Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Motor Development essays

Motor Development essays Ten subjects participated in a childrens block stacking exercise. The childrens age ranged from eighteen-months to six-years-old. Four of those subjects were male. Six subjects were female. The following description of the block stacking demonstration shows the development of the childrens abilities over time. The eighteen-month-old male subject demonstrated some interest in the stacking exercise. He quickly stacked a total of two blocks then his attention was no longer directed on the exercise. The two-year-old male slowly stacked a total of nine blocks using one hand and an overhand grip. He was very focused and could either stack or speak but not at the same time. One of the two three-year-old female subjects was very anxious to stack the blocks. She slowly stacked a total of eleven blocks using two hands, one hand at a time and also made small adjustments to the tower she was building. The other three-year-old female was very serious and used a two-hand method in the same manner as the other three-year-old female. She paid very close attention to detail and used an overhand grip. She stacked a total of twelve blocks. The three-year-old male subject was excited and very social. He, too, was anxious to begin stacking the blocks. He slowly and carefully stacked a total of nine blocks, making few adjustments after each consecutive block placed on top of the tower. One four-year-old female subjects was somewhat shy to participate but she slowly stacked a total of ten blocks, using one hand and an overhand grip. However, the other four-year-old female subject demonstrated a stacking method unlike any of the other subjects. She used two-hands, one hand to pick up the block then using two hands to carefully place the block on top of the tower. She quickly stacked a total of twelve blocks and made further adjustments when she was done stacking. The five-year-old female subject quickly stacked a total of twelve blocks very...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Get Rid of a Musty Smell in Books

How to Get Rid of a Musty Smell in Books Have your beloved old books developed a musty smell? Prevention is key to making sure that books dont develop a bad odor. If you store your books in a cool, dry location, theres a much better chance that youll avoid much of the bad odor that old books can develop. Despite your best efforts, though, you may find mold or mildew on your books. Unfortunately, this may make them smell musty. Below, youll find some tips on how to get rid of the bad odor from your books. Consider Where You Are Storing Your Books If you are storing books in a  basement, garage, attic  or storage unit, youll want to address the storage issue before trying to remove the odor, mildew, and mold from your books. If you get rid of the bad smell and then put them right back in a damp storage location, youll see the problem come right back. Too much moisture causes mildew and mold and too much heat can cause the pages to dry out and crumble move your books to a cool, dry location. Protect Them with Dust Jackets Dust jackets protect the book covers, helping to keep the moisture away from the book. But a dust jacket is not a miracle cure. Even if you use dust jackets, be aware of where you are storing your books,  and avoid moist, hot areas, which can increase the likelihood that theyll develop bad-smelling mold or mildew. Avoid Prolonged Direct Contact with Newspaper Some experts used to recommend that you wrap your books with newspapers, or even place sheets of newspaper between the pages of your book. However, prolonged contact with newspapers can cause damage to your books because of acidity in the newspapers. If you do use a newspaper to get rid of the bad odor, be sure that the newspaper does not come into direct contact with your books. Avoid Bleach or Cleansers Bleach (or cleansers) can be destructive to the pages of your books. If the mildew and/or mold is such that you must remove it, use a dry, soft cloth to remove the worst of it. De-Stinkify Your Book In some cases, despite your best efforts, your book will still smell musty, mildewed or just old. Thankfully, theres an easy solution.  You will need two plastic containersone that will fit inside the other one. Pour some kitty litter in the bottom of the larger container. Place your book into the smaller container (without the lid), then put the small plastic container into the larger container with the kitty litter. Place the lid on the larger plastic container. You can leave the book in this book de-stinkifier for a month, which will remove the odor (and any moisture) from the book.  You can also use baking soda or charcoal in your book de-stinkifier.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Hamlets Tragic Flaws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hamlets Tragic Flaws - Research Paper Example The act ends with Hamlets assumption of an "antic disposition." He has realized that one may "smile and smile and be a villain." He has also corrected his friends skepticism: "There are more things, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy" (174-75). Claudius is a villain but a hypocrite; to seek his vengeance, Hamlet himself will have to pretend to be what he is not: mad. What does the act break here signify? Most obviously it marks the passage of time: "Laertes has time to settle in Paris, Hamlet to show in full his antic disposition, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to be recalled to Elsinore and the ambassadors to go and return from Norway" (Brown, 2001). We certainly see the shape of the first act: the Ghost appears in the first and last scenes to make his demand. He has risen up from the earth to confirm his sons worst suspicions and to demand of him action. It is not unlike the plague in Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannos: the murderer of Laios has gone unpunished all these years, but the plague now demands that he be found. The irony that Oedipus, as king, takes on the responsibility of punishing the murderer, who is he himself, is not without parallel in Hamlet. In pursuing -- and not pursuing --vengeance for his fathers murder, Hamlet "finds himself." His last thought in Act I is characterizing: "The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right" (196-97). Circumstances beyond his control will force him to act in an uncharacteristic manner. Nothing could be more dramatic, more tragic. The conflict is not between two individuals but within one, or between what he knows of himself in the private world of his own meditation and the public role he must now assume. The assumption of the role of a madman is metaphorical as well as an aspect of the plot: it suggests Shakespeares primary philosophical concern, which is the nature of individual identity and how it is and is not

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Foundation Grants and Guaranteed Tax Base Grants in Education Finance Essay - 5

Foundation Grants and Guaranteed Tax Base Grants in Education Finance - Essay Example For the flypaper effect, it can be defined as a result that comes up when a dollar of grants-in-aid that are exogenous which lead to public spending that is significantly great as compared to a citizen dollar income. Money does stick at the point where it hits. It is evident, from the above figure that the matching grant leads to a greater increase in welfare spending than the block grant program. 2. In your own words, summarize and describe the Tiebout model/hypothesis. Explain how and why the Tiebout model implies that people will sort into relatively homogenous communities based on income or some other characteristic. Under given assumptions like perfect mobility and information, no spillovers that are inter-jurisdictional, no scale economies, and no head tax that finances a public good that is local. Then each household will move into an influence that makes the optimal collection of goods in the local scene. This will carry-on until households have fully sorted themselves creating a point of equilibrium. This implies that members of the community will be segregated by class, race, income, and so on. The reason for this is the fact that the taste of public goods in the local scene generally directly varies with the levels of income and other several characteristics. Whether a property tax is deemed regressive depends on the way someone views the tax. According to Zodrow (2001) â€Å"the incidence of property tax- still remains to be one that is controversial both in state and local public finance. The view which is traditional argues that property tax fully shifted towards the consumers’ loss when it comes to higher prices in housing. To the contrast, the â€Å"benefit view† of property tax has a conclusion that it is simply a payment for public services received locally.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Research Paper Essay Review of related literature and studies After the computer became popular to the people, the developers of schools website are taking years after. Only Derrick Meador quoted the â€Å"More and more homes across the country have internet access and having a school website that is up-to-date and well-organized is a great way to reach the school community.† He is also the author of â€Å"The Importance of School Website† sourced (www.teaching.about.com). In past years the proposal of school sites are limited to. Because it’s not affordable to have it only few can make. But now, lots of schools want to be part in the market. Related Reading Base on My reading, school site, is now important to this generation because more students are in advance when it came to studies. And more students want to study in online, because they don’t have time to go to school when it comes to the school class schedule. Related Literature Related Studies In conducting a school webpage, it helps the school to be part of school official site. Today  ¾ of universities and colleges has already webpage, they make their school more demand to the market i.e. the Far Eastern University (FEU), University of the Philippines (UP), De Lassalle State University (DLSU), Anteneo de Manila University (AdMU) they have their school website. It is easy for them that they can have more enrolee’s next semester. Today, the webpage of school is very important and it is the demand to the market even in abroad, the foreign nation schools is more focus in making school website. There is an advantage having an official webpage and today the Schools they have their proposal to make school sites. The people will inquire or visit through online and it is easy for them that they can inquire through online.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Essay -- Mental Disorder Essays

Mental disorder, two simple words that can stir up a storm of emotions. Habitually mistaken by general society as â€Å"deranged† or â€Å"unstable†, the words mental disorder, often, tend to have a negative cognition associated with them. This should not be the case. The misunderstanding that mental disorder is automatically equivalent of that to being psychotic and erratic leaves many individuals feeling isolated, and distressed to share their helplessness due to fear of social stigma. Further public education is required to eradicate this unfortunate social stigma. So what categorically is a mental disorder? Although it can range from minor to severe impairment, and include a vast variety of conditions, mental disorders can generally be defined as: a mental or behavioral pattern that causes distress or disability and which is not developmentally or socially normative (Raskin,2012). Standardly, to diagnose a mental disorder the International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders (ICD), published by the World Health Organization, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, are used (Bolton,2008). This essay will focus on General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). First the essay will discuss what GAD is and how it is diagnosed. The essay will then explore the differences of GAD between the general male and female populations, subsequently, look into brain activity and hormones, as well as lightly touch on other causes of GAD. Finally, an explanation of the gender differences of GAD will be discussed form a biopsychological standpoint. The DSM-IV-TR defines General Anxiety Disorder, also known as chronic anxiety neurosis, in shorter terms, as â€Å"chronic... ...-anxiety food solution: how the foods you eat can help you calm your anxious mind, improve your mood, & end cravings. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Spiteri, T., Musatov, S., Ogawa, S., Ribeiro, A., Pfaff, D. W., & ÃÆ'†¦gmo, A. (2010). The Role Of The Estrogen Receptor ÃŽÂ ± In The Medial Amygdala And Ventromedial Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus In Social Recognition, Anxiety And Aggression. Behavioural Brain Research, 210(2), 211-220. Tromp, D. P., Grupe, D. W., Oathes, D. J., McFarlin, D. R., Hernandez, P. J., Kral, T. R., et al. (2012). Reduced Structural Connectivity of a Major Frontolimbic Pathway in Generalized Anxiety Disorder. NeuroImage, 69(9), 1. Vesga-LÃÆ' ³pez, O., Schneier, F. R., Wang, S., Heimberg, R. G., Liu, S., Hasin, D. S., et al. (2008). Gender Differences In Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69(10), 1606-1616.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Fast Food Restaurants Essay

The blame for obesity is almost always placed on fast food restaurants alone. However, the rise in obesity is contributed by several factors – a change in lifestyle, less exercise, bigger food portions and targeted marketing. To be fair, the presence of fast food industry is fueled by a major change in the lifestyle of today’s generation. The advancement of technology and modern appliances has changed the way we live, harming us in some ways. We drive to work or school instead of walking or cycling. We sit in front of the computer or television for long hours instead of running at the neighborhood with friends. The same goes with our choice in diet. Rather than preparing meals in the kitchen, we would opt for a convenient and time-saving meal at the fast food restaurant (Nutracheck. co. uk, n. d. , para. 9). Eating at fast food restaurants eventually becomes an acceptable trend in the current society even though most people are well aware that fast food is bad for them (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2002, On the Other Hand section, para. 2). This comes down to a matter of choice and individual’s responsibility. For our part, we decide on what we eat and we are responsible for our choice (Nutracheck. co. k, n. d. , para. 10). We are responsible for the choice we made, not the company that provides the food (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2002, On the Other Hand section, para. 2). In a typical family setting, one would discover that both husband and wife are working. Otherwise, they would not be able to afford to buy a house or even fund their children’s higher education. With more women joining the workforce, they no longer have the luxury of shopping for fresh grocery at the local market and preparing healthy meals for the family (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2004, How We Got So Fat section, para. ). In order to feed their families, these women have not much choice left but to opt for buying fast food. This is the easiest, most convenient and most affordable option for most families. The children from these families grew up eating processed food and this would have influenced their eating choices as they become adults. Furthermore, most people are just not getting enough exercise to burn off the extra calories ingested daily (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2004, How We Got So Fat section, para. 7). Thirty minutes of daily vigorous activity is good enough to w ard off heart diseases. However, at least one hour of physical exercise is necessary to burn off the extra calories gained daily (Protraineronline. com, 2011, para. 10). Insufficient exercise coupled with a less physical lifestyle and high-calories diet would only mean that the population grows fatter each day. On the individual level, we are responsible on the amount of calories ingested and burned on a daily basis (Protraineronline. com, 2011, para. 18). If we willingly choose to consume high-caloric fast food yet we do not bother to burn off the extra calories, then we can only have ourselves to blame if we become obese. Having said all that, fast food restaurants deserve to take in a huge part of the blame for obesity. They made unhealthy food so cheaply and readily available to the population (Nutracheck. co. uk, n. d. , para. 3) and yet most of them do not bother to warn their customers of the unhealthy food served (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2002, On One Hand section, para. 3). Most consumers do not know what is being served to them – they are ignorant of the hazardously high sodium, sugar and fat content in the food served. To make matters worse, fast food restaurants are also serving bigger portions compared to a decade ago. The fast food industry is facing a stiff competition. Since it costs just a little bit more to serve a large portion compared to a medium portion, â€Å"supersizing† became a common practice especially for fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2004, How We Got So Fat section, para. 5). The burgers served are oversized, fries come in extra-large servings and the soda drinks are bottomless (Whatscookingamerica. net, 2002, para. 2). Then again, even if fast food restaurants offer â€Å"super-size† portions, customers are not forced to double their potion (Nutracheck. o. uk, n. d. , para. 8). They can still opt for the normal size serving. Fast food restaurants are also to be blamed for disseminating wrong messages about diet and nutrition in television advertisement targeted towards children (Nutracheck. co. uk, n. d. , para. 7). In these television advertisements, children are convinced to eat processed food that is really bad for them. Fast food restaurants take advantage of the fact that children are more susceptible to marketing campaigns and they cannot decide on what is best for them to eat since they are not as well informed as adult consumers (Nutracheck. o. uk, n. d. , para. 7). Hence, the fast food industry is clearly the culprit of the growing obesity problem among children. In conclusion, the responsibility of choosing healthy food and getting daily exercises lies in every individual to tackle the obesity problem. Meanwhile, fast food restaurants have to bear the blame of serving unhealthy food to their customers, â€Å"super-sizing† portions to retain loyal customers and making children the target of their sinister television advertisement.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

African Americans and Politics Essay

For decades African Americans have faced struggles throughout history. Most notably, African Americans were involved in slavery, suffrage, and the civil rights movement. These struggles were very visible and everyone was aware of what was going on. However, now African Americans are involved in a struggle that it not visible and recognizable. This is a struggle that is used to capitalize on wealth and prevent African American families and individuals from living normal lives. They are involved in environmental racism. Environmental racism â€Å"refers to intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental rules and regulations, the intentional or unintentional targeting of minority communities for the siting of polluting industries, or the exclusion of minority groups from public and private boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies. †[1] This form of racism has been plaguing African American communities for years and most people have not taken notice. There are many form of environmental racism; however, this paper will specifically address redlining, blockbusting, racial profiling, and housing segregation and how each has impacted the African American community. Redlining is the act of refusing or increasing the cost of services such as loans, insurance, banking, and access to healthcare to citizens based upon race. The practice involves taking a map and drawing a red line through neighborhoods where banks would not invest money. Redlining was used to segregate African Americans in the housing, workforce, and school market. Parents had to find work in other areas of the city because there were not any resources available in the community. Because of redlining, schools became over crowded with 50 students crammed into one classroom. With the schools overcrowded, teachers were not able to provide special attention to the needy students and other students became uncontrollable. Cathy Cohen would argue that African Americans were being marginalized in the school system. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). African American students were all forced to go to one school in the community to keep them out of the White schools. Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as an inferior race. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to make other races feel superior. Blockbusting was a practice used by real estate agents and developers in the United States to encourage white property owners to sell their homes by giving the impression that minority groups (such as African Americans) were moving into their previously racially segregated neighborhood. [2] When African Americans began to move into the inner city, fear arose that they were an economic threat. Blockbusting was also the cause of many White Americans moving into the suburbs. The practice of blockbusting involved an African American purchasing a home for very cheap in a predominately White neighborhood. The real estate broker would contact the White residents and offer to buy their houses for quick cash and resell the house to an African American family for much higher. Real estate agents claimed that African Americans moving into a predominately White neighborhood would cause property values to go down and urged White homeowners to sell as soon as possible. Real estate agents indicated that the property values would go down because African Americans would not keep up their property, avoid lawn care, and if would affect the entire neighborhood. This practice has caused major shifts in urban neighborhoods, especially Chicago, in recent decades. The Blockbusting methods were profitable and became common across the nation. For example, by 1962, when blockbusting had been in practice for fifteen years, Chicago had over 100 operators and the city had been changing an average of two to three blocks a week for several years. Blockbusting is the reason why cities such as Chicago are now predominately African American and the surrounding suburbs are predominately White. Blockbusting caused African Americans to be marginalized as well. They were denied fair participation in the housing market. Real estate agents inflated housing prices for African Americans to gain commission. White homeowners already had prejudices about African Americans and the real estate agents only made the situation worse. The stereotypes that Black families do not take care of their property was the main reason White homeowners sold their homes. Racial profiling is â€Å"the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a â€Å"predictable† manner. †[3] The practice of racial profiling is a huge problem in the United States. African Americans are usually the targeted victims in the act of racial profiling. It is believed that an African American driver will be more likely stopped than a White driver. Some police officers share the belief that Black drivers will most likely possess an illegal substance of committing an illegal act. However, policemen argue that they do not base their arrests on race but are greatening their probability of a successful search. Some policemen also argue that the probability of catching a Black offender is greater than catching a White offender. Whether the statement is true or not, it places a bias on African Americans and White Americans. The belief that African Americans men are more likely to commit crimes is unfair and not true. One cannot base the behavior of all African American men on the ones that have done wrong and been imprisoned. Another belief of racial profiling is it is the cause of the racial disparities in the American prison system. There are many more African American men in the jail system than there are White men. The previous statement is mostly likely to be true. Because some policemen hold biases and have prejudices against African Americans, it will cause more African Americans to be placed in the jail system. Another instance of racial profiling involved African Americans owning nice material possessions such as a car or a house and African Americans being in a predominately White neighborhood. For example, in an episode of Family Matters, Eddie was in his car travelling through a predominately White neighborhood and was pulled over by the police for â€Å"failure to signal. † However, the routine traffic stop turned into nothing more than a beating for young Eddie. The significance of the episode shows that racial profiling does exist in the United States and it takes place every day. The practice has impacted African Americans because hundreds of innocent people have been harassed and humiliated by police officers simply because of their race. The most recent national example of environmental racism occurred when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. When New Orleans was flooded with tons of water, there were no relief efforts for days and almost a week. Many believed this was due to the fact that majority of the New Orleans population was African American. The population was basically ignored for days until the help decided to come. Citizens of New Orleans were faced with intentional racism and were denied help for several days. This has impacted African Americans because many people died because of the heat, starvation, and disease from the water. African-Americans have been marginalized for centuries. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). Most recently, African-Americans were marginalized in regards to the outbreak of HIV/AIDS. While HIV/AIDS was once considered to be the disease of white gay men, Blacks are now the center of the epidemic. With the turn of the new millennium, the outbreak of AIDS in the Black community has soared. Black men who consider themselves to be â€Å"down low† are the center of the rising epidemic. The men have intercourse with other men while continuing to have intercourse with their female partners thus spreading the AIDS virus. Even though the soaring rate is shocking, there has been limited response from the African-American community. One can argue that Blacks have been marginalized from the resources to treat the epidemic. However, the Black community seems to be ignoring the spreading AIDS virus and focusing more on electing a Black president and high blood pressure. While both electing a Black president and lowering high blood pressure are important issues, similar emphasis should be put on the rising AIDS epidemic. In a sense, African-Americans have marginalized themselves from dealing with AIDS. Continuing to turn a cold shoulder to the issue will not fix the problem. Although Blacks are being marginalized when it comes to AIDS, they are also marginalized when it comes to property and social relationships. For example, when it comes to receiving bank loans, African-Americans is marginalized heavily. Some bank loan officers practice redlining which causes Black residents, whether qualified or not, to be denied loans for property. By using the redlining technique, bank loan officers are marginalizing Blacks from being able to own their own property. Relating back to the AIDS epidemic, Black men were marginalized for having the virus. For instance, if a Black man was open about his homosexuality would be marginalized heavily. Homophobia could be a valid reason for the marginalization of Black men. With open homosexuality, an African-American could be left out from participating in activities and denied being recognized as a normal individual. Homophobia could damage an individual’s social life and leave him feeling disempowered. [4] Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as lower than Whites. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly, which is the center of environmental racism. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to gain wealth and keep at the bottom of the ladder. In short, there are many types of power struggles. One does not have to see power to know that it is taking place. [5] For instance, being called an inferior race is a power struggle within itself. African-Americans that believe that they are actually inferior will begin to act that way. They will begin to doubt themselves and their abilities in life. Once they have it in their mindset that they are inferior, it will cause them to act that way. Housing Segregation is â€Å"the practice of denying African American or other minority groups equal access to housing through the process of misinformation, denial of realty and financing services, and racial steering. †[6] The act of housing discrimination involves real estate agents and landlords not providing African American families with an accurate account of available housing. Housing segregation happens when landlords and real estate agents lure White Americans to available housing only in white communities, and African Americans to Black or diverse and mixed communities. The realtor and landlord usually work together in the process and will agree not to tell the African Americans about the available units in the European American communities. This process goes back to the assumption that African Americans residents will bring down the property value of homes in the neighborhood because they will not take care of their own property. Housing segregation is intentional racism that excludes African Americans from participating fairly in the housing market. Black families should be able to live wherever they please without regardless of the demographics of the neighborhood. With all that African Americans have been through, environmental racism should not be ignored or taken lightly. People should take heed to the practice and fight for what is right. All of the above forms of environmental racism have plagued the African American community. It has caused a major shift in the urban cities such as Chicago. Real estate agents have inflated the costs of housing for Black families moving into predominantly White areas. African American families can fight the issues by becoming more aware of their surroundings and becoming familiar with the practices. They can hire good lawyers to defend them and fight for justice. With regards to the AIDS epidemic, African Americans have been marginalized when it comes to resources and thus leads to environmental racism. African American of the new generation, as a whole, should stand together and fight the justice that was promised to them in the United States Constitution. ———————– [1] Dictionary. com [2] Dictionary. com [3] Dictionary. com [4] Cathy J. Cohen, The Boundaries of Blackness (The University of Chicago Press) 47-48. [5] John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness (The University of Illinois Press) 1-32. [6] Dictionary. com.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Dinosaurs at the National Museum of Natural History

Dinosaurs at the National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History The Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of Natural History is comparable in size to New York’s American Museum of Natural History, but less of its floor space is devoted to dinosaurs. Even so, youll find a considerable number of dinosaur skeletons herenot fabricated reproductions, but actual fossils, including the famous roadkill Triceratops that (until the 1990s) was the most complete in the world, the tyrannosaur Gorgosaurus, and the sauropod Diplodocus. Most of these reconstructions can be viewed in the exhibit The Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a Lost World, along with lesser-known genera like Thescelosaurus and Sphaerotholus. One of the oldest dinosaur museums in the world, the National Museum of Natural History has had to periodically remove its exhibits from display in order to restore or refurbish them (or, in some cases, to completely repose them according to the latest theories of dinosaur physiology). For example, the Triceratops mentioned above has been given a complete facelift, as has the museums famous Stegosaurus (which has been reoriented so that it appears to be reacting to the Allosaurus skeleton directly behind it, which clearly intends to eat it for lunch). If youre interested in any fossils over and above dinosaurs, youll unfortunately have to wait until 2019, as the National Museum prepares the National Fossil Hall for the public. If you simply cant wait, though, you can access a live view of the hall-in-progress at the museums website.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Top 7 Apps to Make You Fluent in English [Guest Post]

Top 7 Apps to Make You Fluent in English [Guest Post] Learning English can be as fun as it can be frustrating and sometimes, even dull. With so many apps out there for your every need, why not let an app make the whole process of learning a language more fun for you? With these apps, you’ll have the ultimate convenience of selecting the things you want to learn and have self-paced lessons. Just pop out your phone anywhere, even while waiting in a long queue, open the app, and start learning. It’s that simple. But, how to choose an English-learning app that’s actually effective and not all glitter? Well, you don’t have to worry about that, since I have curated a list of the top 7 apps that would help you and make you more fluent in English, whether you are just a beginner or someone looking to sharpen their English skills further: 1- Duolingo Downloads 6,717,296 Rating 4.7/5 Duolingo, a free language learning platform (with no hidden costs), has a catalog of over 20 languages including English. As soon as you’ll open the app, you’ll be transported into a world full of fun graphics and bright colors. Each lesson consists of speaking, listening, translation and multiple choice challenges, and you can instantly see where you went wrong with the in-lesson Grading. The app will adapt to your proficiency level as well as your time and set daily goals accordingly giving you a tailored experience. But what makes it so popular and effective? The app has combined language learning with addictive gamification through its bite-sized lessons, where you get awarded points for correct answers, and lose ‘Hearts’ for every incorrect answer while racing against the clock. 2- Memrise Downloads 1,153,288 Rating 4.7/5 Memrise focuses on vocabulary building and grammar through repetition and creating vivid sensory memories. The app follows the same gamification format with a tailored experience catering to your preferences as Duolingo but has other exciting features such as chatbots, and over 30,000 native speaker videos. You get to learn from the locals and work on your pronunciation and context through various videos and audios. The free version has over 200 language combinations, and the learn and review feature. While the pro version that costs a pocket-friendly $4.90 each month has more features such as Grammarbot, Video mode, and difficult words mode etc. In addition to this, Memrise has a thriving community of over 35 million users where users share audio, usage, etymologies, mnemonics etc, and help each other learn. The app also has an offline mode making your learning experience more convenient. 3 busuu Downloads 227,739 Rating 4.3/5 Busuu has a community of 80 million members and language lessons for 12 languages including English. The platform claims to teach you to speak a language in 10 minutes a day. The app is designed to fulfill all your English learning needs and comes with features such as placement test to help you start from the right difficulty level, a study plan, flash cards, certifications, help from natives, grammar exercises, vocabulary builder, accent training, full courses (over 150 Units per language), travel course, and the offline mode. Taking a more ‘human’ approach, the app allows you to converse with the native speakers to understand the nuances of the English language. That way youll be able to sharpen your skills and speak English almost as a native speaker.   To avail all these app features, you’ll have to go premium which has 4 plans ranging from $6/ month for a 24-month plan to $11/month for a 3-month plan. 4 Rosetta Stone Downloads 181,732 Rating 4.5/5 Instead of giving you a list of words to memorize, Rosetta Stone follows a unique approach to teaching English by connecting words with sights and sounds. The whole Rosetta journey puts an emphasis on learners to learn English intuitively, rather than through translation. To ensure that you learn to think and express yourself in English confidently, the app has features such as practicing to pronounce words and reading stories aloud with TruAccent, a speech recognition technology, studying grammar and vocabulary through seeing, hearing, speaking, reading, and writing only in English, preparing you for real-life conversations by having actual conversations with native tutors and chat with other learners. Some other features of the app are Downloadable Lessons, Phrasebook a guidebook to perfectly pronouncing key expressions, audio companion, and stories. You can either choose plans that come with tutor ranging from $18/month for 24 months to $52/month for 3 months or the more pocket-friendly but without tutor plans ranging from $11/month for 24 months to $18/month for 3 months. 5 Mondly Downloads 116,362 Rating 4.7/5 Mondly focuses on teaching language through a more conversational style. You can choose between three levels beginner, intermediate and advanced. The lesson starts with a simple conversation between two native speakers and teaches basic English words through it which you’ll then use to build sentences and phrases through various quizzes. This will be followed up by you reconstructing the conversation with your voice. The app uses technology like Speech Recognition and Spaced Repetition Algorithms to make the lessons more effective. Further, the lessons are divided into categories such as Daily Lesson, Grammar, Travel, and Introductions, etc, so, you can pick your lesson according to your needs. The other features of the app are verb conjugations, advanced statistics, the leaderboard, and adaptive learning where the app adapts to your way of learning. While many features can be accessed for free, to unlock all the content which includes 1000 lessons and conversations, 5000 words and phrases, and 365 lessons each year, you’ll have to upgrade to a premium account which has 3 plans ranging between $12 for one month to $5/month for 12 months. 6 HelloTalk Downloads 89,749 Rating 4.4/5 HelloTalk has an active worldwide community of over 10 million people. It is different from the other mentioned apps as it is based on ‘communication, not curriculum’. To put it simply, through HelloTalk, you can learn by chatting. The app matches you with people whose need match yours and connects you with native speakers of other languages (which includes English) and you can learn English by conversing with your ‘partners’ through texts, audio and voice messages as well as free audio and video calls. You can also post a ‘moment’ where you can share an update or post a question about language, culture or travel for native speakers to see and comment on. Therefore, through HelloTalk, not only can you learn a new language but also get to know a new culture through a native. The app also has learning features which include language translation, transliteration, grammar correction, text to voice, and voice recognition to improve your writing and speaking skills. 7 Beelinguapp Downloads 26,312 Rating 4.8/5 What better (and more interesting) way to learn English than through stories? This is the idea that Beelinguaapp is based on, it lets you read and listen to stories in different languages side by side. So, you can read the text and hear audio in English, and use the text and audio in your language for reference. You can choose between children’s stories, short stories, fairy tales, novels and more! The audiobooks and the Karaoke style animation reader will make learning English simpler and more fun. You can learn at your own pace while choosing the genre and learning level according to your preferences. Wrapping Up With these 7 apps, you’ll find learning English much more fun and even addictive. There’s an app for everyone, whether you are looking for fun games or learning through chatting, you can try them out, and pick the one that caters to your needs the most. While learning English, you might find your mind wandering, which would ultimately lead you to stare at your books for hours without absorbing anything. So, to help you further, I have a blog on the 21 Best Productivity Apps That Every Student Must Have which will help you not only be productive but also utilize your study sessions to the most! Author: Abhyank Srine Abhyank Srinet holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe has an engineering degree with a specialization in Instrumentation Control. His interest in the digital landscape motivated him to create an online start-up for Masters in Management application consulting (MiM-Insider.com), focused on spreading quality information about the MiM degree performing application consulting services for clients. He is the chief consultant of the company and takes care of Business Development and Digital Marketing side of the company. He is very passionate about writing and marketing.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Organizations and Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizations and Management - Research Paper Example In addition to the basic four functions of management, managers strategize and control the activities within the organization. Each category of skills enables management in an organization to perform its primary function of ensuring internal activities are in alignment with the groups’ goals. The organizational goals targeted by the shareholders for the organization are the objectives management must design the work flow to accomplish. Management has the responsibility of ensuring the organizational goals are met and the directives of the executive leaders are executed. Management uses the organizational goals to design the work flow and identifies the skill sets needed to perform the tasks to accomplish the goals. Decision-making involves developing strategies that will achieve the group’s goals. Management has the responsibility of overseeing the internal systems and ensuring the processes within the various work units are in alignment with the organizational objectiv es. Planning coordinates the functions within the various departments and distributes resources effectively to produce the goods and services of the organization. As a function management organizes and coordinates the organization’s material, equipment, employees, schedules, and uses authority to ensure the activities within the internal environment are in alignment with the organizational goals. In the process of planning and organizing management recruits employees. Staffing or human resource management includes selection of workers, developing ongoing training programs, establishing, and maintaining an internal culture of cohesion in which the efforts and activity within the organization accomplish the group’s goals. Managers have the task of overseeing and controlling an operation’s processes to fulfill the organization’s strategic plans and goals. Whereas, leaders formulate or chart the direction in which an organization travels to reach specific goa ls, managers work to ensure the goals materialize using the resources available. Distinctly different, yet overlapping and dependent on the other, managers and leaders each have the responsibility of directing, guiding people, and implementing plans in efforts to accomplish strategic targets. 2. Explain the importance of history and theory to management, and highlight the pioneers of management theory: The study of the science of management is relatively young, however management has existed from ancient times The societal transition from that of an agrarian society to an industrialized one helped to create the need for knowledge of how to manage people in factory settings. Management theory evolved as a result of workers moving from farm communities into cities and working in offices and manufacturing plants. The ability to effectively coordinate workers’ efforts and efficiently use machinery was essential in keeping up with social change, progress, and consumers’ dem ands for products and services. The gradual development of systems of work has been one of the most significant factors that have prompted the need to understand the internal relationships within the organizational culture. The First Industrial Revolution (1712-1830) gave birth to the inventions of the steam engine, spinning jenny, and improvements to the machinery in general. Because of the steamboat and