Early Childhood Curriculum Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Curriculum Essay In Early Childhood Education you use philosophies to help you succeed. You also make sure that you look into the NAEYC position and standards to make sure you are running a classroom that is within the standards. These are two critical factors in an Early Childhood classroom and you have to know how to implement them in your teaching. John Dewey was an American educator and philosopher. He helped develop the idea of pragmatism. He felt that children should explore and discover. â€Å"Dewey and other progressive followers suggested a curriculum for young children that focused on the situation and challenges that children faced as members of a democratic society† (Eliason Jenkins pg. 5). Maria Montessori is best known for her teaching method that has her name the Montessori Method. She believed that the scenes were the source of intellectual growth and development. â€Å"She emphasized the importance of the schools and families working together† (Eliason Jenkins pg. 5). Jean Piaget is known well for his cognitive development theory. â€Å" Programs that incorporate Piagentian theory emphasizes that children learn through experimentation and initiative and construct their own knowledge and understanding through adaptation o the environment† ( Eliason Jenkins pg. 5). There are many different ways to teach. Some of the goals of teaching are: â€Å"1. understanding the nature of development and learning. 2. Know what to teach, how to teach, and know how to access what children have learned. 3. Create a caring and responsive learning environment. 4. Establish positive mutual relationships of trust and respect with families 5. Pursue professional training and knowledge. 6. Treat every child with respect, dignity, and positive regard† (Eliason Jenkins pg. 13). â€Å"The NAEYC is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with the focus on quality of educational services for all children birth to age eight† (NAEYC. ORG). NAEYC position statements are their position to issues related to early childhood education. Some of the issues are: anti-discrimination, code of ethics, developmentally appropriate practice and early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation. â€Å"Naeyc’s first commitment is to the rights and interest to all children† (NAEYC. ORG). They believe that one should be hired on their competence and qualifications to perform their designated duties and that it should not be based on gender, race, national origin, religious beliefs, age, marital status, disabilities, or sexual orientation. The NAEYC code of ethics â€Å"offers guidelines for responsible behaviors and set fourth a common bias for resolving the principal ethical dilemmas encountered during early childhood care and education† (NAEYC. ORG). It also does not allow educators, doctors, and nurses to deny services to children. The developmentally appropriate practice is to â€Å"to promote excellence in early childhood education by providing a framework for best practices† (NAEYC. ORG). It promotes quality of care and education. The NAEYC â€Å" constructs comprehensive systems of curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation guided by sound early childhood practices, effective early learning standards and program standards are a set of core principles and values, belief in civic and democratic values† ( NAEYC. ORG). They make sure that children are active, and engaged curriculum goals are shared by all and that curriculum is evidence based. â€Å"Early childhood classrooms should communities of inquiry, problem posing, and problem solving, where children perceive that in math lessons they are expected to offer their thoughts about questions posed and to find resolution to these problems† (Eliason Jenkins pg. 319). Teachers need to incorporate problem solving and math in the curriculum to do this teachers must avoid gender bias regarding math. They should recognize different opportunities during the day to teach math and also to make sure that early math is concrete and manipulative. † The focus in early childhood is in understanding numbers and the number system and understanding operations specifically addition and subtraction† (Eliason Jenkins pg. 323). Children are counting all their life. They learn by playing different games or things such as climbing stairs. Repetion helps the child to memorize the sequence and sounds of numbers. When you are doing songs or finger play the children are learning their numbers and the correct order they should be in. â€Å"The basis of a high quality program in early childhood is promoting feelings or self esteem and dignity in each child† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 143). Teachers have to help the children build their self esteem. Some ways to help strengthen a child’s self esteem would be to make sure you are honest, sincere, and consistent in expressing feelings. Teachers should make sure they value the children’s work and effort. If a child has a problem you can help in anyway that you can. Violence is not good for young children. â€Å" Violence results in children believing that there is no safe place, that their protectors can no longer protect them â€Å" ( Eliason Jenkins pg. 149).â€Å"This can influence their  emotional development. â€Å"Stress develops when we can not cope with either external or internal demands† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 148). Some external sources of stress would be hunger, pain, illness, fatigue, shyness, and emotions. External stress would be divorce, family separation, hospitalization, and death. Teachers can help children deal with stress in many ways such as: encourage the child, praise the child, ect. â€Å"Development in cognitive language and literacy allows young children to construct meaning and build understanding† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 189). Teachers should make language and literacy development in all curriculum. â€Å"Literacy development begins in the very early stages of childhood, even though the activities of young children may not seem related to reading and writing† (Johnson, D. ). When you are helping your children with their literacy development you need to help to encourage them. Some ways to help encourage them would be: To provide many opportunities for talking, make sure you listen, ask the children questions, make sure they are in a comfortable relaxed atmosphere, and recognize and help correct if the child use grammatical errors. Sharing stories and poetry are good activities to help support language development. â€Å"The primary factors influencing the development of language appear to be 1) The child’s innate ability to learn language,2) The quality of the model or the early stimulation and variety provided by the model. 3) The ability of the caregiver to expand or extend the Childs language† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 204). â€Å"Children’s development in semantics, or the meanings of words, is directly related to the experience and interactions that they have† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 193). If a child hears a word they have never heard before they will not be able to use it, but they can use sentences they have never heard before. Books help expand their language meanings and vocabulary. â€Å" It is very important that adults constantly share, converse, extend, exchange language, and provide labels for words as children have experiences at zoos, grocery store, park, school, home, in the car, in the classroom, or in any setting† ( Eialson Jenkins pg. 193). Children tend to learn to read different signs that they see constantly over and over even before they can actually read. These signs include ones such as stop signs, McDonalds, burger king, ect. â€Å"Syntax is the set of rules for creating or understanding a sentence† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 193). When children first begin to use words there is no evidence of syntax but as the child turns four you can start to here this with the children. The children learn to imitate sentences when they are first learning and this is how they learn syntax. You can also help the child learn by expanding what the child says till they learn to add this in themselves. As teachers we need to make sure that we speak ton every child using correct grammar. â€Å"As children grow, they gain increased facility with syntactic structure, leading us to believe that maturation is a variable in syntax growth† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 194). â€Å" Through music and movement young children express themselves, explore space, develop language and communication skills, increase sensory awareness, and express themselves through rhythm, gesture, time, and space† ( Eliason Jenkins pg. 353). Adding music to your curriculum is important because it helps children learn about different cultures as well as about their own culture. Through music they express their emotions and it helps them release their feelings. Depending on what music you are listening to it can either calm, or help soothe troubled feelings. It can help the children enhance their self worth. Music also helps with children’s listening skills, attention span, and their memory. Language and language concepts can also be developed through music. â€Å"Research supports the notion of the physical and psychological advantages of music on the body and mind† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 354). â€Å"Young children have a natural curiosity about the world, and this is where science education should begin† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 237). Science should be taught as hands on learning, it should be a natural part of the everyday curriculum. â€Å"Language and literacy development are strongly supported when science activities are included throughout the curriculum† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 239). Science is taught through observing, manipulating, problem solving, and engaging with science activities. They learn to classify, compare, define, measure, listen, ect. When they are learning science. Early childhood education is a very critical time in a young person’s life. This age has a big influence on their learning for the rest of their lives. The government developed The No Child Left behind Act to make sure that all children have an equal opportunity to a good quality education. The government designed grants to help all children succeed. The Special Education Preschool Grant â€Å" provides formula grants to states to make available special educated and related services to three to five year  old children with disabilities† ( ED. GOV). They also have grants to help with high poverty communities to help improve their knowledge and skills. â€Å"Currently American schools and early childhood programs focus on standards-based education† (Eialson Jenkins pg. 17). Some of the qualities o0f effective childhood teachers are: Caring, enthusiastic, flexible, and creative. Early childhood teachers must be willing to be patient and help these children learn so that the children will be ready for their future. Philosophies are an essential part of early childhood curriculum. They help the teachers to help the children to learn in different ways. The NAEYC standards are implemented to help teachers understand what the proper way they should teach the children. They help the teacher set up their classroom and understand the way the children should be taught. â€Å" Early childhood educators must strive to be learners who are willing to continually study, grow, and change to think and solve problems† ( Eialson Jenkins pg. 19).

Analysis Of Blindness By Jose Saramago English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Blindness By Jose Saramago English Literature Essay Blindness, a novel by Portuguese author Josà © Saramago, depicts the dystopian outcome of a plague of white blindness, (clunky) a mysterious disease that eventually becomes known among the novels characters as the white evil. Saramago quickly introduces the malady, recounting the first infection within the first few pages of the novel. Out of fear of future contamination, the government arranges for a quarantine in an abandoned mental asylum.  Inside the asylum, the reader follows the harrowing account of a small group of internees led by the Doctors Wife, who is the only person to retain her eyesight. The white blindness spreads at a seemingly exponential rate to the point that the whole world has fallen victim to the white evil. Once the number of quarantined individuals accumulates in the asylum, social order crumbles and morality disintegrates, for even the Doctors Wife balances on the cusp of right and wrong. However, there still remains those individuals who make decisions t hat demonstrate altruistic sacrifice for the good of the rest. Josà © Saramago writes a captivating story of not only social decay, but also the emergence of a new morality only present in the most desperate circumstances. An easier way to establish context for Blindness would be to analyze Saramagos life as well as the historical events surrounding it. On November 16, 1992, Josà © Saramago was born in Azinhaga, Portugal in the Ribatejo province to a poor farming family. His father had served in the French military during World War I, and he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement in Lisbon, Portugals capital. Their way of living had greatly improved because of his new job, but they remained poor regardless of a new home. Saramagos parents sent him to grammar school, though, they could not afford the tuition long enough for him to finish his studies. As a result, Saramago attended a technical school to become a mechanic while studying literature during his free time. Before marrying his first wife Ilda Reis in 1944, he began working as an administrative civil servant for the Social Welfare Service. Three years later he published his first book, The Land of Sin, though his initial literary endeav ors were not very successful. He wrote more novels, but he failed to publish his projects. Saramago describes his early attempts at writing in his autobiography, The matter was settled when I abandoned the project[s]: it was becoming quite clear to me that I had nothing worthwhile to say For 19 years, I was absent from the Portuguese literary scene, where few people can have noticed my absence (Saramago, Autobiography). For more than half of Saramagos life, the brutal Portuguese fascist dictator, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, a former professor, was in power (1928 1974). Salazar drew inspiration for his own dictatorial rule from Hitler and Mussolini, just as Saramago modeled his mental asylum in Blindness after Salazars appalling and inhumane prisons that simulated Nazi concentration camps as well as the Japanese internment camps in the United States following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In an interview for a Portuguese newspaper, Saramago calls his mental asylum the final solution, a resemblance of Hitlers plan to exterminate the Jews (quoted in Frier). Not only were the prisoners subjected to horrifying punishments such as being forced to lie under the African sun, the ocean water flowed into the chambers everyday, washing up both garbage and human waste (Frier). The mental asylum, though not against an ocean, also filled with human excrement because the internees had given up locating the restro oms after a few days, resorting to defecating on the floor or on their beds. ( Same as last sentence?) One could be sent to these prisons, the most notorious being Tarrafal on the Cape Verde Islands, for being a dissident and for criticizing the Portuguese government, often without physical evidence. Antà ³nio de Rigueiredo, a Portuguese dissident, recounts his experience in Tarrafal, After 1945, as soon as the regime felt sure of its survival and new alliances, it passed from arbitrary but casual repression to a scientific system of incarcerating individuals (quoted in Frier). Another prisoner recalls that the only doctor in Taraffal neglected prisoners and allowed them to die in the unsanitary conditions of the prison (Frier). Though the victims of the white evil in Blindness were not interned for any political reason, they experienced many of the same abuses by the military; their force was a direct order from the government as well as out of fear of being contaminated. A sergeant on assignment tells his soldiers after he has killed an internee, From now on, we shall leave the con tainers at the halfway point, let the/m come and fetch them, well keep them under surveillance, and at the slightest suspicious movement, we fire (Saramago 84). Although these prisoners try to approach their providers without provoking attack, their blindness prevents them from knowing whether they will be shot for making a wrong move. Acquiring the daily rations most often ends in violence or verbal abuse from the military. Saramago was highly distrusting of the Salazar regime and government, so he joined the Portuguese Communist Party in 1969. To do so was illegal under Salazars dictatorship. Within the last few years of Salazars rule, Saramago worked for two Lisbon newspapers, Dià ¡rio de Lisboa and, later, Dià ¡rio de Nà ³ticias. He lost his job from the latter in 1975 after the new anti-Communist government had come into power. With no hopes of finding another journalistic position, he turned to writing literature and developed his unique writing, consisting of very little punctuation and dialogue within narration. His later novels became much more successful, though he met much opposition from both the Catholic Church and the Portuguese government because of Communistic and anti-religious undertones. Baltazar and Bilmunda (1982) criticized the role of Catholicism in 18th-century Portugal. The Church criticized The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (1991), claiming that Saramagos depiction of Jesus was too human and offensive to the Church (Saramago, Autobiography). Because the government was very much influenced by the Church, it did not allow this novel to be presented for the European Literary Prize. Many of Saramagos supporters protested the decision. Later on, Saramago moved to the Canary Islands with his second wife, Pilar del Rà ­o, because the support he received inspired him to write even more. There, he wrote his two most famous novels, Blindness (1995) and All the Names (1997). Saramago expresses his distrust for the Church again in Blindness in a scene towards the end of the novel in which the Doctors Wife enters a church that has become a refugee camp for the blind. She observes that all the images in the church had their eyes covered, statues with a white cloth tied around the head, paintings with a thick brushstroke of white paint, there was only one woman who did not have her eyes covered, because she carried her gouged-out eyes on a silver tray (Saramago 317). She tells her husband and he replies, Perhaps it was the work of someone whose faith was badly shaken when he realised that he would be blind like the others, maybe it was even the local priest (Saramago 317). The strange alteration of the images and the speculation that a priest may be behind them suggests that, just as the world has been struck blind, so too has the Church. God and the saints no longer listen to the pleas of the victims. Naturally, those who in the church are offended from he aring the mere suggestion that their faith could not cure them. However, they flee the church after a few scream at the thought that what the Doctor and his wife say may be true. Shortly after, people slowly begin to regain their sight. In her analysis of the novel, Carole Champagne says that the powers associated with the images in the church have been transferred to humanity, who are empowered to use their own moral and spiritual resources-their own eyes-which are their birthright (Champagne). So long had the refugees in the church depended on their faith for a moral balance until they had regained their sight. They would no longer have to look to a higher power that did not answer their prayers. The presence of morality in a damaged society, and the lack thereof, and the consequences that result from right and wrong are major themes of Josà © Saramagos Blindness. Early in the novel, as the Ministry of Health arrives at the Doctors apartment, his wife attempts to accompany him. The ambulance driver refuses to let her in, but she claims that she has been struck blind. Shortly after, the reader learns that she had faked her blindness though she is sure that she will eventually become blind. After days of experiencing the unsanitary conditions and constant conflict between internees, the Doctors Wife feels the need to help them, though she struggles both with herself and with her husband over the proposition. Her husband tells her, Think of the consequences, they will almost certainly try to turn you into their slave, [Y]ou will be at the beck and call of everyone [D]ont think that blindness has made us better people, It hasnt made us any worse, Were on our way though (Saramag o 133). The Doctor suggests that the peoples morality has left along with their sight, and that once his wife tries to assist them, she will be taken advantage of until she no longer can utilize her sight for herself. What she had thought was the right thing to do had gotten her caught in a downward spiral of disintegrating social order and chaos. Also, early in the novel, the First Blind Man confronts the Car Thief in the asylum. As soon as the First Blind Man discovers that his Samaritan had stolen his car after bringing him home, they immediately resort to hopeless fist fighting. This event signifies the first descent into moral decline, especially with how quickly the event transpires, though the First Blind Mans reaction to the car theft is still a normal reaction a sighted person would have. As the novel progresses, interpersonal conflicts become more prevalent among the internees, especially when dealing with the meager rations the government supplies them. The Doctor says, Fighting has always been, more or less, a form of blindness (Saramago 133). Fighting had existed before the whole world was struck blind, suggesting that people had already been blind, not in the literal sense but blind to each others needs. The conflict over food finally escalates to the point that a group of hoodlums band together to take control of all the food in hopes of taking all the internees valuables. The Doctors Wife organizes a resistance to fight against the gang, though it end in bloodshed on her side. In their confrontation, the head of the gang says to the Doctors Wife, I wont forget your voice, and she responds without thinking, Nor I your face (Saramago 140). Though she can physically see the hoodlums face, her threat suggests that only his face could belong to something so evil that would take food away from the rest of the internees. As if foreshadowing a heightened conflict, the First Blind Man says to the Doctor, Well, Im not entirely convinced that there are limits to misfortune and evil (Saramago 144). After the hoodlums run out of valuables to steal from the other internees, they demand that each ward send in all its women to satisfy their lust. Otherwise, the wards would not get their food. Immediately the men pressure the women to visit the hoodlums and have sex with them for the well-being of the others. The women, fearing for their lives, become enraged and chastise the men for suggesting they appease the hoodlums. While some of the women listened to the mens reasoning, others challenge the men with the same attitude the men had expressed. And what would you do if these rascals instead of asking for women had asked for men, what would you do then[?] (Saramago 168). One man replies, There are no pansies here, while another woman says, And no whores either (Saramago 168). In desperation, the asylum has eru pted into a mess of sexism and moral degradation. The men would be willing to give up their women in exchange for food, thus reducing and objectifying the status of women. A small group of women including the First Blind Mans Wife and the Doctors Wife agree to prostitute themselves despite protests by their husbands, the former especially. The narrator concludes the womens decisions: [D]ignity has no price, that when someone starts making small concessions, in the end life loses all meaning (Saramago 169). At the expense of the men, the group of women experience a brutal gang rape, resulting in the death of one of the women. To restore the dead womans dignity, the Doctors Wife finds water to wash her. This event indicates how much the community within the asylum has degenerated, for the men have put a price on the bodies of the women they know. Perhaps the event that illustrates the most difficult moral decision of the whole novel is the murder of the hoodlums leader. Prior to the event, the Doctors Wife discovers that she had brought a pair of scissors with the intent of helping her husband shave. She never uses them for the original purpose and hangs them on a wall. However, after her rape, she grabs the scissors without hesitation and heads for the hoodlums ward. As the leader rapes one of the women, the Doctors Wife sneaks behind him and stabs him in the throat as he has an orgasm. His cry was barely audible, it might have been the grunting of an animal about to ejaculate, as was happening to some of the other men (Saramago 189). Saramago describes the hoodlums as having degenerated to the point of becoming animals, acting solely upon appeasing natural inclinations and vices. The Doctors Wife runs away with the raped woman and breaks down. She justifies the murder by thinking, And when is it necessary to kill When what is still alive is already dead (Saramago 192-93). Though the first inclination is to think that the Doctors Wife justified the murder because the hoodlum had proven himself to be incapable of being human, she could have meant that it was she who was the inhuman one. She is the only sighted person among the blind. If even she has dropped to this level of moral decay, then the rest of the internees have little hope in restoring their own humanity until they regain their sight.

The marketing communications campaign of marks and spencer

The marketing communications campaign of marks and spencer The marketing communications campaign of Marks and Spencer Introduction The current revolution in information technology and rapid globalisation have made the marketers face many marketing communications options (Newman Patel ,2003).Integrated marketing communications campaign is one of options, Which can be used to create added value for potential consumers and influence directly purchasing patter. The IMC, which is defined, according to Duncan (2002), as ‘A cross -functional process for creating and nourishing profitable relationship with customers and other stakeholders by strategically controlling or influencing all the messages sent to these groups and encouraging data driven, purposeful dialogue with them† The IMC is important issue because the companies can not afford either the financial or reputation damage which is caused by the poor planning or implementing of the IMC (Brassington pettitt,2006).On the other hand, the planning and implementing the IMC campaign is a complicated process and involves a wide range of management tasks (Caemmerer, 2009). As a result, this paper aims to show the steps which should be followed in the planning and implementing the IMC and to apply these steps on Marks and Spencer as a case study from real life. Finally, some recommendations will be given to improve the performance of MS. Literature review Identifying the target audiences The planning the IMC, according to Kotler Keller .should start with clear determining of target audience ,who is a group of people is aimed by marketing communications campaign , because it is vital step. Then, answers should be provided on the following questions: What are the choice criteria, which are used to evaluate the products? What are motivated them to buy the products? What make them response to the competitors, products? (Jobbe, 2007). Ø Situation analysis Competitor analysis : To analysis the competitors, according to Aaker and McLoughlin (2007), a group of questions should be answered: Against whom do we usually compete? What are their objectives and strategies in terms of brand? What is their image and positioning strategy in terms of brand? What have been the marketing communications of the competitors in the past? What impact have they had? What are their future plans? Market analysis: Ø Defining the marketing communication objectives Mean what the marketing communications are supposed to achieve, according to Blythe (2000), there are many objectives: Image building campaigns: Those are intended to communicate a specific status for the product, as well as to emphasis ways that it could complete the lifestyle of the client. Unique selling proposition (USP): that is the one attribute of the product which it differentiates the product from the competition. Positioning: the strategies which focus on the ways that consumers distinguish the products comparing with their perceptions of the competitors products. Direct response: instant response is wanted from the consumer in respect of purchase, a request for broacher, or a going to the store. Ø Managing the elements of the mix Deciding what is the media which will be used to convey the message of the IMC campaign. There are five elements of promotional mix Advertising: any paid form of non-personal communication of ideas or products in the prime media .It takes place in many forms such as, television, press, posters, cinema and radio (Pickton Broderick, 2005). Public relations: are â€Å"the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to creating and maintaining mutual understanding between an organization and its publics † Direct marketing: is the message, which can be prepared to appeal to the addressed customer. It takes place in my forms such as direct mail, telemarketing, internet marketing (Kotler Keller, 2006). Sales promotion: the activities which aim to temporary increase in sales. They take place by many forms such as buy one get one free, free sample and money off coupons. Personal selling: this is designed to meet the consumers needs by communicating face to face between the buyer and seller (McGolrick, 2002). Ø Setting the promotional budget Putting the promotional budgeting is one of the most important and difficult steps in Planning the IMC campaign because, according to West, Ford Ibrahim (2006) ,If the companies have spent too much on the promotion program this could reflect negatively on the profits whereas, if they have paid out too little marketing opportunities would be get lost. There are, according to Jobber and Fahy (2006), four methods, which are usually used to set the promotional budget: percentage of sales, matching competitors expenditures, objective and task and what can be afforded? Ø Evaluating the IMC campaign It is important step, according to Palmer (2004), because it can provide feedback to inform the future activities and make the managers more adjustment when they plan the promotional activities if the objectives are not being achieved. Apply on the MS Marks and Spencer has been the Britain most-respected and leading retailer for long time. Besides, it is one of the most recognizable brands in the UK and operates about 6stores in the UK Identify target audiences: MS has focused on fashionable males and females from different ages who have enough money to spend on the trendy dress and want to enhance their social image between their peer. Ø Analysis the situation Analysis the competitors: The main competitors of MS, GAP, HM, and Top shop, which are distinguished by fashionable clothes and they has focused on the trendy of fashion .As a result, they are called fashion retailers not clothes retailers In terms of Gap, which operates 4,171stores worldwide and the target market is 15-35 age groups. Gap promotes nationally towards young fashion consumers. Promotional campaigns do differ, however. Gap has entered above the line into a programme of intensive primetime television advertising. (Newman Patel, 2003) Concerning HM Analysis the market: Fashion market, which is considered as one of the most profitable, dynamic and competitive area in the UK (Newman Patel, 2003) .The fashion market is considered dynamic because consumer behavior in this market is distinguished by a sudden desire to buy and fluctuating customer tastes. Therefore, new opportunities are available in front of the companies and advertising agencies in this market to create added value for their potential consumers and influence directly their purchasing pattern by integrated marketing communication (Newman Patel, 2003). The fashion market is competitive market because, according to Moore (1995), growing the market shares of foreign fashion retailers in the UK, such as Gap and Benetton and reforming some fashion retailers like, Next. Ø Defining the marketing communication objectives MS has had two objectives in its marketing communications campaign. It has tried to show that its products have been characterized and differentiated from the competitors products by its high quality, stylish, great value (USP) and to enhance the perceptions of consumers in terms of quality and fashion( MSs annual report, 2008). Ø Managing the marketing communications mix At the end every season from each year, MS carries out marketing communications campaign. On 8 November 2007, MS launched marketing communications campaign and used the advertising (TV, cinema and the internet) as essential promotional tool in addition public relation (the website) and sales promotion (bonus). The ad, which is called Christmas Belles, was created by the advertising agency, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y R, and was executed by a group of models. The models are Erin OConnor, Elizabeth Jagger, Twiggy, Myleene Klass and Laura Bailey who are well known names representing different age groups and each gorgeous model is wearing different clothes from MS range including lingerie and accessories . In addition to Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas who was chosen to attract the attention of menswear next to womenswear (Visit4inf, 2007). The song of the ad is called it is the most wonderful, which is singed by the artist Andy Williams The message, which has been conveyed by the campaign of MS, is â€Å"Quality worth every penny†. Besides; MS has tried to tell its target audiences that it has built its reputation in respect of quality since 1940 by establishing strict criteria which it continues to follow today. In other words, it has enhanced historical attributes of quality. The ad was screened on the TV, which could provide higher levels of awareness and reach to a large number of target audiences. Besides, it also was launched in the cinema because the commercial shown in the cinema made a stronger impression on the consumer .It was possible because it allowed for a longer advertisement that was also within cinematic technology in an artistically advanced package. At the same time the ad was launched on the internet to support the TV and cinema launch. Moreover, the viewers were sending the advertisement to each other by Email .Consequently, the commercial internet was effective in two ways spreading the message between the consumers and cost. Hence, a lot of viewers had seen the ad on YouTube during a few weeks. The new Website was Launched and it was connected to the campaign message .It was used as a complementary tool of TV and cinema .It was flexible and a reasonably cheap technique of getting an extensive target audiences and the company can get feedback from consumer by it (MSs annual report, Caemmerer; 2008, 2009). The last promotional tool, which was used by MSs campaign, is bonus which is considered as a type of sales promotion and it was used to encourage the target ardencies of MS to spend more. Ø Setting the promotional budget At the end of 2007 the marketing expenditure was  £145m more than half of expenses spent on the advertising (Birtwistle, 2007). Ø Evaluating the IMC campaign There are many evidences of success the marketing communications campaign of MS .First of all, The market share of MS in terms of clothes increased from 9,8% 2007 to 11, 2% in 2008 approximately 1,4%9 =  £4,095m (see figure 2).

Change Essay -- essays research papers

Experimental Strategies and Conceptual Change The article The Development of Scientific Reasoning in Knowledge-Rich Contexts written by Leona Schauble relates a series of experiments which give some insight as to how conceptual change and experimental strategies effect subjects of varying ages, ten fifth and sixth graders and ten noncollege adults. The conclusions drawn from the article are relevant in determining the cognitive strengths and weaknesses in the subjects as well as how these strengths and weaknesses vary as a result of differing ages. The objective of the study was to track changes in both the theories and reasoning strategies used by participants who conduct and interpret repeated cycles of experiments over several sessions to learn about the causal structure of two physical science systems. The exact experiments are not needed to understand the results of the experiments as long as the experimentation strategies and conceptual changes are understood. The experimentation strategies approach tends to emphasize concern for logical validity, (i.e. how the problem pieces together and why). The conceptual change approach tends to be more concerned with the plausibility and explanatory coherence as tests for deciding whether knowledge should be adopted. Schauble (1996) states that "because previous work focused either on the validity of strategies or the coherence of conceptions, it has tended to mask these close interrelations" (p.102). Therefore the re... Change Essay -- essays research papers Experimental Strategies and Conceptual Change The article The Development of Scientific Reasoning in Knowledge-Rich Contexts written by Leona Schauble relates a series of experiments which give some insight as to how conceptual change and experimental strategies effect subjects of varying ages, ten fifth and sixth graders and ten noncollege adults. The conclusions drawn from the article are relevant in determining the cognitive strengths and weaknesses in the subjects as well as how these strengths and weaknesses vary as a result of differing ages. The objective of the study was to track changes in both the theories and reasoning strategies used by participants who conduct and interpret repeated cycles of experiments over several sessions to learn about the causal structure of two physical science systems. The exact experiments are not needed to understand the results of the experiments as long as the experimentation strategies and conceptual changes are understood. The experimentation strategies approach tends to emphasize concern for logical validity, (i.e. how the problem pieces together and why). The conceptual change approach tends to be more concerned with the plausibility and explanatory coherence as tests for deciding whether knowledge should be adopted. Schauble (1996) states that "because previous work focused either on the validity of strategies or the coherence of conceptions, it has tended to mask these close interrelations" (p.102). Therefore the re... Change Essay -- essays research papers Experimental Strategies and Conceptual Change The article The Development of Scientific Reasoning in Knowledge-Rich Contexts written by Leona Schauble relates a series of experiments which give some insight as to how conceptual change and experimental strategies effect subjects of varying ages, ten fifth and sixth graders and ten noncollege adults. The conclusions drawn from the article are relevant in determining the cognitive strengths and weaknesses in the subjects as well as how these strengths and weaknesses vary as a result of differing ages. The objective of the study was to track changes in both the theories and reasoning strategies used by participants who conduct and interpret repeated cycles of experiments over several sessions to learn about the causal structure of two physical science systems. The exact experiments are not needed to understand the results of the experiments as long as the experimentation strategies and conceptual changes are understood. The experimentation strategies approach tends to emphasize concern for logical validity, (i.e. how the problem pieces together and why). The conceptual change approach tends to be more concerned with the plausibility and explanatory coherence as tests for deciding whether knowledge should be adopted. Schauble (1996) states that "because previous work focused either on the validity of strategies or the coherence of conceptions, it has tended to mask these close interrelations" (p.102). Therefore the re...

The Microcomputer :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a sense computers have been around for centuries. The abacus, a counting machine, was invented by the Chinese sometime between 500 and 400 BC. The numeral zero was first recognized and written by Hindu’s in 650 AD, without which written calculations would be impossible. In 1623 the great grandfather of the processor was born, the calculating clock. Wilhelm Schickard of Germany invented this adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing machine based on the principle of algorithms. For the next three hundred years or so various machines were invented which could perform calculations but none were any vast improvement over Shickard’s clock, perhaps with the exception of Babbage’s punch card machine in 1832 (it was never finished).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1910 marked one of the most important times in the history of the computer with the invention of the first electrical automatic computing machine, the Z1, designed by Konrad Zuse in Germany. Finally after three hundred years there was an advance worth writing home about, but the German government had no time for such things as WW1 began to rage through Europe, so sadly Zuse’s machine was also never completed. Nevertheless the idea had caught on, and the true father of digital computing, Alan Turing, developed the Colossus, a machine which could decipher code. Alan went on to write essays on the subject of artificial intelligence and began a revolution the likes of which would change the world. Turing’s works are still referred to by computer scientists today. Finally in 1945 the first computer as we know it today was completed, ENIAC as it was called could perform calculations in hours which would take a human years to finish. ENIAC had plenty of drawbacks though, first and foremost its size, and secondly the 18,000 tubes it took to run it. ENIAC and UNIVAC, which came shortly after, were indisputably the greatest advances in technology of all time, but they were still useless to the mass majority due to size, cost and time of construction. The invention of the transistor in 1947 solved this problem for the most part, allowing computers to become smaller and more reliable. But alas due to the cost only the largest of private companies and governments could use the machines. By 1964 this had changed, International Business Machines or IBM as we know them today introduced the system 360 mainframe, a solid state semi portable computer which could handle many types of data and allowed many conventional businesses to enter the computer age.

Johnnie Cochran

Johnnie Cochran: An Outlier By: Ryan Starr Johnnie Cochran was an infamous American lawyer, who gained recognition from his highly publicized and controversial cases as a successful defense attorney. Born as an African-American on October 2, 1937 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cochran grew up facing extreme racial prejudice and learned valuable life experience at a young age (Cochran Biography 1). Turning a deaf ear to discrimination, Cochran did well in school and got good grades. His father and mother always stressed education, and Cochran learned to apply himself at various public schools (Cochran Biography 1).His ability to succeed was, in part, due to a more accepting community in Los Angeles, where Cochran spent most of his later childhood (Cochran 12). Johnnie Cochran was not poor by any standards; his dad had a stable and well-paying job in life insurance (Cochran Biography 1). However, Cochran was known to envision himself with more money and the possibilities thereafter. He woul d often befriend richer classmates in order to experience a more luxurious lifestyle (Cochran Biography 1). Johnnie Cochran understood that hard work and his natural people skills allowed him to integrate well with his rich friends.Unaware of his wildly, successful future, Cochran would first have to discover a field in which his skills and opportunities could be utilized. Johnnie Cochran’s adherence to the 10,000 hour rule, his exposure to meaningful work, and his ability to express what he wanted all support Gladwell’s theory of what defines an outlier. Without these qualities, Johnnie Cochran would have never been one of America’s best lawyers. Furthermore, the opportunities that allowed Cochran to achieve and acknowledge these qualities provided him with the proud status of a unique outlier. Johnnie Cochran Jr. as named after his father and grew up in a stable household with loving parents. Education became a philosophy for success and was clearly ingrained in Cochran at early age (Cochran 11). His hard work ethic proved to serve him well in grade-school and resulted in his acceptance to the University of California in 1959 (Cochran Biography 1). Cochran loved to argue and always knew he wanted to be a lawyer. Excelling in high school debate, Cochran recalls the â€Å"incredible surge of power and satisfaction [he] felt when [he] made a strong argument and dragged people over to [his] side of the question† (Cochran 11).His dad always supported an environment in which Cochran could express his views, but his mother would not tolerate any misbehavior. As a â€Å"hardworking businessman† himself, Cochran’s father always pushed his children to work their hardest in order to reach their full potential (Cochran 11). Opportunities to practice debating at both school and at home provided Cochran with the basis for 10,000 hours of practice as a lawyer (Gladwell ). Johnnie Cochran graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and went on to pursue his doctorate in law at Loyola Law School (Cochran Biography 1).Cochran’s first job outside of school was as a deputy city attorney, defending the city in a small claims court. Winning around fifteen cases in row, Cochran was very pleased with himself. After losing his first case, Cochran realized that â€Å"any attorney who has spent considerable time in a courtroom has lost cases† and that he was no exception (Cochran 15). Losing a few cases did not mean Cochran was bad a lawyer; on the contrary, his loses solely signified his experience in lawsuits. Johnnie Cochran was on his way to mastering a career in law after facing hundreds of juries as a city attorney and soon afterward as a criminal lawyer.Eventually, Johnnie Cochran would found his own firm, Cochran, Atkins & Evans (Cochran Biography 1). By then, he had gained significantly north of 10,000 hours practicing law. From debate in high school, to passing the bar, and prosecuting endless traffic violations, Johnnie Cochran’s experience was evident, and his success was definitely due to his early, painstaking years studying and practicing law. Little did he know, his newfound mastery would be tested with a highly publicized case. The family of Leonard Deadwyler, a man killed by Los Angeles police, approached Cochran’s firm in 1966.The family accused the police of â€Å"needless brutality† after their son attempted to speed his pregnant wife to the hospital. Cochran agreed to defend the family, despite the Police Department insisting that the officers had â€Å"acted in self-defense† (Cochran Biography 1). The lawsuit was not successful. Johnnie Cochran had discovered a flaw in the American legal system regarding the bias toward prosecuting minorities. This case and others, including a Black Panther accused of murder, led to a deeper, personal mission for Johnnie Cochran (DeClamecy). He wished to upheave the injustic e of minority prosecution, nd he would do so in great numbers. He soon earned himself the title â€Å"Best in the West† according to Ebony magazine. (Cochran Biography 1). Johnnie Cochran had always been inspired by the struggle for racial equality, but now he had the opportunity to partake in such a struggle. Defending minorities from unjust prosecutions became meaningful work. His job as a criminal defense lawyer served a greater purpose, to protect the rights of African-Americans. This platform would soon become Cochran’s journey to fame and provides further evidence to describe the characteristics of a true outlier.Johnnie Cochran was enveloped in his work because of its personal importance. Meaningful work, as described by Malcolm Gladwell, was yet another factor guiding Cochran closer to success. When Johnnie Cochran was 16 years, a decision made by the Supreme Court would change his life forever. Thurgood Marshall, a black lawyer, argued against the Jim Crow law s that legalized â€Å"separate but equal† facilities in 1954. The court favored his case and concluded that â€Å"separate but equal was inherently unequal† (Cochran 11). Johnnie Cochran idolized Marshall and therefore wished to follow in his footsteps as a lawyer.Cochran’s destiny was set. He knew that â€Å"a single dedicated man could use the law to change society† (Cochran 10). Johnnie Cochran was most definitely motivated to partake in this meaningful work. But first, he needed to be able to express what he wanted. Opportunities present themselves in odd ways, and as it so happens, one must have exceptional communication skills in order to become a successful lawyer. Achieving such skills wasn’t difficult for the personable Johnnie Cochran, who also had the benefits of a good education and supportive family.As the great grandson of slaves, Johnnie Cochran learned to express what he wanted or be overlooked by a largely white society (Cochran 1 0). Despite Cochran’s upbringing in the poorly educated projects of California, his mother taught him â€Å"the value of the English language and the importance of using it correctly to make [himself] heard† (Cochran 11). And Cochran would not forget this advice, using his command of the language to promote himself in the field of law and to win his first case: convincing his mother to accept his career in law rather than medicine.Cochran was adept at integrating and communicating, both of which were useful characteristics for any outlier. Opportunities spawned from these abilities and provided Cochran with a way to change society. Johnnie Cochran eventually represented numerous celebrities such as Sean Combs, Michael Jackson, Tupac and Snoop Dogg (Deutsch 1). His firm focused on cases involving police brutality and racial bias. He is best known for the captivating defense of OJ Simpson regarding the murder of his wife and her friend, claiming that if the murderâ€℠¢s glove â€Å"doesn’t fit, you must acquit† (DeClamecy 1).Johnnie Cochran has been criticized for taking advantage of a mostly black jury by suggesting the possibility of the police framing Simpson because of his skin color (Merida). Whether or not OJ Simpson is guilty of murder, Johnnie Cochran was an exceptional and prosperous lawyer. Malcolm Gladwell defines the qualities of a successful outlier, and Johnnie Cochran proved that a combination of perseverance and opportunities will lead to success. Johnnie Cochran died March 29, 2005 at the age of 67, but will forever be remembered as a unique outlier (Deutsch 1). Works Cited Cochran, Johnnie L. , and David Fisher. A Lawyer's Life.New York: Thomas Dunne /St. Martin's, 2002. Print. DeClamecy, Dree. â€Å"Famed Attorney Johnnie Cochran Dead. † CNN. Cable News Network, 30 Mar. 2005. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Print. Merida, Kevin. â€Å"Johnnie Coch ran, the Attorney On the People's Defense Team. † Washington Post. N. p. , 31 Mar. 2005. Web. Nguyen, Daisy. â€Å"Famous Clients Mourn Johnnie Cochran at Funeral in LA. † The Daily Transcript. San Diego Source, 6 Apr. 2005. Web. 17 Apr. 2013 The Biography Channel. â€Å"Johnnie Cochran Biography. † Bio. com. A&E Networks Television, n. d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.

The Sexual Content in Angela Carter?S the Bloody Chamber

The Sexual Content in Angela Carter? s â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, is a selection of fairytales which have been re-written by Angela Carter to place them in the modern day. Carter has taken seven fairytales whose â€Å"latent content† she says were â€Å"violently sexual†, (qtd by Robin Sheets, â€Å"Pornography Fairy Tales and Feminism† 642). The stories include a variation of classics fairytales such as â€Å"Bluebeard†, â€Å"Beauty and the Beast† and â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† with sometimes more than one version of the same original tale, for example â€Å"Wolf-Alice† and â€Å"The Company of Wolves†. In re-writing these fairy tales Carter has given the new versions a specifically sexual content and focuses on the female protagonist, which as a result, has become the issue of much debate and criticism. In particular, the sometimes explicit sexual content of the stories has raised questions among some feminist writers regarding Carter? s stance on the issue of the role of women and pornography. Focusing mainly on the main story of the collection, â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, this essay will aim to highlight Carter? s intentions for the sexual content of her stories. In doing so, whilst commenting from some critical essays regarding Carter? s stance on pornography, this essay will also address â€Å"Lovely Linda†, a review of Inside Linda Lovelace, by Linda Lovelace a porn actress, which was written by Angela Carter. In her essay, Robin Sheets compares â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† to another of Carter? s books The Sadiean Woman and the Ideology of Pornography. Sheets takes one of ten short stories in the collection and using only this story tries to define Carter as either one of â€Å"Sade? new Juliettes† or a â€Å"new Justine†, (qtd. by Sheets pp636-637). These titles, which make reference to characters from works by the Marquis de Sade, were created by Robin Morgan in her criticism of feminist activists who opposed or supported the antipornography movement, those who support pornography being the â€Å"new Juliettes† as they align themselves with sex based on domination, where the â€Å"new Justines† are said to always portray themselves of the victims of male brutality. Antipornography activists described pornography as a â€Å"cause of women? oppression†, (Sheets 637), and Sheets focuses on this in â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† as a means to decide which flag Carter is flying. Like all fairy tales the original story of Bluebeard contained a moral. Sheets comments that although over time there have been variations made to the story in order to change the moral the one that has prevailed has been that which advises women against curiosity, (Sheets 643). Whilst comparing the Marquis of the story to the Marquis de Sade, Sheets links the sadistic acts of the Marquis in â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† to that of de Sade. When one takes into consideration Carter? s review of Linda Lovelace? s book, Inside Linda Lovelace, when addressing the sexual content of â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, it is easy to understand Carter? s opinion of pornography and as result her reasons for using it in her stories. At the start of the review Carter describes Lovelace? s fame as a result of the â€Å"demands of a society that uses libidinal gratification as a soporific in a time of potential social disruption†. From the outset of this review Carter? negativity towards â€Å"our Lady of Hard-Core Porn†, is evident, so what is different about Linda Lovelace and the content of her own works that attracts so much argument regarding its pornographic nature? In her review she goes on to remark that â€Å"libidinal gratification† is now unlimited but that this has changed as a result of society changing as in short that although we are sexually free now it is only because society says so, which means that if we have to wait for society? s permission we still are not free, (Angela Carter, Shaking a Leg 54). This oppression of women is one of the most commonly debated aspects of pornography. The debate develops into deciding what pornography is and what is erotica, the difference being (if one uses Gloria Steinem? s definition as example), that erotica is â€Å"mutually pleasurable, sexual expression between people who have enough power to be there by positive choice†, (qtd. by Sheets 637). Although Linda Lovelace claims sexual freedom and wants to be equal in bed, Carter makes sure to point out that the sexual acts that Lovelace boasts about being able to do with her mouth and her vagina she has learned from a man, Chuck, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 54). In turn when one compares this oppression to â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† one can see that indeed there are some obvious examples of masochism, one of which being when the narrator describes having sex as being â€Å"impaled†, (Angela Carter, Burning Your Boats, 121) by her husband. Indeed the whole story up until the point where she goes to the forbidden room is one of subjugation. When one takes into consideration the remarks that Carter makes in her article of Lovelace about society, it can be argued that the initial argument regarding the intentions of the sexual content in Carter? s works also stem from the boundaries which society sets. Where some only see the oppression of the protagonist, others look beyond this to see an alternative to the protagonist’s actions. As Merja Makinen points out in â€Å"Angela Carter? s The Bloody Chamber and the Decolonisation of the Feminine Sexuality†, there is an alternative argument to that of the narrator of â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†. Here, Makinen argues that to an extent the narrator does in fact consent to the â€Å"sado-masochistic transaction†, (Makinen 32). This can be seen in the narrator? brief descriptions of the desire that is lurking within her, â€Å"I was aghast to feel myself stirring†, (Carter, Burning Your Boats 119). Therefore, it can be argued that rather than being subjected to this act, the presence of consent transforms this into an act of erotica. This could be an example of which Makinen describes as Carter re-writing the old tales by playing with the earli er misogynistic version, (Makinen 24). As mentioned earlier Sheets attempts to brand Carter as a â€Å"new Juliette† or â€Å"new Justine†, but in the end her argument is inconclusive and cannot decide on one particular side of the fence for the writer. In comparison, Carter refers to Lovelace as someone who has been â€Å"sexually exploited by men†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 55). Carter makes it blatantly clear in this article that she is against pornography, not because of the acts that take place but because of the oppression of women. She describes Lovelace as someone who lives in a world dictated by men, she has learned her technique from men and although it is a world of sex, the sex itself has been reduced to what Carter calls a â€Å"geometric intersection of parts†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 56). Carter compares what Lovelace is doing to that of what takes place in a Brothel. She comments that â€Å"our society generally denies the prostitute both appreciation and the opportunity to exercise particular sexual virtuosity†, and ironically confirms that â€Å"Lovelace is no prostitute†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 55). Carter portrays Lovelace as what this writer believes is what every anti-pornography activist has in mind when they are condemning pornography, â€Å"she is a shaven prisoner in a cage whose bars are composed of cocks†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 56). From this review it is a wonder that there would be any debate as to whether or not the sexual content of Carter? s works support pornography, and it is clear that she uses sexual practice based on domination for other means, in her writing. The other stories in The Bloody Chamber approach a different aspect of female sexuality and desire and Makinen implies that it is necessary to read all the stories to understand the intentions of Carter. For example, the story of â€Å"The Lady of the House of Love† shows the inversion of the Bluebeard character. Who can mistake the gothic tropes used to portray the female vampire as a male. The teeth of the vampire which would penetrate the virgin boy, but yet there is still an element of desire for the vampire and in order to obtain that she must pay a price. Makinen argues that rather than being against or for pornography, Carter aims to portray a wider incorporation of female sexuality, and use â€Å"feminism to challenge sexist constructions†, (Makinen 25). This, it could be argued, is why the book starts with an obvious description of female oppression. At the same time however, one also has to keep in mind the variations to the original Bluebeard story that Carter has included. The mother who saves the day, the second husband who is gentle and kind and also the protagonist being the narrator herself, are what Sheets describes as Carter â€Å"writing against the interpretive tradition that emphasizes the wife? s sexual curiosity†, (Sheets 644). As we have seen in the review of Lovelace? s book, Angela Carter sees pornography as the oppression of women by men and that she does not look too highly upon this factor. When one takes this into consideration whilst reading her books, it can be seen then that although she uses material which can be argued to be that of a pornographic nature, she does so not as a means to approve of the oppression of women. Rather she uses this material to â€Å"critique phallocentrism† and as a means to demonstrate female sexuality and the representation of femininity, (Makinen p34). Bibliography Carter, Angela, â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, Burning Your Boats, London: Chatto & Windus, 1995. Carter, Angela, â€Å"Lovely Linda†, Shaking a Leg, London: Chatto & Windus, 1997. Makinen, Merja, â€Å"Angela Carter? s The Bloody Chamber and the Decolonisation of Feminine Sexuality†, New Casebooks: Angela Carter, Ed. Alison Easton, Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000, pp20-36. Sheets, Robin Ann, â€Å"Pornography, Fairy Tales, and Feminism: Angela Carter’s â€Å"TheBloody Chamber†Ã¢â‚¬ , Journal of the History of Sexuality, Vol. 1, No. 4, (April,1997), pp 633- 657 08/04/2011