Advertising is not bad for children’s health

Majority of the children are still healthy – there is no clear proof that Australian children are becoming less healthy – survey of 5000 children aged 4-16 in schools across NSW, conducted by NSW government, concluded that only 5% increase of overweight population since 1997 to around 25% – children are exercising more frequently more than they were in 1997 2. Children’s good health may be attributed to food chains – Ryan, 9, plays organized sports, intelligent and has a healthy weight and eats McDonald’s burger and fries and fastfood pizza– McDonald’s encourages children to be involved in sports through sponsoring competitions 3. Advertising detractors just want to make the fastfood chains business difficult – most of them are not interested in children’s eating habits at all 4. Advertisement for food aimed at children do not really make them eat more than they otherwise would – companies advertise not with the aim of making children eat more but of the market share 5. Advertising is the only way for producers to share information with the community about their products – it would be disservice to the company and to the community they serve– children, like consumers, need access to information to allow them to be educated C: Advertising is not bad for children’s health Evaluation: This article was written by the author in response to the imperative demand of groups lobbying for banning advertisements of fastfood chains as it harms the children’s health. These groups have claimed that the ill-health and obesity among children are caused by these advertisements and that banning these advertisements is vital to the health of the children. The author uses informal language in the counter arguments.It attempted to produce scientific claims as rebuttal. There are five major premises in this article. One scientific data was included to support the first claim and no other researches were used as evidence in the succeeding arguments. The first argument suggests that according to a survey conducted by NSW government, the children in Australia are still healthy compared to only 5% increase in the overweight population. This statement gives the impression that the rest of the 70% of the population do not suffer from overweight problems or are normal.The survey should have furthered on how many in the population are underweight because unhealthy weight of children come in both directions. Also, the article lacked information as to when the survey was conducted to compare it with the results in 1997. A more exact time frame conducted might produce a stronger comparison as to the health of the children in terms of their weight. The second support statement saying that children exercise more frequently than they were in 1997 could have been made more substantive if detailed in the survey.This might give the readers the impression that selective read ing might have been done to support the claim. Variables in the survey should specify the frequency of exercise that makes the children healthier. The second premise is an argument based on example. In logic, this is a big fallacy. One can not claim to have his own experience applicable to the entire community or to a group of people. What is true to one may not be true to another. A specific example of Ryan can not suffice as evidence. Logically it is applying a conclusion out of a single example which may be illicit generalization.The statement about Ryan saying that his favorite food are from the fastfood chains do not necessarily mean that eating them would make him healthy. Making these foods as his favorite does not also mean that he eats these foods exclusively everyday. For all we know, Ryan may be taking vitamin supplements to make him healthy and maintain optimum function. Secondly, Mc Donald’s sport competitions may not necessarily mean that they are concerned abou t the children’s health. This article has mentioned already that the interest of the company is to produce market share, to therefore produce good profit.If McDonald’s chooses to be visible in children activities, it does not necessarily make them nutritious and healthy as a fastfood chain. Supporting events do not necessarily exempt McDonald’s from any allegation the pro-health lobbyist groups have indicted them. The third argument attacks on the main motivation of detractors. The article suggests that the qualms of these advertising antagonists is that they are mainly concerned about destroying the reputation of fastfood chains and not really caring of children’s health.The single subpremise provided by this argument can not be sufficient in supporting this argument. This argument, let alone, does not have enough bearing to stand on its own because it did not clearly illustrate the real world scenario as it has claimed. The undertone of this argument im plies that there is a bigger competition in the food business against the fastfood chains. This may at least be true thinking that it eats up the market share of other cuisines in terms of children.However, the claim should have included statistics to point into figures the alleged claim of the madness among detractors. The fourth argument, saying that the aim of advertisements is not really to have the children eat more but to have a bigger market share may prove to be a realistic argument. This is the only argument that does not rely on health statistics right at the onset. It may not be obvious in the advertisement upon its theme and delivery, however, the clear picture among the businessmen running the company is to have a bigger share in the market to produce more profit.It does not have control as to how much food the children are going to eat in their foodchains, their main concern is the number of sales they get at the end of the day. Health may not be a selling ground in th is argument, however, it is the only sensible and truthful among the other arguments posted in the article. The last argument saying that advertising is the only way for producers to share information to their community may not necessarily be true. The trend of having models wear a specific product for example or incorporating in movies the product of McDonald’s may not be blatantly advertising but it gives out the same information.The last argument is generalizing that the only outlet for information dissemination among companies is through paid advertisements in televisions when in fact people can always have testimonies, researches, tabloids and other media sources. The subpremise saying that it may be a form of disservice to the community if the company may not be able to advertise may partially be true. If the company has perks that are available for the community in a specified time frame, this argument may be acceptable. Otherwise, the company may exist without the ben efits of advertisement.The second subpremise in this argument is that children need information, too. Just like people who are in quest for knowledge of a certain product or are just slack and waiting for information, children need adventurous or interesting ways of product presentation and information. Most likely, the creative way to producing such is through advertisements. There is greater product recall and product orientation in the way the product is presented in advertisements rather than reading it in tabloids or in journals.Advertisement seem to capture interest and in its emotional appeal rather than the rationalization in broadsheets, and the like. Like all people, children need information. As a whole, the entire article in its specificity and clarity is not persuasive enough to claim that advertising is not bad for children’s health. Perhaps, the biggest loophole in this article is the failure to provide a causal link between the two terms: advertising and child ren’s health. It has also failed to define the nature of advertising and the nature of children’s health, although, obesity was implied as the main illness in the argument.Objectively, right at the outset, these terms would have been defined and given background as to the qualms of the detractors to make the entire tone of the article more substantive. There must be a direct link as to advertising directly affecting a group of children, making them really unhealthy and must cause a wave of urgency to have this stopped. The article is highly opinionated and may need evidences to support its claims. A better article should contain statistics relating to specific arguments as a number of 6th grade students are reported obese after eating at mcdonald’s once a day for the entire 2 months.Further researches and surveys should be made to support claims and to make the entire article more persuasive. Claims could have been furthermore substantiated to make the article m ore convincing. The survey conducted by NSW would have been more convincing if it included complete information as to the date of the conduction of the survey to have a better comparison to the status of the health of children today. This should have at least mentioned as to the frequency of the subjects going to fastfood in a week or any information in that line.If complete information was released in this survey, it would have been more convincing and more substantive. This is the only survey produced in this article and the only form of science that can be investigated further to support the claim of this article. However, it still poses questions in the readers’ thoughts therefore compromising its validity and accuracy. In general, I should say that the author was not clear and satisfactory in its counter argument in his claim that Advertising is not bad for children’s health.

A Molecular Caliper Mechanism for Determining

The article is about the discovery of a molecular â€Å"caliper† that can be used to measure the length of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA). It was written by Vladimir Denic and Dr. Jonathan Weissman. Here, I will analyze the important elements in this scientific paper by answering the key questions below.1. What important previously observed facts stimulated the new work? (Background)It has been observed that very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are responsible for the cellular growth and alterations in the length of these fatty acids will result to abnormalities. In humans, Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (LCAD) and adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) are two of the metabolic diseases that can be fatal to the individual (â€Å"Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase†; Kemp and Watkins â€Å"Very Long Chain Fatty Acids and Adrenoleukodystrophy†).One possible way to solve this problem is by determining the lengths of VLCFAs. It is also important to not e that VLCFAs are results of catalytic processes. Thus, the different components of VLCFAs as well as the proteins responsible for this must be determined.In the article, previous studies conducted on the process of converting short fatty acids were included. The four steps in the metabolic process were listed (Denic and Weissman 663). After it, the researchers investigated on the missing links of the process: the novel dehydratase and the elongase protein (Elop) which acts as â€Å"scissors† in the elongation cycle. Using complicated steps derived from previous experiments, they were able to identify the Elop known as Phs1p.Unknown to the researchers are the Elop responsible for determining the length of the resultant VLCFAs by stopping Phs1p from elongating the fatty acid. Another unknown is the method which the researchers can determine the length of the VLCFA.2. What is the hypothesis of the new work?The hypothesis of this work can be found in the abstract but it is a sho rter version and probably needs elaboration. By analyzing the existing data on VLCFA, the researchers have come up with the hypothesis that FAs are elongated to VLCFAs by three membrane components (Denic and Weissman 663). Also, they were able to hypothesize that the length of the VLCFA can be measured by determining the distance from the lysine residue and the Elop active sites (Denic and Weissman 663).3. What are the major findings reported in the manuscript? (New data)The major findings in the article include the discovery of the missing component—novel dehydratase–Phs1p. This is the component responsible for the elongation of the FAs (Denic and Weissman 664). Now, the researchers still looked for the Elop responsible for the length determination of the VLCFAs and found two examples of this component, namely Fen1p and Sur4p (Denic and Weissman 674). By undergoing in vivo tests, they were able to isolate the Elops and found out that Fen1p and Sur4p is responsible for the elongation of C18 fatty acids into C22 and C26 respectively (Denic and Weissman 674).

Classroom Management Paper Essay

I am in the process of creating my classroom management plan for my future classroom. Each day that I substitute teach, observe a classroom, or acquire new information from my classes, I learn something new that I may wish to incorporate into my classroom management plan. A well written management plan is a key to success in the classroom. The more I plan for my lessons and plan to run my class, the more of an effective learning climate I will have for my students. This paper includes my personal philosophy of classroom management, rules for student behavior, a task analysis, substitute teacher plans, classroom implementation plan, letter to parents explaining my classroom management plan, and my strategies I plan to use to assess my classroom management plan. Personal Philosophy of Classroom Management The following is my personal philosophy of classroom management listed in bullet format. †¢ My goal is to provide a productive, safe environment, which is conducive to learning. My students will be welcomed and feel a sense of belonging to the class community. Every student is just as important as the next. †¢ I plan to help my students become quality students and help them develop the characteristic traits of responsibility, trustworthiness, caring, and respectful. †¢ I hope to spark enthusiasm for learning by creating engaging lessons, reaching all types of learners. To achieve this, I plan to differentiate instruction, use multiple modalities, and technology. I also plan to have students work independently, in collaborative groups, and in pairs. †¢ I hope to create a student-centered or constructivist style classroom where students are active participants in their learning, which allows students to make a deeper connection to curriculum. †¢ To challenge my students, I plan to use effective questioning techniques, which will allow my students to use higher levels of thinking. †¢ I will create a class climate where students can express themselves freely without judgment. †¢ Create a cooperative classroom where the students and teacher work together. To do this, I will call my students† my teammates† and express to them the importance of teamwork. †¢ It is my hope to encourage students to do their best and that it is to make a mistake. †¢ I will use positive reinforcement and positive praise when I see my students doing something good. †¢ I will model respecting everyone and accepting differences. I will ask that my students do the same. †¢ To create a sense of power among my students, I will have students participate in the creation of the classroom rules. When students create the rules, they have a tendency to adhere to the rules. In addition, I will have students perform weekly classroom jobs. †¢ I will be fair and consistent and I will establish guidelines for my students so they know what is to be of them in both learning and behavior. †¢ To manage off-task behavior, I will use nonverbal and verbal cues, body language, and proximity. In some instances, I will move students to avoid further disruptions. Students who require extra assistance, will be strategically seated for easy access. †¢ If a lesson or style of teaching works one-day and not the next, I will be flexible and change either my style of teaching or the lesson itself. Student Behavior – Positive and Negative Consequences To minimize disruptions in the classroom, students need to know what is expected of them. I will not have rules listed in my classroom. Instead, my class will have the â€Å"quality student† and â€Å"quality teacher† posters displayed, listing what characteristics the students and teacher should display at all times. I will these characteristics often and engage in role playing activities at the beginning of the school year. Whenever I see that there is an issue regarding a characteristic trait, I will remind students model to be â€Å"quality students. † For off-task behavior in the classroom, I have established a tiered system of responses that will range from various nonverbal and verbal cues, reminders, and possibly relocating student in the classroom. If behavior continues to disrupt the class for a total of three times, I will instruct the student to write a note home explaining the off-task behavior. If off-task behavior continues in the classroom, I will call the parent or ask to set up a meeting to discuss the student’s behavior and work with the parent toward a positive solution. Kelly (n. d. ) states, â€Å"B. F. Skinner’s theory on â€Å"operant conditioning† says that rewards are much more effective when they do not occur regularly. In other words, intermittent rewards mean more and have a greater effect than routine rewards. Students who never know when a reward may happen will behave better than those who know that you never give out rewards on Tuesdays† (para. 3). To motivate students in achieving good behavior in the classroom, I will use verbal praise and reward students from time to time individually, by table, or by class. Individual rewards will be given from to time when I see a student modeling quality behavior and other students are off-task in the classroom. I will give this student an extra 10 cents. By doing this, the other students will understand positive reinforcement. Throughout each week, I will also award table points. If I see a group of students at a table on-task, I will award their table a point. The table that earns the most points at the end of the week, will win and will be able to select from a few choices that include lunch in the classroom and extra computer time, to name a few. If the class is doing a job on a lesson, I will have the marble helper add one marble to the celebration jar. Once the students reach their predetermined goal (discussed monthly at class meeting), students are allowed to participate in a celebration of their choosing. Task Analysis for Morning Routine To help students ease into their day, I have created a morning routine. With this morning routine, students know what to expect and do each morning entering the classroom. This routine will be displayed on the Promethean Board each morning as a reminder for my students. |General area |Needed Procedure |Specific Procedures | |Whole Class |Morning Routine |Unpack backpacks and hang up coats and | | | |backpacks | | | |Turn in notes/homework to purple bin | | | |Make lunch choice | | | |Morning work (daily math worksheet to complete)| | | |Unfinished Work folder | | | |Independent Reading | During the morning routine, morning announcements are displayed on the class television and students perform their class jobs such as library helper, lunch counter, and office messengers. In addition, I will use this time to take attendance and perform other housekeeping duties as necessary. Substitute Teacher Plans The following is a sample of my substitute teacher plans. The more detailed information the teacher leaves for the substitute, the better. This helps the substitute teacher run the class more smoothly in the teacher’s absence. Thank you for covering my class while I am out today. Here is some information on a few procedures or routines in our class. Helpful Teachers – Mrs. Fowler, room 6, Ms. Nuckles, room 4. Attendance: please use attendance sheet on my desk and mark any students who are missing. Please note any absent students on attendance sheet on my desk and place in office envelope and have office helper take to office during morning announcements. Morning lunch count: This is a student’s job (see listing hanging from tv). The students mark their choices on the wall chart behind the tv, and the lunch count helper writes out the slip and takes it to the cafeteria in the lunch folder after announcements. Bathroom breaks: Students have â€Å"boys† and â€Å"girls† hall passes hanging on the wall by the door. When they need to go to the restroom, they put the pass on their desk and go. Only two at a time are allowed out of the room. Class management/rules: If class is going a good job, I usually ask the marble helper to add a marble to the class jar. If the class receives a compliment in the hallway, they earn two marbles. If the class is off-task and several reminders are given, a marble may be taken away. For individual behavior: Banker gives each student 15 cents (fake money) at the start of each day. Students are to place their money in their money pocket at the back of the room during morning announcements. If a student is caught doing something good, you may reward him or her an extra 10 cents. The money earned allows for students to make purchases at our classroom store at the end of each month. If a student is off-task, use nonverbal cues as first reminder, and verbal cues as second reminder. If the student continues behavior, please have him or her write an apology letter to you and leave on my desk. If the student continues to disrupt class, please call one if the listed teachers above and ask to send student over to her class to finish working on assignment. Please leave me a note if you have any issues with any of my students. Lunch: Line students up (line leader, caboose, home lunch, choice 1,2, and 3). Please walk students down to cafeteria at 12:08. The students will go through the lunch line on their own. Most teachers eat in the Teacher’s Lounge, which is behind the office. The teacher restrooms are also by the teacher’s lounge. At 12:38, please pick them up from the cafeteria and walk them back to class. Students with Special Needs (Food allergies, medicine, asthma): |Student |Difficulty/Need | |Tom |Medicine- Goes to nurse after lunch to receive medicine | Specials: My calendar on my desk has specials listed according to the day. Day1- Music Day2-PE Day3- Computer Lab, Library Day4-PE Day5- Art Recess: 2:15-2:30 Activities should be supervised at all times. Teachers should have class backpacks, walkie talkie, and key (both located in office). Teachers should be positioned so that all students are visible at all times. Report any injuries to school nurse. The nurse will determine whether an Accident Report needs to be completed. If so complete form and send white copy to office and have student take yellow copy home. In Case of Emergency: Please locate red backpack and evacuation plan in the classroom. In case of emergency, have students line up quickly and quietly. Bringing backpack, follow evacuation route listed in the classroom. Once outside, count students to make sure everyone is accounted for. Inform supervisor (person with walkie talkie and clipboard) of all students present in the class and state any parents’ names volunteering in the classroom. Remind students to be single, straight, and silent and to face away from the school building. Once given the all clear from the supervisor, lead students back to class in a single, straight, and silent line. The following diagram is our class seating chart. Please be sure that students sit in their correct seats. This seating plan should be helpful in familiarizing yourself with the students. (Note: Please see Appendix A-seating chart). I have provided a list of helpful students, disruptive students, and special needs students. Helpful students: Mary, Tyrone, Amy, and Tom. Disruptive students: Dane and Alex (these students may need to have several reminders to stay on task. Students who require assistance: Daniel, Marco, and Aaron. Either you can help or ask one of my helpful students listed above to help these students. Computer username: cuttingjm Password: student123 8:45-9:15-Morning Routine (please log on to computer and put the following on the Promethean board). 1. Unpack backpacks and hang up coats and backpacks 2. Turn in notes to red bin/homework to purple bin 3. Make lunch choice 4. Morning work (daily math worksheet- today’s number to complete-on back table) 5. Unfinished Work folder 6. Independent Reading Please inform students of their jobs for the day. Jobs are on poster in front of room by the t. v. Please ask Mary to turn on t. v. for you when the bell rings. During the morning routine, morning announcements are displayed on the class television and students perform their class jobs such as library helper, lunch counter, and office messengers. During this time, please take attendance using attached attendance sheet. Place any notes and attendance sheet in clear folder and have office messenger take folder to the office for you. Ask lunch helper to take lunch count and place any money and lunch count in lunch folder. The lunch helper will take folder to the cafeteria for you. 9:15-9:20- Ask Tom to give each student 15 cents. Each student will come and will put the money in his or her money pocket located on the back bulletin board. 9:20-9:30- calendar- Have students join you on the carpet (call them by table numbers). Ask questions about the calendar (what is the date, what weekday, year, what was the date a week ago, what will the date be in one week). Have students give you math problems about the lunch graph. 9:30- 10:00- Have students begin centers. Please read off the names from the chart to let them know where they go. 10:00-10:45- Library- please stay with class and bring library cards with you (they are on my desk). 10:45-11:26- Students finish centers 11:26-11:56- Lunch. Have line leader and caboose line up first. Lunch from home will line up first, followed by choice 1, 2, and 3 . (during lunch, please check my mailbox in the office). 12:00-1:00- MATH- Review today’s number on overhead projector (Ask a helper to set up for you). Pull a popsicle stick out of the cup on my desk and have the student complete one problem. Continue until today’s number is complete. Refer to Math Investigations book, lesson 2. 1 â€Å"guess my number on the 100 chart. † Tell students they will use the 100s chart on page 16 in their math binder for this game. Review directions and model how to play game with a student. Have students pair up and give each a copy of the directions to play on their own. Once completed game twice, students can work on pages 13-15 in their textbook. 1:00-1:45- ART 1:45-2:10- Science- Students are to take out weather journals. Overhead helper will pull out overhead projector. Laura is cloud helper, and Teresa is temperature helper. Cloud helper will go to window and look to see what kind of clouds are outside. They will come to overhead and draw clouds on calendar page and graphing page. Overhead helper will fill in date and will write down weather words that students agree on (ask students to give weather words from each table). Choose one person from each table to predict the hi/lo temperature of the day. The temperature helper will pull up the temperature for the day on the computer. The overhead helper will record the temperature on the overhead. Students are to write this information on their calendar page and graphing page. 1:45- 2:00- RECESS 2:00- 2:45- Have students watch video on water cycle and have them complete science worksheet on back table. If the students finish early they can do scholastic news and work on their weather book report. 2:45-3:00- Please call one table at a time for students to get lap top. Students are to work on their social studies research project on the laptops. 3:00-3:15- Call tables one at a time and have students place laptops back in cart. Have students perform classroom jobs at this time. Call tables one at a time to pack and stack. Read book (students’ can select) until bell rings. 3:15- Dismissal Please let me know of any issues with any students. If they do a good as a class, they can earn marbles in the jar. Thank you so much! Classroom Management Implementation Plan I will conduct a classroom meeting at the beginning of the year for the students, and we will discuss the character traits of a â€Å"quality student† and â€Å"quality teacher. † Students will create poster of each and, the class will discuss and list what qualities students and teacher should have. Qualities will include responsibility, trustworthiness, caring, and respect. After posters are created, students will be asked to sign the poster, stating that they understand the guidelines of the classroom. Posters will be displayed in the class as a reminder of what a â€Å"quality student and teacher† should look like. I will review procedures of various topics such as morning routine, lunch count, dismissal, lining up for lunch, etc. During the first few weeks of school, I will walk the students through each procedure, often modeling procedures. After the first month or the majority of the students get the hang of the procedure, procedures will be reviewed and reinforced as necessary. In addition to communicating to the students, I will also share my classroom management plan and expectations in a letter addressed to the parents at the start of the school year. I will ask parents to discuss management plan and expectations with their child and ask that they he or she sign and return the document. In addition, I will provide my contact information and encourage the parents to contact me should they have any questions throughout the year and promote working together for the well-being of their child. Prior to the start of the school year, I will develop a seating chart based on the academic needs of my students. I will place students’ desks in groups that will allow for a cooperative or collaboration learning environment, in which students will work in groups with varying learning abilities. By having students clustered in groups, higher academic students will work with those students who will require help. Using group seating, I will also be able to reach and work with my students more easily. For students who require instructional assistance, I will place those students close to my desk or in front of room. I will also work with my students in a small group or one-on-one setting. To prevent misbehavior, I will strategically place ADHD students away from door, window to prevent distractions. To help motivate my students I will use positive reinforcement as previously mentioned. Students will have opportunities to be rewarded individually, by table, and as a class. To keep the students’ attention during my lessons, I am going to use as many hands-on methods and employ the effective questioning and popsicle stick strategy. To gain my students’ attention, I will use â€Å"1,2,3 eyes on me. † The students’ response will be â€Å"1,2 eyes on you. † I will also use various hand clapping signals and use online timers to keep students on track during transitions, learning centers, and assignments. Letter to Parents The following is a sample of a letter I plan to send out to my students’ parents during the first week of school. Dear families, As we are settling into a routine and becoming familiar with the class, I wanted to introduce myself to you and share some information with you about how I conduct my classes. My name is Jennifer Cutting, and I am your child’s teacher for the school year. This is my first year in my own classroom however I have been in education for the past five years. I have a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Radford University and a master’s degree from University of Phoenix. Our classroom is built on the characteristic traits of respect, trustworthiness, caring, and responsibility. On the first day of school, our class created both a student teacher poster that lists the qualities of each trait. In our class, we are always striving to be a â€Å"quality student† and â€Å"quality teacher. † We look forward to sharing these with you at Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 20, 2011. To encourage students to be reminded of being a quality student, I will recognize positive behavior by verbal praise, earn fake money to be used for purchases at the classroom store, and other modes of communication to you. For off-task behavior in the classroom, I have established a tiered system of responses that will range from various nonverbal and verbal cues, and reminders. If behavior continues in class, I will instruct your child to write a note home explaining the off-task behavior. If off-task behavior continues in the classroom, I will call you or ask to set up a meeting to discuss your child’s behavior and work together toward a positive solution. Our class has discussed our classroom management plan and students understand the consequences. By working together, we can help your child have fun and succeed in second grade. Below, please sign this document, indicating that you and your child understand my classroom management plan. In addition, please indicate a daytime and nighttime phone number and e-mail address. If you should ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email, school phone, or schedule a conference. My email is fourcuttings@msn. com and the school’s phone number is (703)791 – 2099. I am happy to talk with the families of my students. Here’s to a wonderful year of learning in the second grade! Fondly- Mrs. Cutting I have read and understand Mrs. Cutting’s classroom management plan, and have discussed it with my child. Parent/Guardian Signature______________________________________Date_________ _____ Print Name________________________________________________________ Strategy for Assessing Classroom Management Plan I plan to use a variety of ways to assess my classroom management plan. One way to assess my classroom management plan is to have another teacher observe my class and rate my classroom based on the following chart: (Note: Please see Appendix B- Classroom Assessment chart) Another strategy I would use is to make antidotal notes and keep a journal of what strategies or techniques seem to work or not work for my students. By reflecting, I can look back at my successes as well as reflect on areas that need to be improved. I need to be flexible. If a strategy does not work one day, I need to try something else. My third strategy to help assess my classroom management plan is to participate in peer group discussions and compare what strategies or techniques in other classrooms. Listening to other teachers’ can generate a multitude of ideas for my own classroom. Conclusion As of today, this is my classroom management plan that I hope to implement in my classroom. However, I believe it will change to meet the needs of my students in the classroom. Although I will plan for my students, classroom, and instruction, I will need to learn to be flexible if something does not work. I believe I will be able to prevent most misbehaviors from occurring and meet the goals of my classroom by implementing my classroom management plan. I will always strive to look for ways to improve my classroom management. It will always be a work in progress. References Kelly, M. ( n. d. ). Positive and Negative Reinforcement. Retrieved April 20, 2011from, http://www. netplaces. com/new-teacher/behavior-management/positive-and-negative-reinforcement. htm Teachers on Target (2008). Classroom Management. Retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://www. teachersontarget. com/Management. htm Appendix A [pic] (source: University of Phoenix. (n. d. ). Classroom design Microsoft presentation. [PowerPoint slide]. Retrieved from https://portal. phoenix. edu/classroom/coursematerials/mte_520/20110315/ Appendix B |3 2 1 |1. I foster an â€Å"on-task† learning environment? | |3 2 1 |2. Students understand that when they enter my classroom they are | | |going to work | |3 2 1 |3. Students believe that my assignments are directed, productive, and| | |enjoyable | |3 2 1 |4. Students know that the tasks in my classroom are never presented | | |as punishment | |3 2 1 |5. Students believe that work done in my class has a definite purpose| | |and objective | |3 2 1 |6. My classroom is a celebratory environment? | |3 2 1 |7. Students understand that they will be rewarded and praised for | | |their hard work. | |3 2 1 |8. Students believe that my approach to them and their learning is | | |positive. | |3 2 1 |9. My classroom is an engaged environment? | |3 2 1 |10. Students engage quickly in my assignments | |3 2 1 |11. Students know exactly what they are to do. | |3 2 1 |12. Students are clear why they are doing each assignment. | |3 2 1 |13. My classroom ethos is one of mutual respect. | |3 2 1 |14. Students know that they must respect one another. | |3 2 1 |15. Students are willing to cooperate with me. | |3 2 1 |16. Students are willing to cooperate with their classmates. | |3 2 1 |17. Students listen carefully to me. | |3 2 1 |18. My classroom procedures are clear? | |3 2 1 |19. Students know what they must do to succeed. | |3 2 1 |20. Classroom rules are consistent and fairly enforced. | |3 2 1 |21. Students know how much time they have to do assignments and how they| | |will be assessed. | |3 2 1 |22. My classroom rules do not appear arbitrary. | |3 2 1 |23. My classroom is focused? | |3 2 1 |24. Assignments don’t â€Å"float† or appear â€Å"out of left field. † | |3 2 1 |25. There is a consistent routine to handing in assignments. | |3 2 1 |26. Work time in class is uninterrupted. | |3 2 1 |27. Students are expected to settle down quickly and work in class. | |3 2 1 |28. My classroom is a place where assignments are meaningful. | |3 2 1 |29. â€Å"Throw away† or filler assignments are never given. | |3 2 1 |30. Classroom work is not overly repetitive or redundant. | |3 2 1 |31. Students are clear about the objectives for each assignment. | |3 2 1 |32. There is a sense of humanness in my classroom. | |3 2 1 |33. Students are treated as human beings who have good and bad days. | |3 2 1 |34. Rules rarely if ever override human concerns. | |3 2 1 |35. Students understand that my classroom operates from a set of values. | |3 2 1 |36. My classroom is a predictable place. | |3 2 1 |37. There are no negative or unexpected surprises. | |3 2 1 |38. What I say in the classroom actually happens. | |3 2 1 |39. Students stay on task in my classroom. | |3 2 1 |40. When an assignment is given, students do it. | |3 2 1 |41. I expect and require all students to stay on task. | |3 2 1 |42. I deal with disruptions in a timely manner. | |3 2 1 |43. Student who stay on task are rewarded. | (Source:http://www. teachersontarget. com/Management. htm)

How Race Becomes Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How Race Becomes Biology - Essay Example This measure prevents them from being too dependent and in need of constant help and attention. Feeding babies in schedules basically attempt to inculcate in them good and healthy feeding habits – a value they feel these children will need when they are of age. Letting the child cry it out is essentially practiced in order to teach the child about the realities of life and not to expect everything to go their way. Basically, these practices are aimed at inculcating cultural values such as independence, strength, discipline, and perseverance which are important virtues in the modern day world. Breastfeeding is both essential to the mother and the child. To the child, among other things, it reduces constipation, reduces incidences of ear infections, respiratory illnesses, allergies, diarrhea, vomiting, reduces the smell of stool and also reduces cases of sudden infant death syndrome and other ailments. To the mother, it reduces risks of postpartum hemorrhage, reduces chances of osteoporosis and cervical cancer, and also economically cushions her. Breastfeeding also enhances the bond between mother and child. According to Katherine Dettwyler, the natural minimum and maximum ages of weaning in humans range between 5.5 and 6.0 years. This is when their first premolars occur. The major reason most American women do not breastfeed is that breasts are perceived purely as objects of sexual attention. There is also inadequate breastfeeding support in the community. Nipple or breast pains also undermine breastfeeding.

Using Secondary Sources Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Using Secondary Sources - Assignment Example LOCH ET AL: (excited) In addition to that, the public  is well acquainted  with most happening around the world by the  help  of social networks that  are encompassed  within the social media. This  has been achievable  by the use of the internet, television and even the radio (Loch et al, 2003, 26). This is common among the youths and students unlike among the older generation of people. DUBAI SCHOOL: (with authority) I thought that with globalization and the coming up social media the world would be a better place but things have changed.  A part from the  business  industry  that has benefited from social media, the other sectors are on the verge of losing and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (Dubai school, 2011, 23). ALFAWZAN: (laughing) that is right. An  excellent  example would be the  spread  of social evils that are on the  rise  within communities around the world among the young generation.  Social media and its effects have contributed to the widespread of pornographic materials,  usage  of drugs and  other,  ill  related motives such as cheating. LOCH ET AL: (nodding his head) that may be  right  but, people must also look at benefits of social media. For example, people have gotten to share information on various issues that  touch  their lives. Through this, these people have been able to live  better  lives that those that they were living†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Loch et al, 2003, 29). DUBAI SCHOOL: (interrupting) Social media have touched many lives in communities around the world. Acquisition of mobile phones has also seen the free and  fast  flow of information; a  thing  that has led to the  exposure  of many anomalies within the society (Dubai school, 2011, 15). In regard to the Arab world that has seen mass action recently, it can be concluded that much of the social media was among the factors that led to proliferation of many  demonstration  in such countries†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ALFAWZAN  :( interrupting) When it

Apple Case study (Strategic brand Management assignment) Essay

Apple Case study (Strategic brand Management assignment) - Essay Example At a garage in Los Altos, California, this team came up with a computer circuit board which they named Apple. Several months later they had come up with around 200 units, over and above bringing on board another partner A.C Markkula Jr. who played a big role towards creating a center of attention in the market as the experienced businessman in the team. Job succeeded in bringing user friendly computer into the market, and Apple II was released in April 1978. It made Apple an industry leader with sales shooting up to 100,000 by the end of 1980. In December the same year, it was launched as a successful IPO. D OGrady, 2009 argues that, Apple has a long history of competitive advantages, since its launch in 1980. Its desktop market was driven due to its superior software like Adobe PageMaker and peripherals like laser printers. Moreover, it has thrived in the education sector by seizing more than half the market, over and above, being one of the most profitable PC company globally. It was in a position to give its customers a complete desktop solution that included hardware, soft ware and peripherals that allowed them to work with the computer in an easier way as plugging and playing. It stood up in the market for having designed products from scratch and the use of unique chips, disk drives and monitors. Additionally, loyal customers for the Macintosh gave permission to the Apple company to sell its products at a best price. Consequently, it paid up for more research to be done, where more invention emerged in respect to the market demand. It is evident that Apple had the first usable personal computing devices. It was brought in by IBM in 1980, and by early 1990 a new standard by the name Wintel dominated the industry. Several manufactures such as Dell Computers built PCs around standard building block from Microsoft and Intel. Growth was driven by lower prices and expanding

Schooling and Educational Opportunities for Females in the UK - Essay

Schooling and Educational Opportunities for Females in the UK - Changes - Essay Example This comparison paper looks at the present state of post-16 educational opportunities for females (Archer et al, 2007) in contrast with those available to them in the 1950 and 1960s in the Post World War II era (Evans, 1991). It is evident that much has flowed under the bridge and the past has contributed to the present in a very effective manner. While the Archer article adopts a more clinical research based stance, the merit of the Evans piece is that it is personal and engaging as well. Only at certain points, she guides us as to the points she wants to make. In their paper entitled ‘Class, gender, heterosexuality and schooling: paradoxes within working-class girls' engagement with education and post-16 aspirations’ as published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education of March 2007, the authors discuss ways in which inner-city and ethnically diverse working-class girls' constructions of hetero-femininities mediate and shape their engagement or disengagement w ith education and schooling. This study was based on data collected from 89 urban working-class youth in London. The authors mainly touched upon three main ways through which these young women used heterosexual femininities to construct capital and generate identity value and worth- these were (1) through investment in appearance using glamorous hetero-femininities, (2) through heterosexual relationships with boyfriends, and (3) through the ‘ladette’ phenomena. They maintain that young women's investments in particular forms of heterosexual working-class femininity can affect very deeply their engagement or disengagement from schooling and education. They focus on the paradoxes that arise when these constructions interact with other oppressive power structures. Class, Gender, Heterosexuality and Schooling Paradoxes- A Detailed Analysis Archer et al. (2007) start off by commenting on the lower academic scores that boys typically achieve compared to girls in the GCSE and other competitive examinations and seek to determine the reasons for this. This underachievement is a cause of concern for many countries- from the UK to New Zealand. However, as Epstein and others have noted, it is not as simple as this because a more detailed look indicates that not all boys are doing badly and indeed, not all girls are doing well. There are complexities of social class, gender and ethnicity that underlie these results which must be addressed. Amazingly, Kenway (2003, page ix) found that girls leaving school early had more problems than boys in securing employment.

LEED and Lean Fundamentals Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LEED and Lean Fundamentals - Term Paper Example However, generation of waste come from the individual processes that are within the production (Wiedmann & Minx, 2008). Due to this reason focused waste management demands that engineers should know the type and the source of waste. As it stands, this remains unknown with any accuracy. The work's purpose is to offer a solution through the development of a method that would involve the integration of waste from the environment into the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) lean method. Specifically it involves integration of the corporate standards of environment with the VSM process, thus permitting the established lean process to focus at specific improvement actions for environment. This method’s application is demonstrated in a set up that represents manufacturing, representing a variety of impacts in the environment. The deployment can be generalized to any environmental factor. It can represent a customized index of waste for a specific industry. The focus industry came up with the many ways that explored the multidimensional environmental wastes. The staff can use the resulting method in to quantify the wastes that are generated from the individual processes and thus can report cases of the wastes production which would enable the establishment of the waste management process for the whole lean process (Hagood & Grunden, 2012). Through this attempt, then the waste management in the manufacturing industries would be perfected. The idea can later be applied to other types of industries for the betterment of the environment. Leed and Lean Fundamentals Introduction One of the aims of lean is to reduce waste in the production process. In an attempt to achieve this, one of the common management tools that lean has used is VSM (Wiedmann & Minx, 2008). Value Stream mapping analyzes and also represents the time that is taken for completion of the process while laying emphasis time that does not have value addition to the process hence it is a non-value added time proc ess. This method is very important in reducing the time for the whole processing in a certain industry. As such it reduces the expenses that are associated to the addition time. VSM lays focus on time as wasted consumable. On the other hand, the whole process of lean is concerned with several other types of waste. Consequently the organizations that long to implement lean are required to make use of the different lean tools to cover the various dimensions of wastes for their processes. This means introduction of multiple systems each with its own culture, implementation and the reporting processes. According to Stair & Reynolds (2011), the current innovation in the waste management is targeting at developing an integrated lean system that would avoid this type of duplication. Amongst the areas that better integration is desirable, is between the dimension of time as covered by the VSM and the dimension for the environmental waste. Environmental waste is less represented in the curre nt lean design. This is because the current design of lean tends to perceive waste as a cost of the raw materials or probably the decrements associated to the productivity of the whole production system (Bartholomew & Farrauto, 2011). However, the environmental perceives the type of waste as being important due to the different toxicity and the effects of such on the environment. Collection of the data on the waste from the environment and the waste impacts is an easier task. However it is hard to

In Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In Economic - Essay Example After losing job, consequently, people lose their sources of income. Therefore, to characterize the degree of the working population, the term "unemployment rate" - the ratio of the number of people to the value of national workforces – is used. One can distinguish three types of unemployment. Frictional unemployment is generated by a constant rate of population movement between areas, from profession to profession. Such unemployment exists even at full employment due to job changing and looking for the best work (it is often regarded as voluntary unemployment). Structural unemployment results from technological changes in the economy, long-term shifts in consumer demand or relocation of jobs from one district to another. In this case, even skilled workers remain jobless. Cyclic unemployment is caused by a generally low demand for labor in all sectors and regions; such type of unemployment is a result of slowdown in economic activity in the country. In general, such involuntar y unemployment negatively affects the morale of man; it is also harmful for the psyche. Unfortunately, this type of unemployment prevails in the United Kingdom nowadays. The country is still getting through the effects of the recent world’s crisis, which occurred in 2008 and resulted in large-scale global economy recession. Suffice it to recollect the strikes occurred against the backdrop of a sharp rise in unemployment in the UK (the strike of workers of a refinery plant in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, 2009; the strike of employees of a steel mill in Corus, Redcar). In 2009, there were nearly 2 million unemployed people in the UK (Trading Economics.com, 2009). It is believed that there is so-called natural (normal) unemployment rate, which determines the maximum possible level of employment. In the United Kingdom it is 4 % (Trading Economics.com, 2011). The downsides of unemployment in the UK are the lag of GNP, compared to the amount that the society would have at its potential, loss of income for lots of people, loss of national output, uneven distribution of the costs of unemployment among different social groups, a great many of workers lose their skills. â€Å"High unemployment has an impact on government expenditure, taxation and the level of government borrowing. An increase in unemployment results in higher benefit payments and lower tax revenues. If any person is unemployed, he or she receives benefits, consequently - pay no income tax. It is obvious that when people spend less, they contribute less to the government in indirect taxes. This rise in government spending along with the fall in tax revenues may result in a higher government borrowing requirement (so-called public sector net cash requirement)† (Davidson, 2009). Office for National Statistics UK unveiled data on unemployment in the country (February - April 2011). The unemployment rate for the three months is to remain at the level of January - March and will make 7, 8%, according to analysts (UK National Statistics, 2011). Past two years, countries around the world pursue a policy of fiscal stimulus package, unprecedented in scope - at least for a time of peace. In Greece, the USA, India, Britain and some other states budget deficit exceeded 10% of GDP (UK National Statistics, 2010). Naturally, â€Å"this is a classic Keynesian response to economic downturn - when demand in the private sector is reduced, the state must fill the gap to prevent economic collapse†

Briefing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Briefing Paper - Essay Example The topic chosen for this is developing high performance working of the employees in an organisation. This briefing report is very essential as it highlights how I would react as a manger and what steps I would need to take to ensure high performance working. The areas that will be covered are vast. Developing high performance working among employees can be done with the use of various techniques and a number of different tactics by the managers. This report will include aspects like performance related pay and possible reasons why employees tend to be de – motivated and why they perform poorly. Here the main aim of this assignment is to provide a clear and concise understanding of ways to develop high performance among the employees within the companies. Through this assignment, a better and more focus has placed created on the topic. The main aim of this report is to bring out the knowledge that I already have on the topic of developing employee performance in the company. This includes knowledge in terms of literature. Also this report also includes the research methodology which will be used for this research. I have had a fair knowledge on this topic. Since developing high performance in employees is a topic which is necessary for every manager, and has always interested me a lot. My area of interest has been majorly on the performance related pay and performance appraisal. This has been my focus of interest as appraisals are inevitable and it is universal in nature. As said very rightly, â€Å"†¦ a basic human tendency to make judgements about those one is working with, as well as about oneself† (Sandler, & Keefe, 2003). Performance appraisal can be called an ancient art. Performance appraisal was started as a simple method to provide income justifications, i.e. to explain if the salary drawn by an individual was

Welfare state and globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Welfare state and globalization - Research Paper Example These traditional methods of social organization have now been dismantled by industrialization, which has put workers’ welfare at risk. Under this model, it is also assumed that the government has more resources because of the increased affluence brought on by industrialization processes, so the government can effectively perform the role of safeguarding its citizens’ welfare. On a larger scale, welfare systems may be regarded as a necessity of the openness of economic systems, which expose workers to external shocks thus causing governments to shield them from these shocks (Huber and Stephens 2). Alternatively, one may perceive welfare states as a reflection of state capabilities; some nations adopt comprehensive and all-encompassing welfare programs while others do not. These differences arise from the level of power dispersion in those countries as well as their capacities. Other than industrialism and state capacity, welfare systems can also be seen as manifestations of political or class struggles. In this school of thought, state policy is determined by the need to maintain a balance of power between capitalists and socialists. It is presumed that socialists mostly comprise of left wing party supporters and labor organizations; conversely, capitalists consist of right wing politicians as well as the government center. In some instances, left wing politics dominates politics thus putting right-wing advocates on the other end of the spectrum. In this theoretical school, a constant struggle exists between these two groups in the distribution of power. Capitalists want to e xtract as much output as they can from capital and labor while civil society wants to safeguard society’s interests; more often than not, these two entities clash, and a welfare system prevailed when the left outperforms the right. After examining how a welfare system comes about, it

Dangers of Body Art Essay Example for Free

Dangers of Body Art Essay â€Å"Grandma, what does that thing on your right wrist say? † asked Maya. â€Å"It says Justin Bieber! Who is Justin Bieber? Was that your boyfriend back in the day? † Maya’s grandma simply responded, â€Å"No, this is what you call a big mistake! † Grandma did not tell Maya about her life-threatening encounter with Hepatitis B, how she was judged for tattooing a Canadian singer’s name on her, and how she was not able to keep a steady job. Grandma regrets getting that tattoo. She daydreamed many days how her life could have been better. Can you really blame Grandma? She did this when she was a teenager. The trend in this century has increased. Tattoos are a major fashion statement among teenagers today, but the majority of the young adults fail to consider the medical, social, and professional consequences tattoos can inflict on one’s life which may result in regret. Adolescents have several reasons for having tattoos are numerous but some are senseless. A survey was given to students about the motive for their tattoos: â€Å"Fifty-three percent of the students replied for self expression. Thirty-five percent just wanted one. Twenty-one percent got the art to remember an event. Seventeen wanted to feel unique. Eleven got it to express independence,† (Winkler 18). The reasons are endless. A rebellious tattoo gives one a tougher look, so that one appears disobedient to rules. The indifferent appearance verses the bland look that has been acquired by society for centuries. Well-known actress, Pamela Anderson, feels â€Å"tattoos are symbolic of the most important moments of your life† (Mason 16). Moments of life are similar to rites of passage. On Dictionary. com, a rite of passage is â€Å"Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person’s life . . . † (Keloid). It is common for one to get a tattoo(s) displaying marriage or in memory of another’s death. Anderson also stated about getting a tattoo, â€Å"my sons’ first girlfriend come over and I’m all wrinkled up in a chair with tattoos all sagging down to my ankles† (Mason 16) Everyone sets goals but in cases people have tattooed the goals or something symbolic to the goals on their body. â€Å"Several athletes, for example, have had the Olympic rings tattooed on their bodies to show how much they wanted to compete in the Olympic Games. † (Mason 16). Love is a beautiful thing but would you risk showing it on your skin? It is common for people to tattoo love-one’s name on them. Many say that having a relative’s name is better than having a boyfriend or girlfriend’s name tattooed on one. One’s lover can change constantly but your family is yours officially. For instance, â€Å"Actress Angelina Jolie had actor Billy Bob Thornton’s name tattooed on her arm soon after she married him. By the summer of 2002, the two had split up† (Mason 17). Some professional tattoo artist can remember a story about someone who came in to cover up someone’s name that was tattooed on them. Mr. Barham’s second period class took a survey on having their girlfriend/boyfriend’s name on them. Fifty percent said it was ignorant, twenty-five percent said it was ill-advised, and twenty-five percent said to wait till marriage. (Concluding Sentence? ) Hardship enters in and out of everyone’s life. Hardship can send one into sadness. Sadness is another reason one may have a desire for a tattoo; most likely to remember the event. Actress Alyssa Milano said about getting tattoos out of misery, â€Å"I’ve always gotten them [tattoos] at times when I was sad about something [†¦] relationship problems or the fact that it had rained every day for a month† (Mason 17). It is not advised to get a tattoo during the time of grief. Why do you have that tattoo again? † said Ashley. â€Å"Well, I don’t know† said Jason. Jason received a tattoo no for no particular reason? As said before, thirty-five percent of teens got the tattoo because they just wanted it (Winkler 18). Some say it looked cool or felted good and encouraged them to get more. One can result in a deadly ending if having numerous tattoos or even if you get one for the first time. The risks of having tattoos are endless but the most deadliness one is Hepatitis B or C. Problems, such as infections, tattoo removal, keloid formation, and allergic reaction. There have been many people who have contracted diseases through tattoos, but when society thinks of tattoos, the risks are not recognized. Infections are prone to happen if one does not use sterile equipment to perform the tattooing procedure such as re-using ink or used needles. Infection affects the blood stream and later causes problems if one was to become a blood donor. Tattoos removal may involve scaring of the dermis and numerous treatments. The cost of treatments varies by size and what treatment is being done but either way the treatments are expensive. One consequence tattoo removal results in is keloid development. According to Dictionary. com, a keloid is â€Å"an abnormal proliferation of scar tissue†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Keloid). If one already develops a keloid(s), getting a tattoo(s) increases the formation. Having an allergic reaction is possible to happen while getting a tattoo and is difficult to control. It is extremely rare for one to be allergic to the products used. Removing the tattoo pigments is the procedure that aids one during an allergic reaction. Neither teenagers nor adults would have thought these risks could infect someone. Usually when people have tattoos, they are judged on spot. In some cases, society does not accept the act of having tattooing due to personal preference which starts social altercations. Views on tattoos can be taken in a negative manner. Doing research, â€Å". . . the average person described the body art as dirty and gross† (Ottawa Expert in French English Language Training; Free Online French English Lessons). Compare the average person to someone fund of tattoos and they could prove them wrong. To others, tattoos are seen as their way to express through art. Pricing for tattoos are outrageous, also. Generally, tattoo parlors range pricing upon a flat fee, hourly fee, or both. A flat fee is the cost based on the artist having to sketch the design, provide colors to the art, and time it took. An hourly fee is a charge based upon the length of time it took to complete the tattoos; common hourly fees range for 50-250 per hour. Prices tend to be extremely high which causes many to go to an unprofessional artist. When getting tattoos, others do not consider society’s opinion or just do not care. There have been cases where parents have kicked out their child because of having tattoos resulting to be homeless. Also, parents have disowned children due to tattoos. Facts stated, â€Å"Over half of the families in Canada would not let their children get tattoos. † (Ottawa Expert in French English Language Training; Free Online French English Lessons). It has been restaurants or stores that do not allow tattooed people to enter the facility. Religious reasons are, also, why people are not able to get tattoos. Roleff reproduced about religions and tattoos, â€Å"Getting a tattoo may give some youths a feeling of power and control over their lives, but the Old Testament forbade tattoos. While today’s Christians are not bound by Old Testament law, tattoos-even temporary ones-suggest paganism and idol worship. Many people react negatively to those with tattoos, which could lead to problems when it is time to find a job or pursue personal relationships. Many people come to regret having a tattoo. It is best not to get one in the first place† (Roleff 68). Generally, views of tattoos by society have been negative. From awful adjectives to religious views, tattoos are frowned upon constantly. Tattoos in the work area have, also, been a problem for years. Today in society some find it acceptable but others still find it hard to get over. Having tattoos while maintaining certain professions, such as a government job, give the society the perspective of how tattoos are viewed. There have been times when a firefighter has been insulted, harassed, or discriminated against for having a tattoo. People in the community find it unprofessional for them to even have the littlest of tattoos. I know it is impossible to believe but teachers have and had lives, also. In the past, there have been problems where a teacher has got a tattoo. Districts have addressed the dress code for teachers, and enforcing them to hide all body art. Teachers chose to comply with the new rules. Some meet the terms to support their family and some wanted to be role models to the students. Schools are not the only place where they have placed a dress code. The official policy is to sport tattoos in certain places, such as a certain spot on the neck. Also, it has to be an appropriate tattoo. According to a section article, â€Å"In 1900 an estimated 90 percent of sailors in the United States Navy were tattooed† (Roleff 82). That was until another policy had been set to prohibit tattoos that were in plain sight. The policies are in place for the professional look from society. According to Dictionary. com, a tattoo is the act or practice of marking the skin with indelible patterns, pictures, legends, etc. , by making punctures in it and inserting pigments (Tattoo). The motivations for having tattoos were endless but true. Teenagers, today, have made tattoos seem acceptable to have, especially having many of them but lack understanding consequences. The medical outcomes to having tattoos are numerous diseases and difficulties. Majority of society’s view tattoos as impure. The prices of tattoos are insane but for a tattooist, them expressing themselves is way more valuable. There have been public places that do not allow people who have tattoos. Religions find it unruly to have tattoos. Then, there is the professional view. Society would not want a tattooed firefighter to represent them because of the unruly look that tattoos are viewed as. Teenagers may love the form of expression but do not take the time to understand. Tattoos can cause death or can hurt one, physical or mentally.

Brand extension for leveraging brand equity

Brand extension for leveraging brand equity Brand extensions are one of the most popular strategies for leveraging brand equity. By launching new products under popular brand names, firms hope that consumers will respond more favorably to the new offering, due to their familiarity with the parent brand, positive feelings toward the parent brand, and positive attribute and non-attribute associations they have with the parent brand. A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. Brand extension denotes to the corporate activity in which companies bring in new products, new product variants or product improvements by leveraging the brand equity of the existing parent brand. It is believed that compared to launching a new product under a new brand name, brand extensions can increase the efficiency of promotional efforts, improve access to distribution channels, and reduce consumers perceived risk of purchasing a product or service (Keller, 2002). Another major factor for which Companies prefer to use brand extension is lower cost. Introducing a new brand into consumer market can be relatively much higher than introducing new product or product variants under the same brand name. This cost can range above millions of rupees and can not guarantee of any success. So instead of launching entirely a new product, most companies prefer brand extension. Successful examples such as Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke benefited from the brand franchise of their parent products. Coca-Cola introduced six extensions and captured a larger market share than the original brand. For example, Cokes extension, Cherry Coke, was successful even without considerable advertisement. On the other hand, the potential of brand extension problems can ranger from failure of the brand or partial failure such as brand Dilution and brand cannibalism. Instead of success, the failed extension might tarnish the image and reduce the market share of the parent product. Associations that are unique to the brand, strongly held, and favorably held, are vital for success. However, since the specific associations a consumer holds are dependent on personal values and individual purchase situations, managers must learn what they are and when they operate. For example in case of new Coke, Coca Cola did not pay attention to what the core brand meant to stand for. It mainly focused on the taste and thought that the taste is the only factor which consumers are looking for. This concept was wrong. Coca cola was unable to identify the attachment of the consumer with the original coke before launching New coke, even though Coca Cola spent a lot of money on conducting research before launc hing New coke. Brand dilution occurs when consumers loss the original grasp of brand perception on their minds and no longer associate the brand with a specific product. For instance, Sunsilk may experience brand dilution by loosing its strong identity of hair care and shampoo range by running a number of different categories like mashed potatoes, powdered milk and soups. Too broad varieties of product categories run under same brand can frustrate consumers in thinking which variations of products that actually fit to their perceptions. For Example, too many ranges of Sunsilk shampoo include Sunsilk black, pink, white, yoghurt, dandruff can make customers confused in buying a suitable product which actually fit to their needs. Even though todays consumers are selective in their buying habits and expect innovation, the reality of brand extension success is still low. This is because most of new product extensions are not unique and do not satisfy consumer needs. There are some factors that lead to b rand dilution. Among those include perception in consumer minds comparing between parent brand and product extension, level of familiarity with parent brand, fit level transferred from parent brand to extension and consumers perception to new product. Level of brand loyalty shown by a customer can switch to radical degree for brand extension case. When loyalty and level of familiarity with parent brand is high, new product extension failure may greatly diminish trust level to entire brand portfolio. In turn, low familiarity to brand affects low dilution when product failure occurs in new extension. As per early research regarding brand extension leads to brand dilution, Aaker and Keller (1990) found insignificant evidence between unsuccessful brand extension leads to brand dilution. Conversely, in a research Loken and Roedder-John (1993) pointed that inconsistency of product and brand beliefs may lead to brand dilution. Brand dilution and failure of brand can occur when consumer find it difficult to associate the extension with the parent brand, a lack of similarity and familiarity and discrepancy between Integrated marketing communication messages. Brand extension is a strategy which most of the companies are using, to minimize risk associated with introducing a entirely new brand and maximize their profits from the new brand. But in some of the cases brand extension fails, and the reason is the weak brand equity of the parent brand that bear upon the success of the brand extension. If the equity of parent brand is strong, brand extension can be successful and vice versa. Both Functional and non functional attributes of a brand can harm and eventually dilute the equity of an integrated oriented brand, which means due to the weak brand equity, brand dilution can occur across the parent brand. Such kind of failures of extensions can make customers to create a negative association with the parent brand or even with the brand family. These failures can also agitate and blur the original identity and meaning of a brand even positioning as well. Managers seem to be aware of the dangers and benefits of extending their brand franchise. Yet the number of failed extensions in the past few years indicates that some refinement in our knowledge of the brand extension process is needed. What factors determine whether or not a brand extension will be successful? The most important factor identified by prior research is perceived fit. Consumers respond more favorably if they are able to perceive a fit between the extension and the parent brand and this leads to the success of the brand extension. Conversely, If consumers are unable to perceive a fit between extension and the parent brand, the brand extension might become a failure and may lead to brand dilution. According to Martinez and de Chernatony (2004) brand image has two types: the general brand image and the product brand image. According to them there would be no negative impact on general brand image if the brand image is strong. For example, Nike or Sony. Dilution effect would be more on product image instead of general brand image. Therefore, mostly the customers would stick to their beliefs about the parent brand with respect to its attributes and feelings. Nevertheless their study shows that brand image can be diluted by brand extension, and beliefs and association with the parent brand can also be changed. In developing countries like Pakistan it is even more convenient for multinationals to try brand extensions. The reason is that most of the multinational companies come from developed countries like America, United Kingdom and Japan. Products from these countries enjoy positive country of origin effect in mind of consumers due to their previous track record in terms of customer satisfaction. This as a result lowers the amount of money spend over awareness creation and since they already enjoy good market and media presence, therefore more affordable for them to launch brand extensions in Pakistan. For instance, Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited (PTC) which is a part of British American Tobacco who sells their brands to millions of consumers in 180 countries worldwide. They were the foremost brands entering Pakistan as early as 1947. Ever since then they have launched new reputed brand extensions such as Benson Hedges, Embassy, Gold Flake, Gold Leaf and recently Capstan brand of cigarettes (Business recorder.com). STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The failure rates of new product over the last few decades have increased tremendously; therefore, firms have resorted to brand extensions, because of inherent advantages including its acceptability, low promotion cost and comparatively lesser degree of failures. Despite these advantages, the failure rate of brand extension has remained significant in the last one decade. Therefore, the researchers have been focusing in identifying the factors that consumers use for evaluating the brand extension, or the factors that are contributes towards the success or failure of brand extensions. The focus of this study is to identify whether the brand extension is favorable or lead to brand dilution. Researches on brand extensions have focused mainly over consumer evaluation of brand extensions. However as a matter of fact consumers generally cannot assess brand extensions in undifferentiated manner (Aaker and Keller, 1990, Keller and Aaker, 1992; Dacin and Smith, 1994; Smith and Andres, 1995). In spite of the extensive body of knowledge on consumer evaluations of brand extensions, very little or negligible attention has been paid as to what is brand or marketing managers view point over brand extensions strategy ( Nijssen and Agustin, 1999). The lack of brand managers view point input in the literature is odd as their analysis of consumer and competitors reactions coupled with their personal preferences are a fairly good indicator of success of a brand extension strategy. Therefore along with consumers perception about brand extension, viewpoint of brand managers of couple of companies will also be considered in this thesis. Over the past couple of decades we have witnessed a great number of companies both domestic and multinationals engaging in brand extensions in Pakistan. For example a few of the well known domestic brand extensions deals in retailing and fashion (Chen One Pvt Ltd), health care products (Z-Jans Pvt Ltd), Medicam tooth paste and Sweetener (Medicam Pvt Ltd Pakistan), Rafhan pudding mix and Custard (Rafhan Best Food Ltd), National Pickel, Salt and Spices (National foods Ltd), Haleeb Milk Pack, Yogurt and Cream (Haleeb Foods Ltd Pakistan). As far as multinationals are concerned Nestle and Uniliver Pakistan have carried out most of the brand extensions. For example, Nestle (Mineral Water, Milk Pack, Cream Yogurt), Uniliver has brand extensions (Lifebuoy Shampoo Soap, Express Surf, Colgate toothpaste, Walls Ice-cream). In this relation a study of brand extensions from brand managers perspective is important to find out successful practices which are prerequisites for a brand extension in Pakistan. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The significance of this thesis is to explore the use of brand extension strategies in the Pakistan context. Whether the strategy of brand extension is favorable or not, or due to brand extension, brands gets diluted or cannibalized? Since brand extensions is one of the most popular strategies for leveraging brand equity, this study will also focus on brand extension effect on brand equity. This thesis will focus on brand extension strategies of products from various companies which include Z-Jans Pvt Ltd, Haleeb Foods Ltd Pakistan, Servis Shoes, Lakson Group, and Chen one, Nestle, Sunsilk, Pakola and Fair Lovely. Various companies insights regarding brand extension will help us to study favorability or unfavorability of brand extension in a well manner. We will try to achieve this purpose by answering the following research questions. Brand extension is more beneficial than launching new products with respect to customers know how about the parent brand. Brand extension is beneficial in Terms of Consumer Knowledge and Consumer Trust about the quality and association of Parent brand? Brand extension is beneficial in terms of refreshing Parent brand. Brand extension can result in dilution of Parent Brand. Brand extension can lower the credibility of Parent Brand. Brand extension can result in cannibalization of Parent Brand Sales Brand extension can be a disaster and may lead to brand dilution if extension is not fit (Similarity and consistency) as per the concept of Parent brand. Moderating factors like brand quality, customer know how, customer certainty and brand equity affect brand extension? By answering above question, we will come to know whether brand extension is favorable or it leads to brand dilution, and whether brand extension is favorable for those companies who prefer extension and are involved in brand extension from couple of decades. This thesis will be beneficial in indentifying the success rate or failure rate of brand extension of those companies which have been chosen for this thesis. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION The study is carried out from a viewpoint of brand extension in our home country (Pakistan). The research conducted for this thesis is based on limited and chosen product category and Another constraint confronted during the course of research was the fact that majority of multinationals (MNEs) formulate brand extension strategies at their head quarters abroad. Finally, it was learnt that since the concept of brand manager in Pakistan is in infancy stages therefore normally it is the marketing manager who carries out the responsibilities of brand manager when it comes to brand extensions. DEFINITIONS Brand According to (American Marketing Association 2007 brand is: A name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. Brand extension Using an established name of one product class for entering another product class (Aaker 1991). Using a successful brand name for launching a new or modified product or line is known as brand extension strategy (Kotler 1991). An expansion strategy in which firms use already established and successful brand name for introducing a new or modified product (Kotler Armstrong 1990). Using an established brand name for introducing a new product into product category which is new to the company is known as franchise strategy (Hartman Price Duncan 1990). Product Line Extension A product line extension is the use of an established products brand name for a new item in the same product category. Line Extensions takes place when a company stretches its product line and introduces extra items in the same product category under the same brand name for example new nips, forms, colors, added ingredients, package sizes. This is a little different from brand extension in which a new product is introduced in an entirely new category, While Line extension occurs when the company increases its product line outside its current chain. Product line can also be stretched as down market stretch and up market stretch. Brand Dilution Brand dilution is the subverting of a brand though its overutilization. This often happens when brand extension is done poorly. Price cut can also bring a brand down and can damage the brand, even though it increases the volume of the product. Brand dilution can be a severe headache for companies that rely mostly on their strong brand for higher profits. Companies who possess strong brand image wishes to leverage its equity to sell and earn as much profit as they can, but the same strategy to leverage a brand equity can also lead to damage a brand name and eventually result in brand dilution. Brand Cannibalization Brand cannibalization pertains to a decrease in volume, revenue of sale and diminution of market share of a product which results from the introduction of new products by the same producer. For example, when diet coke was introduced by Coca Cola, sales for original coke diminished, but eventually it led in expansion of diet soft drink market. Brand Equity Brand equity is a relationship between customers and brands, resulting in a profit to be realized at a future date (Wood 2000). Kotler and Armstrong (1996) were of the opinion that measuring brand equity is a tedious job. Nevertheless, a powerful brand means high brand equity that helps in achieving higher brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, and strong brand associations. Some of the major benefits of brand equity are brand awareness and consumer loyalty which helps in reducing marketing costs. Brand is an important equity; therefore, it should be carefully preserved by adopting strategies that would help in maintaining or improving brand awareness, perceived brand quality and positive associations. (Kotler Armstrong 1996) Brand Association Brand association refers to level by which a brand is recognized by a consumer in a deep manner. If a brand is deep seated in the mind of the consumer in a positive manner, it will be recognized positively. Brand associations are the properties of a brand which consumers recall whenever brand is talked about. Consumer relates a brand name with its implicit or explicit meanings. Brand association can also be termed as the level to which a specific product/service is acknowledged amongst its product or service family. When choosing a brand name, it is important that the name selected must reinforce an essential dimensions and specification or benefit association that forms the position of a product.

A Report on Progress on Building of Leisure Centre Proposal

A Report on Progress on Building of Leisure Centre Proposal REPORT ON PROGRESS ON BUILDING OF LEISURE CENTRE PROPOSAL SHERBURY CONFIDENTIAL To: M. Smith, Head of Analysis of Proposals From: N. Rafie, Proposal AnalystDate: 1st May 2015 BACKGROUND There is dissent in the town of Sherbury, Wealdshre County which has been linked to the apparent lack of leisure amenities and facilities in the town itself. Several social issues have been identified such as an increasing crime rate as well as cases of gangs and alcoholism mostly pertaining to teens of Sherbury which has been blamed on the previously kentioned lack of amenities and activities to do in town. As a countermeasure to the social issues and the lack of facilities, Sherbury has decided to start to look at the possibility of building a Leisure Centre. FINDINGS There is a severe lack of leisure amenities and facilities, in particular those that cater to young people and this has been deemed the root cause to the social issues that are becoming apparent in Shersbury. According to police reports there have been an increase in the amount of criminal cases in Sherbury specifically cases involving vandalism and drunk and disorderly behaviour involving the teenage demographic. They have seen an increase of 32% and 24% respectively. It has to be noted that the increase for teen drunk and disorderly behaviour was seen within the last 12 months. There is growing concern with social workers regarding a surge in teenage alcoholism and roaming teenage gangs present at the town centre and housing estates. The social workers attribute these growing social issues to â€Å"boredom derived from little or nothing to do in the evenings. There are only two youth clubs in the town, both of which are oversubscribed. Denial of entry has been met with attempts to disrupt the youth clubs’ activities by older teenagers. The local weekly newspaper, The Sherbury Chronicle has been campaigning for improvements in leisure facilities over these last 6 weeks. The paper has utilised their medium to campaign with scathing editorials with headlines such as â€Å"Council Fuddy-duddies forget their youth. Readers of the Sherbury Chronicle have changed their views regarding the issue have changed from sympathetic to condemnatory due to the correspondence the readers and the paper have which has been labelled as â€Å"Lively†. Town Councillors of Sherbury have been actively canvassing for the building of a leisure centre in order to provide for they consider the town to be sorely lacking amenities. Sherbury Town Councillor James Hillingdon referred to the current situation as a â€Å"shocking state of affairs† pointing out that Sherbury has nothing to offer its young people in the evenings but violent films in its local cinema and alcoholic beverages from its ten central public houses at a recent council meeting. There have been cases of local sports clubs and associations making representation to councillors and to County Hall officials. Some Sherbury sports enthusiasts are travelling thirty miles or more in order to find the amenities that they seek. There are existing sports facilities in Sherbury however they predominantly provide for outdoor sports. There are also sports facilities that are provided for indoor sports in the community hall however this is reportedly over crowded. There have been several activities that have been suggested for inclusion in any future Leisure Centre include table tennis, badminton, basketball, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, volleyball, ten-pin bowling, snooker and billiards, gymnastics and for older members yoga, relaxation classes and keep fit together with a club room for darts dominoes and quieter activities. A rough projection for the building of the leisure centre has been estimated at  £1.8 million Two sites have been identified as suitable for the leisure centre the first at Charles Bowley Recreation Park in Northern Sherbury and the second in Central Sherbury. There are many options available for the funding of the project, increasing council tax in conjunction with securing government grants as well as funding from the Lottery Commission. There are local sports associations that have suggested possible fund raising activities. The Chief Executive of the Council has formed a working party that is made up of representatives from the Planning Department, Architectural Department, Community Liaison office and Spots Advisory Office due to mounting pressure. The working party is tasked with investigating the need for a leisure centre, make projections regarding building and maintenance costs, make suggestion with regard to location and make proposals concerning the types of activities it should house and the layout of various halls and rooms as well as provide a set of recommendations to be submitted to the Council for debate. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS It is safe to say that the root cause of the social issues that are affecting Sherbury is centred on its young people and the lack of amenities and lack of activities which they can expand their energies on. There are facilities and youth clubs in the town that do provide activities for young people however due to their size and lack of facilities it is not enough to provide for all of them. This often leads to conflict between those who are already involved with the clubs and those who are not. This in turn may exacerbate the increasing crime rate as the disruption of club activities may lead to even less people being involved with the clubs. The only activities to do in town such as watching movies and partaking in the consumption of alcohol are contributing even more to the advent of the social issues in Sherbury such as vandalism, gangs and teenage alcoholism. The lack of facilities is not only facilitating the increase of social issues in Sherbury, it is also making it highly inconvenient for many sports enthusiasts who have to travel a considerable distance in order to access facilities that allow them to partake in their sports. This inconvenience can also be considered a loss to the local economy for Sherbury as these potential consumers now bring their business to other towns as well as a loss of the potential to groom local talent in terms of competitive events. All in all I think that Sherbury should proceed with the building of the leisure centre as this would solve many of Sherbury’s current issues. It has to be noted that while it will help deter the effects of the social issues in Sherbury it has to be used in conjunction with other policies as well as understanding that the project will take time and its effects will take time to be seen. So patience will need to be exercised by the Sherbury council as well as its residents. Although the cost of building of the centre is quite high ( £1.8 million) it has to be understood that the social costs will be even higher with crime rates increasing as well as teens turning to alcoholism and gang behaviour, the social repercussions of not doing anything will be higher than the actual financial costs. The provision of activities will enable the youth to expand their energies on activities that are productive and will hopefully help the youth gain a sense of identity from something positive rather than having to end up in a gang or turning to alcohol. Sherbury needs to ensure that they are able to deal with their social issues directly rather than putting all their hopes on the leisure centre to make the issues go away. Sherbury needs to increase security as well as enforce new laws that make sure that the teens will not have access to alcohol too freely. Maybe something along the lines of increasing police patrols in areas that have been frequented by these gangs as well as restricting the public houses from selling alcoholic beverages past a certain time for those who are below the age of 20. The existing youth clubs need to be nurtured and aided further in order to help reduce the effects of social issues. Considering the fact that there are already established Youth Clubs in Sherbury, the council would not have to do any actual work other than maybe fund the clubs in order to increase their capacity to take in new members. By expanding the capacity of the clubs as well as providing them new operating quarters in the new Leisure Centre, the council would be killing two birds with one stone, providing activities for the youth as well as gaining occupants for the centre. Establishing the Leisure Centre will benefit the local sporting community greatly and they understand this with many local sports associations supporting the proposal as well as offering to help fund the project. The council would do well to remember this as the town will benefit greatly should the local sports associations flourish as this will allow the town to produce talent from youth who now have something productive to be involved with. It also has to be considered that the previous situation where Sherbury sports enthusiast were traveling far in order to access sports facilities, the building of the leisure centre may well attract enthusiast from other towns as well. This will help the not just strengthen the sporting community but aid the local economy as well. Out of the two locations, I would suggest the council build it in the Northern Suburbs as a central location, while good for businesses in the area may not have enough space to include all the possible activities that can be provided by the centre as well as not being able to provide enough parking space for users of the centre. (1587 words) 3. a) Opening The opening of an interview is what will set the tone for the rest of the interview, it is in the opening of an interview where the purpose of the interview is made clear therefore. Once the purpose of the interview is made clear the process is made much more easier as all parties will understand why they are there and what it is expected of them. The opening will establish the tone and atmosphere of the interview as well as indicate the level of formality or informality that the interview will take. By setting the tone of the interview, interviewees can be put at ease, or unease according to what the interviewer wants. It is in the opening where the flow of the interview is decided. Questions – In an interview there are two simple rules of thumb, ask the right questions and listen to the answers. An interviewer should prepare the questions that should be asked in order to elicit information from the interviewee that is desirable and therefore making the interview productive. Pacing of the questions should be controlled carefully as important information may be glossed over or leading to the interviewee digressing. As previously mentioned It is paramount for the interviewer to be able to ask the right questions, however it equally as important for the interviewer to ask at the right time. Closure – Closing the interview is as important as opening it, for it is in the closure where all information should be summarised, leading to an easy confirmation of information and determining whether the objectives of the interview have been met. It has to be noted that the position of both parties are clarified at the closure of the interview. Whether a compromise or agreement has been made or not and clear communication of this from both parties will further enable whether further action should be taken and if so, in what form. It is in the closure that decisions should be made only if one or both parties have the authority and information to make it. Follow Up – Once the interview is finished it is important for the interviewer to proceed to assimilate the information gleaned from the interview. The information should be recorded properly in order to build up a record of the interview and the interviewee thus making any future attempts to locate information regarding the interview or interviewee much easier. A decision needs to be made following the interview, and this is easier done once all in formation is assimilated thus any determination of any decision can be made as a result of the interview will be more concise and easily made. Also any actions that were agreed upon during the interview should be followed up on. b) 4.a) Polite – It is important for those working in customer service to be polite to the parties they are dealing with. Staff members need to be able to talk properly with good manners in order for the calling party to leave the conversation feeling as though they were dealt with in the proper manner. Even when a customer calls to complain it is important that the staff members maintain their composure and still be polite therefore diffusing a potentially explosive situation and having the complaining party leave the conversation without any resent and feeling better. Knowledgeable – Staff members need to have information that pertains to the subjects that calling parties will be inquiring about, whether this be young people, fitness, the facilities or the centre itself and other information that can be considered relevant to these subjects. Therefore being able to provide the right information to the inquiring parties and having answered their questions satisfactorily is exactly what they need to be able to do. Because a lot of inquirers will not have the information or even incomplete information therefore rendering them unable to make an informed decision as to whether or not they should or can utilise the facilities that the centre provides. Informative – As a lot of calling parties will be inquiring to many subjects as well as ask for advice, personnel need to be able to answer the calling parties to the best of their abilities. This would mean that the staff members have to know what they are talking about as well as be able to explain properly and clearly therefore understanding that having the calling parties leave with understanding how to utilise the information given by the staff member is just as important as having the inquiring party leave with the right information. Understanding – As a lot of parties calling in will be complaining it is important that the staff be able to listen and understand exactly what the party is calling to complain about. And although the staff themselves may not agree with what the customer is complaining about, that is beside the point, hey need to be able to make the complaining party feel better about the situation, and being understanding will ensure that the staff member be able to choose the right words in order to do so. However, it is also important for the staff member to follow up with these complaints and not just offer empty apologies should the complaints be valid. Loquacious – As the job involves a lot of answering questions and in general talking, the staff members need to be able to talk well. Therefore being able to keep a conversation going while at the same time ensuring that they are answering the inquiries or listening to complaints is a core requirement for the job, this is because while a good listener will have all the right information, someone who is able to talk to the calling parties will help the calling party feel as though as they are being treated well. (503 words) b) 1