Facts about the cruel abuse of animals

Facts about the cruel abuse of animals This argument has facts about the cruel abuse of animals. The research was informative and disappointing all at once. It includes opinions of others and cases that have happened in the past years. The research was gathered y reading articles, newspapers, and search engines such as Google and New York Times. One main difficulty while writing this essay was having to read about the horrible truth of different types of animal cruelty. The easiest thing about writing this essay was researching because animal cruelty is a common argument. Animal Cruelty Animals are being used for useless products that we can live without. Many animals die due to different types of crucial testing. They suffer by going through several procedures. The goal is not to patch up ailing people but to use the human tissues in place of mice, dogs or other lab animals for testing new drugs, cosmetics and other products (New York Times, nd). With the donation of human cells, animal testing will be reduced. This way is safer can be both suited for animals and humans. Different types of animal cruelty have been around for many years. Laws relating to animal cruelty vary from state to state. As of 2009, about forty-six states have some felony provisions in their anti-cruelty and/or animal fighting laws (Wisch, 2005). As time passes and new things are being invented, people seem to loose interest in their pets. Even though people use animals for their testing/experiments, there are other ways to get a solution to something. Scientist and many others, find it easier and safer to test on animals than to test on other possible sources. They test products such as makeup, and cologne. They also use animal fur for designer clothing other types of fashion. Innocent animal rights movement had a bible; it is Singers 1975 book, Animal Liberation  (New York Times, Jan. 15, pg 30). Singer calls many of the attitudes human beings have toward other animals speciesism, a concept which can be found throughout history (Gargaro, 1991). Humans are just like animals as far as feeling pain. Many animals are killed each year for food. More than a thousand animals are killed and shipped to groceries stores to be bought. Slaughtering of cows, pigs, and other animals, happen everyday because consumers keep purchasing meat. Animals on todays factory farms are kept in crowded, filthy enclosures and denied everything natural and enjoyable to them. Most of them have no legal protection from cruelty that would be illegal if it were inflicted on dogs or cats. There are some fruits or vegetables that can give the same protein as meat. The Humane Slaughter Act requires that animals be rendered unconscious with one swift application of a stunning device before slaughter. Animals in slaughterhouses predict the worse when they smell the stench hear the sounds and often see the slaughter of those before them. As the animals struggle to cooperate with the human workers who are pressured to keep the lines moving quickly, often react abusively towards the animals.   Numerous cases of de liberate cruelty have been reported of workers who take sadistic pleasure from shooting the eyes out of cattle, striking them in the head, and electrically shocking them in sensitive areas of their bodies. The animals central nervous and endocrine systems are no different between humans. To minimize costs, animals are crowded and must live in each others excrement. They are exposed to extreme weather conditions in the open trucks. Shipping fever, which can be fatal, is common in cattle transported long distances to the feedlots, the stockyards and then the slaughterhouse (Compassionate Action Institute, nd). Animal cruelty can be either neglecting or simply failing at taking care of an animal. No matter the position of the animal, the victim can suffer terribly. People with emotional problems harm the animals in different ways. Neglect is not giving an animal the right care it should be given. Animals who die of neglect suffer twice as much as animals, who die of mistreatment. Scientist can do horrible things to animals that other people cant do legally, but every state has some protection for pets like dogs and cats. There are different cases in animal cruelty, for example cockfighting and dog fighting. Animal cruelty has not gone away. In Brea, California, 85 children, from kindergarten through 12th grade, witnessed a cow being slaughtered at Carbon Canyon Christian School, according to PETA Action Alerts. They got to experience the cruel act instead of reading it in books. Chances are if an animal is being abused and there is a child in that household, then the child is also being abu sed. Chances are that a child abusing an animal can grow up to be someone who commits other violent crimes. Studies also found that a history of animal abuse was found in 25% of male criminals, 30% of convicted child molesters, 36% of domestic violence cases and 46% of homicide cases (The National Animal Abuse Registry, nd). Vegetarians examine the animals that are abused ad rig its perpetrators to court. People engage in animal cruelty, everywhere throughout the world. There are many reasons why people mistreat animals, some individuals act on sadistic desires; others neglect them and eat them without caring. Animals are used as dummies because people think they arent harming anyone by doing so. In the past few years, organizations and caring human beings have been using the internet to spread facts of animal cruelty, a great plan considering animal abuse will only continue until enough people come face-to-face with the unbarring truth. To fight this many scientists, authors, lawyers, and politicians have valued their time and money to save suffering animals. Thanks to the individuals who gathered animal cruelty facts, people are now noticing the suffering ad mistreatment they undergo. The incredible gift of medicine would not be possible without animal testing. Those who believe that using animals for testing think that its better to have them endure the product first for safe purposes. The things that make people believe that animal testing is wrong are that they believe that what the scientists do is with bad intensions. Scientists dont do it with bad intensions they do it because it might save lives or cure an illness. For example, if scientists test a new drug that they think will cure a disease they can test it on an animal to see if their theory is right and if it is, they can use it on humans who have that disease. Animal testing is used in many different ways, but mainly to prevent harm from being brought upon humans. Animal testing is used in several areas of research drug testing, and the testing of cosmetics. Research investigates many topics including memory, social behavior, evolution, genetics, and how animals develop normally and abnormally. Drug te sting is used to test pharmaceutical drugs on animals before the drugs are exposed to the public for use. Cosmetic testing includes the final testing of a product or their ingredients either individually or combined. This testing is the most controversial and is banned in Europe (n.a, 2007). In the history of animal testing, many good things have come from it. The US Foundation for Biomedical Research says that animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century for both human and animal health. Animal drug testing on penicillin, organ transplants, was used in the creation of a vaccine for polio. There are some misconceptions about animal testing. Many people believe that dogs, cats, and monkeys are the main animals used in research, but in fact, about 90 percent of animals used are rats and mice. Only .1 percent of animals used are primates, and only .4 percent are cats and dogs. People also believe that stray animals are picked up off the street and thrown into labs for testing. Not only is that not done, but it is also illegal (William Hamblin, 2007). In the past 20 years the number of animals tested on has been cut in half. Few topics are more hair-raising than the controversy over fur. Celebrities use fur as a sense of fashion. An undercover expert at Intelligent Life points out, it is eco-hogwash to boast that something is better because it is made from natural or renewable fibers. (Caitlin Dickson, 2011). The truth is that the meat and leather trades are economically intertwined, and all the environmental issues that come with raising cattle for meat-such as habitat loss, emissions of greenhouse gases and resource use, not to mention the overuse of antibiotics-also apply to leather. So an alternative option is to look for skins that have a positive impact on habitat and wild-animal numbers. (Caitlin Dickson, 2011). A fur coat is a great way to keep warm. No matter what occasion, fur is always in style. Many top international designers are using fur in their collections. Fur is a fiber that lasts for many years. Fur is biodegradable and a renewable resource. Fur can be worn for all occasions. Furs can be used for any season. The fur trade is a proud North American heritage. Strict government controls ensure that trade is okay as longest on endangered are used. The fur trade is a responsible, and well-regulated. Animal cruelties can also be fighting of animals. The ASPCA is wiping out animal fighters and saving thousands of animals from the horrors of abuse. Animal fighting is a contest in which people force animals to fight for entertainment. In some instances, they will use weak animals as bait to train the other stronger animals. In organized dog fighting cases, two dogs are put into a ring or pit to fight until one can not continue or dies. Street dog fighting cases occur in many city locations. In cockfighting handlers attach a razor or gaff to each roosters leg and put them into a ring to fight to the death. Cockfighting is considered family entertainment. Organized animal fighting is usually secretive and very difficult for law enforcement to find. Accordingly, it is rare for investigators to find a fight in progress. Animal fighting activities relate to crimes such as gambling, drug dealing, weapons offenses and money laundering. Stealing of pets to fight them is also a crime. In organized animal fighting cases, there are usually a large number of animals who must be catalogued as evidence, provided with medical treatment, and sheltered during the pendency of the court case. Furthermore, security precautions may be necessary at the shelter because animals considered to be from champion bloodlines are in danger of being stolen. Mans best friend may fight to the death in dogfights, often with a lot of money in stake. Dogfighters sometimes kill the losing dogs, and even winning dogs may die from their wounds. Drugs, guns, and even murders are discovered in dogfights. Street dog fighting, however, is on the rise in urban areas. Neighborhood pit bull owners seek status or bragging rights of fights in back alleys or basements. They are making inroads into street dog fighting, too. All fighting dogs suffer, whether in the pit or out. Although they are pack animals, they get immune to fighting more dogs and live lives on chains or locked in cages. Whether any emotional problems, any animal should not be brutally beat. Neglect is a major impact o animals ad ca suffer terribly from it.. All states have animal cruelty laws, and most of them treat some forms of abuse as felonies. Farmers and researchers can do cruel things to animals that other people cant do legally, but all states have some protection for pets like dogs and cats. Animal neglect is the failure to provide care required for an animal to be successful. At first glance, cases may not seem as bad, but severe neglect can mean long periods of suffering, resulting to injury or death. Large amounts of neglect can affect hundreds of animals The Animal Legal Defense Fund maintains a database of criminal animal cruelty cases in the U.S. reported to our organization. In the last ten years, over 30% of cases that we have tracked involve animal neglect (n.a, 2010). Although animals can be used for finding a cure, shelter, or even making money, its wrong to abuse of them for personal needs. They are a big part in our lives and do not need to be abused for no reason. They are the victims.

The Psychodynamic Model of Abnormality Essay -- Papers Psychology

The Psychodynamic Model of Abnormality The psychodynamic model of abnormality is useful to an extent. However it has many weaknesses. The psychodynamic model of abnormality was initiated by Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud was very interested in hysteria. This is the manifestation of physical causes. He became convinced that unconscious mental causes were responsible not just abnormality but also normality. Freud developed Psychoanalysis. This is a set of techniques for treating the unconscious causes of mental disorders and built up a psychoanalytic theory of how human personality and abnormality develop from childhood. His psychoanalytic approach had a great impact on psychology and psychiatry and was developed by other psychodynamic theorists. Psychoanalysis had a very fixed set of assumptions. One of these is the unconscious processes where many important influences on behaviour come from a part of the mind we have no awareness of called the unconscious. Another assumption is psychodynamic conflict. Different parts of the mind are in constant struggle with each other and the consequences of this are important in understanding behaviour. Freud also believed that behaviour is motivated by sexual and aggressive drives. The drives create psychic energy that builds up and create tension and anxiety if it cannot be released. Another assumption is development where personality is shaped by relationships, experiences and conflict, particularly during childhood. Freud’s psychoanalysis is probably the most important psychodynamic theory. His ideas developed a... ...century. It has had a significant effect on a wide range of disciplines such as anthropology, women’s studies and theology. Also, the sharp distinction between abnormality and normality of the biological model is ignored. Doing this, it has created more sympathy for people with psychological disorders. Psychoanalysis is more humane with its focus on talking as opposed to drugs, shock therapy or brain surgery. It also has the power to enhance our understanding of ourselves and from the number of people who testify how it has helped them in their own lives. In conclusion, the psychodynamic model is useful as it is still being used today by professional psychiatrists and works with many people. However, there are a lot of weaknesses to outweigh the positives, which means that the model can be seriously questioned.

Best Practices in Human Capital Development Essay

Human capital refers to the stock of productive skills and technical knowledge embodied in labor. Many early economic theories refer to it simply as labor, one of three factors of production, and consider it to be a fungible resource – homogeneous and easily interchangeable. Other conceptions of labor dispense with these assumptions. Today’s Globalization and competition among companies made companies to select the best practices for Human Capital Development. This Research contributes to the Best Human Capital Development Practices that are implemented by the companies and continues with in-depth study of its Weakness and Strengths and calculate the production metrics of each practice. Accenture Human Capital Development Framework (HCDF) Research from HCI (Human Capital Institute) shows that Human Capital Development Framework is one of the best Human Capital Development practice in the corporate world. The Accenture HCDF uses four distinct measurement tiers in arriving at an assessment of an organization’s human capital practices. These tiers reflect the key variables that influence the relationship between a company’s human capital assets and its financial performance: Tier 1, Business results, consists of measures of organizational performance (e. g. , traditional financial analyses featuring EVA TM, revenue growth, market share and stock performance). Tier 2, Key performance drivers, consists of measures of intermediate organizational outcomes (e. g. , productivity, quality, innovation and customer satisfaction) often captured on a balanced scorecard. Tier 3, Human Capital Capabilities, consists of the most immediate and visible people-related qualities (including employee attitudes and abilities) that are necessary for achieving critical business outcomes. Their influence is felt through key performance drivers. Page 2 Tier 4, Human Capital Processes, consists of practices that lead to robust and effective human capital capabilities. Included in this tier are core HR processes (e. g. , competency management and performance appraisal) and broader human capital processes such as learning and knowledge management. Strengths: Individual Development is focused, Growth Oriented, Human Resource Identification and Performance Appraisal. Weakness: Team Management is Absent, Production rates and costly. 360-Degree Performance Management Feedback System As per Research with HR Capital Management and Development, Report, 2007: This system, which solicits feedback from seniors (including the boss), peers and subordinates, has been increasingly embraced as the best of all available methods for collecting performance feedback. Gone are the days of working hard to impress only one person, now the opinions of all matter, especially if you are in a leadership role (at any level). Every person in the team is responsible for giving relevant, positive and constructive feedback. Such systems also help in identifying leaders for higher level positions in the organization. Senior managers could use this feed back for self development. Sony and Acer are implementing this HR tool for development of Human Capital. (The Best HR Capital Development Practice, Geetha Sharma 2007) Strengths: Motivational, Higher Retention of Employees, Leadership and Higher Production rates. Weakness: Misunderstanding and Disputes between executives and Managers. Page 3 Knowledge Sharing Adopt a systematic approach to ensure that knowledge management supports strategy. Store knowledge in databases to provide greater access to information posted either by the company or the employees on the knowledge portals of the company. When an employee returns after Attending any competencies or skills development program, sharing essential knowledge with others could be made mandatory. Innovative ideas (implemented at the work place) are good to be posted on these knowledge sharing platforms. However, what to store & how to maintain a Knowledge base requires deep thinking to avoid clutter. This HR Practice is performed at Google, Inc. and other large companies. Strengths: Responsibility of employees, Development in Teams. Weakness: Only Innovative Groups are encouraged leading to inequality. Fair Evaluation System for Employees Develop an evaluation system that clearly links individual performance to corporate business goals and priorities. Each employee should have well defined reporting relationships. Self rating as a part of evaluation process empowers employees. Evaluation becomes fairer if it is based on the records of periodic counseling & achievements of the employee, tracked over the year. For higher objectivity, besides the immediate boss, each employee should be screened by the next higher level (often called a Reviewer). Cross – functional feedback, if obtained by the immediate boss from another manager (for whom this employee’s work is also important), will add to the fairness of the system. A relative rating of all subordinates reporting to the same manager is another tool for fairness of evaluation. Normalization of evaluation is yet another dimension Page 4 Of improving fairness. This is practiced at many companies around the globe with Equal Opportunity Provider Including HSBC and American Embassy. Performance linked Bonuses Research with SBA, USA on Human Resources Practice: Paying out bonuses or having any kind of variable compensation plan can be both an incentive and disillusionment, based on how it is administered and communicated. Bonus must be designed in such a way that people understand that there is no payout unless the company hits a certain level of profitability. Additional criteria could be the team’s success and the individual’s performance. Never pay out bonus without measuring performance, unless it is a statutory obligation. Companies like Nokia and GM are implementing this practice. Strengths: High Productivity and Determination among Human Resources. Weakness: Cost Effective to the Company. Metrics to evaluate Organization Human Capital Development Processes: Research with Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA), Companies should evaluate the Human Capital Development by Estimating the ROI (Return on Investment) with the staff and other functionalities like revenue growth, market share and stock performance. Employee Retention and High Productive nature helps the companies to evaluate the Organizations Human Capital Development. Page 5 Companies should take Staffing as a Profit Center. Companies are spending more than ever on training programs to drive specific strategic initiatives and improve performance, yet they often fail to demonstrate the business value of their investments. Research with HR Metrics and Development Seminar, 2005: Each metric contains 2 to 5 performance indicators. For instance, â€Å"employee attitudes† metric includes the following indicators: Job Contentment (the percentage of employees satisfied with their job), and Manager Contentment (the percentage of employees satisfied with their manager). References †¢ Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, First Break All the Rules (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999). †¢ Accenture High Performance Workforce Study, 2002-2003. †¢ HR Capital Management and Development, Report, 2007. †¢ HR Metrics and Development Seminar, 2005. †¢ Human Resource Capital Institute, New York †¢ The Best HR Capital Development Practice, Geetha Sharma 2007. †¢ Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA), Website for HR Managers.

Your guide on how to become an electrician

Your guide on how to become an electrician There will always be a need for tradespeople who work with wiring, machines, and other electrical equipment. Electricians keep us powered up, and they possess specialized skills to do work that could be dangerous in the hands of an amateur. If you are considering joining the ranks of these essential professionals, there are several things you need to know about becoming an electrician. What do electricians do?This seems like a no-brainer: electricians work with electrical equipment. That job description is both accurate and completely inadequate because the term â€Å"electrical equipment† includes so much and the work is so varied. Electricians perform repairs, installations, and maintenance. We are probably most used to having electricians visit our homes to install new outlets or repair faulty wiring, but they also perform their work in factories, construction sites, shops, and businesses. They work indoors and out, and the equipment on which they work stretches well beyond household appliances and wiring. Electricians may also decide to specialize in wiring airplanes, ships, cable and data systems.As for the less-specialized electrician, there are four common types:Residential wiremen, who install and repair household wiring.Inside wiremen, who install and repair wiring in non-residential structures, such as factories, arenas, airports, schools, and office buildings.Outside linemen, who lay the cables that connect power plants to residences and buildings.Telecommunications electricians, who install television, telephone, and Internet cables.What skills do electricians have?Electricians do a lot more than connecting cables from one power source to another. They possess a large quantity of skills, both general and specific to their particular areas of specialization.General skills include:Understanding the National Electric Code, which is the regional standard for electrical safety requirementsProblem solvingElectrical safetyWorking with tools such as amp meters, digital multimeters, pliers, measuring devices, drills, saws, etc.Reading blueprintsPlotting the installation of wiring throughout buildingsLocating and replacing faulty wiresWorking with circuit breakers and fusesLocating the energy flow to transformers and circuit breakersAssessing the work of other electriciansEnsuring that electrical work is up to safety standardsManaging electrical crewsMentoring apprenticesMore specialized skills may include installing factory equipment, fiber optic cable, alarm systems, and intercom systems.What education do electricians need?Electrical work is not the kind of thing you need a master’s degree or even a bachelor’s degree to do. You will, however, need a high school diploma or GED. That’s because electricians need a solid foundation in reading comprehension, algebra, physics, trigonometry, and ideally, electronics. Shop and mechanical drawing classes can also be very relevant to the kind of work electricians per form, though these courses are not offered by all high schools. Therefore, it might be useful to seek out extracurricular courses in these areas. They will help you to work with the equipment, understand the technical documents, and comprehend the scientific concepts involved in electrical work.What training do electricians need?While electricians are not expected to earn higher education degrees, they are expected to undergo formal training and earn licenses. This begins with a pre-apprenticeship training program. Such programs are often offered at trade and vocational schools. Although it is possible to find work as an apprentice without having already gone through a pre-apprenticeship program, such a program will make learning a lot easier.Following the pre-apprenticeship program, you will apply for an apprenticeship. The earlier you apply the better, because there will likely be a lot of candidates vying for available apprenticeships.As an apprentice, the goal is to learn the sk ills you need on the job- acting under high-pressure circumstances, trying to perform a service for a customer, and making your supervisor happy. In a pre-apprenticeship program, there’s more room to make the kinds of mistakes that all new students make. You would also get plenty of hands on training in the classroom and a firm understanding of the National Electric Code.There are several organizations that offer apprenticeships:The International Brotherhood of Electrical WorkersIndependent Electrical ContractorsThe National Electrical Contractors AssociationThe National Joint Apprenticeship and Training CommitteeWhen you apply for an apprenticeship, you may have to take an aptitude test that examines your basic reading comprehension, arithmetic, and algebra skills. Certain states have other requirements, such as becoming registered, that may include paying a fee.While apprenticing, you get on-the-job training from a licensed electrician and an hourly salary for your work. Yo u usually start out performing simple tasks, but these will get more and more complex as your training continues.What certification do electricians need?Once you have completed your apprenticeship, you will need to earn a license and/or certification depending on the state in which you plan to work. Each state has its own requirements. For example, some states only require licenses if you plan to start your own business, while others do not require licenses at all. In states that do require licenses, you will earn yours by passing an exam. The exam tests your knowledge of such concepts as how electricity works, job safety, regional laws, and the National Electric Code. Most states require some formal education and practical electrical training.How much do electricians earn?Electricians’ salaries can vary greatly, depending on factors like location, years of experience, and the specific company salary structure. On average, an electrician earns $25 per hour- about $13 per hour at the lower end of the scale and $35 per hour at the upper end. However, taking overtime, bonuses, tips, and profit sharing into account, the average annual salary is $52,720 and an electrician can earn as much as $82k per year. According to PayScale.com, two-thirds of electricians working in the United States also receive medical coverage.How is the job market for electricians?Short answer: great! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the electrical industry is a fast growing one. With a 14% increase in jobs projected from 2014 to 2024, growth is happening much faster than it is in most other fields. This is due to a burst in construction of new homes and buildings. All of those structures need new wiring, and if you earn your electrician certification, that will be where you come in!

Creative Thinking Lesson Plans for Teachers

Creative Thinking Lesson Plans for Teachers Lesson plans and activities for teaching about inventions by increasing creativity and creative thinking. The lesson plans are adaptable for grades K-12 and were designed to be done in sequence. Teaching Creativity Creative Thinking Skills When a student is asked to invent a solution to a problem, the student must draw upon previous knowledge, skills, creativity, and experience. The student also recognizes areas where new learnings must be acquired in order to understand or address the problem. This information must then be applied, analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated. Through critical and creative thinking and problem-solving, ideas become reality as children create inventive solutions, illustrate their ideas, and make models of their inventions. Creative thinking lesson plans provide children with opportunities to develop and practice higher-order thinking skills. Throughout the years, many creative thinking skills models and programs have been generated from educators, seeking to describe the essential elements of thinking and/or to develop a systematic approach to teaching thinking skills as part of the school curricula. Three models are illustrated below in this introduction. Although each uses different terminology, each model describes similar elements of either critical or creative thinking or both. Models of Creative Thinking Skills Benjamin BloomCalvin TaylorIsaksen and Treffinger The models demonstrate how creative thinking lesson plans could provide an opportunity for students to experience most of the elements described in the models. After teachers have reviewed the creative thinking skills models listed above, they will see the critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills and talents that can be applied to the activity of inventing. The creative thinking lesson plans that follow can be used across all disciplines and grade levels and with all children. It can be integrated with all curricular areas and used as a means of applying the concepts or elements of any thinking skills program that may be in use. Children of all ages are talented and creative. This project will give them an opportunity to develop their creative potential and synthesize and apply knowledge and skills by creating an invention or innovation to solve a problem, just as a real inventor would. Creative Thinking - List of Activities Introducing Creative ThinkingPracticing Creativity with the ClassPracticing Creative Thinking with the ClassDeveloping an Invention IdeaBrainstorming for Creative SolutionsPracticing the Critical Parts of Creative ThinkingCompleting the InventionNaming the InventionOptional Marketing ActivitiesParent InvolvementYoung Inventors Day Imagination is more important than knowledge, for imagination embraces the world. -  Albert Einstein Activity 1: Introducing Inventive Thinking and Brainstorming Read about the Lives of Great InventorsRead the  stories  about great inventors in class or let students read themselves. Ask students, How did these inventors get their ideas? How did they make their ideas a reality? Locate books in your library about inventors, invention, and creativity. Older students can locate these references themselves. Also, visit the  Inventive Thinking and Creativity Gallery Talk to a Real InventorInvite a local inventor to speak to the class. Since local inventors are not usually listed in the phone book under inventors, you can find them by calling a  local patent attorney  or your  local intellectual property law association. Your community may also have a  Patent and Trademark Depository Library  or an  inventors society  that you may contact or post a request. If not, most of your major companies have a research and development department made up of people who think inventively for a living. Examine InventionsNext, ask the students to look at the things in the classroom that are inventions. All the inventions in the classroom that have a U.S. patent will have a  patent number. One such item is probably  the pencil sharpener. Tell them to check out their house for patented items. Let the students brainstorm a list all of the inventions they discover. What would improve these inventions? DiscussionIn order to guide your students through the inventive process, a few preliminary lessons dealing with creative thinking will help set the mood. Begin with a brief explanation of brainstorming and a discussion on the rules of brainstorming. What is Brainstorming?Brainstorming is a process of spontaneous thinking used by an individual or by a group of people to generate numerous alternative ideas while deferring judgment. Introduced by Alex Osborn in his book Applied Imagination, brainstorming is the crux of each of the stages of all problem-solving methods. Rules for Brainstorming No CriticismAllowed People tend to automatically evaluate each suggested ideatheir own as well as others. Both internal and external criticism  is  to be avoided while brainstorming. Neither positive nor negative comments are allowed. Either type inhibits the free flow of thought and requires time which interferes with the next rule. Write each spoken idea down as it is given and move on.Work for QuantityAlex Osborn stated that Quantity breeds quality. People must experience a brain drain (get all the common responses out of the way) before the innovative, creative ideas can surface; therefore, the more ideas, the more likely they are to be quality ideas.Hitchhiking WelcomeHitchhiking occurs when one members idea produces a similar idea or an enhanced idea in another member. All ideas should be recorded.Freewheeling EncouragedOutrageous, humorous, and seemingly unimportant ideas should be recorded. It is not uncommon for the most off-the-wall idea to be the best. Activity  2: Practicing Creativity with the Class Step 1:  Cultivate the following creative thinking processes described by Paul Torrance and discussed in The Search for Satori and Creativity (1979): Fluency the production of a great number of ideas.Flexibility the production of ideas or products that show a variety of possibilities or realms of thought.Originality the production of ideas that are unique or unusual.Elaboration the production of ideas that display intensive detail or enrichment. For practice in elaboration, have pairs or small groups of students choose a particular idea from the brainstorming list of invention ideas and add the flourishes and details that would develop the idea more fully. Allow the students to share their innovative and  inventive ideas. Step 2:  Once your students have become familiar with the rules of brainstorming and the creative thinking processes, Bob Eberles  Scamperr  technique for brainstorming could be introduced. Substitute What else instead? Who else instead? Other ingredients? Other material? Other power? Another place?Combine How about a blend, an alloy, an ensemble? Combine purposes? Combine appeals?Adapt What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does past offer parallel? What could I copy?Minify Order, form, shape? What to add? More time?Magnify Greater frequency? Higher? Longer? Thicker?Put to other uses New ways to use as is? Other uses I modified? Other places to use? Other people, to reach?Eliminate What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Understate?Reverse Interchange components? Another pattern?Rearrange another layout? Another sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change pace? Transpose positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside-down? Reverse roles? Step 3:  Bring in any object or use objects around the classroom to do the following exercise. Ask the students to list many new uses for a familiar object by using the Scamper technique with regard to the object. You could use a paper plate, to begin with, and see how many new things the students will discover. Make sure to follow the rules for brainstorming in Activity 1. Step 4:  Using literature, ask your students to create a new ending to a story, change a character or situation within a story, or create a new beginning for the story that would result in the same ending. Step 5:  Put a list of objects on the chalkboard. Ask your students to combine them in different ways to create a new product. Let the students make their own list of objects. Once they combine several of them, ask them to illustrate the new product and explain why it might be useful. Activity 3: Practicing Inventive Thinking with the Class Before your students begin to find their own problems and create unique inventions or innovations to solve them, you can assist them by taking them through some of the steps as a group. Finding the Problem Let the class list problems in their own classroom that need solving. Use the brainstorming technique from Activity 1. Perhaps your students never have a pencil ready, as it is either missing or broken when it is time to do an assignment (a great brainstorming project would be to solve that problem). Select one problem for the class to solve using the following steps: Find several problems.Select one to work on.Analyze the situation.Think of many, varied, and unusual ways of solving the problem. List the possibilities. Be sure to allow even the silliest possible solution, as creative thinking must have a positive, accepting environment in order to flourish. Finding a Solution Select one or more possible solutions to work on. You may want to divide into groups if the class elects to work on several of the ideas.Improve and refine the idea(s).Share the class or individual solution(s)/invention(s) for solving the class problem. Solving a class problem and creating a class invention will help students learn the process and make it easier for them to work on their own invention projects. Activity 4: Developing an Invention Idea Now that your students have had an introduction to the inventive process, it is time for them to find a problem and create their own invention to solve it. Step One:  Begin by asking your students to conduct a survey. Tell them to interview everyone that they can think of to find out what problems need solutions. What kind of invention, tool, game, device, or idea would be helpful at home, work, or during leisure time? (You can use an Invention Idea Survey) Step Two:  Ask the students to list the problems that need to be solved. Step Three:  comes the decision-making process. Using the list of problems, ask the students to think about which problems would be possible for them to work on. They can do this by listing the pros and cons for each possibility. Predict the outcome or possible solution(s) for each problem. Make a decision by selecting one or two problems that provide the best options for an inventive solution. (Duplicate the Planning and Decision-Making Framework) Step Four:  Begin an  Inventors Log  or Journal. A record of your ideas and work will help you develop your invention and protect it when completed. Use Activity Form - Young Inventors Log to help students understand what can be included on every page. General Rules For Authentic Journal Keeping Using a  bound notebook, make notes each day about the things you do and learn while working on your invention.Record your idea and how you got it.Write about problems you have and how you solve them.Write in ink and do not erase.Add sketches and drawings to make things clear.List all parts, sources, and costs of materials.Sign and date all entries at the time they are made and have them witnessed. Step Five:  To illustrate why record-keeping is important, read the following story about Daniel Drawbaugh who said that he invented the telephone, but didnt have one single paper or record to prove it. Long before  Alexander Graham Bell  filed a patent application in 1875, Daniel Drawbaugh claimed to have invented the telephone. But since he had no journal or record, the  Supreme Court  rejected his claims by four votes to three. Alexander Graham Bell had excellent records and was awarded the patent for the telephone. Activity 5: Brainstorming for Creative Solutions Now that the students have one or two problems to work on, they must take the same steps that they did in solving the class problem in Activity Three. These steps could be listed on the chalkboard or a chart. Analyze the problem(s). Select one to work on.Think of many, varied, and unusual ways of solving the problem. List all of the possibilities. Be non-judgmental. (See Brainstorming in Activity 1 and SCAMPER in Activity 2.)Select one or more possible solutions to work on.Improve and refine your ideas. Now that your students have some exciting possibilities for their invention projects, they will need to use their critical thinking skills to narrow down the possible solutions. They can do this by asking themselves the questions in the next activity about their inventive idea. Activity 6: Practicing the Critical Parts of Inventive Thinking Is my idea practical?Can it be made easily?Is it as simple as possible?Is it safe?Will it cost too much to make or use?Is my idea really new?Will it withstand use, or will it break easily?Is my idea similar to something else?Will people really use my invention? (Survey your classmates or the people in your neighborhood to document the need or usefulness of your idea - adapt the invention idea survey.) Activity 7: Completing the Invention When students have an idea that meets most of the above qualifications in Activity 6, they need to plan how they are going to complete their project. The following planning technique will save them a great deal of time and effort: Identify the problem and a possible solution. Give your invention a name.List the materials needed to illustrate your invention and to make a model of it. You will need paper, pencil, and crayons or markers to draw your invention. You might use cardboard, paper, clay, wood, plastic, yarn, paper clips, and so forth to make a model. You might also want to use an art book or a book on model-making from your school library.List, in order, the steps for completing your invention.Think of the possible problems that might occur. How would you solve them?Complete your invention. Ask your parents and teacher to help with the model. In SummaryWhat - describe the problem. Materials - list the materials needed. Steps - list the steps to complete your invention. Problems - predict the problems that could occur. Activity 8: Naming the Invention An invention can be named in one of the following ways: Using the inventors  name:Levi Strauss   LEVIS ® jeansLouis Braille Alphabet SystemUsing the components or ingredients of the invention:Root BeerPeanut ButterWith initials or acronyms:IBM  ®S.C.U.B.A. ®Using word  combinations (notice repeated  consonant sounds  and rhyming words):KIT KAT  ®HULA HOOP  Ã‚ ®PUDDING POPS  ®CAPN CRUNCH  ®Using the products function:SUPERSEAL  ®DUSTBUSTER  ®vacuum cleanerhairbrushearmuffs   Activity Nine: Optional Marketing Activities Students can be very fluent when it comes to listing ingenious names of products out on the market. Solicit their suggestions and have them explain what makes each name effective. Each student should generate names for his/her own invention. Developing a Slogan or JingleHave the students define the terms slogan and jingle. Discuss the purpose of having a slogan. Sample slogans and jingles: Things go better with Coke.COKE IS IT!  ®TRIX ARE FOR KIDS  ®OH THANK HEAVEN FOR 7-ELEVEN  ®TWOALLBEEFPATTIES...GE: WE BRING GOOD THINGS TO LIFE!  ® Your students will be able to recall many  slogans  and jingles! When a slogan is named, discuss the reasons for its effectiveness. Allow time for thought in which the students can create jingles for their inventions. Creating an AdvertisementFor a crash course in advertising, discuss the visual effect created by a television commercial, magazine, or newspaper advertisement. Collect magazine or newspaper ads that are eye-catchingsome of the ads might be dominated by words and others by pictures that say it all. Students might enjoy exploring newspapers and magazines for outstanding advertisements. Have students create magazine ads to promote their inventions. (For more advanced students, further lessons on advertising techniques would be appropriate at this point.) Recording a Radio PromoA radio promo could be the icing on a students advertising campaign! A promo might include facts about the usefulness of the invention, a clever jingle or song, sound effects, humor... the possibilities are endless. Students may choose to tape record their promos for use during the Invention Convention. Advertising ActivityCollect 5 - 6 objects and give them new uses. For instance, a toy hoop could be a waist-reducer, and some strange looking kitchen gadget might be a new type of mosquito catcher. Use your imagination! Search everywherefrom the tools in the garage to the kitchen drawerfor fun objects. Divide the class into small groups, and give each group one of the objects to work with. The group is to give the object a catchy name, write a slogan, draw an ad, and record a radio promo. Stand back and watch the creative juices flow. Variation: Collect magazine ads and have the students create new advertising campaigns using a different marketing angle. Activity Ten: Parent Involvement Few, if any, projects are successful unless the child is encouraged by the parents and other caring adults. Once the children have developed their own, original ideas, they should discuss them with their parents. Together, they can work to make the childs idea come to life by making a model. Although the making of a model is not necessary, it makes the project more interesting and adds another dimension to the project. You can involve parents by simply sending a letter home to explain the project and let them know how they may participate. One of your parents may have invented something that they can share with the class.   Activity Eleven: Young Inventors Day Plan a Young Inventors Day so that your students can be recognized for their  inventive thinking. This day should provide opportunities for the children to display their inventions and tell the story of how they got their idea and how it works. They can share with other students, their parents, and others. When a child successfully completes a task, it is important that (s)he be recognized for the effort. All children who participate in the Inventive Thinking Lesson Plans are winners. We have prepared a certificate that can be copied and given to all children who participate and use their inventive thinking skills to create an invention or innovation.

Economic Distribution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Economic Distribution - Assignment Example oping countries, such as China, which find themselves in the midst of a transition phenomenon marked by a significant shift from a predominantly labor intensive agricultural economy with considerable industrial and services sectors to a more industrialized one, must ensure that such rural urban migration is not obstructed by regressive policies, and is in fact preferably encouraged. The critical problem discussed in this article is the high rates of abortion in India. Medical termination of pregnancy is one of the most discordant and poignant concerns faced by Indian policymakers in recent times, a fact which is highly disturbing yet barely unanticipated, particularly if viewed against India’s cultural background which tilts largely in favor of a male child. Policy makers must therefore strive to implement stringent measures to make such clinical facilities effective, safe, affordable and easily accessible to the citizens. Appropriate steps must be taken to ensure availability of health insurance covers, expand the accessibility and availability of contraceptives, develop and implement policies to cover women from economically poor backgrounds, safeguard the feasibility of the national family planning health center system, and take measures specifically directed at poor women and teenagers, where the incidences of unwanted pregnancies and lack of availab ility of medical facilities are the

The Capital Budget Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Capital Budget - Research Paper Example Furthermore, better compensation increases the employee morale, generally, given that the increase is awarded in an equitable manner. In other words, employee morale is boosted if the increase in compensation is awarded in respect to the level of productivity of individual employees rather than granting a blanket increment Figure 1: Projected increase in Revenue to to increase in compensation Trend Analysis As shown in figure 2, annual expenditure has been greater than revenues for the past several years until 2002 when an opposite trend was observed. Generally, the expenditure has been declining since 2008. This rate of decline has been most drastic from 2011, but the management seems to be effectively controlling the operating expenses because the gap between revenues and expenditure seems to be closing up. It is very important for the management to ensure that as the cost declines, good measures should be put to ensure that the contribution margin does not decline as well (City of Cincinnati Ohio, 2012). 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Expenditure 365,000,000 356,000,000 356,000,000 354,000,000 334,000,000 Revenue 357,500,000 338,500,000 337,000,000 337,000,000 337,000,000 Table 1: Expenditure trend Figure 2: Expenditure Trend Expenditure Forecast The health expenditure, which finances the services by the city’s health clinics to those patients that are qualifying has been declining since 2010 and it is expected to maintain a slight decline to 2017. This cost should be approached because, although it consumes a substantial proportion of the council’s budget, health services are very fundamental and furthermore the decline shows that the council has been undertaking a cost cutting measure (City of Cincinnati Ohio, 2012). 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Health 23,574,570 19,450,210 20,128,510 19,256,458 19,126,895 19,100,568 18,458,000 18,456,123 Fire 92,832,430 98,662,160 94,358,450 93,125,145 92,125,256 92,125,365 91,125,458 90,125,456 Public servivce 22,291,010 20,015,980 19,963,240 19,256,125 18,125,456 18,125,100 17,124,896 17,100,125 police 139,110,860 146,175,220 132,888,620 135,568,456 125,456,256 120,124,562 119,136,100 118,256,362 Figure 2: Four of the highest expenditure (5 years forecast) The fire expenditure seems to be consuming a very big proportion of the council’s budget, however, this expenditure has reduced since 2010 and the forecast exhibits the same trend of reduction. Therefore, this budget will be approved. Public services have a trend very similar with health and the cost cutting measures are evident, therefore, it is likely to be approved. Finally, the police takes the highest share of the council’s budget. Given that security is very essential as it determines the success of all other activities, the high budget is justifiable. It is also evident that this figure has been on the decline since 2012 and there it is likely to be approved (Weiss & Mark, 1989). Capital Budget There are t wo methods of predicting the cost of needed repairs including qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative forecasting methods make use of judgements to predict cost. This method is most suitable when used in situations where the historical data is not available. Furthermore, availability of historical data is sometimes considered irrelevant because of significant changes that take place in the environmental conditions afflicting the pertinent time. For instance, it