English-language films Essay

?I saw this quote in Mr. Laxman Gnawali’s laptop and I copied it right away, I don’t know but I liked that line very much. The quote was written on the wall of some park the place was really clean and that picture showed that it was really nice clean with lots of trees. After searching it in the internet I found it that it was the attribute to those who lost their lives in the war. We were talking about the teaching training session. We were told that we can achieve the next level in our career but we need to concentrate and do the session delivery seriously. There the quote was quite related because we had the freedom to be a teacher trainer but we have to be more responsible and develop certain habit, there with the freedom comes the responsibility. Looking at the history of freedom one can always see war as the synonyma for the freedom. The first thing that comes in our mind when we talk about freedom is war and quarrels. This phrase is mostly used by the people to show gratitude towards those who have lost their life in wars. There are so many articles and books written on them or about them. Shiv Khera have written a book â€Å"freedom is not Free† and there are mny other people who have talked about it and this is the phrase I think will be talked in coming future or as long as the existence of the human beings. Freedoms are rights of individuals, according to Webster it’s a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any, or to any undue, restraints and restrictions. As our country is democratic country and we proudly say that we are free, we have every freedom to do whatever we like to but in the beginning we fought for our freedom, can we still be fighting. In the beginning we fought for our freedom, with the birtishers, we fought with them not for the freedom but to keep our country free. We fought for the democracy from the Rana rulers and then we fought for the cruel royal rule and we achieve the freedom but the question remains that we have been fighting within ourselves. Now we have the ability to exercise free will and make choices independently of any external determining force, but are we truly free. I think we are still fighting within ourselves for the freedom we dream of. History has been our eyewitness that whenever we fought we fought to rule and not for the development or growth and we are still doing that. First we had MAHISHPAL than came GOPALA DYNESTYR and KIRAT after that many other than the most influential SHAH now we have politicians ruling still to rule not to develop. If I talk about the freedom realting with our history than it will never finish. Historians believe we’re not free, but on the other hand I just say we have our rights and restrains. Because completely unrestricted freedom of action would make peaceful human existence impossible, some restraints on freedom of action are necessary and inevitable. But, we do have to recognize that basic limitation, to make our life safe. We the people have to turn over some of our rights so that our country performs right and many say that the government is in our business but if they weren’t all chaos would occur. But, Freedom becomes a cost, a cost of just giving up some rights in return to be a great nation. But, some cost could become a concern. In the declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson have clearly stated the difficulties and problems that America has to face on the process. The very recent and clear example abo;ut freedom is not free is our own country’s fight against the maost. We faced difficulties than one can imagine but ultimately we overcame with all the difficulties we faced. In the process of freedom government has to include all the armies of moist as well. There comes the pay for freedom. We had to go through traumas which many of the nation have been through but that trauma was from our own people to their own family. India, the biggest country with large population, which is emerging ijn every field in this modern time, have faced problems. They were colonized by British people and treated in the most cruel behave that one could ever treat to another human being in their own country but they fought for their freedom and have lost so many lives but at last they are free. The payment that they paid for the freedom are the lives, the great politicians and enthusiastic youths, there county were divided into parts and there is still fight among those country. Though they got the freedom they are still paying for it, that is why freedom is not free. America the land of opportunity, was not free and with the help of many freedom fighters they declare the independence. Instead of freedom they call it independent, as everyone knows in America most of the people are from different countries, the native people, the red Indians have actually lost their identity in order to be independent or free. the country have faced so many difficulties and still facing but it is the free country everyone says and believed that but they have the most criminal records and most frustration within their country. The fragmented society, self-centered individual, loss of culture and focus point of terrorism are the payment USA is paying with. Every country have their own struggle and history of freedom and the kinds pf payment they are paying as the freedom is not free. All the great people in this world has paid one or the other way for the freedom they fought for. Countries have faced the war and loss of the youngsters but the individual who are the great influential for that event lost their family ,loved once, and their own life as well. Hitler’s life story also suggest that freedom is not free. he hated zuse and to free himself from them he committed the crime which no human can forget and he is the most cruel person in this world. He could not face the failure and to make himself free from the thought of failure he continued doing the things which kept him free from that thought and the payment for the freedom of his thought is being cruel and called murderer and be alone in all his life. However his murder is still have no actual evidence but he was killed because he was becoming cruel and threat for many people so in the quest of freedom to free the abuse and feeling of failure he paid it with his life. Mahatma Gandhi, India call him their BAPU, was hated by his son because he had no time to spend with the family as he was in great mission to free his country from the Birtish. He freed his fellow country but the payment was his own children, he was killed by the very young person as people saw that his generosity is causing the country into many countries. He was free from all the material things and loved by all the people but to gain this freedom to loved by everyone with his life. The four martyrs, who was killed by rana rulers for their freedom speech also shows that whatever our country have got is not free. in whatever way we are enjoying or complaining about is actually the payment that those martyrs paid. They were from well known and educated family but in the quest to free the country from the ranas they paid their life and we got freedom. Being anyone as human is not free from all the responsibilities and rules that we need to follow. As a baby you are free to cry over anything but the payment is most of the time people don’t understand what your problem is. As a student you are allowed to make noise or make wrong choice but the payment is later on you have to fail in your exam and in your life. As a social worker you have the freedom to help others and take their pain as your own and the payment you have to pay is your time, for you and for your family, as an engineer, your freedom is to use any model but the payment is you have to be responsible for the lives of the people who will stay there, as writer you are free to write anything but the payment is no one will write about you, as the teacher you have the freedom to conduct your classroom as you wanted but the payment is you have to be the model all the time, you cannot make any mistake if you do you have to deal with all the consequences that might occur or the payment is your time and effort. When you see some advertisement on television about the free scheme, we always need to buy something with it because nothing is free, not even the water, the air. Freedom is actually the metaphor for all the responsibilities that comes with freedom. When one becomes the minister or join the politics, like in our country everyone blames them to be the negative one, you are free to be the politician but the payment is you won’t be trusted. When I first started to teach I don’t have any freedom to chose what I do in the classroom, so I was just following whatever the teacher told me to do and there no one expected anything from me so I was free from the responsibility and the payment I was paying is getting the low pay. As I developed the teaching learning skill and given the full responsibility of the class, I had the freedom to do any kind of things in the classroom and make it my own and include everything I have learnt but the payment is time and the continuous work load and no self time. Likewise with the PGDE course we had the freedom to garnish ourselves and the payment is all the criteria that was set for us to be what we were trained to be. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE, even the quote is controversial because when freedom is not free than why would one use these words and if it is used why it is mostly related with the people who have done so much for the betterment of the human being?

Summation of the Virgin and the Dynamo

Ben McAllister English 190 10/4/2010 In Henry Adam’s â€Å"The Dynamo and the Virgin,† he starts to speculate about Christianity’s strength during the medieval times and how it can be related to the twentieth century energy, using the dynamos, that produced electricity. He says when he relates religion and energy,† As he grew accustomed to the gallery of machines, he began to feel the forty-foot dynamos as a moral force, much as the early Christians felt the Cross. By doing this he is explaining he believes the relation between the machines and their parts are just like the Christians being part of the Cathedral and their faith. Therefore, after his relation is given between faith and science, decides he is going to combine the two in his studies, and everything that is considered irrational, he would say it takes faith to believe. He goes on to say how there could never be an American Virgin, since we relate that to sin. As he gets older, continues to sear ch for reasons why the Virgin is still lost in our culture, and he explains it has always been there.He says the Virgin is a force that shaped our Western Civilization, but we had to find her. Word count: 199 Grade: 17/20. Overall, pretty solid here, Ben – the first half of the summation works very well, as you’ve got a clear opening sentence and a pretty clear link to what Adams sees the connection between the two symbols. But, one thing to think about adding here would be less about how Americans see the Virgin, and how of how Adams sees the dynamo – how does he see that symbol as power

Egans Theory Essay

This is a 3-stage model or framework offered by Egan as useful in helping people solve problems and develop opportunities. The goals of using the model are to help people ‘to manage their problems in living more effectively and develop unused opportunities more fully’, and to ‘help people become better at helping themselves in their everyday lives.’ (Egan G., ‘The Skilled Helper’, 1998, p7-8). Thus there is an emphasis on empowerment. Also the person s own agenda is central, and the model seeks to move the person towards action leading to outcomes which they choose and value. This model is not based on a particular theory of personality development, nor on a theory of the ways difficulties develop. It is a framework for conceptualising the helping process, and is best used in working on issues in the recent past and the present. As with any model, it provides a map, which can be used in exploring, but which is not the territory itself. The Egan model and mentoring are not synonymous; the model can be used in many kinds of helping relationships, and mentoring/co-mentoring can be done using other models, (or none!). The model can and should be used flexibly. The model works best if attention is paid to Rogers’ ‘core conditions’, the helpers approach to the speaker being based on genuineness, respect, and empathy, and if principles of good active listening are remembered throughout. The Egan model aims to help the speaker address 3 main questions: 1. ‘What is going on?’ 2. ‘What do I want instead?’ 3. ‘How might I get to what I want?’ Not everyone needs to address all 3 questions, and at times people may move back into previously answered ones. For simplicity, we’ll look at the model sequentially. However, the skilled helper will work with the speaker in all or any of the stages, and move back and forward, as appropriate. Stage 1 is about providing a safe place for the speaker to tell their story in their own way, and to be fully heard and acknowledged. It is about a space where a person can hear and understand their own story. It is also about gently helping them lift their head to see the wider picture and other perspectives, and to find a point from which to go forward with hope. 1a – an expansive part The helper encourages the speaker to tell their story, and by using good active listening skills and demonstrating the core conditions, helps them to explore and unfold the tale, and to reflect. For some, this is enough, for others it is just the beginning. â€Å"†¦.as you summarised what I said, all the jumble began to make sense.† Skills in Stage 1a:- active listening, reflecting, paraphrasing, checking understanding, open questions, summarising. Useful Questions: How do/did you feel about that? What are/were you thinking? What is/was that like for you? Keep them open! What else is there about that? 1b – a challenging part Since they are in the situation, it can be difficult for the person speaking to see it clearly, or from different angles. With the help of empathic reflections and challenges, the speaker uncovers blind spots or gaps in their perceptions and assessment of the situation, of others and of  themselves – their patterns, the impact of their behaviour on the situation, their strengths. â€Å"I’d never thought about how it might feel from my colleague’s point of view.† * Skills: Challenging; different perspectives, patterns and connections, shoulds and oughts, negative self-talk, blind spots (discrepancies, distortions, incomplete awareness, things implied, what’s not said), ownership, specifics, strengths. * Useful Questions: * How do others see it/you? * Is there anything you’ve overlooked? * What does he/she think/feel? * What would s/he say about all this? * What about all of this is a problem for you? * Any other way of looking at it? 1c -Focussing and moving forward People often feel stuck; that is why they want to talk. In this stage, the helper seeks to move the speaker from stuckness to hope by helping Them choose an area that they have the energy to move forward on, that would make a difference and benefit them. â€Å"I see now the key place to get started is my relationship with K† * Skills: Facilitating focussing and prioritising an area to work on. * Useful Questions: * What in all of this is the most important? * What would be best to work on now? * What would make the most difference? * What is manageable? Stage 1 can be 5 minutes or 5 years; it may be all someone needs. Stage 2 – What do I want instead? People often move from problem to action, or problem to solution, without reflecting on what they really want, or in what way their problems might be opportunities. Stage 2 is about this, about helping the speaker to open up a picture of what they really want, and how things could be better. This stage is very important in generating energy and hope. 2a – a creative part The helper helps the speaker to brainstorm their ideal scenario; ‘if you  could wake up tomorrow with everything just how you want it, like your ideal world, what would it be like?’ The speaker is encouraged to broaden their horizon and be imaginative, rather than reflect on practicalities. For some people this is scary, for some liberating. â€Å"At first it was really difficult but after a while I Jet my imagination go and began to get really excited about what we could achieve in the department†. * Skills: Brainstorming, facilitating imaginative thinking, i.e. * Quantity vs. Quality Anything goes – have fun * Write down ideas verbatim, don’t analyse or judge * Keep prompting – ‘what else?’ * Don’t hurry, allow lots of time * Useful Questions: * What do you ideally want instead? * What would be happening? * What would you be doing/thinking/feeling? * What would you have that you don’t have now? * What would it be like if it were better / a bit better? 2b – a reality testing part From the creative and visionary brainstorm, the speaker formulates goals which are specific, measurable, achievable/appropriate (for them, in their circumstances), realistic (with reference to the real world), and have a time frame attached, i.e. SMART goals. Goals which are demanding yet achievable are motivating. â€Å"It feels good to be clear that I want a clear understanding with my colleagues about our respective rules and responsibilities.† * Skills: facilitating selecting and reality checking with respect to internal and external landscape. * Useful Questions: * What exactly is your goal? * How would you know when you’ve got there? * What could you manage/are you likely to achieve? * Which feels best for you? * Out of all that, what would be realistic? * When do you want to achieve it by? 2c – moving forward This stage aims to test the realism of the goal before the person moves to action, and to help the speaker check their commitment to the goal by reviewing the costs and benefits to them of achieving it. Is it worth it? â€Å"It feels risky but I need to resolve this.† * Skills: facilitation of exploring costs and benefits, and checking commitment to goal. * Useful Questions: * What will be the benefits when you achieve this? * How will it be different for you when you’ve done this? * What will be the costs of doing this? Any disadvantages/downsides to doing this? Stage 3 – How will I get there? This is the ‘how’ stage†¦ how will the person move towards the goals they have identified in Stage 2? It is about possible strategies and specific actions, about doing something to get started, whilst considering what/who might help and hinder making the change. 3a – another creative part! The speaker is helped to brainstorm strategies – 101 ways to achieve the goal – again with prompting and encouragement to think widely. What people, places, ideas, organisations could help? The aim is to free up the person to generate new and different ideas for action, breaking out of old mind-sets. â€Å"There were gems of possibilities from seemingly crazy ideas†. * Skills: Facilitation of brainstorming * Useful Questions: * How many different ways are there for you to do this? * Who/what might help? * What has worked before/for others? * What about some wild ideas? 3b – focussing in on appropriate strategies What from the brainstorm might be selected as a strategy that is realistic for the speaker, in their circumstances, consistent with their values? Forcefield analysis can be used here to look at what internal and external factors (individuals and organisations) are likely to help and hinder action and how these can be strengthened or weakened respectively. â€Å"I would feel comfortable trying to have a conversation with him about how he sees things†. * Skills for Stage 3b: Facilitation of selecting and reality checking. * Useful Questions: * Which of these ideas appeals most? * Which is most likely to work for you? * Which are within your resources/control? 3c – moving to action The aim is to help the speaker plan the next steps. The strategy is broken into bite-size chunks of action. Here the speaker is doing almost all the work, producing their action plan. The helper works with them to turn good intention into specific plans with time scales. Whilst being encouraging, it’s also important not to push the speaker into saying they’ll do things to please the helper. â€Å"I will make sure we have time together before the end of the month. I will book a meeting, so that we can be sure of quiet uninterrupted time. I will organise this before Friday†. * Skills: Facilitation of action planning. * Useful Questions: * What will you do first? When? * What will you do next? When? If the end point of producing an action plan has been reached, the experience of trying it out could be the starting point for a follow-up mentoring/co-mentoring session. The work would start in stage I again, telling a new story. If an action plan had not been reached, that’s fine too, and the model can be used over a series of sessions. The key in using the model, as with any theory or model, is to keep the speakers agenda central, the individual in the foreground and theory in the background, and to use the model for the person, rather than vice versa.

Weight Loss Diets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Weight Loss Diets - Essay Example High protein and low carbohydrate diets are available in different names and brands such as, Paleo, South Beach, Dukan, Atkins etc., but all are based on the common principle, i.e., to lower the carbohydrate consumption and consume large amount of protein by adding protein-rich foods like, meat, eggs, fish, and dairy products in diet (Kennedy, n.d). Over the last few years, many books on high protein and low carbohydrate diets altogether sold thousands of copies in the US. Advocates of high protein and low carbohydrate diets argue that these diets encourage the metabolism process of adipose tissue, resulting rapid weight loss without any adverse effect in long-run (Bravata et al. 2003, p. 1838). However, various professional organizations, like the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association, have warned against the excessive use of such diets. There are concerns that these type of diets focus on changing one’s metabolism and achieve weight loss by eating protein-rich foods and avoiding sources of carbohydrates which may cause the increase in blood sugar levels in the body due to gluconeogesis process. Gluconeogenesis turns protein into glucose by means of cortisol hormones. High level of cortisol causes rapid glucose production from protein, which results in high blood sugar level.Also, there are concerns that these diets can cause impaired metabolic functioning that may lead to serious medical problems, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or dyslipidemia.

Hand and Wrist Positioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hand and Wrist Positioning - Essay Example The four-view wrist series includes semipronated and semisupinated (reverse) oblique views, Posteroanterior (PA) and PA in ulnar deviation and the three-view hand series includes the semipronated oblique views, PA and Lateral view (Kurtz, 1997). These are the three common positions of X-ray for both the wrist and hand (Kurtz, 1997). The techniques of (PA), Oblique and lateral projections are used to perform the radiography for routine examination of hand and wrist (Dr.Ahmad, 2008; Joseph, 2007) and the best view conventionally according to Dr.Ahmad (2008) is PA projection. The main difference between hand and wrist positioning for the three views are how the fingers are held. In the semipronated oblique view the fingers in hand X-ray are held â€Å"as flat as possible and slightly fanned out† but for wrist, the fingers â€Å"curled under into a loose fit to help press the wrist closer to the film if possible† (Kartz, 1997:1). In the lateral view for hand the positioning of fingers is like an okay sign so that on x-ray each finger is visible and for wrist finger’s position does not matter. In case of Scaphoid the positioning of fingers is similar to that of hand x-ray however â€Å"only one finger is extended so that the finger in question is the only one seen on all three pictures† (Kartz, 1997:1). Bhat, A.K, Kumar, B. and Acharya A. (2011), Radiographic imaging of the wrist, Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, May-Aug, 44(2):186-196, retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193630/. Dr.Ahmad, N. (2008). The twists and turns of hand and wrist x-ray positioning. Auntminnie, X-Ray Patient Positioning Manual. Retrieved from http://cdn.auntminnie.com/user/documents/content_documents/X-Ray_Patient_Positioning_Manual_080402.pdf. Joseph, N. (2004). Film Critique of the Upper Extremity – Part 3: Hand, Wrist. Online Radiography Continuing Education for Radiologic X-ray Technologist. Retrieved

Life between the city and village Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Life between the city and village - Essay Example No wonder many social interactions and new ventures are initiated in the cities (Leuzzi, 1995). However, despite the fact that the village is less advance than the cities in terms of the social amenities and the advance facilities, the cultural identity is real and this is directly correlated to the attitudes and ideologies of the village dwellers (Klinkenborg, 2003). Village dwellers tend to be more welcoming and friendly. In fact the love that runs deep down the villagers makes them consider everyone around them as a brother or a sister. Village lifestyle is also free of pollution and less overcrowded. The air too is fresh and less polluted that why many village dwellers are considered healthier than individuals from the city (Hillyard, 2007). As a conclusion, life may seem very enjoyable in the cities due to the many opportunities and the social amenities available but village life is likewise unique and less stressful, healthier as it is warm and welcoming to

Dell Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dell - Research Paper Example Its foreign market entry has been easy owing to an enlargement in its customer base and via acquisitions from the time of its inception. Apart from desktops and PCs (personal computers), Dell also offers devices for data storage, network switches, servers and computer peripherals. It also sells cameras, MP3 players, HDTVs, printers and other electronics. It also offers software and hardware in third-party. This has given it recognition in the foreign market (Kyle 17). Dell opened in the United Kingdom its first international subsidiary. It used a trade show in Spring Comdex to unveil its fastest performing PC (Personal Computer), with a 12 Megahertz, 286-based system. The industry opened other subsidiaries in Japan and Australia as their first entries into the region of Asia Pacific. The corporation continued to grow and even opened a manufacturing center in Ireland (at Limerick), in order to offer better services to clients in the Middle East, African continent and European continent. It launched Dell.com website, opened a first customer in Asia-Pacific (in Penang, Malaysia), and launched premier pages for its corporate customers. It also opened manufacturing centers in China, Xiamen, and a second in Texas. It broadcasted its manufacturing sites in the United States, Brazil and Ireland. Dell has also partnered with other industries basing on the Code of Conduct by Electronics Industry (Kyle 23). Dells potential competitors include Acer, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Apple, Asus, IBM, Lenovo, Gateway, Sun Microsystems, MSI and HP (Hewlett-Packard). Dell seems to show no interest in alliance with any of its competitors. It has tried to remain in stiff competition by improving on its marketing strategies and expanding its product line. Dell and Alienware (Dells subsidiary) compete against VoodooPC (HP s subsidiary) Falcon Northwest, AVADirect,

Quality management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Quality management - Assignment Example Hence, it is important that clear decisions are made. But clear decisions cannot just be made literally. Clear decision making is done with the help of various means. In this case, the design of experiments as learnt in this course is one means through which clear decision making can be done. It avails the evidence, the observations, the conclusions and the factual evidence that is needed in decision making. This paper looks at how the design of experiments is involved in decision making in industrial settings, how it is involved in decision making for the purposes related to quality management and why, how, when it is done and its association with cost benefit analysis. From an industry perspective, it is evident that the competition amongst industries is stiff at all levels of competition. This coupled with the fast changing technological techniques for use in industries adds the pressure on industries to make decisions that are certain, based on evidence and facts. As learnt in this unit, the design of experiments is a vital decision making tool for evidences. As per the research conducted when undertaking the assignments, it was evident that one of the aims of industries is to locate the best possible production level. This was by taking all the factors involved in the production process into account and designing an experiment that would help the industry’s management to make the right decision on which factors to make use of. The DOE enables industries to come up with an appropriate model for production by utilizing the data of the factors obtained. This is part of the decision making process of industries. It was learnt that industries design experiments that include one to several factors that they think will have an effect on a response variable to evaluate if the said factors truly have an effect on the response variable. In industries, the decision making process involved the carrying out of experiments in a

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Report - Essay Example The proposal addresses the need to support education and recommends way in which the company can be involved in the education sector without affecting the profitability of the company. Table of Contents Transmittal 2 Table of Contents 3 Executive summary 4 Introduction 5 Problem statement 5 Methodology 6 Findings 6 Analysis 7 Conclusion 7 Reference 9 Executive summary KMPG is an international organization that needs to develop a global appeal. Global appeal will ensure the development of positivity towards the company. The company operates in many countries making it effective and creates the need for fully trained locals to handle its operations. The company can offer scholarships to international students which is an integral in the development of highly effective workforce. However, the demand for scholarship has been high especially for international students. The criteria of acceptance must be based on performance, integrity and character. The evaluation of the needy students an d linking them with the company after the study can ensure that the financial approach used in the sponsoring the student can be recouped by tying them to the company for one year after graduation. Therefore, by offering internships and scholarships the company can improve its reputation as a company and develop talents and workforce in the society. The beauty of the scholarships is they offer long lasting impression on the society (Legge, 2005, p. 134). Introduction From the past trends, the companies offering scholarships have experienced growth in their operations and brand strength. For KMPG, involvement in labor and skill development will facilitate global appeal and encourage interested students and graduates to pursue employment in the company. Good brands encourage employee development and facilitate skills and professional development (Fisher, 2000, p. 67). The company must get involved in sponsoring students especially from the international community to ensure that succes s is achieved in the countries of operation. It is advisable for the company to engage in skill and professional development because of the beauty associated with the corporate social responsibility. The company’s image will be greatly improved in the development of the scholarship program which is vital in supporting international students in the learning process. The development of the financial support for education is vital in the society because it facilitates improvement of education in the country. However, several scholarship programs employ the use of diverse evaluation to identify the needy students in the society which makes the whole process complex and may lock out some needy students. Therefore, the methodology used to identify the needy students must be effective and transparent. Problem statement The financing of graduate education by KMPG can facilitate increased education access for graduate program and reduce the over reliance on the established scholarship programs. However, the selection and financing of the students can be a major challenge. Methodology The method employed in data collection is analysis of the current performance of the various institutions engaging in the education financing especially in the developmen

Industrial revolution Essay Example for Free

Industrial revolution Essay The Industrial Revolution was a time of drastic change and transformation from use of hand tools and handmade items to machine-made and mass produced goods. This change generally helped life, but also hindered it as well. Pollution, such as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, rose. Working conditions declined, and the number of women and children working increased. The government, the arts, literature, music, architecture, and mans way of looking at life all changed during the period. Two revolutions took place, both resulting in productive, but also dire consequences. The Industrial Revolutions impact on Europe like the mechanization of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques and the increased use of refined coal. Trade expansion was enabled by the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. The Industrial Revolution provided both the mechanical engine of progress and the emotional engine of progress. These two things, the capacity to expand and the will to expand, fed directly into imperialism. Marxist Theory also made a huge because it developed socialism and communism, by placing more emphasis on value, rather than generating profit. Before the first Industrial Revolution, Englands economy was based on its cottage industry. Workers bought raw materials from merchants and took it back to their cottages, and produce the goods at their home. It was usually owned and managed by one or more people, who were generally close to the workers. There was a good worker/boss relationship, which was demolished and destroyed by capitalism (Wyatt 7). This industry was efficient but the workers productivity was low and it made costs higher. The longer it took one person to manufacture a product, the higher the price. Subsequently, goods were more expensive and exclusive only to the wealthy people. In 1733, the demand for cotton cloth was high, but production was low. This crisis had to be solved or Englands economy would be hindered. The answer came from a British weaver, John Kay, who invented and fashioned the flying shuttle, which cut weaving time in half. John Kay was a pioneer and his invention paved the way for numerous inventors (Wyatt 13). Although at first many workers didnt accept machines, in fact, many inventions were destroyed. But what was inevitable, couldnt be stopped. By the 1750s, the Industrial Revolution had begun. At first, inventions were strictly limited to cotton weaving. Inventions such as the spinning jenny and the water-powered frame, both of which provided spinning yarn faster, the spinning mule, the power loom and the cotton gin all helped the manufacture of cotton goods by speeding up the process (Wyatt 35). Mass production had begun, along with capitalism. Capitalists, people who have their own materials, money and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory. They hired people to run the machines and produce manufacturing goods. The factory system had replaced the cottage industry. Mass production made usually expensive items, such as shoes, but now they make less expensive and affordable to more people. The quality of life had improved. In the 1800s, inventions werent just limited to the cotton industry. Steam engines were invented, providing a faster mode of transportation, instead of the use of horses and carriages. With steam engines, cities were able to move farther away from rivers and sources of water, to thrive (Wyatt 58). The First Industrial Revolution merged into the Second Industrial Revolution around 1850, when technological and economic progress gained momentum with the development of steam powered ships and railways, and, later in the nineteenth century, with the internal combustion engine and electrical power generation. The torrent of technological innovation and subsequent social transformation continued throughout the twentieth century, contributing to further disruption of human life circumstances (Beard 25). Today, different parts of the world remain at different stages in the Industrial Revolution with some of the countries behind in terms of industrial development being in a position, through adopting the latest technologies, to leapfrog over even some more advanced countries that are now locked into the infrastructure of an earlier technology. The first Industrial Revolution had forever changed England, and later the world. England was now ready for another change, as life with machinery had already been assimilated into society. The second Industrial Revolution proved more drastic not only in inventions, but in social and government policies and reforms. Art and culture flourished and was transformed into many different and unique styles. The second Industrial Revolution utilized the power of electricity to help develop technology, to help social and home life. Michael Faraday, a British scientist, demonstrated how an electric current could be made. This concept and principle is still used today. Electricity improved life by supplying people with light and electricity to power machines (Thomas). Communications improved as a result of electricity (Thomas). The telephone and telegraph were the first communicational devices that were for public use (Thomas). With the development of technology, radio waves were discovered (Thomas). Now messages could be sent over long distances in virtually no time. Advances in science were also made. The discovery of radioactivity by Marie Curie used radioactivity as a power source, but also led to the discovery of the nuclear bomb. During the 1800s over 70,000 chemical compounds were broken down (Beard 45). Some of these were Portland cement, vulcanized rubber, synthetic dyes, and petroleum products. Petroleum began to be widely used as an alternate energy source (Beard 46). Gasoline was also needed for transportation, which evolved from steam engines to the internal combustion engine (Beard 47). The internal combustion engine made transportation faster and decreased the need for public transportation because people could own a their own cars. During this time, another a new technology was born in the field of transportation. Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully completed the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk. The air plane industry was born (Hudson 15). Prior to vaccinations, medicine before the 1750s and in the 1750s wasnt well developed. Once infection set in, nothing was possible to save the patient. Various diseases couldnt be stopped or controlled because of limited technology. In the 1850s however, vaccinations were discovered and administered. X rays were also discovered and provided doctors with a faster way of diagnosing medical problems. Louis Pasteur discovered and fabricated a way to eliminate all germs in milk. Called pasteurization, this technique is now widely used on all milk. The technique involves heating the milk to slow the fermentation process (Clare 23). Darwin was a naturalist who devised the theory of evolution. It stated that all animals and plants evolve from a lower species. He also developed the concept of Social Darwinism that the strongest survive. Many people contested his ideas and argued against them (Doty 25). Life was drastically changed during the Industrial Revolution. People were living in germ infested, crowded and very unhealthy conditions, much like their place of work (Hudson 45-46). Children and women labored in harsh conditions, working long hours with little pay (Hudson 34). The British Parliament stepped in to limit and control child labor (Hudson 34). This sparked a rebellion. People, especially wealthy capitalists, wanted the government to stay out of its issues. It was called the laissez-faire system (Hudson 56-57). Many people opposed the laissez-faire system, saying the capitalists would gain too much power and people would be mistreated. The laissez-faire system was disregarded after a few years, and it is still used today. Art changed with the different ideas of social Darwinism, the laissez-faire system and the Industrial Revolution. Romantic artists painted emotions that they had no control over, such as love, religion, and beauty. It showed more of how people felt at one moment in time. Realism tried to capture what was really happening, all of the sadness, and tried to make people work to change what was happening (Wyatt 65). Socialists were reformers who wanted to construct a better life for all people. Among them, Robert Owen, an owner of a textile mill, whose reforms reshaped the working class. He raised pay, improved working conditions, and didnt allow children younger than eleven to work. Directly related to Owens reforms, crime and disease rates dropped and life improved. Marx, another socialist, started the class struggle (Wyatt 68). The conflict between the different classes of people, made an impact on the changes that occur in history. The Industrial Revolution brought on more technology, wealth and power, but at what consequence? The people were living in filth, working unthinkable hours and being paid very little. The revolution shaped modern society to what it is today. As Rousseau said, Civilization spoils people (Montagna), but did people spoil civilization by implementing machines to do our work? The Industrial Revolution provided both the mechanical engine of progress and the emotional engine of progress. These two things, the capacity to expand and the will to expand, fed directly into imperialism. On a more direct, grounded level, the Industrial Revolution gave Europeans the ability to mass produce weapons and technologies. This gave rise to a need to export manufactured goods and under the Mercantile Economic System (which was in its final days) export regions were taken as colonies to be administrated by the producing power. The weapons that were mass produced made warfare much easier. The technologies and products that came out of the factories raised the standard of living of Europeans, which lead to an increased value in how they saw their civilization. Europeans believed that their culture was behind their consistent technological progress, and moved to annex regions to improve their culture. This mentality was encapsulated by the White Mans Burden (Newton). The Expansion of Empire itself was also symbolic of European dominance and cultural superiority as they reasoned that only powerful empires can expand over new territories. Even though the Industrial Revolution significantly helped the United States and Western Europe, there were few consequences with the Industrial Revolution. Economic decline arose because, proportionate to its population, England produced so much fewer educated people than Europe or North America. The pioneers who had done so well with first-generation approaches, technology, and general attitudes saw little need for improvement until too late. Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm was a British Marxist historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism, and nationalism. Hobsbawn claimed that since the British middle class made money so easily in the first years of the Industrial Revolution, they simply did not work as hard as their rivals in other countries. Workers, which were average people, were disadvantaged because the Industrial Revolution brought massive greed from big businesses run by people like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J. P Morgan. These employers demanded longer working hours (usually 12-hour shifts) and lower pay (Clare 34-37) . There were harsh conditions and no regulations that protected the workers (Clare 42-44). No unions. This was what led to the rise of socialism/communism and the unions (Clare 45). During the Industrial Revolution, big business controlled the government more than the government controlled itself. Thus, there were no environmental pollution laws. Factories could spit out as much pollution as they wanted and freely dump into the worlds oceans (Clare 55). Its effects are still today, and has devastated certain parts of the world. Due to the Industrial Revolution, many Western European nations, particularly England, France, Portugal, Germany, and Spain, had a massive need for resources. Thus, they occupied underdeveloped and weak civilizations in Africa and the Americas (Princeton). This was an easy way to get free resources and feed their growing industrial might. But it had a devastating effect on the people living there, as they were often treated harshly and without care. The Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in Earth’s ecology and humans’ relationship with their environment. The Industrial Revolution dramatically changed every aspect of human life and lifestyles. The impact on the world’s psyche would not begin to register until the early 1960s, some 200 years after its beginnings. From human development, health and life longevity, to social improvements and the impact on natural resources, public health, energy usage and sanitation, the effects were profound (Princeton). The onset of the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in human history, almost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced in some way. It started with the mechanization of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques, and the increased use of refined coal (Doty 2). Trade expansion was enabled by the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. The introduction of steam power fuelled primarily by coal, wider utilization of water wheels and powered machinery (mainly in textile manufacturing) underpinned the dramatic increases in production capacity (Doty 3). The development of all-metal machine tools in the first two decades of the 19th century facilitated the manufacture of more production machines for manufacturing in other industries. The effects spread throughout Western Europe and North America during the 19th century, eventually affecting most of the world, a process that continues. The impact of this change on society was enormous (Doty 4). The Industrial Revolution witnessed the triumph of a middle class of industrialists, and businessmen over a landed class of nobility and gentry. Ordinary working people found increased opportunities for employment in the new mills and factories, but these were often under strict working conditions with long hours of labor dominated by a pace set by machines. However, harsh working conditions were prevalent long before the Industrial Revolution took place. Pre-industrial society was very static and often cruel—child labor, dirty living conditions, and long working hours were just as prevalent as before the Industrial Revolution (Corrick 42). The factory system was largely responsible for the rise of the modern city, as large numbers of workers migrated into the cities to work in factories. The transition to industrialization was not without difficulty. For example, a group of English workers known as Luddites protested against industrialization and sometimes sabotaged factories. Child labor had existed before the Industrial Revolution, but with the increase in population and education it became more visible. Many children were forced to work in relatively bad conditions for much lower pay than their elders (Corrick 46). Living conditions during the Industrial Revolution varied from the splendor of the homes of the owners, to the squalor of the lives of the workers. Poor people lived in very small houses in cramped streets. These homes share toilet facilities, had open sewers and were damp (Corrick 67). The Industrial Revolution concentrated labor into mills, factories and mines, thus facilitating the organization of combinations, or trade unions to help advance the interests of working people. The power of a union could demand better terms by withdrawing all labor and causing a consequent cessation of production. They forced employers to decide between giving in to the union demands at a cost to themselves, or suffer the cost of the lost production. Skilled workers were hard to replace, and these were the first groups to successfully advance their conditions through this kind of bargaining (Corrick 45). During the Industrial Revolution, the life expectancy of children increased dramatically. The percentage of the children born in London who died before the age of five decreased from 74. 5% in 1730–1749, to 31. 8% in 1810–1829 (Corrick 43). Also, there was a significant increase in worker wages during the period 1813-1913 (Corrick 52-54). According to Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore, the population of England and Wales, which had remained steady at 6 million from 1700 to 1740, rose dramatically after 1740. The population of England had more than doubled from 8. 3 million in 1801, to 16. 8 million in 1851 and, by 1901, had nearly doubled again to 30. 5 million (Corrick 55). As living conditions and health care improved during the 19th century, Britains population doubled every fifty years (Corrick 56-57). Europe’s population doubled during the 18th century, from roughly 100 million to almost 200 million, and doubled again during the 19th century, to around 400 million (Corrick 58). The growth of modern industry from the late 18th century onward led to massive urbanization and the rise of new great cities, first in Europe elsewhere, as new opportunities attracted huge numbers of migrants from rural communities into urban areas. In 1800, only 3% of the worlds population lived in cities (Corrick 59), a figure that rose to nearly 50% at the beginning of the 21st century (Corrick 60). In 1717 Manchester was merely a market town of 10,000 people, but by 1911 it had a population of 2. 3 million (Corrick 61). The Industrial Revolution had a huge impact on the United States and Western Europe. We still use technological advances today and if it wasnt for such advancement we wouldnt have these technologies. Before the Industrial Revolution, each generation of people produced a roughly similar amount of products to their predecessors and overall economic wealth was fairly stagnant. After industrialization, production grew quickly and it generally increased each year. The Industrial Revolution led to many new theories, especially in social, economic, and scientific areas. Many of these theories had positive effects, but quite a few had negative effects. The new scientific theories were mostly positive because many resulted in inventions that improved the quality of life for most people. Social changes had both positive and negative impacts. However, many of the negative impacts, such as poor working conditions and child labor were reformed through formation of labor unions and passage of child labor laws. Economic changes were also mostly positive. However, the inequality between countries began to grow, depending on if the country was industrialized or not.

Reflective Employability Skills Assignment

Reflective Employability Skills Assignment Introduction With the rapid development of society, the competitions between companies are also increasing, what the employer want for the graduates are not only focus on the degree but pay more attention to their employability skills. In order to win their competitors in the fierce competition, employers want graduates who have a wide range of skills to bring to the work environment and need the employees with multi-skilled to fulfil many different roles. (Foster, 1998, p.4). So graduates who coming into the workforce must have the skills needed by employers. With the purpose of making ourselves become more competitive in the future job market first we should find out what the employability skills the employer want for graduates, then according to the employability skills do the personal SWOT analysis and make an action plan to improve ourselves. Discussion of employability skills What skills do employers want? Employability skills are defined as skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve ones potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions. (DEST 2002a) Today, despite the degree, companies are paying more attention to the employability skills of the graduates, but there is no uniform standard of employability skills. What employability skills the graduates should have are depend on companys actual operating conditions and different companies have different standards. Through a wide range of literature research, the result of what the employability skills needed by companies are almost the same, and can be roughly divided into the following eight basic skills: Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Problem solving skills , Self management skills, Planning and organizing skills, Technology skills, Life-long learning skills and Initiative and enterprise skills. (MONASH, nd) Why do companies want these skills? Communication skills The CIPDs views are based on the latest CIPD/KPMG quarterly Labor Market Outlook, a survey of over 1,400 UK employers, the key attributes employers look for in school leaver recruits are communication skills (40% of employers rank this in their top three required attributes), work ethic (39%) and personality (32%). (CIPD,2006) .Communication happens all the time in the workplace, having effective communication skills can make us have a good relationship with colleagues and superiors ,thus can create a good working environment and help us complete the work more efficiently. Whats more , have good communication skills not only can make the existing customers become more satisfy with the products and services provided by our company but also can attract more clients cooperate with us . Teamwork skills In Todays society, only have the individual working ability is not enough, more and more works need a group of people to complete together .Work in groups can speed up the progress of work and also through brainstorming to create a better idea of the company Problem solving skills In this competitive world, companies will faced various problems at any time, solving the problem successfully enable the company ride out the storm or it will fail. Self-management skills Companies also need graduates have self-management skills to complete the work alone or almost alone, without the need for someone to stand over the employees constantly and tell them want to do.à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.14à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Planning and organizing skills Employers need graduates to make plans and organize the limited sources to achieve both short and long-term goals of company. Technology skills In the technological age, technology skills become increasingly important, company need employees proficiency in using computers and telecommunications systems, understanding current trends and developments managing information through technology. Life-long learning skills In order to make the company development sustainably, only require employee continuous learning can let the company keep pace with this rapid-developing society, and employees who have the life-long learning skills can also bring benefits to the company. Initiative and enterprise skills Employees recruited by the company are all with multi-skilled, the company may frequent transfer their employees to different departments and to take different roles within a company. (Heather and Peter, 2006, p.2) .So this require the employee have the initiative and enterprise skills to adjust themselves easily to new situations and can take the job quickly. Personal SWOT Analysis After identify the employability skills that needed by companies, I make a personal SWOT analysis based on actual experience and self assessment test through the internet. (S)trengths I have good team work and organizing skills. According to the results of my self assessment test, I have a great mark in humanistic-encouraging and affiliative. (See Appendix 1) In the group work I can build on ideas with other members and as team leader I usually will make plans to allocate tasks to the group members to make sure everyone enjoys the tasks they are assigned to. I am good at Self management. I can management my time well and get thing done without being pushed. Usually I will write down the things what I need to do and sort them out according to the importance and the time sequence. After that I will write them to the calendar so that I can know clearly what and when should I do next I do well in learning. I willing to put in time and effort to learn new skills. As a student, beside the major I also join the free English class and the Assessment Centres mini module to improve myself. I have technology skills. I am not only having the basic computer skills but also can use specialised software packages. Since I have learned the business decision modelling in my first year and now I also learning the applied management and decision modelling, all of them need to use the specialised software packages so I learned how to use them in the course. (W)eaknesses I have no employment experience, even the part-time job experience. I am weak in problem solving; when I face problems usually I can not see all sides of them and can not provide good solution of them. My Communication skills are weak. I am an introvert (result in appendix 1) and I am not good at communicate with others .I feel shy when I talking to strangers. (O)pportunities I can find a part-time job through the future of our school to learn new skills to enhance my CV. I am more employable than others if I get work experience in UK. 65% of international employers indicates that they are more willing to employ They are more willing to recruit graduates with overseas work experience (Archer and Davison, 2008.). I have an opportunity to get a good job if I return to China after I graduate. China is widely expected to become the worlds largest human capital market in the future, requiring an explosive number of talented professionals. Companies seeking to hire Mainland Chinese returnees: born and raised in China, studied/worked in the U.S. or Europe and then returned to China. They offer international experience, plus language and cultural skills but are in short supply (Davy, Lau). I can enjoy a variety of preferential policies for overseas student which provided by the Chinese government if I back to China. (T)hreats In recent years, explosive growth trends of Chinese overseas students choose to return home which will increase the competition of getting jobs in China. Employment pressure both in China and UK. not only Chinese graduates for job-hunting with anxiety, graduates of British also face the same problem. The jobs shortage was blamed on a substantial backlog in the number of jobless graduates from previous years creating additional pressure on the employment market in 2010. (Articlesbase,2010). Personal Action Plan After I finished the personal SWOT analysis, according to my own situation I make an action plan base on SMART Skill to be improved Communication skills: Specific Actions: Participating in the activities that organized by school community orinvolvingin the school communitydirectly. Make a lot of friends. Take the initiative in making acquaintances. Do not feel nervous when talking to strangers Next month Take the mini module about communication that provided by the future in our school Presenting and participating in class discussions Semester 2 Measure: Through the IELTS test to improve my English speaking, writing, reading and listening skills. Take the IELTS test Target date:  Christmas  holidays Problem solving skills Specific Actions: Apply for the volunteer opportunities provide by the futureHelping people solve problem while improving my problem solving skills. Become a volunteer Semester 2 Measure: Analysis the requirements of school assignments Meet the assignment requirements of teachers Target date:  Deadline of  assignments Initiative and enterprise skills Specific Actions:  Find part-time jobs in our school or become a volunteer Get part-time jobs, become a volunteer Measure:  Semester 2 Become a trainee of a company  for 1-2week Work in a company as a trainee Target date:  Christmas holidays Teamwork skills Specific Actions:  Working on group assignments Measure:  Do the Group work assignments Target date:  Deadline of group  assignments Planning and organisation skills Specific Actions:  Arranging study and daily lives at university Measure:  Make plans everyday and do thing according to plans Target date:  Everyday Self-management skills Summing up the  gaps in skills and knowledge Specific Actions:  Do self-reflection whenteachers give assignment feedback Target date:  At the end of semester 1 Learning skills Learning new skills that needed by employers Specific Actions:  Attend courses and finish courses Target date:  Semester 2 Technology skills Specific Actions:  Learn something about Photoshop or database. Participate the relevant courses Target date:  During semester 2 Conclusion There is no doubt that employees who having a good degree will gain an excellent starting point, since a good degree helps employees open the door of finding a job, however, a degree alone is not enough, employers want much more from their graduate employees, they want employees can bring benefits to the company and let the company in an invincible position during the fierce competition. Through extensive research I summed up eight kinds of employability skills that most needed by companies. And I made a personal SWOT analysis based on employability skills and self assessment test through the internet and actual experience which made me become more aware of myself. After that I made an action plan for myself. Ill stick to the plan and I hope that it would help me improve my employability skills after I finish it .And get a good job in the competitive job market after I graduate.

An Android Application Development

An Android Application Development This paper talks briefly about developing applications on the android mobile platform using the Java Programming language. The overview includes introduction to the android platform features, architecture, APIs, application framework and the android SDK. A Hello World application walks you through the development process to understand the concepts of the android software stack and the tools involved. In late 2007, a group of industry leaders came together around the Android Platform to form the Open Handset Alliance (http://www.openhandsetalliance.com). Some of the alliances prominent members include:   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sprint Nextel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ T-Mobile   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Motorola à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Samsung   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sony Ericsson à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Toshiba   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Vodafone   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Google   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intel   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Texas Instruments.   Android was designed to serve the needs of mobile operators, handset manufacturers, and application developers [3]. Android is: A software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system (Linux Kernel version 2.6), middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language [1]. The Figure1: Android Architecture diagram gives a good overview of what constitutes the android platform. Android includes a set of C/C++ libraries (indicated green in Figure1) used by various components of the Android system. These capabilities are exposed to developers through the Android application framework. Android Platform Features: The following is an explanation of the building blocks of the platform as indicated in Figure1. Application framework: Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications (refer Figure1) written in Java. An application can publish its capabilities and any other application may then make use of those capabilities. Underlying all applications is a set of services and systems, including: A rich and extensible set of Views that can be used to build an application, including lists, grids, text boxes, buttons, and even an embeddable web browser Content Providers that enable applications to access data from other applications (such as Contacts), or to share their own data A Resource Manager, providing access to non-code resources such as localized strings, graphics, and layout files A Notification Manager that enables all applications to display custom alerts in the status bar An Activity Manager that manages the lifecycle of applications and provides a common navigation backstack Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices, executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format. The dx tool included in the SDK converts .class files into .dex files. Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional) SQLite for structured data storage Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF) GSM Telephony (hardware dependent) Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent) Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent) Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE Application Fundamentals: Android applications are written in the Java programming language. The compiled Java code along with any data and resource files required by the application is bundled by the aapt tool into an Android package, an archive file marked by an .apk suffix. This file is the vehicle for distributing the application and installing it on mobile devices; its the file users download to their devices. All the code in a single .apk file is considered to be one application. By default, every application runs in its own Linux process, with a unique linux user id. Each process has its own virtual machine (VM). Application Components: Android applications consist of loosely coupled components, bound using a project manifest that describes each component and how they interact. There are six components that provide the building blocks for your applications: 1) Activities: Your applications presentation layer. Every screen in your application will be an extension of the Activity class. Activities use Views to form graphical user interfaces that displays information and respond to user actions. In terms of desktop development, an Activity is equivalent to a Form. 2) Services: Services are the invisible workers of your application. Service components run invisibly, updating your data sources and visible Activities and triggering Notifi cations. Theyre used to perform regular processing that needs to continue even when your applications Activities arent active or visible. 3) Content Providers: Are a shareable data store. Content Providers are used to manage and share application databases. Content Providers are the preferred way of sharing data across application boundaries. This means that you can confi gure your own Content Providers to permit access from other applications and use Content Providers exposed by others to access their stored data. Android devices include several native Content Providers that expose useful databases like contact information. 4) Intents: They are simple message-passing framework. Using Intents, you can broadcast messages system-wide or to a target Activity or Service, stating your intention to have an action performed. The system will then determine the target(s) that will perform any actions as appropriate. 5) Broadcast Receivers: By creating and registering a Broadcast Receiver, your application can listen for broadcast Intents that match specific filter criteria. Broadcast Receivers will automatically start your application to respond to an incoming Intent, making them ideal for event-driven applications. 6) Notifications: They are user notification framework. Notifi cations let you signal users without stealing focus or interrupting their current Activities. They are the preferred technique for getting a users attention from within a Service or Broadcast Receiver. For example, when a device receives a text message or an incoming call, it alerts you by fl ashing lights, making sounds, displaying icons, or showing dialog messages. You can trigger these same events from your own applications using Notifications. By decoupling the dependencies between application components, you can share and interchange individual pieces, such as Content Providers or Services, with other applications both your own and those of third parties. The manifest file: The AndroidManifest.xml file is where your global settings are made. If you are an ASP.NET developer, you can think of AndroidManifest.xml as Web.config and Global.asax rolled into one. (If you are not an ASP.NET developer, this means that AndroidManifest.xml is a place for storing settings.) AndroidManifest.xml will include such settings as application permissions, Activities, and intent filters. [4] Please refer to Code 1: Manifest file Building Hello World Application: We will write the first android application, Hello World, using the eclipse IDE. Make sure that you have a suitable version of Eclipse(3.5 or 3.6 recommended) installed on your computer. Download the windows .zip file for the SDK starter package. Unpack the SDK files into a directory named android-sdk- in a safe location on your computer. Next, install the Eclipse(3.5 or 3.6) ADT plug-in for Android as follows: Start Eclipse, then select Help > Install New Software. Click Add, in the top-right corner. In the Add Repository dialog that appears, enter ADT Plugin for the Name and the following URL for the Location: https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/ In Available Software dialog, select checkbox next to Developer Tools, click Next In the next window, youll see a list of the tools to be downloaded. Click Next. Read and accept the license agreements, then click Finish. When the installation completes, restart Eclipse. Then, configure ADT by doing following steps: Select Window > Preferences to open the Preferences panel Select Android from the left panel. For the SDK Location in the main panel, click Browse and locate your downloaded SDK directory. Click Apply, then OK. Now, to install a platform in Eclipse: In the Android SDK and AVD Manager, choose Available Packages in the left panel. Click the repository site checkbox to display the components available for installation. Select at least one platform to install, and click Install Selected. If you arent sure which platform to install, use the latest version. Go on, and create an AVD: In Eclipse, choose Window > Android SDK and AVD Manager. Select Virtual Devices in the left panel. Click New. (The Create New AVD dialog appears.) Type the name of the AVD, such as my_avd. Choose a target. The target is the platform (that is, the version of the Android SDK, such as 2.1) you want to run on the emulator. You can ignore the rest of the fields for now. Click Create AVD. Create a New Android Project: After youve created an AVD, the next step is to start a new Android project in Eclipse. Please refer to Figure 12: New Android Project and also follow the steps below. Fill in the project details with the following values: Project name: HelloAndroid Application name: Hello, Android Package name: com.example.helloandroid (or your own private namespace) Create Activity: HelloAndroid Click Finish. Here is a description of each field: Project Name: The name of the directory that will contain the project files. Application Name: This is the human-readable title for your application the name that will appear on the Android device. Package Name: This is the package namespace (following the same rules as for packages in the Java programming language) that you want all your source code to reside under. This also sets the package name under which the stub Activity will be generated. Your package name must be unique across all packages installed on the Android system; for this reason, its important to use a standard domain-style package for your applications. The example above uses the com.example namespace, which is a namespace reserved for example documentation when you develop your own applications, you should use a namespace thats appropriate to your organization or entity. Create Activity This is the name for the class stub that will be generated by the plugin. This will be a subclass of Androids Activity class. An Activity is simply a class that can run and do work. It can create a UI if it chooses, but it doesnt need to. As the checkbox suggests, this is optional, but an Activity is almost always used as the basis for an application. Min SDK Version: This value specifies the minimum API Level required by your application. For more information, see Android API Levels. Other fields: The checkbox for Use default location allows you to change the location on disk where the projects files will be generated and stored. Build Target is the platform target that your application will be compiled against (this should be selected automatically, based on your Min SDK Version). Notice that the Build Target youve selected uses the Android 1.1 platform. This means that your application will be compiled against the Android 1.1 platform library. If you recall, the AVD created above runs on the Android 1.5 platform. These dont have to match; Android applications are forward-compatible, so an application built against the 1.1 platform library will run normally on the 1.5 platform. The reverse is not true. Your Android project is now ready. It should be visible in the Package Explorer on the left. Open the HelloAndroid.java file, located inside HelloAndroid > src > com.example.helloandroid). Please refer to Code2: HelloAndroid. Notice that the class is based on the Activity class. An Activity is a single application entity that is used to perform actions. An application may have many separate activities, but the user interacts with them one at a time. The onCreate() method will be called by the Android system when your Activity starts it is where you should perform all initialization and UI setup. An activity is not required to have a user interface, but usually will. Now lets modify some code! Construct the UI Please refer to Code 3: Construct UI An Android user interface is composed of hierarchies of objects called Views. A View is a drawable object used as an element in your UI layout, such as a button, image, or (in this case) a text label. Each of these objects is a subclass of the View class and the subclass that handles text is TextView. In this change, you create a TextView with the class constructor, which accepts an Android Context instance as its parameter. A Context is a handle to the system; it provides services like resolving resources, obtaining access to databases and preferences, and so on. The Activity class inherits from Context, and because your HelloAndroid class is a subclass of Activity, it is also a Context. So, you can pass this as your Context reference to the TextView. Next, you define the text content with setText(). Finally, you pass the TextView to setContentView() in order to display it as the content for the Activity UI. If your Activity doesnt call this method, then no UI is present and the system will display a blank screen. There it is Hello, World in Android! The next step, of course, is to see it running. Run the Application: The Eclipse plugin makes it easy to run your applications: Select Run > Run. Select Android Application. The Eclipse plugin automatically creates a new run configuration for your project and then launches the Android Emulator. Depending on your environment, the Android emulator might take several minutes to boot fully, so please be patient. When the emulator is booted, the Eclipse plugin installs your application and launches the default Activity. You should now see something like this: Please refer to Figure 4: Hello Android. The Hello, Android you see in the grey bar is actually the application title. The Eclipse plugin creates this automatically (the string is defined in the res/values/strings.xml file and referenced by your AndroidManifest.xml file). The text below the title is the actual text that you have created in the TextView object. Conclusion: That concludes the basic Hello World tutorial. Refer to http://developer.android.com/index.html for more information. To do that, android offers a number of APIs for developing your applications. The following list of core APIs that provide an insight into whats available; all Android devices will offer support for at least these Java APIs[2]: android.util: The core utility package contains low-level classes like specialized containers, string formatters, and XML parsing utilities. com.google.android.maps: A high-level API that provides access to native map controls that you can use within your application. Includes the MapView control as well as the overlay and MapController classes used to annotate and control your embedded maps. android.text: The text processing tools for displaying and parsing text. android.database: low-level classes required for working with databases. Figures: Figure 1: Android Architecture Diagram Figure2: New Android Project Figure3: New Android Project Figure 4: Hello Android Code 1: Manifest File android:icon=@drawable/small_pic.png android:label=@string/freneticLabel . . . > . . . Code 2: HelloAndroid package com.example.helloandroid; import android.app.Activity; import android.os.Bundle; public class HelloAndroid extends Activity { /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.main); } } Code 3: Construct UI package com.example.helloandroid; import android.app.Activity; import android.os.Bundle; import android.widget.TextView; public class HelloAndroid extends Activity { /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); TextView tv = new TextView(this); tv.setText(Hello, Android); setContentView(tv); } }

The Truth Of Dreams :: essays research papers

Dreams, what are dreams? For many years I have wondered what dreams are made of. After much thought and deliberation I have stumbled upon three possible answers to this question. First of all, I think it could be a period of total escape from reality and all of the problems that reality brings with it. Second, I believe that dreams provide a time of contemplation of past mistakes and what would have been the outcome if a different choice would have been made. Third, I think dreams may contain the simple answers to difficult problems which the mind overlooked and disregarded as to basic of a solution for such a complex problem.The day is stressful, and through the day one does not always have a time to rest and relax. Dreams provide a way to relive this stress. It does this by allowing the mind to escape to anywhere it desires. Thus allowing eight hours to be anything one’s heart wants and needs. Dreams may be the only way for one to live out their â€Å"dreams.†We all know we make mistakes, we can not help but to make mistakes, it is human nature. Dreams provide us with an open opportunity to look back and analyze the mistake and choice. Looking close at a mistake and its eventual consequences along with the choices one did not make and consciences one did not receive provides us with a golden opportunity to not make the same mistake again.Answers, everyone needs answers to one’s problems to live. Problems from where one will find one’s next meal to what sort of life is in the outer most part of the solar system. All day long the brain thinks of very complex answers to these highly complex problems. Sometimes, and only sometimes the simple answer is better than the complex answer, but if one is looking for the complex answer how can one find the simple answer? Dreams, while asleep one’s brain can not function on the same level as when one is awake. Therefore, when one is asleep and is still looking for the answer one will not have any other except the simple answer to think about. This will show one the correct answer so one will have it when one wakes up the next morning.

On Korea Essay -- South North Korea Essays

On Korea Throughout most of its history, Korea has existed as one country with a rich culture and history. Then in the 1940's, Korea was controlled by Japan. World War II broke out, and the Allies defeated the Axis powers. The country of Korea was divided into two parts -- the north and the south. The north was occupied by communist Russian forces and the south by American troops. The dividing line was the 38th parallel(see map). In 1950, a civil war began between the two Koreas, further separating them. Both countries have since established totally different ways of life that include government, economics, and lifestyles. As a result of all that has transpired and recent incidents, it would appear to be highly improbable that there will be a united Korea in the near future. The known history of Korea dates back thousands of years before Christ. It was a nation with a common heritage, language, and ethnicity. Due to Japan's role in World War II and the fact that Japan had occupied Korea, the country was divided. Many Koreans had been displaced by Japanese colonization and others by the establishment of the 38th parallel border line. Korea was not an axis power. It is difficult to understand why Korea would have to be divided as was Germany.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first, Korea was supposed to be unified with a multilateral administration. But the cold war changed the United States' mission to unilateral containment of the spread of Soviet communism. Supported by the Soviets, North Korea attacked South Korea in June of 1950. The South Koreans pushed into North Korea with American aid. But the Soviet Union, helped the North Koreans to push the South Koreans back . "During the bitterly destructive Korean War, the entire peninsula was devastated. Some three million of its population were killed and more than ten million were left homeless and jobless." (History in modern) Stalemate resulted in 1953 in terms of land gain. The 38th parallel remained the dividing line. The Korean War did not resolve anything, allowing problems to continue up to today. After that time Soviet influence in the North diminished with the Chinese taking their place. Throughout the Korean War period, Koreans were trying to adjust to the changes in their lives from Japan's colonization forward. As a result of the 46-year separation, North and South Korea have grown ... ...ral population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When considering the present tense situation, it is important to consider geographical and political data about Korea. The Korean peninsula is about the size of Minnesota. There are about 20 million people in the North and around 40 in the South. The divided country has been in a state of civil war for the past 46 years. The peninsula is surrounded by China, Russia, and Japan. The United States has kept troops in South Korea throughout that time period. . Both countries have received massive support from the super powers. The North is communistic and the South is capitalistic The cold war that has ended in Europe has not ceased in Asia. "Conjure up a present in which more than a million soldiers confront each other across a Mason-Dixon line, armed to the teeth with the latest equipment; the line is so firm that nothing crosses it†¦" (The 2 Koreas, &^$^*%) The latest equipment includes bombers, nuclear weapons, chemical warfare, naval vessels, etc. Given recent divisive situations, the potential for all-out warfare to develop between the two Koreas has increased. Reunification, as in Germany, becomes more difficult with each passing day.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   p

Innovation From Googles Free Food Strategy Essay

ABSTRACT We will be looking at the Forbes Magazine’s â€Å"Best Company to Work for in 2014† number 1 ranked company Google. The very successful Technology Industry based company has been very successful and been named as the best employer to work for several times since it opened its doors in 1998. We will look at their Mission Statement and business strategy and how they use employee benefits to draw and keep the best employees. Mission and Business Model Googles Mission Statement is one that does not include a lot of the components that are used to evaluate a quality mission statement. It fails to accompany the customer, concern of survivability or public image amongst other things, but at the sometime this small open minded Mission Statement accomplices the company as a whole and their â€Å"Open Innovation† philosophy. (Jurevicuis, 2013) The Google business model is a ‘Business Model Canvas’. As a world leading Technology Company and the most popular search engine on the internet. They have built an extremely successful primary pay stream with the Cost per Click (CPC) in which advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their advertisement. (Osterwalder, 2013) This has accounted for most of the revenue the company generates despite recent ventures into new markets. They have started purchasing companies such as Nest to attempt to generate new revenue streams as well as start the Google Apps, Android and other opportunities. With this movement Google has steadfast and is continuing to stay with the same business model. Googles Culture and Leaders Google’s culture is to keep an open environment the same as a startup company would be between employees and management. They continue to fill their ranks with people that believe in what they are doing and taking care of those people to retain them and push them to be creative with what they enjoy. They believe in working with smaller teams to promote team work, but encourage to help where you can even if it is to help another team in a different area. Google has identified people that they want as their leaders and management is consistent and fair people with their decisions. People that are predictable with their decision making fosters freedom within their teams as they know what to expect. They have employees rate their managers twice a year so the company can help develop their managers where their weaknesses are and make them better leaders. (Bryant, 2013 Fostering Innovation with Amenities Google founders have built the company the way they wanted and what they would want their employers would do for them. They have created an environment that fosters innovation and creativity with the freedom to purse your interest as well as accomplishing your team goals. They want a complete open culture that is felt within a new startup company would have to make the employees feel free to talk to anyone within the company, including the founders, at any time. They offer amenities such as free meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), Free concierge services to help you run errands, Free Shuttle Service, gyms and workout classes, and the 80/20 Rule amongst other things. The most talked about amenity that Google offers their employees is the free meal program. They feature over 25 cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s that offer lunch and dinner, plus many snack stations throughout the campus that makes it where you are never more than 150 feet away from food. The cafes have some of the best chef’s from around the Bay Area and create some of he best food in the area. This helps to keep employees working more areas as they do not have to leave the  campus for an hour to get lunch, or to need to leave early to cook dinner. This has also helped with productivity because the employees do not feel that sluggishness from being hungry. This has also lead to the dreaded â€Å"Google 15† in regards to the 15 pounds people gain in the first year from all the great food. At least they do have the gyms, climbing walls and classes to help with that. One of the perks that Google offers their employees is the 80/20 rule. This rule allows for employees to work 1 day a week on passion projects that they believe will benefit the company. (Smith, 2013) There has been some quality innovations come from this ability such as Google Chrome, and Google Plus. This also is a good way for the employees to feel free and reduce stress as they can spend time on the things they love. My Culture View Googles business philosophy of putting their employees at the top of their priorities and give them their freedoms is wonderful environment to be in. They foster this work environment that helps an employee to become the best they can as they have a freedom to think outside the box and be innovative and bring what you know and what you’re passionate about to the table. When an employer takes care of their employees the top talent stays with the company and is loyal to them. It also attracts the top new coming talent to want to work for them. This gives the employer the ability to choose the talent they want, instead of the talent selecting whether they want to be there. This works great for Google but not all parts of their perks may not be the best approach for all companies. I think having something like the 80/20 rule would not work for something like a call center in which it is more of a directive driven position. I believe all companies can see what google has done and take notice and look at themselves to see where they can take aspects to help them make their companies more desired to work for and be loyal to. I personally would love to work at Google or a company that treat their employees with respect, provides freedom in work, and promotes innovation and the ability to better yourself as you help benefit the  company. References Author: Adam Bryant Publication Date: June 19, 2013 Title of Document: In Head Hunting, Big Data May Not Be Such a Big Deal Web Address: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/business/in-head-hunting-big-data-may-not-be-such-a-big-deal.html?_r=1& Author: .Administrator Publication Date: Copyright 2014 Title of Document: SDLC Waterfall Model Web Address: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/sdlc/sdlc_waterfall_model.htm Author: Smith, Kevin Publication Date: March 6,2013 Title of Document: Google Employees Reveal Their Favorite Perks Working For The Company Web Address: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-employee-favorite-perks-2013-3?op=1 Author: Jurevicuis , Ovidijus Publication Date: June 9, 2013 Title of Document: Mission Statement of Google Web Address: http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/mission-statements/google-mission-statement.html Author: Osterwalder, Alexander Date of Publication: March 29, 2012 Title of Document: Understanding Google Business Model Web Address: http://bmimatters.com/2012/03/29/understanding-google-business-model/

Effects of Poverty on Children Essay

The nation’s economic crisis has deeply affected the lives of millions of Americans. Skyrocketing foreclosures and job layoffs have pulled the rug out from under many families, particularly those living in low-income communities. Deepening poverty is inextricably linked with rising levels of homelessness and food insecurity/hunger for many Americans and children are particularly affected by these conditions. Find out below a summary of the myriad effects of poverty, homelessness, and hunger on children and youth. Various volunteer opportunities and resources have also been listed that provide information and tools on ways to fight poverty in America. What are the current poverty and unemployment rates for Americans? The ongoing economic crisis has negatively affected the livelihoods of millions of Americans. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013), the unemployment rate is 7.9 percent as of January 2013. Despite the data showing an increase of only 0.1 percent from December 2012, the unemployment rate is still high by all accounts, having doubled since the beginning of the recession in December 2007. * U.S. Census Bureau data shows that the U.S. poverty rate rose to 15.1 percent (46.2 million) in 2010, an increase from 14.3 percent (approximately 43.6 million) in 2009 and the highest level since 1993. In 2008, 13.2 percent (39.8 million) Americans lived in relative poverty. * In 2000, the poverty rate for individuals was 12.2 percent and for families was 9.3 percent. * In 2010, the poverty threshold, or poverty line, was $22,314 for a family of four. * Over 15 percent of the population fell below this threshold in 2010. * The percentage of people in deep poverty was 13.5 percent of all Blacks and 10.9 percent of all Hispanics, compared to 5.8 percent of Asians and 4.3 percent of Whites. * While non-Hispanic Whites still constitute the largest single group of Americans living in poverty, ethnic minority groups are overrepresented (27.4 percent African American; 28.4 percent American Indian and Alaskan Native; 26.6 percent Hispanic, and 12.1 percent Asian and Pacific Islander compared with 9.9 percent non-Hispanic White). * These disparities are associated with the historical marginalization of ethnic minority groups and entrenched barriers to good education and jobs. Where is child poverty concentrated? * U.S. Census data reveals that from 2009 to 2010, the total number of children under age 18 living in poverty increased to 16.4 million from 15.5 million. Child poverty rose from 20.7 percent in 2009, to 22 percent in 2010, and this is the highest it has ever been since 1993. * Racial and ethnic disparities in poverty rates persist among children. The poverty rate for Black children was 38.2 percent; 32.3 percent for Hispanic children; 17 percent for non-Hispanic White children; and 13 percent for Asian children. * The National Center for Children in Poverty reports that 17.2 million children living in the U.S. have a foreign-born parent, and 4.2 million children of immigrant parents are poor. It is reported that child poverty in immigrant families is more closely related to low-wage work and barriers to valuable work supports. * The Population Reference Bureau (2010) reports that 24 percent of the 75 million children under age 18 in the U.S. live in a single-mother family. The poverty rate for children living in female-householder families (no spouse present) was 42.2 percent in 2010; 7 in 10 children living with a single mother are poor or low-income, compared to less than a third (32 percent) of children living in other types of families. A staggering 50.9 percent of female-headed Hispanic households with children below 18 years of age live in poverty (48.8 percent for Blacks; 31.6 percent Asian, and 32.1 percent non-Hispanic White). * Single-mother headed households are more prevalent among African American and Hispanic families contributing to ethnic disparities in poverty. What are the effects of child poverty? Psychological research has demonstrated that living in poverty has a wide range of negative effects on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our nation’s children. Poverty impacts children within their various contexts at home, in school, and in their neighborhoods and communities. * Poverty is linked with negative conditions such as substandard housing, homelessness, inadequate nutrition and food insecurity, inadequate child care, lack of access to health care, unsafe neighborhoods, and under resourced schools which adversely impact our nation’s children. * Poorer children and teens are also at greater risk for several negative outcomes such as poor academic achievement, school dropout, abuse and neglect, behavioral and socio-emotional problems, physical health problems, and developmental delays. * These effects are compounded by the barriers children and their families encounter when trying to access physical and mental health care. * Economists estimate that child poverty costs an estimated $500 billion a year to the U.S. economy; reduces productivity and economic output by 1.3 percent of GDP; raises crime and increases health expenditure (Holzer et al., 2008). Poverty and academic achievement * Poverty has a particularly adverse effect on the academic outcomes of children, especially during early childhood. * Chronic stress associated with living in poverty has been shown to adversely affect children’s concentration and memory which may impact their ability to learn. * The National Center for Education Statistics reports that in 2008, the dropout rate of students living in low-income families was about four and one-half times greater than the rate of children from higher-income families (8.7 percent versus 2.0 percent). * The academic achievement gap for poorer youth is particularly pronounced for low-income African American and Hispanic children compared with their more affluent White peers. * Under resourced schools in poorer communities struggle to meet the learning needs of their students and aid them in fulfilling their potential. * Inadequate education contributes to the cycle of poverty by making it more difficult for low-income children to lift themselves and future generations out of poverty. Poverty and psychosocial outcomes * Children living in poverty are at greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems. * Some behavioral problems may include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder. * Some emotional problems may include feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. * Poverty and economic hardship is particularly difficult for parents who may experience chronic stress, depression, marital distress and exhibit harsher parenting behaviors. These are all linked to poor social and emotional outcomes for children. * Unsafe neighborhoods may expose low-income children to violence which can cause a number of psychosocial difficulties. Violence exposure can also predict future violent behavior in youth which places them at greater risk of injury and mortality and entry into the juvenile justice system. Poverty and physical health Children and teens living in poorer communities are at increased risk for a wide range of physical health problems: * Low birth weight   * Poor nutrition which is manifested in the following ways: 1. Inadequate food which can lead to food insecurity/hunger 2. Lack of access to healthy foods and areas for play or sports which can lead to childhood overweight or obesity * Chronic conditions such as asthma, anemia, and pneumonia * Risky behaviors such as smoking or engaging in early sexual activity * Exposure to environmental contaminants, e.g., lead paint and toxic waste dumps * Exposure to violence in their communities which can lead to trauma, injury, disability, and mortality What is the prevalence of child hunger in America? * The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics reports that in 2010, 22 percent of children under the age of 18 lived in food-insecure households and one percent in households with very low food security. Food insecure means that at some point during the year, the household had limited access to an adequate supply of food due to lack of money or other resources. * In 2009 – 2010, 21 states and the District of Columbia had at least one in four households with children (25 percent or more) facing food hardship, according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). The District of Columbia had the highest rates of food hardship for households with children, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. FRAC data shows that Metropolitan areas in the South and South West, and California were hard hit by food hardships. Use of food stamps increased to 16% (13.6 million households) in 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau. States with the largest increase (over 30%) in food stamp use included Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Wisconsin and Florida. * Approximately 1 in 4 Americans utilize at least one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) nutrition assistance programs each year (USDA, 2011). * The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) reports that 53% of infants born in the United States receive support from the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program. * In 2010, more than 31.7 million children each day got their lunch through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Approximately, 20 million children received free and reduced price lunch, according to the Food Research and Action Center (2010). What are the effects of hunger and under nutrition on child development? Prenatally * Maternal under nutrition during pregnancy increases the risk of negative birth outcomes, including premature birth, low birth weight, smaller head size, and lower brain weight. * Babies born prematurely are vulnerable to health problems and are at increased risk for developing learning problems when they reach school-age. In infancy and early childhood * The first three years of a child’s life are a period of rapid brain development. Too little energy, protein, and nutrients during this sensitive period can lead to lasting deficits in cognitive, social, and emotional development. * Protein-energy malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, iodine, zinc, and other vitamin deficiencies in early childhood can cause brain impairment. * Failure to thrive, the failure to grow and reach major developmental milestones as the result of under nutrition, affects 5-10% of American children under the age of three. * Hunger reduces a child’s motor skills, activity level, and motivation to explore the environment. Movement and exploration are important to cognitive development, and more active children elicit more stimulation and attention from their caregivers, which promotes social and emotional development. In childhood * Families often work to keep their food-insecurity hidden, and some parents may feel shame or embarrassment that they are not able to feed their children adequately. Children may also feel stigmatized, isolated, ashamed, or embarrassed by their lack of food. * A community sample that classified low-income children ages six to twelve as â€Å"hungry†, â€Å"at-risk for hunger†, or â€Å"not hungry† found that hungry children were significantly more likely to receive special education services, to have repeated a grade in school, and to have received mental health counseling than at-risk-for-hunger or not-hungry children. * In this same study, hungry children exhibited 7 to 12 times as many symptoms of conduct disorder (such as fighting, blaming others for problems, having trouble with a teacher, not listening to rules, stealing) than their at-risk or not-hungry peers. * Among low-income children, those classified as â€Å"hungry† show increased anxious, ir ritable, aggressive, and oppositional behavior in comparison to peers. * Additionally, the multiple stressors associated with poverty result in significantly increased risk for developing psychiatric and functional problems. School-age children who experience severe hunger are at increased risk for the following negative outcomes: * Homelessness * Chronic health conditions * Stressful life conditions * Psychiatric distress * Behavioral problems * Internalizing behavior, including depression, anxiety, withdrawal, and poor self-esteem The effects of under nutrition depend on the length and severity of the period of hunger and may be mediated by other factors. * Improved nutrition, increased environmental stimulation, emotional support, and secure attachment to parents/caregivers can compensate for early under nutrition. * Babies who receive enough nutrition while in the womb appear to show higher cognitive performance in later childhood. * The human brain is flexible and can recover from early deficits, but this also means that brain structures remain vulnerable to further negative experiences throughout childhood. * Breastfeeding, attentive caretaking, and attention to environmental factors, such as sleep cycles and noise, can also promote healthy development. Who are homeless children and youth in America? * In 2009, an estimated 656,129 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a given night, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. An estimated 2.3 to 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness at least once a year. Homelessness affects people of all ages, geographic areas, occupations, and ethnicities, but occurs disproportionately among people of color. * Access to permanent and adequate shelter is a basic human need; however, the ongoing economic downturn (composed of the foreclosure crisis, spiking unemployment, worsening poverty rates, and inadequate low-cost housing) is likely to increase rates of homelessness. * The National Association for Education of Homeless Children and Youth reports that during the 2009-2010 school year, 939,903 homeless children and youth were enrolled in public schools, a 38% increase from the 2006-2007 school years. The data is an underestimate since it does not reflect pre-school age children, toddlers and infants. * The United States Conference of Mayors (2009) reports that in 2010 more than 1.6 million children (1 in 45 children) in America were homeless and that approximately 650,000 are below age 6. Families with children are a major segment of the homelessness population. Families with children comprise a third of the homeless population and are typically comprised of a single mother in her late twenties with two young children. * Approximately 47 percent of children in homeless families are Black, although Black children make up just 15 percent of the U.S. child population (Child Trends Databank, 2012). On the other hand, although White children make up 66% of the child population, they account for 38% of homeless children. Hispanic children make up 13%, whereas Native American children make up 2% of the homeless children population. * Homeless single mothers often have histories of violent victimization with over one third having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and over half experiencing major depression while homeless. An estimated 41 percent develop dependency on alcohol and drugs and are often in poor physical health. Maternal depression and parental substance abuse has a series of negative outcomes for children. * Unaccompanied youth (sometimes referred to as runaway youth) may number between 575,000 to 1.6 million annually and typically range from ages 16 to 22. The major causes of homelessness for unaccompanied youth are mental illness, substance abuse, and lack of affordable housing. * Family conflict is the primary cause of their homelessness with 46% having experienced abuse and an estimated 20-40% identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT). * Homelessness is traumatic for children because they often experience frequent moves, family split-ups, and living in crowded places before using homeless shelters (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2011). * States in the south and south west where poverty is more prevalent have more homeless children than states in the north and northeast. Homelessness affects children’s health and wellbeing, their brain development, causes stress, and hinders readiness for school. What are the risk factors for homelessness in children and youth? * Extreme poverty is the strongest predictor of homelessness for families. These families are often forced to choose between housing and other necessities for their survival. At least 11% of American children living in poverty are homeless. * Female-headed households (particularly by women with limited education and job skills) are also particularly vulnerable. The current economic climate has made the labor market even less hospitable as many of them do not have more than a high school diploma or GED. * Teen parents are also particularly at risk of homelessness as they often lack the education and income of adults who become parents. * Lack of affordable housing is also a risk factor for homelessness, particularly for families who devote more than 50% of household income to paying rent or those who experience a foreclosure. Foreclosures affect vulnerable tenants as well as homeowners who are delinquent in their mortga ge payments. * Substance abusing or physically violent parents and stepparents are the major drivers of homelessness in runaway youth, particularly for those who identify as GLBT. What are the outcomes of homelessness for children and youth? * Homelessness has particularly adverse effects on children and youth including hunger, poor physical and mental health, and missed educational opportunities. * Homeless children lack stability in their lives with 97% having moved at least once on an annual basis, which leads to disruptions in schooling and negatively impacts academic achievement. * Schooling for homeless children is often interrupted and delayed, with homeless children twice as likely to have a learning disability, repeat a grade, or to be suspended from school. * Homelessness and hunger are closely intertwined. Homeless children are twice as likely to experience hunger as their non-homeless peers. Hunger has negative effects on the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of children. * A quarter of homeless children have witnessed violence and 22% have been separated from their families. Exposure to violence can cause a number of psychosocial difficulties for children both emotionally (depression, anxiety, withdrawal) and behaviorally (aggression, acting out). * Half of school age homeless children experience problems with depression and anxiety and one in five homeless preschoolers have emotional problems that require professional care. * Homelessness is linked to poor physical health for children including low birth weight, malnutrition, ear infections, exposure to environmental toxins, and chronic illness (e.g. asthma). Homeless children also are less likely to have adequate access to medical and dental care. * Unaccompanied youth are often more likely to grapple with mental health (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) and substance abuse problems. * Many runaway youth engage in sexually risky behaviors (sometimes for their own survival), which places them at risk of HIV, other STDs, and unintended pregnancies. Also, emerging research has shown that GLBT homeless youth are 7 times more likely to be victims of violent crime. What can you do to help children and families struggling with poverty, hunger, and homelessness? * Volunteer your time with charities and organizations that provide assistance to low-income and homeless children and families. * Donate money, food, and clothing to homeless shelters and other charities in your community. * Donate school supplies and books to under-resourced schools in your area. * Make your voice heard! Support public policy initiatives that seek to: i. Improve access to physical, mental, and behavioral health care for low-income ii. Americans by eliminating barriers such as limitations in health care coverage. iii. Create a â€Å"safety net† for children and families that provide real protection against the harmful effects of economic insecurity. iv. Increase the minimum wage, affordable housing and job skills training for low-income and homeless Americans. v. Intervene in early childhood to support the health and educational development of low-income children. vi. Provide support for low-income and food insecure children such as Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) authorization. vii. Increase resources for public education and access to higher education. viii. Support research on poverty and its relationship to health, education, and well-being.