Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing in Luxury Industry Essay

Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing in Luxury Industry - Essay Example The emergence of digital and social media marketing have opened up new and exciting ways of branding. Specifically, luxury brands are the ones which have capitalized these relatively newer tools in a most decent and â€Å"luxurious† fashion to design their brand images. The affluent customers of these luxury brands have also joined in the social media sites and their dominating presence is effectively being utilized by the companies to attract the new customer and retain the loyal customers (Kerin, 2010). Reason of choosing the topic The reason of choosing this topic is basically divided into two broader areas such that one area pertains to a specific marketing strategy and the other area relates to the industry on which that marketing strategy is actually applied at. Digital and social media marketing is undoubtedly the most emerging and recent development in the overall marketing strategies whereas luxury industry is the one which faces the most crucial dilemma of getting al ong with this new area of marketing. Methodology This article is composed with a view to emphasize more on the development of digital and social media marketing specifically in the luxury industry. At the beginning, key definitions along with necessary explanations of the digital marketing, social media marketing and luxury industry are discussed. Second part of this paper highlights some brief statistics regarding the development of these marketing strategies in luxury industry.... Users hardly click on banner ads to browse the site of that brand or product, as he/she gets frustrated in getting along to all together to a new web page or new window (Bird, 2007). However, with the emergence of the concept of digital marketing, the orthodox online marketing tools are effectively put to wall as the new digital marketing strategies have replaced them in practical terms. With the invent of digital marketing, marketers especially are highly benefited such that they can track their marketing campaign rather on a wider scope such that they have the availability of real time tracking of marketing campaign (Ryan, 2012). They know that what is being viewed right now, how many times on average, a product is viewed in a day, the response rate of the customers etc. However, each marketing campaign is different from others and thus the feedback which the marketers obtain may remain quite different as compared to other marketing campaigns. 2. Social Media Marketing Social media marketing refers to those strategies in which the marketing campaigns of the companies are launched particularly on the social networking sites mainly including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc. The existing marketing companies on the social networking sites are gaining much momentum and success because these are the sites on which millions of users are present and it is more convenient for the marketers to catch their attention. Unlike the traditional marketing tools like TV, radio and other channels which are becoming less effective due to increase in number of channel, social media sites however are providing the largest avenue for the marketing companies to attract the

British Chocolate Manufacturers Essay Example for Free

British Chocolate Manufacturers Essay After reading The History of Chocolate by Diner’s Digest it is easy to understand that the main idea of the story is about the history of chocolate. For example, how it all started and how it changed over the years. The history of chocolate a beverage and ended in a bar. To begin with the history of chocolate all started with the Olmecs, an ancient civilization, in southern Mexico which thrived from 1500 B.C. to 400 B.C. Then it got passed along to the Mayan civilization. The Mayans used chocolate mainly as a drink. They usually flavored it with herbs, spices, or even chili. Then they shaked it back and forth to make it foamy. Next came the Aztecs, they thought the beverage was beneficial to warriors in battle. Another way cocoa was used was in currency. There was an official Aztec document saying a list of price equivalents. Next, a descendant of Mayans, the Kekchi Mayans presented crates of chocolate to Prince Philip. It was all frothed and ready to drunk by the Europeans. When Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus classified the â€Å"cocoa bean† he gave it the scientific name of Theobroma which meant â€Å"food of the gods’† in Greek. Another manufacturer, Coenrad Van Houten, produced a way for making chocolate powder. He did it using hydraulic pressure to remove the natural fat from it. Then that produced a hard cake which was crushed into powder. This was then mixed with water to make a chocolate drink. Next came the Joseph Fry Son, British chocolate manufacturers, which was founded by a Quaker. The Quaker was a doctor before finding that company. In 1847 they discovered a way of converting melted cocoa butter to â€Å"Dutched† cocoa butter (which was sweetened). This would create a paste that would be pressed into molds. This created a bar that turned to be a big hit. Last Daniel Peter (Swiss Chocolate Manufacturer) unsuccessfully repeatedly tried to make a milk flavored chocolate. But in 1867 Henri Nestle created the first milk chocolate bar. The milk’s low water content, that he made, made it possible to not spoil in storage. Another company named Celia’s Confections produced chocolate covered cherries. But the military put 3-4 chocolate bars in soldier’s â€Å"D-ration†. It was meant to sustain the soldier. The chocolate bar came to be associated with peace. Today chocolate is a major industry in the world. Americans consume 3.1 billion pounds of chocolate. That’s 11.7 pounds per person! To sum it up the Olmecs found chocolate. Throughout the years it got changed and passed along to many civilizations. This is the the history of chocolate.

The Psychology of Human Rights Violators and Courageous Resistors Essay

The Psychology of Human Rights Violators and Courageous Resistors Using a vocabulary based on the work of social psychologist Ervin Staub, it is clear that many researchers have found elements of the human psyche and the human experience that contribute both to acts of courageous resistance in the face of horrific human rights abuses as well as contributing to the perpetration of the acts themselves. Certain categories emerge while assessing the actions of an individual in either of these circumstances: environmental or circumstantial pressure and support; concept of self in relation to others, and specific learning experiences that coalesce into paradigms from which actions are taken. In his analysis of human rights violations, Staub discusses â€Å"difficult life conditions,† â€Å"in-group/ out-group† distinctions, and â€Å"learning by doing.† Various other scholars of human rights have a vocabulary that will enhance the meaning of this terminology in the context of both human rights violators, and courageous resistors of t hat violence. Staub's assessment of â€Å"difficult life conditions† and how people behave under threat to safety and security is supported and expanded upon by Kristen Renwick Monroe, who posits that, though ethnic difference and tensions are not a sufficient to explain human rights abuses, they will be magnified by economic struggle or other stresses, and can explode into acts of extreme violence. She draws in the concept of dehumanization, addressed by Staub and many others, positing that the cognitive perceptions of a people under strain can be manipulated to scapegoat a group of people in an attempt to release the frustration of powerlessness in hard times. The idea that one can distance oneself from one's victi... ...ing the path of â€Å"learning by doing† towards courageous resistance. Those raised in authoritarian cultures according to various theorists, including Staub, often don't have the internal locus of control that allows them to make the connection between seeing oppression and choosing not to participate in it. So, this is another place where theories of pro-social actions and human rights violation are converse to one another. A synthesis of all of these theories leads me to believe the following: if one can use the similar pathways of â€Å"learning by doing† and â€Å"authorization† within a pro-social, inclusive world view and create a society where authoritative child rearing need not become authoritarian child rearing, it is possible to say that there may one day be a world where there will be no violations of human rights that will require others to courageously resist.

Epic Conventions Essay

1. The story beings in medias res. In Medias Res is Latin for â€Å"it begins in the middle of things† and then has flashbacks to explain action leading up to that point. In Paradise Lost, for example, the story begins after Satan and his fellow rebellious angels have been cast from heaven, by God, into Hell. The war in heaven has taken place and Satan is making plans for the ruination of the coming realm of men, Earth, particularly Eden and God’s new creatures, Adam and Eve. 2. The story begins with an invocation (prayer) to a god or gods. The poet, Milton, attempts to recapture the Homeric tradition of reciting an epic poem to an audience, say at a feast. To that end he begins by calling for a blessing – for the Christian god whom he refers to in pagan terms as the â€Å"Heav’nly Muse,† Milton invokes the pagan ideology that the called upon god or muse came into the man therefore it was not the poet who recited, but the god in the poet’s body. Poet’s, then, were considered very sacred, for they could call down a god and have the god in them, at least temporarily. We continue to have the remnants of this belief, of course. We often think of poets or of any true artist as being different or touched by a special hand. In the case of the beginning of Paradise Lost, the poet says something like â€Å"Sing Heav’nly Muse†¦ say first what cause moved our grand parents in that happy state †¦ to fall off from their creator† 3. The story begins with a statement of theme. Always, because these poems are so long and so complex, although the basic stories would have been familiar to the audiences, the poet would begin with announcing what the recitation was to be about. That way, everyone could focus on and appreciate, not so much WHAT was being said, but the WAY THAT IT WAS PRESENTED. In essence, Milton’s Paradise Lost retells the story of Genesis but presents it as an epic poem. We are no stranger to that concept; we go to concerts where we may already know all of the song. So, we go to hear the presentation of the songs, which add to our concepts of the meaning and significance of those songs. 4. The story has many epithets. These epithets are re-naming of the characters, gods, or things by stock phrases. An example is the renaming of Satan as â€Å"th’ Arch-Enemy†, â€Å"th’ apostate angel†, â€Å"O Prince† or â€Å"O Chief of many throned Powers† and even â€Å"fall’n Cherub. † It is important for us to notice these epithets, first, because they add description, and second, because we get confused about who is doing what if we do not recognize the epithets as well as the names. 5. The story uses catalogues of things and characters; there are many lists, both long and short. Just as the Old Testament has catalogues of genealogies – you remember all those begets – just so do ancient epics keep track of the lists of history. In both Book One and Book Two of Paradise Lost, for example, there is a list of the principal angels who fell from grace as Satan’s compatriots. Also listed are their various names and places where they will be worshipped as gods of pagan faiths. 6. There are long formal speeches by many characters. You will not have any trouble spotting these. Sometimes they happen in the heat of battle and other seemingly inappropriate times, but more often they occur at various kinds of meetings, as in an assembly of chieftains. Book One of Paradise Lost is filled with such formal speeches, key among them Satan’s with his famous line â€Å"better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n. † 7. Gods intervene in the affairs of human beings in these stories. For example, in Book Seven of Paradise Lost, Cherubim, Ithuriel and Zephon, sent by God to Eden, find Satan, â€Å"squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve. † They confront him before more damage is done in terms of corrupting Eve. 8. Epics frequently have epic digressions. These are passages that do not further the action of the story because they are asides or because they are repetitions. Remember that these recitations did not have TV replay shots. The audience had to remember a vast amount of material, so redundancy or reminding them of background material would have been helpful to them. For example, In Book Seven of paradise Lost, Adam’s conversation with the angel Raphael becomes, in some instances, a recounting of Genesis and even digresses into the topic of angel’s mating habits. Yet another use for the digression is to provide a prologue of sorts, as an introduction seems overlooked due to the epic convention of beginning the poem in medias res. Also this aside more firmly orients the poem’s audience, given its vast setting, the cosmos. 9. The settings of these stories are vast. Paradise Lost is concerned with the mortal geocentric universe, from Hell to Chaos to the Earthly and Heavenly planes. The stories use the epic simile. An epic simile is a long comparison of two things that are in different classes. They make vivid an image and describes or clarifies. An example can be found in the extensive comparison of Satan, a fallen angel formerly the epitome of celestial light and beauty, to one of the Titans Briareos, whom led the revolt of the Titans against Zeus. Like Briareos, Satan is a vast creature covered in darkness. He is likened to Leviathan, a sea-beast, concealed in the ocean’s dark depths, or an illusory island hidden in the dark. But the great Leviathan, possibly the whale in Jonah’s unfortunate encounter, can rise from the imprisoning dark or return to it after becoming beached upon shore. Satan rose from the depths of Hell to enter Eden, though he could not of course remain. 10. The heroes embody the values of their civilization. In Milton’s time the medieval practice of physiognomy was still much employed. After Chaucer’s example in the Canterbury Tales, physical facade’s, particularly the face, are believed expressions of a person’s internal moral state. For example, much is made of Satan’s former beauty, an expression of the former purity of his ethical and moral internal being. His former beauty and grace, expressed in terms of light and luster become dim in his confrontation with Ithuriel and Zephon, Cherubim, formerly of a lesser angelic order than Satan, who still in the service of God retain that luminosity of his grace. Paradoxically, the description of Satan as a monstrous, leviathan-like figure is juxtaposed in the poem with his nearly angelic appearance. Fittingly, since Milton’s time, physiognomy has fallen out of usage, as many accept evil and malicious intent often has a comely facade.

Marriage Problems Essay

Few of us do like to be told what to do. Hitting each other between the eyes with issues you know you know your partner is insecure about will not help you resolve the issue. The silence or fights that usually follow just perpetuate the cycling of pursuing behavior followed by distancing behavior. Help lead an obstinate partner to make some choices for himherself. Friends, lovers, and business partners learn what your vulnerabilities and insecurities are just by spending time with you. You can avoid cycling into repetitive arguments by discussing your own fears and areas of vulnerability. Leslie could tell Jim that she worries about being a nag and knows that her request is not nagging just a request for cooperation. The conversation with Jim can continue now. Leslie could further ask what needs to happen first before they attend to chores. Leslie has given Jim room now to make a choice. He might say he wants to pay bills, work out, make love with her, before they clean the house. You want to move toward shared decision making to move away from power struggles. Good friendship, love, and business relationships are built on mutual trust, respect, cooperation and reciprocity. If you are not cooperating with each other, each person must look at themselves and come up with what each willfully says, does or does not say or do that is contributing to the problem. Next, you can discuss what each of you are willing to do to change yourself. All relationships need elasticity to grow over time. Remember that it does take two to tango. A relationship problem is always our problem. Together you create the peacock dances and together problems can be resolved. You show you care about having a healthy relationship when you are willing to rationally and calmly resolve conflicts. Know when to disengage as well as engage in a conversation. When a person is under the influence of substances or too angry to talk, wait for a clear headed time frame to talk. Some behaviors are always unacceptable. Don’t fight dirty. No one drives you to drink or strike another person. When behavior is extreme, you are out of touch with yourself and control with yourself. You always have the choice to be extremely aggravated and express that long before you feel like acting out your anger by drowning your feelings or striking out. Debt If you and your spouse jointly apply for a credit card or loan, both your credit scores will be checked to approve the application. If one or both of you have bad credit, there’s a chance your application won’t be approved. Or, if the application’s approved, the interest rate and fees might be higher than if the spouse with the higher credit score applied separately. With joint accounts and accounts on which one spouse is an authorized user, the history of the account is reported on both spouses’ credit reports, even if only one spouse actually uses the account. On joint accounts, both spouses are responsible for making credit card and loan payments. Furthermore, if the account becomes delinquent, the creditor or lender will attempt to collect from both spouses. With authorized user accounts, only the primary account holder is legally responsible for paying the credit card debt.

Book Writing Advice

Book Writing Advice Book Writing Advice

Gigantophis - Facts and Figures

Gigantophis - Facts and Figures Name: Gigantophis (Greek for giant snake); pronounced jih-GAN-toe-fiss Habitat: Woodlands of northern Africa and southern Asia Historical Epoch: Late Eocene (40-35 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 33 feet long and half a ton Diet: Small animals Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; capacious jaws About Gigantophis Like many other creatures in the history of life on earth, Gigantophis had the misfortune of being the biggest of its kind until its fame was eclipsed by something even bigger. Measuring about 33 feet long from the tip of its head to the end of its tail and weighing up to half a ton, this prehistoric snake of late Eocene northern Africa (about 40 million years ago) ruled the proverbial swamp until the discovery of the much, much bigger Titanoboa (up to 50 feet long and one ton) in South America. To extrapolate from its habitat and the behavior of similar, modern, but much smaller snakes, paleontologists believe that Gigantophis may have preyed on mammalian megafauna, perhaps including the distant elephant ancestor Moeritherium. Ever since its discovery in Algeria over a hundred years ago, Gigantophis had been represented in the fossil record by a single species, G. garstini. However, the identification in 2014 of a second Gigantophis specimen, in Pakistan, leaves open the possibility of another species being erected in the near future. This find also indicates that Gigantophis and madtsoiid snakes like it had a much wider distribution than previously believed, and may well have ranged across the expanse of Africa and Eurasia during the Eocene epoch. (As for Gigantophis own ancestors, these smaller, mostly undiscovered fossil snakes lurk in the underbrush of the Paleocene epoch, the period of time just after the extinction of the dinosaurs).

Whats a Good PSAT Score for 2016 Expert Analysis

What's a Good PSAT Score for 2016 Expert Analysis SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you took the PSAT in October of 2016, then you got your scores back in mid-December, just before winter break. Your PSAT score report gives you a few different score types, including your total scores, section scores, and Selection Index. With all this data, how can you sort through the numbers to figure out what is a good PSAT score? This guide will go over the full scoring system of the PSAT so you know exactly what makes a good score. Let’s start with a quick glossary explaining the various types of PSAT scores on your score report. Types of PSAT Scores: A Glossary At first glance, your PSAT score reportcan look pretty confusing. You’re going to see all sorts of scoresdescribing how you did. If you don’t know what each type of score means, then you’ll be left with little understanding of how you performedon the PSAT. There will be six main pieces of data on your PSAT score report: your scaled total scores, section scores, raw scores, subscores, Selection Index, and percentiles. Here’s what all of these terms mean: Scaled total scores: your total scores on the PSAT that range between 320 and 1520. Half of the total score comes from the Math sections, and the other half comes from Evidence-based Reading and Writing (i.e., the Reading and Writing and Language sections together). Scaled section scores: two scores, one for Math and one for Evidence-based Reading and Writing, both of which fall between 160 and 760. Section (test) scores: three scores, one for Math, one for Reading, and one for Writing and Language, all of which fall between 8 and 38. Subscores: seven scores that all range between 1 and 15. Subscores tell you how you did on certain types of questions, some of which appear across two or more sections of the PSAT. You’ll get a subscore for questions that fallinto these seven categories: Command of Evidence, Words in Context, Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions, Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math. Raw scores: three scores, one for each PSAT section, that represent the number of questions you got right. The ranges for raw scores vary by section. You can get a maximum raw score of 48 for Math, 47 for Reading, and 44 for Writing and Language. Selection Index: one score that ranges from 48 to 228. Your selection index is the sum of your three section scores between 8 and 38 multiplied by 2 ((section score + section score + section score) x2). The National Merit Scholarship Distinction uses Selection Index to award Commended Student and Semifinalist status. Percentiles: your ranking, represented as a percent, compared to other test-takers. Percentiles tell you what percentage of other students you scored the same as or better than. If you score in the 80th percentile, then you scored the same as or better than 80% of other test-takers. So, there you have it, all of the data on your not-so-straightforward PSAT score report. Out of all of these different score types, are any more important than others? If you find yourself confused about the different types of PSAT scores, scroll back up to review the definitions above! Which PSAT Scores Are Most Important? All of these PSAT score types are useful in different ways, but the most important ones for understanding how you did are your scaled total and section scores. As you saw above, you can score a max of 1520 on the PSAT or 760 in each section. While the Reading and Writing and Language sections are separate when you take the PSAT, they’re combined to bring you one scaled section score. Because these two sections unite, your total scores are made up of half math and half verbal. The other important piece of data for students competing for National Merit distinction is the Selection Index. NMSC sets a different cutoff for each state to decide who becomes Commended Student and Semifinalist. The top 1% of scorers in each state are named Semifinalists, and they couldmove on to become Finalists and win scholarship money. Finally, your non-scaled section scores, raw scores, and subscores are most useful for giving you detailed insight into how you did on the PSAT. These scores reveal how you did on each section and question type. This kind of understanding is especially helpfulwhen you go on to study for the SAT, as they show your strengths and weaknesses as a test-taker. By looking at these scores, you can figure out where you most need to improve, whether, for instance, you need to work on the Writing and Language section or more specifically, â€Å"Command of Evidence† questions. By the way, your section scores and scaled scoresaren't totally unrelated. You can easily convert your section scores between 8 and 38 to your scaled scores between 160 and 760. To get your verbal scores, add your Reading and Writing and Language section scores together and multiply by 10. To get your math scaled scores, simply multiply your section scores by 20. To get your total scores, add your two scaled section scores together. Consider this example, where the student gota 28 in Reading, a 32 in Writing and Language, and a 34 in Math. Test Section (Test) Score Scaled Section Score Total Score Reading 28 (28 + 32) * 10 = 600 600 + 680 = 1280 Writing and Language 32 Math 34 34 * 20 = 680 The different score ranges aren’t completelyrandom, but rather are related to one another. Now that you have the tools to sort through your PSAT score report, let’s go back to our original, million-dollar question: what makes a good score on the PSAT? Read on to find out. As you can see, the different PSAT scores aren't totally unrelated. They fit together like pieces in a puzzle. What Makes a Good Score on the PSAT? Before we can answer thequestion of â€Å"what’s a good score on the PSAT,† we first need to define what we mean by â€Å"good.† Good is a subjective term, and everyone will have their own personal goals for the PSAT. To help us find some answers, let’s define good in three ways. First, â€Å"good† can mean that you scored better than 50% or more of other test-takers. Based on this definition, we can use percentiles to figure out what makes an above-average PSAT score. Second, we can define â€Å"good† PSAT scores as scores thatqualifyfor National Merit. Actually, qualifying for National Merit means that you got excellent, amazing, near-perfect PSAT scores. We’ll discuss what you need to get in greater detail below. Finally, we’ll consider what colleges are looking for in terms of SAT scores. The PSAT is a very similar test to the SAT, so your score can help you figure out whether you’re on track to getting the scores you need for your colleges of choice. Starting with our first set of criteria, let’s consider PSAT percentiles. How do PSAT scores correspond to percentiles? One person's favorite activity could be another person's nightmare. What makes something good, like a PSAT score, can be subjective. How Do PSAT Scores Correspond to Percentiles? Full Chart Percentiles compare your scores to those of other test-takers. If you score in the 75th percentile, then you scored the same as or better than 75% of other students. The remaining 25% scored better than you. The highest possible percentile on the PSAT is the 99th percentile. You don’t have to get a perfect PSAT score to land in the 99th percentile. We don’t yet have percentile data for the October 2016 administration of the PSAT, but we can look at percentiles from the 2015 PSAT. They don’t change much, if at all, from year to year. Here’s the full chart that shows how PSAT scaled section scores compare, usingpercentiles. PSAT Section Score Reading and Writing Percentile Math Percentile 760 99+ 99+ 750 99+ 99+ 740 99+ 99 730 99+ 98 720 99 98 710 99 97 700 99 97 690 98 96 680 98 96 670 97 95 660 96 94 650 95 93 640 94 93 630 92 92 620 91 90 610 89 89 600 86 88 590 84 86 580 82 83 570 79 80 560 77 78 550 74 74 540 71 70 530 67 66 520 63 61 510 59 59 500 54 55 490 50 50 480 47 45 470 43 39 460 39 36 450 35 33 440 32 27 430 28 23 420 25 19 410 23 16 400 21 14 390 18 11 380 15 8 370 11 6 360 9 5 350 7 4 340 5 3 330 4 1 320 2 1 310 1 1 300 1 1 290 1- 1 280 1- 1 270 1- 1 260 1- 1 250 1- 1 240 1- 1 230 1- 1- 220 1- 1- 210 1- 1- 200 1- 1- 190 1- 1- 180 1- 1- 170 1- 1- 160 1- 1- As you can see, percentiles work slightly differently for Math and Evidence-based Reading and Writing, with Math being a little more competitive at most score levels. For instance, a verbal score of 700 ranks in the 99th percentile, whereas you’d need a 740 in math to score in the 99th percentile. This variation happens because more students get top scores in the math section than they do in the verbal section. For the most part, though, the two section scores correspond to percentiles in a similar way. Using this chart, let’s pick out what you have to score in each section to get a â€Å"good† PSAT score in a higher than average percentile. Using percentiles is a competitive, but useful way of figuring out what makes a good score on the PSAT. What Is a Good PSAT Score Based on Percentiles? If we define a good score as one that's competitive, we can use percentiles to figure outout what scores rank higher than the majority of other test-takers. To rank in the 50th percentile, you’d need a 490 in both sections. What about to rank in the 70th, 80th, 90th, or even 99th percentiles? Here are the section scores you’d need to score higher than the majority of other students. Percentile Reading and Writing Score Math Score Composite Score 70% 540 540 1080 80% 580 570 1150 90% 620 620 1240 99% 700 740 1440 Oddly enough, you’d have to score slightly higher in the verbal section than the math to make it into the 80th percentile. To make it into the 99th percentile, though, you’d have to score 40 points higher in math than in verbal. If you’re a strong test-taker aiming for National Merit, then a good PSAT to you would be one that qualifies for Commended Student or Semifinalist. Read on to learn what is a good PSAT score for National Merit distinction. What’s a Good PSAT Score for National Merit? The National Merit Scholarship Corporation distinguishes students who get top scores on the PSAT. Students who score in the top 3% to 4% are named Commended Students, and students who get top 1% scores are named Semifinalist. NMSC doesn’t rely on percentiles, though, but on itsSelection Index. Each state has its own Selection Index cutoff that students need to make to qualify for National Merit. Before showing you all of the cutoffs, let’s review how your Selection Index score is calculated so you understand where it comes from. Being named a National Merit Commended Scholar or Semifinalist is a very impressive distinction to have on your college applications. How Is Selection Index Calculated? You can easily calculate your Selection Index score once you know your section, or test, scores between 8 and 38. You simply add your section scores for Reading, Writing and Language, and Math together, and then multiply the entire sum by 2. Let’s say you got a 35 in Reading, a 32 in Writing and Language, and a 37 in Math. Here’s how you would figure out your Selection Index. Section Score Sum x 2 Selection Index Score Reading 35 (35 + 32 + 37) x 2 = 208 Writing and Language 32 Math 37 Once you add together and double your section scores, you get a Selection Index of 208. Does this score qualify for National Merit Semifinalist? That all depends on where you live. Keep reading for the full chart that shows the qualifying cutoff scores for National Merit in each state. Qualifying PSAT Scores for National Merit, State by State This chart shows the Selection Index score you need to qualify for Semifinalist in everystate. While National Merit Scholarship Corporation hasn’t released the full list of cutoffs, they do tell interested individuals what scores they need for their own state. This list, therefore, was crowdsourced from individuals across the country. If you think any cutoffs are in error, let us know in the comments! You can also verify your own state's cutoff by calling NMSC at (847) 866-5100. Here’s the full list of state cutoffs to qualify for National Merit Semifinalist. State PSAT Cutoff for NM Semifinalist Alabama 215 Alaska 213 Arizona 219 Arkansas 213 California 221 Colorado 218 Connecticut 220 Delaware 218 DC 222 Florida 217 Georgia 219 Hawaii 217 Idaho 214 Illinois 219 Indiana 217 Iowa 215 Kansas 217 Kentucky 215 Louisiana 214 Maine 214 Maryland 221 Massachusetts 222 Michigan 216 Minnesota 219 Mississippi 212 Missouri 216 Montana 210 Nebraska 215 Nevada 214 New Hampshire 216 New Jersey 222 New Mexico 213 New York 219 North Carolina 218 North Dakota 209 Ohio 217 Oklahoma 213 Oregon 219 Pennsylvania 218 Rhode Island 217 South Carolina 215 South Dakota 209 Tennessee 218 Texas 220 Utah 215 Vermont 215 Virginia 221 Washington 220 West Virginia 209 Wisconsin 215 Wyoming 209 Average score 216 On average, students need a Selection Index of 216. If you live in Washington, DC, Massachusetts, or New Jersey, then you need to meet the highest cutoff of 222. If you haven't taken the PSAT yet and are aiming for National Merit, then I'd recommend setting your target scores at least two to five points higher than your state's cutoff on this list. The cutoffs can fluctuate a bit from year to year, depending on how students do on the PSAT. Once you’ve found your state’s cutoff, how can you figure out what scores you need to qualify for National Merit? Your Selection Index cutoff for National Merit depends on whereyou live in the country. How to Calculate Your Target Scores for National Merit This section is for students that haven't taken the PSAT yet and are aiming for National Merit. You read above how to convert your PSAT section scores into the Selection Index. If you know what Selection Index you’re aiming for, all you need to do is work backwardto figure out your target section scores. Remember how you needed to add your section scores together and then multiply by two to get your Selection Index? Working backward just means dividing your Selection Index by two and then further splitting that quotient into three. Let’s say you live in New Hampshire. To qualify for National Merit, students who took the PSAT in 2015 needed a Selection Index of 216. Our first step, then, is to divide 216 by 2. 216 / 2 = 108. Now you know that your section scores in Reading, Writing and Language, and Math need to add up to 108. You could split 108 into three to reveal that you need a section score of 36 in each of the three sections. 108 / 3 = 36 However, not everyone is equally strong at math and verbal sections. You might aim a little higher in math and a little lower in Reading and Writing and Language. As long as your section scores still add up to 108, you’ll still get a Selection Index of 216 and potentially qualify for National Merit. Once you understand what total section scores you need, you can distribute your target scores among the three PSAT sections however you want. Set realistic goals for yourself based on your own math, reading, and writing skills. Of course, only a small group of students are aiming to become National Merit Semifinalist. Only 16,000 of the 1.6 million who take the PSAT will receive this distinction. A good PSAT score is also one that shows you’re on track to achieving your SAT goals and getting into college. Let’s consider our third and final piece of criteria for defining a â€Å"good† PSAT score by thinking about your own personal college goals. Qualifying for National Merit is like getting a gold medal in the PSAT. What Is a Good PSAT Score for College? The PSAT is extremely similar to the SAT, and your performance can help predict how you’ll do on the SAT. Almost everyone improves when they take these tests more than once, sothe PSAT is a useful trial run. You'll likely score higher on the SAT than you would if you'd never taken the PSAT. You can use your PSAT score report to see your current scoring level and findout where you can improve to hit your target SAT scores.To figure out your target SAT scores, you should do some college research. Find schools that you’re interested in, and look for the average SAT scores of accepted students. This piece of data will help you set your own SAT goals. Once you know what scores you need to get into your colleges of interest, you can use your PSAT score report to design a study plan. Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses, and write down a personalized SAT study plan that targets your weak areas. You can set aside a certain amount of time for studying depending on how many points you’re seeking to improve. Here’s an estimate of how many hours you need to study to achieve variousscore improvements. 0-50 SAT composite point improvement: 10 hours 50-100 point improvement: 20 hours 100-200 point improvement: 40 hours 200-300 point improvement: 80 hours 300-500 point improvement: 150 hours+ If you’re already scoring close to your target SAT scores, then you can feel satisfied with your PSAT scores. If you fell below by a few hundred points, then you need to kick your test prep into gear and devote several hours a week to getting ready for the SAT. If you have months to prepare, then you can definitely see a big improvement in your scores and skills as a test-taker. Your PSAT score report offers a useful starting point for your SAT prep. Whether or not you think you got a good score on the PSAT, you can still achieve a good score on the SAT with enough commitment. In closing, let’s go over the key points you need to remember about what makes a good score on the 2016 PSAT. What scores do you need to be a competitive applicant to your dream school? The PSAT can help you work towards them. 2016 PSAT Scores: Key Takeaways If you took the PSAT in 2016, then you will get your scores back in mid-December. Your PSAT score report might look confusing at first glance, but now you understand what all of its scaled scores, section scores, and subscores mean. Any students aiming for National Merit will also search out their Selection Index score to get a sense if they qualified. If you haven't taken the PSAT yet, you can use the cutoffs to set goals for your scores. Everyone has their own definition for what is aâ€Å"good† PSAT score. You might think a good score is one that is higher than that of most other students. You can use percentiles to figure out what makes a good score on the PSAT. If you’re a high-achieving student who has spent time prepping for the PSAT, then good to you might mean receiving National Merit distinction. National Merit is extremely competitive and only goes to the top scorers across the country. Finally, scoring well on the PSAT relates to your plans for taking the SAT and getting into college. You might have a certain goal based on your eventual college applications. Even if you fall short of it, you can spend boost your SAT performance through studying. Taking the PSAT is a valuable experience that will help you get ready for the SAT.In the end, you decide what makes a good score for you based on your own personal goals and plans. What’s Next? If you are named National Merit Semifinalist, how do you move on to become Finalist and win scholarship money? Check out this full guide to learn how to become a National Merit Finalist. How many hours should you devote to SAT prep? This guide will help you figure out how long you need to study for the SAT. What’s the best way to prepare for the SAT? Check out our ultimate SAT prep study guide for the best resources to get ready for the test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points 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:

ORGANISMS FROM MY CLASSMATES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ORGANISMS FROM MY CLASSMATES - Essay Example In this web Gloeophyllum sepiarium and human beings have the highest trophic level; they are at the top of their food chain. The Alaskan paper birch receives its nutrients through photosynthesis and nutrients from the soil. The Gloeophyllum sepiarium is a fungus that gains its energy through decomposing dead organic matter such as dead wood and leaves that the Alaskan Paper Birch provides but the decomposition if dead matter is returned to the soil and recycles the nutrients produced by the tree through improving the soil. Humans also use the tree for nutrition. The sap from the tree is edible and used in producing wine, beer and health tonics. The Black Bear and the lynx are on the next trophic level in the food web. As mentioned this web is a simple illustration but in this example the bear and lynx will gain their nutrition from the American Jewel Scarab. The bear's diet consists of plants, meat and insects in this case the American Jewel Scarab. The bear will also eat the bark from trees and the edible sap produced by the Alaskan Paper Birch. The web demonstrated here is known as a detrital web it contains plants, omnivores, carnivores and fungi the decomposers. All the organisms rely upon another for their nutrition and energy to maintain the circular food web of the ecosystem. The energy flows from one trophic level to the other. Each trophic level passes on biomass to the next level but pass on much less than they receive (Tscharntke & Hawkins, 2002). The Alaskan Birch in this web is known as a producer as it produces its own energy; food and glucose from photosynthesis producers have the most energy in a food chain, and is the first trophic level. Humans, the Black Bear, the Lynx and Gloeophyllum sepiarium are all on the secondary trophic level. There are no examples of the primary level in this web as there are no herbivores. All organisms in the web are able to be decomposed by Gloeophyllum sepiarium and the nutrients are broken down and returned to the soil that the Alaskan Paper Birch once again recycles to produce its energy. References Tscharntke, T., Hawkins, B., A., (eds) (2002) Multitrophic Level Interactions, Cambridge University Press,

The west on the eve of a new world order Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The west on the eve of a new world order - Essay Example The philosophes were the intellectuals of the Enlightenment who believed that philosophy can change the world. Montesquieu argued that separation of powers promoted checks and balances in the government. Jean-Jacques Rousseau asserted that the concept of the social contract happens when people use general will to create a government system. Mary Wollstonecraft argued that all human beings, including women, have innate reason. Economic changes affected the social order. By the eighteenth century, Britain and France eclipsed old world monopolies (i.e. Spain, Portugal, and the Dutch Republic) through its largely profitable colonial empires and cottage industries. Peasants in Europe were generally free compared to serfs in Eastern Europe and Russia. Patrician oligarchies dominated towns and cities across Europe. The colonial empires in the Americas had different rulers. British North American used colonization effectively because the English were motivated by the desire for religious and economic independence. These colonies were made to balance trade that favored the mother country, however, which fueled ideas for independence. French North America was managed autocratically. They did not succeed as well as the English because of lack of money and people. The thirteen British colonies in America soon declared war against their mother land and demanded independence from Britain. After winning the American Revolution, America created a new Constitution, and afterwards, a Bill of Rights in 1789. Enlightened absolutism refers to ruling through equality of all before the law, religious toleration, freedom of speech and the press, and the rights of private property. Frederick II of Prussia developed a Prussian army that upheld duty, obedience, and sacrifice, but he also limited basic freedoms and did not change serfdom. Joseph II portrayed enlightened absolutism more than Frederick II because he abolished serfdom and

Final report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final report - Essay Example ?Southern Asia’ and ‘Confucian Asia’ concluded that an integral component of leadership which is known as participative leadership varies in its presence across the three clusters, where the Western or Anglo culture observably places greater value upon participation to assist leadership in comparison with both of the remaining groups comprising of Asian countries. Swierczek (1991) however, negates this notion as per his research findings based on a sample of exclusively Asian managers who appreciate and favor participation over direction as leadership behaviors. Adler (1991) suggested that leadership models developed in the West and particularly in the United States have failed to address cross-cultural leadership dilemmas which has greatly diminished their applicability on a universal scale, this brings us to the perspective presented by Bass (1990) who claimed that commentators and researches must learn to identify the distinction between leadership models that are specific to the dimensions of a culture compared to those that can be applied on a global scale. This suggests that the specificity of Western models of leadership is not an indicator of their effectiveness or ineffectiveness but a measure of their applicability. Dorfman et al. (1997 pp.233-234) concluded that despite of the common belief that the universality of leadership models and behaviors is very weak or in some cases non-existent, three distinct leadership behaviors; contingent reward, supportive and charismatic displayed their subsistence on a global scale, while, participative, contingent punishment and directive approaches to leadership were found to exist only in particular cultures. Similarly, the cultural specificity of participative leadership behavior was also found by Ashkanasay (2002) while, the findings of Bass & Avolio, 1993) also reported that the application of leadership models on a cross-cultural basis is a possibility. Mills (2005) adopts a neutral stance in his analysis of Asian and Western leadership models, acknowledging that while both approaches are fairly distinctive from each other they also carry a certain extent of resemblance. In understanding why certain aspects of Asian leadership models are so dramatically different from their Western counterparts, Mills (2005) asserts that in an Asian business setting family and political associations are more prevalent than in Western organizations, Chu (2011) notes that a majority of large corporations in Asia are in fact family business. Moreover, it is also speculated whether culture actually is the principle factor in assessing the difference between Asian and Western leadership models or is it the varying economic, corporate and social development stages of the organizations existing in the two regions (Mills, 2005). Mills (2005) argues that from a Western point of view, CEOs of organizations operating in countries

The History and Politics of Charter Schools in Indiana Research Paper

The History and Politics of Charter Schools in Indiana - Research Paper Example According to different policymakers and reformers, charters schools would help in improving the overall standard and structure of education in the state. These charter schools allow enrollments without the element of any discrimination. The main purpose behind these charter schools is to provide an ease in education with excellence and effectiveness (Cheung, 1998). Undoubtedly, the numbers of charter schools are increasing rapidly. It has been estimated that there are nearly 4900 charter schools in the United States with an average of 400 charter schools opening on yearly basis (Lake, 2010). On an account, it has been estimated that till 2011, there are total of 36 charter schools that have been authorized in Indiana with 22 schools already functioning while 10 schools were set to start their operations in future. Two schools were shut downed even before opening of their academic operations due to lack of resources while just one school had been shut down officially due to inadequate and unsatisfactory results and governance. These charter schools have increased in number throughout in the state of Indiana with the highest number of charter schools operating in the main city of Indianapolis, where they account for 11 charter schools out of the overall 22 charter schools in the state (Plucker et.al, 2004). History of Charter Schools Movement in United States:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concept of charter schools was coined in late 1980s. Ever since this concept has come into force, it raised a thought that charter schools would help in increasing the quality of education. The historical movement for charter schools began in 1991. This movement was aimed to achieve a new milestone in offering high-quality education through the establishment of wee-defined public schools for both children and their parents (Source: Mayor Sponsored Charter Schools: 2010). Charter school funding is complex to understand and has gone through many phases of development. Many pol itical camps have appreciated the implementation of charter schools as it would influence the process for improving the standard of education all around the United States (Butryomowicyz, 2011). The History of Charter Schools Movement in Indiana: The state of Indiana has played a key role in the national charter school movement. This law was signed in May 2001 by the Governor Frank O’ Bannon. The law signed extended the right and permission to the concerned groups to play a positive role in the establishment of such charter schools in Indiana. The purpose behind the creation of Indiana’s charter school legislation is to recommend the various innovative but diverse options in public education to not just to students but also to cater the academic need of their families and the educators. This legislation is focused to target and serve in delivering the quality education to diverse populations of students hailing from different backgrounds (Source: Mayor Sponsored Charter Schools: 2010). In Indiana, the policy for charter schools was well-appreciated and positive work began when Indianapolis strategizes its own charter school after the acceptance of the law that passed in the state in year 2011. Since then this policy has remained in a continuous cycle of change (Plucker et.al, 2005).

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 63

Reflection - Essay Example in it, this section aims at exploring the issues that I found confronting and/or surprising, the extent to which I was persuaded and why, and the new things I learned from Session 21 that I have not thought about before. One of the things that I found quite challenging is the extent to which many stakeholders are ignored by their own systems of administration as they allow corporations to take over natural resources, which, as I understand now, cannot have a price tag on them. This is based on the fact that we ignore the damage that we inflict upon them today, but hardly do we even examine the damage that we do to the future of these resources and coming human generations. The ignorance demonstrated by both governments, which have been put in the corporations, and the corporations, which look to make nothing but profits, is quite confronting. For instance, dumping animal remains in rivers and never minding to clean them up and evicting families from fertile land, where they survive, just to make a dam for water meant for sale is quite disheartening (Merin Para 4, 5). What surprised me, however, is how we all think that we are not affected because we are so far away from Bolivia, Lesotho, China, and many other affected areas, little do we know of the globally extensive impacts that continue to haunt us today. The perceptions developed in the movie are extremely captivating and greatly convincing for anyone that cares about other people, as opposed to those who are only driven by self-interest, and anyone who cares about natural resources, especially water. Even those who are driven by self-interest should now, after reflecting on this session of even watching the film, be persuaded. One of the reasons I did not take much efforts to persuade me is the fact that I am personally affected by the continued privatization of water resources, which should never have a price on them. I have considered with the amount of money I spend on water every day and decided that the

The History and Politics of Charter Schools in Indiana Research Paper

The History and Politics of Charter Schools in Indiana - Research Paper Example According to different policymakers and reformers, charters schools would help in improving the overall standard and structure of education in the state. These charter schools allow enrollments without the element of any discrimination. The main purpose behind these charter schools is to provide an ease in education with excellence and effectiveness (Cheung, 1998). Undoubtedly, the numbers of charter schools are increasing rapidly. It has been estimated that there are nearly 4900 charter schools in the United States with an average of 400 charter schools opening on yearly basis (Lake, 2010). On an account, it has been estimated that till 2011, there are total of 36 charter schools that have been authorized in Indiana with 22 schools already functioning while 10 schools were set to start their operations in future. Two schools were shut downed even before opening of their academic operations due to lack of resources while just one school had been shut down officially due to inadequate and unsatisfactory results and governance. These charter schools have increased in number throughout in the state of Indiana with the highest number of charter schools operating in the main city of Indianapolis, where they account for 11 charter schools out of the overall 22 charter schools in the state (Plucker et.al, 2004). History of Charter Schools Movement in United States:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concept of charter schools was coined in late 1980s. Ever since this concept has come into force, it raised a thought that charter schools would help in increasing the quality of education. The historical movement for charter schools began in 1991. This movement was aimed to achieve a new milestone in offering high-quality education through the establishment of wee-defined public schools for both children and their parents (Source: Mayor Sponsored Charter Schools: 2010). Charter school funding is complex to understand and has gone through many phases of development. Many pol itical camps have appreciated the implementation of charter schools as it would influence the process for improving the standard of education all around the United States (Butryomowicyz, 2011). The History of Charter Schools Movement in Indiana: The state of Indiana has played a key role in the national charter school movement. This law was signed in May 2001 by the Governor Frank O’ Bannon. The law signed extended the right and permission to the concerned groups to play a positive role in the establishment of such charter schools in Indiana. The purpose behind the creation of Indiana’s charter school legislation is to recommend the various innovative but diverse options in public education to not just to students but also to cater the academic need of their families and the educators. This legislation is focused to target and serve in delivering the quality education to diverse populations of students hailing from different backgrounds (Source: Mayor Sponsored Charter Schools: 2010). In Indiana, the policy for charter schools was well-appreciated and positive work began when Indianapolis strategizes its own charter school after the acceptance of the law that passed in the state in year 2011. Since then this policy has remained in a continuous cycle of change (Plucker et.al, 2005).

Comedy, Culture and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Comedy, Culture and the Media - Essay Example As will hopefully become clear from this Comedy Portfolio good, bad, or even indifferent comedy has the capacity to influence, as well as reflect popular culture through its presentation and its subsequent transmission by the mass media. To a very large extent it could be reasonably argued that with out the mass media to communicate, spread, and promote comedy it would be more difficult for comic performances, shows and other works to have any significant level of cultural impact. Difficult but not completely impossible as there are arguably stronger indicators that there was a strong relationship between comedy and culture long before the media became as widespread and diverse as it is within contemporary societies.1 The comedy genre itself can be traced back to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The Greeks and the Romans used comedy techniques to make their theatre audiences’ laugh and enjoy themselves. The comedies of the Greeks and the Romans tended to leave any serious messages until the very last act, whilst making sure that was always a happy ending. Another feature of the early Greek and Roman comedies was that they were written in such a way to be an accurate depiction of their contemporary cultures and societies. Greek and Roman comics thought that basing their comedies on their respective societies meant that their audiences found the humour and the messages within the plays relevant to their lives.2 Audiences that understand the settings of comedies are more likely to grasp the humour and the serious messages within those comedies, a logical conclusion reached by both the Greeks and the Romans. Contemporary comedy authors, creators, and performers predominantly stick with the concept of producing relevant comic material that its intended audiences should grasp immediately.3 As a distinct genre comedy

Helicopter investigation Essay Example for Free

Helicopter investigation Essay Easily established, the sycamore tree produces sycamore seeds. These seeds are of an extremely strange looking seed, I say this because the seeds when in the air they spin like tiny helicopters. Due to the spinning they are kept in the air for a longer amount of time. Aim In this investigation I have been asked to find out how long it takes for a paper helicopter to fall 2 metres. After doing this I shall investigate other ways of changing the timing of its landing. I shall do this by using a range of variables. These include of:   Length of wings Number of tailsI have chosen to use the variable of the number of paperclips being added to the tail of the paper helicopter that I shall make. I have chosen to change this variable because I know that gravitation is the effect of the gravitational force of attraction, which acts between all objects in the universe. For example it is widely noticed with massive objects like the planets. The planets remain in orbit because of gravitational force of attraction. The gravitational force, which pulls the object downwards, is called the weight of the object. Isaac Newton stated that there is a gravitational force of attraction between any two objects with mass, which depends on their masses, and the distance between them. I think with this information I can easily say that by adding more and more paperclips on to the tail of the paper helicopter it will gain more weight which will cause the gravitational force to pull it downwards rather than upwards as there is a bigger mass pulling it downwards. I also chose to use this variable instead of changing the length of the wings because I thought that it would have a much more affective difference in the timing of its landing. In this investigation in order to get the best results possible I shall be doing the experiment 5 times. This will give me a good range of results and a better result as I get a better view of the timing of how long it takes to land with different numbers of paperclips attached to the tail of the paper helicopter. It is always essential to make every investigation of whatever type it is to make sure that it is going to be a fair test. In order to achieve this I shall only be changing one variable, which I have already established to be of the number of paperclips added to the tail of the paper helicopter. Prediction In the investigation which I shall be doing I think that I will be expecting for the paper helicopter to fall to the ground in a much quicker timing when it has 5 paperclips attached to the tail of it, than it should do when it has either none, 1,2,3,or 4 paperclips attached to the tail of the paper helicopter. I say this because from the information that I have already been supported by to take this investigation further, it also helps me with my prediction. Using Isaac Newtons law of gravitation, I can easily say that with his theory of objects being pulled downwards by a force called weight, it helps me to explain that when I add more and more paperclips to the tail of the paper helicopter it doesnt just mean that the number of paperclips are increasing but it also means that the mass is also increasing. Causing the paper helicopter to fall downwards and not upwards. Why do I say this? I say this because an example being is Say if I were to get a balloon and fill it with Helium, due to the helium being placed inside of the balloon we already know that for some reason the balloon seems to go up into the air. This is because Helium is lighter than air causing the gravitational force to pull it upwards and not downwards as the weight is very low. Whereas if we were to place water inside of the helium filled balloon it would be brought back downwards because the weight of the water forces the balloon to be brought back down again. What do I expect in the graph outcome? It is easily said that when a line graph is drawn out to show the results of the investigation that I am about to carry out, the line should start off near the very top of the y axis. This should be when there are no paperclips attached to the tail of the paper helicopter. Near quite the very end of the x axis should the very last point be drawn, therefore making the plotted points decreasing as it goes along the x and y axis. I think that this graph prediction would go for both the average graph and the graphs for all 5 sets of results, which shall be already obtained by that time. Equipment (As shown in Diagram 1. 1) Paper   Paper clips   Stopwatch/Timer   Scissors   Ruler Diagram 1. 1 Method What should I be doing in order to make this investigation to the highest standard possible? In order to get good results I firstly have to start off by making the paper helicopter. In this experiment I have to look into the needs of safety, I have noticed that none would have to be carried out such as goggles or safety cloaks etc How do I make a paper helicopter? Firstly I am to get a piece of A4 paper. Some may choose for the A4 to be coloured but I will just leave it to be plain. In our class lesson Mr Findley (our physics teacher,) has given us an information sheet, which includes of the carcass drawing of the paper helicopter. It shows us where to cut and fold and what measurements are involved. Diagram 1. 2 The diagram, which has been drawn above, has not been drawn to scale. Once I draw out the drawing of the paper helicopter on the A4 sheet of paper, carefully done using a ruler of course. I am to cut along and fold along the lines as described: Where the dotted lines are shown this is where we are to fold along, and where the straight solid lines have been drawn in, we are to cut along them. The cutting of course will be done with a pair of scissors. After they are cut out and folded along, some may find it better and more presentable if they are to be decorate and colour in their paper helicopters! What else is involved in this investigation? Once all of the above has been done we are to set up our equipment out. Having set out the timer, paperclips, and paper helicopter in front of me, I am to make sure that I have drawn out a results table, which I will record the timings down in. (As shown in the results table. ) I will then ask for a little help for getting the timing at the best time possible. When I went to drop/release the paper helicopter from my hands I realised that I wasnt actually in fact dropping/releasing the paper helicopter from 2 metres of height. In fact I was dropping it from my height with my arms being placed right above my head as high as I could manage. So I then made sure to measure how high I was releasing the paper helicopter from, I found that with the heels of my shoe and my arms being stretched up way above my head I was actually releasing the paper helicopter from a height of 2 metres and 3 centimetres. I left the measurement of the height I was releasing the paper helicopter at how it was already, because it was getting to the point where it would be getting very time consuming. When dropping the paper helicopter out of my hands I am to make sure that I drop it at the same time that my friend is to say GO, this is so that he can time it with accuracy. When the paper helicopter will land on the ground I will then yell STOP, so that he is able to stop the timer/stopwatch at the right time in order to get the most accurate timing possible. When I get results for dropping the paper helicopter without any paperclips attached to the tail of it, 5 times, I will make sure that I have written down the timings in my results table. After doing so, I am to attach the first paperclip to the paper helicopter and then do the same thing again. (Drop the paper helicopter, time it, and write down timings in results table. ) After every 5 sets of results with the same number of paperclips attached, I am to add another paperclip to the paperclip, which is already placed on the tail of the paper helicopter. I shall do this until I have 5 paperclips attached to the tail of the paper helicopter. How the paper clips should be placed has been shown in the diagram below. Diagram 1. 3 Results Table Number Of Paperclips 1st (Time in Seconds) 2nd (Time in Seconds) 3rd (Time in Seconds) 4th (Time in Seconds) 5th (Time in Seconds) Average (Time in Seconds) 08 As you can see, in the results tables above I have gathered all my timings into the table. Once I had placed all my timings in the table I was to work out the average of each set of timings. To do this I was to add up all of the sets of timings together and then divide it by 5 because that was the number of times I had done the experiment for each set. Here are my workings out towards how I worked out the average for each set of results. Workings out for Average(s) (Please note that / stands for the division sign) When working out the, I firstly got all my timings for the specific set of results, added them together and divided them by 5, I divided it by 5 because this was the number of times I had timed it falling from the air to the ground. As shown below: Number of paperclips = 0 Timings 1Graphs/Conclusion I have formed out a graph to show the results of the five sets of results. Another graph is shown on the next page, except this is a graph, which shows the averages of all 5 sets of results, which I had gathered in my investigation. From looking at this graph we can easily say that the second set of results stand out the most. I have re-checked my results and have noticed that none of the outcome results really stand out greatly, as they are all in proportion. This shows me that my experiments had gone very well without making any large genuine mistakes. I think that the 2nd time I did all the results, the timing may not have been stopped at the right time or maybe not started at the right time, causing the timing to be of a much higher outcome than it should have done. There is not really much of a time difference from when there was two paperclips on the tail of the paper helicopter to when there was three paperclips attached to the paper helicopters tail. Looking back at the result table I can see that there is only a difference of 0. 06 seconds whereas in my other results I have found there to be at least a 0. 10 second difference. It is obviously noticeable that my prediction was to go ahead to be forwardly correct. I can say this with confidence because I had information to back up my prediction, which helped me forward, my ideas towards what should actually happen in my experiment. As said earlier in my prediction, I mentioned that the line would be decreasing down towards the x axis and away from the y axis. We can see in the graph above that this predicament was proved to be correct. From looking at this averages graph it is easily spoken of that the investigation that I have carried have has gone very well. I say this because as shown above, we can see that the average line is actually going downwards as the number of paperclips had increased on the tail of the paper helicopter. Thus showing that my prediction was right. I was able to make sure that my prediction was quite reliable with backing it up with a hypothesis, which had been concluded, from Isaac Newtons Law of Gravitation. With the information from this Law of Gravitation I was able to predict that when there is a force being put onto an object from its natural force then it is called weight as it is pulling it downwards. So when I was asked to do an experiment that was involved in placing more and more paperclips to the tail of a paper helicopter I already knew in my mind that the timing of the landing would get shorter and shorter. This was due to general knowledge but also scientific knowledge Isaac Newtons Law of Gravitation. With this scientific explanation we have been able to predict many scientific happenings. Evaluation I am glad to say that throughout the whole of this investigation I did not make any noticeable, genuine mistakes. I later went on to find out that I was standing at a height of 2 metres and 3 centimetres. This information of course was later found out after I was more than half way through the experiment, so I had to decide whether to go ahead with doing the experiment all at a drop of 2 metres and 3 centimetres or change it and have half the results at 2 metres and 3 centimetres whilst the rest of the results would be obtained from a height of an exact 2 metres. I had decided that if I were to go on to do this I would not be carrying out a fair test. Although the investigation was asked of a 2 metre drop I still thought that although I had dropped it at an extra 3 centimetres higher it was still a very fair test because I had kept drop height throughout the whole of the investigation. Whilst doing the investigation I had managed to do everything according to how I had written it out to have been done, although sometimes I had to be re-timed as mistakes were made as I sometimes dropped the paper helicopter without being told to! All in all I think the investigation was carried out well and was a fair test, I made sure that only one variable was changed and that the timing was done at the most accurate timing possible. In order to make it a fair test it also meant that safety was to be involved as well, as far as I was concerned not many safety measures had to be taken, I say this because as mentioned earlier no safety goggles were needed, no hair was really in need of being tied back and no safety cloaks were to be worn. The only safety we were to be notified was to tuck in our stools so that no accidents were to be caused as the investigations were being held. Looking back at my results I dont really think that there were really any results which were unexpected, there may have been the one or two timings which may have been timed a bit earlier than they should have been but nothing which was really way out of proportion. If I were to do this experiment again I think that I will definitely make sure that I am to drop the paper helicopter at a height of 2 metres and not 2 metres and 3 centimetres! I shall aim to achieve more results although I feel that I already have a reasonable amount of timings. I think that if I were to do the experiment again I would achieve a very similar set of results, as it would only be from the difference of 3 centimetres. Bibliography In order to help e forward my ideas I was in need of many sources, in which I found the following helpful. 1) www. encarta. co. uk Law of Gravitation 2) The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science. Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Written by; Corrine Stockley, Chris Oxlade and Jane Werthiem. 3) School GCSE Physics book 4) Physics Lesson.

Literature Review On Skills For Life Education Essay

Literature Review On Skills For Life Education Essay Introduction The importance of the education sector of any country lies in its ability to meet the production demands of its economy. The shaping of traditional education (where students are passive learners), for example, was mostly done at a time where the Government needed the mass to conform to the decisions of the elites (Botsford, 1993), who were the ones to be able to access the best form of learning, which the mass could not reach, irrespective of their abilities (Kelly, 2004). As the needs of the society changed, so did the educational system. From the DFEE report (Department for Education and Employment, 2001), a need for an improvement in basic skills has been identified, hence the document Skills for Life. The Leitch Review (2006) also reinforces the need of the UK society to meet the demand of higher level skills in the job market. This report analyses the impact of the Skills for Life (SFL) document on the curriculum that I am teaching (Postgraduate Diploma in the Lifelong Learning Sector- DTLLS). It is developed in the following manner: A literature review on SFL An evaluation of the curriculum design model being implemented and the impact of SFL on the curriculum The above mentioned impact is also evaluated via the analysis of interviews carried out with the Awarding Body and a College representative and a questionnaire filled by the students in the course of an activity conducted in a session on Skills for Life and the extent to which as a teacher I can influence the curriculum and hence the DTLLS programme itself. Literature Review on Skills for Life Policies are introduced to solve issues identified. The Skills for Life (Department for Education and Employment, DFEE, 2001) endeavour was an attempt by the Government of that time to maximise the earning capacity of citizens by increasing the levels of their essential skills including literacy, and numeracy. The then Secretary of State, Mr D. Blunkett (DFEE, 2001) stated that there were, shockingly, seven million Britons who did not know how to read and write and use numbers. These skills are important throughout an individuals life hence the name Skills for Life. The document discusses on how illiteracy can affect a person physically and emotionally in terms of not being able to do certain tasks by himself/herself, which, consequently, can affect his/her self confidence. The vision expressed in this document is the eradiation of illiteracy and low numeracy skills, (DFEE, 2001). The DFEE proposed to achieve such targets by introducing national standards for numeracy and literacy, assessment tools that will diagnose the exact areas to be improved, and resources to support this endeavour. The department also suggested the training of teachers as specialist in these domains (literacy and numeracy) and promoting and motivating the involvement of learners and those who can support their learning process. This will undoubtedly require quite an effort because it not only means improving the levels of those who have already passed through the formal education pe riod but also ensuring that those who are still in that period do not face the same problems in terms of their functional skills (literacy, numeracy and ICT). One of the major influences of this project is the Moser Report (DFEE, 1999) which is based on research such as It Doesnt Get Any Better. The impact of poor basic skills on the lives of 37 year olds by Parsons and Bynner (1997) and Skills for Life national needs and impact surveys (2003) carried out by the DFES (Department for Education and Skills). Literacy and numeracy levels can be classified from Pre Entry to Level 2 and above (Pre Entry, Entry level 1 to 3, Level 1 and Level 2 and above). Basic skills have sub elements, for example literacy has reading, writing, speaking and listening (The Sector Skills Council for Lifelong Learning, LLUK, 2007). The overall level of a learner will be determined by what they achieve in each of these sub areas. Parsons and Bynner (1997) found a relationship between low levels of literacy and numeracy and many social issues that the learners faced. Such a link is quite obvious because if a person is not able to read and count adequately, he/she wi ll not be confident in social interaction. A solution was put forward in the form of the Leitch Review (2006) where one of the main arguments was that Britain was losing ground in terms of the academic strength of its population compared to countries such as India and China. Another point that I quite agree with is that the educational system of the country should produce individuals with the qualifications which are being demanded by the job market. Therefore if there is a need for increased levels of functional skills, this is the area where the educational investment should be poured. These findings concurred with the survey, conducted by the DFES, which mentioned low levels of literacy and numeracy (2003). The reasons suggested for the lower levels were the social and economic background of the individuals, the extent to which they stayed in education and whether English is their first language or not. The last factor is obvious in my teaching practice. I teach international students for whom low literacy level (English) proves to be a barrier in the achievement of their course. These students are studying a Postgraduate Diploma in the Lifelong Learning Sector, after which they aspire to gain a Qualified Teacher Status in the Lifelong Learning Sector, teaching adult learners. Despite being highly literate in their native language, they find it difficult to critically analyse concepts (an essential skill at their level of studies) due to their low English level. This is where the importance, of the impact of the Skills or Life policy on the programme that I am currently teaching, is apparent. Because of the embedding of strategies to improve the student-teachers functional skills (which are the skills promoted by the policy) the language barrier that they face during this course is being addressed by the curriculum being taught. Over the years, the meaning of the term curriculum has evolved specially with the development of the perceived purpose of education. Thus, there are various types of curriculum identified, among which the learner focused curriculum (Brown, 2003) predominates learning in the institution where I teach. Right from the start of the learning journey of a student, we carry out an initial assessment to identify the needs of that learner and to formulate their individual goals with regards to the course. The delivery and assessment of the curriculum are then shaped bearing in mind the information obtained from these initial and any subsequent assessments done thereafter. Based on the course specifications which are provided by the Awarding Body, I have prepared the curriculum of the course that I teach: Postgraduate Diploma for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS). During this process, I had to incorporate the requirements of Skills for Life through embedding literacy, numeracy and ICT. The Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) an independent organisation providing guidance to educational stakeholders about the developments in this sector- elaborates on how the learners needs, with regards to their functional skills, can be addressed (Lawton and Turnbull for the Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on behalf of LLUK,2007). Guidance is given with regards to every aspect of the teaching and learning process namely the resources used, the classroom environment, the teaching and learning approaches and communication strategies. The logic behind embedding these skills is that no matter what a student is learning, he/she will be developing his/he r skills for life, be it knowingly or unknowingly For example by using presentations, the learner will not only be demonstrating knowledge about the topic but also will be improving his/her speaking and listening skills. From the very start of the learning process, therefore, the principles of the Skills for Life project are embedded: the initial assessment process includes a skills test so that their learning plan can include improvement of such skills (for example combining their main courses with a skill course depending on where their need lies). Therefore, developing a curriculum with the principles of the SFL project concurs with the constructivist approach (Bruner, 1960)-which involves constructing learning adopted by my institution. Thus the impact of the SFL principles on the curriculum relevant to my practice has caused it to improve. But investing in skills is not always an applauded endeavour. Investing in human capital has been from long the priority of the Government. There has been a link pointed out between educational background of individuals and their social and economical success. Investment in learning in the 21st Centrury is the equivalent of investment in the machinery and technical innovation that was essential to the first great industrial revolution (DFEE, 1997a, pp.15, cited in Coffield, 1999) I would agree with Coffields (1999) argument that focussing on the Human Capital Theory (HCT) enables politicians to overlook other factors which could have contributed towards the economic status of individuals. Karabel and Harsley (1997) further criticised this theory saying that it puts the blame of being poor on the poor! Investing in human capital does seem to be profitable for the population. But as Levin and Kelley (1997) pointed out, this theory does not state where the individuals will go after being educated if there is no job market for them. Being given that the investment has already been done, the best we can hope for is that it has been profitable. When any policy is suggested and implemented by the Government, I feel the urgency of trying to find its political implications. In an article in the Guardian, Kingston (2006) quotes Mr. Wells (the then Director of the Basic Skills Agency) as criticising the Labour Government for exaggerating the number of adults in the UK who cannot read and write to make their task seem more successful. Vignoles (cited by the Press Association, 2009) further argued that trying to develop literacy skills at an adult age might not be effective because such skills are more easily developed at an early age. Personally, I do not believe that more difficulty teaching adults language is reason enough to completely eradicate the benefits that such a project brought to many individuals: improved chances in terms of job seeking, more confidence, a better social life, among others. Even if the Gover nment may have a hidden agenda for starting the Skills for Life project, the focus brought on these skills have enabled educationalists to give even more weight to their learner-centred approach in designing their respective curricula around very crucial needs of the learners- Basic Skills. This leads us to the analysis of the impact of the SFL policy on the curriculum I teach. Implications of the policy for curriculum change and pedagogy There is much debate about what is to be called a curriculum. With the shift of focus from the teacher to the learner, curriculum is moving away from being just content to be completed during a time period syllabus- and more of a learner centred approach (Dolence,2003; Coles, 2003). For the purpose of this report, Wojtczaks (2002) definition will be adopted. According to him, curriculum is An educational plan that spells out which goals and objectives should be achieved, which topics should be covered and which methods are to be used for learning, teaching and evaluation. (Wojtczak, 2002, pp 6) Therefore, the construction of a curriculum can start from its objectives, its content and the methods used to teach. If Tylers (1949) four questions with regards to curriculum design are considered, another approach of curriculum models can be added namely evaluation (Kelly, 2004). The curriculum I use is designed from the Lifelong Learning teacher training programme. The key driver of the curriculum set by the Awarding Body is the assessment criteria. As the teacher trainer I derive the outcomes to be achieved from the assessment criteria and the content set by the Awarding Body. This is done by discussing the assessment criteria and how to achieve them as a class exercise with the student-teachers at the start of a Unit. The rationale behind this is that if the students are shown what they need to achieve from the start, the learning journey becomes easier. The teaching and learning methods and formative (or ongoing) assessment tools are developed from the outcomes with close adaptation with regards to the learners targeted (in line with being learner focused) whereas the summative assessment is set by the Awarding Body. It is important to note that wherever the starting point of a curriculum design may be, it will have to use the four approaches identified by Tyler (1949). For example, although I designed the curriculum for Lifelong Learning for my College by forming objectives from the assessment criteria, I still need to adhere to the content expected and apply the appropriate teaching methods. At this point it is important that I differentiate between the Unit aims provided by the Awarding Body and the learning objectives that I derive with my learners which are based on the assessment criteria. The learning objectives formed with the learners are more detailed than the aims prescribed by the Awarding Body  [1]  . Since they are formed by the learners (guided by the teacher trainer), they understand better the reasons for these outcomes and thus are able to take control of their learning process (Knowles, 1984). It is also important to differentiate between the prescriptions provided by the Awarding Body and the curriculum that I design for my student-teachers. For the purpose of this part of the report, the curriculum to be analysed will be what I design in terms of a long term plan of how the assessment criteria set will be achieved (the teaching methods, activities, the assessment techniques and resources to be used). The manner in which I build up my sessions is thus objective based (firstly because the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body act as general objectives and secondly because I derive specific objectives to be achieved with my students) which can be said to be very precise and scientific (Kelly, 2004). As Bobbitt (1918; cited by Kelly, 2004) stated, the learners are more focused in terms of what they need to complete to achieve the certificate. Building a curriculum from objectives has been criticised by Kelly (2004) as assuming passive learning. The learning goals seem to be more extrinsic. This is closer to the behaviourist approach to learning where the learners are moulded to achieve goals, which most of the time, are derived for them. Szasz (1991) strongly criticised such an approach to education stating that humans, unlike animals, need to have intrinsic motives to learn. If Kellys (2004) thinking is considered, one might have the impression that this curriculum is closer to training as opposed to education. According to him, training is very focused on what knowledge is to be gained and does not consider the students at all. But this is where the combination approach to curriculum design comes as a rectifying tool. Although the curriculum starts with objectives (based on assessment criteria), I can adapt the learning journey of my student-teachers through the teaching and learning methods that I use  [2]  which include embedding the requirements of SFL. The curriculum content for the DTLLS programme was introduced after the SFL project. When this project came to be put in place, it has, thus, affected the curriculum that I utilise in two ways. Firstly, SFL amplified the skills required as teachers to include minimum core areas. Secondly, the teachers had to learn skills to embed these minimum core subjects- literacy, language, numeracy and ICT- in their teaching strategies. These two aspects are linked because to be able to address the needs of learners, teachers must have an adequate level of these skills themselves  [3]  . Every Unit of the teacher training programme has opportunities for the student-teachers to improve their own functional skills. This will enable them to be in a better position to identify the SFL needs of their learners and adapt their teaching strategies accordingly. Therefore, each part of the curriculum has to reflect SFL in these two aspects: developing the student-teachers own minimum core skills and equipping them with the ability to develop those of their students. Taking Wojtczaks (2002) definition of curriculum, SFL will have to be reflected in: the goals and objectives to be achieved the methods to be used in the teaching and learning process The above will again be in two folds: as a student-teacher and as a future educator, that is, the improvement of the student-teachers own SFL and his/her ability to embed the minimum core subjects in his/her teaching. To be able to start this teacher training, the student-teachers have to have a level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy. This is conducted, using the skills test, which was developed by the Secretary of State in 1999, following the Green Paper published by the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) in 1998 on improving skills of teachers (Blunkett,1998). Thus, right from the start of their learning journey (Lawton and Turnbull for the Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on behalf of LLUK,2007), the student-teachers feel the impact that these skills mentioned in the SFL policy will have on their teaching and also their learning processes. The Individual Learning Plan of the student-teachers then will contain individual objectives to be achieved in terms of their functional skills. The goals are negotiated in line with the principles of Androgogy (Knowles, 1984) as part of my motivation strategy. With regards to the teaching methods, with each Unit of the DTLLS programme, as the teacher educator, I had to make sure that the improvement of these skills was being encouraged. This was done by encouraging more group discussions and presentations and, more recently, by including a literature review hour where the student-teachers will be discussing on the articles and books that they have recently read. These will not only improve their communication and discussion skills and develop their research skills (which are crucial for the professional development of a teacher) but also will enable them to construct learning in line with the principles of social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978; Bruner,1986, 1990, 1996). Although great emphasis is not made on Numeracy Skills in this teacher training programme (unless the specialist area of the student-teacher is related to numbers such as science and mathematics), there are aspects of these skills which, as a teacher educator, I can develop in my learners. Part of the continuous professional development of the student-teachers is being able to evaluate their own skills. In the second part of the training programme, the student-teachers learn to represent data in a simple graphical manner to be able to interpret the extent of success or a particular teaching method. If such exercises are carried our frequently, the student-teachers improved numeracy skills will enable them to better explain their continuous professional development. Another important aspect proposed by the SFL project is computer skills, which the majority of the student-teachers lack. In the current age, where learners are digital natives  [4]  (Garrison and Anderson, 2003), future teachers cannot afford to be below average in ICT  [5]  skills. Their responsibilities include not only to improve the ICT skills of learners who are not in tune with their peers but also to challenge the skills of the digital natives. The curriculum has thus to comprise of strategies such as use of computers for research and presentation purposes  [6]  . During the completion of the teacher training programme, the student- teachers have to build up their teaching (planning and delivery) and assessment strategies. For each of the strategy developed, they need to demonstrate how they will embed the principles suggested by the SFL project. When embedding these principles in teaching my student-teachers, I am also giving them ideas which they themselves can use in their own teaching practice. It is to be noted, however, that their embedding strategies have to be specific to their own specialist area. The SFL endeavour has thus influenced the teacher training programme to a very large extent. Not only do the student-teachers need to develop their own skills as part of their Continuous Professional Development, but they need to create and/or adapt ways to improve the skills of their learners. Thus the curriculum that they have to follow as learners (and I have to follow as their educator) has to promote the development of their functional skills, be it in terms of the goals to be achieved or the methods and resources to be used. As future teachers, they need to be well equipped with regards to their own SFL to be able to facilitate the learning process of their learners. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the impact of the Skills for Life policy on the curriculum that I teach. After reviewing the literature on the topic and an initial analysis of the SFL policy on the DTLLS programme (which affects the curriculum I build for my teaching), I wanted to analyse the views of three main stakeholders of the College- the department executive, the students and the External Verifier from the Awarding Body- on the matter. Evaluate curriculum changes resulting from the policy / research document. Because of the individualised nature of collecting opinions, a quantitative approach to data collection and analysis will be quite useless (Miles and Hubermans, 1994). Moreover it is the depth and meaning of the data which I am after and therefore a qualitative direction seems to be more appropriate (Bryman, 2001). The data collection tool chosen for this purpose is semi structured interview (Appendix A). Semi structured interviews combine the benefits of structured and unstructured ones. They not only provide the interviewee with the freedom of expressing his/her views in detail (which is required to obtain a deeper understanding of the opinion given), but also, with the questions set by the interviewer, the discussion is more focused on the relevant topic (Horton, Macve and Struyven, 2004). Instead of hindering my conclusion, the subjective nature of this tool (Bryman, 2001) will, hopefully, provide new ideas about the project. Because it is also very specific to the curriculum that I teach, the issue of inability to generalise the results (Bryman, 2001) will also not arise. The third stakeholder to be questioned will be the student-teachers. A session will be conducted on Skills for Life (Appendix F) after which the student-teachers will be asked to work in groups to fill the questionnaires (Appendix B). To ensure confidentiality (Bryman, 2001), the names of the stakeholders will not be disclosed. The results of these two approaches are analysed below. The student-teachers seem to grasp the impact of the SFL policy on the DTLLS programme and even identified the aspects of the programme which develop their own basic skills. As one of the groups mentioned the objectives that they have to achieve have been affected by the SFL policy in that they have to Embed minimum core subjects in the curriculum (Extracts from questionnaires, Appendix D). On the other hand, both the External Verifier and the Vice Principal of the College described the link between SFL and DTLLS programme quite similarly in terms of development of the student-teachers own skills and embedding strategies that he/she has to implement to develop that of his/her students (Appendix C). As the Vice Principal suggests: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ DTLLS students have, to apart from a select group of specialists who do are not involved in SfL, consider SfL as a key focus for all their work. Approaches to delivering DTLLS therefore have to be adapted to achieve SfL requirements (Extract from transcript, Appendix C) I quite agree with both of them that the programme as it stands, although it does offer resources and teaching methods that reflect SFL principles, can still be improved. Offering an optional module which is specific to SFL instead of the fragmented state it is now (as the Vice Principal states) will provide the student-teachers with unique skills that are very much in demand in the education market. As mentioned before, the DTLLS programme came after the SFL policy. However, had there not been this policy, the programme would not have included the minimum core requirements as it does now. The impact that the SFL policy has on the DTLLS programme will inevitably affect the curriculum used to deliver it. This leads us to the evaluation of the curriculum built on the basis of the assessment criteria and general objectives prescribed by the Awarding Body. The first aspect to be analysed is the purpose of the evaluation. Most evaluations done are to determine the extent to which set objectives are being met (Tyler, 1949; Kelly, 2004), that is summative evaluation. However, a more meaningful evaluation would be one which assesses the objectives themselves. As Kelly (2004) states, curriculum should be subject to continuous evaluation as an essential element of continuous change and development (pp 36). This leads to the next issue which is choosing a model of curriculum evaluation. According to Kelly (2004), this should match the curriculum model adopted, otherwise the criteria of evaluation will not reflect the purposes of the planners or the teachers (pp 139). The DTLLS curriculum that I developed is based on a combination of the four perspectives proposed by Tyler (1949) with objectives as starting point  [7]  . But if I use an objective model of curriculum evaluation, it will not serve my purpose as it will only identify success or failure of achieving the objectives set (Kelly, 2004). According to MacDonald, a more holistic approach would be assessing the projects impact on the educational system and the types of evaluation problems which the impact would throw up (1973, pp 83 cited by Kelly, 2004, pp 142). As mentioned before, the curriculum is designed on the basis of the outcomes derived from the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body. This enables the student-teachers to be focused on what is to be completed to achieve the Units. But one of the consequences of such an approach is a decreased possibility of achieving unintended (but potentially beneficial) outcomes. Although the student-teachers do have to attain a certain level in the minimum core subjects (similar to SFL), if they are already at that level there is no incentive to improve them further (since there are no specified needs to do so in the curriculum). Developing SFL is often drowned in the achievement of the multitude of other objectives to be achieved. Having said that, with the embedding strategies -where the student-teachers learn to develop the minimum core subjects of their own students- the picture is more promising. This is because the focus is then on developing these skills. But the extent to which my curriculum evaluation will be considered by the Awarding Body is questionable. If we take the interview carried out with the EV (Appendix C), when I was discussing about agreeing a date for the interview, she initially did not see a link between SFL and DTLLS, To be quite honest with you Shaivi, at first I thought that there was no direct link. Basic Skills is what it saysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..basic. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But if we analyse it deeper, we can see that one of the requirements for teachers on the programme is to have a level 2 in literacy, numeracy and ICT. (Extract from transcript, Appendix C) After I explained my project and my point of view, she agreed with me and hence the interview was much more useful. The Vice Principals suggestion that SFL delivery techniques should be added as an optional module to the curriculum as the next cycle of improvement is valid because this will increase the marketability of the award. But, although the External Verifier shared his views, from our experience in terms of suggestions we made, it is doubtful that she will take it on board and suggest it to her institution. Thus as a curriculum developer, although I can certainly build up outcomes which will further improve the minimum core levels of my student-teachers, the extent to which I can influence the curriculum development is restricted. This brings us to the argument that the External Awarding Body still has a very strong hold on what is important in terms of delivery and assessment. The extent to which they will consult the Delivery Centres (such as my College) to determine or assess what is to be delivered is quasi nil, that is their own evaluation of the DTLLS programme and resulting curriculum seem to be more autocratic (Mac Donald, 1975, pp 133, cited by Kelly, 2004). A more democratic approach to curriculum evaluation (where the teachers are involved) would have served the purpose of meaningful continuous curriculum development (Kelly, 2004). If we were to measure how stringent the Awarding Body is with regards to the four perspectives of curriculum identified by Tyler (1949)-Appendix E- we can see that assessment has a medium level of stringency since we can choose the evidence linked to practice to be included in the portfolio from a set list. The same is with the specific objectives which we can form on the basis of the assessment criteria set by the Body, which is thus the key driver of the curriculum. The only way that the curricula will differentiate in different centres is through the delivery methods being used and the objectives to be set (which is however based on the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body). Centralised control (Kelly, 2004) is apparent over the content of the curriculum. This also demonstrates how the programme is driven by its assessment process (Kelly, 2004). Any method or activity used is geared towards the final portfolio of evidence of achievement of learning (based on the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body). The DTLLS programme, although very specific to the age group the student-teachers are being trained to teach, have similar outcomes to the other programmes on the market (Postgraduate Certificate in Education for Post Compulsary Education) with regards to strategies of embedding basic skills. Because the student-teachers are mostly international, they have specific timeframes within which they have to complete the programme. Therefore, they do not have time to explore the topics in dept