Soil Behaviour and Geotechnical Modelling

(a) Discuss advantages and limitations of Duncan and Chang's model. Duncan and Chang's model assumes a hyperbolic stress-strain relation and was developed based on triaxial soil tests. The original model assumes a constant Poisson's ratio while the revised model accommodates the variation of Poisson's ratio by means of stress-dependent Poisson's ratio or stress-dependent bulk modulus. The Duncan-Chang model is advantageous in analyzing many practical problems and is simple to set up with standard triaxial compression tests. When tri-axial test results are not available, model parameters are also abundantly available in literatures. It is a simple yet obvious enhancement to the Mohr-Coulomb model. In this respect, this model is preferred over the Mohr-Coulomb model. However, it has its limitations, including, (i) the intermediate principal stress s2 is not accounted for; (ii) results may be unreliable when extensive failure occurs; (iii) it does not consider the volume change due to changes in shear stress (shear dilatancy); (iv) input parameters are not fundamental soil properties, but only empirical values for limited range of conditions. (v) the model is mainly intended for quasi-static analysis. (b) Discuss advantages and limitations of Yin and Graham's KGJ model. Yin and Graham's KGJ model is formed using data from isotropic consolidation tests and consolidated undrained triaxial tests with pore-water pressure measurement. It provides functional expressions for , , , and relationships in soils. In Duncan and Chang's model for triaxial stress conditions: may cause volume strain ( dilation and compression) may cause shear strain. Whereas Yin and Graham's KGJ model: Thus the volume change and shear strain was taken into account, which is an improvement to Duncan and Chang's model. The limitation of Yin and Graham's KGJ model may exist in the determination of the parameter and the complexity of its calculation. (c) Discuss the differences between elastic models and hypo-elastic models. For soils, the behaviour depend on the stress path followed. The total deformation of such materials can be decomposed into a recoverable part and an irrecoverable part. Hypoelasticity constitutes a generalized incremental law in which the behaviour can be simulated from increment to increment rather than for the entire load or stress at a time. In hypoelasticity, the increment of stress is expressed as a function of stress and increment of strain. The Hypoelastic concept can provide simulation of constitutive behaviour in a smooth manner and hence can be used for hardening or softening soils. Hypoelastic models can be considered as modification of linear elastic models. However, it may incrementally reversible, with no coupling between volumetric and deviatoric responses and is path-independent. 5.2 Use sketches to explain the physical (geometric) meaning of all 7 parameters (only 5 independent) in a cross-anisotropic elastic soil model (). Figure 5.1 Parameters in cross-anisotropic elastic model – Young's modulus in the depositional direction; – Young's modulus in the plane of deposition ; – Poisson's ratio for straining in the plane of deposition due to the stress acting in the direction of deposition; – Poisson's ratio for straining in the direction of deposition due to the stress acting in the plane of deposition; – Poisson's ratio for straining in the plane of deposition due to the stress acting in the same plane; – Shear modulus in the plane of the direction of deposition; – Shear modulus in the plane of deposition. Due to symmetry requirements, only 5 parameters are independent. Assignment 6 (Lecture 6 – Elasto-plastic behaviour): 6.1 (a) Explain and discuss (i) yield, (ii) yield criterion, (iii) potential surface, (iv) flow rule, (v) normality, (vi) consistency condition. (i) The yield strength or yield point of a material is defined in engineering and materials science as the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Prior to the yield point the material will deform elastically and will return to its original shape when the applied stress is removed. Once the yield point is passed some fraction of the deformation will be permanent and non-reversible. In the uniaxial situations the yield stress indicates the onset of plastic straining. In the multi-axial situation it is not sensible to talk about a yield stress. Instead, a yield function is defined which is a scalar function of stress and state parameters. (ii) A yield criterion, often expressed as yield surface, or yield locus, is an hypothesis concerning the limit of elasticity under any combination of stresses. There are two interpretations of yield criterion: one is purely mathematical in taking a statistical approach while other models attempt to provide a justification based on established physical principles. Since stress and strain are tensor qualities they can be described on the basis of three principal directions, in the case of stress these are denoted by , and . (iii) Potential surface is the segment of a plastic potential surface plotted in principal stress space, as shown in Figure 6.1 (a). A two dimensional case was shown in Figure 6.1 (b). (iv) Flow rule: – a scalar multiplier; – plastic potential function; {} – location of surface (a vector), not in the final equation Figure 6.1 Plastic potential presentation (v) Assuming the plastic potential function to be the same as the yield function as a further simplification: The incremental plastic strain vector is then normal to the yield surface and the normality condition is said to apply. (vi) Having defined the basic ingredients of an elasto-plastic constitutive model, a relationship between incremental stresses and incremental strains then can be obtained. When the material is plastic the stress state must satisfy the yield function. Consequently, on using the chain rule of differentiation, gives: This equation is known as the consistency equation or consistency condition. (b) Explain and discuss the associate flow rule and non-associate flow rule and how the two rules affect the volumetric deformation and the bearing capacity of a strip footing on sand. Sometimes simplification can be applied by assuming the plastic potential function to be the same as the yield function (i.e. ). In this case the flow rule is said to be associated. The incremental plastic strain vector is then normal to the yield surface and the normality condition is said to apply. In the general case in which the yield and plastic potential functions differ (i.e. ), the flow rule is said to be non-associated. If the flow rule is associated, the constitutive matrix is symmetric and so is the global stiffness matrix. On the other hand, if the flow rule is non-associated both the constitutive matrix and the global stiffness matrix become non-symmetric. The inversion of non-symmetric matrices is much more costly, both of storage and computer time. As noted, it occurs in a special class of plasticity in which the flow rule is said to be associated. Substitution of a symmetric for all elements in a finite element mesa, into the assembly process, results in a symmetric global stiffness matrix. For the general case in which the flow rule is non-associated and the yield and plastic potential functions differ, the constitutive matrix is non-symmetric. When assembled into the finite element equations this results in a non- symmetric global stiffness matrix. The inversion of such a matrix is more complex and requires more computing resources, both memory and time, than a symmetric matrix. Some commercial programs are unable to deal with non-symmetric global stiffness matrices and, consequently, restrict the typo of plastic models that can be accommodated to those which have an associated flow rule. (c) Explain plastic strain hardening and plastic work hardening or softening. The state parameters, , are related to the accumulated plastic strains . Consequently, if there is a linear relationship between and so that then on substitution, along with the flow rule, the unknown scalar,, cancels and A becomes determinant. If there is not a linear relationship between and , the differential ratio on the left hand side of the above equation is a function the plastic strains and therefore a function of . When substituted, along with the flow rule given, the A's do not cancel and A becomes indeterminate. It is then not possums to evaluate the []. In practice all strain hardening/ softening models assume a linear relationship between the state parameters and the plastic strains . In this type of plasticity the state parameters}, are related to the accumulated plastic work, ,which is dependent on the plastic strains it can be shown, following a similar argument to that parented above for strain hardening/softening plasticity, that as long as there is a linear relationship between the state parameters }, and the plastic work, , the parameter defined becomes independent of the unknown scalar, , send therefore is determinant. If the relationship between and is not linear, become a function of and it is not possible to evaluate the constitutive matrix. 6.2 Show steps to derive the elastic plastic constitutive matrix [] in (6.16). The incremental total strains can be split into elastic and plastic , componets. The incremental stress, are related to the incremental elastic strains, by the elastic constitutive matrix: Or alternatively Combining gives The incremental plastic strains are related to the plastic potential function, via the flow rule. This can be written as Substituting gives When the material is plastic the stress state must satisfy the yield function. Consequently, which, on using the chain rule of differentiation. This equation is known as the consistency equation. It can be rearranged to give Combining, we can get Where Substituting again So that 6.3 The dimension of a slope is shown in Figure 6.2. Calculate the factor of safety of the following cases: (a) Without tension crack, the properties of Soil (1) are kPa, , kN/m3; The properties of Soil (2) are kPa, , kN/m3 (no water table). (b) With tension crack filled with water, repeat the calculation in (a). (c) Without tension crack, the properties of Soil (1) are kPa, , kN/m3 (below water table) and kN/m3 (above water table); the properties of Soil (2) are kPa, , kN/m3 (below water table) and kN/m3 (above water table). Water table is shown. Figure 6.2 Dimension of the slope and water table (a) Figure 6.3 Model without tension crack or water table Factor of Safety: 1.498 Figure 6.4 Results without tension crack or water table Figure 6.5 Slice 1 – Morgenstern-Price Method (b) Figure 6.6 Model with tension crack filled with water Figure 6.7 Results with tension crack filled with water The safety factor : 1.406 Figure 6.8 Slice 1 – Morgenstern-Price Method (c) Figure 6.9 Model without tension crack but with water table Figure 6.10 Results without tension crack but with water table Factor of Safety: 1.258 Figure 6.11 Slice 1 – Morgenstern-Price Method

A Surrealist Writer Essay

Considered to be one of the most important contemporary writers in modern Japan, Haruki Murakami shot to fame with his novel â€Å"Norwegian Wood†, a story about sexuality and loss, which sold 4 million copies in Japan instantly turning him into a Japanese pop culture icon. Although most of his stories are set in modern Japan, his portrayal of everyday things and gritty realities depict most cities of the modern world. Since his works are heavily influenced by Western culture, with cameos of Marlboro cigarettes and McDonald’s, allusions to western music and values, Murakami is able to bridge the gap between the wild West and the oriental East. Thus, his works transcends cultures and speaks to a global audience. Some critics have criticized him for being predictable, using almost similar characters and mirroring plots (www. complete-review. com) but he too has been praised for presenting a fresh eye and imagination into contemporary literature. And what an imagination it is. Upon reading a Muraki novel, one is taken through a bizarre journey of realities, dreams and other dimensions. Although he grounds his novels in the everyday people that act as his protagonists, his presentation of their experiences are out of the ordinary. He sends his characters into alternate realities, lets them have conversations with ghosts and out of body experiences. If he were not a novelist, Haruki Murakami will surely have equal success as a Surrealist painter. The Elephant Vanishes into the TV TV people is a short story found in Murakami’s short story compilation book â€Å"The Elephant Vanishes. † Powell’s books. com describes the book as â€Å"haunting and hilarious† and an assault on the normal. † It contains stories ranging from the disappearance of a favorite elephant, a guy seeing the love of his life, losing sleep yet finding freedom, and the intricacies of family relationships. The book is again a perfect blend of Murakami’s style of reality and disambiguity, tackling such issues as love, independence and dependence. From all the stories found in â€Å"The Elephant Vanishes†, TV People stands out in its style and presentation. TV people is a story of a man who one day receives a TV delivered to his apartment. What fascinated the man was not the TV he received but the the people who delivered it. Referred to as the â€Å"TV people†, they are described as slightly smaller than the average man, who silently works setting up the man’s TV. The man is intrigued as to who and what these people are, especially since he did not even buy the television. However, he is even more puzzled by the fact that these TV people did not seem to see him and acknowledge his presence. However, he again sees the TV people at work and this was where things started to turn bizarre. Every time the man would ask his officemates about the TV people, the officemates would just ignore him, much like the way the TV people ignored him. This sets him on a journey of self critique, questioning his own identity and ultimately his own existence. It is a fascinating read as it has the tone of a suspense movie, with all the questions hanging in the air as the TV people intrude upon the life of the protagonist. What is great about the story is that it does not only tell a tale of a man questioning his own existence but it also presents the reader something to chew and ponder upon. The theme of existing or non-existing through the acknowledgement of others is very thought provoking especially in a modern society where identities and lives are created through the attention of other people. Another interesting thing to note is that the introduction of the TV into the protagonist’s life led to his journey of self-critique. Some reviews o fthe story revealed that Haruki Murakami actually wrote TV People as a critique on a technology saturated society. Much like how the TV impacted the life of the protagonist, the fast paced development and assimilation of technology in human lives has altered man and his values. People now live in a world where the media and technology dictate what is right and what is wrong, who is important and who is not, who exists and who doesn’t. Especially in Japan where the rapid development of Information and Communication technologies have resulted in a fast paced and highly competitive society, a â€Å"lost generation† has emerged in their society. Youths who live like hermits in their own houses that they became so detached from reality. Much like the TV people who shunned the outside world while they go on their way. This story attempts to wake society from its dependence on technology. Entertaining in its suspense but intelligent in its presentation, TV people is vintage Murakami. It presents ordinary settings, ordinary things, made extraordinary by the stories that they lead.

16 year old Drivers

You just turned 16 and can’t wait to drive a car by yourself. Why should you have to wait even longer. You already have to take courses before you get your permit, and you have drive a year with a parent/guardian supervision before you can get your drivers licence. To persuade you that 16 year olds are mature enough to drive a car I will give you two reasons why. My first reason that 16 year old are mature enough to drive a car is you take courses to before you can start driving. This means that they will know the rules of the road before they start driving.This is good because they will know what signs mean and what to do on the road, and not what not to do on the road. You also have to take tests before you get your drivers licence and if you don't know the rules then you will properly fail the test. Teenagers will have to know the rules if they want to be able to drive. They will know the rules because they will take courses. My 2nd reason is that you have to drive with a p arent or guardian for a year before you get your drivers licenses. In the state of Colorado you must drive with a parent or guardian one whole year before you can get your drivers license.You also have a year with a parent or guardian helping and guiding you how to succeed parent or guardian can help them to understand the rules of the road, so they will know how to use the rules of the road in a good way. It is safer because the parent or guardian can tell them don't to blast loud music because you will be more focused on the road when there isn't blasting loud music. They can tell them to focus on the road and can tell them to keep there eyes on the road when they get a text or a phone call. The abusing reason is dangers of teenage drivers, teenage drivers are more luckily to text while driving.So if they wait a little longer to start driving then they will be more mature and might not text while driving. If teenagers have friends in the car they might be more distracted at wheel. This might cause car accidents to teenage drivers. To conclude my paper 16 year old are mature enough to drive a car. They have to take courses before they can get there drivers license. You also have to drive with a parent or guardian for a year before you can get your drivers licenses . This is why 16 year olds are mature enough to drive. I hope you agree that 16 year olds are mature enough to drive a car.

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example As a means of increasing the production of the National City Bank, the corporate leaders use motivation and empowerment strategies. Motivation and empowerment The National City Bank motivates its employees through many ways which entail using rewards, recognition, and workers involvement. The forms of motivation are helpful in the organization because they increase their outputs. I learned that the increased production is caused by the elements of motivation. One of the components of motivation includes intensity; furthermore, I realized that motivation indeed increases the work intensity. Personally, motivation increases my job performances because it makes me work harder. Another element of motivation is persistency. I learned that motivation makes the workers in the banking organization not to give up doing some tasks even if they are difficult. Motivation also gives the workers directions especially if the type of motivation entails goal setting. Furthermore, it increases the wor kforces drive and energy in the work places. I learned that the elements of motivation increase businesses productivity because they challenge the workforces to use their skills and knowledge more effectively. Moreover, they encourage the underperforming workers to perform higher (Podmoroff, 2005). It is vital to know that high performing organizations like the National City Bank do not rely on motivation only. I learned that high business productivity is caused by the combination of motivation with other factors like good working conditions and workers’ capabilities (Fiore, 2004). The bank performs well because it ensures that its workers can access all the materials needed to perform their tasks. This makes the workers focus on their tasks instead of wasting time looking for the materials. Additionally, the firm ensures that its employee have the ability to do their work effectively. The bank achieves this through effective hiring process where managers do not only focus on the applicants’ credentials, but they also focus on the applicants’ abilities and interests. I also learned how motivation affects workers in organizations through the theories presented by psychologists. Some of the theories include the content and process suppositions. In the content theory, I realized that human beings pursue things because they desire certain outcomes. The process theories assume that people have the ability to opt for goals and the paths that may lead them towards the goals. According to â€Å"Maslow Hierarchy of Needs†, workers satisfaction is vital. The workers satisfactions can be attained if organizations meet their needs through peripheral and internal means (Borkowski, 2011). It is interesting to realize that the National City Bank applies the theories to satisfy and motivate its workers. For instance, the organization motivates its workers by meeting their self-actualization needs. This is achievable through the introduction of chal lenging projects which makes the workers use their skills effectively. Additionally, the bank meets the workers self-actualization needs by creating an environment that encourages creativity. The organization also rewards the employees who introduce helpful ideas to the organization. Furthermore, I realized that the bank has invested a lot in the workers’ training programs. Personality trainings help me perform tasks better because they increase my skills and abilities.

Why can we only see one side of the moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why can we only see one side of the moon - Essay Example Similarly, the moon’s gravitational force affects oceans causing low and high tides, while the earth, which is bigger than the moon, causes low and high gravitational pull on it. Additionally, as the moon rotates around the earth in its orbit, the earth exerts a torque on the rotating system of the moon. This causes the moon’s speed along its own axis to slow down, eventually revealing only one side of the moon as it completes its rotation (Pandian). The moon is also viewed as though facing only one side of it on earth through a concept known as libration, which occurs because of the spherical nature of the moon. Libration is the irregular motion of the moon in its orbit computed longitudinally and latitudinally from a fixed geographical location on the moon’s surface (Coffey). The earth affects the moon through its elliptical orbit, a process called longitudinal libration. This implies that when the moon is nearer the earth in its orbit, the earth’s gravitational pull is stronger. This makes the moon move faster on its axis, but since the moon’s rotational speed is constant, it causes a lag or a pull effect (Coffey). This pull effect on the moon’s surface causes the earth to view an extra portion of the moon’s surface up to 59% of it. When the moon orbit is farther away from the earth, the earth’s gravitational force on it is weak, causing it to slow down, even though its rotational speed remains the same. This makes the moon â€Å"spin† away from the earth and, as a result, it becomes only 41% visible (Miles). In addition, we view one side of the moon surface because of latitudinal libration caused because the moon’s orbit is tilted 5 degrees towards the ecliptic. Therefore, during the moon’s rotations around the earth, half of it is on the higher side while the rest of the revolution is on the lower side. This causes an extra part of the moon to be

Law & modern corporation in international context - seen exam essay Qs

Law & modern corporation in international context - seen exam Qs - Essay Example Such individuals are permitted to bring action against their victimisation. This Act covers agency staff, contractors, trainees, homeworkers and workers. However, it does not cover partners and members of limited liability partnerships. The PIDA modified the ERA, which legally protected workers from detriment resulting from revealing information about crimes, legal obligation violations, dangers to health and safety, and miscarriage of justice. In this context, dismissal of an employee is deemed unfair dismissal and not detriment. Such protection does not require completion of a specific period of employment. The requirements are; to act in good faith, to be convinced that the allegation is true, and presence of reasonable grounds to believe in the veracity of the information disclosed. Moreover, this Act describes whistleblowing as the disclosure of information regarding previous, current or perceived misconduct that has to be addressed with respect to criminal offence, noncompliance with legal obligations, miscarriages of justice, danger to the health and safety of any person, harm to the environment, or attempts to conceal any of these. The confidentiality or gagging clauses, in employment contracts or severance agreements that conflict with the PIDA are void. PIDA protection can apply even to those governed by the Official Secrets Act. As such, disclosures are protected by the law, only if they are made to the appropriate entity and in the prescribed manner. The law protects an employee who makes a qualified disclosure to his employer in good faith, or via the authorised procedures of the employer. Moreover, the employee can complain to the person responsible for employee’s area or work. Moreover, Section 43G of the ERA permits workers to make protected disclosures under certain circumstances. Such protection is accorded if the workers act in good faith. They reasonably believe that

Discussing (Tata Steel) and its current approach to managing Essay

Discussing (Tata Steel) and its current approach to managing environmental drivers in their market. You should identify and an - Essay Example In this context, the discussion of this report critically examines the major influencing factors along with the responses made by TATA Steel while performing its steel manufacturing processes in the global countries. Additionally, the discussion would also incorporate the major drivers within the present steel making industry, their potential impact on TATA Steel and provide relevant theoretical implications in order to effectively address the key driving factors in the respective business industry. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 1. Introduction 4 2. Brief Description of the Company and its Exposure to Global Business 4 3. Introduction of the Chosen Framework and Evaluation of TATA’s Response 5 4. Analysing Major Influencing Drivers in the Steel Making Industry and TATA’s Response 6 4.1 Regulatory Process 6 4.2 Cost Reduction Strategy 8 4.3 Buyers’ Power 9 4.4 Suppliers’ Power 9 4.5 Competitive Rivalry 10 6. Conclusion and Recommendations 12 Referen ces 13 1. Appendix 18 1.1 PEST Analysis 18 1.1.1 Political Factor 18 3.1.2 Economic Factor 18 3.1.3 Social Factor 19 3.1.4 Technological Factor 19 1. Introduction The present business environment of global organisations is often identified to be influenced by various factors. In this regard, the influence of external environment is one of the major determinants for the modern business organisations, assisting them to successfully accomplish their desired business goals (Teodorescu & Costachie, 2011). Organisations are often recognised to highly comply with the influence of primary external environmental factors in performing various operational and corporate functions. In this regard, the political, economic, social along with environmental and legal aspects can be duly considered as the primary external influencing factors for any organisation, aiding it to build long-run sustainability in the competitive business market (Oxford University Press, n.d.). Keeping with the major influ ence of the external environmental factors in business, the primary objective of this report is to analyse the business operations of TATA Steel in the fiercely growing steel manufacturing and marketing business industry. In this regard, the report will identify the chief drivers of the steel industry and discuss how these drivers affect Tata Steel. Moreover, the report will also lay utmost focus upon evaluating Tata’s responses to the identified drivers along with providing appropriate actions to ensure sustainable success of the company. 2. Brief Description of the Company and its Exposure to Global Business Established during the mid of the year 1907, TATA Steel (TATA) is regarded as one of the leading steel manufacturing companies in the Indian and global business industry. It is one of the major subsidiaries of the TATA Group with a large number of market shares in producing and marketing of steel across overseas locations (Mahajan & Ives, 2003). The company attained gre ater success in the respective business industry due to its adoption along with execution of continuous diversification strategy in its various business fields. Currently, the organisation is involved in performing diverse operational functions that include motor vehicle manufacturing, steel production, chemical, financial service along with healthcare division and telecommunication

Education and Public Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education and Public Policy - Research Paper Example While the industrial educational policy regime emerged and spread fast at the start of the 20th century, the rights education period started with the emergence of civil rights movements and anti-poverty campaigns in the mid-20th century. The industrial education regime was characterized by policies, which supported vocational educational programs in the sectors of the economy. On the other hand, rights educational policies sought to address poverty and racial and socioeconomic segregation of the 19th and the 20th century. In addition, rights education movements fought for the creation and implementation of educational policies that promote human rights and equality. During the rights education regime, a rather detailed global framework was developed to promote human rights education and awareness where human rights violations were rampant. To achieve this objective, stakeholder partnership, especially by multilateral institutions was necessary.In particular,a vibrant and dispersed system of civil society activists and associations had to be created and involved in the human rights education policy development and implementation. In this partnership,the civil and human rights movements managed to achieve quite a lot. However,the institutionalization and implementation processes dragged on rather slowly and at different paces.Although reinforcement and implementation of suggestion courses of action remain relatively slow,the efforts of rights education have tremendously improved global responses to mass atrocities and other forms of human rights violations ... inforcement and implementation of suggestion courses of action remain relatively slow and inconsistent, the efforts of rights education have tremendously improved global responses to mass atrocities and other forms of human rights violations (Beitz, 2009). Rights education policies have made positive strides since its emergence in the mid 20th century. First, there has been an increase in the international community’s responsiveness to atrocities across the globe, especially in the Middle East (Beitz, 2009). Second, a lot of attention is currently directed at prevention of human rights abuse and accountability by governments. Furthermore, rights education has made citizens aware of their rights, making it rather difficult for great powers to block certain favorable courses of action at world bodies such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) (Beitz, 2009). Regarding industrial educational regime, a lot of positive strides have been made and success registered given its emphasis on industrial education that empowers the marginalized and the vulnerable. The regime was characterized by an approach to education that emphasized learning from an industrial perspective (Kincheloe, 1995). A core area in which industry-oriented education has been applied is in vocational education. Although in earlier time it was majorly offered to students with sub-degree education and in industrial setting training, it has been introduced and offered even for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students since 2004. Based on one’s employment, industrial educational policies prepared learners for specific crafts or trades at different levels. One advantage of industrial educational regime policies is that they are relevant to professions such as nursing, medicine, architecture, trade,

CRM and Sales Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CRM and Sales Management - Assignment Example Secondly, the changes in the business environment may require adjustments in the approaches to the application of the 4Ps, which would mean that it is not the overhaul of the marketing mix that forms the solution to the ever changing business environment, but the approach in its application. Lastly, the continued application of the marketing mix limits the development of further market controllable factors, which are more plausible to suit the current marketing environment. In the light of this, it becomes essential to distinguish what informs the current business environment, and creates the prospective of fulfilling the marketing need; consumer satisfaction (Belohlavek, 2008 p23). In arguing out this case, this discussion supports the proposition that the marketing mix is inadequate in the changing marketing environment, and thus needs revision to incorporate the presently developed, yet vital controllable factors that are influencing the survival and suitability of a commodity in the market. The marketing mix is composed of four business environmental components, namely price, product, place and promotion. These components can be controlled in order to enhance consumer satisfaction, through a product offering that meets customers’ expectation in terms of its affordability, ability to satisfy the existing consumer needs, accessibility of the product to the consumers and the efficient channels through which the consumer is made aware of the product (Bowman & Gatignon, p12). The traditional proposition is that, if the product fulfills all the four aspects mentioned above, then it was suitably placed in the market, and thus would survive the tides of ever changing business environment. However, it has become apparent that the marketing mix is no longer sufficient to enable a product or any brand overcome the waves of the ever-changing business environment, since the customers’ needs, preferences and priorities are also constantly changing (Prenzel, 2010 p56). According to Professor Koichi Shimizu's 7Cs Compass Model, the concept of place is no longer the most relevant aspect of modern day marketing, but rather convenience (Luudicke, 2006 p72). As opposed to ensuring that the supply chain is most appropriate to connect the producer and the consumer, the emphasis is now making the purchasing experience for the consumers more convenient. For example, Amazon.com is one of the organizations that deal in offering its products over the internet, which has placed more emphasis on convenience than on place (Wenderoth, 2009 p87). This is because, such an organization does not rely on a physical distribution channel, but on the internet, which requires complete customer understanding, before a purchase is made from their site. While it would be most beneficial for the organizations offering physical tangible products to improve the supply and distribution chain, it would be more beneficial for the online organizations offering their pro duct over the internet to improve convenience and the purchasing experience of the customers (Burgers, 2008 p11). Therefore, while the distribution channels formed the basis of place as the component of the traditional marketing mix, convenience informs the basis of the digital and online marketing organizations. Therefore, there is a need to include convenience among the component of the marketing mix, to cater for the current growth in digital

Formative Assessment Essay Example for Free

Formative Assessment Essay These methods also enable me, as a teacher to measure success within the classroom. To evaluate whether learning is taking place, there are three assessment methods to use. Initial Assessment: To assess the learning capabilities of the learner an initial assessment will take place. This will enable me to determine whether there are any learning difficulties that may affect the learning and teaching process. Once any difficulties are found the relevant support can be given to the learner. Formative Assessment: This method is used to monitor the learning progress of the learners during the course. It will enable me to provide feedback on their progress and also give the learner the opportunity to give me feedback on my performance. This method can also highlight ant problems that may need o be addressed. Summative Assessment; Summative assessments takes place at the end of each course or learning session. It will assess to what extent learning has been achieved and to enable me to re-evaluate my own teaching methods. This will allow verifiers to assign course grades and certification. 1. 2 EXPLAIN THE USE OF METHODS OF ASSESSMENT IN LIFELONG LEARNING To explain how assessments show progress and achievement, it is essential to learn what an assessment is. Assessment for learning is a term used to describe how evidence of student learning is recorded by me the teacher and is used by both students and teachers to decide where a student is within their learning and what they need to do better or to keep to the level that they are working at. Assessment for learning is a very effective way to put on record that learning and good teaching are being achieved. Assessment for learning is a joint process between student and teacher where both are engaged in an on-going process of student progress and development. The assessment to use will depend on the subject in my case spanish and any requirements of the organisations involved. Although all teachers should use some initial assessment to identify needs of the learner and to see if they have any previous experience in the language work set to them which in my subject would be spanish. Assessment methods can be recorded for group or individualls to reflect on the ability of the students. The student or learning group and the activities you select and the learning outcomes might affect your choice of assessment methods in a lesson. Formative assessment takes place during learning with the purpose of improving learning and involves me as the teacher giving feed back into the learning process to help me as the teacher, to decide whether a student is ready to move on or needs to practice what is being learnt, or has still yet to learn. It is usually the teacher’s final decision as to whether a student is ready to move on to the next stage of the course. Formative assessment can take a variety of forms; peer and self assessment, verbal and written, questioning and marking. Summative assessment happens at the end of a course. To measure and talk to the student/groups about what they have learned so far in the lessons. Summative learning is less about informing and improving the learning process but more about measuring the end result; for example end of year exam. 1. 3 Compare the strengths and limitations of assessment methods to meet individual learner needs. Student questioning is an effective way for engaging students within the learning process, obtaining existing knowledge of the chosen course and demonstrating, thinking and understanding of the students enables me to informally yet formatively assess their knowledge and the understanding of the progress the student is making with their studying. For example; at the beginning of my micro teach session, which was a De-fragmentation learning exercise, I asked the group if any of them had any previous experiences. This aided me in what level to teach the group. A good ice-breaker can be used as a group activity, as in my micro teach i got the group to exchange questions and answers with the person next to them to get the group engaged. I then dealt with each learner individually by asking them how they were getting on and if they understood the subject. This simple but effective method engaged the group, then I could address the learners individually and provide individual needs for the said learner. David Miliband stated: ‘We need to do more than engage and empower pupils and parents in the selection of a school: their engagement has to be effective in the day-to-day processes of education, at the heart of the way schools create partnerships with professional teachers and support staff to deliver tailor-made services, In other words we need to embrace individual empowerment within as well as between schools. ’ References: Milliband,D (2004)’Personalised learning meeting individual learner needs’ Published by The Learning and kills Network. 2. Understand ways to involve learners in the assessment process. 2. 1. Explain ways to involve the learner in the assessment process. Carol Boston says ‘Black and William (1998b) define assessment broadly to include all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning. Under this definition, assessment encompasses teacher observation, classroom discussion, and analysis of student work, including homework and tests. Assessments become formative when the information is used to adapt teaching and learning to meet student need. Where and how do we include students in the formative assessment process? What is the role of technology in this feedback cycle? ’ Formative assessment, as I understand it, is an on-going process where both teachers and students evaluate assessment evidence in order to make adjustments to their teaching and learning. Robert Marzano has called it one of the more powerful weapons in a teachers arsenal. The formative assessment process can strengthen students abilities to assess their own progress, to set and evaluate their own learning goals, and to make adjustments accordingly. Formative assessment can also elicit valuable feedback from students about what teachers are doing effectively and what they could do better. Student Self-Assessment and Reflection Activities which promote meta-cognitive thinking and ask students to reflect on their learning processes are key to the formative assessment process. When students are asked to think about what they have learned and how they have learned it (the learning strategies theyve used), they are better able to understand their own learning processes and can set new goals for themselves. Students can reflect on their learning in many ways: answering a set of questions, drawing a picture or set of pictures to represent their learning process, talking with a partner, keeping a learning log or journal, etc. Goal Sheets Having students set their own goals and evaluate their progress toward achieving them is an effective part of the formative assessment process. Goal setting has a positive effect on student motivation and learning when the goals are specific and performance based, relatively short-term, and moderately difficult. Goal sheets are an effective way to help students set goals and track their progress. It is best to identify specific goals. For example, I will read in English for 20 minutes each night is more specific than I will read more. Also, goals need to be achievable in a short period of time and not impossibly difficult. The teacher can model how to set effective goals and also how to evaluate ones progress toward achieving them by asking students to periodically write or talk about what they have achieved, what they still would like to achieve, and how they will do it. 2. 2. Explain the role of peer and self-assessment in the assessment programme F. Dochy (2006) said ‘The growing demand for lifelong learners and reflective practitioners has stimulated a re-evaluation of the relationship between learning and its assessment, and has influenced to a large extent the development of new assessment forms such as self-, peer, and co-assessment. Three questions are discussed: (1) what are the main findings from research on new assessment forms such as self-, peer and co-assessment; (2) in what way can the results be brought together; and (3) what guidelines for educational practitioners can be derived from this body of knowledge? A review of literature, based on the analysis of 63 studies, suggests that the use of a combination of different new assessment forms encourages students to become more responsible and reflective. The article concludes with some guidelines for practitioners. ’ Principles for using self and peer assessment 1. The purpose for using self and peer assessment should be explicit for staff and students A major reason for using self and peer assessment is for its role in developing students skills in improving learning and in helping students to improve their performance on assessed work. Additionally, it has a place as a means of summative assessment. 2. There is no reason why peer and self assessment should not contribute to summative assessment In many such cases such assessment will not contribute a major proportion of the mark until it has been well tried and tested. However, in a well-regulated scheme, there is no reason to limit the proportion of the marks involved. It is particularly important that the principles below are noted. 3. Moderation For any situation in which the mark from peer or self assessment contributes towards the final mark of the module, the member of staff should maintain the right to moderate student-allocated marks. The initial step in alteration of a student-allocated mark may be negotiation with the student(s) concerned. 4. Instances of unfair or inappropriate marking need to be dealt with sensitively Any instances of collusive (friendship) marking need to be dealt with sensitively and firmly. 5. The quality of feedback on student work must be maintained In situations of self and peer assessment, students are usually in a position to learn more than from situations of tutor-marked work. They learn from their engagement in assessing and frequently from oral, in addition to written feedback. However, the tutor should monitor the feedback and, where appropriate, elaborate it to ensure that students receive fair and equal treatment. 6. Assessment procedures should always involve use of well-defined, publicly-available assessment criteria While this is true of all assessment, it is particularly true where relatively inexperienced assessors (students) are involved. The assessment criteria may be developed by the tutor, but greater value is gained from the procedure if students are involved in developing the criteria themselves. 7. Involvement of students in assessment needs careful planning Many students see assessment as a job for staff, but at a later stage they are likely to recognise the benefits to their academic learning and skill development. Initial efforts will take time and tutor support. For these reasons, it is preferable that the use of peer and self assessment is seen as a strategy to improve learning and assessment across a whole programme. The common situation is for these assessment procedures to appear in isolated modules, often not at level 1. 8. Self and peer assessment procedures should be subject to particularly careful monitoring and evaluation from the tutor and students point of view It can take time for such procedures to run smoothly and for this reason, the initial involvement of relatively few marks or solely formative assessment is wise. Student feedback to the tutor on the procedure will be important. 9. The use of peer and self assessment should be recognised as skill development in itself Such procedures are not just another means of assessment but represent the development of self-appraisal/evaluative, analytical, critical and reflective skills. These are important as employability skills and can be recognised in the learning outcomes of a module. References: Dochy,F (2006) Studies in Higher Education. Published by Web of Science(2006) 3. 1. Explain the need to keep records of assessment of learning. Record keeping is part of the role and responsibility of the tutor and some often these records are required by law or codes of practice in the institution or industry. But there are boundaries and legislation regarding what can be collected and kept and how it can be used. The Data Protection Act 1998 states that records must be kept securely, be relevant and not excessive, accurate and up to date and not kept for longer than necessary. Students can request a copy of all information held about them under The Freedom of Information Act 2000. All important things to bear in mind. The need for keeping records I like that you are forced to think about why there are these records, not just what they are or how they work. Why are these records being kept, to what end? †¢ Track progress †¢ Prove achievement. †¢ Identify issues such as low attendance / learning difficulties †¢ Ensure all sections of course have been completed It could be that a lot of these are required by your institution. But I’m not sure that’s the best answer: â€Å"because I have to†. Take it one step further back and think about why the organisation requires you to keep or submit them. Once you’ve thought about what records you need then it is on to how you collect and categorise that information. The types of records you would maintain A lot of this focuses more on the pastoral side, which I think is nice. Make sure you show a variety of types of records, to show you have thought about the full spectrum: †¢ Attendance and assessment †¢ Everything in between †¢ Tutorials, one to ones, learning reviews / goals / plans 3. 2. Summarize requirements for keeping records of assessment in an organisation. Recording and Keeping Assessment Results Most organisations have a process in place for recording the results of assessments, and so does your Registered Training Organisation. It is not uncommon as well for assessors to maintain their own records in case of any follow up or appeals. A generic approach would be: †¢ Assessor either records or passes on the results for recording †¢ Assessor checks that the result has been accurately recorded †¢ Result provided to learner There are several reasons why the results need to be kept: †¢ Feedback to learner †¢ Legislative requirements †¢ Record in case of appeal †¢ Company records for future training needs Recognition of Prior Learning Another reason to maintain a record is for the recognition of prior learning and credit transfer processes. If outcomes can be matched by different training organisations detailed records of exactly how competency is assessed simplify the process. It also means, the competency a learner has acquired in one environment may be considered in another, different environment. With records a learner can apply to have prior learning recognised often before commencing a new training program. While it is necessary to keep a record of the actual result, it can be useful to also keep details on how the assessment was made. Training Records and Confidentiality Generally speaking, the only way an external person is able to access another persons record is with the written permission of the person involved. |Access to records must be restricted for the sake of confidentiality. | | |Generally, managers and supervisors have limited access to personal files, but consider: | | |Who should have access to assessment records? | | |Why would they need the information? | | |What level of detail do they require? | | Each organisation will have a policy and procedures for access that should comply with ethical and legal obligations. It would be worthwhile checking your store policy and procedures in relation to this area.

The benefits of mental toughness in sport

The benefits of mental toughness in sport ABSTRACT On the basis of advantages that a mental toughness can offer to a performer, the study was designed to develop the understanding of the components of mental toughness in sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the components of mental toughness as perceived by the researcher and was guided by the two questions, which are as follows: What are the components of mental toughness and To what degree those components of mental toughness are trainable or teachable to a particular player. 10 cricket players ageing from fourteen years of age to twenty years of age were selected for the research so that they have enough experience to answer the questions in the research. The procedure of this was that the research is based on the questionnaire of mental toughness given by Sparkes in 1998. Each participant had to fill the questionnaire for the purpose of evaluating the importance and trainability of twenty different components of mental toughness. INTRODUCTION Cricket is one of the most popular games having a very high viewership and followers. Cricket is basically a mental game that requires a lot of psychological skills in addition to basic playing skills. These skills make player a champion and different from ordinary player. He (champion) is able to display his psychological as well as playing skills during the course of the game. Among the various psychological skills, mental toughness is an important psychological factor that effect’s player’s performance in matches. Sometimes, cricket teams despite their talents lose their matches. The researches on these poor performance lead to the finding that the players in these teams lack mental toughness and the ability to bounce back from the setback of losses. There is an evident to prove it when cricket’s great legend Sir Vivian Richards attributed the Indian cricket team’s loss in West Indies during the cricket world cup 2007 in the first round as the lack of m ental toughness in Indian players. Loehr (1986), he popularised the term mental toughness in sports performance and contested that at least half of superior performances can be due to mental toughness. Mental toughness is regarded as the most important factor in sports to achieve the goals and perform excellent. Jones, Hanton and Connaughton (2002), they stated that mental toughness can be defined as having a natural or developed psychological edge that helps or enables a player to generally cope better than his opponents in many demands (competition, training) and specifically would be more consistent and better than the opponents in remaining focused and determined and goal oriented in his sport. Attributes of mental toughness (Sparkes 1998), he talked about twelve different attributes that a player should have to be ideally mentally tough performer. For further investigation of mental toughness, the following questions were developed to guide this research. What are the essential components of mental toughness as perceived by the cricketers? To what degree are these stated components of mental toughness are trainable or teachable? On the basis of these two major criteria, the player was asked the following questions: I can bounce back from the from the set back as a result of increased determination to succeed. I have an unshakable self belief that i possess the unique qualities that make me better than my opponents. I have an insatiable desire and internalised motive to succeed. I remain fully focused on the task in hand in the face of competition- specific distractions. I am able to regain psychological control if facing uncontrollable situations. I can push back the boundaries of emotional and physical pain, while still maintaining techniques and effort in distress in training and competition. I accept that competition anxiety is inevitable and knowing that i can cope with it. I don’t get adversely affected by other’s good or the bad performances. I can thrive on the pressure of competition. I remain fully focused in the face of personal life distractions REVIEW OF LITERATURE The present study was undertaken to explore the physiological profile of the cricket players and to find to what degree their mental toughness, goal orientation actually helps them in their performances. The result showed that there is no significant correlation between mental toughness and different types of goal orientation i.e. task orientation and ego orientation. At the same time, the motivation dimension of mental toughness was found to be significantly related to both ego and goal orientation. (Duda and Hall,2001) Moreover task orientation has been found to be positively associated with various indicators of motivation, including intrinsic motivation positive affect and the tendency to seek out the new and challenging experiences and to try hard in difficult situations. (Ntoumanis and Biddle, 1999) â€Å"The general lack of clarity and precision surrounding the term mental toughness is unfortunate, since it ism arguably one of the most important physiological attributes in achieving performance excellence. (Jones, 2002) Another study conducted by researchers stated that mental toughness is an important physiological characteristic of the game. (Gould, 1987, 1993 and 2002); (Williams, 1998);( Jones, 2002) â€Å"It appears therefore, that virtually any desirable positive psychological characteristic associated with sporting success has been labelled as mental toughness at one time or the other†. (Jones,2002) METHOD This chapter will discuss the participants, procedure, analysis and instrument used in the study. This study involves both quantitative and qualitative measures of the components of the mental toughness of sportspersons. PARTICIPANTS This, study consisted of 10 male cricketers from the division 3 and 2 category of cricket teams in the city. A mix of different teams and players were chosen to increase the diversity of the group. Each participant was needed to have a minimum of three years of playing cricket so that they can answer the questions in their knowledgeable way. INSTRUMENTATION The instrument used in this study is the questionnaire comprised of twenty questions of mental toughness. These twenty questions comprised of twelve different components of mental toughness and eight components of preservance that were given by Sparkes in 1998. Each component was assessed by participants based on their perception of: The importance of including each component in the construct of mental toughness. The degree to which each component is trainable. The participants assessed both the importance and the degree to which the component is trainable, using a 5 point scale. Besides this two additional questions were also asked which are as follows: Are there other components of mental toughness that should be included which are not there in the questionnaire? Do you believe that there is any component that could be combined to form an individual, essential component of mental toughness? PROCEDURE When the questionnaire of mental toughness (Sparkes,1998) was adopted by the researcher, he then approached 10 different cricketers and asked them to fill up the questionnaire. Researcher also made sure that the identity of the players will be kept confidential i.e. it would not be disclosed to anyone. Researcher sat down with the players and asked them the questions and marked the answers himself. 1

School Readiness: Literature Review

School Readiness: Literature Review School Readiness The heart and core of this paper is the increased emphasis on School Readiness. The paper would define the integration, Cognition and Emotion with conceptualization of Childrens functioning at School level Entry. The character of work and society in the United States is changing. The technological nature of the information-based economy is placing increased emphasis on the active role of the individual in seeking out and applying knowledge in diverse ways. The workplace and the classroom increasingly require ready access to information and analytical and creative thinking skills that allow for self-regulated learning through goal setting, strategy use, and self-monitoring. Indeed, some see the ability of our educational institutions to enhance thinking skills and produce self-regulated learners as having broad implications for the future role of the United States in the global economy and the ongoing viability of the democratic process (Bransford, Brown, Cocking, 1999; Presidents Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, 1997). PART I Problem Statement From the standpoint of research on learning, the growing emphasis on thinking skills and self-regulation signals the need for increased understanding of the ways in which young children become active seekers and appliers of knowledge (Lambert McCombs, 1998). High levels of motivation and self-regulation are clearly associated with academic achievement independent of measured intelligence (Gottfried, 1990; Skinner, Zimmer-Gembeck, Connell, 1998). The developmental origins of motivation and engaged learning during early childhood, however, are less well known. Parents involvement, peer-group influences, and school characteristics have all been shown to influence motivation and engagement (e.g., Eccles, Wigfield, Schiefele, 1998; Grolnick Ryan, 1989; Ryan, 2000). But childrens characteristics associated with engagement in learning, particularly those related to brain development, have been less well studied. Part II Analysis of Policy Approaches Recent advances in developmental neuroscience indicate the rapid growth and modification in infancy and early childhood of brain areas that subserve self-regulation, including emotion, memory, and attention (Nelson Luciana, 2001). An important next scientific step in the study of self-regulation and engaged learning is the examination of implications of this rapid change and its determinants for functional outcomes, such as the adjustment to school (Byrnes Fox, 1998). To this end, I detail a central role for emotionality and emotion-related functioning in neurological development and childrens adjustment to school. I conclude by suggesting that influences on emotionality can influence the development of neurological interconnections among structures underlying emotion and higher order cognition. As such, these influences on emotionality are particularly relevant to the design and implementation of early compensatory educational programs to promote childrens school readiness (see Nelson, 2000b) and can assist in the ongoing construction of an empirical foundation on which to erect social policy designed to meet Americas foremost educational goal: ensuring that all children enter school ready to learn (Lewit Baker, 1995; Zigler, 1998). However, although my focus is on the development of self-regulation abilities as an aspect of school readiness, only by keeping in mind that readiness is a multidimensional construct involving family, peer, school, a nd community levels of influence will the value of the neurodevelopmental perspective on self-regulation become apparent. Ecologically minded thinkers on readiness focus on transactional, systemic models of influences and seek to define processes at multiple levels (S. L. Kagan, 1990, 1992; Meisels, 1996; Pianta Walsh, 1996). Within this developmental transactional approach, the study of emotionality provides an excellent framework for arraying multiple influences on readiness. Part III- (Recent Legislation) Whether defined as the regulation of emotion in appropriate social responding or the regulation of attention and selective strategy use in the execution of cognitive tasks, self-regulatory skills underlie many of the behaviors and attributes that are associated with successful school adjustment. Researchers have long considered intelligence to be a key predictor of success in school. Indicators of self-regulation ability, however, are independent and perhaps equally powerful predictors of school adjustment. Much of the literature on school readiness points to the importance of self-regulation (Grolnick Slowiaczek, 1994; Normandeau Guay, 1998; Wentzel, Weinberger, Ford, Feldman, 1990). Clear relations between achievement and the percentage of time that students are engaged in academic activities have been demonstrated both in elementary and in preschool regular and special education classrooms (Carta, Greenwood, Robinson, 1987; Greenwood, 1991). Emotionality and regulatory aspects of measures of temperament have also been implicated in school achievement in both regular and special education classrooms. Children who are temperamentally less distractible and exhibit more positively valenced and moderate levels of emotional intensity are rated by their teachers as being more teachable and achieve at higher levels academically than do children without these characteristics (Keogh, 1992; Martin, Drew, Gaddis, Moseley, 1988; Palinsin, 1986). As well, aspects of social and cognitive self-regulation, such as those implicated in friendship and social interaction skills (Ladd, Birch, Buhs, 1999) and in perceived control over learning (Skinner et al., 1998), point to a key role for childrens self-regulatory ability in the transition to school. Further, data from the National Center for Education Statistics survey of kindergarten teachers ratings of child characteristics considered to be essential or very important to being ready to start kindergarten indicate teachers predominant concern for regulatory aspects of childrens behavior (Lewit Baker, 1995). In particular, it is noteworthy that 84% of teachers endorsed that children need to be able to communicate wants, needs, and thoughts verbally, 76% endorsed the idea that children need to be enthusiastic and curious, and 60% endorsed that children need to be able to follow directions, not be disruptive of the class, and be sensitive to other childrens feelings. In contrast, only 21% of teachers endorsed the need for children to be able to use a pencil or paintbrush, and only 10% and 7%, respectively, endorsed knowing several letters of the alphabet and being able to count to 20 as being essential or very important to being ready to start kindergarten. In addition, in a survey conducted by the National Center for Early Development and Learning, 46% of a nationally representative sample of kindergarten teachers indicated that over half the children in their class lacked the kinds of abilities and experiences that would enable them to function productively in the kindergarten classroom (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, Cox, 2000). This suggests that many children are arriving at school without effective self-regulation skills. Overall, the results of these teacher surveys clearly indicate that kindergarten teachers are concerned with childrens regulatory readiness for school activities rather than with more strictly cognitive and academic aspects of readiness. The surveys suggest that teachers are concerned with being able to teach; that is, they are concerned with the capacity of each child to be attentive and responsive and to become engaged in the classroom. Development of Regulation Despite growing interest in self-regulation and evidence for its direct relevance to school readiness, individual differences in self-regulation and the relation of these individual differences to functional outcomes, such as the adjustment to school, have not been studied. The developing cognitive skills that, in part, form the basis for self-regulated learning are generally referred to as executive or metacognitive skills. Executive function is a construct that unites working memory, attention, and inhibitory control for the purposes of planning and executing goal-directed activity (Bell, 1998; Lyon Krasnegor, 1996; Zelazo, Carter, Reznick, Frye, 1997). That is, the construct combines basic cognitive processes within a goal-directed executive that marshals resources toward a desired end state. Normative developmental study of executive function, usually in cross-sectional designs with a battery of neuropsychological assessments, indicates an age-related maturational developmental course for the construct and its component processes (Krikorian Bartok, 1998; Luciana Nelson, 1998; Welsh, Pennington, Groisser, 1991). These findings support the idea that the emergence of behaviors indicative of cognitive processes involved in executive function are dependent to some extent on the development of the prefrontal cortex at ages approximately congruent with school entry (Gerstadt, Hong, Diamond, 1994; Luciana Nelson, 1998). As well, the finding that executive ability and general intelligence are only moderately correlated (Krikorian Bartok, 1998; Welsh et al., 1991) further underscores that executive regulatory skill is an independent contributor to the school-adjustment process. Clinical examination of frontal lobe damage has indicated that frontal dysfunction, depending on t he exact location of the deficit, leaves specific cognitive abilities and general intelligence largely intact but greatly impairs planning, self-monitoring, attention, and responsiveness to impending reward or punishment (Damasio, 1994; Eslinger, Biddle, Pennington, Page, 1999; Tranel Eslinger, 2000). A longitudinal study of the development of one aspect of executive cognition, referred to as effortful or inhibitory control has demonstrated it to be an antecedent of the internalization of norms of conduct in young children (Kochanska, Murray, Coy, 1997). When examined by a multimethod measure defined as the ability to inhibit a predominant response when instructed to engage in a subdominant response (i.e., to be told to wait to eat a cookie or to unwrap a present), effortful control has been shown to increase with age, to be stable, and to become increasingly coherent. As well, several characteristics of children and parents have been associated with the construct of effortful control. Childrens capacity for focused attention in infancy and maternal responsiveness to children, as well as parental personality characteristics such as dependability, prudence, and self-control, have been associated with variation in effortful control (Kochanska, Murray, Harlan, 2000). Similarly, maternal responsiveness in infancy, as assessed by a measure of the affective synchrony of the mother and child in face-to-face interaction, has been identified as a precursor of effortful control at age 24 months. Most notably, however, the interaction of mother–child affective synchrony with child negative emotionality appears to be a highly salient predictor of self-regulation. In particular, the impact of affective synchrony in mother–infant interaction on the development of effortful control is large for children exhibiting high negative emotionality in infa ncy. The effect of affective synchrony on effortful control for infants not characterized by negative emotionality is substantially smaller (Feldman, Greenbaum, Yirmiya, 1999). The role of negative emotionality in early intervention to prevent grade retention is of strong interest. Grade retention appears to be a well-intentioned educational practice that frequently has deleterious consequences for childrens academic and social success in school (Shepard Smith, 1989). In spite of evidence indicating adverse outcomes associated with its use, the practice persists, and effective programs to prevent its occurrence are needed. The continued use of grade retention as a remedial strategy seems to reflect the lack of alternative solutions when teachers have concerns about the academic progress, maturity, and general school readiness of individual children. To the extent to which grade retention is dependent on interrelations among childrens social, emotional, and cognitive adaptation to school, it may be that early compensatory education interventions that specifically address social and emotional functioning can prevent its occurrence. Future Directions Examination of emotionality within early intervention to promote school readiness and prevent grade retention provides a useful model for evaluating the role that programs to enhance social and emotional competence might play in preschool education. The study of emotionality suggests that a particularly promising direction for early intervention efforts may be the implementation in preschool and early elementary school of programs that combine interventions focusing on social and emotional competence with early compensatory education. Such programs would provide an exceptionally strong model for the promotion of school readiness and school success. As noted above, several early compensatory education interventions have demonstrated cognitive benefits to program recipients. Several school-based programs to enhance social and emotional competence have also demonstrated benefits to childrens social competence (see Eisenberg, Wentzel, Harris, 1998, for a review). An interesting area in which programs focusing on social competence interface with more cognitively oriented programs is problem solving related to the development of executive cognitive functioning. A particular example of the executive cognitive problem-solving approach to the promotion of prosocial behavior and social competence is the Promoting Alternative Thinking Skills (PATHS) curriculum, an intervention curriculum with demonstrated benefits to young childrens social competence, emotion regulation, and problem-solving skills in the early elementary grades (Greenberg, Kusche, Cook, Quamma, 1995). The neurobiological approach to early childhood education and school readiness is premised on the idea that the school classroom represents a distinct context within which specific regulatory demands are made of children. Children are expected to adapt to a socially defined role for which they may or may not have been previously socialized. Differences among children in the capacity for regulation within this environment, as well as differences in supports for childrens self-regulatory attempts both within and without this environment, are important to conceptualizations of readiness that view the transition to school within an ecological framework (Meisels, 1996; Pianta, Rimm-Kaufman, Cox, 1999). From the foregoing, it can be seen that a focus on childrens characteristics in the development of readiness does not preclude study of the influences of parents, schools, and communities. On the contrary, when viewed from the ecological contextual perspective that drives much of the resea rch on child development, it necessitates their inclusion. Researchers concerned with readiness over the past two decades have rightly moved from static child-focused conceptions of readiness embodied in academically oriented standardized tests of ability or aptitude. An exclusive focus on childrens cognitive skills and abilities in the assessment of readiness has proved to be of limited benefit (Pianta Walsh, 1996). This fact has rightly led researchers to seek alternative definitions for and determinants of readiness. This recognition of readiness as a socially constructed phenomenon has led to a broadening of the research base to include a focus on schools and teachers and the development of educational policies geared toward maximizing childrens potential for success in school (Graue, 1993; NAEYC, 1990; Willer Bredekamp, 1990). Continued efforts to foster readiness with an eye toward the neurobiology and psychophysology of childrens emotionality and regulation may be particularly likely to yield long-term benefits. In this, measures of biologically based processes can serve as both predictors and outcomes in the evaluation of programs to promote readiness and success in school. Programs to foster regulation can use physiological and neurocognitive measures to identify individuals at high risk for poor school outcome because of negative emotional reactivity. Treatment Ãâ€" Risk interactions can be specified that can increase the precision with which intervention effects on outcomes are estimated. Although-brain imaging techniques are perhaps not currently usable with children younger than seven years of age because of features of the assessment, magnetic resonance imaging and perhaps, under certain conditions, positron emission tomography could be used, along with physiological and neurocognitive assessments, as outcome measures of the efficacy of preschool interventions. Programs could demonstrate efficacy through assessments of behavioral outcomes and underlying neurobiology and physiology. As in the studies by Fox et al. (2001) and Davidson and Rickman (1999), which indicated change over time in emotional reactivity and EEG measures of frontal asymmetry, intervention studies might demonstrate change in frontal asymmetry and emotionality in response to curricula designed to reduce stress, foster emotional competence, and enhance attention, working memory, and other components of cognitive self-regulation. As noted by Nelson (1999), neuroscientific measurement techniques and knowledge of neural plasticity and human development are now sufficiently advanced to inform the conceptualization and evaluation of interventions to promote competence and foster resilience. PART IV Conclusion In conclusion, the neurobiological approach to the study of readiness can now supplant nativist or idealist conceptions of readiness that focus exclusively on maturation. The maturational view, primarily associated with Arnold Gessell (1925), posited that readiness comes about through the gradual development of abilities that facilitate learning: being able to sit quietly, to focus on work, to attend, and to follow directions. Certainly, there is some maturational component to the neurodevelopmental view of readiness; however, the traditional maturational view has been fully supplanted by an epigenetic conception of relations between nature and nurture (Elman et al., 1996). Indeed, the ideas that fostered the replacement of the traditional maturational view with an epigenetic conception of development were clearly in place in Gesells time, most notably in the work of Myrtle McGraw (1946/1995). Although any explicitly maturational view is and always has been unsuitable as a theoretical basis for child study, the child characteristics important for readiness that such a view purports to explain remain vital to the construct. In their modern form, however, these characteristics are now tethered to a comprehensive and ecologically sensitive framework relating neurobiological and behavioral research. Behavioral scientists, educators, and policymakers studying readiness and school adjustment should be aware of this. To this end, I have attempted to propose a conception of readiness that maintains a focus on relevant aspects of child functioning in a way that is theoretically and empirically well established and that has demonstrated or demonstrable links to family, peer, classroom, school, and community influences on readiness and school achievement.

Graduation Speech: No Day But Today -- Graduation Speech, Commencement

Mrs. Meke told me never to start a paper with a dictionary definition, but it only seemed fitting to site Merriam Webster today. Graduation is the act of acceptance of an academic degree or diploma. Never have Merriam and Webster been more off their mark. Graduation is much more than a simple ceremony, it is the culmination of 12 years of work, friendships, and the little moments that still make us smile. High school was more than its name leads you to believe. It wasn’t just school, it taught us a whole lot more than how to write a good essay, who laid the foundation for communism, and why we all should despise geometry proofs. High School taught us about love, life, work ethic, and how to be a person of substance, all of which might be more important than knowing what started World War I. Before we can move on, we must reflect. These have been four long years. We will cherish the good moments we have had here, games, dances, spirit days, lunches, musicals, field trips, and other countless extra curricular activities. When we look back with our rosy retrospective, these are the moments we will remember, besides in 20 years who really is going to remember how much stress their freshman bio exam caused them. We all came in this school together. We were a mixture of nervous, excited, and scared because this was an entire new world for us. Sure we may have been scared by the size of the building or we might have gotten lost on our first day, by the end of our four years, we had it all figured out. Its just our luck, the year we figure out the quickest way to each class, which hall has the coldest drinking fountain, and what is actually edible in the cafeteria, it is the year we have to leave and start this all over ag... ...lieve it or not, they really do care. They might show it by simply asking how your day was, coming in early or staying late to help you, holding a thousand reviews before the A.P. test, or letting you turn in your paper a few days late because you have had a lot on your plate and needed a little slack. There are many of you teachers here to whom we owe unending thanks and gratitude. It would simply take to long to list all of you individually and why we are thankful, but I wanted to let you know; you make me and so many others proud to be your students. Not only have you taught us millions of facts, events, and formulas, you have taught us about ourselves. There is an old Chinese Proverb that says, â€Å"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.† Well, you can let go of my hand today; I am ready to enter that door. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Interview With a Parent of a Child with Special Needs Essay -- Intervie

I interviewed a woman who has a child with special needs. The child is now in kindergarten. The mother reported having a normal pregnancy with no complications. This was the second child for the mother, who has another child who was five years old at the time. The mother disclosed that during the pregnancy, she was in the process of separating from the child’s father and that this caused a moderate level of stress. At the time of the pregnancy, the mother was also working full time as a waitress in a local restaurant. The mother reported that her job required her to be on her feet for long periods of time. She was able to work until around a week before her child was born. The mother reports that the child was born around two weeks early but that labor was easy and the child was born healthy. The mother described the child as being a fussy infant who had trouble sleeping and would awake several times during the night. The mother also reports the child was a fussy eater, and she experienced trouble feeding her daughter during infancy and needed to switch her daughter to soy formula. Overall the mother reported that the daughter was a happy infant who smiled often. The mother reported her child being alert and responding positively to family members who visited and enjoyed playing with her toys. In regards to the development, the mother reported that her daughter seemed to be developing slower than her first child who hit certain milestones earlier. The mother reports remembering her daughter babbling, but says she did not say her first word until much later on than her first child. She said that this was a concern for her and that she discussed it with her pediatrician who did not see any cause for alarm at the time. When t... ...orking collaboratively with families is to be patient understanding. Do not assume their unwillingness is because they do not want to help their child. I would also say that it is important for them to keep communication open make an effort to include the parents. â€Å" Take the initiative to a establish coequal relationship. Don’t be discouraged by limited initial success.† (Oslens & Fuller 2012, p 128.) References: o http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/K †¢ Gerald Mahoney, Ann Kaiser, Luigi Girolametto, James MacDonald, Cordelia Robinson, Philip Safford, and Donna Spiker Parent Education in Early Intervention: A Call for a Renewed Focus Topics in Early Childhood Special Education Fall 1999 19: 131-140, †¢ Olsen, Glenn W., and Mary Lou Fuller. Home and school relations: teachers and parents working together. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.

Faculty Competitiveness at a State University Essay

Not only that universities’ focus is onto students but also to each and every members of the state universities and from this, faculty members, staff and employees must be given due credit and importance for their worth helping each universities foster high quality education. PUP The University employs 1,483 full-time and part-time faculty members with a few of the full-time faculty holding administrative positions. There are 707 regular and casual administrative employees who provide support services to the University population. The faculty spend two-thirds of their time in teaching and one-third in research and extension activities. Awards Received: †¢It was recognized as a Centre for the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program, which allows the PUP to confer degrees on many professionals who have yet to obtain their baccalaureate degrees after enrolling in a non-traditional structure course of learning. †¢President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo proclaimed PUP as Philippine National Comprehensive University in 2004, during the university’s centennial. †¢The PUP has obtained recognition as a Centre for Development in the field of Information Technology from the Commission on Higher Education. †¢Named as the Virtual Centre for Technology Innovation by the Department of Science and Technology. †¢The university was deemed the First Cyber University IT Park in the Philippines by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. †¢Ave Perez Jacob – Palanca Awardee, Writer †¢Domingo De Guzman, Lecturer – Palanca Awardee, Psychoanalyst UP Almost 26. 6 per cent of its faculty have doctorate degrees and 36. 2 per cent have master’s degrees. The rest are working on their graduate studies. Awards Received: †¢Dr. Caesar Saloma, Dean of the College of Science, UP Diliman was awarded the ASEAN Outstanding Scientist and Technologist Award. The awarding took place during the 8th ASEAN Science and Technology Week held in Manila on July 7, 2008. The award is given every three years. †¢Dr. Walden Bello, a professor of Sociology at UP Diliman, received the Outstanding Public Scholar Award for 2008 from the International Political Economy (IPE) Section of the International Studies Association (ISA). He is only the second person to receive the award, the first being Dr. Susan George of France in 2007. George wrote the book How the Other Half Dies, which deals with global hunger. Bello received the award on March 28, 2008 during the ISA’s 49th annual meeting in San Francisco, California. †¢Wayne Dell Manuel, a software developer at the National Telehealth Centre of the University of the Philippines, bested more than 700 other international contestants to win the Google Map Maker Global Competition. The contest encourages Google Map users from around the world to map universities, schools and hospitals to enable humanitarian organizations to navigate countries during times of crisis. ? †¢Lourdes Cruz, a professor at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City is one of the recipients of the 2010 L’Oreal-UNESCO Awards in the Life Sciences, for discovering the use of snail toxins to study brain functions. She is one of five exceptional women scientists in the world to be awarded by the UNESCO on March 4, 2010, in Paris, France. †¢Filipino environmental advocate and UP College of Law professorial lecturer, Antonio Oposa Jr. was among the recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for â€Å"his path breaking crusade to engage Filipinos in acts of enlightened citizenship that maximize the power of law to protect and nurture the environment for themselves, their children, and generations still to come. † Awarding ceremonies was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Aug. 31, 2009. †¢Prof. Matthew M. Santamaria of the UP Asian Center was among the eight professors and students who made up the Philippine delegation to the Shanghai Theatre Expo 2009. The delegation, headed by Prof. Ricardo Abad of Ateneo de Manila University and Nick Lizaso of UNESCO ITI-Philippines, represented the country in the scheduled â€Å"Theme Workshops. † †¢Distinguished writer and UP professor Jose â€Å"Butch† Dalisay Jr. became the first Filipino to participate in the PENÃ'Ž World Voices Festival of International Literature, a gathering of about 160 writers from more than 50 countries, held from April 27 to May 3, 2009. EARIST EARIST in its 10 colleges consists of 400 faculty members and staffs. 350,000 Alumni members are presently working in the different fields of discipline all over the world with special mention; in the USA, Europe, Asian countries, and in the Philippines as Government Officials such as; Secretary, Deputy Secretary in the Philippine Cabinet, Senate, member of the Congress, etc. Recognition: †¢Baccalaureate College for Liberal Arts †¢Comprehensive Teaching and Baccalaureate University Level II †¢Graduate Capable HEI’s Level III †¢(Results of the CARNEGIE 2003 Classification Evaluation on the Typology of Philippine Higher Education) †¢Awarded Level II Status in the fourteen Degrees Programs (Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines) †¢Rated SUC Level II by CHED-DBM-PASUC Leveling EvaluationÃ'Ž SOURCES: http://www. pup. edu. ph/academic/colleges. asp â€Å"UP employee wins Google map contest,† Manila Standard Today, March 3, 2010. â€Å"Science prof chosen for UNESCO award in the life sciences,† Philippine Star, October 25, 2009. â€Å"Environmentalist wins Ramon Magsaysay Award,† Manila Standard Today, August 4, 2009. Manila Bulletin, June 5, 2009. â€Å"First Filipino in PEN World Voices Festival in New York,† Manila Bulletin, May 23, 2009.

Killology Essay

Do violence in the media and interactive entertainment, such as video games and movies, influence children to have the will to kill? According to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, an expert on the psychology of killing, both play a big role in child murders. There are several methods to this madness by which people can actually motivate themselves to take another human life, such as, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, brutalization, and role models. These practices are used in the military to train soldiers to kill, just as the media is doing to our children. Monday, December 1st, 1997 began like any other day for the students of Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. Student Michael Carneal rode to school with his sister, carrying with him, what he claimed to be, an art project. As his fellow classmates gathered that morning in the lobby of the school, holding a prayer group, he fired eight rounds from a . 22 caliber pistol. Out of those eight rounds he landed five head shots and three upper torso shots, killing three teenagers. Not only did he land all eight shots, but the shots were so precise that elite military and law enforcement agencies were stunned by his expertise. The fact that he had never fired a real gun in his life was something that disturbed authorities even more. Nowhere in the records of military or law enforcement history could the â€Å"equivalent† achievement be found. So what was it that made this young man so violent and deadly at such a young age? (â€Å"The shooting,† 2010, para. 1) It’s one of the methods used by the military to train their soldiers called operant conditioning, a powerful procedure of stimulus-response training techniques that attempt to influence behavior by manipulating reinforcers. They learn to fire at realistic figures that pop up in the field. The stimulus is the target, and the response is, shooting to kill. This procedure is repeated over and over, hundreds of times, until their natural response when someone pops up on the battlefield is to kill. Research has suggested that violent video games played a big role in the choice Michael made that day. He was trained through operant conditioning just as the soldiers are, except his was through violent video games. Following the shooting there was a $130-million law suit filed against the video game manufacturers in that case. This case is said to be working its way through the appeals system of the courts. (Metcalf, Stubblefield, & Ettinger, 2011, p. 152) Violent video games train our children to kill, glorify violence, desensitize them to suffering, and trivialize violence. Every time a child plays an interactive video game, he or she is learning the exact same conditioned reflex skills as a soldier or police officer in training. Kids are playing more and more violent video games that are rated for a mature audience. So, ask yourself this question; how do fourteen year old teenagers obtain video games that are rated â€Å"Mature? † Better yet, why are they allowed by their parents to play the evil, sadistic games? Parents should replace the violent video games with non-violent, stimulating, and educational games; those which enhance knowledge, creativity and imagination. The violent crime rate is at a phenomenally high level, not just in America, but worldwide. According to Interpol, the per capita assault rate increased nearly fivefold in Norway and Greece between the years of 1977 and 1993. In Mexico and Brazil, the numbers are skyrocketing, and in Japan juvenile crime went up by thirty percent in 1997 alone. (Metcalf, Stubblefield, & Ettinger, 2011, p. 150). The virus of violent crime is occurring worldwide, and the explanation for it has to be some new factor that is occurring in all of these countries. There are many factors involved in the action of violent crime, and we must never downplay any of them. There is only one new variable present in each of these nations, and it is that media violence is now being presented as a viable entertainment option for children. Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 150) Another method used by the Japanese, in World War II, which we also see done with the media, is classical conditioning. This technique is best remembered as Pavlovian conditioning, associating a stimulus with a response according to a specific reinforcement schedule, such as violence linked to pleasure. As Pavlov did with the dog, by associating the bell with food and eventually the dog could not hear the bell without salivating, the media does with the children. How often do we watch the news and learn of something good that has happened in the world? They are always focusing on all of the violence that is going on in the world. Our children see this as well, and they learn to associate death with pleasure. To better understand the role that violence and the media inherit, in the entertainment complex, plays in the increase of murders among the young and impressionable. We must first look at the methods by which killers can be made. Though such a difficult subject cannot be completely explained by these factors alone, it is important to note the contribution each one makes. Throughout the course of human history, it is thought that healthy members of most species have a natural resistance to killing their own kind. However, when human beings are overwhelmed with anger and fear, thought processes become primitive. We slam head-on into that hardwired resistance against killing. One of the methods that shift this natural resistance is what is commonly known as brutalization. Quite similar to a military boot camp, brutalization is a forced shift in values. The subject is made to conform to a new set of rules, abandoning all sense of individuality. They are trained relentlessly in a total immersion environment and the end result is a person who not only embraces the violence and the discipline, but accepts them as normal and an essential survival skill in a new and increasingly brutal world. (Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 151) A very similar thing is happening to our children through violence in the media. At eighteen months old, a child can begin to understand and mimic what they see on television, and up until the ages of six or seven they are physically, developmentally, and psychologically unable to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality. When they see an instance of rape, murder or degradation on the television or in the media, to them it is real. Some of them welcome the violence and accept it as a normal and vital survival skill in a cruel, new world. In nations, regions and cities where television is a constant source of entertainment, there is an immediate eruption of playground violence, and within fifteen years, there is a doubling of the murder rate, but why fifteen years? That’s how long it takes for a desensitized toddler to reach their â€Å"prime crime† years. Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 151) By the time the brutalized toddlers have reached their teenage years, they have developed role models. Today, violence in the media is providing our children with role models. When the images of young killers are broadcast on television, they become role models. The media has every right and responsibility to tell the story, but they have no right to glorify the killers by presenting their images on television. (Grossman, 2000, p. ) The ultimate achievement for our children is to get their picture on television, and with such vulnerable, young minds they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that. I say it is time for the world to stop televising such violence and let law enforcement deal with it. If they know who the killer is then why does it have to be broadcast for our children to see? I truly believe that the media is highly responsible for a lot of killings in this world, along with the violent video games, and I pray that one day there will be something done to stop it.

Romeo and Juliet Compare and Contrast Essay

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to revive old traditions from the past and appreciate them in our modern and exponential times. However, there still are possibilities to cherish some of the archaic literature today that were written so long ago. Celebrated as one of the greatest dramas of all time, Romeo and Juliet depicts a tragedy of two lovers who come from feuding families. The play was first written in the 1500s by William Shakespeare. Almost four-hundred years later, the tragic play was made into a movie in 1968 by Franco Zeffirelli.There are similarities in props and scenes, and distinctions between the original play and the 1968 movie considering the moods and plot details. Either way, the play and the 1968 movie both have glorious presentations. As for the mood, there a few differences between the two versions of the tragedy. In the dialogue of marriage in the play, Romeo and Juliet are serious and sedate. In Zeffirelli’s version of the play, the marriage scene make s Romeo and Juliet to look almost like fools of young love because they are constantly kissing and giggling.In a marriage, the bride and groom are to be calm and patient because it is an important step in their lives, and the play shows this kind of character. The movie does not portray this realistic kind of character. During the â€Å"funeral† ceremony for Juliet, the Friar Lawrence made a giggle because he already knew about the secret plan. This part destroyed the sad and mischievous mood of the scene. Nevertheless, I believe the play and Zeffirelli’s movie did a great job in explaining the tragedy, but the movie could have been a lot more enticing if it weren’t for those minor slip-ups.The play also could have used some help because it felt like the characters lacked some expression unlike the movie, but I cannot criticize which one was better because the play is the way it is to be. One thing that the movie and the play collaborated together, were the prop s and scenes. Full of old-fashioned dresses and rocky buildings, both productions have a very 1500s mood. Aside from the moods of the play, some of the plot details have been left out in both the movie production and the play. The play does a good job of explaining why Romeo was upset with Rosaline.The movie-viewers are confused up to why Romeo is upset. Besides, if it weren’t for Rosaline, Romeo would never have met Juliet in the first place. I believe the wedding scene in the movie was a good choice, which wasn’t shown in the play. The viewers would be confused at a point when watching the play because they would not know if Romeo and Juliet get married or not. Zeffirelli’s movie shows the marriage scene of Romeo and Juliet which made the plot clearer. One thing that seemed constant and realistic in the movie is the number of deaths in the tragedy.The play shows the tragedy of six deaths, while the movie shows only four deaths. One of the goals that most movie -makers have in order to make a successful movie is to leave the audience on happy note and not depressed. Unlike from Shakespeare, who wanted to express dramatic, tragic, and young love, Zeffirelli did what was best for the audience and plot of the movie by decreasing the number of deaths in his production. Plus, I do appreciate the fact that the movie actually follows the play, unlike other movie productions of stories. The plot details in the scenes seemed pretty constant overall.Unable to admire obsolete literature, we often tend to forget the old saying, â€Å"old is gold. † Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written in the 16th century by William Shakespeare. The tragedy tells a legend about two young lovers who come from long-rivaling families. In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli made this play into a movie, after realizing the beauty of this tragedy. However, there are similarities and difference between the two production like mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, the original play and the 1968 movie tend to be some of the greatest classics to be told.