Kill 'Em Crush 'Em Eat 'Em Raw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kill 'Em Crush 'Em Eat 'Em Raw - Essay Example McMurtry (1) only talks about the injuries and deaths that result from war and football. Another similarity, in this case, is that enmity is created between the rival groups, something that takes long to heal. Finally, both war and football are characterized by leaders, who cause commotion or incite others. War and chaos in football result from incitements from ring-leaders. McMurtry (2) says that their coach used normally admonished them to un-join their opponent through language elaboration of war so that they can attack their opponents. Those who rally support for war are similar to cheerleaders of a football team. Since the two always expect a win and never a defeat, they rally their followers to ensure that they win (McMurtry 2). Fans, just like war supporters, engage in stampedes to ensure that their rivals are also punished, though physically. Those who rally support for war, just like cheerleaders, start the problem by signaling their followers to believe how bad their rivals are; reason for their need to be punished severely. These two issues occur in the society and through respect and cohesive living; it is possible to prevent them. Half time ceremonies are comparable to a lull between battles in that, they give the key players time to organize themselves well. Further more, they give them time to strategies on the best ways of ensuring maximum defeat against their opponents. On the other hand, they are used to remind those involved how crucial it is to defeat the other side. Half time ceremonies give football players time to recover lost energy, just like lulls between battles. After these two, the participants come back in full force and energized to ensure they take the lead. Therefore, after studying the tactics of the rival, they use this time to apply the best mechanism for a win against the rivals. Other parallels between war and football

Phobias Definition Essay Example for Free

Phobias Definition Essay When people see the words one and direction together, they either have a mini heart attack due to extreme excitement or they simply disregard the subject. I am the mini heart attack type; therefore, I have done my research on the infamous band. While doing this, I found an interesting fun fact. Liam Payne, the One Direction middleman, is petrified of spoons, yes the eating utensils. He claims to not have a reason as to why, but according to psychology and logic, there has to be some kind of an origin, some kind of association made to spoons. So whether you are the mini heart attack type or the disregarder, strike up your psychoanalytical minds with the explanations I have theorized. Here is what I have come up with: * When Liam Payne was a child, he had an unfortunate event involving a spoon. When I was a kid, I was washing the dishes and there was a massive knife in the sink. I couldn’t see the dishes because the water was bubbly, so I had no perception as to where the knife was. When I put my hands in to grab a dish, I just happened to slice my hand open with the huge knife. Ever since then, whenever I see a knife or my mom wants me to cut something with one, I subconsciously associate whatever knife she is displaying for me to cut to that incident so long ago; therefore, I do not use them, at all. (It’s a really good way to get out of washing dishes, by the way.) Anyways, I believe that Liam had one of these scary situations with a spoon and now has a phobia. * Genetics. Yes, there are genetic factors associated with phobias. A good amount of people with phobias have relatives with similar phobias or symptoms such as fears and a tendency to avoid certain circumstances. My sister-in-law, Edith, is afraid of cockroaches, just like her mother and now, her younger sister. Perhaps, one of Liam Payne’s relatives has a similar phobia. * Everybody uses spoons in Britain. Daring to be different? Liam Payne isn’t incredibly different from other people but maybe, in this situation, he wanted to go against the current. Liam is British. A very stereotypical assumption about British people is that they drink a lot of tea; therefore, they use spoons a lot. It is also stereotypical to say that they tend to eat scones; scones are also eaten with a spoon. Some people just like to rebel against their culture! Although the word phobia literally means â€Å"irrational fear†, I believe one of these theories is correct. I don’t have the materials to prove this but one day, the truth will set me free and I will know the rational reason of Liam Payne’s silly terror of spoons. Louis Tomlinson, the oldest member of One Direction apparently likes ladies that eat carrots. Maybe it’s just an odd, irrational band.

Impact Of Teaching Methods On Student Satisfaction

Impact Of Teaching Methods On Student Satisfaction The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of teaching methods on Student satisfaction. The aim of the research is to identify the techniques that hold great importance and are effective for teachers today when it comes to changing their teaching methodologies and techniques in order to make the students keener towards learning and hence, enhancing their satisfactions in this regard. We will use the survey method to conduct our research mainly consisting of structured questionnaires given to the respondents. Linear Regression Method would be used for analysis. Our population is Students of IBA Lahore. Our research would help to identify those methods that can have a great influence on the satisfaction of todays students. Introduction In this research, we intend to find if there is really an impact of different teaching methods on students satisfaction or not. Institutions now a days are focusing more on using variety of teaching methods to enhance the interest of students in class which ultimately results in increased student satisfaction. Our research would try to find out what methods if any, exist, that may result in enhancing the satisfaction level of students. Several factors affect this satisfaction. This research holds great important since we all know the fact that as a satisfied customer is highly important for any organization. Similarly, a satisfied student deems to have a great worth for an educational institution. We will first define Teaching methods(Palmer, Parker,(n.d)) itself as: A mechanism that comprises of different principles and techniques used for instruction. Commonly used teaching methods may include class participation, demonstration, recitation, memorization, or a combination of the above. The choice of an appropriate teaching method depends largely on the information being taught plus the skills of the perspective teacher who has the responsibility of guiding students in that particular area. It may also be influenced by the aptitude and enthusiasm of the student.So, we can infer from the definition of variety of teaching methods (Brandt, R.S., Meek, A. (Eds.,1990): Discovery of new ideas and concepts of teaching in accordance to the methods and techniques of the changing world rather than just relying on only one source of information(e.g. Textbooks only); and to improve the learning of the students by creating interest in the subject and the curiosity to learn; and developing the creativity in the students within themselves. And most importantly to make the student understand that how the knowledge being taught in the class stand up in the real world. Student motivation is quite important to student learning and satisfaction. This motivation can be intrinsic (from within) or extrinsic. Highly motivated students tend to try harder and achieve better educational results (Brewer Burgess, 2005). Highly motivated students also tend to be more satisfied with their education (Jones, 2008; Roebkin, 2007). Student satisfaction is important because it serves as a common measure of the performance of instructors and universities and to some extent, as a measure of student adjustment or success (Jones, 2008). It may also contribute to student retention (Suhre, Jansen, Harskamp,2007). Furthermore, psychologists have found that students will feel satisfied when they would aquire knowledge; develop useful skills which would result in their enhanced self confidence. For example, Aitken (1982) found that academic performance is one of the most important factors in determining satisfaction, and Pike (1991) concludes that satisfaction exerts greater influence on grades than academic performance on satisfaction. According to Bandura [1977] and Schunk [1991], learners use self-regulatory attributes to control their personal learning processes and self-efficacy influences choice, efforts, and volition. Successful students seem to have an ability to motivate themselves to complete a task, while the less successful ones have difficulty in developing self-motivational skills (Dembo Eaton, 2000) Literature review Students are the customers of the university and like any other organization; it is the responsibility of the university to satisfy its customers. It is obvious that student satisfaction for any university holds immense value for the students and the providers. Some universities routinely measure satisfaction while some not. Additionally, most of zthose measurements are not used for marketing planning, evaluation and controlling (Piercy, 1995). According to Elliott Shin (2002, p. 197) focusing on student satisfaction not only enables universities to re-engineer their organizations to adapt to student needs, but also allows them to develop a system for continuous monitoring of how effectively they meet student needs. So, student satisfaction is important for the development of a culture of continuous quality improvement. In the present research, the impact of teaching methods on the satisfaction level of students will be investigated. It will be hypnotized that different teaching met hods bring different level of changes in the students overall satisfaction. We have sought down different teaching methods that may have an everlasting impact on the satisfaction of students. We would be considering these four methods: Class Discussions, Activities (Within and Outside the Class), Usage of Multimedia, Case studies. There are also certain characteristics associated with this satisfaction and the overall education experience. They can be best illustrated by the help of the following figure 1: Figure 1(http://outcomes.ceiss.org/Publications) The concept of Student Satisfaction is adapted from Herzberg theory of Motivation-Hygiene (Two Factor Theory); and it has the following dimensions which include: Achievement, Responsibility and Growth of students. To see the most important aspect of student satisfaction affected by teachers use of various teaching methods. To understand the impact of student satisfaction on student performance and in the end the performance of the whole educational institution. To improve the creative learning skills of the students in IBA, Lahore. Classroom Discussions: In a research article by Leda Nath and Lawrence Anderson (2007), the effects of a classroom discussion technique on student satisfaction were studied. Results revealed that when classroom discussion technique was used, the students in that class were found to be significantly more satisfied than students in the class where the technique was not used. Studies conducted over time(Davidson), (Slavin), (Webb) have revealed that classroom discussion has been observed as a positive way of learning. Goodman said that discussion in the classroom helps teach students about cultural diversity. This mainly happens because students in any class belong to diverse backgrounds. This helps them in knowing what sorts of cultures exist and enables them to understand the aspects told by fellows belonging to different cultures. (Burchfield, 1999) argue that discussion in the classroom is important enough that it should be portrayed to students as a critical element in success. VanDeWeghe (2005) argues t hat discussion plays a critical role in students literacy development. Voelkls (1995) found that participation in discussion is closely linked to course grades, a variable related to student satisfaction. Others (Hutchinson Beadle, 1992) have found that students who did not participate in discussions in class were at a disadvantage relative to those who did. Anderson (2007) states that student satisfaction is not only based on the teaching methods but there are several other factors such as independence of expressing the ideas and their thoughts. It will help in building or decreasing the satisfaction level of a student. Activities (Within and Outside the Class) Various activities if conducted within the class and outside do lead to enhanced satisfaction because they increase the exposure of the students. It is quite natural that when students would feel the sense of achieving newer things, they would automatically be motivated to take part because they would be having a feeling of becoming more knowledgeable and practical and that is what the modern world expects us to be. Activities within the classroom would mean presenting students with various issues and ideas and then seeing how every individual student or groups of students perform regarding the issue. Outside the class activities would be diverse, ranging from educational trips to educational surveys. All activities would in one way or the other help the students experiencing new arenas of knowledge leading to increased satisfaction.(Hoyt, 1999). Usage of Multimedia Due to the impact and influence of information technology on society and education, computer-assisted teaching is becoming the trend in modern teaching. These days, teachers are trying to create interest in their lectures through the usage of multimedia while delivering their lectures. This enables the teacher to carry techniques such as simulations, videos, slide shows with interest generating colours and backgrounds, different animationswhile using the multimedia. How ever it makes student sleepy when they dont have to take notes. Case Study: Another useful technique which can lead to students being satisfied and in turn achieving excellent results is to provide them with case studies. Case studies are one way to provide the students with detailed knowledge about any certain issue. Students when told about the facts of those subjects which hold great importance and interest in their lives are very keen to know about them in detail and this detail is communicated to them via case studies. Sometimes, students are even asked to prepare case studies about certain areas themselves. This makes them search for every bit and detail to prepare a comprehensive case study. As preeminent case study teacher C. Roland Christensen(1987) points out in his analysis of case discussion, student involvement develops on at least three distinct levels: At the first level, students explore a problem by sorting out relevant facts, developing logical conclusions, and presenting them to fellow students and the instructor. The students discuss someone elses problem; their role I that of the commentator-observer in a traditional academic sense (Christensen, 1987). On the second level, students can be assigned roles in the case, and take on perspectives that require them to argue for specific action from a characters point of view, given their interests and knowledge. Finally, on the third level, students will take the initiative to become fully involved, so that topics are no longer treated as abstract ideas, but become central to the students sense of self. (TEACHING, 1994) According to the article written by John Foran (1997), a professor of sociology, the case method is a student-centred, highly-interactive pedagogy that changes the classroom process.He himself changed his teaching method from traditional lectures to case studies. He wrote in his article that he aimed to encourage debate and the developmentof critical skills in his students. For this, he adopted the use of case studies in teaching and has been see the changes in students that he aimed for. He also mentioned that: Class discussion of cases is intimidating to some students, and working in a group is unfamiliar to many, as well. Students were learning to work with each other in groups. This learning was again of great importance for a student and increases his level of satisfaction. It is valuable for a student to feel a positive change in him in the form of improved analytical skills and discussion with justification. This increased satisfaction improves the performance of student in the class. The Research Paradigm Research paradigm is the framework for thinking or a school of thought about how research ought to be conducted. There are different issues a researcher encounters while deciding the research methodology, some of the dichotomies are: Positivist versus Interpretive Quantitative versus Qualitative Induction and Deduction Experimental versus Non Experimental This descriptive study on impact of teaching methods on student satisfaction can be safely regarded as following positivist, quantitative, deductive and non-experimental research paradigm. According to positivist research paradigm, the truth the researcher is aiming at has to be understood within a framework of principles and assumptions of science. This paradigm is used when variables related to the research can be identified and isolated. In our study, we identified the variables from the literature review and based on that, we proceeded to find out whether they hold true for the selected sample. It is because in the light of previous researches conducted, we came out to the conclusion that different teaching methods have an impact on student satisfaction. These methods fall under the category of conceptual learning. The data collected through our questionnaire is numeric. We will use the descriptive statistics in order to analyze the data. Hence, quantitative research paradigm hol ds true for our study. It is a non-experimental research because environment is not being controlled by the researchers. Research Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using a variety of teaching methods on the satisfaction level of students studying at IBA, Lahore. We intend to find if there is an impact of different teaching methods on students satisfaction or not. Institutions, now a days are focusing more on using variety of teaching methods to enhance the interest of students in class which ultimately results in increased student satisfaction. In defining the objectives of the study, our assumption regarding various teaching methods include: case study method, class discussion, activities and use of multi-media. A careful review of the research question led to the development of the research objectives stated as: To find the preference between conventional and conceptual mode of teaching. To find the most effective teaching method in terms of student satisfaction. To find the level of effectiveness against each teaching method. To find the most important aspects of student satisfaction achieved through various teaching methods. To find the most enhanced skill by the use of various teaching methods. Primarily we are testing if conventional and conceptual teaching methods have same impact on student satisfaction or not. In this test, we will further explore the extent to which variety of teaching methods affects the satisfaction of students. Each teaching method is further tested on account of its effectiveness. The various teaching methods discussed establish and enhances certain aspects of student satisfaction. Each of the method is rated against each aspect to know the most affected one. We have divided the skills of students into three broad categories, i.e. analytical skills, social skills and communication skills. The most enhanced skill because of the use of the various teaching methods is identified against each method. Hypothesis of Our Study: Ho: Conventional and conceptual teaching methods has same effectiveness on the student learning H1 : Conventional and conceptual teaching methods have different effectiveness on the student learning H0: There is no difference in BBA, MBA and Pgd and MBA executive students opinion regarding the conceptual teaching method effectiveness. H1: There is a different in the BBA, MBA and Pgd and MBA executive students opinion regarding the conceptual teaching method effectiveness Ho:Use of various teaching methods will have no impact on development of various skill H1: :Use of various teaching methods will have an impact on development of various skills We have defined the variables as follows: Name of variable Type of variable Various Teaching methods Independent Student Satisfaction Dependent Methodology: The Constructs to measure student satisfaction are achievement, responsibility and work commitment of the student. Our assumption regarding various teaching methods include: case study method, class discussion, activities and use of multi media. Use of multi-media Student satisfaction Various Teaching Methods Case Study Activities Class DiscussionConceptual Framework Research Methodology: In our research we have used the Survey method as our research design; the survey will be conducted through questionnaires; and the respondents of the study will be the students of IBA. We will use probability sampling to select our sample from the population in order to make it a true representative of the population. Methods of Procedure: We have used the Survey method to conduct our study. Survey will be based on Structured Questionnaire which will include close ended questions. The data from the respondents will be collected by Likert Scale because we have to measure construct (students responsibility, growth and achievement); and qualitative information is needed to be transformed into quantitative data, As we are finding the perception of the student regarding various teaching method that can effect their level satisfaction. The SPSS will be used to analyse the information collected through the questionnaire. Respondents of the research will be the students of IBA Lahore. Sample Size and Description: Study Population: Students of IBA, Lahore. Sampling Frame: List of all the students studying in all the disciplines of IBA, Lahore. Sample Size: Expected respondents of our study are 30. Sampling Technique: The sampling will be based on probability sampling as we are having the sampling frame. Multi-stage cluster Sampling technique will be followed to divide the various disciplines of IBA into clusters; and then we will choose the respondents randomly from these clusters. There will be three clusters namely Pgd and MBA executive, BBA and MBA. A sample size of 10 respondents from each cluster will be selected. Data will be largely collected through questionnaire survey; Sample size will be 30, as per the project requirement. Sampling technique will be: Quota based on various degree program in IBA MBA BBA Pgd and MBA executive Total Number of Subjects 10 10 10 30 Within each quota, 10 respondents will be approached for data collection. These will be randomly selected within each quota. Proposed data categories in questionnaire: Questions in the survey attempt to provide data in the following dimensions. Demographic profile Question 1 Business program profile Question 2 Preference of teaching method Question 3 Effectiveness among various teaching method Question 4,5 Finding important aspects of student satisfaction through various teaching methods Question 6 Finding most enhanced skill by use of various teaching methods Question 7 Use of various teaching methods: In this category, it will be discovered that how much a teacher is creative in use of teaching methods and how much a student prefers a teacher being creative. Such as: What type of method of teaching is used by teacher and whether student likes that method? What type of tools a teacher used as assistant for teaching? If teacher provide only bookish knowledge, whether that is enough according to view point of students? How much teacher focused on original work in assignments and projects? What value a student will achieve by the teacher providing knowledge? What types of expectations are of a teacher towards the learning of student? Whether he focuses on cramming or wants a permanent change in behaviour of student which gives him value in practical world? Student Satisfaction: The second category of questionnaire will be student satisfaction which includes the following dimensions: Achievement Responsibility Growth With the help of these dimensions, the satisfaction of students will be found out. If the Use of various teaching methods increases the achievement, responsibility and growth of student then it will be resulted in his satisfaction. Thus the students will be the main focus of our study and will be reflected in the questionnaire. Therefore in questionnaire the questions will be related to achievement, responsibility and growth such as: If teacher said to do original work in assignments, no copy paste, whether that will increase the internal value of a student? If teacher endow with creative work to do, whether that increase a sense of responsibility of a student? Conceptual work not only enhances thinking out of box but also endow to grades and scholarships. Is student agreed or not? If teacher increase technology in his teaching method, then student learning ability will increase or not? Which method of teaching student like: Conceptual system Concrete system (Conventional) So these are the proposed categories of our questionnaire through which the aim of study will be achieved: Whether Use of various teaching methods by a teacher has an impact on student satisfaction? Scheduling of Research Project: Project Stages Time Period Defining Research Problem 4days Literature Review 7days Planning a Research Design 6days Planning a Sample 5days Scheduling and Costing of Research: Project Stages Expected Time Period Cost in PRs. Gathering the Data 5days 650 Processing and Analyzing the Data 6days 150 Formulating Conclusionsand Preparing Report 5days 300 Time line : Start Fri 01-10-12 Finish Wed 10-12-12 1 Oct 12 08 Oct 12 23 Oct 12 25 Nov 12 2 Dec 12 9 Dec 12 10 Dec 12 Defining Research problem Sat 02-10-12 Wed 14-09-11 Literature review Thu 03-10-12 Fri 08-10-12 Planning a research design Mon 16-10-11 -Mon 23-10-12 Data analysis and conclusion Thu 06-11-12 Tue 11-11-12 Gathering the Data Wed 25-11-12 Tue 1-12-12 Processing and gathering of Data Wed 2-12-12 Wed 7-12-12 Formatting and completion of report Monday 09-12-12 Start Fri 01-10-12 Data Analysis: As our research is correlation in nature we have to analyze the relationship between independent and dependent variable. We will use linear regression method e.g. teachers who add creativity by use of various teaching methods, while teaching helps students in achieving something. And as a result the students are satisfied; and it can be shown by the help of graphs linear relationship. The teacher who adds creativity in his teaching by using various teaching methods will determine a positive correlation and positive regression with A resulting in S as compared to teacher who lacks creativity. Univariate Table Of Independent Variable: Various Teaching methods VARIOUS TEACHING METHODS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE MULTIMEDIA 11 36% CASE STUDY 4 13% ACTIVITIES 9 30% CLASS DISCUSSION 6 20% TOTAL 30 100% Interpretation: Univariate Table Of Dependent Variable: Student Satisfaction DEGREE OF STUDENT SATISFACTION FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE HIGH 11 36% MEDIUM 11 36% LOW 8 28% TOTAL 30 100% Bivariate Table: Impact Of Various Teaching Methods on Student Satisfaction STUDENT SATISFACTION VARIOUS TEACHING METHODS MULTIMEDIA CASE STUDIES DISCUSSION ACTIVTIES TOTAL FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY % FREQUENCY % FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE HIGH 7 64% 3 75% 5 56% 2 33% 11 36% MEDIUM 2 18% 1 25% 2 22% 1 17% 11 36% LOW 2 18% 0 0% 2 22% 3 50% 8 28% TOTAL 11 100% 4 100% 9 100% 6 100% 30 100% Data gathering and analysis: For the positivist research paradigm and quantitative approach, one of the most widely used techniques is survey questionnaire. Data from our questionnaire is self-reported and respondent completed. Variables measured in our research are: Table A1 Variables Level of Measurement Coding Gender Nominal None Business Program Nominal 1: BBA 2: MBA 3: Pgd and MBA executive Preference of Learning Mode Scale 1: Strongly Disagree 2: Disagree 3: Neutral 4: Agree 5: Strongly Agree Effectiveness of Case Study Scale 1: Highly not Effective 2: Not Effective 3: Neutral 4: Effective 5: Highly Effective Effectiveness of Class Activities Scale 1: Highly not Effective 2: Not Effective 3: Neutral 4: Effective 5: Highly Effective Effectiveness of Class Discussion Scale 1: Highly not Effective 2: Not Effective 3: Neutral 4: Effective 5: Highly Effective Effectiveness of Multimedia Scale 1: Highly not Effective 2: Not Effective 3: Neutral 4: Effective 5: Highly Effective Satisfaction through Case Study Nominal 1: Curriculum Content 2: Quality of Instruction 3: Personal Growth Satisfaction through Class Activities Nominal 1: Curriculum Content 2: Quality of Instruction 3: Personal Growth Satisfaction through Class Discussion Nominal 1: Curriculum Content 2: Quality of Instruction 3: Personal Growth Satisfaction through Multimedia Nominal 1: Curriculum Content 2: Quality of Instruction 3: Personal Growth Skills developed through Case Study Nominal 1: Analytical Skills 2: Social Skills 3: Communication Skills Skills developed through Class Activities Nominal 1: Analytical Skills 2: Social Skills 3: Communication Skills Skills developed through Class Discussion Nominal 1: Analytical Skills 2: Social Skills 3: Communication Skills Skills developed through Multimedia Nominal 1: Analytical Skills 2: Social Skills 3: Communication Skills Data preparation involves certain activities like logging the data, checking the data for accuracy, developing a database structure, entering the data into computer and data transformations. Variables and coding of the data is explained in the above table. General techniques of data transformation include accounting for missing values, scale totals, item reversals, and categorizing responses. Descriptive statistics tools are applied on the data to find out different trends and choices made by subjects. Also, pictorial presentations are made to explain the findings. SPSS has been used to derive the findings of our research. Descriptive Conceptual Methods Table-1 N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Minimum Maximum Lower Bound Upper Bound BBA 10 15.2000 1.03280 .32660 14.4612 15.9388 14.00 17.00 MBA 10 15.3000 2.83039 .89505 13.2753 17.3247 9.00 19.00 Pgd MBA executive 10 15.7000 1.70294 .53852 14.4818 16.9182 13.00 17.00 Total 30 15.4000 1.94049 .35428 14.6754 16.1246 9.00 19.00 ANOVA Conceptual Methods Table-2 Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 1.400 2 .700 .175 .840 Within Groups 107.800 27 3.993 Total 109.200 29 From the above tables the mean of different Business Programs, MBA (M=15.30), BBA (M=15.20) and Pgd MBA executive (M=15.7), where as F (2) =0.175, p>0.05 which shows that there is no significant difference among the various Business Program regarding the effectiveness and satisfaction of the Conceptual Method of Teaching. Hence we will accept our null hypothesis as there exists no difference in the opinion of the student belonging to BBA, MBA and Pgd and MBA executive regarding the effectiveness of the conceptual teaching methods. Table-3 Independe

Dulce et Decorum Est Essay -- English Literature

Dulcet et Decorum Est, is probably the most famous anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen. "Dulcet et Decorum Est," is probably the most famous anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen. It has a harsh meaning and persuasive argument. The anti-war theme and serious tone are effective at portraying war as horrid and devastating. I felt overpowered by blood, guts and death. Although my reaction hasn't changed much through numerous readings, my emotional feelings become more intense with each reading. This poem makes me feel as if I am right there watching the soldier who cannot fasten his mask fast enough and suffers the full effects of deadly gas. 'but someone still is yelling out and stumbling'. This poem also makes me look beyond the death and question the pain inflicted on the mothers who kissed their sons goodbye as they went to defend their country. I imagine the mother receiving word her son has died and being told how noble and patriotic his death was. In his last moments, the soldier and his family become victims of "The old lie". I can clearly understand what the author is sayi...

Fastenal Case Essay

The comprehensive document is an overview of Fastenal Canada LTD and how it relates to sales management. The document first provides an introduction to the problem and company background of Fastenal, which includes a description of various views of Fastenal. It further goes into detail about the recommendations that relates to the two main parties involved, which are the customers and the company itself. The document also includes an in-depth implementation plan, which is broken down into short, medium, and long-term tasks to accomplish. Through out the document there is a mention of the vendor managed inventory model (VMI). By using VMI, we were able to use a different approach to avoid risks associated with the â€Å"bricks and mortar† approach. Fastenal should choose to implement the following business plan because a well thought out analysis went into determining the problem and coming up with a solution for the future growth of the company. All decisions were made with the company in mind and focusing on the strong relationship between the costumer and Fastenal. Introduction Fastenal Canada LTD is a subsidiary of Fastenal Company, which was founded in 1967. Fastenal Canada LTD operates as a wholesaler and retailer of industrial and construction supplies in Canada. They have over 200 stores across Canada, 66 of which are in the western region. Fastenal’s growth strategy has always relied heavily on new store opening because the high demand for its products and services across Canada (Fastenal, 2012). It tends to be risky as well as costly when opening stores using the â€Å"bricks and mortar† approach. The introduction of the vendor managed inventory model (VMI) has been advantageous. Fastenal receives an electronic data via email, informing them of its distributor sales and inventory stock level. This system makes it fast and efficient for the customers and sales associates. Fastenal interprets the electronic data and there is an automatic responsibility of maintaining the inventory level for the customer. Fastenal is looking for a different expansion model approach to be used as a growth driver in Western Canada. Our new proposed strategy gives Fastenal the ability not only maintains its desired identity but it gives them the ability to increase the market share and tap into a fresh new market. Our goal is to assess the situation in hand and work in the given environment to keep the strong customer relationships since it is an important component in the company. Problem Definition How can Fastenal use its new vendor managed inventory model to increase its market share? End market sales during the months of 2012 grew 19.8% from the manufacturing customers while the residential construction customers grew 17.9% (Fastenal, 2012). The advantage to VMI is that it releases the customer of having to worry about the level of their inventories. Fastenal interpret the electronic data and automatic take control of the responsibility of maintaining the inventory level for the customer. How can Fastenal reduce financial risk? Every scenario where there is a change in the way things are done or achieved there is always risks to failure or loss. In many cases where there is loss or failure, there is often a way that it could have been avoided or done differently to avoid the negative outcome. Fastenal needs to avoid these situations by planning ahead and finding ways to avoid the risks that may pose problems or loss in the near future. â€Å"Bricks and Mortar† approach induces many financial risks so another approach is necessary to prevent them. Situation Analysis Customers and the sales force are the stakeholders who are most affected. Strong customer relationships are the essence of Fastenal’s success and form an important component of their competitive advantage. The problem arises due the to lack of education the customer has about ordering online which deceases the efficiency PartStore has to offer. Ordering online reduces rushing the parts to the counter or waiting on the phone. Customers are also able to check parts availability and prices, as well as place an order. However when PartStore was introduced there was some confusion with it. Creating a frustrating relationship between the customer and sales person. Recommendations Consignment Inventory Consignment inventory usually involves the supplier, placing inventory at a customer’s location without getting rid of its ownership of the inventory. Since the owner retains the ownership of its products the customer does not pay until it is sold or used. However, before we examine how Fastenal can benefit from our proposed consignment program it is important to first examine some potential market of interest. The City of Edmonton According Edmonton’s 2012 budget report, almost all municipalities across Canada face a significant infrastructure deficit. Neighborhood renewal occurred periodically with funding from other orders of government, yet it failed to address the full life-cycle requirements of preventative maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Over time, the condition of roads, sidewalks and sewers deteriorated, resulting in more frequent collapsed sewers, increased sidewalk hazards, and dramatically increased maintenance like pothole repairs. The Office of Infrastructure and Funding Strategy highlighted the need for ongoing funding for neighborhood infrastructure to overcome an anticipated $2.2 billion funding gap in neighborhood roads and related infrastructure. This situation provides a tremendous opportunity for Fastenal to penetrate and serve this market. Market potential The total number of potential infrastructure that needs to be fixed in any given time is the market. The market potential for Fastenal products in units would be equal to the number of potential infrastructure that require repairing, assuming that each infrastructure repair would use Fastenal product. Fastenal can benefit for inventory consignment within the city of Edmonton, however administration is important to understand how the current business model can be used to Fastenal’s advantage in delivering the services. FAST 5000 is a vending machine that provides workers with immediate access to materials and equipment’s. The FAST 5000 machine is installed at customer sites and Fastenal keeps them filled with needed products ranging from safety equipment’s, cutting tools & supplies to office supplies. Fastenal handles everything from the delivery of the machines to the installation and restocking of the machine whenever the inventory level becomes low. Through the flexible web reporting system Fastenal customers are able to view and manage the machine’s inventory usage. Cory Jansen, Fastenal’s Vice President of Internal Operation have claims that having the FAST 5000 have reduced production consumption in many cases by more than 30 percent (City of Edmonton, 2012). In the midst of 2.2 billion dollar worth of infrastructure repairs that the city of Edmonton needs, someone will have to supplies this market with their required materials and tools to complete the repair work. Fastenal should approach the city of Edmonton with a proposal outlining how the FAST 5000 can be beneficial to the construction site and within the city offices. The city of Edmonton as a corporation serves a population of more than 750,000 residents; the corporation is segmented into seven different departments each department is responsible for providing a particular service to Edmonton residents. We suggest that Fastenal concentrate on the four main departments within the corporation that is more likely to benefit from the FAST 5000 or the FAST 3000 services, which are the: Office of the City Manager, Sustainable Development, Transportation Services and Infrastructure Services. Office of the City Manager will benefit from the FAST 5000 if Fastenal stocks them with office supplies, such as pens, pencils, papers, etc. Since each development must akin to a strict budget the FAST 5000 can provide the solutions to maintaining those budget, by reducing product consumption, having on-hand inventory, and administration costs, while providing new insight into usage and spending habit that can be used toward next year’s City budget. Fastenal can implement the same strategy within other municipalities across Canada. Implementation Fastenal needs to place a unit in each site under the City of Edmonton. We believe it to be reasonable to set one to three year goal to place a FAST 5000 machine in each site over the next three years. First step is to write up a proposal to bring to the Simon Farbrother, who must approve it. He is the city manager and makes the major decisions in these cases. This process can take up to three months to be able to present the proposal. This also creates awareness of the product to the potential client. The proposal must go through other levels of approval and be voted on by the city council, therefore this may take another three months. Once the plan is approved the production and distribution can be put into motion. The city of Edmonton has many different branches and sites in the Edmonton area. The marketing department in Fastenal will start to put together the proposal and presentation. The marketing department will create a miniature FAST 5000 as part of a press kit along with a formal written proposal. The press kit will also open up and contain testimonials from previous clients Fastenal has worked with. It will also have a brief description of the key factors and attributes of the FAST 5000 and what sets it apart from prior units. Once the plan is approved, Fastenal will be required to submit the bet to the city manager. Since Fastenal is the sole provider of the vendor managed inventory systems (FAST 5000, FAST 3000). This implies that there is only one supplier that can fulfill the requirement and that any attempt to obtain bids would only result in one supplies being able to bid on the contract which is Fastenal. The bid will contain the benefits and costs of going through with the deal and the estimated completion date of placing the units in different sites throughout Edmonton. Once the city has awarded them the contract they will immediately move forward, and Fastenal will provide the services as stated in the proposal. Fastenal will place the minimum required machines in each site as outlined by the contract. Time Line Immediately| Delivering units| Week 1| Submitting a bid| Week 2| Proposal| 3 months| Meeting with Simon Farbrother | 3 months| Vote by city council| 6 months| Full Approval| TBA| Expansion into further sites and markets| Budget Since we do not have any costs that are being associated with this project our cost is zero, therefore the budget is not present. Risk and mitigation Risk| Mitigation| Underperformance of sales force | * Bring on a skilled team * Have the team mentor new people * Make teamwork part of the culture * Hire skillful and enthusiastic employees | Sales loss on FAST machines| * Proper training * Information to customer about store * Finding good location| Unrealistic customer and schedule expectations| * Make the customer feel comfortable and at ease * Set schedule goals around frequent deliveries | Conclusion The problems we wanted to address were â€Å"How can Fastenal use its new vendor managed inventory model to increase its market share?† and â€Å"How can Fastenal reduce financial risk?†   Our new proposed strategy gives Fastenal the ability to not only maintains its desired identity but it gives them the ability to increase its market share and tap into a fresh new market. Strong customer relationships are the essence of Fastenal’s success and have formed an important part of their competitive advantage. Our business purposed plan intended to keep the strong customer relationships. Through our implementation approach we have demonstrated how Fastenal can transform it’s current solution into a continued transparent business model. Fastenal’s opportunities will be awarded by the skill and creativity they have to meet the customer demands. Reference City of Edmonton. (2012). Budget. Retrieved April 2012, from http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/budget_taxes/budget-2012.aspx Fastenal. (2012). Fastenal . Retrieved April 2012, from http://www.fastenal.com Mackenzie, H. (. (2008). Sales Managment in Canada (1st Edition ed.). (D. Thompson, Ed.) Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Person Prentice Hall.

Vasquez Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy

Vasquez Surname Meaning and Origin - About Genealogy The Vasquez surname is the 23rd most common Hispanic surname. It has several possible origins: A name denoting one who came from the Basque country, from the words vasco, velasco and belasco, each suggesting a place or ethnicity in the Basque provinces of Spain.A patronymic surname meaning  son of Vasco. The given name Vasco  derives from the medieval Spanish name  Velasco,  which possibly meant crow in Basque.According to Elsdon Smith in American Surnames, the names Vasquez, Vazquez and Velez in Spain designate those who herded ewes or sheep. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Portuguese Alternate Surname Spellings:  Vasquiz, Vasques, Vazquez, Vazques, Belasco, De Belasco, De Velasco, Velazquez, Vaz Famous People With the Surname Vasquez La La Vasquez - American television personality and entertainerDomingo Vsquez - President of Honduras, 1893-1894Francisco  Vzquez  de Coronado y Lujn - Spanish conquistador and explorer; discovered the Grand CanyonGregorio Vasquez - Colombian painter Most Commonly Found The first Vasquez families originated in the Castile region of Spain, according to  Forebears, which ranks Vasquez as the 424th most common surname in the world. The Vazquez spelling even more common, ranking 376th. Vasquez  is found most prevalently in Peru, where it ranks 13th in the nation, followed by Guatemala (15th), El Salvador (16th), Panama (22nd), Honduras (26th), and the Dominican Republic (29th). The Vazquez spelling is most frequent in Mexico, where it ranks 14th, followed by Puerto Rico (15th) and Argentina (19th).  Within Europe, Vasquez is actually found most frequently in southern France, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, while Vazques is most common in northern Spain, especially the Galicia and Asturias regions. Genealogy Resources 100 Most Common Spanish SurnamesHave you ever wondered about your Spanish last name  Ã‚  and how it came to be? This article describes common Spanish naming patterns, and explores the meaning and origins of 100 common Spanish surnames. How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, and other Spanish speaking countries. Vasquez Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Vasquez family crest or coat of arms for the Vasquez surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Vasquez Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Vasquez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Vasquez query. FamilySearch - Vasquez GenealogyAccess over 3.8 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Vasquez surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Vasquez Surname Family Mailing ListsThis free mailing list for researchers of the Vasquez surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - Vasquez Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Vasquez. The Vasquez Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Vasquez from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.