Monday, September 30, 2019

Recruitment and Human Resources Management

Recruitment According to Edwin B. Flippo, â€Å"recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organisation†. Recruitment is the activity that links the employers and the job seekers. In other words, it is a process of finding and attracting capable applicants for employment. The process begins when new recruits are sought and ends when their applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applications from which new employees are selected. Flippo Edwin B. (1984) Recruitment ProcedureIn today’s scenario, the recruitment procedure varies depending upon the nature of the requirement. These procedures require the placement of the right talent at the right place, thereby making the association mutually beneficial for the employer and the employee. There are usually two types of recruitment processes. Recruitment Processes: External and Internal Internal recruitment – The term internal recruitmen t is defined as the practice of choosing amongst current company workers to fill a position that falls vacant over time.This may include a change in profile on the part of the employee. Internal recruitment is more economical and less time consuming for the company. External recruitment – In contrast, external recruitment has to do with external candidates applying for an available position. Once the staffing requirements are determined, an organization has to ensure that there are appropriate recruitment systems in place to attract and select candidates of the right caliber. This requires identifying and focusing on each of the critical stages of the recruitment process.Naturally, the resources spent for the overall selection process are more. The Human Resources Department (HRD) team plays a significant role in the recruitment process steps of every organization. Whenever a vacancy arises in an organization, it is the responsibility of the HRD to place the information in th e public domain through the various media, such as newspapers and various job sites. However, it is of utmost importance that the advertisement designed clearly defines the designation, job profile and the concomitant skill set required.Filtration and Selection of Relevant Resumes As the organization will float the advertisement for the Vacancy, the jobseekers will start applying for the position. After receiving an adequate number of responses from job seekers, the scrutiny process of the resumes begins. This step play an essential role in the recruitment selection process, because selecting the correct resumes that match the job profile, is very critical. Generally, it is done by a competent person who understands all the responsibilities associated with the designation in its entirely.Candidates with the given skill set are then chosen and further called for interview. Preliminary Selection Techniques Now a days, Online employment screening is a technique employed by certain empl oyers. This technique saves a lot of time and money for the employer. It is an efficient method to assess the skills and knowledge of the candidate with regards to the required skill set. Assessment center technique is another method that includes lots of exercises on problem solving, presentation, aptitudes test and many more.In this process, employers usually check the different skills of a person. After a candidate has cleared these tests, there is usually a formal round of interview with the HRD, where the discussion that includes salary expectations and subsequent negotiations takes place. Recruitment Interview Job interviews play an important role in the entire recruitment process. It is very important to put the candidate at ease, so as to eliminate initial nervousness and to break the ice. It is better to start with general questions to the candidate, so that he feels relaxed.Queries should be job related, objective and understandable to the candidate. In this step only cand idate demonstrates and assures the panel of his suitability for the post. The recruitment process of an organization ends by finalizing the candidate followed by other joining procedures and formalities. Suvamita Ghosh (2009/2010 Advantages and disadvantages of external and internal recruitment: Advantages of internal recruitment are more than just cutting on advertisement costs because it offers wonderful opportunities for the current staff to further their careers.Internal recruitment could also be a great way of keeping workers who may have been considering a flight from the company, this is advantageous because the cost of training are at most best insignificant and to the worst much less than it would cost if the organization advertised outside. It's definitely faster and less costly than outside recruitment and it has the added merits because current employees are a familiar entity. Some organizations conduct external recruitment only to discover later that they have a member of staff who doesn't fit into the general environ and the mission and vision statement of the organization.The disadvantage of internal recruitment is that the size of prospective applicants is considerably reduced. There is no doubt that outside recruitment provides the organization with a broader skill pool and wider experience than could be the case with internal recruitment. A staff member who responds to the internal advertised position and gets the job might discover that their workmates resent that promotion and that could prove very challenging for them in their newfound positions.If a company does its recruitment internally, It most probably faces the possibility of having another empty position to fill, and of how to do that. Organizations that heavily rely on inside recruitment might eventually find that they have to advertise outside the organization, the cost notwithstanding. Current staff may fill to be the best candidates for the position regardless of whether they ha ve the necessary expertise and expertise required for the job. Abhishek Agarwal (2008) External recruitment A PREFERENCE! Reasons To advantages. It helps you cquire competitive intelligence about other firms. New hires can help you identify other potential candidates to â€Å"poach† from their firm. The new ideas that applicants and new hires bring in stimulate the thinking of others. It keeps our employees on the edge because they know they must compete against outsiders for jobs. Outside hires don’t have political alliances already set up. This can help them implement new ideas without the â€Å"baggage† of past political battles. Some argue that hiring â€Å"already trained† people is cheaper than developing and promoting internal talent..The outside recruiting and advertising for outside hires may tangentially help build your brand, send a message that you are growing and also help boost sales. In most cases external hiring adds more to the diversity of the workforce than internal hiring. If the firm is going global, it will undoubtedly line that external â€Å"local† hires are superior and performance to internal promotions. On the contrary, there are many disadvantages of external recruitment like, Outside hires can weaken the corporate culture by bringing in counter culture people. External hires often have a longer â€Å"adjustment period† and orientation costs are higher.Customers may feel slighted if they don’t get one of the Firm’s current employees Firms with strategic alliances may anger their partners by â€Å"poaching† their talent. Hiring talent away from customers and suppliers may harm your business relationships. Legal issues can occur when hiring intact teams, top technical talent with non-compete agreements. In a competitive market you can’t hire quality talent without a strong recruiting function. Learning internet recruiting and setting up web pages may be prohibitivel y expensive or time consuming. Dr. John Sullivan (1999)In order to illustrate the recruitment and selection process, we can take an example of hiring General Manager-Operations for an organization ventured into manufacturing of Electrical Products. The recruitment procedure starts from identifying Job requirements as soon as the recruitment need is finalized. HR Department will draft the job description, job requirements and proposed compensation; develop a budget and timeline for the search process; and then submit these proposals for approval by the full board. The budget should include advertising and candidate other hiring expenses.Then the committee places ads, screens responses, checks references, develops interview questions, selects candidates to be interviewed, makes travel arrangements for out-of town candidates and conducts interviews. The next step is to shortlist the candidates in order to hire the best for the position vacant. Final round of interview can be arranged w ith the senior management along with the hiring recommendations. The final results should be notified immediately in order to complete the recruitment procedure with issuing Letter of Intent/Appointment Letter and other joining formalities.Conclusion Recruitment is essential to effective Human Resources Management. It is the heart of the whole HR systems in the organization. The effectiveness of many other HR activities, such as selection and training depends largely on the quality of new employees attracted through the recruitment the recruitment process. Policies should always be reviewed as these are affected by the changing environment. Management should get specific training on the process of recruitment to increase their awareness on the dangers of wrong placements.HR practitioners should be on the guard against all the malpractices and advocate for professional approach through out the system. The HR should indicate disagreement in the event that biasing toward certain candid ates is creeping in and point out the repercussions that may follow in terms of performance and motivation. It is the author’s conviction that, the recruitment process should be seen in the context of ongoing staff planning that is linked to the strategic and financial planning of the organization.Nyamupachari Vareta, Recruitment Process: The heart of Human Resources Management Referencing: Flippo E. B. (1984), Principles of Personnel Management (McGraw-Hill International Editions: Management Series) (Internet) Available at. Suvamita G. ,(2010), Recruitment Process Steps, (Internet) Available at . Abhishek A. , (2008), Business: Careers Employment (Internet) Available at . Dr. John S. (1999), The advantages and disadvantages of â€Å"External first’ Hiring Process, (Internet) Available at< http://www. ere. net/1999/09/17/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-external-first-hiring-preferences/>. Nyamupachari V. , RECRUITMENT PROCESS: THE ‘HEART’ OF HUM AN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, (Internet), Avalable at: .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Summary The war on obesity is a big fat flop

Exercise is not a useful way to lose weight, but it strengthen physical activity. After two decades, the war on obesity is still stagnant. Response Joanne Luscious' (2013) article Poverty making Canadians sick, says report and Margaret Weenie's article, (2012) The war on obesity is a big fat flop, were written a few years ago. Both articles focus on healthy issues and believe that poverty cause people's healthy issues, the government should help people solve that, and it will take a long time to improve.In Johannes article, the difference with Margarita's is she more follows the issues on children and old people, and she doesn't discuss only one sickness, but Margaret article focus on one illness that is obesity. Furthermore, Joanne expresses her opinions erectly, she makes her statement which is poverty makes people sick by a report from Canadian Medical Association at the beginning of the article. Like Ottawa, people who are poorer get sick because they buy cheaper fast food instea d of expensive nutritious food. Second, there is not supermarket near by their communities.Third, they don't have a house in fine condition. On the other hand, Margaret also point directly that poverty lead to people get obesity, and both articles believe that environmental facilities in communities have to be developed and people should live in a healthy condition. For example, there should have willable groceries around the neighborhoods, and people can buy healthy food such as beans, vegetables and meat rather than they buy harmful fast food. If people do not live in safe houses, and its might cause more serious issues.They might have mental healthy issues, and it rise suicide rates. Joanne and Margaret think that the government should make policies to help poor people, make sure them access In China, poverty cause the issues more serious than Canada's, because China is developing country, and its social welfare cannot effectively save people who live in poverty. Poverty also For instance, people who live in a mountainous area in northwest China are suffering by food and disease because there don't have any food store, the condition of the medical care service is uncultured.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Characteristics of Enzymes in the Body Essay

The Characteristics of Enzymes in the Body - Essay Example The essay "The Characteristics of Enzymes in the Body" talks about the organic compounds that catalyze biochemical reactions. As they are catalysts, they are not consumed in the reaction but instead, facilitate a faster reaction rate. Enzymes in the body are mostly globular proteins or conjugated proteins. While almost all the known enzymes are proteins, enzymes such as RNase made of ribonucleic acids have also been discovered. Enzymes undergo denaturation upon slight variations in temperature and pH, as well as in the presence of chemicals that are protein denaturants. Enzymes work best at a particular optimum temperature and pH specific to that enzyme. Denaturation of an enzyme occurs when the shape of the enzyme is altered by changes in temperature and pH, both of which affect the protein structure of the enzyme. Denaturation results in the deactivation or loss of enzymatic function of an enzyme. Above and below the optimum temperature and pH, the activity of the enzyme either slo ws down or comes to a halt. Certain chemicals called inhibitors also affect the functioning of an enzyme. Inhibitors deactivate enzymes in several ways. They may bind to the active site of an enzyme and alter its shape, resulting in an inhibition of its catalytic activity. The catalytic activity of enzymes is not only affected by the pH and temperature, but also the concentration of the substrate and the product. As the concentration of the substrate increases, the enzymatic activity also increases up to certain substrate concentration.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Reflection scenario based essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Reflection scenario based - Essay Example Abuse does not only include physical or verbal abuse. They are of different types and can occur at home, hospital wards, at work or in nursing homes (Age UK, 2013). The term neglect means not getting appropriate services, facilities, treatment and stuff which make you feel comfortable and safe (Tidy, 2013). Older adults are people above the age of 65 referring to the retirement age ( Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2010). They are frail and dependent and are at great risk of getting abused. This paper will discuss how older adults in the acute mental ward are safeguarded and which issues are mostly faced depending upon the particular scenarios. In acute adult wards safeguarding patients of old age is a very challenging task. While safeguarding patients the health care providers encounter several issues. As, in the old age people become very weak a slight physical harm may result into bruises or fractures so they need to be handled with extreme care. For the older adults suffering from mental disabilities, it is very difficult to make them understand about anything. They are almost unable to protect themselves or even participate in safeguarding therefore the responsibilities on the care providers become much higher. Older adults with mental illnesses cannot take care of their financial problems in particular because of lack of understanding and their mental incapacity. The adult ward nurses and staff have to manage their financial issues which sometimes also involve lawyers and police. Handling all these problems is more specific with older adults with mental incapacity. Being older adults the vulnerability to get abused increases, but if it is associated with mental illness the threshold of abuse becomes maximum and therefore, the problems in safeguarding also get intensified. In short, the major issues are lack of understanding due to

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Economic Riddles of the Institution of Slavery Assignment

The Economic Riddles of the Institution of Slavery - Assignment Example They discovered that the common situation of the black community, particularly the degree of slave breeding, licentiousness, and sexual abuse, to have been very much overstated or inaccurate (Thornton 1994). In reality, the material or physical situations of the slave were not considerably different from that of the free worker; they assumed that slaves were permitted to own ’90 percent of lifetime productivity (only 10 percent exploitation)’ (Thornton 1994, 25). Therefore, if the assumption of Fogel and Engerman is valid, then what were the possible economic reasons for the demise of slavery in antebellum South? Economic Inefficiency of Slave Labor Given Fogel’s and Engerman’s argument, free labor and slavery becomes similar to servitude in the sense that they may give to the owners all the profits of trade beyond what is needed for the subsistence of the workers; but they have this distinction, relevant for American rationales, that they allow labor to b e geographically transferred, as servitude keeps it provincially bonded. By opting for these enabling types of servitude instead of the one which would have tied the workers to the land, the pioneers of the colonial administration in trade probably believed they had prevented all economic obstacles in the territories. Nevertheless, their mechanism was projected to resolve the problems of a situation where the option was between free labor and slave labor. As decades passed and laborers mushroomed in America, the servitude structure for White settlers was rapidly abolished; but bonded labor or slavery for most of the Negroes continued as an essential aspect of economic life (Phillips 1959). Whether this was beneficial or unfavorable to the... This paper presents a comprehensive review of economic views of Fogel and Engerman on the efficiency of slave labor. The long-established analysis of the economics of slavery in the United States is evidently wide-ranging and intricate: slavery was economically primitive, unproductive, and futile. Yet, Fogel and Engerman argued against the premises and tried to prove that slavery was quite cost-effective.In order to support their thesis, they computed the ‘ratio of output to a weighted sum of inputs’ in free and slave agriculture, and compare the results. Rooted in a historical procedure that depends on the unearthing of new information and depends on ‘technical mathematical points’ , this model transformed slavery in the antebellum South from an oppressive structure to one that is currently regarded to have been more efficient and cost-effective than the North’s free labor structure. Starting with a description of the relative primitiveness of the South in economic progress, several scholars argue, mostly in reaction to Fogel’s and Engerman’s controversial thesis, that the institution of slavery is the root of the South’s backwardness.The individual prosperity which has taken that shape has contribute nothing to the community’s riches: Slavery merely serves to appropriate the wages of labor—it distributes wealth, but cannot create it. It entails cost in obtaining early population, then functions to hamper industry diversification and land developments, limiting, in fact, even the expansion of agriculture

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

How Humanism had Impact on Italian Jews Research Paper

How Humanism had Impact on Italian Jews - Research Paper Example It is not dependant on divine notions of reality. Humanity provides human beings the rights and privileges to defend individual beliefs and interests. This paper focuses on the impact of humanism on the Italian Jews in the fifteenth century. Humanism a cultural, literary and scholarly movement The concept of cultural humanism was originated in the European Age of Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. The Western and Central Europe stepped towards the modern world from the medieval world between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries. During this time the spirit of cultural humanism was originated by the Renaissance and was adopted by the Protestant Reformation. The power of the Church and the noble class was lost as doubts fell on â€Å"old secular and religious authority†3. The Reformation together with the Enlightenment initiated the developments as â€Å"religious liberty, pluralism and religious toleration†4. At the end of eighteenth century there was a restruct uring of society. This was influenced by the French and American revolutions. Religion was no longer the center of political social structure as all religions became equal in the eyes of the law5 Renaissance humanism was a cultural, literary and scholarly movement. It embraced academic disciplines like â€Å"grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history and moral philosophy†6. ... According to Edwin Wilson, humanism was not the right term used by the literary humanists because their position was exclusive. These humanists did not advocate changes in humanism or society. While the religious humanists believed that scientific knowledge would play a major role in development of human life, the literary humanists did not support this theory. They overtly rejected science. Dr. Firkins of Chicago University described literary humanism as having a â€Å"background that is scholarly, its basis is introspective and retrospective; it looks into its own soul†9. Literary humanism embraced the study of non-science subjects like philosophy, history and literature. It focused on literary culture and encouraged people to improve their lives through literature. It has been seen that religious humanism is often mistaken as part of literary humanism movement10. Scholarly humanism was an important part of the Renaissance movement in Europe in the medieval period. It was di sregarded by the historians of that period as it was seen asâ€Å"degeneration into technicalities†11. Scholarly humanism was the â€Å"first expression† of scientific humanism12. It went through a development process for two centuries until it was met with doubts and controversies in the early fourteenth century. It again emerged in scientific development during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Humanism viewed grammar as the base of education as it taught the students the regulations of speech and writing in languages like Latin and Greek. Grammar also helped the students get knowledge of â€Å"classical Greek and Latin prose and poetry†13. Based on this the students were adequately

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Operations Management - Essay Example Business operations are geared towards achievement of profit targets and commanding wider market segment. However, relationship with competitors is healthy to avoid misunderstanding, which leads to disputes. Nonetheless, successful entities allow employees contribute to decision making and planning of future activities. It is the prerogative of the management and stakeholders to ensure there is a clear channel of communication and distribution of resources among all departments to avoid blame shifting thus to enhance quick supervision. Societies expect Carphone company to adhere to forces of mindset in order to build confidence within employees’ fraternity thus make work efficient and effective. Therefore, business prosperity largely relies on operations management (Abrams 2013). Employees and owners of Carphone Warehouse need to be educated on how to run operations, and manage activities of the business. Employees nonetheless, are required to posses’ technical knowledge of serving customers with etiquette, kindness, and without discrimination. Employers however need management, accounting, planning, and organization training. Therefore, training strategies for instance, customers’ markets, Workforce development, Employee’s behavior, Leadership training, peer training, benchmarking, pricing, mentoring, networking and budgeting uplift economic growth in the society(Butler 2012). The expansion of Carphone company was contributed by participating in community activities that increased the number of customer turn-over notably, The x factor, Big brother, Get connected, and Appys awards. Decision making is always fast-tracked from parent country but always protects the interests of customers in competitive markets. Company data protection mechanism has enabled the company flourish because this sealed loop-holes that competitors and employees could leak critical

Monday, September 23, 2019

Article critique Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Critique - Article Example In this study, qualitative approach was used to delve into how ethnicity may influence the academic experiences of Cambodian American students. Three groups of stakeholders were interviewed. These were students, their teachers, and school administrators (Tang & Kao, 2012). Although this research was significant in trying to delve on challenges facing the students, there was a slight problem in the period involved in carrying out the research. The period from September to January was not sufficient to come up with the conclusion of the study. Secondly, there is also lack of balance in carrying out this study. This is because only one district is involved to come out with a general conclusion reflecting on the Cambodian students (Tang & Kao, 2012). The research method used is crucial to such a sample used in the study. The other bias is on the side of the researchers. This is evident as they follow instruction from school administrators (Tang & Kao, 2012). The school administrators instructed the researcher to focus on four classrooms due to the high number of Cambodian students (Tang & Kao, 2012). There was a bias involved in this research. This is because only one district was used as a representative population. In addition, only the urban high schools were involved in this study while other local schools were not involved although there were Cambodian students attending such schools. However, the research only focused on one side hence the work is not fully credible. In this study, sufficient research was not carried. This is because the representative samples were not enough to qualify the outcome. In addition, the exact number of Cambodian students in each class could not be established. Furthermore, this article is not technically correct. This is due to attention that focused on 9th grade and left other from this research (Tang & Kao, 2012). The presentation was also minimal as evidenced by the sample size. A larger sample with regard to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

To what extent will GM(genitic modification) agriculture help feed a Essay

To what extent will GM(genitic modification) agriculture help feed a growing global population - Essay Example the increase in population levels, but also the fact that these increases in population to a large extent are expected to happen in the emerging economies. These countries are experienced an upturn in economic fortunes giving rise to increased income generation. The result of the increased income generation will be reflected in demand for more food from these economies. This is the challenge that the world faces in this early period of the twenty-first century. It is in the addressing of these challenges that the role of biotechnology and genetically modified foods needs to be examined under the microscope. (Pinstrup-Anderson, Pandya-Lorch & Rosegrant. 1999). This essay aims to examine genetically modified agriculture and the possibility of it offering a solution for the vexing problem of increased food production to meet the needs of the anticipated growth in population. For this purpose a literature review is proposed to establish evidence on genetically engineered agriculture. The review will cover literature in favour of the use of genetically modified agriculture as well as literature that is against the se of genetic engineering as means to provide a solution to the issue of feeding the expected increase in population. Genetically engineered food crops have been grown in many parts of the world and it is expected that there is ample literature available on these experiences. In addition there has been scientific testing on the effects of genetically engineered food products and it is expected that there is enough literature to provide evidence on the effect of genetically engineered food in humans and animals. The literature review shows that support for the use of genetic modification in agricultural crops comes from biotechnology scientists, the business enterprises that have invested in the technology, financial institutes like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and countries of the developed world in particular the United States of

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Essay Example for Free

Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Essay WHAT IS FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS (FMCG)? FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) is a term that is used to refer to those goods which are sold through retail stores. These goods have a short period of shelf life and as such are used up within days, weeks, or months. TOP 7 FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS 1. PROCTOR GAMBLE: Headquartered at Cincinnati in Ohio, United States, Procter and Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational company. It was founded in October 31 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. Its flagship and best selling brand is ARIEL laundry detergent which was launched in 1967. This detergent is available in different variants. The company also manufactures other best selling products that are highly popular around the world. 2. NESTLÉ: Nestle is a Swiss multinational engaged in the production of different food products. It has its presence in more than 100 countries. It produces several top selling products in different food categories. Some of its best selling products are LEAN CUISINE, Maggi, Boost, Kit Kat, Friskies, and Nescafe etc. 3. UNILEVER: Unilever is a multinational engaged in the manufacture of different products like foods, personal grooming products, detergents and beverages etc. This British-Dutch company is the owner of over 400 leading brands in the world out of which 13 are billion dollar brands. One of its top products is  AVIANCE which is a beauty product for women. This product is sold in many countries of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. 4. COCA-COLA: Coca-Cola Company which is based in Atlanta in Georgia manufactures the worlds most popular soft drink COCA COLA. It was Dr. John S. Pemberton who created this drink in 1886. Coca Cola touched base in every part of the US by 1895. The company began its franchisee operations in 1899 and gradually it opened up bottling plants in every corner of the globe. The universal popularity of Coca Cola is undisputed. The Coca Cola syrup mixed with carbonated water created ripples everywhere and today you can get a Coke in any part of the world. 5. PEPSICO: PepsiCo was created out of the amalgamation of two companies named Pepsi Cola and Frito Lay. The company which was formed in 1965 has its headquarters at Purchase in Harrison New York. It is a Fortune 500 company. PepsiCo is engaged in the manufacture of snack foods (grain based), beverages and other similar products. One of its best known brands is the cola beverage PEPSI-COLA. Created in 1893 its former name was Brads Drink. 6. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO: Another multinational tobacco major is the British American Tobacco company which is the worlds second largest tobacco company. It sells its tobacco products in several top markets across the globe. Many world-famous cigarette brands are manufactured by BAT. One of its top selling cigarette brands is PALL MALL. Some other leading cigarette brands manufactured by the company are Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Vogue. 7 NOKIA: Nokia is a Finnish multinational engaged primarily in the manufacture of  mobile telephones. The company has its headquarters at Keilaniemi, Espoo which is near Helsinki, the capital of Finland. This mobile communication giant is the largest manufacturer of mobile telephones in the world. Its products are sold in every part of the world. Nokia has launched many innovative mobile systems and almost all its products have been hot sellers.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Incineration Or Recycling Of Waste In Stockholm Environmental Sciences Essay

Incineration Or Recycling Of Waste In Stockholm Environmental Sciences Essay The amount of waste has increased every year in line with economic growth in the society and so progressively becoming a bigger concern. The issue of increasing waste in the society needs to be considered carefully and strategies for building sustainable solutions must be incorporated into the daily agenda for companies as well as for households. Decisions regarding large investments in our society, like different ways of handling waste, are complex and require a systematic approach supported with appropriate decision methods and models. The overall aim for this study is to investigate how incineration and recycling in Stockholm municipality is organized and also to evaluate both the costs and the benefits using CBA model. Which method is the best when both considering financial and environmental aspects? The results from the Cost Benefit Analysis shows clearly that incineration has a large advantage relative recycling in matter of financial benefits. This benefit comes mainly from the fact that it is possible in Sweden and at the Hà ¶gdalenverken to produce district heating and electricity from the incineration of MSW. This energy recovery is not just good from an environmental point of view but also from a financial. Another important result is that the flue gas treatment in Sweden and Hà ¶gdalenverken is very effective due to use of modern technologies. The cleaning process with use of filters, scrubbers and catalysts are very effective and has a large impact on the emissions released to the environment. When analyzing the full picture with incineration compared to recycling it is clear that in Stockholm is the benefits larger for incineration as a large scale profitable treatment method for the municipal solid waste (MSW). Introduction In the early 1800s the main occupation in Sweden was agriculture and the most important processes linked to farming was sowing, harvesting and managing animals. During this period it was quite clear for the farmers what the input and output of their processes were and it was probably not that hard to control these processes and the local environmental impact. The main issue was the weather and the main resource was manpower. The dawn of industrial technology brought the industrial revolution. It became clear that new companies and households were not only impacting the local environment but also much larger areas via waterways and air streams. The amount of waste has, in general, increased every year in line with economic growth and so progressively becoming a bigger issue for our society. The issue of increasing waste in the society needs to be considered carefully and strategies for building sustainable solutions must be incorporated into the daily agenda for companies as well as f or households. Decisions regarding large investments in our society, like different ways of handling waste, are complex and require a systematic approach supported with appropriate decision methods and models. Aims and Objectives The overall aim for this study is to investigate how incineration and recycling in Stockholm municipality is organized and also to evaluate both the costs and the benefits using CBA model. Which method is the best when both considering financial and environmental aspects? To be able to fulfill the overall aim a number of objectives has been established; Describe the concept of Ecological Economics and its context. Describe and explain how Cost Benefit Analysis can be used to evaluate waste handling. Describe what kind of waste that is incinerated and recycled in Stockholm municipality. Describe and analyze how incineration of waste is managed in Stockholm municipality. Describe and analyze how recycling of waste is managed in Stockholm municipality. Calculate and evaluate costs and benefits for both waste incineration and recycling. System Boundary One geographical boundary is that this study will take place in Stockholm municipality but when suitable information is missing in Stockholm there is a need to broaden this boundary. It is also stated that there is two options of waste handling that will be studied in this report, incineration and recycling. Still these methods need to be put into its context. Methodology The information used in this report comes mainly from course literature used in the course Ecological Economics (MJ2694) at KTH. Other sources of information are internet and databases with articles for the specific research area. Theoretical Framework This chapter will introduce the research area as well as build the basis for good understanding of how waste management is handled in Stockholm municipality. This study is focused on using Cost Benefit Analysis as method for analyzing the two options incineration and recycling. Ecological Economics Perspective Ecological Economics (EE) was founded at the end of 1980s and this field is often categorized in multi-discipline or trans-discipline research depending on the views of different scholars (Constanza, Daly and Bartholomew, 1991; Daly, 2004). This section will briefly address the concept and the terms of EE that will be used in this study. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of EE, it seems important to define the basic idea of Ecological Economics before addressing the waste management methods from an ecological economics perspective. The basic idea of Ecological Economics In a broader sense this field of study investigates the relationship between ecosystems and economic systems (Constanza, Daly and Bartholomew, 1991). However, as Bergh (2001) discusses in relation with the core of EE, the combination of the two different fields of study was enabled based on the view that the economy is a subsystem of a larger local and global ecosystem, and this relationship provides the reason to set limits to the physical growth of the economy. At this point it is differed from mainstream economy which has the focus on market mechanism without consideration of actual human and ecosystem behavior. Ecological Economics responds to failure of mainstream economics to build a bridge between the gap of natural science and economics (Gowdy, 2000). Economic scientist aspires to find simple and general laws that cover all possible economic situations. The focus on markets in economy, with ignorance of the constraints imposed by environment and the human behavior, has conclu ded in a variety of environmental degradation (Gowdy, 2000). An important distinction of sustainability in EE is concerned with the differences between development and growth. Development refers to an increase in the quality of output without an increase in mass and energy usage, whereas growth refers to quantitative increase in economic output (Gowdy, 2000). Development with an increase of quality of output also considers equal allocating resources significant and efficiency of distributing resources (Daly and Farley, 2004). Cost Benefit Analysis One of the methods used for decision-making is Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and with this method it is possible to evaluate the expected costs of an investment against the expected benefits to determine the most profitable alternative. In terms of goal setting or making a decision, CBA is a support for the decision makers. It is a rather simple method that is widely used for many years. (Entrepreneur, 2010) To illustrate how simple the CBA could be is to put a piece of paper where a line divides it into two parts. In the left side costs are stated and in the right side the potential benefits are described. Both the costs and benefits should be stated to reach a specific goal. After writing the different costs and benefits they need to be added up to be able to compare the both sides and to see which the largest part is. As this is a very simple method for decision-making it could be used for a first screening the situation but probably a more sophisticated method will be needed for deeper analysis. (Entrepreneur, 2010) One example when a CBA is used could be when a Sales Director of a company needs to take a decision if the company should invest in a new efficient contract and sales processing computer based system. At present time has the sales department just a few computers and this kind of investment would require quite much employee training. There is a risk that there will be a decrease in sales during the implementation period of this new computer based system. The total costs are estimated to about $55,800 (computers, installation and training). The potential benefits are linked to the estimated increase in sales capacity and better customer service performance which is approximately $90,000 annually. With this costs and benefit figures is it possible to calculate the profit of the investment as well as the return of investment of about eight months. (Entrepreneur, 2010) Incineration in Stockholm Municipality There are many ways of taking care of waste and incineration if one of the most important treatment methods. According to the waste hierarchy is incineration in the middle of the waste hierarchy. The order is from the top of the waste hierarchy; waste reduction/prevention, re-use, recycling composting, incineration and landfill (Williams, 2005). In Stockholm is incineration is one of the main ways of waste treatment. For Stockholm is Hà ¶gdalenverket the main facility for incineration of waste. At this plant is heat and electricity produced from mainly combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) as well as industrial waste. This facility consists of six different burners to produce the heat and electricity. One important change in the district heating net of Stockholm was made in 2008 when the southern and central district heating net was merged into one net. Hà ¶gdalenverket is the major producing unit of district heating in Stockholm. In Hà ¶gdalenverket is the different shares of waste; MSW from Stockholm 235,432 ton, MSW from surrounding municipalities 158,001 ton and industrial waste 90,917 ton. The part of the MSW that comes from Stockholm is 235,432/484,450 = 0.49, that is 49% of the total treated waste in Hà ¶gdalenverket. There are also needed different fuels to be able to run the plant, for example burning oils a nd bio oils (Fortum, 2010). In Table 9 in Appendix B, it is obvious that waste from food is totally dominating the MSW with about 38.9% of the total amount. The second biggest part is board and corrugated cardboard with 9.3% and the third biggest is newspapers with 7.2%. These three parts makes about 55% of the total MSW in Stockholm and needs to be treated accordingly. The figures shown in Table 9 come from an analysis called plockanalys (eng. pick analysis). This means that MSW in Stockholm has been analyzed by looking into garbage bags from citizens in the municipality. A typical modern waste incinerator plant is divided into five different process steps according to Williams (2005). The first step is the waste delivery and the final district heating or electricity generation. The steps are described below also see Figure 1 for an illustration: I) Waste delivery, bunker and feeding system this stage comprises the arrival of waste to the incineration plant, its storage in the bunker for further utilization and the continuous feeding to the furnace. II) Furnace it is here where the incineration of the waste occurs. It can be divided in three phases; drying and devolatilisation, combustion of volatiles and soot and combustion of the solid carbonaceous residues. III) Heat recovery due to the high temperature of the flue gases, around 750 1000  °C, it is necessary to cool down the gases before passing through the cleaning system. During this process, by the utilization of a boiler, the heat of the flue gases is transferred to water therefore producing steam. IV) Emissions control this stage comprises all the measures and techniques utilized to treat the flue gases in order to comply with the European Commission Waste Incineration Directive (2000), which regulates all the emissions resultant from incineration plants. V) Energy recovery via district heating or electricity generation through the utilization of turbines or heat exchangers it is possible to use the steam produced in the heat recovery phase to generate electricity or district heating. Figure 1 Typical layout of a MSW incineration plant (EC, 2006) Recycling in Stockholm Municipality Waste recycling can be considered as a favored way for material and energy recovery. Reasonable sorting system is the most kernel part in material recycling. The main aims of waste recycling is to separately store recyclable material for reuse and ensure that waste which can be processed for recovery of material and energy. It is also to separately store hazardous material for disposal in landfills or through appropriate processing and also to minimize the waste and ensure reduction in landfill space for final disposal. (Barker and Zabinsky, 2010) The general idea of waste recycling in western countries, is based on first household sorting and recycling and secondly process in recycling center. Household Sorting and Recycling The idea of household recycling adopts the method of waste sorting in households. There are different kinds of waste that is recycled for example packaging, food, paper, metal and glass waste. These are collected via waste bins located at households, business facilities, at hotel and other public areas. The collected waste will be transported for recycling or for downgraded recovery. The household waste sorting starts normally in the kitchen where food waste and other mixed waste are sorted into their own separate waste collection bins. The waste contains recyclable materials such as glass, metal and paper that are sorted in their separate bins. The waste also contains hazardous material which can be dangerous or harmful to human health or the surrounding environment and should not be mixed with other waste. The hazardous waste must be kept separately and taken to specific recycle stations. In 1994 was the legislation passed, that requiring households to sort waste into separate streams to facilitate collection under the EPR legislation. Since the Swedish system relied on bring systems it is not really compulsory. Sorting waste by the households is regulated but not enforced. In almost all municipalities in Sweden, there are different kinds of waste bins used to collect different kinds of household waste separately. The method of classifying different household waste follow these different groups; paper board, plastic, glass, metals, food and other (e.g. batteries, lamps). For the different kind of waste mentioned, there are the corresponding bins to collect them. (Paxà ©us, 1999) Swedish cleaning company jointly is formed by non-governmental organizations. Companies in some cities in Sweden provides each household with free garbage bags which is used to keep waste paper, scrap metal, waste glass bottle and waste fiber separately. The special truck always collects recyclable periodically, while the other garbage collection once a week. In addition, in apartments, hotels and other public residential area also has the special collection devices used to keep various types of waste for recycling. (Green Alliance, 2009) The reusable bottles in Sweden, such as plastic bottles and metal cans, could be collected at supermarkets which have self-service recycle machines. People can get money back once by applying the used bottles into the self-service machine which is designed as a deposit refund system. About 9,000 tons of recycled in Sweden for cans and about 2 million tons of glass bottles are collected every year. 75 million tons of paper are recovered per year of which 240,000 tons is collected from households. (Docstoc, 2009) Process in Recycling Center Recycling Centers manage the collected waste from all scattered areas. The recycling begins with material collection and separation, followed by sorting at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), which is also known as recycling centers and after that further reprocessing or reuse. The recycling center can be defined as a demarcated system where people bring and sort their large-sized, hazardous and electrical waste. This is including refrigerators, furniture, electronics, garden waste, solvents and paints. The waste is sorted and placed in large containers, cages and boxes. However, kitchen waste is not accepted at these recycling centers. (Krook and Eklund, 2010) In contrast to waste separation in source site, waste materials and recyclables sorted in recycling centre can be thought of solution at the end of the waste stream. A typical materials recovery centre comprises of several buildings including receiving and processing waste from the producers or storing a short period inventory of conditioned waste as a warehouse. All the buildings are necessarily equipped with appropriate facilities for treating and conditioning the waste. The standardization of the recycling centre strictly follows reference design certified by relevant agencies in order to achieve cost effective performance. Figure 2 below shows the recycling centre which can handle with a mixture of containers composed of crystal or colored glass, ferrous metals, aluminum tins and paper cartons. The procedure is similar to un-segregated MSW recycling facility. Pre-segregation occurs before waste is transmitted to the facility which indicates a higher recovery rate involved (Williams, 2005). Figure 2. Materials Recycling Facility. (Warmer Bulletin 59, 1998. Reproduced by permission of R.C. Strange) Materials recycling facilities handles the segregated material streams with a range from 3 to 8 waste components, of particular materials which may be separated or mixed. By doing in this way, it will lower the contamination degree while increase the recycling rates. The separation processes are generally classified into mechanical and manual separated operations. Many types of materials like corrugated cardboard which is already through the pre-segregating procedure will be delivered into the baler directly at the initial input stage. The stages of separation include trommel screening, magnetic separation, and manual sorting. Although mechanical separation processes are in wider applications, yet manual sorting procedure is still considered as a favored way to detach different waste especially like colored glasses or plastics. (Williams, 2005) Results In this section will the result from data and literature research be presented. To be able to illustrate the result in an easy and logical way, will first the cost and benefits for incineration be shown and after that the cost and benefits for recycling in Stockholm. The final result from the full cost benefit calculation will be illustrated in a table. Costs for Incineration in Stockholm Municipality The costs for incineration are assumed to be the costs for collection and transport of the household waste and the full cost for the incineration plant. Costs for Collection and Transportation About 35 employees are working in the waste management office in Stockholm municipality. Total population in Stockholm for 2009 is 829,417 according to the annual report of Stockholm municipality (Stockholms Stad, 2010). Weighed household waste at Hà ¶gdalenverken is 130 kr * 829,417 = 107,824,210 kr per year. The cost for collection, transport and removal of household waste is about 520 kr per person and year in Stockholm municipality according to annual report. Total costs for collection, transport and removal of household waste is equal to 520 kr * 829,417 = 431,296,840 kr/year Costs for Incineration Plant Hà ¶gdalenverket has an annual capacity of treating about 700,000 ton waste and the share of MSW from Stockholm Municipality is 235,432 ton per year. In the study made by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL, 1999) is the total cost for an incineration plant about 400 kr per ton. This information is to be found in table A6 in the IVL report from 1999. Cost Assumptions for Incineration Plants (IVL, 1999): Investment, Capacity0.68 * 145,000 Depreciation time = 20 years Power (MW), Capacity * 0.38 * 10-3 Employees, 10+(14.3*Power+200)0.5 Maintenance and operational costs, 2.5% of the investment Chemicals and lime, 20 kr/ton waste Capacity = plant capacity (ton/year) Interest rate = 5% With a total amount of waste that is 235,432 ton/year and a cost of about 400 kr/ton waste treated will the total cost per year be 400 kr/ton * 235,432 ton/year = 94,172,800 kr/year. The total cost for incineration according to the above calculations is a combination of costs for collection and transportation as well as costs for the incineration plant. Probably is it also some minor cost for handling the residues from the incineration but this cost was not possible to find. Total cost for incineration is 431,296,840 kr/year + 94,172,800 kr/year = 525,469,640 kr/year. Benefits for Incineration in Stockholm Municipality In Stockholm are approximately 130,000 households using the district heating from Hà ¶gdalenverken and this district heating is generated from incineration of MSW (Fortum, 2009). The annual cost for every household is estimated to be about 18,960 kr/year. This is based on an annual energy usage of 21,000 kWh (Fortum, 2010a). The total cost for households (equals to benefits from district heating) will be 130,000 * 18,960 kr/year = 2,464,800,000 kr/year and this is the major part of the benefits from incineration. The other part is the electricity produced. According to Fortum homepage (Fortum, 2010) is the power output from the plant 71 MW. There are two steam turbines with a power output of 27 MW and 44MW which gives a total of 71 MW. The calculation to convert it into kW is 71 MW * 1000 = 71,000 kW. The calculation of the produced electricity per year for Hà ¶gdalenverken is 71,000 kW * 24 hours/days * 365 days/year = 621,960,000 kWh/year. The assumed price for electricity is collected at Fortum homepage (Fortum, 2010b) and the page Historiska elpriser. To calculate the total income from electricity we have used the average monthly electricity price from January 2009 to December 2009 and this is 44.815 à ¶re/kWh = 0.44815 kr/kWh. This average price is then multiplied with the total electricity produced for 2009 which gives 621,960,000 kWh/year * 0.44815 kr/kWh = 278,731,374 kr/year. The benefits from incineration is a combination of district heating and electricity produced in Hà ¶gdalenverket. Still is the part of waste coming from Stockholm municipality about 49% of the total production in Hà ¶gdalenverket which gives; 0.49 * (2,464,800,000 kr/year + 278,731,374 kr/year) = 1,344,330,373 kr/year. Costs for Recycling in Stockholm Municipality The part of material recycling which includes packaging, electronic waste, as well as bulky waste collected as metal fraction in municipal recycling centers in Sweden was 1,586,600 ton for 2009, 169.9 kg per person and corresponds to 35.4 % of all treated household waste. Therefore the total amount of recycling in Stockholm is 169.9 kg/person * 829,417 persons = 140,918 ton/year. This was calculated based on population size, see Table 1below. Table 1 The Amount of Recycling per Year in Stockholm (Avfall Sverige, 2010) Sweden Stockholm Material recycling 1,586,600 ton 140,918 ton Material recycling per person 169.9 kg Population 9,354,462 829,417 The cost for waste management is in average 690 kr/person per year. It is possible to assume that the cost for recycling is 244 kr/person per year based on the charge of recycling 35.4% of total waste. The cost of recycling is 244 kr/person * 829,417 = 202,377,748 kr/year, see Table 2. Table 2 The Cost of Recycling per Year in Stockholm (Avfall Sverige, 2010) 1 person/year Per year Cost for waste management 690 kr Cost for recycling 244 kr 202,377,748 kr Rate of recycling of total waste 35.4% Benefits for Recycling in Stockholm Municipality The vast majority of recycling materials in Stockholm is generally categorized into 5 groups; plastic, metal, paper, e-waste and glass. In the Swedish Waste Management report for 2010 (Avfall Sverige, 2010) is the explicit recycling data display as a Table 3 below. Table 3. Recycling Material Detail in Sweden 2009 (Avfall Sverige, 2010) Waste Type [ton] [kg/person] Recovery degree [%] Parliament recycling target [%] Newspaper Paper Package 899,000 96.4 85 70 Office Paper 118,000 12.6 72 Plastic 44,430 4.8 27 70 Glass 177,300 19.0 90 70 Metal Metal Package 203.320 21.8 72 70 E-waste 143.850 15.4 According to municipal demographic statistic in 2009, the municipality of Stockholm holds a population of 829,417. Therefore, the waste statistic in Stockholm is as demonstrated in Table 4. One example of calculation is for Newspaper Paper Package where the kg/person is 96.4 and this times 829,417 equals 79,955,799 kg for a year. Table 4. Recycling Material Amount in Municipality of Stockholm 2009 Waste Type Waste Amount [kg] Waste Amount [ton] Newspaper Paper Package 79,955,799 79,956 Office Paper 10,450,654 10,451 Plastic 22,394,259 22,394 Glass 74,647,530 74,648 Metal Metal Package 18,081,291 18,081 E-waste 12,773,022 12,773 On basis of reports regarding cost benefit of waste recycling as well as statistics and some assumptions, economical market value for these recycling materials are calculated, see Table 5. Table 5 Value of Recovered Materials Waste Type $ per ton Newspaper Paper Pack 90  [1]   Office Paper 2571 Plastic 6501 Glass 751 Metal Metal Package 1,200  [2]   E-waste 1,890  [3]   The calculation of total benefits is a combination of waste amount value from Table 4 and $ per ton value from Table 5. This gives 79,956*90 + 10,451*257 + 22,394*650 + 74,648*75 + 18,081*1,200 + 12,773*1,890 = 7,196,040 + 2,685,907 + 14,566,100 + 5,598,600 + 21,697,200 + 24,140,970 = 75,884,817 USD. The average USD rate vs. SEK is 7.63  [4]  for 2009 and this gives a total benefits for recycling of 75,884,817 USD * 7.63 = 579,001,154 kr/year. Cost Benefit Analysis of Incineration vs. Recycling The total cost and benefits from calculations in the results chapter is illustrated in Table 6 below. It is clear that the financial profit from incineration is best compared to recycling in Stockholm municipality. The table also shows that the driver behind this result is the benefits generated by district heating from incineration. One important point to mention is that the total amount of waste for incineration is 235,432 ton/year and for recycling 140,918 ton/year. Table 6 Calculation of Cost and Benefits for Incineration and Recycling [kr/year] Incineration Recycling Benefits 1,344,330,373 579,001,154 Costs 525,469,640 202,377,748 Profit 818,860,733 [kr/year] 376,623,406 [kr/year] Extended Cost Benefit Analysis Environmental Impact from Incineration In spite of being an attractive technological option for waste management, incineration of MSW is the subject of debate around the world. Though incineration of MSW contribute to energy recovery through district heating and electricity, but in absence of efficient controls, pollutants may be discharged into air, land and water which may influence human health and environment. There are different ways of treating flue gases during the incineration process. Cyclones may be seen as an improved version of settling chamber. Their specific geometry increases particles speed as well as the probability they hit the cyclone walls. They can then fall down and being collected. Often used in parallel and it is then called multi-cyclones. Cyclones present several advantages as pre-treatment methods. Another alternative which can be combined with cyclone as pre-treatment is the use of electrostatic precipitator. These expensive pieces of equipment are able to handle high temperature and may be a good ally of cyclones because of their high cleaning efficiency including very small particles. The removal of gaseous compounds such as acidic gases or nitrites requires the use of additional reagent such as activated carbon or limestone. Their prominence is mainly due to their low investment cost and implementation flexibility. They can indeed deal with various flow character istics, including very wet and hot gases. Wet scrubbers are not without drawbacks (Persson, 2006). Environmental Impact from Recycling In general recycling is widely assumed to have a lower impact than producing new product from raw materials for all the waste items, see Table 7. Table 7. Impact of Recycling (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2005) Material % of Household Waste Energy Emissions Raw Material Saved per Ton Recycled Paper 18 28-70% 95% less (air pollutants) Glass 7 18% less 30% less 1.2 Plastic 7 up to 66% less - 1.8 Cans (Fe) 3 70% less 86% less 2.0 Can (Al) 3 95% less 95% less 4.0 Based on Rebel recycling program between 2003 and 2008, it is possible to calculate the following positive impact on the global environment from recycling in Stockholm, see Table 8. Table 8. Positive Impact of Recycling in Stockholm (University of Nevada, 2008) 1 ton 140,918 ton/year Tree Saved 17 forty foot Douglas fir trees 2,395,606 forty foot Douglas fir trees Water Saved 7,000 gallons of water 9,86426 gallons of water Air Pollution Prevented 60 pounds of air pollutants 8,455,08 pounds of air pollutants Landfil

Thursday, September 19, 2019

American Public Education Essay examples -- School Education

The American public educational system is filled with an assortment of problems. Most students are graduating with less knowledge and capability than similar students in other industrialized countries. Classroom disruptions are surprisingly common, and in some classrooms, nearly continuous. The public education system is having difficulty adjusting to the no child left behind act. The No Child Left Behind(NCLB) is a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of American’s schools. The primary sponsors of NCLB were President George W. Bush and Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, a decades-long advocate for raising the quality of public education. This law was signed in 2001. Unfortunately not everything was taken into consideration for the long term affect. There needs to be a middle ground for individualized learning because each child learns at a different pace. According to LdPride.com there are roughly three different ty pes of learning styles ranging from visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners learn through pictures and visually stimulation. Auditory learners learn though sound and music. While kinesthetic learn through hands on material. So while you may have a teacher standing up giving history lessons though a lecture, only the auditory learns are really picking up what the lesson is.The education system should be one that meets the needs of the parents, the teachers, and the students. The view point of all involved should be taken into consideration through the entire process. During the last 10 years, there has been an explosion in our knowledge of ways in which humans develop and learn. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002(NCLB) was initi... ...LB) was passed with strong bipartisan backing by the House of Representatives on December 13, 2001 by a vote of 381-41, and by the Senate on December 18, 2001 by a vote of 87-10. President George W. Bush signed it into law on January 8, 2002. America's Promise Alliance | 1110 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 900 | Washington, DC 20005 The New York Times Dropout Rates for Minority Students Keep Rising in Cities Published: September 28, 1994 SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). The Condition of Education 2010 (NCES 2010-028) 1990 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20006, USA Phone: (202) 502-7300 U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/03/03122007.html http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/Learning_Styles.htm

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

What is Business Studies? Essay -- Business

What is Business Studies? Business studies is the study of how businesses are set up, financed, organised and controlled, how people are employed, managed and paid, how goods are developed, produced and sold, how goods and services are priced and how the local, national and international government help or hinder businesses. In studying the setting up of a business there are many aspects that need to be considered. Such as the type of business ownerships which are suitable for the entrepreneur, where the capital will be coming from, what goods or services could be considered to sell and where the business should be located. The extensive amount of research, which is carried out before the business operates, is also studied. There are many sources of finance open to the entrepreneur, which also need to be studied in depth. The business owner has to set the right price for its goods or services - a price which is of convenience to the consumer and which is affordable for the owner. This is possible by using break-even analysis, and again market research. Owners ... What is Business Studies? Essay -- Business What is Business Studies? Business studies is the study of how businesses are set up, financed, organised and controlled, how people are employed, managed and paid, how goods are developed, produced and sold, how goods and services are priced and how the local, national and international government help or hinder businesses. In studying the setting up of a business there are many aspects that need to be considered. Such as the type of business ownerships which are suitable for the entrepreneur, where the capital will be coming from, what goods or services could be considered to sell and where the business should be located. The extensive amount of research, which is carried out before the business operates, is also studied. There are many sources of finance open to the entrepreneur, which also need to be studied in depth. The business owner has to set the right price for its goods or services - a price which is of convenience to the consumer and which is affordable for the owner. This is possible by using break-even analysis, and again market research. Owners ...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design Essay -- Research Analysis

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design There are basically two main categories of measuring variables with a sample of participants or subjects: experimental and quasi-experimental. According to (Hopkins, 2008), research studies can be carried out using body tissues, cells, animals or humans. The researcher is looking for a relationship between the variables, and this can be accomplished using statistics, relative frequencies, and/or correlations (Hopkins, 2008). One can accomplish this by simply observing without influencing, manipulating, or controlling the environment or interaction. One can observe and explore one subject, or one can compare one subject with another (Hopkins, 2008). Experimental Study The goal of this study is to discover whether the intervention of using relaxing music has can impact the emotional state. The hypothesis of this study asks to what extent does listening or not listening to music before a test decrease test-taking anxiety in middle school students? The second hypothesis is to what extent does listening or not listening to music increase test scores in middle school students? If the hypotheses are supported, then the students will not only state a decrease in physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety, but will score higher than the average of their prior three tests. This means that a decrease in anxiety will occur after the intervention, and a decrease in anxiety will produce a higher score. Having one variable decrease and the other increase is known as a negative correlation (Cozby and Bates, 2012). This means that there is a relationship between the two variables. Of course, this must be not only proven by statistical ev... ...e Research. Association of Operating Room Nurses Journal, 90, 543-551. doi:200698620 Blankinship, D. G. (2011, January 13). Testing anxiety: Researchers find solution to help students cope. Huffington Post Education. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0114/testing-anxiety-research_n_809221.html Cozby, P. C., & Bates, S. C. (2012). Methods in behavioral research (11th ed.). New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill. Fiske, S. T. (2010). Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hopkins, W. G. (2008). Quantitative research design. Sportscience, 4(1). Retrieved from http://www.mendeley.com/research/quantitative-research-design-5/ Smith, R. A., & Davis, S. F. (2007). The psychologist as detective: An introduction to conducting research in psychology (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Abuse of the Executive Powers of the President Essay

In the United States our President has many powers that are granted to him when they are elected into office. They have the ability to change the budget, to either cut back on spending, or implement new programs to help their citizens. They can veto a bill that they think is not ready to be made law yet and send it back to congress for further evaluation. They can appoint Supreme Court Justices. They also are the Commander in Chief of all U.S. armies, and they even have the power to send troops over to foreign nations in times of hostility in some circumstances. There are many who believe that the powers of the president are sometimes abused, especially as the Commander in Chief. There have been several instances in our Nation’s history in which the President has been able to wiggle their way around the constitutional limitations that are given of the Commander in Chief. Even though the president is unable to actually declare war he can use his powers to advance a conflict. The article Congressional War Powers, The Commander in Chief and Senator John Mccain describes how this is achieved by stating â€Å"Technically only congress has the power to declare war but the President can act unilaterally to repel sudden attacks made on U.S. Soil† (Bowling, 2008, p. 1). Presidents use these executive powers to engage in a conflict that they believe needs to be settled in times of crisis. The Constitution has a system within-it that tries to grant separate but equal powers to all branches of government called checks and balances. Although this system of checks and balances is supposed to be followed, there are ways which certain branches of government can gain more power than others. Often the President is the one who abuses the system, and uses their executive powers for their own advantages. These powers granted to the President have been abused more and more throughout our Nation’s recent history and it needs to be limited to make sure that the leader of the United States is making decisions which are best for his citizens. Literature Review In the book Executive privilege, Presidential Power, secrecy and accountability Mark Rozel defines executive privilege and how it has been implemented over time. He focuses on several cases where executive privilege has been abused including the Nixon, George W. Bush, and Clinton administrations. He brings insight on how they took the power too far and  how the country felt about their actions. The article Conflicts between the commander in chief and Congress (2008) written by Jules Lobel focuses on the Bush administration, and how the president took his powers of commander in chief too far. According to the article the administration â€Å"ignores or greatly minimizes Congress’s Constitutional Powers to declare War† (2008, p. 391). This is a prime indicator that the president is gaining too much power. Another article, CONGRESSIONAL WAR POWERS, THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF AND SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, (2008) written by Jeremy L. Bowling, Richard D. Caldwell, Ryan C. Hendrickson, and John S. Morris, focuses on how the system of separation of powers was supposed to divide the powers of the government equally, but describes how the president has used his unilateral powers too much. The article also focuses on John McCain’s views about using and restricting the powers of commander in chief. Another article that focuses on the executive powers of the president is Controlling Executive Power in the War on Terrorism written by Mark Tushnet (2005). This article analyzes what the government’s response is to outbreaks of war. It describes how Congress and the president interact with one another during times of crisis to decide what should be done. It elaborates on the difficult struggle that the government faces during these times. Usually the president has final say of what to do during these times. Another article that focuses on a different way the president can gain too much power is The Most Dangerous Branch: Executive Power to Say What the Law Is written by Michael Stokes Paulsen (1994). This article goes into depth about just how much power the president has compared to the other branches of government. One of the main points it asserts is that the president has the power to interpret the law before executing it which can play a big role in how the country is ran. Discussion ` Our country’s Constitution was arranged in a way, and developed over the years to make sure that no branch of government would become more powerful than the others. It has been amended and changed throughout history so that it can adapt to the way that citizens’ views change. Although the Constitution is written in ink it does not mean that there is one way of interpreting the meanings of laws and amendments. The constitution grants Executive Power to the President but there are also  powers called the inherent powers which are other powers guaranteed to the President, including conducting foreign policy, making treaties, using executive privilege which is used to keep diplomatic and military secrets private. These powers can be very dangerous because they can be taken advantage of, and interpreted in a way that can give the president the upper hand over the two other branches of government. Michael Paulsen describes why the Executive Branch of government is the most dangerous by stating â€Å"The executive possesses Force, Will, and Judgment the power to interpret the law. He has the sole duty and prerogative to direct and control the manner in which the laws are executed† (1994, p. 219). If a person gets elected to president who is selfish or does not have good morals then these powers could prove to be very harmful to the nation’s well-being. There have been several instances in our nation’s history where the President has acted not in the best interest of the nation, but in the best interest of themselves and his supporters. This builds mistrust in citizens about the government, and makes them question whether they actually have as much influence in the government that is promised to them by the Constitution. A power that has been abused recently, and interpreted in a certain way that makes it easy to be in favor of the president is the power of commander in chief. The president is not able to declare war officially but he can sure be one of the causes for it. Even if the majority of the country feels that war should be avoided the president still has the power to send troops over to foreign nations if there is a threat to the national security of the country. The president then has to prove why their decision to send troops to foreign nations is justified. Even if citizens do not agree with him, as long as he proves that he is trying to protect the nation, he is able to engage in the conflict. One of the most recent displays of taking advantage of executive power is when the Bush administration sent troops to Afghanistan to fight the War on Terror. President Bush had told the citizens of the United states that there was suspicion that Afghanistan had weapons of mass destruction which justified him to send troops to check out the situation. According to Jules Lobel in the article Conflicts between the Commander in Chief and Congress â€Å"President Bush had the right to not only regulate and direct troops but also hold enemy combatants against their will  for interrogation† (2008, p.392). This was a nice way of letting citizens know that the Bush administration was willing to do anything, even torture to retrieve information from individuals who they suspected knew something. The administration also felt that it was necessary to begin wiretapping peoples’ phones in order to protect citizens. This outraged a lot of citizens that felt like their privacy was being violated, and the government was over stepping its boundaries. It is true that during times of war or conflict the president has the power as commander in chief to take necessary actions in order to keep the country safe, but in some circumstances that power is over used and can almost become an excuse to carry out laws and regulations without the approval of congress. This power has proven that there needs to be some limitations on what the president can or can not do during times of conflict. Another power which has shown throughout history to be abused by the president is executive privilege. This is the ability for the president to withhold information that they feel is necessary to keep secret for the good of the public. This is a useful tool to the president and it can be used to keep the public from panicking in times of crises, and also to protect citizens from criminals who are try to receive information. It can also be used to prevent legislative oversight on foreign policy, so that the president can cooperate with other nations as he pleases. It is necessary to justify the use of executive privilege, and there have been several circumstances where there was no proof to explain the action. The most controversial issue in our Nation’s history is when President Nixon attempted to use executive privilege to cover up the Watergate scandal. He tried to withhold information from congress to protect him, as well as his constituents from getting in trouble. He could not explain the need for secrecy of the situation. Mark Rozell explains in his book executive privilege that â€Å"confidentiality was the vehicle for the cover-up of the criminal acts and conspiracies by his aides† (2002, p.53). It also explains in the book how Nixon attempted to expand executive privilege to all executive branch officials (2002, p.65). If this were to happen then the executive branch would without a doubt become the most powerful branch of government because they could use executive privilege to trump almost  anything. The Watergate scandal had truly made citizens question the reliability and honesty of the federal government. This was the first time in American History where the president attempted to cheat the system solely for his own benefit. The disapproval rating of the national government at the time directly after the scandal had dropped dramatically, and legislators began to think how to limit executive powers of the president, but would not be able to affectively come up with a solution. The Clinton administration also refused to release to congressional investigators that the White House deemed subject to executive privilege†(Rozel 2002,p. 124). He was trying to cover up his personal affairs so that he would not look bad in the nation’s eyes, and although the court claimed that this use of executive privilege was improper, and he was impeached, he still remained to be in office. The power to interpret the power of executive privilege has simply gotten out of hand and there are some individuals who believe â€Å"the power to interpret the law, including the Constitution, is like any other power too important to vest in a single set of hands† (Paulsen 1994, p. 222). This is a power of the government that continues to be abused by the president and congress has tried to figure out a way to control this power, but has remained unsuccessful. Citizens may wonder why the other two branches are hesitant about limiting the president’s power to use executive privilege. One of the reasons is because as Lobel states â€Å"The constitutional concern with congressional interference with the President’s Command er in Chief power over warfare typically focuses on detailed congressional micromanagement of the conduct of war (2008, p. 401). It is an issue to take away the executive power of the president especially as commander in chief, because although congress might make a more affective decision to a situation in times of crises, the time it would take for senators and house representatives to agree on what to do would be too costly and timely that it would hardly be effective. Congress is just too big to come to a fast conclusion that the majority agrees upon. There have been several presidents, including Franklin Delanore Roosevelt, who used executive power to change policy that actually made a positive difference in society. Roosevelt portrayed his use of executive power when he made the New Deal. The executive power is an important factor in the political process but Its primary concern is what â€Å"Professors Bradley and Goldsmith call Executive  Branch unilateralism, a fear that Presidents acting on their own might make unsound decisions, engaging in too much (or too little) military action, intruding on liberties too much (or too little)†(Tushnet, 2005, p. 2674). Presidents have a lot of power, and they can choose to make decisions that are for the well-being of our country, but the decisions that they make on their own needs to be limited so that they do not make a decision that is unconstitutional or morally wrong. There have been many instances in our nation’s history where presidents have abused their power to implement their views on policer war, or to protect themselves. Some presidents have used their executive power to change America for the better, but recently this power is interpreted in such ways that can make the president more powerful than the other branches of government, especially during times of war or when there is a conflict on policy. Citizens should be able to decide whether the country should go to war or not, instead of outing that extremely dangerous power into the hands of one man. Yes it is true citizens elect the president but they can not tell how they are going to act once in office. Presidents use strategies to get elected so that once they are in office they can do what they actually believe should be done. There have been several attempted scandals and cover-ups from former presidents to keep them from getting in trouble and the executive power still remains to be misused. The president is the leader of the nation, and should act on behalf of all people, not just on behalf of himself and his constituents. The powers of the president need to be limited even more especially during times of crisis, so that there is not too much power placed in one pair of hands, and so that the views of all citizens can be heard.

Inclusive Classrooms Essay

The Success of Inclusive Classrooms Introduction Inclusive classroom is the cause of debates between families with children who have learning disabilities and those that do not have children with learning disabilities (Brehm, 2003). Inclusion can be understood as Brehm states it, Providing to all students, including those with significant disabilities, equitable opportunities to receive effective education; services, with the needed supplementary aids and support services, in age-appropriate classrooms in their neighborhood schools, in order to prepare students for productive lives as full members of society. (2003, p. 89) With the collaboration of the school and home, inclusive classrooms can be successful. Students who have learning disabilities and those who do not have learning disabilities will have the opportunity to develop in a personal fashion, social relationships, and helps students with learning disabilities become â€Å"productive†¦ as full members of society† (Brehm, 2003, p. 89). Inclusive classrooms are consistent with the law that all students should be educated in the least restrictive environment (Banerji & Dailey, 1995). Results Some are opposed inclusion because they believe it will be costly for the school. One school wanted to test inclusive classrooms in their own school and to see the effects. They froze their budget so the public cannot attribute their success to an increase in expenses (Van Dyke, Stallings, & Colley, 1995). Their per-pupil expenditures for students with learning  disabilities were slightly lower than neighboring schools. Since all students were included in the general education the budget was reformed (not increased) to support that. For example, the school did not have to provide separate transportation for students with special needs nor did the district have to pay private tuition for the students they could not accommodate. The school had â€Å"educational supplies† as opposed to separate supplies for the regular education classes and the special education classes (Van Dyke, et al. 1995). Another criticism is that the training needed for teachers, the workshops for school staff, and the collaboration that is needed to make inclusion successful will take a lot of extra time (Van Dyke, et al. 1995). That is true. However, the training and education teachers receive is valuable and improves their teaching to typical students and special students. The benefits that are gained by all students is worth the time (Benerji & Dailey, 1995). Lastly, after a few trainings teachers learn how to run an inclusive classroom so less time is needed for workshops. If we implement the proper education for inclusion in college, teachers will begin teaching with greater skills and knowledge of how to run an inclusive classroom. Another concern is that students with learning disabilities do not necessarily do better academically in an inclusive setting compared to the special education classes. Through research it has been found that after one year of inclusive classrooms in three different districts, 54% of the students with learning disabilities learned what they were e xpected to (Zigmund, Jenkins, Fuchs, & Fafard, 1995). That number was only given after one year of inclusion classroom. The success stories will keep growing if inclusion is done with the right focus and method. Classrooms are an introduction to the community that we live in. Children with disabilities need to be in regular classrooms to help them prepare for the challenges that will arise in the â€Å"real world,† (Van Dyke, et al. 1995). Segregating students puts a label on them that they are different and are therefore treated differently. But, really they are apart our community so they should be part of our schools (Van Dyke, et al. 1995). As, Van Dyke, Stallings, and Colley state, â€Å"To be truly prepared to take part in the real world as adults, children with disabilities need to be educated in language rich classrooms and to interact daily with peers who are appropriate role models† (p. 475, 1995). There are tremendous social gains for students in inclusive  environments. Included students have higher peer ratings and are more accepted compared to students in the resource program (Brehm, 2003). According to the research that was done by Benjeri and Dailey (2003), students with learning disabilities improved in their self-esteem and motivation. Students also changed in their social behavior, which helped them make friends and be part of a group of friends (Benjeri & Dailey, 2003). In addition, students learned to care for one another, to learn and work together. One teacher reported that while all the students were at free play, the teachers were standing around and watching them. One teacher jokingly said that the teachers were not needed anymore because the students have learned to interact and problem solve with one another without the intervention of a teacher (Benjeri & Dailey, 1995). The students without disabilities also gain from inclusive classrooms. Firstly, students learned to accept all types of people no matter what they look like and value the differences of their classmates. They learned that everyone has something valuable to share. Students were less afraid of their classmates that looked or behaved differently. The students learning effected the parents too. In an ethnographic yearlong study it was found t hat students became more tolerant with others as a result of their awareness of their peers with disabilities (Staub & Peck, 1994). Additionally, the study has shown that students developed positive feeling of themselves after they helped or spent time with a peer who was disabled. Their self-esteem was increased as a result of their interactions with their peers. They felt that their â€Å"helping role† with a disabled peer elevated their status in the classroom and gave them a stronger sense of belonging. The relationships between students with all different types of abilities were strong, meaningful, and long-lasting friendships (Staub & Peck, 1994). We can facilitate successful inclusion in our classrooms with the right intervention, approaches, and supports. Most importantly, there must be collaboration between the school psychologist or social worker, the special education teacher, the general education teacher, the principal, and the home. Everyone has to be informed a nd in agreement. When there is unity between all the parties involved in a child’s education, the child has a sense of security and can be educated in the best possible way (Van Dyke, et al., 1995). Support systems must be put in place for the teachers to turn to for advice and to help with instruction in the  classroom. The teachers should meet with a special education teacher and teacher consultant to discuss strategies for their classroom. Every classroom should have a general education teacher and a special education teacher who will be in the classroom for a part of the day and a co-teacher. Trainings and workshops should be given to educate teachers about effective inclusion and instruction (Van Dyke, et al., 1995). One up-and-coming new style of teaching is known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This style of teaching meets the needs of all learners. UDL encourages teachers to create a flexible curriculum that is customized for each student. It allows students to progress from where they are and not where one imagines them to be. For an inclusive classroom, UDL is especially important because there are different learners and each child needs to learn at his o wn pace (www.udlcenter.org). The curriculum should include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. Assistive technology such as alternative keyboards, electronic pointing devices, Sip-and-puff systems, wands and sticks, joysticks, trackballs, touch screens, should be available for any student. Assistive technology makes the classroom a friendlier place for a student who needs it. UDL offers different ways for students to express themselves and what they have learned. Students learn how to self-regulate their emotions and motivations. They don’t just learn information rather, they learn skills in how to learn and process information. They also expand their executive functioning which helps them set goals for themselves, monitor their progress, and control impulsions (www.udlcenter.org). Discussion Based on the research that was read, inclusion is an ideal way of teaching our children about the world and social relationships. The classroom is a model of a child’s community. Every child belongs to a community and so does every child deserve the chance to receive the best education in the least restrictive environment (Van Dyke, et al., 1995). Inclusive classrooms teach the skills and life lessons to all the students of all types of abilities. Students develop healthier self-esteems, learn how to interact with each other and problem solve together. Students become more accepting of others differences and learn to look out for each individuals unique traits. Inclusion removes the labels that make others different and not good enough.  It lets the classroom be a growing place for all no matter the disabilities (Van Dyke, et al., 1995). The key to Inclusion is communication. The school and the home must be involved in aspects of the child’s education . Teachers need to be trained and taught how to be effective in an inclusive classroom (Van Dyke, et al., 1995). Additionally, UDL will help the curriculum be shaped to help each child succeed in their own way (www.udlcener.org). The limitations of this paper is that it does not state what types of disabilities should be included in the classroom and at what level of functioning a student must be to be included. The paper does not discuss whether a pull out program may be needed or not and to what extent it can be used. References: Benerji, M., Dailey, R. A. (1995). A Study of the Effects of an Inclusive Model on Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 28(8), p511-522. doi: 10.1177/002221949502800806 Brehm, K. (2003). Lessons to Be Learned and the End of the Day. School Psychology Quarterly, 18(1), p.88-95. doi:10.1521/scpq.18.1.88.20875 http://www.udlcenter.org/ Staub, D., Peck, C. A. (1994). What Are the Outcomes for Nondisabled Students? Educaional Leadership, 6, p36-40. Retrieved from http://rdas-proxy.mercy.edu:3176/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4bf1b7b5-27eb-4c47-9b29-43509138eaff%40sessionmgr110&vid=4&hid=125 Van Dyke, R., Stallings, M. A., Colley, K. (1995). How to Build an Inclusive Community: A Success Story. Phi Delta Kappan, 76, p475-479. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218474563?accountid=12387 Zigmond, N., Jenkins, J., Fuchs, L. S., Fafard, M. (1995). Special Education in Restructured Schools: Findings from Three Multi-Year Studies. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(7), p531-540. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218510466?accountid=12387

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Lost in the labyrinth Essay

Emily is sitting in the park thinking about the argument she had just had with her mum and how she didn’t mean anything she had said to her. She all of a sudden realised the time â€Å"oh no I’m ten minutes late now mum will be even more annoyed with me† she says. Emily quickly starts to run home trying not to run into people or things. She arrived home but to her amazement there isn’t an angry mum waiting to tell her off at the front door. â€Å"Mum† Emily shouts â€Å"mum† but there was no reply so she shouts again â€Å"mum are you there†. Emily starts to look around the house but she can’t find her anywhere â€Å"ok then if she’s not here there will be a note† thinks Emily. So she begins looking for a note but there isn’t one anywhere. Emily then spots something on the floor â€Å"what’s this† says Emily. To her surprise it was her favourite book on the floor â€Å"I’m sure I didn’t leave this here† says Emily confusedly. Emily picks up the book and looks at the open page and there was her mum in the picture on the page and in shock she drops the book on the floor. Then Emily remembered the story in her book about the pixie king who desperately wanted a wife and who had a secret labyrinth. Emily starts crying and mutters to her self â€Å"why my mum out of all the people he could pick why my mum. When she had finished crying she turned around and there was the pixie king staring at her and laughing. â€Å"What have you done with my mum?† she cries. â€Å"If you really want to know ill take you there just close your eyes† says the pixie king. Emily closes her eyes. Emily opens her eyes and finds her self in a dusty field where all the grass is dead and in the distance she spots at the entrance of a labyrinth. The pixie kind returns and says â€Å"your mum will be turned in to my wife and will forget you and everything unless you get there in time which you wont,† laughs the pixie king. The pixie king vanishes â€Å"well how hard can it be† says the pixie king. The pixie kin g then reappears and says â€Å"oh and one last thing you have till 12:00 to get to my castle and give your mum this apple it will be too late†. Emily take the apple he gives her and as soon as she takes it he vanishes. â€Å"First I need to get to the labyrinth,† thinks Emily and she starts her walk to the labyrinth. Finally Emily arrives at the gates of the labyrinth â€Å"well this is it† Emily says worriedly and with a big deep breath Emily enters. Emily gives a sigh of relief â€Å"this isn’t so bad† Emily says. The labyrinth is brightly a colour and everywhere she looks there is different types of berries. â€Å"Yum just what I need† Emily says in delight. She reaches out for some strawberries. â€Å"NO NO NO don’t eat them do you have no common sense† says a voice from no where â€Å"Hello who said that† shouts Emily. Out of nowhere a pink and purple butterfly appears and says â€Å"it was me† â€Å"you can talk† says Emily in shock â€Å"of course I can talk says the butterfly†. â€Å"Fine then but I do have common sense and I know that when your hungry your suppose to eat† â€Å"oh you must be new around here I’m Pippy. You can’t eat those berries they make you forget,† says the butterfly. â€Å"Hello I’m Emily and thank you† thanks Emily. â€Å"One last thing how do you get to the pixie kings castle† asks Emily â€Å"well first you go left and I’m really sorry but you’ll have to work out the rest because I don’t want the king after me but if you ever need help just call, bye† says pippy and fly’s of. Emily follows pippy’s instructions and goes left. Emily then notices that every single path she takes is a different colour. Emily continues walking and when she turns the corner she hears an â€Å"oww†. She looks down and notices a worm wearing a black jacket and a top hat â€Å"this place just gets stranger and stranger† mutters Emily. â€Å"I’m not weird and you just kicked me which hurt† shouts the worm â€Å"I am very sorry† apologises Emily â€Å"are you ok† â€Å"yes yes I’m fine, I’m wiggle† replies the worm. â€Å"Hi wiggle, I’m Emily† says Emily â€Å"do you know the way to the castle† asks Emily â€Å"yes you go left and follow the path† says wiggle â€Å"thank you† says Emily thankfully. Emily turns left and follows the path. Emily arrives at the end of the path but she comes across a dead end. â€Å"Well that’s great,† she says. A voice from nowhere then says, â€Å"well you shouldn’t trust strangers† Emily turns around and sees wiggle. â€Å"Why would you do that† Emily says Shockley â€Å"well I couldn’t really tell you the way, I mean who knows what the pixie king would do to me but I’m telling you it wouldn’t be nice?† says wiggle. â€Å"Fine then I’ll do it by my self, GOOD BYE† shouts Emily. Emily goes back down the path and turns the corner and she sees a little pixie wearing a red and green outfit jumping on ladybirds. â€Å"Hey stop† Emily shouts at him â€Å"why should I there horrible things† replies the pixie. Emily picks up the ladybird, the ladybird pricks her. â€Å"Oww it pricked me† she drops the ladybird. â€Å"Well what do you expect† the pixie says â€Å"well not that† says Emily. â€Å" Who are you any way† asks Emily â€Å"who me† says the pixie â€Å" I don’t see any one else around† says Emily â€Å"oh I’m pixel† replies the pixie. â€Å"Please can you help me get to the castle† asks Emily.