My Philosophy of Education :: Teaching Education Essays

My Philosophy of Education As a future educator with a concentration in reading and social studies, I believe that students learn better in an environment where they are actively learning and teaching one another. I also believe children learn best through actively learning and applying the concepts they should be learning. I will hold myself to the following ethical foundations. I believe that every child, no matter who he/she is or what his/her circumstances are, deserves to receive a good education. I believe that equality for all children is absolutely necessary in the classroom., along with fairness, truth and honestly which play important roles in education. Therefore, I see myself as an existentialist in that children need freedom in education to find out who they are and to discover things for themselves. I also see myself as a progressivist. I believe that the classroom should a place where children feel comfortable and secure. I believe each child is different, and I must adapt my teaching to the way the child best learns. I believe axiology is important in education. The goal of education should not be that the child passes a test, but whether or not he or she actually learns what is needed to be known, and can use that knowledge in their life. My purpose is to guide and help them learn the things they will need for their lives and to do that with a positive attitude. My classroom will be a place where children can feel secure and equal. There will always be diversity in the classroom since no one is ever the same, but everyone deserves to have the best education possible and should not be looked down upon because of their ethnic background or race. I want the classroom to have a positive family-type atmosphere where everyone is supported and no one is put down. It will be a room that encourages the imaginations of the children and their curiosities.

Discursive Essay Essay

Discursive Essay It is argued nowadays on whether teenagers, who go to school, should be wearing a uniform. There are many advantages but also some disadvantages, such as : All the students wearing the same uniform , which can take the stress off looking better than other students as they are wearing similar attire, and also having a uniform can make a person look smart and respectable, but on the other hand, students can feel that their uniforms are too boring and doesn’t show their personailty or their style well enough, and that for certain schools, uniforms can be expensive, especially if it is a larger family they are being bought for. An advantage of uniforms would be that, all the students are wearing similar clothing, so no-one will feel as if they don’t look good enough or that they have to impress anyone. Students would probably feel this way if it were a non-uniform school, and would be under stress trying to buy new clothes every week or month to impress their classmates. So having a uniform is beneficial to certain people as they may not be as well off as other and won’t be able to afford new clothes all the time. I think this is a very strong point as i agree that students wouldn’t feel pressured to impress their friends with new clothes, and that their parents would save a fortune with a uniform as uniforms only have to be renewed every month or so. Another advantage of uniforms would be that they look smart and respectable, which can give the impression that the student goes to a great school, and that he/she is quite intelligent. Furthermore, some schools that don’t have a dress code, their pupils look casual and it doesn’t look like they even go to school. In addition to that, when schools have a non-uniform day, it can be more exciting because its a day where they can show off their non-school clothes. I strongly agree with this point because students do look more sensible in a uniform rather than casual attire, and i also agree that, when schools do have a non-uniform day, they want to look nice and show off their designer clothes, where as, at a school which has no dress code, they have probably already worn their designer clothes to school, so they would resort to buying even more clothes to impress, which will cost a fortune. Which brings me to my next and final point on the advantages of having a uniform, The cost. Some private schools uniforms may cost considerably more but would you rather pay for a full uniform at a dear price, or buy new clothes every week or two for around the same price range, or more? Most public school uniforms don’t cost an incredible amount, and only have to be renewed after a month or two. I do agree with this point as it is true about having to buy new clothes all the time would cost an awful lot, and that you could buy a full uniform for around the same price. Uniforms may be good in some ways, but some students strongly dislike them for multiple reasons. One disadvantage of uniforms would be the image. The first though that comes into a students head when they see a uniform is that, they look boring, and the reason for this is understandable as uniforms usually consist of one, two, or maybe even three colours, but these colours are usually neutral, boring colours that aren’t very eye catching. But you never really see a uniform that has colours like bright yellow or even multiple colours that would definately make you stand out from the crowd. I do agree with this point very much as uniforms can be extremely dull and boring looking, and wearing a uniform that has colours such as brown or black would probably make you feel quite depressed and unhappy, and i also think that there should be much more colourful uniforms that stand out more. Another disadvantage of uniforms would be the type of clothings schools make you wear, such as skirts. Skirts at any length can make any girl feel uncomfortable, no matter how big or small the girls are. The reason for this is because they may have to show their legs, by wearing knee-high socks, or even wearing tights can be uncomfortable for them as their not used to wearing skirts. In addition to that, when it gets into the winter period, some girls are still forced to wear skirts, even when the temperatures are below 0’C I strongly agree with this, as girls should be aloud to choose whether they wish to wear trousers or a skirt, and i also believe that it is wrong to force girls to wear skirts in the winter period, as they will be freezing going to school. My final disadvantage of uniforms would be that they can hide a students personality, their style, and who they really are, and this really irritates students if the teachers are too strict and will not allow simple jewellery, accessories or extra clothing. I strongly agree with this statement as its true that students should be able to show how unique they are and show their personalities through the way that they dress. Even if its a few extra peircings or a bright hair dye, students should be able to do so as trying different things and styles is part of growing up. Having a uniform prevents this. In conclusion, i believe students should be able to wear whatever they wish to school, and not have to wear a uniform. I say this because uniforms are extremeley boring and depressing if they consist of one, dark, dull colour. And i agree that if the school is very strict about what the students are wearing to school, it can hide the students personality or how unique they are.

Han’s Crime

Hand's wife gave birth to a baby eight months after their marriage. Han was under the Impression that the baby belonged to his wife's cousin. Han told everyone that It was a premature birth. This explained why the baby died so soon; nevertheless, It was actually the wife who killed the baby by smothering It with her breasts. For the rest of Mr.. And Mrs.. Hand's marriage, Han did not approach his wife and ask her if the baby was his. It seems to me that Han does not face his problems, but runs away from them or take the easy way out. For example, Han did not want to ivories his wife because he did not want there to be any wrong on him.If Han had confronted her about the possible affair as well as the death of their baby, their marriage would have gone in a completely different direction that did not end in one of them killing the other. I do not mean to say that they would have lived happily ever after or anything, but it definitely would have helped their relationship with each othe r. The birth and death of the baby symbolizes a new beginning for Han. â€Å"The child's death seemed Like retribution for everything and I decided that I should be as ignoramus as possible†.Han replaced the love for his wife with a tremendous hatred towards her. He thought of divorcing her, but having recently converted to Christianity he did not want there to be any wrong by his doing. Hand's actions cause me to think of him as the kind of person who works hard to please everybody. I mean, his Job is to entertain people. Becoming a Christian definitely made him an even greater person in his audience's eyes. When he was in the courtroom he told the judge that he did not know if he was guilty or not, he decided to tell the truth.I decided that the best way of being acquitted would be to make a clean breast of everything†, â€Å"Why not be completely honest†. That that is the kind of thing someone who wants to please people would say in his situation. In my opinio n Han did not mean to kill his wife; on the contrary, subconsciously he did kill her on purpose. Han would never hit his wife. Yes he was harsh, but never did he physically harm her. Of course that was Just because his conscious told him that that was wrong. Deep down Han wanted to hurt her and rid of her. Even though the

Financial Analysis on Coles Myer & Woolworths Essay

Introduction Coles Myer Limited (CML) and Woolworths Limited (WOW) are two major Australian companies with extensive retail interest and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. They are Australian public companies which operate a number of retail chains. CML is Australia’s second largest retailer, behind WOW. It operates a number of chains of retail outlets which are including Coles Supermarkets, Bi-Lo, Liquorland, Pick ‘n Pay Hypermarket, Kmart, Officeworks, Target, Harris Technology and Coles Express (Wikipedia, 2006) . WOW is currently the largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales. WOW operates in Australia through several retail banners such as Woolworths and Safeway Supermarkets, BWS, Dan Murphy’s, BIG W, Dick Smith Power House and Dick Smith Electronics (Wikipedia, 2006) . The purpose of this report is to analyse financial performances of the two publicly listed companies in last 5 years by using series of calculation tools include horizontal analysis and financial ratios. Also as a recommendation, we will advise investors to buy or not buy the two companies’ shares according to the results of the performance analysis. Financial Condition (See Appendix 1 & 2 for ratio details) 1. Overview The WOW’s revenue has increased every year, one year as great as 149.90 % in 2005 (see appendix 11 for details). In 2001, revenues were 20915.1 million while in 2005 revenue has increased to 31352.5 million. Since revenue increased, the net profit obviously has increased as well. Net profit rose 84.70% from 2001 to 2005. The Horizontal Analysis (Appendix 11 &; 14) indicates WOW is a very successful company and earning money. CML’s revenue has increased 52% and the net profit rose 314% from 2001 to 2005, the growth was tremendous because it occurred in typical connection with the restructuring of the method of financing a foreign operation (Financial Report, 2005). 2. Liquidity Current ratio This ratio represents the financial liquidity of the company. ‘The current  ratio compares the assets a company can quickly convert to cash to the liabilities it must pay in the near term’ (Vance, D. E. 2003). The higher the ratio, the more liquid the company is. For CML, there was a slight increase of 0.04 from 2001 to 2002. Then it followed by an obvious fall from 1.37 to 1.09 during period from 2002 to 2005. This represents that one-unit current liabilities is secured by 1.37 units of current assets in 2002 and 1.09 units, nearly one current asset for one current liability, in 2005. From the perspective of WOW, the ratio starts from 0.81 up to 0.84 then declined to 0.81 and finally dropped to 0.82 during this period of time. The current ratios are all less than one, indicating that one current asset will prepare for the payment of more than one unit current liability. That leads to high liquidity risk in the business operation. If there is an emergency to WOW, it wi ll encounter the problem of repayment. Quick ratio Quick ratio is similar with current ratio, but more conservative than current ratio, because in numerator, inventory is excluded from current assets, and in dominator, bank overdraft is excluded from current liabilities. ‘The quick ratio addresses the issue of whether current assets could cover current liabilities if inventory were found to be worthless’ (Vance, D. E. 2003). WOW experienced a slight increase from 0.2 to 0.26 in this period of time. In contrast, CML experienced a modest fluctuation and end up with 0.28 in 2005, the lowest one in 5-year time and the highest one is 0.41 in 2003. Generally, the quick ratios of CML exceed the ones of WOW. Cash flow ratio Cash flow ratio will analyse the ability of repayment on current liabilities from the perspective of the operating cash flows. Vance, D. E. (2003) states that it is another way to think about the risk of leading to, or investing in a company. These two companies both experienced a drop on this ratio from 2004 to 2005, 0.35 for WOW and 0.3 for CML in 2005. 3. Financial leverage Equity ratio & debt ratio Equity ratio and debt ratio are both designing for capital structure and they are negatively related with each other. The cost of equity is higher than the cost of debt, but shareholders will not require companies to repay them dividends and principals any time. However, companies must pay the debt holders interests and principals each year. And increasing leverage ratio will result in increasing the return to shareholders, yet at the same time, it will increase the repayment commitments and then raise the risk to company and shareholders. CML’s equity ratio increased to 0.4 and correspondingly debt ratio decreased to 0.15 from 2001 to 2005. Generally it is a good trend, even though there has been a decrease in equity ratio in 2005 from 0.45 to 0.40 and an increase in debt ratio from 2004 to 2005, it may be due to the acquisition from US group KKR. However, in 2005, equity is almost three times debt, which means the capital structure is still in good condition. On the other hand, WOW experienced a different trend that its equity ratio has decreased from 0.30 to 0.25, and debt ratio has significantly increased from 0.13 to 0.32 between 2001 and 2005. WOW raised funds heavily on interest-bearing liabilities and consequently takes higher risk than CML due to higher leverage ratio. Times interest earned & fixed charges coverage ‘Times interest earned ratio examines the ability of the business to meet its regular financial commitments’ (Harvey, McLaney and Atrill 2001). Fixed charges coverage ratio is very similar to Times interest earned ratio. These two ratios assess the profitability of company and the ability of interests and principal repayment. CML experienced a significant increase on these two ratios from 3.48 to 12.04 and from 6.81 to 16.64, even though there was a slight drop between 2004 and 2005. However, WOW experienced an obvious fall to 11.82 and 12.25 on times interest earned and fixed charges coverage  respectively. In 2005, compared with WOW, CML showed a better financial performance on the ability to repay the interests and principal. Average payment period CML experienced a decreasing trend on average payment period from 45.29 to 38.69. In contrast, WOW experienced an increase from 19.41 in 2001 to 37.78 in 2003, and a decrease to 34.77 in 2005. Compared with WOW, CML has a longer payment period. It means CML can hold its money more time and do some investments. 4. Assets management Sales turnover This ratio indicates assets management efficiency that one unit asset can generate how much sales. From the perspective of CML, the sales turnover gradually increased from 2.9 in 2001 to 3.94 in 2005. On the other hand, WOW maintained stable on about 4.5 sales turnovers. We can see that WOW managed its assets more efficiently than CML did. Average inventory turnover period This ratio assesses the efficiency of inventory management whether company reduce the inventories as fewer as possible. The fewer inventories, the more free cash flow company has to invest on other assets. Both WOW and CML experienced a decrease on inventory turnover period from 39.64 to 29.64 and from 59.45 to 41.38 respectively. It indicates that CML managed its inventories less efficiently than WOW did. 5. Profitability Return on sales WOW return on sales remained constant, 4% of sales. For CML, it maintained  stable, nearly 2% of sales. Obviously, WOW has a higher operating profit margin, and then a better profitability performance maybe due to the more efficient costs control. Return on assets ‘It is used to measure whether assets are being productively employed’ (Vance, D. E. 2003). This ratio indicates how much profit one unit asset can generate and how profitable company is as a whole. WOW and CML are both in the increasing trend, 0.17 and 0.1 respectively in 2005. In term of this ratio, it showed that WOW is more profitable than CML Return on equity & earning per share These two ratios reflect the return to the shareholders and the value increase for the shareholders. WOW and CML both experienced an increase on the return to the shareholders, yet the WOW’s increase of the return is more stable than CML’s. In 2005, in term of return on equity, WOW stayed with 37% of the equity, yet CML just 16%. Conclusion The two companies have been doing quite well in recent years as can be seen from the increasing profitability. The table in Appendix 15 indicates a comparison of the two companies according to the above discussion. CML has a better performance on liquidity and financial leverage but WOW managed Assets and Profitability better than CML. Recommendations On 8th September 2006, WOW’s closing share price is $20.80 and CML is $13.70. Based on the financial analysis above, we can conclude that WOW has maintained a constant financial performance in last 5 years, but their growth is not rapid. However, Simpson (2006) states that ‘At present Coles Myer is earning a 13 per cent return on capital invested in stores, compared  with 24 percent by Woolworths.’ Therefore, I recommend potential investors buy shares from WOW for a short-term. According to CML news released in March and June, CML had acquired Sydney drug stores Pty Ltd (CML News Release, 2006) and Hedley Hotel Group (CML News Release, 2006). CML will expand the pharmacy business further more and have a different strategy than WOW if the regulations change in the future becomes true. CML also will expand their liquor business to compete WOW as well. Thus, I believe that the potential financial growth of CML will be a lot higher than what it is right now and I su ggest investors put their money on CML for a long-term investment. References 1.Wikipedia 2006, Coles Myer Ltd, Wikipedia Free Source Organization, viewed 10 September 2006 2.Wikipedia 2006, Woolworths Ltd, Wikipedia Free Source Organization, viewed 10 September 2006 3.Financial Report, 2005, Coles Myer Ltd., pp 19 4.Vance, D.E. 2003, Financial Analysis and Decision Making, McGraw-Hill, United States of America 5.Harvey, D, McLaney, E and Atrill P 2001, Accounting for business, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford 6.Simpson, K. 2006, Market waits for higher Coles bit, The Age, 8 September 2006, front page of Business Section 7.News Release 2006, ‘Coles Myer Acquires Pharmacy Direct’, Coles Myer Ltd., 31 March 2006 8.News Release 2006, ‘Hedley Hotel Acquisition Complete’, Coles Myer Ltd., 14 June 2006

The Misunderstood Motorcycle Rider Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Misunderstood Motorcycle Rider - Essay Example Initially, relevant statistics would be provided as a brief overview of motorcycle riders in the United States, prior into delving on the reasons for preference in this mode of transportation. The pros and cons of this particular endeavor would thereby be detailed, with specific support and references from riders who are members of identified registered motorcycle clubs in the country. Finally, a concluding portion would highlight the points that were discussed and present personal ideas based on the evaluation of issues that were expounded. Brief Overview of Motorcycle Riding The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an organization that has been tasked to monitor data and information pertinent to motorcycle riders in the United States (NHTSA). Its mission is explicitly stated as â€Å"reducing crash-related injuries and fatalities while ensuring the highest standards of safety on the nation's roadways† (NHTSA par. 1). There were reportedly â€Å"a n estimated 7 million motorcycles on the US roadways each year, compared to approximately 130 million passenger cars† (NHTSA par. 2). ... emergency department (ED) for a non-fatal motorcycle-related injury† (par. 2), noted as an all time unprecedented high for motorcycle deaths that were exhibited and compared to other motor vehicle crash data during the stipulated period. Despite the alarming figures, there are riders who have signified preference for motorcycles for reasons discussed below. Benefits of Motorcycle Riding In a study written by Lawrence, Max & Miller for the NHTSA on â€Å"Costs of Injuries Resulting from Motorcycle Crashes†, the authors effectively revealed that motorcycles are comparatively categorized as one of the most cost efficient vehicles in terms of the amount and volume of fuel consumption needed to cover a destined location. Likewise, motorcycles provide speed and easy options to manuever through tight spaces between vehicles and other travel areas. In addition, joining motorcycle clubs have added benefits in terms of achieving some specifically identified mission or goals. For U .S. Military Vets MC (Michigan) club, for example, their organization which was reportedly established in 1987 explicitly stated the following objectives, to wit: â€Å"* To provide a club for qualified military veterans, which offers brotherhood and an opportunity to establish relationships with other military veterans who have served in the defense of the United States of America. * To establish and support a strong sense of pride in having served in the active military service of the United States of America. * To improve the image of military veterans and bikers to the general public† ( U.S. Military Vets MC (Michigan) 1). From their set of objectives, it was apparent that joining a motorcycle club provides the

Stem cell research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stem cell - Research Paper Example However, in an embryo that is developing, stem cells can differentiate into a large number of specialized cells and may maintain the normal output of those organs, which regenerate such as blood and skin. The main difference between stem cells and other cells in the body is the fact that they are able to differentiate into other types of cells or tissues. This ability allows them to replace the cells that have died, moreover, this has been used by scientists to replace those cells that are defective in patients who have diseases and effects that cannot be effectively cured by other forms of medicine (Dresser 181). â€Å"Scientists believe that stem cells, from which all other types of cells can grow, will help cure Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, spinal injuries, congestive heart failure and other maladies† (Kelley). The usage of stem cells, especially embryonic stem cells in the cure of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease has come to breed a lot of controversy, and there has been a great deal of support for those who are for it and for those who are against it. There are different types of stem cells andmany different terms have been used to describe them, and these descriptions tend to come from the area of the body or the state of development from which they have come. Among the different stem cell forms are the following: tissue stem cells, fetal stem cells, cord blood stem cells, embryonic stem cells and finally, induced pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, many adult stem cells can substitute cells that die or restore tissues that have been damaged in injuries and such adult tissues as skin and muscle have their own stem cells, and in the bone marrow, blood-forming stem cells help in the production of blood cells. It is yet to be determined whether all organs have stem cells and it can, therefore, be said that the term adult stem cells is used very broadly and may contain other categories of stem cells, which are not necess arily found in adults. There are certain accepted stem cell therapies in the medical field, which require the use of stem cells, which are tissue specific. These tissue stemcells used in these therapies include the bone marrow and cord blood stem cell transplantation, which treat diseases related to blood or the restoration of blood after treatments of such conditions as cancer. In this situation, the tissue stem cells are used to mend the parts of the body from which these cells came. Another adult stem cell type is the mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in a number of tissues, and they are speculated to be able to produce bone, cartilage, and fat (Siegel 215). This has yet to be proven for human beings, but there is ongoing research on animals to determine whether these cells can be used to treat such conditions as bone fractures that do not normally heal. In addition, there is a possibility that these cells or cells that are similar to them play a role in altering the immune system in response to injury. Fetal stem cells are those, whichare taken from the fetus, which is a developing baby that has gone approximately ten weeks into gestation. The majority of the tissues in the fetus include cells that can help in the swift growth and maturity of organs and are extremely much like adult stem cells, which are often tissue specific. The fetus stem cells often produce the cell types that are mature inside the organ from which they were

Interpreting and Assessing the Mechanisms of an Award-winning Campaign Essay

Interpreting and Assessing the Mechanisms of an Award-winning Campaign - Essay Example As the report declares Travelocity conducted significant market research and competitive analyses to determine how best to differentiate the business. Qualitative and quantitative research was targeted at mass market consumers to determine the level of spontaneous brand recognition that existed among competitive brands. Survey analyses also indicated that many consumers had never even visited the Travelocity website and that many consumers did not believe Travelocity was differentiated positively against competing travel brands. This market research effort was the primary catalyst for problem recognition: The business needed a voice, needed brand recognition, and a strategy to position the brand effectively against competition. This market research effort, a well-invested activity, also identified the most appropriate target market to give the company its first real sense of direction in promotion. This paper stresses that the proactive market research activities allowed the business to examine competition with a critical and exploratory lens. It identified that the broadest segment of buyers, those who view travel websites and primarily between 24 and 35, were being overlooked by other travel brands. Travelocity realised that lack of competitive emphasis in the 24 to 35-year-old market and their available financial resources could give the business a chance to differentiate and capture this market’s attention. ... This market research effort was the primary catalyst for problem recognition: The business needed a voice, needed brand recognition, and a strategy to position the brand effectively against competition. This market research effort, a well-invested activity, also identified the most appropriate target market (24-35 year old â€Å"novice† travellers) to give the company its first real sense of direction in promotion. 3. Why the 24 to 35-year-old buyer? The proactive market research activities allowed the business to examine competition with a critical and exploratory lens. It identified that the broadest segment of buyers, those who view travel websites and primarily between 24 and 35, were being overlooked by other travel brands (Hall and Nairn 2005). Other markets that consisted of frequent travellers maintained characteristics and attitudes that would have made Travelocity have to invest more capital and human capital into trying to attract and then subsequently retain these buyers, since they were more knowledgeable and discriminating about travel (Hall and Nairn 2005). According to Cui and Choudray (2002), a target market is most desirable when competition is in a weak position to respond to consumer needs and when the demographic maintains adequate resources. Additionally, the market is attractive when the brand has the ability to match a certain segment’s needs and requirements (Cui and Choudray 2002). Travelocity realised that lack of competitive emphasis in the 24 to 35-year-old market and their available financial resources could give the business a chance to differentiate and capture this market’s attention. According to Macrae (2011, p.2), this particular age group faces