The Advantages and Trials of Effectively Introducing a VLE at a Assignment

The Advantages and Trials of Effectively Introducing a VLE at a University in Saudi Arabia - Assignment Example A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a software program devised to facilitate instructors in the management of courses for their students. It aims at helping students and teachers with course administration. It can also track the student’s progress which can be monitored by both the learners and instructors. VLEs are mostly viewed as being helpful in distance learning but in practice they are equally beneficial in supplementing face-to-face classroom. Typically, the application of VLEs enables the users to easily upload their materials and resources, offers an integrated set of internet tools and provides a consistent look and feel that can be customized by the user. Therefore, the employment of technology to support learning is largely prevailed by the use of VLEs. In this paper, the main concern will be how VLE has been used in EFL teaching and how it can be employed in EFL studies at the University of Ha’il. EFL (English as a Foreign Language) courses among a vari ety of other courses offered in institutions of higher education, have witnessed changes in the recent years which include high enrollment rates, increasing diversity of students and less resources. In addition, EFL courses are likely to be enrolling students who are mature, possessing other qualifications other than the already existing A-levels or at times studying part time (M.Owen, 2000). These students have different backgrounds, preferences and skills in the way they learn. Moreover, these students have expectations of studying current and new trends in technology. In the United States, for example, the EFL population has been raising over the past years (K. Sharma, 2010). Therefore, the language need of EFL and ESL students have prompted teachers to devise new and innovative methods of educating these students. The Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) have come up with accessibility standards that will apply to EFL and ESL students. They argued that all EFL students should have access to services provided by their institutions, should be given appropriate curriculum, and have equitable and fair assessments. They should also be offered a positive learning environment. Recently, a majority of EFL tutors have chosen VLE as an aid in meeting and satisfying the above standards. In EFL pedagogical issues are more common in the employment of technology. Pedagogical content knowledge focuses on the strategies used in teaching, that is, those strategies that bring about the best learning experience for every learner. It involves learning different teaching approaches that make the learning process more suitable to the students. In this case, the tutor should be flexible in adjusting instructions to cater for the various learning styles, interests and abilities. The major essence of pedagogical studies is to know how to best teach a concept so that the learners will receive the best learning experience. The different teaching approaches empl oyed may differ from one tutor to the other (Salmon, 2005). In EFL courses, teachers can use pedagogical studies and include technology knowledge. This is referred to as technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). The development of TPCK by tutors is crucial to effective teaching with technology. EFL teachers are emphasized in TPCK since they are viewed as autonomous agents with the power to significantly

Martha Graham Essay Example for Free

Martha Graham Essay Yes, I would do that. I had found my fate. †(Hari 70) Daoud Hari is a man that travels in and out of Darfur many, many times putting himself at risk. He was willing to risk his own life while many others think only of themselves. Bravery is not something many people are born with. Some people may obtain it and some do not. Martha Graham is one of the people that did obtain bravery, and it was a very strong bravery that is very rare to find. â€Å"Martha Graham’s dancing and choreography exposed the depths of human emotion through movements that were sharp, angular, jagged, and direct. (â€Å"Martha Graham Dancer’s Journal†) Martha Graham experimented with many different movements and many different ways so her dancing was very different from the dance movement people were most comfortable with. Many people criticized her and told her that her work was too out of the ordinary. â€Å"If Graham ever gave birth,† one critic equipped, â€Å"it would be to a cube. † (â€Å"The Dancer†) No matter what critics said, she kept going. Martha Graham was an innovative and focused individual. Her love of dance was so intense she refused to leave the stage when critic’s said she was too old. That’s the type of bravery people need, the bravery to keep doing something that one believes in when the majority is against them. Daoud Hari’s bravery is similar to Martha Graham’s. Daoud Hari had to learn to accept what might happen to him if he kept returning to Darfur. Sometimes it is difficult to accept the fate, but Daoud Hari was willing to accept the possibility of death if it meant he could change the way people viewed Darfur. â€Å"No single group held the territory. There was no one to call for permission to come through. This is when it is most dangerous to travel. † (Hari 122) Daoud Hari always had to get where he needed to be. No matter what the circumstances were at the time, he provided as much information as possible to the reporters traveling with him to get the word out about Darfur. Armed with his ability to speak Zaghawa, Arabic, and English he was able to translate for the news and aid organizations. Even though the government of Sudan had outlawed journalists to the region, Daoud Hari risked the possibility of capture and even death. This is complete bravery- to accept something that could happen any moment of any day at any time. Heroes need to have trust in themselves. Martha Graham always had trust in herself no matter what she did. Most of her works she created were based on a historical or emotional feeling. â€Å"There are always ancestral footsteps behind me, pushing me, when I am creating a new dance, and gestures are flowing through me. Whether good or bad, they are ancestral. † (Yaari) The dances with a historic background behind them were called the Greek cycle. These dances were the ones that officially made her famous. The movements in them were so empowering people were shocked after experiencing them. The reason people liked them was because they related so much to how harsh history had been to society in the past and how it might be in the future. Serious issues such as the Great Depression and the Spanish Civil War were brought to the stage along with the dark emotions experienced by all. If she had never followed her brain, heart, or spirit then none of these dances would have come alive. Trusting in herself was a key factor in the making of many of her works. Martha Graham, much like Daoud Hari, had to find a way to believe in herself and take dance to the next level whether based on her gut feeling or her spirit regardless of what people thought of her. Daoud Hari always followed his gut. Whenever he saw people in pain, he would trust his gut and try and help the people in need no matter who they were or what they believed in. â€Å"The commander ordered a soldier to go get him some food, but I said that he must not eat our kind of food, that someone must go into town and get him an American-style sandwich that a white man could eat, and a coke or Pepsi. There was an argument about the cost of this, but I assured the commander that our food would kill this man, and I truly believed that he was not strong enough for anything but his own food. (Hari 160) Daoud Hari is one of the few in the world that could actually tell a guard to go get another prisoner food because the prisoner looked like he was about to die. Trusting his gut that the guard would do it is about 99% of the battle that he had to face. It was not getting the prisoners food; it was standing up to the guard and saying that he will die if he does not have an American- style meal. Martha Graham and Daoud H ari are both heroes in their own way. They both have confidence, bravery, and trust in themselves, which are the necessary traits that a hero needs to be a true hero. In the world there are people who see bad things being done to people and do not do anything about it and there are people who do something about the bad things being done. This is essential because Daoud Hari and Martha Graham both helped the people that needed to be helped. Martha Graham helped dancers develop a new style that they might like better than ballet, providing a wider spectrum to choose from. Daoud Hari helped numerous news reporters get into Darfur and get back out safely with what they wanted and what they needed to know about what is happening in Darfur.

Exploring the Ideal Everyday Environment :: Essays Papers

Exploring the Ideal Everyday Environment The everyday is most easily viewed as a routine: the occurrences and reoccurrences of an individual’s daily life. A person generally wakes in the mornings, goes to work or attends school, fills their afternoons with errands and activities, returns home, and retires to bed late in the evenings. They become focused on this pattern of the everyday and most everyone in society lives by such a pattern. However, this is not to say that all members of society experience the same everyday, and there is more complexity that lies beyond an everyday routine. Each individual lives in an everyday world unalike any other. No two people live the same everyday life. Therefore, it is deemed important that the everyday is viewed and considered on a large scale. The large scale most often used is the city or the metropolis. A metropolis environment allows for the everyday to exist bountifully, and therefore, allows the everyday to thrive. Differences in everyday life can be compared and contrasted from person to person. The everyday is most often explored in a metropolis setting for these reasons. However, can it be argued then that they everyday only exists within the metropolis? Does an everyday take place outside of the city? It is my belief from my studies that the everyday actually occurs only within the city, and the country or rural areas is where a less complex routine happens. People live routine lives in the country, yet the routine is not massive enough for observation when considering the everyday. Urban areas are the best place for the everyday to occur because it allows for collaboration of routine lives with the shock of the abnormal. Multiple observations of routine lives allow for the everyday to be perceived in order to draw conclusions about the everyday and to classify the everyday. The shocks that occur in the metropolis allow analysts to perceive the effect and to document changes such socks have on a society. Imagine people busily w alking down the street and think of each person’s individual everyday life while observing the shocks of the abnormal. In this, the everyday is being experienced with the subjection to the metropolis. The metropolis, as the most ideal location for the everyday to occur, can be

Negative Impact of Technology on Everyday Life

Lexie Orr Research Paper Period 5 11 March 2013 Two Paragraphs Technology has officially taken over the world as it’s known. The urge to learn more as one ages has been swallowed by the urge to own the â€Å"Next Big Thing† as current gadgets outdate. As a result of this new technological era, the importance of education is being burnt out by the importance of technological advancement. Teachers have been outdated due to the constant reliance of technology to spur out whatever information needed.Also, dependence on high technology has rid of the need for everyday in-the-home skills, things like cooking, dishwashing, and even cleaning. In addition, technology can have a great negative impact on family life. Although technology has widened opportunities for America's everyday life, American intelligence has greatly declined due to the amount of work high technology minimizes that no longer requires us to use our abilities to think, memorize, learn, or even work. The techn ology era is damaging the average Americans brain. â€Å"Why do we need to learn this, all I have to do is Google it! How many times is this repeated daily in classrooms all over the world? Who can be sure, possibly more times than one can count on their own unless maybe of course there’s a calculator handy. The position of teachers everywhere around the world is becoming more useless every single day. Children no longer feel the need to tune in during class time knowing they have access to all the answers they could possibly need at the click of a button at any time. With online mathematical equation generators, book answers, and scientific calculators, the need for a math teacher is quickly diminishing.Computers now have spell and grammar check in which fix any word spelt or used incorrectly, and any wrongly written sentences, leaving grammar teachers with nothing to teach. Also, book and poem analysis and any old language translations can be found on the web with just one search making it hard for literature teachers to enforce their students to read, analyze, and think. One thing widely gone unnoticed is the measure of importance for teachers to pass on interpersonal and basic everyday off-technology skills in which technology can not impart.Nathaniel Wilkinson gives his say about technology depriving children of these everyday skills in saying, â€Å"Now I like the idea of having the computer to reinforce the knowledge already possessed by my students but using it in place of human interaction will only dull the students sense of respect for authority and interaction between live human beings and themselves† (Wilkinson). Children and teenagers have become so concerned in technology that they block out everything else teachers have to offer, missing out on these learnt traits of human interaction and verbal learning skills.

The Impact of Colonialism

It is almost a given now that most everyone considers colonialism as a mistake. They thought that the spreading of ideas, culture, and religion would have a positive effect on the native cultures they colonized. In fact though, these changes had an adverse effect on the peoples of these countries. For although many laud the efforts of these countries to spread Christianity, some question the motives of these countries in dealing the everyday needs of these people. In seeing the natives as inferior the mother countries were able to justify their treatment of them. At this time many subscribed to the belief of manifest destiny and social Darwinism. This is the belief in which the colonizing of other countries is justified by the belief that if God hadn†t wanted these people to be colonized He wouldn†t have let it happen, or would have provided the colonized with the same technology which would make an invasion impossible. Another item that has caused a lot of strife within the lives of the natives is in the area of education. For many natives the history of their country before colonization is very foggy. They have been schooled from day one on the histories of their European conquerors, but seldom is the history of the native cultural even discussed let alone taught. This reminds me of the point made in Jamaica Kincaid†s novel â€Å"A Small Place† in which she comments about getting a day off of school for Queen Victoria†s birthday. In the book Kincaid states that most of the people on the island of Antigua don†t even realize why they have been given a holiday. This type of confusion is typical in dealing with the relationship between colony and colonizer. It is however easy to sympathize with the colonizing country because they are teaching the only thing they know. They can†t teach about the native culture because they have no clue of the history. In fact probably the best method would have been to leave the history part of education in the hands of the natives. In other subjects, such as math, the colonizing may then be able to add insights that may not have been apparent to the natives. But as for the history of the country, there is nothing that a colonizing country can tell a native culture that wasn†t already known. As Jamaica Kincaid implies in her book, if there is one thing that was sorely missed after the English left Antigua it is the fact that for the first time in Antigua there were quality built, well organized places to learn. As kincaid explains in the book, the beautiful library built by the British has since been demolished. And although the renovations for a new one were supposed to end years ago it hasn†t worked out that way. The library has now been moved to a tiny apartment above a grocery store. Where once these books had been categorically stacked on shelves, they were now gathering dust, strewn across the floor and randomly inserted into cardboard boxes. This demise of education in Antigua says only one thing to me, that being that the emphasis of the government is in the wrong place. It is true that Antigua has had their problems with a corrupt government that is more interested in padding their pockets with foreign money than doing anything to improve the state of education. For what does it mean when you have a Minister of Education, possibly that you have no education? Often in looking for the hard-hitting effects of colonialism, the biggest effects are often missed. While pondering the effects of religion, commerce, and education, sometimes the effect of prejudice is left forgotten. We must realize that these are human beings that, in some cases, have just recently gained independence from their mother country. The problem with one country capturing another is the fact that the capturing country now thinks they are in some way superior to the country they have defeated. There is an air of inequality in these situations. One country is taught to feel as if their people are inferior and are therefore subject to obey the laws and rules set down by the ruling peoples. The obvious problem that arises from this position is the fact that there is now a proud native people that have been reduced to feeling as though they are less than the Europeans who have colonized them. This in turn creates a ripple effect that infects the future generations that also feel as though they are inferior. Hopefully eventually this lengthy chain ends, and a few are able to see beyond the situation being presented directly in their face. They are able to see that the prejudice is simply one country trying to keep another subservient to their wishes. And are in turn able to avoid the pit to which every other native has fallen victim to. These are sometimes the leaders that are able to lead their countries out of colonialism and into independence. Then again these leaders sometimes end up being as ruthless, or worse, than the colonizing country. This is where Kincaid†s comment from her book must be looked at a little more closely. She states that it is unfair to harshly judge the job of ruling that the Antiguans did after independence. Her point is that if corrupt ruling is all that you have ever witnessed, one can†t be expected to know how to suddenly run a successful country. For in many of these countries they are neck deep in problems with no end in sight. Yes, they were given their independence by the mother country, but in most cases the natives were left high and dry by the mother country financially. In conclusion, it is unfortunate that our world has been marred by the practice of colonialism. And even more unfortunate that so many countries in the world subscribed that same practice. It is hard to argue that we as a people have matured all that much since the days of colonialism. But if we as humans are able to avoid this terrible practice we are taking a step in the right direction.

WHEN TO WRITE FOR FREE

WHEN TO WRITE FOR FREE Anyone who has known me for very long, recalls that Im all about writing for money. And Im vehemently opposed to writing mills. Writing Mills = Sites known as Content Aggregators. They pay pennies. You earn based on quantity of articles, not quality. They always advertise for new writers (mainly because of the turnover once writers learn the deal). Granted, they are enticing. You dont really answer to an editor. You rarely get rejected. But those clips mean nothing in your portfolio. Why? Because people in the industry recognize writing mill work for what it is. Words thrown together to grab searches in hopes the people searching happen to click on the advertisements. However, blogs have changed everything. You write free on your own blog. You write free when you guest blog. You write free on major website blogs. Yes, there are a few blogs that pay, but most dont. Blogs can be opportunity, even though they do not pay much if at all.Just remember the rules. Write for free if you are breaking in to a well-known blog. Carol Tice is a freelance copywriter making a good living at it. Look at what shes published, and note that many of them are blog posts. caroltice.com/articles When a market is competitive, offer a sharp blog post for free, to get your foot in the door. Maybe even two, three,even ten posts. Get them used to you, then ask for compensation,or maybe even a regular gig. Write for free if you are breaking in to a magazine. Today many magazines have a sister blog. Pitch the editor of the blog. Your resume will still say you wrote for Family Circle(or fill in the mag name). And once they learn to love your posts, you can pitch to the print. Write for free if you are selling something else. Blog tours/virtual tours for books can generate income via book sales. Just make sure the post is good and a stand alone even if you didnt have a book. Or else write about a subject thats in the book, but dont hard-sell the book. Just show youre an expert in what you do. See? There are times to write for free. Just be smart about it. PAYING BLOG SITES bloggerjobs.biz/ makealivingwriting.com/why-i-pay-writers/ therenegadewriter.com/2012/06/21/the-renegade-writer-blog-is-now-paying-for-guest-posts/ http://readlearnwrite.com/guest-post/ http://jobs.problogger.net/

Free Essays on Healing The Pain Of Crime

Healing the Pain of Crime The American justice system has viewed criminal behavior as a crime against â€Å"the state,† leaving crime victims with no input into the legal process of the administration of justice in today’s courts. Restorative justice today recognizes the act of crime as being directed against individual people. Restorative justice is based on resolving conflict and making everything connected to the crime â€Å"whole again†, thus healing the effects, restoring back to original condition, and making amends to all affected by the crime. Retributive justice focuses on punishment, whereas the new paradigm of Restorative justice accents accountability, healing and closure. This is accomplished through face-to-face contact between offender and victim. This relies on an old and widely used practice used today. Known as victim-offender mediation. Developing a restitution plan, allowing the offender to hear the total impact the act had upon the victim, and sometimes the community, allows the healing process to begin (Umbreit 1996). Many Restorative justice programs recognize the need for an offender to admit his or her guilt before moving on in the process of restoration. Once, the guilt has been established, a Family Group Conference as part of the corrections process may refer the case hears the court. Offenders and victims meet with volunteer mediators to Martin Pg2 discuss what affect the crime had upon their lives, while expressing concerns and feelings directly to the offender. A restitution agreement is then worked out between the two parties involved. Family group conferencing is based on the same rationale as victim-offender mediation. Only two differences apply. Conferencing often relies on police, probation, or social services for the organization and facilitation. Secondly, extended ranges of people are involved, friends, family, co-workers, teachers, and ... Free Essays on Healing The Pain Of Crime Free Essays on Healing The Pain Of Crime Healing the Pain of Crime The American justice system has viewed criminal behavior as a crime against â€Å"the state,† leaving crime victims with no input into the legal process of the administration of justice in today’s courts. Restorative justice today recognizes the act of crime as being directed against individual people. Restorative justice is based on resolving conflict and making everything connected to the crime â€Å"whole again†, thus healing the effects, restoring back to original condition, and making amends to all affected by the crime. Retributive justice focuses on punishment, whereas the new paradigm of Restorative justice accents accountability, healing and closure. This is accomplished through face-to-face contact between offender and victim. This relies on an old and widely used practice used today. Known as victim-offender mediation. Developing a restitution plan, allowing the offender to hear the total impact the act had upon the victim, and sometimes the community, allows the healing process to begin (Umbreit 1996). Many Restorative justice programs recognize the need for an offender to admit his or her guilt before moving on in the process of restoration. Once, the guilt has been established, a Family Group Conference as part of the corrections process may refer the case hears the court. Offenders and victims meet with volunteer mediators to Martin Pg2 discuss what affect the crime had upon their lives, while expressing concerns and feelings directly to the offender. A restitution agreement is then worked out between the two parties involved. Family group conferencing is based on the same rationale as victim-offender mediation. Only two differences apply. Conferencing often relies on police, probation, or social services for the organization and facilitation. Secondly, extended ranges of people are involved, friends, family, co-workers, teachers, and ...

Imaginary vs. Imaginative

Imaginary vs. Imaginative Imaginary vs. Imaginative Imaginary vs. Imaginative By Maeve Maddox Reading that a child in Texas was suspended for bringing â€Å"an imaginary ring† to school, I marveled that the school officials were able to detect the ring’s presence. Here’s the headline: Texas School Suspends 9-Year-Old for Terrorism Because He Brought Imaginary Hobbit Ring To School In fact, the child brought a real ring to school, presumably a replica of the ring carried by Bilbo Baggins in the Peter Jackson movie The Hobbit. The ring was real, but its magical powers were imaginary. The English word image derives from Latin imago. One meaning of image is â€Å"mental picture.† Something imaginary or imagined exists in the mind. Here is a review of image words with definitions and examples: imagination (noun): The power or capacity to form internal images or ideas of objects and situations not actually present to the senses. Example: It is because of the  development of the imagination  during childhood that adults are able to do many of the tasks that daily life demands.   imaginary (adjective): Existing only in imagination or fancy; having no real existence; not real or actual. Example: Lilliput is an imaginary country visited by Gulliver. imaginative (adjective): relating to, or concerned in the exercise of imagination as a mental faculty. Example: Imaginative Artists Find New Ways to Deal With the Western Landscape Tradition imagine (verb): conceive in the mind. Example: The universe is not only stranger than  we  imagine, it is stranger than  we can imagine. imagined (past participle): invented, created in the imagination. Example: The second basic axiom concerning power is that the powerful always try to create  an outside enemy, real or imagined, to bind the followers to the leaders.   Errors also occur with the pairs imaginary/imagined and imaginary/imaginative: Incorrect: It is easy to  perceive  a country as an  imaginary enemy. Correct : It is easy to  perceive  a country as an  imagined enemy. The country actually exists, so it can’t be imaginary. It can, however, be â€Å"an imagined enemy.† Incorrect: Children learn from experience: from what happens around them, from what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch.  To absorb those experiences and make sense of the world, they need to be engaged in imaginary play. Correct : Children learn from experience: from what happens around them, from what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch.  To absorb those experiences and make sense of the world, they need to be engaged in imaginative play. The play is not imaginary; it is real. Because the child is exercising imagination, the play is imaginative. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†Latin Words and Expressions: All You Need to KnowAppropriate vs. Apropos vs. Apt

HRM Case Study on Home Depot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HRM Case Study on Home Depot - Essay Example ces in which men and women were diverted to certain types of jobs based on their gender since the company believed that their productivity would be higher by placing these workers in specific areas. Home Depot separated women and men workers into two separate categories of workers. Men were given most of the floor position based on the belief that men have more general knowledge about home repairs, while women were given most of the cashier positions based on the assumption that they are more suitable for these jobs and the fact that the resume pool showed that more women have experience as cashiers than men do. The end result of this practice was that the composition of the jobs at Home Depot followed a peculiar distribution which proved Home Depot was intentionally segmenting the jobs among gender. The work employment data of Home Depot showed that 70% of men work as floor employees, while 70% of women worked in cashier positions. This type of discrimination is a type of discrimination called statistical discrimination. Statistical discrimination findings are most commonly used to detect racial discrimination cases, but the underlying principles of the discrimination apply th e same for gender bias as it does for racial bias. Statistical discrimination occurs when an employer makes a hiring or work placement decision based on subjective beliefs about the respective probability that white and black workers are respectively qualified for (People). In the Home Depot case instead of black and white the statistical discrimination occur based on man and women segmentation. The business strategy the company utilized had a solid foundation and was the driving force behind the move. Men have culturally in our society have been the ones that do most of the household repairs, thus the company wanted to capitalize on this fact in order to enhance their customer service capabilities. The company knew they were doing something illegal and wanted to hide the illegal activity

Fronters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fronters - Essay Example Company has an opportunity to make acquisitions (Ringbeck and Roska). Due world financial crisis business, industry has faced huge losses so as an airline industry, but it also present an opportunity to expand business through alliances and mergers. Company can raise money from different financial institutions that offer lower interest rates and can borrow at fixed interest rate. Fixed rate borrowing will prevent the company from bankruptcy, and Frontier can invest more in its expansion rather give as interest. Inflation is impacting the business increasingly day by day. There is great fluctuation in prices of each company that is a big threat for the company. However, managing prices in uncertain conditions is not a piece of cake. Airline industry is covered with unexpected problems and to deal with these problems is difficult. Therefore, it is a big threat for Frontier. For example, in the condition of storm strikes company needs fast communication channels that are a big challenge for Frontier. Because of poor communication system, company has to face negative sentiments of customers that are base for Frontier airlines. Due to economic and financial crisis, the cost of raw material is increasing which cause to increase the cost of services. Therefore, end price which will slowdown the competitive advantage of Frontier airlines. Increased cost is a threat for Frontier. Exchange rate fluctuation is also a threat for the company. In the case of strong Currency, Company will lose its competitive advantage because customers from countries that have lower currency rate will not pay higher prices and company will have to face a price war. Frontier airline was found in 1950 by the merger of three airlines; Arizona Airways, Monarch and Challenger airways. In 1985, the airline was acquired by people express and due to some financial difficulties, the airline faced bankruptcy (Carson, 74). The new Frontier airline was

Capital Budgetting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Capital Budgetting - Research Paper Example This topic has various fields such as capital budgeting which acts as an instrument in the monetary and fiscal policy. The two policies are necessary in improving net worth in the economy of a country in order to enhance development. This is mainly achieved through the reliance of debts rather than from other convectional sources such as tax. Capital budgeting is introduced in the economy so as to reduce deficit caused when expenditure exceeds revenue. In addition, capital budgeting is also primarily concerned with investment in the economy within long-term assets. These assets can either be tangible items such as equipment and property or intangible such as technology, trademarks and patents. However, the key challenge in capital budgeting is defining appropriate balances between current and capital expenditure. It is, therefore, important to enhance proper capital budgeting in order to reduce debts. This paper work analyzes a comprehensive research on capital budgeting in the econo my. This is in an effort to identify some aspects of corporate practices, which are consistent with capital budgeting policies and decisions. Capital budgeting decisions Capital budgeting decisions is highly applicable in the economy to maximize market values of firms to their shareholders. The decisions, therefore, have greater and long range impacts on the performance of firms. This is because the nature of the capital budgeting decision can either cause success or failure of a firm in the economy framework. According to financial theory by Keynes, capital budgeting decisions revolve around assets values. This is by ensuring value of assets in the entire economy is equivalent to the discounted values of the expected future cash flow (Graham & Harvey, 2002). Net present value (NPV) vs. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) These are two capital budgeting decision measures that are used to evaluate the nature of the product market before undertaking investment project. This means that firms contemplating investment in the capital market need to embrace net present value (NPV) rule in order to know when to undertake projects. According to this rule, a firm is only required to undertake capital investment project when NPV is either zero or positive. However, current survey shows that many firms across the world use internal rate of return (IRR) as a primary criterion of evaluating capital investment projects (Gervais, 2009). According to a survey that was conducted in 2000 among large companies in the world, 10 percent of them relied on NPV as a primary source of business evaluation while more that 50 percent relied on internal rate of return. Although the two methods have a similarity in evaluating the nature of the market, they exhibit critical difference in that IRR is expressed in ratio form while NPV measures the value added in dollar. However, Dayananda indicates that research shows that most of the companies and firms across the globe uses internal rate of return and net present value for their capital budgeting techniques. In addition, large firms record high rate of using NPV than small companies. This is because they require more accurate measure to prevent incurring higher losses because they engage in paramount investment (Dayananda, 2002). In addition, some surveys show that NPV is also like to be used by firms with high leverage than IRR contrary to firms with a reduced debt

Asbestos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Asbestos - Essay Example An estimated 1.3 million employees in the construction and general industry are at risk. No doubt, we are exposed to a certain level of asbestos material all the time. Asbestos, in the finished form, does not pose any health hazard. Remodelling, repair, maintenance, demolition, sale and transport combined with rough handling all can release these deadly fibres into water or air2. Inhalation of these fibres for a continuous period could be extremely dangerous. . Chrysotile, a fibrous mineral which neither burns nor rots, flexible with maximum tensile strength, extremely useful, lightweight, can create a formidable surface mixed with cementing materials, could be used as high temperature seals and gaskets, known over 2000 years, first mined in Russia, Italy and Canada. Old products, unlike today's improved technological ones, crumbled easily under pressure and released more harmful fibres. All these fibres are non-inflammable Asbestos is a highly emotive topic with two shrill schools of thought, one saying that asbestos should be banned; another arguing that asbestos of today would not be a killer. European Union (EU)3 and the United Kingdom (UK)4 both argue that asbestos is carcinogenic and targets multiple organs of the dust inhaler. According to their rules all types of asbestos are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure and the weight of evidence to support this is incontrovertible and historical. It is impossible to control the exposure to asbestos in workplace and hence, alternative products must be used. Asbestos should be discarded as a harmful object and should be banned, to protect public health. This risk-based approach depends on the fact that there is no identified lower exposure limit to which workers can be safely exposed.5 In spite of the overwhelming medical reports, there is little scientific research evidence to back this viewpoint and the entire exercise seems to be more of a public emotional grandstand. Asbestos is heat resistant and is used in a wide variety of industrial and domestic appliances and this makes it particularly difficult to avoid it completely. It is a mineral fibre used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and it is also a fire-retardant. The necessity of completely stopping the usage too is questioned by many scientists. The Canadian Chrysotile Institute

Mongol People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mongol People - Essay Example The culture of the Mongol allows them to marry off their daughters to other clans and the parents were the ones to arrange for the marriage. The parents always ask for gifts before the wedding and during the wedding, the Buddhist seek heavenly protection by reading the scripture (Newworldencyclopedia.org). The Mongolians are also singing communities who like to sing echoing songs. The Mongol people also practice dancing. The saber, Ordos and Andai dances are famous around the world.The Mongol people are governed by their imperial court of dynasty. The rulers inflict punishment on the wrong doers. The punishment was through possession of the herds of the wrong doer and the repossession of the lands they own.The Mongol people are also good at writing and translation skills. Most of the grammar books, dictionaries and translated history books about Mongolia were done by the Mongol people themselves (Newworldencyclopedia.org).ReligionMongolians main religion is Lamaism, the yellow sect o f the Buddhism. Shamanism was the earlier main religion, but recently Lamaism is considered their main religion because it pushed the male Mongols to be monks than the warriors in earlier periods. During the period of conversion to Lamaism, every family is supposed to provide one son to be raised to be a lama.Medicine and health careMongols have been using acupuncture, massages, and herbal medicine to treat most of the diseases among their people. Kublai Khan was born in the year 1912 in Mongolia in the country of china.

Asbestos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Asbestos - Essay Example An estimated 1.3 million employees in the construction and general industry are at risk. No doubt, we are exposed to a certain level of asbestos material all the time. Asbestos, in the finished form, does not pose any health hazard. Remodelling, repair, maintenance, demolition, sale and transport combined with rough handling all can release these deadly fibres into water or air2. Inhalation of these fibres for a continuous period could be extremely dangerous. . Chrysotile, a fibrous mineral which neither burns nor rots, flexible with maximum tensile strength, extremely useful, lightweight, can create a formidable surface mixed with cementing materials, could be used as high temperature seals and gaskets, known over 2000 years, first mined in Russia, Italy and Canada. Old products, unlike today's improved technological ones, crumbled easily under pressure and released more harmful fibres. All these fibres are non-inflammable Asbestos is a highly emotive topic with two shrill schools of thought, one saying that asbestos should be banned; another arguing that asbestos of today would not be a killer. European Union (EU)3 and the United Kingdom (UK)4 both argue that asbestos is carcinogenic and targets multiple organs of the dust inhaler. According to their rules all types of asbestos are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure and the weight of evidence to support this is incontrovertible and historical. It is impossible to control the exposure to asbestos in workplace and hence, alternative products must be used. Asbestos should be discarded as a harmful object and should be banned, to protect public health. This risk-based approach depends on the fact that there is no identified lower exposure limit to which workers can be safely exposed.5 In spite of the overwhelming medical reports, there is little scientific research evidence to back this viewpoint and the entire exercise seems to be more of a public emotional grandstand. Asbestos is heat resistant and is used in a wide variety of industrial and domestic appliances and this makes it particularly difficult to avoid it completely. It is a mineral fibre used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and it is also a fire-retardant. The necessity of completely stopping the usage too is questioned by many scientists. The Canadian Chrysotile Institute

Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Research Paper

Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter - Research Paper Example This paper shall seek to closely examine these nuanced facets of the novel. The concepts of free-enquiry and liberal questioning are central to the theory of Transcendentalism. Though Hester is seen to quietly accept her persecution, she is also seen to question and rebel against the rules of the Puritanical society in which she lives. This can be seen in the uncharacteristic vehemence with which she opposes the decision of the clergy to take away her child from her. Hester’s rebellion is also seen in her desire to start her life afresh with Dimmesdale and their illegitimate daughter. It is however Hester’s daughter Pearl, who is an embodiment of this spirit of free-enquiry. Her seemingly naà ¯ve, childish questions about the workings of the Puritanical society of Boston are in fact quite radical. The concepts of self-reliance and compensation are central to the theories of Transcendentalism. The idea of compensation dictates that man’s actions shall result in i nevitable, inescapable consequences. It thus rejects the notion of the society or the state penalizing an individual for his transgression. Hester Prynne is an intensely individualistic woman and the her ability to transform the harshly critical letter ‘A’ into a thing of beauty with her needlework is symbolic of her ability to transcend the cloistered moralities of her times (Bell). It is perhaps also significant that Hester, by the virtue of her pious living and virtuous

Higher Education Essay Example for Free

Higher Education Essay The tasks of the ENIC/NARIC offices in Denmark, Sweden and Norway include work on issues related to education from India. All three offices receive applications and questions concerning recognition of education from the country both from institutions, representatives from the labour market and other stakeholders. The number of applications and enquiries are growing. All three countries have relatively large populations of persons of Indian origin settled in their countries, Denmark about 4,300, Norway 7,000 and Sweden 13,600 (2005). A need to learn more about the country and especially the system of education has been felt for some time. The most important motivation for a study tour was to facilitate the work of giving advice concerning education from India and daily credential evaluation work. In addition to this, the Nordic ENIC/NARIC offices wished to achieve closer future contact and cooperation with different educational organisations in India. The visit was planned and implemented in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy in India, the Nordic Center, both located in New Delhi, and the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) in Bangalore. The main focus was to gather information about the educational system in the country; the financing of education, information about public and private education and how they are governed; how the authorities plan and implement quality assurance work (QA), and how the institutions deal with these challenges. Information about future plans for education in India was also of great interest. The delegation visited the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Association of India Universities (AIU) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) as well as various institutions of higher education. The first two organizations mentioned are responsible for the higher education sector while the rest of the boards and councils organise and work with the development and maintenance of intermediate and secondary education, technical education and teacher education. The study tour was planned as a joint visit by the ENIC/NARIC offices in Denmark, Sweden and Norway to both India and Pakistan from 24 September to 6 October 2005. The delegation consisted of 8 representatives. Report Structure The report is based on information and impressions which the delegation obtained during the study tour. Information was also gathered from sources such as the websites of the organisations and institutions visited and from agencies including the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) in Australia, World Education Services (WES) in the USA, IAU and UNESCO/IAU among others. At several places in the text, sources have been specifically mentioned. An additional list of sources can be found in the appendices. 3 The report describes the system of education in India and the quality assurance system. Chapter 1 introduces the administration of the school system and the organisation of primary, secondary and higher secondary education, while Chapter 2 provides information about technical and vocational education. Chapter 3 outlines the system of higher education by reviewing the institutional structure with a discussion of both public and private education. Information on degree structure and grading systems is included, as well as examples of some bachelor degree programmes. In Chapter 4, teacher training at higher secondary level and at university level is described. Chapter 5 presents India’s response to globalisation in the higher education sector. The last chapter deals with the quality assurance work in education, both at secondary and higher level. Impressions and reflections about the education system and how it functions are incorporated into the report in frames where appropriate. Country Profile India is one of the world’s oldest civilisations, dating back to 2,500 B. C. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded the country in about 1,500 B. C. ; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursion starting in the eighth century and Turkish in the twelfth century were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late fifteenth century. By the nineteenth century, Great Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped end British colonialism through non-violent resistance. India achieved independence in 1947. The Republic of India was established in 1947 and comprises 32 states and Union Territories, the latter controlled by the central government. The country covers about 3. 3 million square kilometres with a population of 1. 029 billion and dominates southern Asia. It is slightly larger than one-third the size of the United States. India is home to 17% of the world’s total population, accommodated in an area that is 2. 4% of the world’s total area. India has the world’s twelfth largest economy and the third largest in Asia behind Japan and China, with a total GDP of around $570 billion. Services, industry and agriculture account for 50. 7%, 26. 6% and 22. 7% of GDP respectively. The United States is India’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in 2003 was $18. 1 billion. There are some 16 official major languages and 844 dialects. Among these languages, English enjoys associate status, but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people. The other official languages are Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language. Hinduism (80. 5%), Islam (13. 4%), Christianity (2. 3%), Sikh (1. 9%) are the major religions in the country. The literacy rate is 52% (of the total population of age 15 or older). 4 Chapter 1 General Education. Administration of Education The central and the state governments have joint responsibility for education, with freedom for the state governments to organise education within the national framework of education. Educational policy planning is under the overall charge of the central Ministry of Human Resource Development which includes the Department of Elementary Education and Literacy and the Department of Secondary and Higher Education. The Ministry is guided by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) which is the national level advisory body. The education ministers of all the different states are members of the board. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) (1961) defines the National Frame Curriculum for classes I XII. It also functions as a resource centre in the field of school development and teacher education. State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) are the principal research and development institutions in all the states. At secondary level, school boards at state level affiliate schools and set examination standards in accordance with the national framework. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) cover all India besides the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). National Policy on General Education Under the national constitution, education was a state matter until 1976. The central government could only provide guidance to the states on policy issues. In 1976 the constitution was amended to include education on the concurrent list. The initial attempts of designing a National Education Policy were made in 1968 but it was only in 1986 that India as a whole had a uniform National Policy on Education. The National Policy on Education 1986, modified in 1992, defines the major goals for elementary education as universal access and enrolment, universal retention of children up to 14 years and substantial improvement in the quality of education. The National Policy of Education of 1992 also aims at vocationalisation of secondary education and greater use of educational technology. The policy has been accompanied by several programmes such as the District Primary Education Program (DPEP) launched in 1994 and the National Campaign for Education for All (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) launched in 2001/2. A proposed bill on the right to education (draft, November 2005) stresses the right of all children from age 6 until their 15th birthday to receive elementary education either in school or non-formal education (NFE). The Indian government is preparing the universalisation of secondary education (USE). The main aim is to provide high quality secondary education to all Indian adolescents up to the age of 16 by 2015, and senior secondary education up to the age of 18 by 2020. 5 Crucial problems in India are teacher absenteeism, noted by UNESCO in 2005; high teacherpupil ratios; and inadequate teaching materials and facilities, particularly in rural areas. At the other end of the scale, children attending urban schools, especially middle and upper class children in private schools, are subjected to extreme competition from a very early age in order to qualify for admission into the best schools. In 1979-80, the Government of India, Department of Education launched a programme of Non-Formal Education (NFE) for children of 6-14 years age group, who cannot join regular schools drop-outs, working children, children from areas without easy access to schools etc. The initial focus of the scheme was on ten educationally backward states. Later, it was extended to urban slums, and hilly, tribal and desert areas in other states. Source: UNESCO: India, updated August 2003 and Annual Report 2004/5, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (overview). Newsletter, October-December 2005, International Institute for Educational Planning, UNESCO. Learning without Burden, NCERT, 1993, reprinted 2004. Annual report 2004/5, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (annexes). School Education. A uniform structure of school education, the 10+2 system, has been adopted by all the states and Union Territories (UTs) of India following the National Policy on Education of 1986. Elementary school, Class I – VIII, is recognised as the period of compulsory schooling, with the Constitutional amendment making education a fundamental right. A majority of the states and Union Territories (UTs) have introduced free education in classesI-XII. In states/UTs where education is not free for classes IX and above, the annual fee varies considerably. The pre-school covers two to three years. The elementary stage consists of a primary stage comprising Classes I-V (in some states I-IV), followed by a middle stage of education comprising Classes VI -VIII (in some states V-VIII or VI -VII). The minimum age for admission to Class I of the primary school is generally 5+ or 6+. The secondary stage consists of Classes IX-X (in some states VIII-X), and a senior secondary stage of schooling comprising classes XI-XII in all states. In some states/UTs these classes are attached to universities/colleges. The number of working days of school education in a year is generally more than 200 days in all the states/UTs. Participation in primary and secondary education The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which indicates the number of children actually enrolled in elementary schools as a proportion of child population in the 6-14 years age group, has increased progressively since 1950-51, rising from 32. 1% to 82. 5% in 2002-03, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in India. The rate of increase in GER of girls has been higher than that of boys. The dropout rate at the primary level (Classes I-V) declined from 39% in 2001-02 to 34. 9% in 2002-03. However the GER only covers 61% of children from classes VI to VIII. 6 In 2002/3 the dropout rate was estimated at 34. 9% at the end of lower primary classes and 52. 8% at the end of upper primary. The dropout rate was 62. 6% at the end of secondary school (Class X). There are wide disparities among the different states in the number of children completing primary and secondary school from less than 20% to more than 80%, according to the central statistics from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Source Selected Educational Statistics 2002-03. Provisional. Ministry of Human Resource Development, India Annual Report 2004/5. Ministry of Human Resource Development, India Secondary Education. Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (information on the Departments website) National Curricula The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) formulated the first Curriculum Framework in 1975 as a recommendation to the individual states. NCERT was accorded the responsibility of developing a binding National Curriculum Framework through the National Policy on Education (NPE) (1986). NCERT reviews the curriculum every five years on the basis of consultations within the whole school sector. The core areas of the curriculum are common. Teaching of English is usually compulsory in classes VI-X in most of the states/UTs. NCERT published a New National Curriculum framework in 2005. The New National Curriculum will be introduced in textbooks in three phases: Phase one, 2006-07: classes I, III, VI, IX and XI. Phase two, 2007-08: classes II, IV, VII, X and XII Phase three, 2008-09:classes V and VIII NCERT has gradually been changing the curriculum from traditional information provision to be more learner-oriented and competence-based. National Curriculum Framework 2000 The National Curriculum Framework 2000 operates with the concept of the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLLs) identifying certain essential levels of learning for each stage of school education. Pre-primary education The National Policy on Education defines the objective of early childhood care and education (ECCE) as being the total development of children in the age group 0-6 years. Early Childhood Education (ECE) or pre-primary education (2 years), part of the ECCE, shall prepare children for school. Teaching at this stage, according to the National Curriculum Framework, comprises group activities, play–way techniques, language games, number games and activities directed at promoting socialisation and environmental awareness among children. Formal teaching of subjects and reading and writing are prohibited. However, NCERT strongly criticised the actual pre-school programmes for exposing children to structured formal learning, often in  7 English with tests and homework, in the introductory notes to the new National Curriculum Framework 2005. The competition for the best education starts at a very early age. Newspapers from September 2005 in India report of tremendous pressure on three-year old children being prepared by their parents for nursery interviews and competing with a huge number of other children for places in the most prestigious private pre-schools. The newspapers report on private persons/institutes that offer help to parents in preparing their children for nursery interviews. Other newspapers report the need for psychological support for children having developed speaking difficulties after having been exposed to onerous preparation by their parents for nursery interviews. Primary education At the primary stage, emphasis is on the process of understanding, thinking and internalising. The National Curriculum contains the following subjects: Subject Language(s) Lower primary Classes I-II The mother tongue/regional language Lower primary Classes III-V The mother tongue/regional language Upper primary Classes VI-VIII. Three Languages — the mother tongue/the regional language, a modern Indian language and English All kind of creative activities including the childs own creations Essentials of mathematics for every day activities, including geometry Art education Mathematics Art of healthy and productive living Woven around the world of the learner Creative education, health and physical education, work education, value inculcation Integrated approach Environmental studies Health and physical education Science and technology Social sciences. -Work education Integrated approach to music, dance, drama, drawing and painting, puppetry, health and physical education, games and sports, yoga and productive work Experiences to help socio- emotional and cultural development with a realistic awareness and perception of phenomena occurring in the environment Games and sports, yoga, NCC and scouting and guiding Key concepts across all the disciplines of science, local and global concerns Social, political and economic situation of India and the world, including Indian cultural heritage. Academic skills social skills and civic competencies Agricultural and technological processes including participation in work situation Source: National Curriculum Framework 2000 8 In all language education programmes, the stress is placed on the ability to use the language in speech and in writing for academic purposes, at the workplace and in society in general. The duration of a class period may be around 40 minutes and, according to NCERT, the school year should be a minimum of 180 days, and â€Å"†¦A primary school should function for five hours a day out of which four hours may be set aside for instruction. For the upper primary and secondary schools, the duration of a school day should be six hours out of which five hours should be kept for instruction and the rest for the other routine activities. † Secondary education (2 years, grades IX-X) In grades IX-X the scheme of studies should include the following subjects: three languages (the mother tongue/the regional language, a modern Indian language and English), mathematics, science and technology, social sciences, work education, art education, health and physical education. Foreign languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, German, Arabic, Persian and Spanish may be offered as additional options. The curriculum in mathematics should take into account both the learning requirement of learners who will leave school for working life, and of students who will pursue higher education. According to the NECRT Secondary School Curriculum 2002-2004 (Vol.1, Main Subjects) the suggested number of weekly periods per subject in grade X is as follows: Subject Language I Language II Mathematics Science and technology Social science Work education or pre-vocational education Art education Suggested number of periods in grade X 7 6 7 9 9 3 + 2 to 6 periods outside school hours 2 The boards, however, according to NCERT, often offer limited or no optional courses: two languages (one of which is English), mathematics, science and social sciences are the typical examination subjects. A few boards encourage students to choose an optional course from a range that includes economics, music and cookery. Higher secondary/Senior secondary education (2 years, grades XI–XII) The curriculum at this stage is divided into an academic stream and a vocational stream. Academic stream The objectives of academic courses are to promote problem-solving abilities and convey higher levels of knowledge. The curriculum at this stage comprises foundation courses and elective courses. Foundation courses consist of (i) language and literature, (ii) work education, and (iii) health and physical education, games and sports. The study of language prepares a student to both learn and use language in the classroom, the community and the workplace. The choice of the language to be studied is decided by the learner. Work education includes e. g. developmental projects in a village or city. Generic Vocational Courses (GVC) aim at developing employment-related generic skills regardless of the persons’ occupations. The student should choose three elective courses out of the subjects 9 prescribed by the boards. Elective courses may include bridging courses between the academic and vocational streams. The list of courses may include modern Indian languages, Sanskrit, classical European languages and their literatures, English (academic and specialised), other foreign languages, subjects in the sciences and mathematics, computer science, accountancy, business studies, engineering, political science, history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, fine arts and others. NCERT prescribes that courses should be listed together without dividing them into mutually exclusive groups. Nonetheless, several boards restrict the combinations in the form of a science stream, arts stream and commerce stream. Some schools tailor their classes to medical and engineering courses. Universities restrict admissions based on the subjects and combinations of courses studied in the +2 stage. Sixty percent of the instructional time is devoted to the instruction of elective subjects and forty percent to the foundation course. Vocational stream The introduction of the vocational stream was recommended by the central Kothari Commission (1964-66). The National Policy on Education, 1986 (revised 1992) set a target of twenty-five percent of higher secondary students in vocational courses by 1995. So far, enrolment is far below this. The courses for the vocational stream consist of: †¢ A language course †¢ A general foundation course †¢ Health and physical education, and †¢ Elective vocational courses Vocational education covers areas like agriculture, engineering and technology (including information and communication technology), business and commerce, home science, health and para-medical services and humanities. Language courses are organised to cover the grammatical structures and additional vocabulary particular to the trade or vocation. The general foundation course for the vocational stream comprises general studies, entrepreneurship development, environmental education, rural development and information and communication technology. Vocational electives are organised according to employment opportunities. Practical training is an essential component of the vocational courses, according to the National Curriculum Framework, with seventy percent of time devoted to vocational courses. The certificate issued should mention the competencies acquired and the credits earned. Organisation The organisation of teaching is based either on an annual or semester system. In most cases, a year’s course is divided into two parts to be covered in the two halves of an academic session in the annual system. Marks are accorded to a certain number of periods; the total mark is an average of marks accorded to the different parts of curriculum in an annual or semestrial examination (e. g. a paper corresponding to a 3-hour written examination). 10 The example below copied from the Senior School Curriculum 2007 (Central Board of Secondary Education) illustrates a typical curriculum (in history) and the maximum marks accorded to the different parts of the curriculum. History/Class XI Paper One Unit Part A Ancient India 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. . 30. Total Introduction Paleolithic Cultures and Beginning of settled Life Harappan Civilization The Early Vedic Period Later Vedic Phase and Iron Age South and North-East India Religious traditions Mahajanapada Mauryas Society, Economy and Culture during Mauryan period Post-Mauryan India The age of India from Guptas and after The Society and Culture in the age of Guptas and Harsha Project Work 100 marks 8 4 8 8 5 2 10 4 10 6 6 8 8 . 5 8 9 5 2 7 7 Time: 3 Hours Periods 100 Marks Marks. In the semester system, recommended by NCERT, students take a number of credit hours corresponding to their requirements and capacity, and at their own pace. However, only a few institutions have adopted the semester and credit system. National Curriculum Framework 2005 The National Curriculum Framework 2005 points out the need for plurality and flexibility within education while maintaining the standards of education in order to cover a growing variety of children. The Framework recommends that learning shifts away from rote methods and that the curriculum reduces and updates textbooks. Peace education is included as a dimension in education. The new curriculum proposes a broader spectrum of optional subjects, including the revalorisation of vocational options. Courses may be designed to offer optional modules, rather than trying to cover everything and overfilling courses too much. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 also proposes changes within the examination system (examinations for classes X and XII) allowing reasoning and creative abilities to replace memorisation. The children should be able to opt for different levels of attainment. Textbooks 11. Most states have legislated to create bodies for the preparation of syllabi and textbooks. The states have established various mechanisms for the preparation and approval of textual materials. However, a study in 2005, undertaken by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), of textbooks used in government schools (not following the CBSE syllabus) and in nongovernment schools (including social and religious schools) showed that many textbooks reinforce inequalities and neglect rural, tribal or female realities. According to NCERT Newsletter, in 2005, CABE proposed the institution of a National Textbook Council to monitor textbooks. Source: National Curriculum Framework 2000, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India National Curriculum Framework 2005, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India Newsletter July 2005, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India Senior School Curriculum 2007, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India, 2005 Examination and Assessment In all the states and Union Territories, public examinations are conducted at the end of classes X and XII by the respective State Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Ministry of Human Resource Development has published a list of recognised state boards for secondary and higher secondary education. The minimum age for admittance to the Secondary School Examination generally varies from 14+ to 16+. The minimum age for Higher Secondary School Examinations varies from 16+ to 18+ years. Some states/UTs do not have an age restriction. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), established by a special resolution of the Government of India in 1929, prescribes examination conditions and the conduct of public examinations at the end of Standard X and XII. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Delhi, was established in 1958 by the University of Cambridge, Local Examinations Syndicate as a self-financing national examination board. The Council conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (Standard X) and the Indian School Certificate (Standard XII) examinations. CISCE affiliates schools using English as a medium of instruction. The title of the final qualification varies depending upon the examining body. The titles used by the central examining boards are: CBSE: †¢ All India Secondary School Certificate (Standard X). †¢ All India Senior School Certificate (Standard XII). 12 CISCE: †¢ Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE Standard X). †¢ Indian School Certificate (ISC Standard XII). †¢ Certificate of Vocational Education (CVE XII). Information from the procedure of the All India Senior School Certificate (Standard XII) (extract): The Board conducts examination in all subjects except General Studies, Work Experience, Physical and Health Education, which will be assessed internally by the schools based on cumulative records of students periodical achievements and progress during the year. In all subjects examined by the Board, a student will be given one paper each carrying 100 marks for 3 hours. However, in subjects requiring practical examination, there will be a theory paper and a practical examination as required in the syllabi and courses. A candidate may offer an additional subject that can be either a language at elective level or another elective subject as prescribed in the Scheme of Studies, subject to the conditions laid down in the Pass Criteria. A candidate will get the Pass Certificate of the Board, if he/she gets a grade higher than E in all subjects of internal assessment unless he/she is exempted. Failing this, result of the external examination will be withheld but not for a period of more than one year. In order to be declared as having passed the examination, a candidate shall obtain a grade higher than E (i. e. at least 33% marks) in all the five subjects of external examination in the main or at the compartmental examinations. The pass marks in each subject of external examination shall be 33%. In case of a subject involving practical work a candidate must obtain 33% marks in theory and 33% marks in practical separately in addition to 33% marks in aggregate in order to qualify in that subject. A candidate failing in two of the five subjects of external examination shall be placed in compartment in those subjects provided he/she qualifies in all the subjects of internal assessment. A candidate who has failed in the examination in the first attempt shall be required, to re-appear in all the subjects at the subsequent annual examination of the Board. A candidate who has passed the Senior School Certificate Examination of the Board may offer an additional subject as a private candidate provided the additional subject is provided in the Scheme of Studies and is offered within six years of passing the examination of the Board. A candidate who has passed an examination of the Board may reappear for improvement of performance in one or more subject(s) in the main examination in the succeeding year only; however, a candidate who has passed an examination of the Board under Vocational Scheme may reappear for improvement of performance in one or more subject{s) in the main examination in the succeeding year or in the following year provided he/she has not pursued higher studies in the mean time. He /she will appear as private candidate. Candidates who appear for improvement of performance will be issued only Statement of Marks reflecting the marks of the main examination as well as those of the improvement examination. Central Board of Secondary Education Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of the three national boards of secondary education in India. CBSE has affiliated around 8,300 schools including government and independent 13 schools. It also affiliates schools in some 20 African and Asian countries. About 200 new schools are affiliated each year. Study teams conduct regular inspections of the affiliated institutions. CBSE has a central office and 6 regional offices. Permanent affiliation is obtained after a number of years. Affiliation is granted according to strict criteria. A list of affiliated schools can be found on CBSE s website: http://www. cbse. nic. in. The major objective is to prescribe conditions of examinations and conduct public examinations at the end of Classes X and XII and to grant certificates to successful candidates of the affiliated schools. All affiliated schools follow the national scheme of 10+2. Here is an example of testimonial for All India Senior School Certificate Examination from 2000: CBSE is regulated but not financed by the central government. Financing is assured by fees from the affiliated schools. CBSE accepts private candidates. CBSE develops its curriculum on the basis of the national curriculum framework. The curriculum is revised every 5 to 10 years. Two of the front line curriculum subjects are revised every year. According to CBSE, it strives notably to adapt current teaching methods and content of teaching to an innovative and creative society in the form of subjects such as functional English, bio-technology, entrepreneurship, life skills education, and disaster management. An important objective is the destressing of education, including no homework or examinations in grades I and II and only achievement reports in grades III-V. Information technology is compulsory in grades IX +X. Language studies include a possible 27 different languages besides Hindi and English. One teacher may teach four subjects up to grade X.

Strategies for Internationalisation

Strategies for Internationalisation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The report looks at the entry strategies available for an organization wishing to internationalize. It describes the internationalization strategy; the risks associated with it, and give examples of the type of businesses that are suitable for each type of strategy. Globalization is the process by which regional, economies, societies and cultures have become integrated through a global network of communication, transportation and trade.(Wikipedia 21 nov,2010) Advancements in technology like the internet, television and other communication tools have driven markets to be more integrated. Customers demands the world over, are becoming more similar with each day, hence the convergence of markets. Unlike in the past, a person in India can buy a product from any part of the world; it does not necessarily have to be made in India. The procurement of products or services from an independent supplier or company owned subsidiaries located abroad for consumption in the home country or third country is called global sourcing. CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall. This ability of individuals and companies to buy products from any part of the world has taken competition to a different level because a firm in Zambia has to take all companies in the world producing products similar to its own as competitors despite geographic dispersion. With competition being on a global scale, firms cannot afford to just serve one market. They have to either offer its current products to a new market, or come up with new products for its current, or for a new market in order to mitigate risk of loss if conditions become adverse in one market. Before a company internationalizes, it must first assess if it is ready, and which countries have attractive markets. It must follow the order of:- Analyzing its readiness to internationalize, Assessing the suitability of its products and services for foreign markets, Screening countries to identify attractive target markets, Assessing the industry market demand for its products or services in the selected target market Selecting qualified business partners, like distributors and suppliers, and Estimating the companys sales potential in the target market. CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall. The process where a company decides to increase its current market is called market penetration. Market penetration as a strategy has low risk because the firm is operating in a market it is familiar with, and selling products that customers already know. This strategy is supported by a lot of advertising and promotional activities; for example a firm can lure customers to buy more of its products by offering a promotion of buy 1 and get 1 free. This type of promotion is common especially for products that are sold in grocery stores or supermarkets. A firm can also increase market share by offering its products at prices lower than its competitors. This strategy can only work if a company has low costs due to purchasing, production or distribution economies of scale. A firm can increase its market share by acquiring smaller competitors in the industry. This strategy is ideal when a product reaches its maturity stage and the market is saturated and profit margins are low due to high competition. SABMiller took over Grupo Empresarial which was its competitor in South America, to become the second largest player in the market. The main strategies that firms use to internationalize are outlined below. EXPORTING If the market in which a firm is currently operating is saturated or adverse conditions develop, it can consider offering its products in a different market- selling across its national borders in this case. The first option that a firm can choose is to export its products. Exporting means to ship goods or commodities to another country for sale, exchange, etc. With exporting, the firm produces goods in its home country and sells them abroad. (www.dictionary.com 20.20hrs, 13.11.10). a firm simply has to find distribution partners in the country where its exporting, to supply that particular market. The firm has little control in the international market, and it does not commit time or resources for the international market, it simply ships its products to that country and from there they are at the mercy of the distributor. An example of a company that exports its products is Zambia Sugar PLC (ZMSG). It produces the sugar from Mazabuka, its headquarters in Zambia, supplies the home m arket and exports the excess sugar to the European Union. The problem with exporting is that the firm has little control over its product, and it is not there physically to position its product in the market. How successful it is in the international market depends on the distributor, and also how good the product is for word of mouth to work as a way marketing. Exporting is mainly used by firms that do not have the resources to set up a physical presence in an international market. Additionally, management does not have to commit time to manage operations in the international market as it is all left in the hands of the distributor. Firms also export because of unsolicited orders from abroad. An example is of Vellus Products, Inc. this is a small company based in the United States that makes pet grooming products. CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall. This company got orders from Taiwan, England etc. -countries where it had no establishments. Firms that are considering setting up a physical presence in an international market can use exporting as a way of testing the market. If the products sell well in the international market, then it can go ahead and set up its infrastructure. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE VENTURES Another way a firm can internationalize is through international collaborative ventures. A collaborative venture is a partnership between two or more firms, and includes equity joint venture as well as, project based nonequity ventures. CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall. For example, the Japanese electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish Telecommunications company Ericsson formed a joint venture in 2001 to form a new company called Sony Ericsson. The reason for the venture is to combine expertise to produce superior products. Both companies have stopped making their own mobile phones and focus on the joint venture. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Examples_of_joint_ventures). This type of venture is an equity venture, where no one party possess all of the assets needed to exploit an available opportunity(CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) A non equity or project based venture is a partnership formed specifically for a project which has a well defined timetable, without creating a new legal entity(CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) ZCON and group 7 CONSTRUCTION are two companies that have come together to work on a project of setting up a shopping mall in Zambia. The project has a well defined time table and the two companies know when they are supposed to end the partnership. CONSORTIUM This is a project based and usually non equity venture with multiple partners fulfilling a large scale project. It is normally formed with a contract with well defined rights, roles and obligations. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) LICENCING Licensing is an agreement in which the owner of intellectual property grants another firm the right to use that property for a specified period of time in exchange for royalties or other compensation. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) This is another method a firm can use to internationalize. The firm becomes the licensor in this case and firm in that uses its intellectual property is the licensee. The licensee pays a fee called royalties to the licensor for using the intellectual property. The licensor from time to time, chips in to advise the licensee and provide support. The licensor has a bit more control over its products in the international market using this method. The risks of internationalizing a higher using licensing compared to exporting. An example of a license agreement is of the company coca-cola. It is found in most, if not all countries of the world, but in most of them it operates under license. A local bottling company can produce and distribute coca-cola products on the licensors behalf. The advantage of this strategy is that it does not require investment in the international market, but it is a source of cash through royalties paid in. FRANCHISING This is an arrangement in which the firm allows another the right to use an entire business system in exchange for fees, royalties, or other forms of compensation. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) . the firm allowing another , the use of its business system is called the franchisor while the one using the firms business system is the franchisee. with franchising, the franchisor has to be more committed as compared to licensing, in supporting the franchisee, because the entire business system (production, marketing, sales name and right for products patents and trademarks) is being used. The franchisor has to fully monitor the operations of the franchisee and make sure they are in line with the agreed procedures of operating. Examples of firms that have franchise agreements are McDonalds, Subway, Debonnairs Pizza. TURNKEY CONTRACTING This is an arrangement where the focal firm or a consortium of firms plans, finances, organizes, manages and implements all phases of a project abroad and then hands it over to a foreign customer after training local personnel. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) BUILD-OPERATE-TRANSFER ARRANGEMENTS (BOT) This is an arrangement in which the firm or a consortium of firms contracts to build a major facility abroad, operate it for a specified period, and then hand it over to the project sponsor, typically the host country government or public utility. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS This is an arrangement in which a contractor supplies managerial know how to operate a hotel, resort, hospital, airport or other facility in exchange for compensation. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) LEASING This is where a focal firm (the leasor) rents out machinery or equipment to corporate or government clients abroad (leasee). (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) this is common in the aircraft business where manufacturers lease out the aircraft to airline companies. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) The most involving method of entering an international market is through foreign direct investment. With this method, a firm either sets up its infrastructure in an international market (Greenfield investment) as opposed to acquiring an existing company. (CAVUSGIL at al. (2008) international business 1st edition. New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall.) a firm builds new manufacturing, marketing, or administrative facilities. Alternatively, a firm can acquire another, already existing firm and takes over its operations in the market. An example of this is Airtel in the telecommunications industry, under the Bharti group. It recently took over all Zain operations in the African market. With FDI, the firm commits its time and resources fully in the international market. It has a physical presence and has direct access to the firms stakeholders. FDI is the riskiest of all the types of internationalization strategies because of the level of resource commitment. The firm faces; Cultural risk. This is where a cultural miscommunication puts some human value at risk. A firm has to try to study and understand the culture in the country where it chooses to set up operations. Country risk. Any changes in the political, legal, economic or environmental aspects in the country that would have adverse effects on the operations and profitability of a company. Currency risk. This is the risk of adverse fluctuations in exchange rates. Commercial risk. This is a firms potential loss from poorly developed or executed business strategies, tactics or procedures. Currency risk. A firm faces the risk of loss of profits due to fluctuating exchange rates. The devaluation of a currency can have a negative impact on a companys profits. All of the above risks affect firms that use FDI as an entry strategy, unlike the other forms of entry that are only affected by one or two of the risks. The main features of foreign direct investment are that; It has greater resource commitment It implies global presence and operations It allows the firm to achieve global scale efficiency Firms involved In FDI strive to behave in socially responsible ways. When selecting an FDI location, a firm must look at a number of factors; The country it wishes to invest in should have a market large enough to support its growth and give enough returns for the firm to continue operating. China for example, is a large market because of its population, and top of that, its an emerging market so it has a lot of growth opportunities. The country should be close to the firms targeted customers to reduce on distribution expenses. Proximity the firms source of raw materials is also important The country should have low political, cultural, and currency risk as compared to other FDI country options. Economic factors such as tax, interest and exchange rates, are important factors for the firm to consider because theyll determine the level of availability of cash for company operations. Before a firm decides which type of entry strategy it wishes to use, it has to consider the amount of resources it is willing to commit and the level of risk It Is willing to take. How good a strategy is, is determined by the goals the firm wants to achieve. Different industries favor different entry strategies. for example a firm may want to reduce its costs so it can consider investing in countries endowed with natural resource that are input materials for the firm, it can invest in a country with low labor cost. Effects Industrial- emergence of worldwide production markets and broader access to a range of foreign products for consumers and companies, particularly movement of materials and goods between and within boundaries. Financial- emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing for borrowers Economic- realization of a global common marketplace based on the freedom of exchange of goods and capital. Informational-increase in information flows even between geographically remote areas. This is a technological change including fiber optic communications, satellites, telephone and internet. Competition- survival in the new global business market calls for improved productivity an increased competition (www.google.com) CONCLUSION In conclusion, there is no best way of entering an international market. It all depends on the type of products an organization produces, the resources it is willing to commit in the new market, the risks it is willing to take, and the barriers that are in the new market

Vibrio cholerae, the Human Immune System, and Vaccines Essay -- Choler

Vibrio cholerae, the Human Immune System, and Vaccines Cholera remains a drastically severe disease, killing hundreds of people each outbreak. When ingested, it attaches to the mucosal lining of the intestines and disrupts the normal flow of ions so that there is more sodium, chloride, and water in the intestinal lumen than normal and results in massive diarrhea. Cholera has made a global impact and been endemic in almost all parts of the world. Cholera control strongly emphasizes sanitation, clean drinking water, isolation, and careful food preparation. Two ways our body works against cholera as a self-limiting disease are sloughing cells and the secretory immunoglobulin (sIgA) antibody produced by mucus throughout our body. There are currently three types of available vaccines: parenteral, whole killed V. cholerae O1 added with a recombinant part of one of cholera toxin’s subunits (WC/rBS), and another one based on genetically manipulated V. cholerae CVD103-HgR. Research on finding a safe, effective vaccine continues today in o rder to stop such a distructive disease. Cholera, a devastating epidemic disease, has been around for hundreds of years and now annually kills 120,000 people worldwide (Weekly Epidemiological Record, 6). It is acquired by consuming water contaminated with feces or ingesting food that has been washed with contaminated water. Cholera is caused by a gram-negative, rod shaped bacterium called Vibrio cholerae which can be further classified into two separate biotypes (El Tor and classical) and multiple other serotypes. Once inside the body, V. cholerae attaches and adapts itself to the mucosal epithelial lining of the intestines then produces an exotoxin, cholera toxin (CT), which disrupts the norma... ...e cholera pandemics, and gained much knowledge from each one, but it still manages to persist in the environment and continues to be a huge issue. Unfortunately, many developing countries still have inadequate water supplies and sanitation but there is not much that can be done. Many mysteries remain unanswered and so the search for a safe and effective cholera vaccine continues on. Sources: Drasar, B.S., B.D. Forrest. Cholera and the Ecology of Vibrio cholerae. London: Chapman & Hall, 1996. Salyers A., Abigail, Dixie D. Whitt. Bacterial Pathogenesis: A molecular approach. Washington D.C.: American Society for Microbiology, 1994 Weekly Epidemiological Record No. 16. 2001. World Health Organization. July 25. 2007 World Health Organization. Guidelines for Cholera Control. Geneva, 1993 Vibrio cholerae, the Human Immune System, and Vaccines Essay -- Choler Vibrio cholerae, the Human Immune System, and Vaccines Cholera remains a drastically severe disease, killing hundreds of people each outbreak. When ingested, it attaches to the mucosal lining of the intestines and disrupts the normal flow of ions so that there is more sodium, chloride, and water in the intestinal lumen than normal and results in massive diarrhea. Cholera has made a global impact and been endemic in almost all parts of the world. Cholera control strongly emphasizes sanitation, clean drinking water, isolation, and careful food preparation. Two ways our body works against cholera as a self-limiting disease are sloughing cells and the secretory immunoglobulin (sIgA) antibody produced by mucus throughout our body. There are currently three types of available vaccines: parenteral, whole killed V. cholerae O1 added with a recombinant part of one of cholera toxin’s subunits (WC/rBS), and another one based on genetically manipulated V. cholerae CVD103-HgR. Research on finding a safe, effective vaccine continues today in o rder to stop such a distructive disease. Cholera, a devastating epidemic disease, has been around for hundreds of years and now annually kills 120,000 people worldwide (Weekly Epidemiological Record, 6). It is acquired by consuming water contaminated with feces or ingesting food that has been washed with contaminated water. Cholera is caused by a gram-negative, rod shaped bacterium called Vibrio cholerae which can be further classified into two separate biotypes (El Tor and classical) and multiple other serotypes. Once inside the body, V. cholerae attaches and adapts itself to the mucosal epithelial lining of the intestines then produces an exotoxin, cholera toxin (CT), which disrupts the norma... ...e cholera pandemics, and gained much knowledge from each one, but it still manages to persist in the environment and continues to be a huge issue. Unfortunately, many developing countries still have inadequate water supplies and sanitation but there is not much that can be done. Many mysteries remain unanswered and so the search for a safe and effective cholera vaccine continues on. Sources: Drasar, B.S., B.D. Forrest. Cholera and the Ecology of Vibrio cholerae. London: Chapman & Hall, 1996. Salyers A., Abigail, Dixie D. Whitt. Bacterial Pathogenesis: A molecular approach. Washington D.C.: American Society for Microbiology, 1994 Weekly Epidemiological Record No. 16. 2001. World Health Organization. July 25. 2007 World Health Organization. Guidelines for Cholera Control. Geneva, 1993

Chinese Traditional Religion Essay

Religious practice in China today has elements as old as the Shang and Zhou dynasties and, dating from the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), is marked syncretism–the combining of different forms of belief or practice. A good example is the construction of temple altars. It’s not uncommon to find Buddhist and Confucian figures in a Daoist temple. Nor is it extraordinary to see a self-professed Buddhist offer incense at a Daoist temple to a historical figure known for his Confucian virtues. China has been a multi-religion country since the ancient times. It is well known that Confucianism is an indigenous religion and is the soul of Chinese culture, which enjoyed popular support among people and even became the guiding ideology for feudalism society, but it did not develop into a national belief. It makes the culture more tolerant to others, thus, many other religions have been brought into the country in different dynasties, but none of them developed powerful enough in the history of China and they only provide diverse people more spiritual support. Confucianism, not a real religion, is just an ethical and philosophical system, which developed from Confucius’ thoughts and later was treated as a kind of belief to educate common people. Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (â€Å"Master Kong†, 551–479 BC). The Confucius’ teachings contained the beginning of a system of thought and behavior that developed into a sophisticated ethico-religious tradition. Confucianism was adopted by the Han dynasty (206 B. C.E-220 C. E. ) as the intellectual basis for its system of government and its educational program for training officials. Confucius emphasized principles for self-guidance. The key to producing a harmonious life, he wrote, is in how we treat others–our ancestors, leaders, parents, spouses, neighbors, and friends. Two other concepts that were predominant in Confucius’s worldview were Tian (Heaven) and Dao (Way). His heaven represented a celestial power connected with the will of mighty ancestors, such as the widely known Yao, Shun, and Yu. The Way, on the other hand, constituted a natural path for humanity. Whereas Heaven emphasized choice, the Way required a yielding heart-mind (xin); both were crucial for achieving harmony in the earthly realm. Daoism is one of China’s major religions indigenous to the country. The primary belief is in learning and practicing â€Å"The Way† (Dao) which is the ultimate truth to the universe. Also known as Taoism, Daoism traces its roots to 6th Century BC Chinese philosopher Laozi wrote the iconic book Dao De Jing on the tenets of the Dao. In the 1,800 years, Taoism influenced the local culture deeply, especially on traditional medicine and literature. Based on some theories of alchemists such as Wei Boyang in Eastern Han Dynasty, different kinds of medicine prescriptions were created by Sun Simiao and many other doctors. In literature, many fictional characters are closely related with Taoism, such as the Jade Emperor. Their philosophies, though, are like two sides of a coin. Laozi emphasized harmony with the Dao–a referent to something that cannot be named–in order to achieve balance in life. To assist this process, Laozi taught his followers the concepts of non-action (wuwei) and shade and light (yin/yang–primordial, dynamic balancing of opposites). The principle of non-action meant that one should discern the natural course of things and cooperate with that movement. The teachings of Laozi and Confucius were not incorporated into a religious movement until the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The result was a mix of philosophy and religion. Over the centuries that followed, both Confucianism (Rujiao—the teachings of the scholars) and Daoism (Daojiao—the teaching of the Way) developed elaborate rituals and sacred writings. To this day the philosophies of Laozi and Confucius, and the religious movements their lives and teachings inspired, exist in vibrant forms in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese culture as well. When first introduced, Buddhism faced competition from followers of Daoism. While Daoism (also called Taoism) is as old as Buddhism, Daoism was indigenous to China. Daoists do not view life as suffering. They believe in an ordered society and strict morality, but they also hold strong mystical beliefs such as ultimate transformation, where the soul lives after death and travels to the world of the immortals. Because the two beliefs were so competitive, many teachers from both sides borrowed from the other. Today many Chinese believe in elements from both schools of thought. Buddhism’s popularity, led to the quick conversion to Buddhism by later Chinese rulers. The subsequent Sui and Tang Dynasties all adopted Buddhism as their religion. The religion was also used by foreign rulers of China, such as the Yuan Dynasty and the Manchus, to connect with the Chinese and justify their rule. The Machus strived to draw a parallel between Buddhism. a foreign religion, and their own reign as foreign leaders. Despite China’s shift to atheism after the Communists took control of China in 1949, Buddhism continued to grow in China, especially after the economic reforms in the 1980s. Today there are an estimated 100 million followers of Buddhism in China and over 20,000 Buddhist temples. It is the largest religion in China. For most people in China, there is no problem with mixing religious practices. Unlike some other cultures, where religious syncretism and even tolerance are viewed with skepticism or condemnation, the Chinese have always had the ability to select the religious practices and teachings that work best for them at the moment. If a certain deity doesn’t answer a supplicant’s petition, then it’s on to the next temple and deity. In general religious pluralism simply adds to the many options from which the Chinese can choose on their journey toward a harmonious life.