Collaborative Essay - 1017 Words

When you are writing collaboratively, how does one determine whether an argument represents ones own position? Sticking to your position while writing collaboratively can be tricky, often times it can be downright impossible. To ensure that one maintains its own position it is important to know well and to constantly stick to your position. You can pretty well guarantee that your portion of the paper is a reflection of yourself and your views by sticking by them and being sure to give support for those ideas. On the other hand what is it that causes or allows a team member to support an argument that he or she does not find credible? Does this lack of individual support weaken the final paper? Why or why not? You may not find the issue a†¦show more content†¦A topic some find hard is what are the correct methods of peer review to do the best job of evaluating the quality of a papers argument? I feel that the professional peer review will do the best job at evaluating the q uality of a paper’s argument. Professional peer review focuses on the performance of professionals, with a view to improving quality, upholding standards, or providing certification(Peer Review, 2012). This is because a professional peer review goes over every inch of that paper and does not skip a beat. If any method of peer review should be able to break down the quality of a paper it would be this one. The attention to detail is what sold me on this decision, paying much close attention ensures that an argument is heard not just passed along the line of other mindless zombies of our day.Whenever you are writing collaboratively, what is the best processes for making sure sections of a project written by different team members are logically consistent? When writing collaboratively it is always good to split up the tasks within a team. The team should state what they will be doing as a person and what task are they each in charge of. This should include what the final assignm ent should be and how it will all come together. It is always good to let the team know about the deadline of the assignment and how often should they post their work and how it is coming along.Now how does the process of evaluating a team paper for plagiarism differShow MoreRelated Blogs as Collaborative Writing Tools Essay2107 Words   |  9 PagesBlogs as Collaborative Writing Tools Blogs are widely embraced as a tool that has revolutionized publishing on the web. It’s easy and it’s fun to keep a blog, two elements that are always attractive. I like blogs, but what I’m going to write about in this essay is a way in which I think blogs don’t work; or, at least, a way in which blogs didn’t work in my teaching in the way I tried to allow it to happen. Just to telegraph my points clearly: First, and I only want to touch on this pointRead MoreEssay Computer-supported Collaborative Learning1101 Words   |  5 Pagesin the process. Therefore, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) focuses on employing the benefits of collaborative learning via networked computers (Computer-supported Collaborative Learning, 2007). The end-goal is to make use of the power of technology based on reliable and ubiquitous computing environments to facilitate and support learning in communities (Carroll, et. al., 2005). Pamela Jennings defines computer-supported collaborative learning best when she calls it, â€Å"social interfacesRead MoreCollaborative Ethnography Essay1629 Words   |  7 Pages Postmodern ethnographers believe that it is the way we interpret information that must be studied and that the voice of societies should be advocated through an informant. They also believe that to do this the use of collaborative ethnography is of vital importance. Collaborative ethnography is a relationship between ethnographers and informants. This, however, could be a team of ethnographers observing and studying a society, it could be a couple of ethnographers and more than one informant orRead MoreCollaborative Leadership Essays1378 Words   |  6 PagesCollaborative Leadership Leadership can take many different forms, depending on the person and the situation in which it is needed. Collaborative leadership is a leadership style in which a leader brings together a large group of people, with a variety of backgrounds, to make a productive decision and act upon it. According to Chrislip and Larson (1994): †¦they are the ones who have the credibility to get the right people together to create visions, solve problems, and reach agreements about implementableRead MoreCollaborative Practice Essay4034 Words   |  17 Pageso First Patch. Professional Understanding Collaborative practice (Sadler 2004) is at the forefront of health and social care training. For me, like many nursing students, the first steps in collaborative practice were the IPL (interprofessional learning) modules at university. This has been described as two or more professions being taught together as away of cultivating collaborative practice (Caipe. 2010). These modules consisted of student nurses studying different fields, OT’s, radiographersRead MoreInformation Technology Applications For A Team Of People3014 Words   |  13 Pagestogether is called groupware and in this essay I would like to extend the definition of groupware to also include software that enables collaboration between teams of individuals. Groupware, collaborative software or group support systems are all a type of software â€Å"with the main objective to make the interaction between people that work together easier and helping them to become more effective and efficient† (Sarmento, Lous a, Machado, 1999). Groupware/ collaborative/ Computer Supported Cooperative WorkRead MoreEssay on An Individuals Reflection on Academic Writing 951 Words   |  4 Pagesdeliver information logically and scientifically. This skill needs to be refined and practiced constantly regularly. After three months of taking ESL 273, I have accumulated various experiences in writing advanced sentences and organizing academic essays which are really necessary for me to perform well in the next English course, ESL 5, as well as other classes. As a result, I think I am well-prepared and ready for the next coming course ESL 5. During the ESL 273 course, one of my strengthsRead MoreTaking an Inside Look at Collaborative Consumerism Essay1045 Words   |  5 Pagesconsumers and created rating systems with the help of social networks and mobile technologies. Corporate America that contributed to over-consumption has raised global environmental and financial concerns. On the other hand, the rising trend of collabo rative consumerism encourages eco-conscious ways to de-clutter over-consumption; it may have a negative impact on traditional corporate consumerism, but encourages ecofriendly entrepreneurships; it also improves human relationship by finding the powerRead MoreMath Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesGeneral Information on the DBQ The required DBQ differs from the standard essays in its emphasis on your ability to analyze and synthesize historical data and assess verbal, quantitative, or pictorial materials as historical evidence. Like the standard essays, however, the DBQ is judged on its thesis and argument. Although confined to no single format, the documents are unlikely to be the familiar classics (such as the Emancipation Proclamation or the Declaration of Independence), but theirRead MoreAn Exciting English 101 Course759 Words   |  4 Pagesparticipation. At times, this course may challenge your world-view, which is part of active and significant learning. I expect you to have open minds and a great willingness to learn. Furthermore, I hope to learn from all of you. Our cooperative, collaborative learning community is established by students making use of the following learning strategies: †¢ Establishing a vibrant writing culture by writing, rewriting, revising, and sharing the process with others. †¢ Exploring and expanding, through discussion

Family Values In To Kill A Mockingbird - 1149 Words

Children around the world are shaped and impacted by their families from the day they are born. However, countless families have drastically different values and morals when raising the children. Families should teach their children to have strong morals and a defined identity to help them grow to be responsible, respectful adults. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author depicts two families, the Finch’s and the Ewell’s, which have completely different family values. The Finch family has a strong sense of morality and justice, whereas the Ewell family are portrayed as a poor, trashy family that is looked down on by the community of Maycomb. Firstly, through the Finch family, Atticus teaches both his children that†¦show more content†¦Throughout the book, the Ewells are seen as â€Å"...a disgrace to Maycomb for three generations† because they seemed to be â€Å"liv[ing] like animals†. The family environment is so poor, that p eople in Maycomb say that their home â€Å"looked like the playhouse of an insane child†. Not only this, but they also don’t make their children go to school besides the first and last day of the school year, because according to Scout, it is â€Å"silly† to try to force people like the Ewells into a new environment. This reflects the complete neglect of the basic necessities needed for the Ewell to properly function and more importantly grow. Even the most miniscule of things, such as education, is refused. This will inhibit the growth of this family, and therefore the generational trend will continue to spiral. Subsequently, my family has numerous different values and lessons that I have been taught over the years that have drastically changed myself into the person I am today. Similarly to the Finch’s, my family also believes in strong morals and a steady head when it comes to dealing with others. Myself, being an only child, have had the opportunities to be with my parents almost every waking minute of my life, and during this time I have picked up countless crucial life lessons. For example, my father in particular always tells me â€Å"No matter how small theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of More Than One Way1317 Words   |  6 PagesOleynik Mrs. Coad Honors Sophomore English March 19, 2015 Reevaluating the Mockingbird When one embarks on reading Jennifer Murray’s article, â€Å"More Than One Way to (Mis)Read a Mockingbird†, it becomes known that she is taking her readers through a thorough reanalysis of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Murray proclaims that Harper Lee’s novel is somewhat misunderstood and over appreciated. She claims that â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird, despite its awards and popularity, is a less than great novel†, and insteadRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird vs a Raisin in the Sun1396 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee and Lorraine Hansberry are two very different authors, who wrote two very different works. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about how prejudice and discrimination can lead to an innocent man being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit just because of his skin color. A Raisin in the Sun is a play about how the value of a family can overcome racism in a new town and allow a family to prosper, even in the worst conditions. However, both of these works deal with racism and discrimination inRead MoreHarper Lee862 Words   |  4 PagesHeritage 18 February 2013 Essay One Southern Parallels: An Exploration of the Life of Harper Lee and the Lasting Impact of To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee is considered one of America’s most enigmatic and influential writers of the twentieth century. Lee’s popular novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, offers readers deep insight into the dynamics of an unconventional family and Southern lifestyle in the1930s. Harper Lee was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama (SparknotesRead MoreThe Significance of the Title of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe Significance of the Title of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The title of this novel is To Kill a Mockingbird and throughout the book the word mockingbird appears several times. The mockingbird is the most significant symbol in the novel. The motif of the story is the innocent creature of the mockingbird. What is a mockingbird? A mockingbird is a type of finch. It is a small plain bird and has a beautiful song. It got its name because its beautiful sing mocks Read MoreWhy Not to Ban Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird990 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been challenged/banned countless times since it’s original publication in 1960. The reasoning people could have behind banning it is that they feel that the racism, language and subject matter in the book is offensive, inappropriate, immoral and that it encourages and condones such things. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama, during the depression from 1935-1937, and is told from the perspective of a little girl named ScoutRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Reflection Essay744 Words   |  3 PagesTo Reflect on Mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird reflected the contentious race relations of the 1930’s-1960’s, and sparked nationwide examination of racism. There are countless court cases that closely resemble the trial that took place in the novel, such as the Scottsboro Trials. The book was published right before the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement. In the years after the book’s publication, the Freedom Riders made their famous trip across the South, and the March on Washington took placeRead MoreHope in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee911 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is extensively a story of hope. Hope is to wish for something with expectation of its fulfilment and to have confidence; trust. This is shown through the themes, issues and the characters in the novel. Atticus represents hope, he is optimist. He is from the higher class and defends the lower class and still has the anticipation to win. The Finch family has hope as Atticus has taught his children to be accepting and have open-minds. Racism and prejudice, giveRead MoreWhat Makes a Classic?1074 Words   |  5 PagesLee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, is a common example of a literary classic, studied in classrooms all over the world today. Peace Like a River is a newer novel by Leif Enger, one that may very well become a classic in the future. It is an immensely profound novel that presents a new way of looking at the role of miracle in today’s lives. However, how would a novel like Peace Like a River, become a classic similar to To Kill a Mockingbird? While reading To Kill a Mockingbird, thereRead MoreTheme Of Nature In To Kill A Mockingbird1394 Words   |  6 PagesOften times, nature and the organic things of life come together to form a representation or symbolic message to life. As shown in To Kill a Mockingbird, nature and various aspects of humanity are associated in the form of a mockingbird. As it relates to the novel, A mockingbird represents a commonality of an understood sin. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is well known, classic novel originally published in 1960. Though the novel was written in a different time span, its plot vividly detailsRead MoreMaturation Theme In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1609 Words   |  7 PagesMaturation Theme To Kill A Mockingbird â€Å"Maturity is not measured by age. It’s an attitude built by experience.† This quotation says of how you don’t mature by aging and growing older but maturing by understanding situations and events you are found in and how you deal with those challenges or problems. The definition of maturity is to â€Å"have attained a final or desired state.† This means that although some don’t mature ever in life it is of something every human being must do to properly work in

Letter to Pedro free essay sample

Tension to Attention: Tradition Vs. Modernity in Rene Estela Amper’s â€Å"Letter to Pedro, U. S. Citizen, Also Called Pete† By examining the tension embedded within its lines, â€Å"Letter to Pedro, U. S. Citizen, Also Called Pete† by Rene Estela Amper sends us into the tug war between tradition and modernity. As the persona reveals to his addressee, Pete, old friend, There isn’t really much change In our hometown since you left. he actually heralds the changes in their hometown. The label â€Å"Pete† used by the persona in contrast with the phrase â€Å"old friend† represents the ironies that follow. Reading closely the stanzas, one can cull out the different images that symbolically intersperse with one another as the clash between the old and the new becomes apparent in every line. For instance, the image of Simeona, the cat and the recollection of the persona about her burial and the image of the bulldozer ramming down the road convey the pervasiveness of modernity and progress to the idyllic ways of the barrio people, especially the children. We will write a custom essay sample on Letter to Pedro or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the third stanza, the image defies gender role, which is actually a manifestation of modernism, wherein, women assert their rights in the patriarchal society. This idea is symbolized by the lines A steel bridge named after the congressman’s wife now spans the gray river where Tasyo, the old goat, had split the skin of our young lizards to make us a man many years ago. The steel bridge with the congressman’s wife may be compared to the women as empowered (signified by the steel bridge) individuals and splitting â€Å"the skin of our young lizards† to the pain young boys have to undergo in order to become men. Furthermore, modernity proves to have its downside also. It can hamper one’s freedom. Modernity doesn’t ensure us the liberty to enjoy what we want to do. It becomes a â€Å"barbed wire fence† that drives the birds away. Indeed, technology snatches us away from the simple pleasures of life like â€Å"shooting the birds with slingshot or spending the summer afternoons we loved so much doing. † Now, most of us would spend most of the time in front of the television or surfing the internet. The poem’s tension lies in the contrasting images and the motifs embedded in the lines. The persona presents the â€Å"then† and the â€Å"now† respectively, implying a direction or arrow which steers from tradition to modernity. It leads the readers to pay attention to an important issue of globalization. Here, the persona favors change. The irony in the first stanza creates an impact only when the readers realize that what he is cataloguing in the proceeding stanzas is actually the changes that take place in his hometown. The poem commences with the persona extending his regards to Pete’s American wife and tells him how his cock-eyed Uncle Islaw â€Å"now calls himself Stanley/after he began wearing the clothes you sent him last Christmas. † Is there really much change? By giving attention to the metaphors, we find fault in the persona. The fact is, there IS really much change in their hometown since Pedro left. And the greatest change is actually how the persona aspires to become a U. S Citizen, how Islaw considers himself â€Å"American† and Tasyo, the old goat, prides himself of having Pedro as a U. S. citizen by sending the latter’s â€Å"lizard his warmest congratulations. † The hometown represents tradition. Modernity, the United States of America.

Utilitarian View on Abortion free essay sample

Utilitarianism is the thought that actions are right if they benefit or bring happiness to a majority of the population. A utilitarian’s view on abortion could be that it is a good thing or a bad thing. They could argue that there is overpopulation in today’s society and around the world people are starving and going thirsty because of overpopulation. A utilitarian would say it would benefit the world’s population if a baby was aborted rather than taking another persons food. Another argument a utilitarian would make is that if a couple could not raise that child or would be alone (single parent) it would be better if they are aborted because it would put less of a burden on society having the mother not be on a welfare or government assistance lessening taxes for others and having the child from a broken home could raise crime and drug addiction having the baby aborted would prevent this from happening. We will write a custom essay sample on Utilitarian View on Abortion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also some studies show that having a baby decreases happiness in relationships and sometimes breaks people up it could be argued that if an unplanned pregnancy were terminated the couple would be happier and when they wanted a child would love that child more. An unloved child would act out and cause a burden on the rest of society. Utilitarian’s would be against abortion if it were damaging society. If there were a low in the amount of babies being born because of abortions it would damage society as a whole because we need people to sustain society. Or if we found that unborn babies sensed the pain of an abortion it would be against utilitarian view because the group of babies was feeling pain. Also an abortion could bring about the death of a great person that affects humanity. What if Einstein was aborted or what if bill gates was aborted? Humanity would be significantly different without those individuals and with that society, as a whole would be affected negatively by abortion. I think that utilitarian’s views on abortion are both correct and incorrect. Babies born to single parents or poor households can increase the probability that that child will become a criminal or a detriment to society. There is a problem with overpopulation in the world and the abortion of unwanted children would help. Society as a whole could benefit from abortions in certain cases. I don’t think everyone who has an unplanned pregnancy should go out and get an abortion because if so many of the great minds of our generation would be but dirt in the ground. A teenage girl who gets pressured into an abortion because of all these statistics could suffer serious depression and issues and would never know if her unborn child could have been the next LeBron James or millionaire who reaches great success even though they suffered through hardships early in there life. A utilitarian view is just unrealistic and there is no way to see if it would benefit society or hurt it. Human potential is endless and people seem to succeed through many hardships daily we should not kill an innocent child because of statistics. You never know what could happen in the future if I have a child they could be the smartest person in the history of the world I would be against abortion if it were my own child. I think people should have a choice to do what they want and the government should not tell people what they can and cannot do with there bodies. Utilitarianism looks too much towards the future and how society will be impacted but there is no way to really know what will happen. You could not allow an abortion to a poor unloving family and that person could become a great influence on humanity or you could allow the abortion and never know. There’s no way to really know if a child will grow up to be a criminal or a great person or just an ordinary person who contributes to keep society moving. People should make there own decisions and if that hurts the rest of society so be it. We cannot foresee the future so utilitarian’s should stop trying to and should start trying to cope with the problems society will face.

print item Essays - Maria Taipaleenmki, Free Essays, Term Papers

print item Essays - Maria Taipaleenmki, Free Essays, Term Papers Yasmine Gist Environmental biology World View The environment we live in is simply beautiful. Animals and plants are a part of the environment but, we as humans are also a part of the environment so it is important that we keep the environment in best condition possible and that means to understand environmental world views. Environmental worldview is common beliefs and images of how humans should interact with the environment. When problems come about in the environment, it's our duty to come up with solutions to solve them, and it is also our duty to keep the environment healthy and safe as best as possible. Are basic beliefs, images, and understandings that shape how we see the world make up our world view. Everyone has their own worldview on different topics. One of my environmental world views is to make sure my family, friends, and myself make contributions to the eco-system so that we can to keep the environment in excellent condition, or in other words my world vie w is eccentric. I also believe that everyone should be bio centric rather than anthropocentric. Humans are not superior in the world. All species have value to them and are put in the world for some reason. I took an eco-footprint survey and my results weren't so shocking. My carbon, housing, and goods and services footprints where all a little bit above the country average. My food footprint however was a little less than the country average. My marine fisheries and pastureland footprints came out the same. Cropland was a little less than half of my Marine fisheries footprint, and forestland footprint was the same as my marine fisheries pastureland footprints put together. I came to have these world views mostly because my family. They inform me about the environment and ways to help it. My mom does most of the grocery shopping so she is an influence on the food that I eat. There are several other factors that my family has helped influence my worldview, but I also have taken in th eir intake and added my own views. My world views definitely reflect on my lifestyle. My lifestyle has made positive impacts on the environment. Every day when I wake up I take a shower. I make sure I spend no more than 5 minutes so I am saving water. I have a healthy organic breakfast making sure I use reusable plates and silverware. I try to always carry a water bottle instead of buying a plastic one. We have a recycling bin in my house to we make sure we recycle everything we can! When we wash clothes we ONLY wash if it's a full load. Saving water is very good way to help the environment and not only that but it is more cost effective so why not! Along with water comes the electricity. Making sure the lights are off when not in a room, making sure electrical cords are not plugged in when they are not in use. Those little things can have a HUDGE impact on the environment. In class we have read and seen a lot of articles and video clips that show bad actions that have neg atively impacted the environment and we have also read about things that have positively impacted it. I think that having us read these articles and discuss them in groups really helps us get a clear visual of the cause and effect of human behavior to the environment. In one article we learned that in some of our exfoliating soaps there at these little balls of plastic that cause a negative effect on animals in water. When we wash is face and body off those little beads of plastic are going down the drain and could possibly end up where the sea life is. Learning about that makes me more cautious about the products I buy. Another of the articles I read I learned how female fish are starting to produce male testicles, and it is because of the things we throw into the water. I really am enjoying the class. I am learning about things I did not know about such as real world issues in the environment. I

The Best (and Worst) Online AP Courses, Reviewed

The Best (and Worst) Online AP Courses, Reviewed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There are hundreds, if not thousands, of online AP courses. So how are you supposed to find the best one for you? To help you sort through your options, I’ll quickly go over what makes a good online AP course. Then I’ll discuss the best-reviewed online AP courses, some popular online AP class providers, and wrap up with some classes that you should avoid. 7 FactorsThat Make a Good Online AP Course If you're searchingfor the best online AP courses, these are the qualities you should look for. #1: It's Accredited There’s no reason why you can’t self-study for an exam with non-accredited online resources- but if you are going to take an entire AP course online, it makes the most sense to take one that is accredited by the College Board. This means that they have looked over the syllabus and course requirements and approved it, and that it can be listed as an AP course if your high school agrees to list the online course on your transcript. #2: The Material Is Presented Well You want the material to be interesting, engaging, and presented clearly. The coursework may not be your first choice of activity, but if you’re bored out of your mind, you won’t want to study, and if you’re confused, you will be frustrated. #3: Teachers Are Accessible and Give Good Feedback Teachers should be easy to reach and give useful, timely feedback. If you are waiting for them to return assignments from months ago when you take the AP, that’s not particularly helpful. #4: The Workload Is Reasonable Many AP courses are demanding, which is to be expected. But you want to make sure that you have a good sense of how many hours per week you have available to spend on online coursework and how many hours a week the class will take. #5: There's an Easy-To-Use Interface and Tech Support A good course will be easy to navigate on your computer. You should also have easy access to tech support resources should something go wrong. #6: The Class Preps You for the AP Exam If you can get any information on how students tend to score on the exam after taking the course, that will be very useful in making a decision on a course. #7: It's Well-Reviewed A good online AP course is one other students have had good experiences in! Check forum sites like College Confidential for reviews of a given course. With those seven criteria in mind, we’re ready for a more in-depth look at some of the best-reviewed online AP courses out there! You can master the universe...of online AP courses! 8 GreatOnline AP Courses Below I’ve compiled a list of someof the bestonline AP courses. Ideally I would be able to provide an option for every AP, but unfortunately, some APs have very few online options (if any). That is why, as you may notice, there are some popular AP courses like Calculus and English Language that do not appear on the list below. AP US History AP US History From the UC System’s Scout Program Students like the material, the pace, and the focus on AP exam prep. Multimedia lessons are praised for being engaging, and assessments and assignments are full of variety, which keeps things interesting. Students appreciate the consistent pace of the assignments. A special bonus is that the end of the course involves an AP workshop with study strategies, practice AP exams, etc. This is also one of the cheaper online AP course providers, and it’s discounted for CA students. AP Art History AP Art History From the Florida Virtual School Students appreciate that the course spends so much time on non-European art. The interactive gallery format is engaging and helps you retain the material. Finally, the class content is not overly difficult, but students still feel prepared for the AP exam. AP Human Geography AP Human Geography From the Florida Virtual School Students recommend this class, finding it interesting without being frustrating. They also praise the teaching staff and like that teachers are accessible by text, e-mail, and phone. AP Psychology AP Psychology From the Florida Virtual School This course is interesting and fairly easy. Some assignments are fun, and the online textbook has helpful interactive video components and simulations. Overall, this course is straightforward and will prepare you well for the exam. With that said, students advise that some of the course material does require boring rote memorization. AP Biology AP Bio From Johns Hopkins CTY Students felt that this course overprepared them for the AP Bio exam, but in a good way. They also appreciated that the two lowest grades on tests were dropped, so you could dive into difficult material without fear that some struggling along the road would completely tank your grade. AP Biology From Apex Learning This class hasa combination virtual/in-person lab component,which ishelpful given that many online courses do not have labs at all. Students do mention that this course is reading-heavy. AP Chemistry AP Chemistry From ChemAdvantage The main selling point of this class is that students get mailed a small lab kit and do at-home labs; lab components are often missing from online science courses. The course is taught and managed by a husband and wife team. Students receive lots of instructor attention and feel that instructors are flexible when necessary. The course is demanding, as AP Chemistry usually is, but students feel well-prepared for the exam. Unfortunately, this class is primarily offered to homeschoolers, but their FAQ says that they may be able to accommodate students whose schools simply don’t offer AP Chem. AP Computer Science A AP CS A From the Florida Virtual School This is one of the most highly-praised online courses out there. According to students, the FLVS course imparts a strong coding foundation, good habits, and conceptual understanding. Students find that they easily retain the material for months and feel very prepared for the exam. They warn that you may spend 10 hours a week or more writing programs, but that you will enjoy yourself and it is time well-spent. There you have it- a selection of some of the most popular online AP classes available. Still at a loss? Keep reading for a brief list of three of the most well-regarded online AP providers. We briefly interrupt this broadcast to bring you this mesmerizing jellyfish. 3High-Quality Online AP Course Providers In addition to some specific courses being like by students, there are also some online providers that are particularly well-regarded.It’s still a good idea to look for reviews and making sure a course has what you are looking for before you sign up, but these are some online schools that have a reputation for high-quality coursework. Pennsylvania Homeschoolers For homeschooled students in any state, PA Homeschoolers AP Courses are well-reviewed, with excellent teachers being the number one benefit. AP History and English classes are particularly well-liked, and they appear to have the only online AP Environmental Science course that is praised and not widely disliked. However, you must be a homeschooled student to register. Florida Virtual School Though there are a couple courses that aren’t highly reviewed (see below), most students found AP offerings from FLVS to be comprehensive, cost-effective, worthwhile, and adequate preparation for the AP exam. They also have a wide variety of AP courses available. It's one of the cheaper online providers, has no admissions requirements, and is free in Florida! Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Johns Hopkins CTYis an online course provider for gifted students. To take courses, students need to get qualifying courses on the PSAT. In general, students found AP courses from this provider to be thorough and enjoyable. The material used is said to be top-notch. This is an expensive provider, though there is some financial aid available. Allow me to steer you away from AP online danger! 3BadOnline AP Classes Of course, not every online AP course is a great experience. There are some classes that are known throughout the world of high school distance learning as particularly terrible, and I’ll discuss why here. AP US History From Apex Learning There were two chief complaints here: logistical and technical issues with the course, and poor preparation for the AP. Students found that they lost points on quizzes due to technical errors when they had selected the correct answer. They were annoyed by all of the faxing they had to do, and that their faxed documents frequently got lost. Even more disconcertingly, students did not feel prepared to get 4-5 level scores on the exam, but only a 2-3. They found they learned more from prep books than the course! If you’re having better luck studying on your own, there’s no point in taking the class. AP Environmental Science From the Florida Virtual School This is probably the most widely disliked online course I saw. Students were frustrated by the workload, assessments, and lack of teacher accessibility. They found that lessons focused on information that was not relevant to the AP exam. They pointed to a high workload of busywork with low exam preparation payoff. Assessments were brutally long. Teachers took a long time to get back to students. The general consensus was that no one should take this course. AP Government From the Florida Virtual School This course, again, was disliked for its poor preparation value for the exam. Students found that assessments were frequently based on minor, unimportant details instead of major concepts. Even diligent students who carefully read the lessons and took notes felt that assessments were unfairly specific and did little to prepare them for the actual AP exam. As you can see, there are several running themes in what makes a course disliked: there are technical problems with the way the course is run, the material is presented in a way that is boring or overly specific, students do not feel prepared for the exam, and teaching staff is inaccessible or not helpful. If you see any of these issues cited in student reviews on College Confidential or elsewhere, these are major red flags. Keep this in mind to avoid any bad eggs! These eggs are good, so you don't need to avoid them. Choosing the Right Online AP Course: Final Thoughts There are high-quality AP online classes available out there, with excellent teaching, good exam prep, and engaging material. There are also less amazing online offerings, with frustrating technological meltdowns, vanishing instructors, and long assessments. I’ve listed some highly-praised options and some that aren't as well-liked, but this is by no means a comprehensive accounting of every course available. I’m sure you’ve noticed that some APs are easier to find online than others, and some have more options than others. This means a few well-known APs (World History, English Language) are conspicuously absent from this list of the best online AP courses. Keep in mind what’s available when you are planning your online AP coursework, and do research carefully! A smart investment in an online AP course can have a great payoff. What's Next? If you're not quite sure if online AP courses are for you, check out my pros and cons to online AP classes. Once you've selected your course of choice, you may need help registering for the AP exam. Want more information about the AP program before you decide? See our expert guide to AP classes and tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Project- Administrative Agencies Research Paper

Project- Administrative Agencies - Research Paper Example The paper will also present a personal critique of the agency and make recommendations for the agency’s future. Purpose for creation of Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency was created with the aim of merging related roles that were formerly administrated by different agencies and organizations. Its overall purpose was however the protection of â€Å"human health and the environment† from activities whose unregulated operations pollutes the environment (National Research Council, p. 8). The agency’s specific purposes are however diverse and includes ensuring measures for good quality of the atmosphere, ensuring that water and water bodies are free from pollutants, promoting hygiene among the society and implementing laws for safeguarding the environment. Its purpose therefore majorly concerns environmental safety for healthy lives (National Research Council, p. 8). The agency’s parent act The Environmental Protection Agency w as a creation of the â€Å"National Environmental policy Act†1 that was legislated in the year 1969 and signed in the year 1970 (National Research Council, p. 7). Under the acts provisions, the government declared intentions to ensure favorable living conditions that would forester human social, economic, and political developments. The agency was then formed to implement the legislation with Congress’ approval under the name of ‘Environmental Protection Agency’ (National Research Council, p. 7) Historical background leading to the agency’s formation Environmental Protection Agency was a culmination of an already developed concern over the environment. Trends into its formation can be traced back to the industrial revolution error. Before the revolution, there existed few pollutants and the environment was considerably safe. However, invention of motor vehicles and further additive to the locomotives’ fuels identified grounds for regulatory m easures. As a result, the â€Å"Clean Air Act†2 was approved to regulate environmental concerns that had been created by smog. This was followed by another environmental legislation in the year 1965, â€Å"Motor Vehicle Pollution Act†3 that aimed at regulating motor vehicles emissions and the ‘Air Quality Act’4 was then formulated in the year 1967 to further control emissions. Consequently, the Environmental Protection Agency, under the National Environmental Policy Act was created in the year 1970 to further the objectives of regulating environmental pollution. The agency was therefore created with the idea of facilitating a healthy environment through regulating pollution agents (Biggs, p. 377). Functions of the agency Functions of the agency majorly entail implementation of its objectives and extend to roles of implementing the objectives. One of the agency’s functions is therefore to ensure that air pollutants are eliminated for a quality enviro nment. Other functions include controlling chemical pollution and other forms of pollution as well as implementing rules that are set under its jurisdiction. The agency, through its statutory powers also formulates regulations to govern mass sources of pollutants such as agricultural and industrial sectors. It also issues license for operations and revokes licenses of operators who defy regulatory measures. The agency’s functions also include promoting awareness of its programs to the public and other stakeholders and

The various economic concepts linked with the public policies and Essay

The various economic concepts linked with the public policies and income taxes - Essay Example This paper discusses that in U.S., the usage of local property taxes in financing school education has been criticized as unconstitutional, which generates inequalities in public education expenditures across states. The reason for this is as those districts that have larger property tax bases per pupil, can generate any amount of revenue from lower tax rates as compared to those districts having smaller tax bases. Therefore, it is easier for rich jurisdictions to raise revenue for public education than the poor jurisdictions. The State of Virginia finances the public schools through a combination of federal, state and local funds. Also, there is contribution of private sector through partnerships with schools and their divisions. State’s General Assembly is responsible for apportionment of state’s funds for public education, through Appropriations Act. The sources of funds are retail sales, state lottery proceeds, tax revenues and other sources. The Constitution of Vir ginia requires the Board of Education (BOE) to prepare SOQ (Standards of Quality) for public schools. SOQ is the minimum school educational program, the divisions must provide. The General Assembly revises SOQ, determines SOQ costs and apportions these costs between localities and state. Funding on a per pupil basis is provided through the accounts of basic aid, career and technical education, special education, English as a second language, remedial summer school, fringe benefits for funded positions and sales tax of 1.125% for public education... Funding on a per pupil basis is provided through the accounts of basic aid, career and technical education, special education, English as a second language, remedial summer school, fringe benefits for funded positions and sales tax of 1.125% for public education (Virginia DOE, 2011). Answer 2: Population & Per Capita Taxes The annual average cost per police officer is $30,000 for a small town. The population of the town is 1,000. The per capita cost of employing a police officer is $30. $30,000 ? 1,000 = $30 Table 1 shows the declining per capita cost of one police officer and increasing per capita taxes. The reason of such phenomenon can be understood as the population increases (column 1) and the costs per police officer remains stable the per capita costs will decline as the same costs can be assigned to increased number of people (column 3). Also, with the increase in population, the total tax collection will increase, although the per capita taxes will remain the same (column 7) if the tax rate is constant (column 6). The assumed tax rate is 30%. The costs of police officers are assumed to be financed by the revenues from taxes. Therefore, the remaining per capita taxes have increased with declining costs of per capita costs of police officer (column 8). Figure 1 shows the graphical presentation of these results. Table 1: Per Capita Taxes & Costs of Police Officer Figure 1 Answer 3: Valuation of Land Table 2: Market Price Calculation Rent Annuity $10,000.00 Market Rate of Interest 10% Market Price of Land $100,000.00 Â   Â   Property Tax 5% Annual Tax Value $5,000.00 After-Tax Market Value of Land $50,000.00 The market price of the land is calculated as ratio of the annual rent in perpetuity and the market interest rate. The market price

The issue of a “culture of life” Essay Example for Free

The issue of a â€Å"culture of life† Essay Issues on Ethics and Science have always been arguable and debatable, much more so when highly- skilled professionals get involved in the issues. In medical practice and health care delivery, ethics takes center stage. If I were the queen of the United States and had the absolute power to rule and decide everything in the country, I would be very strict in such a way that I will not tolerate any ethical and social issues like abortions, physician assisted suicides, human cloning, and Stem cell research using human embryos. Aside from their medical and scientific implications, the â€Å"legality† and â€Å"morality† of such practices are so delicate that I should be keeping track of. I will emphasize one vital issue in health care for clients, and it is the discernment of the risks involved in the application of medical breakthroughs and execution of research and experimentation like in the case of Stem cell research using human embryos and human cloning. I would warn all health care professionals to not ever do it because I would not want humans to become subjects of it and be exploited. As the mother of the United States, I would not want my countrymen to be experimented. The moment that they will do it either secretly or not, then I will have their license revoked. In the case of abortion, I would not tolerate it. Human life is sacred because conception, from the beginning, already involves the creative action of God. We owe human life respect and reverence. Human life should be protected and preserved. The sanctity of human life demands that it must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. I would create educational programs that could teach and educate the concern citizens about the disadvantages of abortion. I will emphasize that abortion destroys life and violates the right to life. As such it is morally evil and it should not be in any way legalized and liberally permitted in the laws and constitution of a nation, like in the United States. I would order to spontaneously check each birth centers to see if they are doing abortion in secret or not. I would punish every health professional who will do it, and even imprison them at some point. Legalizing assisted suicide only legitimizes the use of plastic bags and carbon monoxide to kill vulnerable people. It will only make the health care professionals as â€Å"killers† and not as â€Å"life savers†.   Assisted suicide is not the only way to relive excruciating pain. It is really quite the contrary! Assisted suicide exploits people’s natural fear of suffering and dying. They often claim that without it people will be forced to endure â€Å"unbearable pain†. Such claims fail to recognize that virtually all pain can be eliminated or that in those rare cases where it cannot be totally eliminated, it can be reduced significantly if proper treatment is provided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is a national and international scandal that so many people do not get adequate pain control. But killing is not the answer to that scandal. The solution is to mandate better education of health care professionals on these crucial issues to expand access to health care, and to inform patients about their rights as consumers.

Essay --

Economic and Strategic Traits of the Industries and Companies Some industry factors to consider between Harley-Davidson and Polaris is their diversification, market growth rate, market size, competitive and corporate strategies. The market of recreational vehicles is very broad and it includes vehicles that are designed for on-road the experience to even off the road experiences. Recreational vehicles include ATVs, snowmobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, campers, boats, jet skis and even trailers. To dominate in all fields of the recreational vehicle industry would be very ambitious and expensive to accomplish. Our diversification in the recreational vehicle market is truly unique. We provided the first ever motorcycle to the consumer and we still are going strong for 110 years. There is three diversification tests we must consider and pass if we were to move on to acquiring Polaris. The industry attractiveness test is all about the opportunity for potential profits and returns in entering the side of recreational vehicles that would appeal to a broader market share could be impactful. The cost of entry test to Polaris’ industry that appeals to off-road, snowmobile and even on-road customers cannot be higher than our potential profit if we acquire Polaris. We must look at the long-term growth of Polaris and even at Harley-Davidson to see if this does make business sense. We must consider potential new competitive start-up companies that may want to try enter our market as well since there will be less competition. With the cost of entry we must consider Polaris as a growing company and it’s the number one seller of ATVs in North America. A growing company also means a higher price to obtain. The better-off test is anot... ...ompany’s corporate strategy is to eventually enter into the other side of the recreational vehicle market and that could be achieved with the acquisition of Polaris. We are looking into opportunities to have strategic fit with a new company to make sure we have better competitive advantage. Here at Harley-Davidson, we do marketing differently and that includes giving people the experience to test drive our motorcycles so they can feel the experience of the ride. We are unconventional in our marketing concepts but it has proven to pay dividends. Polaris’ corporate strategy is to drive down costs in the recreational vehicle market but to also produce high quality, reliable vehicles. They are looking into focusing more globally especially in emerging markets. Polaris is recognized nationally for our superb customer service and this is something they plan to continue. Essay -- Economic and Strategic Traits of the Industries and Companies Some industry factors to consider between Harley-Davidson and Polaris is their diversification, market growth rate, market size, competitive and corporate strategies. The market of recreational vehicles is very broad and it includes vehicles that are designed for on-road the experience to even off the road experiences. Recreational vehicles include ATVs, snowmobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, campers, boats, jet skis and even trailers. To dominate in all fields of the recreational vehicle industry would be very ambitious and expensive to accomplish. Our diversification in the recreational vehicle market is truly unique. We provided the first ever motorcycle to the consumer and we still are going strong for 110 years. There is three diversification tests we must consider and pass if we were to move on to acquiring Polaris. The industry attractiveness test is all about the opportunity for potential profits and returns in entering the side of recreational vehicles that would appeal to a broader market share could be impactful. The cost of entry test to Polaris’ industry that appeals to off-road, snowmobile and even on-road customers cannot be higher than our potential profit if we acquire Polaris. We must look at the long-term growth of Polaris and even at Harley-Davidson to see if this does make business sense. We must consider potential new competitive start-up companies that may want to try enter our market as well since there will be less competition. With the cost of entry we must consider Polaris as a growing company and it’s the number one seller of ATVs in North America. A growing company also means a higher price to obtain. The better-off test is anot... ...ompany’s corporate strategy is to eventually enter into the other side of the recreational vehicle market and that could be achieved with the acquisition of Polaris. We are looking into opportunities to have strategic fit with a new company to make sure we have better competitive advantage. Here at Harley-Davidson, we do marketing differently and that includes giving people the experience to test drive our motorcycles so they can feel the experience of the ride. We are unconventional in our marketing concepts but it has proven to pay dividends. Polaris’ corporate strategy is to drive down costs in the recreational vehicle market but to also produce high quality, reliable vehicles. They are looking into focusing more globally especially in emerging markets. Polaris is recognized nationally for our superb customer service and this is something they plan to continue.

Ancient Greek Music Essay

Ancient Greek music was extremely popular in those times, and frequently used at ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. It was also played a lot because the Greeks saw playing it as a way of worshipping the Gods, pipes and pans were played when worshipping Dionysus, the god of wine and partying and other instruments played for other gods. The word ‘music’ comes from the muses who were daughters of Zeus and were known to be the goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science and the arts. Although no-one actually knows what ancient Greek music sounded like, they do know what instruments were played. There were: The lyre- an ancient stringed instrument played by the Greeks, the word comes from the Greek ÃŽ »Ã Ã ÃŽ ± The aulos- two double-reed pipes, played with a mouth band to hold the reeds steadily next to the musicians lips The kithara- also a stringed instrument, but more complicated than the lyre. Another difference was that it was played with a plectrum. T he Hydraulis- The first instrument, The Lyre The origins of the Lyre The Lyre was one of the first ever stringed musical instruments and was invented by the Greeks. Traditionally, the original lyres soundbox was made from a tortoise shell and then two, sometimes hollow, wooden arms extended up. The origin of the lyre is tied in with a Greek myth. When Hermes was born, he crawled out of his cradle and found a tortoise shell. He killed and then stretched a cow skin around the shell then stuck two horns in. Then to finish off he attached some strings to the instrument. When his parents found out they were very angry until they heard the music from the lyre and forgave him for killing the cow. There are several variants of the story. In one he steals an entire flock of cows. The Structure of a lyre Poor Greek musicians would have their instrument’s soundbox made from tortoise shells (these were called barbitos or a lyre) and richer ones would use wood for their sound box (these were called kitharas or phorminxes). Although the instruments had different names they were all essentially lyres, just in different but similar forms. Mythology and the Lyre Greek mythology and music were greatly related, mainly because people saw music as a way to worship the gods. The lyre was the most common in these stories. Orpheus and his Lyre Orpheus is the son of Apollo, god of music, and therefore was gifted with musical talent. Apollo gave Orpheus his first lyre and with it Orpheus charmed everything animate and inanimate, from birds to rocks. He even helped the Argonauts on their journeys, saving their lives many a time with his music. He fell in love with a nymph called Eurydice and charmed her with his music. They were a very happy couple and decided to get married. But their love was short lived as after the ceremony Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was terribly sad and mourned her death for years. Finally he decided to go to the underworld to get her back. He travelled down and got past Cerberus using his music. He played his lyre in front of Hades and the music was so sweet it even softened the lord of the dead’s heart. He begged hades to let him have Eurydice back and Hades said â€Å"yes, but on one condition, on the way back up you must not look back at Eurydice or she will be stuck in hell forever.† Orpheus agreed. On the way back he did not look back, even though he desperately wanted to. They were just at the mouth of the living world and Orpheus stepped out, happy that they had made it. He looked back to share this moment with Eurydice but she was still in the land of the dead and was instantly dragged back to hell. Orpheus was sadder than ever and travelled aimlessly, his only companion his lyre. But he was murdered by a group of maenads who ripped him apart and threw his head and lyre into the river. His Lyre and head travelled down until it reached the shore of lesbos, whose people buried his head and threw his lyre up into the sky to make a star constellation.

Los Angeles Independent Media Causes Essay

The Los Angeles Independent Media Center is a website that allows for left wing issues to be reported and shared on the web for all to see. They have over two dozen different categories that people have reported on ranging from animal rights and anti-war to immigration and indigenous rights and issues. Arizona has a proportionally large number of illegal immigrants working in the state just like California. Naturally this was one of the categories that caught my eye. When reading some of the article I came across a story from 2007. It was a march in Los Angeles (LA) in which mostly immigrants participated. They were marching because they wanted to be treated just as fairly as the legal citizens of the United States. They preached that they have been working just as hard to contribute to the economy of this country. There are two sides to any story and this is true in this case as well. On one hand they are doing the jobs that normal Americans do not want to do but others argue that they are here illegally and should not have the same rights as legal Americans. These two sides will be debated for years to come until someone can come up with a reasonable solution that will satisfy both side. The idea of illegal â€Å"under the table† help is too engrained within our society that it would be impossible to eliminate the issue over night. Not only are illegal immigrants fighting for their rights, but in some cases so are Americans. In California Wal-Mart would contract with temporary job agencies to fill jobs working in warehouses. These workers can be exposed to toxic chemicals and extreme heat conditions. They are also sometimes not given the wages that they were promised. Because Wal-Mart uses third party companies to supply the labor they have in the part denied any wrong doing in the situation. Of course in this case there are no unions to represent the workers and them facing the threat of losing their job if they express their dissatisfaction of their working conditions. Some groups are not even worried with the thought of having a job; they just want to protect areas that have existed for hundreds of years. Kuruvungna means: â€Å"A place where we are in the sun† in the Tongva language. For thousands of years the Tongva people lived here in relative peace and harmony with their environment until the European invasion of the Americas. (Sunday, 2012) In 1992 a group of environmentalists was able to secure a piece of land that was located on a public school’s property for the low cost of one dollar a year. This piece of property contained a natural spring that once belonged to the Tongva people before they were forcefully removed. The spring is said to have natural healing powers as well as native fish species, fresh water crayfish, a 200 year old Mexican Cypress tree, oak trees, hummingbird sage and other native grasses. The group is trying to secure another long term lease for the same price. One of the more controversial issues of our times is the use of genetically modified foods for consumption. These foods consist of simple fruits and vegetable to more complex animals like cows and pigs. One major reason behind this is that scientists can modify items to produce more nutrient rich foods for consumption. Scientists can also produce animals that can be modified to produce medicine, organs for transplant, meat or even engineered pets. It seems like a good idea to have enough organs and such to go around so that way no one would have to wait for a transplant and in the long run saving human lives. The biggest debate is to determine whether a human life is more important than that of an animal. This debate has been going on for some time now and will probably keep going on especially since the US Food and Drug Administration has taken steps to allow for the sale of genetically engineered animals. One of the biggest issues we have in America is politicians supporting special interest groups and not the constituents they were elected to represent. The City of Fullerton California was faced with a lawsuit from a construction company after denying the company’s proposal to develop a more suburban sprawl in one of the last bits of natural ecosystems in Orange County. Initially the city council had voted to deny the request from the company. In a strange turn of events, a year later the city voted to settle with the company and approve the proposal. Currently citizens have collected signatures to get a referendum on the next ballot to hopefully overturn the city’s decision. Every year across the country we hear about budget cuts in the education system. Along with the cuts we also hear of colleges increasing tuition to cover basic costs. So the question remains how can a school cut costs because it does not have money yet at the same time raise tuition? People finally had enough and all across the country students were walking out of class in protest and joined their community members in protests at superintendents’ offices, city councils and board meetings to express their concern with all of the cuts that have happened. In recent months teachers have joined the effort, which has become inspiring that they seem to not have a concern for their jobs while they protest. Alas, the protests have had little success as we still see cuts being made and tuition is still being raised semester after semester. America is in the middle of a war and with that comes anti-war protests. Different groups have tried to use different tactics to draw attention to their cause. One group protests on thanksgiving while others have protested on Christmas ask the question: what would Jesus choose? One of the more powerful messages came from a group back in 2009. They staged a mock funeral precession honoring those American and Iraqi people who have died during the war time period. These protests have been so powerful that the president vowed to end the war if he was elected. The baby boomer generation has grown up with the knowledge that if they want their voice heard then they organize a protest or a walk. After a bad statement from a Canadian police officer in 2001, large groups of women took to the streets to get the word out about sexual assaults. The groups organized what they called a â€Å"Slut Walk. It is one of those situations in which they should have thought about how the name of their walk could be portrayed within the community. These walks have occurred throughout the world to include the US, Canada, UK, Australia and several European countries. These walks have had support from several large human rights groups such as Planned Parenthood, CA National Organization for Women and Peace over Violence. There are many different subjects for people to post article on that would spark criminal acts and public disorder. These subjects include Anti-War, Class War, Immigration, Police State, and Racism. These are all catalysts for groups to recruit people who believe in their cause. The best part about the website is that people can post at any time they wish. It also helps that the website has multiple links to other cities, states and foreign countries similar websites. This is crucial because it does not bog down the website with data and provides a worldwide platform for left wing issues and causes.

Freedom Of Religion essays

Freedom Of Religion essays "You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note" (Doug Floyd) Harmony is diversity. In music, people sing different notes combined creating a complete, layered sound. In life, its the same way. All different types of people, religions, views, and opinions are what make the world what it is today. The First Amendment guarantees us the freedom of speech, religion, press and free assembly. If it wasn't for this amendment we would not be able to have freedom of religion - meaning we would have to believe in a god or power that the government would tell us to believe in. This amendment allows us to worship freely and is one of the benefits of being an American. But what happens when someone steps in and says that someone praising their god is wrong? Should they be punished or is it their right to worship what or who they choose? What happens when one person praising their god is offensive to other people? "As long has they do not break my arm or pick my pocket, it is of little c onsequence what they believe and that was what freedom of religion is all about."(Thomas Jefferson) The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States give every american the same rights. One right is the constitutional protection for the free exercise of religion. The second right is prohibition of the establishment of religion by the state. The people who founded this Constitution recognized it as one of the most important factors in a democracy. The founders also found a space of freedom between the government and the people. Which means that the government is not allowed to tell a group of people what they can or cannot believe in or do. Sadly, The government is not honoring their side of the constitution. The government is stating that prayer being allowed in schools violates others beliefs and others right of their own religion. Prayer is in fact legal in public schools and other places such as church and prayer in stores, etc. What is no...

1927 - 1928 Academy Awards

1927 - 1928 Academy Awards The very first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. More of a fancy dinner than the huge, staged ceremony of today, it was the beginning of a grand tradition. The Very First Academy Awards Soon after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927, a committee of seven members was given the task of creating an Academy Awards presentation. Though the idea was shelved for nearly a year due to other pressing Academy issues, the plans for an awards ceremony presented by the Awards committee were accepted in May 1928. It was decided that all films released from August 1, 1927 through July 31, 1928 would be eligible for the first Academy Awards. The Winners Were Not a Surprise The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929. It was a quiet affair compared to the glamor and glitz that accompany the ceremonies of today. Since the winners were announced to the press on Monday, February 18, 1929 - three months early - the 250 people who attended the black-tie banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel werent anxious for the results to be announced. After a dinner of Filet of Sole Saute au Buerre and Half Broiled Chicken on Toast, Douglas Fairbanks, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, stood up and gave a speech. Then, with the help of William C. deMille, he called the winners up to the head table and handed them their awards. The First Statuettes The statuettes that were presented to the first Academy Awards winners were nearly identical to those handed out today. Sculpted by George Stanley, The Academy Award of Merit (an Oscars official name) was a knight, made of solid bronze, holding a sword and standing upon a reel of film. The First Academy Award Winner Wasnt There! The very first person to receive an Academy Award didnt attend the first Academy Awards ceremony. Emil Jannings, the winner for best actor, had decided to go back to his home in Germany before the ceremony. Before he left for his trip, Jannings was handed the very first Academy Award. The 1927-1928 Academy Award Winners Picture (Production): WingsPicture (Unique and Artistic Production): Sunrise: A Song of Two HumansActor: Emil Jannings (The Last Command; The Way of All Flesh)Actress: Janet Gaynor (Seventh Heaven; Street Angel; Sunrise)Director: Frank Borzage (Seventh Heaven) / Lewis Milestone (Two Arabian Knights)Adapted Screenplay: Benjamin Glazer (Seventh Heaven)Original Story: Ben Hecht (Underworld)Cinematography: SunriseInterior Decoration: The Dove / The Tempest

Letter from birminghan jail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter from birminghan jail - Essay Example King uses logos for explanation or rational presentation of the case directed toward the intellect of the auditor. During this period of time, the main driven forces of equal rights movement included new perception of the world and self, new interpretation of freedom and humans rights. The historical evens changed political viewpoints on the notions of freedom and diversity of blacks and minorities. King states: "In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action" (King 221). Using dramatic descriptions, King vividly portrays that racial relations and racism causes labor division and class struggle. This universal process contains for America a special problem: the proletariat is largely black, and its demand for inclusion thus threatens the political control of a white minority. Using vivid examples, King states: "It is even more unfortunate that the city's white powe r structure left the Negro community with no alternative" (King 221). It is not surprising, therefore, if leading Black intellectuals attack the notion of racial democracy and seek to provide a new narrative which offers a central place to those of African descent. The enslaved African became a 'citizen' as stated under the law, but he also became a 'nigger', cornered from all sides. Through vivid examples, King appeals to the audience stating that this was made apparent in the ways in which ethnic identities were subsumed, and still are, within and between economic identities, a political-economic class identity with the ethnic referent made invisible (Lischer 23). Ethoc (ethical appeal) is founded on the moral character of the speaker as presented in Letter. The first and most important part of ethical appeal is the moral character of the speaker which persuades when his Letter is delivered in a manner rendering him worthy of belief. This confidence is established in and by the speech itself and not through previous notion the audience may have of the speaker. To win trust, confidence, and conviction, the speaker exhibit intelligence, good sense, virtue and goodwill. " Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal"(King 224). King demonstrates his the way he exercises his moral choice. For King, this part is very important because it helps the speaker to establish his ethical values as sensible, virtuous, and trustworthy. Also, King gives special attention to the character of his audience to which he suits his Letter. Kings appeals to the audience stating: "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal" (King 228). As it is essential to impress the audience favorably with his own character, so it is important for him to adapt his tone and sentiments to the audience (Overton 34). Emotional appeal is produced when King places his listeners in a particular state of mind and makes them feel emotion. It induces belief in an audience and appeals to their inner feelings. On the other hand, rights are

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle Eastern politics PowerPoint Presentation

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle Eastern politics - PowerPoint Presentation Example Thus, Islamic politics resulted in the regional political culture militarizing and creation of the region instability. Hence, activists with either religion or political agendas were fully convinced that they could use Islam as a strategy of winning (Cottam 1980). This implied that Islam could be employed as a means of radicalizing, politicizing, and mobilization of masses for the purposes of confronting Middle East authoritarian states. Consequently, neighbouring countries suffered instability of their political foundations, especially those with Shiite population, which include Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi. Iran revolution contributed to the emergence of bitter rivalries in the region of Israel. As such, Israel had to observe the activities of Iran, which influenced the policies that Israel adopted. Further, Iran was alienated from other countries, such as Saudi Arabia (Shahi 2009). Since the Middle East is a major source of oil, other governments expressed concerns and anxiety. These governments include the Britain and the United States of America among others. Moreover, the revolution had several events, which contributed towards the emergence of conflicts in the region. An example of this is the attack of Iraq by Iran. The Iranians play a significant role in enforcing their power status in the Middle East politics. As such, Iran supports Hezbollah and Syria. This support has had drastic effects in the region. For example, terrorists groups in Israel can be funded by the regime. The creation of Hezbollah in Lebanon resulted in the alteration of the Lebanese politics and the emergence of Israeli ambitions. This made Iran gain strength and influence, which made the West and East to always consider the nation in case of any Middle Eastern issues. Such depicted global geopolitics changes where there was a West-versus-East scenario in all areas with key players in different areas lining on different sides and having Iran within its circles. The

Information Technology for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Information Technology for Managers - Essay Example Also Microsoft Inc. sells the Xbox video game console, along with games and peripherals. Its online businesses include the MSN subscription and the MSN network of Internet products and services. The companys seven product segments are: Client, Server and Tools, Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solutions, MSN, Mobile and Embedded Devices and Home and Entertainment. (John 1; Reuters 7) Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its most popular products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, each of which has achieved near-ubiquity in the desktop computer market. Microsoft possesses footholds in other markets, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopaedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse as well as home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360 and MSN TV. (Wikipedia 8) The website of Microsoft Inc. declares that the company values integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. The website states that they are committed to their customers and partners and have a passion for technology. The company takes on big challenges, and pride itself on seeing them through. Also the website declares that staff of Microsoft Inc. hold themselves accountable to their customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honouring their commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality. (Microsoft 5) Stating proper goals and objectives is extremely important for the company. Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates writes that identifying the primary, focused objective of any process is the way to begin solving process problems. Whether for production processes or internal business processes, the goal should always be a fundamental kind of simplification.

The impacts of structural and infrastructural elements to service o

The impacts of structural and infrastructural elements to service o I. INTRODUCTION With the ever-changing nature of a global business operation that requires firms to adjust rapidly, operations flexibility capability has become more influencing, underpinning the strength of an organization. World-class service organizations rely on right strategies and practices to enhance their operations flexibility. In Malaysia, for instance, the world best budget airline, AirAsia, applies certain principles, practices and procedures that align with its operations objectives to achieve appropriate level of flexibility in their operations that suited its market segments requirements [1] [2]. In another example, there was a lot of confusion on the part of the passengers and employees of Jet blue airlines in Florida when weather conditions delays flights. In any eventualities, organization must plan ahead on how to deal with the changing circumstances that will affect their operations. Some of the impact of changes must be dealt at the source through some standardization of products, services and process delivery. The remaining must be dealt with at the point of impact using robust structural and infrastructural resources deployment strategies. Among the most essential move to establish and eventually enhance the operations flexibility is the use of technology especially the IT to better communicate internally within organizational units and externally with their customers thus providing flexibility in their operations. Others may rely on smart networking with clients and suppliers so that they will handle the uncertainties together as a group. At the same times, having a flexible workforce will ensure certain level of variability will be absorbed by tactically reassign the workforce. In summary, the changing nature of the environment requires flexibility to be one of the primary competitive components to be applied and considered seriously. To enhance the flexibility capability, firms need to strike a balance with structural and infrastructural decisions. In this paper, we will evaluate the dimension of structural and infrastructural elements and service operations flexibility and their relationship in a multivariate outlook. Few important questions need to be addressed here namely: What is service operations flexibility; what are the important structural and infrastructural elements and how they affect the operations f lexibility of service organization. II. LITERATURE REVIEW It is widely argued that operations flexibility is very much related to changing the structure and infrastructures of the organizations. However, the discussion on the important elements that fall into each category is debated. In following the definitions given by Hayes and Wheelwright [3], and Schroeder [4] suggested structure resources include capacities, facilities, process technology, and vertical integration whereas infrastructures include people, information system, organization, production and inventory control, and quality control system. Slack [5] suggested labor and technology as structural resources that must be supported by infrastructural assets such as the system, relationship and information couplings. Relating the structural and infrastructural elements to operations flexibility, there have been several studies done to address the issue. One of the important studies conducted by Correa and Gianesi [6] associated the broader term of flexibility as being able to respond effectively to unplanned change. They linked uncertainty and variability with unplanned change, which require firms to understand the concept of unplanned change. Managing unplanned change can be divided into two dimensions. One is labeled as flexibility in dealing with change after the unplanned change has occurred. The second dimension is the ability to deal with a certain amount of change and reducing the effect of change. This can be done by finding ways to control the changes by implementing strategies like forecasting technique, maintenance system, parts standardization, and manufacturing focus. These strategies are to prevent and avoid the change before it occurs. This is where the structural and infrastructur al elements play their roles. For example, in order for service firms to be able to implement the chosen strategies both before and after the occurrences of unplanned changes, firms ought to have suitable structural elements such as integration and technology supported by systematic infrastructural elements such as quality leadership and teamwork activities. Harvey et al [7] explained that a flexible firm is the one that can handle variability with minimum penalty and suggest the difference between internal robustness and external flexibility. Internal robustness must be dealt with minimum efforts due to the fact that it will not create value to customers. Harvey et al [7] suggested that in order to deal with the internal variability, firms may require organizational arrangement such as cross-functional teams, empowering contact personal, and building a flat organization, which factors are related to infrastructural elements of operations as well as modifying the structural elements such networking capability. It is the external flexibility that must be managed carefully in order to gain competitive advantage. Central to the issue, Harvey et al [7] proposed the use of structural element, mainly IT technology in order to manage flexibility. This is also supported by Bucki and Pesqueux [8] who also proposed the components of operations strategy on structural and infrastructural elements that contribute to operations flexibility. Adler [9] agreed that flexibility in organizations is a useful tool to improve firms competitive position as related to the use of technologies in implementation and the decision- making process. Upton [10] supported the idea and added that firms should create an infrastructure to allow for system flexibility. As a result of technological improvement and changes in customer preferences, service operations have become flexible and this requires adjustment in the delivery process. Upton [10] also pointed out that customers expect and prefer to get services at their convenient time and location, therefore capability on the part of the service provider to be flexible is imperative. One specific example on how structural elements such as technology and integration play an influencing role in service operation flexibility is the use of ATM machines. Banks that have ATM services have been providing convenient services to customers for years. In accordance with this, ATM services have improved over time. Two of the improvements mentioned include the increase in the limit of the amount in withdrawal transactions and the multiplication of ATM units strategically situated in many convenient locations. In elaboration, ATM services nowadays are not solely restricted to bank premises but can also be found at airports, petrol stations, bus stations, fast food restaurants and many others. The change in the way banks deliver services indicates the degree of flexibility in service operations that benefits banks and customers alike. ATM technology may require some investment on the banks side, but in the long run, it reduces operating costs by decreasing the number of staff a t counter services. Davis and Heineke [11] concluded that reduction in customers waiting time at counter services by improving better services management of process design can certainly reduce customers dissatisfaction and defection and technology could help to achieve this goal. Technologies have proven to be able to offer more opportunities in improving services processes. Collier [12] in a study on electronic devices for check-in and check-out systems in the hotel industry, automatic toll booth in transportation, electronic fund transfer in banking services, the practices of e-ticketing in the airline business have given huge impact on the ticket purchasing system, airport checking process, and service industries as well. Therefore, in responding effectively to customers demand variations, improving services process design by using technology is another approach to increase flexibility of the service system. Based on the above discussion, we have recognized several elements that must be considered in enhancing flexibility capability of a firm which could be further divided into structural and infrastructural elements. Among the most cited structural elements in discussing the service flexibility is technology, particularly the ICT, integration, and facility. With regards to the infrastructural elements, some of the most important factors cited in the literature are team management, worker empowerment, and quality leadership. As for the dimensions of service operations flexibility, we incorporate the types given by Correa and Gianessi [6] who suggest service flexibility capability as design, package, volume, delivery time, delivery location, system robustness and customer recovery with Harveys internal robustness and external flexibility[7]. Thus, we hypothesize; H1: Structural elements consists of facility, location, technology, integration/networking positively influence the external flexibility; H2: Structural elements consists of facility, location, technology, integration/networking are positively influencing the internal robustness, H3: Infrastructural elements consists of teamwork management, worker empowerment, and quality leadership positively influence the external flexibility, H4: Infrastructural elements consists of teamwork management, worker empowerment, and quality leadership positively influence the internal robustness We also propose that the infrastructural elements are more dominant in service industries as the soft power related to human potential are the silent forces that determines the operations flexibility, H5: Infrastructural elements have a greater influence on both external flexibility and internal robustness as compared to the structural elements. III METHODOLOGY This research uses a survey approach. We employed several techniques leading to the final large scale survey. First we conducted a thorough literature review on topics leading to the development of items to measure structural and infrastructural decisions and operations flexibility. Subsequently, the researchers conducted several interviews with operations managers in selected service companies namely; hotel, port management, and airline, to check if the factors found in the literature are relevant to the practical ideas of the managers, particularly in the Malaysian business environment. This technique allows the researcher to explore any relevant ideas pertaining to the issue. The interview will also provide some valuable information on the keywords or the indicators from the Malaysian perspective since the literature is too replete with studies from the different environments of western countries. Each session usually takes more than an hour. Combining the literature review and the interviews, an instrument was developed to measure structural and infrastructural elements, and operation flexibility. The structural and infrastructural elements are mainly adapted from the instruments developed by Boyer and McDermott [13]. The items to measure operations flexibility capability are taken from Correa and Gianessi [6] and Harvey et al. [7]. In summary, the instrument consists of (A)Infrastructural elements divided into worker empowerment(7 items), quality leadership(6 items), team management (4 items) (B) Structural elements consists of location(2 items), integration(5 items), technology(6 items) and capacity(2 items) (C) external flexibility (6 items) and internal robustness (5 items).  A sample of questions is given as follows; Technology: Indicate level of investment in the latest technology relevant for enhancement of the business operations (e.g. latest scanning system for hospital or new ATMs for banks) Capacity: Indicate the level of investment in upgrading / improvement of existing facilities Several workshops and discussion were conducted leading to the final version of the instruments. Before conducting a pilot study, we pre-tested the instrument on our MBA students, whose backgrounds included experience working in service organizations to identify potential problems with respect to the ability of the respondents to understand the questions asked, and clarify the instruments when it is necessary. No major change was made. Consequently, a pilot test was done to test the reliability and validity of the instrument. This is also done to minimize the administration of the questionnaires in the real study. 30 companies were conveniently selected to test the instruments. 25-100 observations were thought adequate for this purpose [14]. The reliability of the instrument was assessed before we proceed with the large scale study. We employed the Cronbach alpha method in gauging the reliability of the scale. All constructs show the alpha coefficient of greater than 0.7. We conclude d that the measurement scale is reliable and thus, will maintain all items measures. The large scale study that involved companies from 9 service industries was followed subsequently. Instead of using mail, which often result in poor response in an emerging economies countries such as Malaysia, we sent enumerators to operations managers or equivalent positions whom we had contacted earlier and expressed their desire to participate in the study. To choose the companies, we used the appropriate directory when it is available. For example, for the hotel industry, we utilized the Malaysian Hotel Association directory and select hotels with the rating of three stars and above. The selection represented both low contact and high contact category [15] :(a) Hotels (Service factory);(b) Fast foods (service factory);(c) Auto repair (Service shop);(d) Private hospitals (Service shop);(e) Private colleges; (f) Retailing (stores) (Mass service);(g) Retailing banking (mass service);(h) Accountant(Professional);(i) Architect firms(Professional).   The total final response was 254 firms. We then analyzed the data using the appropriate statistical techniques such as Factor Analysis and Regression Analysis TABLE 1 SERVICE CATEGORIES Sectors Frequency Percent Hotel Fast Food Private Hospital Auto repair Retail stores Retail banks Private colleges Architect Accountant Total 31 30 24 26 30 30 30 30 23 254 12.2 11.8 9.4 10.2 11.8 11.8 11.8 11.8 9.1 100 III. RESULTS Descriptive Statistics: We had about equal numbers of respondent across the 9 industries as shown in Table 1. With regards to the years of operation, more than 30% of all companies have been in operations for more than 10 years. Of all respondents, close to 60 percents are managers or above with 7.1 percentile hold top management positions. Most firms (about 60%) do business locally or nationally whereas about 25 % cover international market. Factor Analysis: A series of factor analysis was conducted to establish uni-dimensionality of the variables and to reduce the independent variables (structural and infrastructural elements) and the dependent variables (external flexibility and internal robustness) to appropriate factors. In doing this, there is an opportunity to redefine or reduce the number of factors according to the commonalities within the variables. SPSS provides the test for the appropriateness of the use of factor analysis and the adequacy of the sampling size. Bartlett tests indicate that factor analysis is suitable and the KMO test calculated that the sample is enough to conduct factor analysis. The first analysis on the structural elements resulted in three factors with percentage variance explained 74.674 percent. We define the factor as facilities related factors (capacity and location),technology, and integration/networking. We then run the second factor analysis for the infrastructural elements and foun d only two factors with 64.958 percent cumulative variances included and name the factors as teamwork management and quality leadership. Finally a separate analysis for external flexibility and internal robustness, as suggested from the theory, maintain most of the items that measures both constructs. The results of exploratory factor analysis shed light on structural, infrastructural elements and the service operations flexibility: external flexibility and internal robustness. The previously mentioned separate structural factor; facility and location, were remerged into one factor that we could call a facility related factors. Examining the items that measures capacity and locations seem to highlight the facility issues and the merging is not totally surprising. Meanwhile, worker empowerment from the infrastructural elements was diluted as some of the items are highly correlated with the team management. This is also justifiable as the team needs some forms of empowerment to be abl e to work effectively. We however intend to cut short the detail discussion of the result s of the factor analysis as the emphasis of this study is on the impacts of the independent variable to service operations flexibility. Multiple Regression: The first model with internal robustness () as the dependent variable has a good fit with R = 0.662 and R square = 0.439. The strongest factors to influence the dependent variable seem to be the structural elements, with technology ( Ã‚ ¢ = .387; t = 6.839), capacity location ( Ã‚ ¢ = .320; t = 5.706), integration/networking ( Ã‚ ¢ = .180; t = 3.353) show the highest beta-coefficient consecutively. Only team management, one of the two factors of infrastructural elements significantly influences the dependent variables. ( Ã‚ ¢ = .156; t = 2.609). The second model has also a good fit with R = 0.686 and R square = 0.471. This time, technology also plays an influencing factor ( Ã‚ ¢ = .342; t = 6.219), followed by capacity/location ( Ã‚ ¢ = .299; t = 5.499), integration/networking ( Ã‚ ¢ = .197; t = 3.783), team management ( Ã‚ ¢ = .187; t = 3.215), and quality leadership ( Ã‚ ¢ = .151; t = 2.678). Here, it seems that quality leadership fac tor play a significant role in delivering the external flexibility of a service firm. We also notice a reducing degree of influence of structural elements (except integration/networking) to affect the external flexibility of the service firms. Further, it is also quite surprising to observe the structural elements enforcing a higher degree of influence to the service operations flexibility where as we hypothesize that the soft elements of infrastructural should lead the list. The results enable us to confirm H1, H2, H3, and H4 but H5 which it is partially confirmed. This requires further explanations that will be discussed in the next section. IV. DISCUSSION This study confirms the importance of structural and infrastructural elements to the service operations flexibility. As suggested from Harvey et al [7] that the variability will have to be dealt with organizational arrangement such as cross-functional teams, empowering contact personal, and building a flat organization, which factors are related to infrastructural elements of operations as well as modifying the structural elements such as networking capability. Our study not only supported the literature but also specifying which factors contribute the most to the operations flexibility. Contrary to our belief that the soft elements will impact more on the operations flexibility of service firms, we found that the structural part especially the element of technology show a greater influence. We believe this is not totally unexpected as the infrastructural parts have also been found in the literature to play a supporting role in the operations effectiveness. Idris and M Ali highlighted the importance role of quality leadership and best practices in steering the effectiveness of firms [16]. Idris et al. [17] emphasizes quality leadership as an important component of organizational capability to drive company performance. Hussain et al [18] also proposed the prime role of leadership in their Excellence model. Further, regarding a reducing degree of influence of structural elements (except integration/networking) to affect the external flexibility of the service firms, this study highlights the role of infrastructural elements on the enhancement of the external flexibility. External flexibility usually deals with the customer demand that require more involvement on the part of the human resource to bring about the needed adjustments whereas more structural elements such as technology is needed to provide consistent internal results in the form of less confusion and glitches. Implying the results, service companies must invest in the structural elements such as technology and networking capability to boost the operations flexibility. These initiatives must also be back up with the human dimension in the forms of team management, and quality leadership. By recognizing the five factors prescribed in this research, a service company would be able to develop and strengthen the operations flexibility of their firms. There is no further analysis of the categories of service companies that may moderate the level of deployment of structural and infrastructural resources. For example, it is a possibility that a low contact service firms will utilize higher level of technology as compared to professional services. Thus future studies should highlight the issues. In addition, the importance of having operations flexibility may also be moderated by the competitive priorities of the companies and the categories of firms themselves. It is presumed that those companies who strive to make flexibility as their top agenda will deploy higher level certain structural and infrastructural resources as compared to those who have cost minimization as their operation objectives. Finally, this study uses managers perception to assess the operations flexibility. Other objectives measures should be explored for future studies V. CONCLUSION In this study, we investigate the relationship between structural and infrastructural elements and their effects on service operations flexibility. We divide the structural elements decisions into capacity, location, integration/networking, and technology while infrastructural elements decisions include worker empowerment, quality leadership, and team management. Service operations flexibility is divided into internal robustness and external flexibility. An instrument to measure all the factors is designed and pre-tested on 30 MBA students with slight changes as required. Thereafter, a pilot study was directed to operations managers of 23 Malaysian service organizations to check the reliability of the instrument. All items used to measure the studied factors are found to be reliable. Factor analysis readjusts our independent factors. With the new defined factors, we regresses them against the internal and external flexibility. We also found the dominant influences of structural and t he supporting influence of infrastructural elements to the service operations flexibility. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This research is supported by a research grant of National University of Malaysia (UKM GUP EP 07 18 113)