-food, Restaurants Non profit services Clients Universities, Hospitals Mutual-benefit Members Unions, Clubs Commonweal Public at large Police, Public schools Classifying Organizations: Sector classification: Private enterprise organisations: A private sector organisation is one that is owned and controlled by private individuals, not the government and usually exists to make a profit for its shareholders. Public sector organisations: A public sector organisation is one that is controlled by the government. It is called public because the government is responsible to the entire public. Commercial interest classification: Profit oriented: Profit-oriented means pricing strategies rely on setting a product or services price to attain a specific, programmed net profit percentage. Non-profit oriented: In the broadest sense, an organisation in which no part of any net earnings can grow for the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. Size oriented classification: Large scale: To access the large-scale data sources efficiently and automatically, it is necessary to classify these data sources into different domains and categories. Medium scale: The demands on an intensely-managed landscape need a regional landscape planning system, which balances the social economic needs with geo-biological conditions. Small scale: Title for firms of a certain size which fall below certain criteria in terms of annual income, number of employees, total value of assets. Formal and Informal Organization: The Formal organization is- Deliberately planned and created. Concerned with the co-ordination of activities, Hierarchically structured with stated objectives, the specification of tasks and defined relationships of authority and responsibility. The Informal organisation is- Is flexible and loosely structured, Relationships may be left undefined, Membership is spontaneous and with varying degrees of involvement. Describe the extent to which an organisation meets the objectives of different stakeholders. [P2] Stakeholders: A shareholder is a  stakeholder  simply because he or she has spent money in a company. Therefore, those people remain for to see a good return on the investment. This may not only consist of the value of the stock increasing over time, but it may also include getting periodical dividend payments based on profitability. Organisational objectives: Objectives are defined as specific commitment to complete a measurable result within a given time frame. Importance of objectives: Targets, Measuring sticks, Commitment and Motivation. Characteristics of objectives: Organisational purpose and aims, Be realistic, Be measurable, Preferably be set by agreement, Set clear and challenging targets, Be open to adaptation, Form a network. Objectives of different Stakeholders: Owners: In a company it would be the shareholders. Owners are often thought to be the most important stakeholders because they have set up the business and give a lot of time into the company to make it successful. Owners like to see their share of profit increasing, and the value of their business increasing. Customers: Customers want superiority for money which involves providing the highest quality products at rival prices. Employees: Their stake is that the company provides them with am livelihood. They want security of employments, good rates of reward and also improvement opportunities. Suppliers: They want to feel valued by the company and want frequent orders with on time payments. Trade Unions: This is for groups of employees who seek to secure higher wages and better working conditions for their members. Governments: The government wants businesses to become successful, to create jobs and to pay taxes. Inducements and contribution of inside stakeholders: Stakeholders Contribution of the organisation Inducement to contribute Shareholders Money capital Dividends Managers Skills expertise Salaries, bonuses, status power Workforce Skills expertise Wages, bonuses, stable employment promotion Inducements contributions of outside stakeholders: Stakeholder Contribution to the organization Inducement to contribute Customers Revenue from purchase of goods and services Quality and price of goods and services Government High quality inputs Revenue from purchase of inputs Unions Free and fair collective bargaining Equitable share of inducements Community Social and economic infrastructure Revenue, taxes and employment General public Customer loyalty and reputation National pride Explain the responsibilities of an organisation and strategies employed to meet them. [P3] Responsibilities of an Organisation: Responsibilities are the most important thing in this topic. Because of an organisation have a plan. So, to success plan, they must be maintaining some responsibilities. The main aim of the research is to give a formal analysis of the relations between collective obligations to individual responsibilities. Which individual agent in a group should be held responsible if an obligation directed to the whole group is not fulfilled? To this aim, concepts from planning fiction (like plan and task allocation) and organization theory are used in order to conceptualize collective agency and the organizational structures. These concepts are formalized in a dynamic demonic logic framework, which allows us to study the connections between all these concepts. I give a formal account of the notion of coordination, power and controls intended as management of interdependencies among agents activities and show how these organizational relations together with specific task breakdown determine the responsibilities within an organization. For example: CSR (Corporate social responsibility) is an organizations moral responsibility to stakeholder groups that are affected directly or indirectly by the organizations actions. An organization can adopt a narrow or a broad stance on social responsibility. Strategies: Once clear targets have been identified, a set of strategies must be decided on to further the organisations efforts. Strategies are defined here as specific programs, initiatives, and decisions which will require resources allocated to them. They can range from the development of Strategies alliances to developing and conveyance special in-house training for customer service. These operating Strategies are usually very special given that the good plans are very clear and focused. Frequently, there may be some Strategies that are critical and yet dont get openly shared, particularly since they may be really sensitive and general knowledge of them would put you at a competitive weakness. The Strategies document the approach that will be used to meet the performance goals. They are generated by middle management and approved by top management. Every effort should be made to keep the Strategies up to date, without making major changes. Major change can also result in the termination of projects that are only partially completed and/or have not become totally effective. It should be apparent that many Strategies are generated by many different functions, supporting the business objectives. Explain how economic systems attempt to allocate resources effectively. [P4] Economics: Economic is a social science that studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. That is, economic is the study of the trade-offs involved when choosing between alternate sets of decisions. (Lionel Robbins, 1935) The purpose of economic activity: It is openly said that the central purpose of economic activity is the production of goods and service to satisfy consumers needs want i.e. to meet people need for consumption both as a means of survival but also to meet their ever-growing demand for an improved lifestyle or standard of living. What goods and service to produce: Does the economic uses its resources to operate more hospitals or hotels? Do we make ipod Nanos or produce more coffee? How best to produce goods and service: What is the best use of our scarce resources of land labour and capital? Should school playing fields be sold off to provide more land for affordable housing? Who is to receive goods and service: What is the best method of distributing products or ensure the highest level of wants and needs are met? Who will get expensive hospital treatment-and who not? Economic Systems: An economic system is best described as a network of organisations used by a society to resolve the basic problem of what, how and for whom to produce. C:UsersKaisar HamidDesktopeconomicsystem.gif Categories of economic system: Traditional Economy: Where decision about what, how and for whom to produce are based on custom and tradition. Free market economy: Where households own resources and free markets allocate resources through the workings of the price mechanism. Planned or command economy:   In a planned or command system typically associated with a socialist or communist economic system. Mixed economy: In a mixed economy, some resources are owned by the public sector (government) and some resources are owned by the private sector. Sectors of production in the economy: Primary sector: This involves extraction of natural resources e.g. agriculture, forestry, fishing, quarrying, and mining. Secondary sector: This involves the production of goods in the economy, i.e. transforming materials produced by the primary sector e.g. manufacturing and the construction industry. Tertiary sector: the tertiary sector provided services such as banking, finance, insurance, retail, education and travel and tourism. Quaternary sector: The quaternary sector is involved with information processing e.g. education, research and development. Meaning of economic scarcity: Scarcity is the fundamental economic problem, in a world of limited resources. Society has insufficient productive resources to fulfil all human wants and needs. For example: Flowers such as tulips are scarce on occasion because they grow only at certain time of the year. When they supply of tulips is lower, they are scarce, or not always available. If enough people want tulips when none are available, then the demand increases. And this demand is high not because the price is high but because the supply is low. Criteria for Allocation: Appropriate means of resource allocation are necessary to achieve optimal allocation of the resource. There are several criteria used to compare of water allocation @owe aelt, 1986. Flexibility in the allocation of existing supplies, so that resource can be shifted from use to use, place, as demand change, thus allowing equating marginal values over many uses. Predictability of the allocation process, so that uncertainty (especially for transaction costs) is minimized. Equity of the allocation process should be perceived by the prospective users, providing equal opportunity gains from the resource to every potential user. Political and public acceptability, so that the allocation serves values and objectives of various segments in society. Allocate resources effectively: The business plan plays a key role in allocating resources throughout a business so that the objectives set in the plan can be met. Once you have reviewed our progress to date and identified our strategy for growth, our existing business plan may look dated and may no longer reflect our business position and future direction. When we are reviewing our business plan to cover the next stages, its important to be clear on how we will allocate our resources to make our strategy work. The allocation of scare resources: Allocation of scarce resources is a reality for health care professionals and organizations. Resource allocation issues can be particularly challenging for rural communities, where resources are not enough to meet all needs and fewer alternatives exist to resolve conflicts between competing needs. Flexibility Security Real opportunity cost Predictability Equity Political and public acceptability Assess the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on business organisations and their activities. [P5] Fiscal policy: Fiscal policy is the means by which a government adjusts its levels of spending in order to monitor and influence a nations economy. It is the sister strategy to monetary policy with which a central bank influences a nations money supply. These two policies are used in various combinations in an effort to direct a countrys economic goals. How Fiscal policy works? Objectives of fiscal policy: To fund government spending To redistribute income and wealth more evenly A way of managing demand in the economy To influence the supply side of the economy To correct the negative externalities, such as pollution and passive smoking Effects of fiscal policy: Taxation and work incentives Taxation and pattern of demand Taxation and productivity Taxation and business investment decision What is monetary policy? The Federal Reserves actions that are designed to influence the availability cost of money. Such as changing the discount rate, altering bank reserve requirements, and conducting open market operations. In general, a policy to restrict monetary growth results in tightened credit conditions and, at least temporarily, higher rates of interest. Impact of monetary policy: Control inflation: The control of inflation has become one of the dominant objectives of government economic policy in many countries. Interest rates: The price of money. Interest is what you pay when you borrow money and what you are paid when you lend your money to someone else, like a bank. Business cycles: The term business cycle refers to economy-wide fluctuations in production or economic activity over a number of months or years. Spending: Money that has actually left the governments bank account and entered the economy. Employment: The act of giving someone a job. Fiscal Monetary policys activities: The role of government in the UK economy extends far beyond its activities as a regulator of specific industries. The government also manages the overall pace of economic activity, seeking to maintain high levels of employment and stable prices. It has two main tools for achieving these objectives: fiscal policy, through which it determines the appropriate level of taxes and spending; and monetary policy, through which it manages the supply of money. Evaluate the impact of competition policy and other regulatory mechanisms on the activities of a selected organisation. [P6]

Jazz and Blues Feedback to Jamaica :: essays papers

Jazz and Blues Feedback to Jamaica Music seems to mimic time in a way. As the human race passes through history, the music and its language acts in essence as a speculum of human culture and its path, lavish with its longings, its grief, but always stirring (Santoro, 2). In this paper, I will walk down this path, and show the significance music has played on the Jamaican and American cultures. This paper will illustrate the profound influence that American music, primarily jazz and blues, had on Jamaican reggae, and by breaking down each type of music to a simple rhythm, I will show the relationships between them. If asked about the origins of Jamaican folk culture, some people might answer that it originated in Africa and remained undisturbed by other cultures (such as Europe). Even though Jamaicans are mostly of African descent, Jamaica’s only language in none other that English (Chang and Chen, 10). Whether the race or language influenced Jamaica’s culture, has been a question of long debate. Professor Rex Nettleford, a noted social commentator, sees the language of a nation as ‘the primary bearer of social genes.’ Professor Nettleford answers the question by explaining the Jamaican experience: Africa is indeed tolerated in spurts of sycretised or reinterpreted folk-lore — a little bit of dance, a little bit of music, a little bit of story telling, and a few words lacing the Anglo-Saxon tongue with exotic tones and colour. But our formal education system, our accepted belief system, our art, law and morals, the legitimate customs and so many of our habits and perceived capabilities — all indicate of a so-called cultural sense are dominated by the European heritage (Chang and Chen, 10). The entire argument is conclusive and evident in most points, except the ‘little bit of [African] music,’ which is questionable. The roots of reggae music has been said to be fixed in slavery. The Rhythms, songs, and dances that survived well into the twentieth century in rural Jamaica are seen as solely African (Davis and Simon, 9). During the middle of the seventeenth century, Jamaica was basically a giant agricultural factory, used by a few British planters. The plantations worked by slaves imported from Africa made tremendous amounts of money, but the planters gleaned all the profits. Over the next 250 years when slavery was active, about thirty million Africans were brought to the New World, and is known as the largest forced migration in all of human history (Davis and Simon, 9).

Visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Viewing the Asian Art Colle

Visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Viewing the Asian Art Collections The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the finest Asian art collections that has enlightened and strengthened my understanding in my personal art experience. The Museum itself is an artistic architectural structure that graces the entire block on 82nd Street in Manhattan. Entering inside, I sensed myself going back into an era, into a past where people traded ideas and learned from each other. It is a past, where I still find their works of yesteryears vividly within my grasp, to be remembered and shared as if their reflections of works were cast for the modern devoted learner. Walking into the Hall of the Buddhas, there was a sense of peace and guidance lingering inside me. The seated Bodhisattva, of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), CA.480, from the Yungang, Cave xv, Shani Province, made of sandstone, guarded the entrance. At first, I thought it was a time to be disciplined, but the transcending smile from the statue was a delicate fixed gesture that offered a feeling of welcome. It was not a place to confess your wrongdoings; neither was it a place for me to say, â€Å"Buddha I have sinned.† It was a room to purify the mind, the mind that we take for granted without giving it harmony. There was a large mural decorating the main wall called â€Å"The Paradise of Bhaishajyaguru†(916-1125). I sat down wandering if the artist of the portrait knew that his work would one day be shared on this side of the world, in my time. Much like Jesus Christ and his followers, the mural is a painting of healers and saviors. It was a large figure of the Bud dha of medicine, (Bhaishajyaquru) surrounded by followers of Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahosthamaprapta with twelve guardian generals who have pledged to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching (Tradition of Liao 916-1125, Metropolitan Museum wall plaque). On the other side, I noticed a standing statue called â€Å"Quan Yin† that I have often encountered. It was an Avalokiteshvara from the Sui dynasty (581-618) made of limestone (Metropolitan Museum Plaque). Unlike the Quan Yin statue at home or any of the ones I have seen, it was difficult to pinpoint the gender of this Saint. I often hear people ask if â€Å"Quan Yin† was really a female, but throughout my learning experience it was mainly worshipped by women and given the status as female. Perh... ...tues being so near. From the Sui dynasty (581-618), the â€Å"Quan Yin† statue reminded me of the readings in class about Red Azalea. I have always thought that this was a female saint; however, after seeing and observing it, maybe I’m wrong. Another place in the museum that evoked my feelings was the Japanese collection. The Japanese Buddhas were mentally more lifelike, because of the details of the color in the eyes. One could mistake some of them for demons and evil beings. However, they are all doers of good for mankind. The Japanese exhibit felt like a place of court where people came in to be cleansed, forgiven and punished after their evil deeds. Overall, my learning experience has taken me to a higher level of understanding that diversity within the same beliefs in Buddhism are mainly different by the way they migrated and the way Buddha is represented in the features and looks in another culture. However, whatever the culture might be, the teachings of Budd ha are all shared and learned the same way: â€Å"To do no evil.† â€Å"To cultivate all good.† â€Å"To purify the mind.† â€Å"And this is the teaching of the Buddha.† (Shakyamuni Buddha, Grace Gratitude Buddhist temple, wallet card

Craig Ventors First Cell

Cr Craig Ventor first first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell ROCKVILLE, MD and San Diego, CA (May 20, 2010)— Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published results today describing the successful construction of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell. The team synthesized the 1. 08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome. The synthetic cell is called Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1. and is the proof of principle that genomes can be designed in the computer, chemically made in the laboratory and transplanted into a recipient cell to produce a new self-replicating cell controlled only by the synthetic genome. This research will be published by Daniel Gibson et al in the May 20th edition of Science Express and will appear in an upcoming print issue of Science. â€Å"For nearly 15 years Ham Smith, Clyde Hutchison and the rest of our team have been working toward thi s publication today–the successful completion of our work to construct a bacterial cell that is fully controlled by a synthetic genome,† said J.Craig Venter, Ph. D. , founder and president, JCVI and senior author on the paper. â€Å"We have been consumed by this research, but we have also been equally focused on addressing the societal implications of what we believe will be one of the most powerful technologies and industrial drivers for societal good. We look forward to continued review and dialogue about the important applications of this work to ensure that it is used for the benefit of all. † According to Dr.Smith, â€Å"With this first synthetic bacterial cell and the new tools and technologies we developed to successfully complete this project, we now have the means to dissect the genetic instruction set of a bacterial cell to see and understand how it really works. † To complete this final stage in the nearly 15 year process to construct and boot u p a synthetic cell, JCVI scientists began with the accurate, digitized genome of the bacterium, M. mycoides. The team designed 1,078 specific cassettes of DNA that were 1,080 base pairs long. These cassettes were designed so that the ends of each DNA cassette overlapped each of its neighbors by 80bp.The cassettes were made according to JCVI’s specifications by the DNA synthesis company, Blue Heron Biotechnology. The JCVI team employed a three stage process using their previously described yeast assembly system to build the genome using the 1,078 cassettes. The first stage involved taking 10 cassettes of DNA at a time to build 110, 10,000 bp segments. In the second stage, these 10,000 bp segments are taken 10 at a time to produce eleven, 100,000 bp segments. In the final step, all 11, 100 kb segments were assembled into the complete synthetic genome in yeast cells and grown as a yeast artificial chromosome.The complete synthetic M. mycoides genome was isolated from the yeast c ell and transplanted into Mycoplasma capricolum recipient cells that have had the genes for its restriction enzyme removed. The synthetic genome DNA was transcribed into messenger RNA, which in turn was translated into new proteins. The M. capricolum genome was either destroyed by M. mycoides restriction enzymes or was lost during cell replication. After two days viable M. mycoides cells, which contained only synthetic DNA, were clearly visible on petri dishes containing bacterial growth medium.The initial synthesis of the synthetic genome did not result in any viable cells so the JCVI team developed an error correction method to test that each cassette they constructed was biologically functional. They did this by using a combination of 100 kb natural and synthetic segments of DNA to produce semi-synthetic genomes. This approach allowed for the testing of each synthetic segment in combination with 10 natural segments for their capacity to be transplanted and form new cells. Ten out of 11 synthetic fragments resulted in viable cells; therefore the team narrowed the issue down to a single 100 kb cassette.DNA sequencing revealed that a single base pair deletion in an essential gene was responsible for the unsuccessful transplants. Once this one base pair error was corrected, the first viable synthetic cell was produced. Dr. Gibson stated, â€Å"To produce a synthetic cell, our group had to learn how to sequence, synthesize, and transplant genomes. Many hurdles had to be overcome, but we are now able to combine all of these steps to produce synthetic cells in the laboratory. † He added, â€Å"We can now begin working on our ultimate objective of synthesizing a minimal cell containing only the genes necessary to sustain life in its simplest form.This will help us better understand how cells work. † This publication represents the construction of the largest synthetic molecule of a defined structure; the genome is almost double the size of the previou s Mycoplasma genitalium synthesis. With this successful proof of principle, the group will now work on creating a minimal genome, which has been a goal since 1995. They will do this by whittling away at the synthetic genome and repeating transplantation experiments until no more genes can be disrupted and the genome is as small as possible. This minimal cell will be a platform for analyzing the function of every essential gene in a cell.According to Dr. Hutchison, â€Å"To me the most remarkable thing about our synthetic cell is that its genome was designed in the computer and brought to life through chemical synthesis, without using any pieces of natural DNA. This involved developing many new and useful methods along the way. We have assembled an amazing group of scientists that have made this possible. † As in the team’s 2008 publication in which they described the successful synthesis of the M. genitalium genome, they designed and inserted into the genome what they called watermarks.These are specifically designed segments of DNA that use the â€Å"alphabet† of genes and proteins that enable the researcher to spell out words and phrases. The watermarks are an essential means to prove that the genome is synthetic and not native, and to identify the laboratory of origin. Encoded in the watermarks is a new DNA code for writing words, sentences and numbers. In addition to the new code there is a web address to send emails to if you can successfully decode the new code, the names of 46 authors and other key contributors and three quotations: â€Å"TO LIVE, TO ERR, TO FALL, TO TRIUMPH, TO RECREATE LIFE OUT OFLIFE. † – JAMES JOYCE; â€Å"SEE THINGS NOT AS THEY ARE, BUT AS THEY MIGHT BE. †-A quote from the book, â€Å"American Prometheus†; â€Å"WHAT I CANNOT BUILD, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND. † – RICHARD FEYNMAN. The JCVI scientists envision that the knowledge gained by constructing this first self-replicatin g synthetic cell, coupled with decreasing costs for DNA synthesis, will give rise to wider use of this powerful technology. This will undoubtedly lead to the development of many important applications and products including biofuels, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, clean water and food products.The group continues to drive and support ethical discussion and review to ensure a positive outcome for society. Funding for this research came from Synthetic Genomics Inc. , a company co-founded by Drs. Venter and Smith. Background The research published today was made possible by previous breakthroughs at JCVI. In 2007 the team published results from the transplantation of the native M. mycoides genome into the M. capricolum cell which resulted in the M. capricolum cell being transformed into M. mycoides. This work established the notion that DNA is the software of life and that DNA dictates the cell phenotype.In 2008 the same team reported on the construction of the first synthetic bacterial ge nome by assembling DNA fragments made from the four chemicals of life—ACGT. The final assembly of DNA fragments into the whole genome was performed in yeast by making use of the yeast genetic systems. However, when the team attempted to transplant the synthetic bacterial genome out of yeast and into a recipient bacterial cell, viable transplants could not be recovered. Ethical Considerations: Since the beginning of the quest to understand and build a synthetic genome, Dr.Venter and his team have been concerned with the societal issues surrounding the work. In 1995 while the team was doing the research on the minimal genome, the work underwent significant ethical review by a panel of experts at the University of Pennsylvania (Cho et al, Science December 1999:Vol. 286. no. 5447, pp. 2087 – 2090). The bioethical group's independent deliberations, published at the same time as the scientific minimal genome research, resulted in a unanimous decision that there were no stron g ethical reasons why the work should not continue as long as the scientists involved continued to engage public discussion. Dr.Venter and the team at JCVI continue to work with bioethicists, outside policy groups, legislative members and staff, and the public to encourage discussion and understanding about the societal implications of their work and the field of synthetic genomics generally. As such, the JCVI’s policy team, along with the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), were funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a 20-month study that explored the risks and benefits of this emerging technology, as well as possible safeguards to prevent abuse, including bioterrorism.After several workshops and public sessions the group published a report in October 2007 outlining options for the field and its researchers. Most recently in December of 2008, JCVI received funding from the Alfred P. Sloa n Foundation to examine ethical and societal concerns that are associated with the developing science of synthetic genomics. The ongoing research is intended to inform the scientific community as well as educate our policymakers and journalists so that they may engage in informed discussions on the topic.About the J. Craig Venter Institute The JCVI is a not-for-profit research institute in Rockville, MD and La Jolla, CA dedicated to the advancement of the science of genomics; the understanding of its implications for society; and communication of those results to the scientific community, the public, and policymakers. Founded by J. Craig Venter, Ph. D. , the JCVI is home to approximately 400 scientists and staff with expertise in human and evolutionary biology, genetics, ioinformatics/informatics, information technology, high-throughput DNA sequencing, genomic and environmental policy research, and public education in science and science policy. The legacy organizations of the JCVI are: The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), The Center for the Advancement of Genomics (TCAG), the Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA), the Joint Technology Center (JTC), and the J. Craig Venter Science Foundation. The JCVI is a 501 (c) (3) organization. For additional information, please visit http://www. JCVI. org. Media Contact: Heather Kowalski, 301-943-8879, hkowalski(AT)jcvi. org