Differentiation in the Classroom

Differentiation in the Classroom Brittany Hunt University of Toledo Differentiated instruction in the classroom can be beneficially for every child’s needs to learn to their best ability. Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction. No student learns the same and differentiation is helping each student grow and succeed by meeting each individual needs.Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or a small group to change his or his teaching to create the best learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating the instruction for the student(s). Four characteristics shape teaching and learning in an effective differentiated classroom (Tomlinson, 1995a): 1. ) Instruction is concept focused and principle driven. All students have the opportunity to explor e and apply the key concepts of the subject being studied. All students come to understand the key principles on which the study is based.Such instruction enables struggling learners to grasp and use powerful ideas and, at the same time, encourages advanced learners to expand their understanding and application of the key concepts and principles. Such instruction stresses understanding or sense-making rather than retention and regurgitation of fragmented bits of information. Concept-based and principle-driven instruction invites teachers to provide varied learning options. A â€Å"coverage-based† curriculum may cause a teacher to feel compelled to see that all students do the same work. Related article: Cda Competency Goal # 1In the former, all students have the opportunity to explore meaningful ideas through a variety of avenues and approaches. 2. ) Ongoing assessment of student readiness and growth are built into the curriculum. Teachers do not assume that all students need a given task or segment of study, but continuously assess student readiness and interest, providing support when students need additional instruction and guidance, and extending student exploration when indications are that a student or group of students is ready to move ahead. 3. ) Flexible grouping is consistently used. In a differentiated class, students work in many patterns. Sometimes hey work alone, sometimes in pairs, sometimes in groups. Sometimes tasks are readiness-based, sometimes interest-based, sometimes constructed to match learning style, and sometimes a combination of readiness, interest, and learning style. In a differentiated classroom, whole-group instruction may also be used for introducing new ideas, when planning, and for sharing learning outcomes. 4. ) Students are active explorers. Teachers guide the exploration. Because varied activities often occur simultaneously in a differentiated classroom, the teacher works more as a guide or facilitator of learning than as a dispenser of information.As in a large family, students must learn to be responsible for their own work. Not only does such student-centeredness give students more ownership of their learning, but it also facilitates the important adolescent learning goal of growing independence in thought, planning, and evaluation. Implicit in such instruction is (1) goal-setting shared by teacher and student based on student readiness, interest, and learning profile, and (2) assessment predicated on student growth and goal attainment.Teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile: * Content- what the student needs to learn or how th e student will get access to the information; * Process- activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content; * Products- culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit; and * Learning environment- the way the classroom works and feels.Examples of differentiating content at the elementary level include the following: using reading materials at varying readability levels; putting text materials on tape; using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students; presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means; using reading buddies; and meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners. Several elements and materials are used to support instructional content. These include acts, concepts, generalizations or principles, attitudes, and skills.The variation seen in a differentiated classr oom is most frequently in the manner in which students gain access to important learning. Access to the content is seen as key. Align tasks and objectives to learning goals: designers of differentiated instruction view the alignment of tasks with instructional goals and objectives as essential. Goals are most frequently assessed by many state-level, high-stakes tests and frequently administered standardized measures. Objectives are frequently written in incremental steps resulting in a continuum of skills-building tasks.An objectives-driven menu makes it easier to find the next instructional step for learners entering at varying levels. Differentiated instruction should be concept-focused and principle-driven. The instructional concepts should be broad-based, not focused on minute details or unlimited facts. Teachers must focus on the concepts, principles and skills that students should learn. The content of instruction should address the same concepts with all students, but the deg ree of complexity should be adjusted to suit diverse learners. Some examples of differentiating process or activities at the elementary level include the following: 1.Using tiered activities through which all learners work with the same important understandings and skills, but proceed with different levels of support, challenge, or complexity; 2. Providing interest centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the class topic of particular interest to them; 3. Developing personal agendas (task lists written by the teacher and containing both in-common work for the whole class and work that addresses individual needs of learners) to be completed either during specified agenda time or as students complete other work early; 4.Offering manipulative’s or other hands-on supports for students who need them; and 5. Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to provide additional support for a struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learne r to pursue a topic in greater depth. Samples of differentiating products at the elementary level include: giving students options of how to express required learning (e. g. create a puppet show, write a letter, or develop a mural with labels); using rubrics that match and extend students' varied skills levels; allowing students to work alone or in small groups on their products; and encouraging students to create their own product assignments as long as the assignments contain required elements. Items to which students respond may be differentiated so that different students can demonstrate or express their knowledge and understanding in different ways. A well-designed student product allows varied means of expression and alternative procedures and offers varying degrees of difficulty, types of valuation, and scoring. Examples of differentiating the learning environment at the elementary level include: 1. Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without distract ion, as well as places that invite student collaboration; 2. Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home settings; 3. Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches individual needs; 4. Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy with other students and cannot help them immediately; and 5.Helping students understand that some learners need to move around to learn, while others do better sitting quietly (Tomlinson, 1995, 1999; Winebrenner, 1992, 1996). Characteristics of a differentiated classroom likely to be responsive to the needs of gifted (and other academically diverse) students are the following: * Teacher sensitivity to the varying needs of learners; * On-going assessment of student progress and modification of instruction based on assessment data; * Multiple learning options at a given time on many occasions; * Variable pacing; Respectful (interesting, important) tasks for all learners; * Use of flexible grou ping (balancing like-readiness grouping, mixed-readiness grouping, grouping by interest, random grouping, whole class instruction, and individual/independent work); * Teacher use of a variety of instructional strategies (learning contracts, compacting, group investigation, complex instruction, interest centers, learning centers, tiered lessons, tiered products, graduated rubrics) that invite varying students to learn in a variety of ways; * Varied modes of assessment likely to give students maximum opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and skill; and * Grading based, at least in significant measure, on student growth rather than in comparison to one another or to an absolute scale (Tomlinson, 1995a). Additional guidelines that make differentiation possible for teachers to attain is key to having a successful differentiated classroom, this includes: * Clarify key concepts and generalizations. Ensure that all learners gain powerful understandings that can serve as the f oundation for future learning. Teachers are encouraged to identify essential concepts and instructional foci to ensure that all learners comprehend. * Use assessment as a teaching tool to extend rather than merely measure instruction.Assessment should occur before, during, and following the instructional episode, and it should be used to help pose questions regarding student needs and optimal learning. * Emphasize critical and creative thinking as a goal in lesson design. The tasks, activities, and procedures for students should require that they understand and apply meaning. Instruction may require supports, additional motivation, varied tasks, materials, or equipment for different students in the classroom. * Engaging all learners is essential! Teachers are encouraged to strive for the development of lessons that are engaging and motivating for a diverse class of students.Vary tasks within instruction as well as across students. In other words, an entire session for students shoul d not consist of all drill and practice, or any single structure or activity. * Provide a balance between teacher-assigned and student-selected tasks. A balanced working structure is optimal in a differentiated classroom. Based on pre-assessment information, the balance will vary from class-to-class as well as lesson-to-lesson. Teachers should ensure that students have choices in their learning. Most classrooms employ single-size instruction. Thus, moving toward differentiated instruction requires considerable change on the part of teachers.Changing habits or patterns of teaching in busy and pressure-laden classrooms is difficult and stressful. Teachers who are helped to understand specific benefits to students and to themselves of differentiated instruction may be more willing to risk the change than those who are not assisted in developing a solid rationale for change, or those who are mandated to change rather than assisted in doing so. The design and development of differentiate d instruction as a model began in the general education classroom. The initial application came to practice for students considered gifted but whom perhaps were not sufficiently challenged by the content provided in the general classroom setting.As classrooms have become more diverse, differentiated instruction has been applied at all levels for students of all abilities. Many authors of publications about differentiated instruction, strongly recommend that teachers adapt the practices slowly, perhaps one content area at a time. Additionally, these experts agree that teachers should share the creative load by working together to develop ideas and menus of options for students. Differentiated instruction is an instructional process that has excellent potential to positively impact learning by offering teachers a means to provide instruction to a range of students in today's classroom situations.

Discursive

Discursive EssaySean Killoran The death penalty, used from 1707 and fully abolished in 1969, was said to have cut crimes by two thirds. It is a controversial topic ever since it was created. It has taken the lives of guilty and innocent parties. In a recent survey 70% or the public want the death penalty reinstated for heavy crimes. Personally I feel the death penalty should only be used if a murderer has been proved guilty with flawless evidence. Many people feel that the death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment for any convict.It brings forward the question that would we be any better than the person standing in front of the jury ? There is also a major danger that an innocent person could be sentenced to death. There would be know way of releasing the person if there was suitable evidence from because they would be dead. For example, In 2004, the state of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for starting the fire that killed his children. The Texas Forensic Science Commi ssion found that the arson testimony that led to his conviction was based on flawed science.As of today, 138 wrongly convicted people on death row have been exonerated. One of the main reasons I feel people are against the death penalty is the cost. In Texas over 430 executions have been recorded since 1976, this has cost them $2. 3 million, which is almost three times of which it would cost to imprison a convict. This makes people think why would you pay almost three times the amount to kill a person just so the family can have ‘revenge’ and ‘justice’. There is more than one side to this argument however.The death penalty did reduce crimes by two thirds therefore making the area a safer place. This gives the impression that a ruthless and no holds barred attitude would be put towards the offender and possibly make other people who are thinking of committing think twice. Also there is no chance of re-offending as the type of people who are willing to do suc h a crime will effectively be wiped out. A judge could sentence a man to life in prison. That same man could be out of jail with 15 years. How has life in jail become known as ten to fifteen ears? If the judge says life with no parole, then the criminal could stay in jail a bit longer, but that would mean the country would have to take care of the prisoner for twenty to twenty five years. How can we trust the murderers and thieves of our country to a law that will either let them out in ten years or have us take care of them for twenty years, and then let them go? The criminals do not fear the punishment anymore, because they know they will not die. Punishment is meant to be feared by the convict and to keep him from doing it again.I am not saying we execute all of the criminals in the world, but it has to remain an option for the courts to use and to scare the criminals of the country. Many criminals don't fear the law. They know that they will get out in ten years if they murder s omeone. They are not afraid of jail or their punishment. How can we force them to stop killing or stealing if they are not afraid of the punishment we give them. Most rational men are afraid of death. They don't want to die. There are also men that don't fear death, but enjoy killing.They must be controlled, but if they are sentenced to life, they are soon free to kill again. Again, I am not saying we should kill all the men in jail and any other criminal in the world. That is not the answer either, but we must have the death penalty as an option so that they will be afraid to break the law, and to control those who don't fear death but love to break the law. The Death Penalty has proven to have good benefits upon the country in determining the consequences that criminals deserve. This is needed to ensure the safety of society.If this is the case, there is no need for us to consider the expenses involved in the death penalty. Certainly human lives are more important, for it may easi ly be yours. We should not abolish the death penalty, but hold our country accountable for properly using the death penalty upon those who deserve it. Sources YYwww. wikipedia. com[->0] YYwww. answers. yahoo. com[->1] YYwww. tnjn. com[->2] Word Count: 766 [->0] – http://www. wikipedia. com/ [->1] – http://www. answers. yahoo. com/ [->2] – http://www. tnjn. com/

Dracula: Barrier of Sanity vs. Insanity Essay

The setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in the late nineteenth-century London, where the flourishing of technology is replacing people’s belief of the old superstitious ways. The characters in this novel experience contacts with the supernatural beings that is unable to be proven even by the most advanced technology at the time, which leads them to doubt their own sanity. However, the progression of the novel proves that peace is restored into the characters’ lives after their doubts and confusions about what is reality and who is really mad. Ultimately, the categorization of the sane against the mad is unnecessary since the distinguishing factors shown in the novel are ambiguous. Subsequently, no characters can truly be justified with being labelled as one type over the other. While certain characters in the novel, most notably Renfield, are placed in mental asylums for displaying mad or unstable behaviours, it does not qualify them to be categorized as mad sinc e the non-institutionalized characters undergoes irregular and unstable behaviours as well. These characters must go through their own forms of insanity to access the entirety of the truth that Dracula brings upon them, and thus they behave in ways similar to what is considered to be insane. The alternative reality Dracula brings into the logical and civilized London society can only be accessed by the characters through their own forms of insanity. Insanity is a psychological state of the mind being deranged and arousing irregular thoughts or actions (Barber 505). Sleepwalking is a form of psychological disorder resulting from troubled thoughts (Anitei). It is also thought to be a method of interacting with spirits from other realms (Anitei). During Lucy’s sleepwalking experiences, â€Å"her intention†¦disappears†¦for as soon as her will [thwarts] in any physical way† (Stoker 93). This shows that she only expresses her intention of meeting Dracula through an unnatural method. Similarly, when Jonathan â€Å"has had some fearful shock†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Stoker 108) from his experience in the castle with Dracula, he can only speak about it through nonsensical and insane ways to the sisters that took him in because not all of reality can be understood with logic and reasoning. Even Mina, whom â€Å"the good God fashioned† (Stoker 253) himself, still only connects with Dracula through abnormal behaviours shown by the quote: â€Å"She [has] risen, as if impulsively†¦and [raises] both hands, palms upwards, as if lifting a weight† (Stoker 374). All these characters acknowledge the existence to vampirism and Dracula’s powers through irregular behaviours, which shows that it is within human nature to use insanity as a form of psychological relief from the difficult reality. Asides from accepting the threats that Dracula presents, the characters continue to behave in characteristic commonly deemed as insane such as being emotionally unstable, and odd. Quincy Morris, who is known for his logical leadership skills, for he â€Å"has always been the one to arrange the plan of action† (Stoker 331), expresses passionate outbreaks when his mind is unable to tolerate the displeasing reality. He loses self-control and cries to his companions that â€Å"[He] shall not wait for any opportunity. When [he] see that box [of dirt he] shall destroy the monster, though†¦[he] is to be wiped out for the next moment (Stoker 356). Jonathan shows similar behaviour when he pities himself for living such an unfortunate fate of having a wife that is contaminated with â€Å"the vampire’s baptism of blood† (Stoker 350). He loses his pride in front of his friends and â€Å"[flings] himself on his knees beside her†¦and [hides] his face in the folds of her dress† (Stoker 355). He even openly admits that â€Å"[his] emotion [is] too great for even the relief of tears† (Stoker 355). Being unable to contain emotion is equivalent to admitting defeat to manhood and dignity, which men place at high values at the time. The fact alone that Jonathan freely gives up on these qualities by exposing his emotionally unstable behaviour irregular, so being irregular as well as unstable shows that he can be qualified for being insane. Lastly, the character Van Helsing, who is the wisest among the pack of friends, also â€Å"[gives] away to a regular fit of hysterics† (Stoker 186) when staying calm and logical is not satisfying enough to express his current situation. If even the wisest man can act unstable, then it shows that the average, sane, citizens habiting in Britain can also lose self-control, and act insane at times. At the same time, the less mentally stable characters are able to demonstrate philosophical thoughts and reasoning, very similar to the other educated and non-institutionalized characters. This is most notable for the character Renfield, who is a patient at the mental asylum operated by Jack Seward. Renfield is able to speak with proper reasoning when he chooses to, and descriptio ns regarding Renfield often results in the use of paradox or other forms of contrast. When Renfield feels there is the need, he will engage in proper conversations regarding theories and historical allusions. During the time that he is persuading his doctor, Seward, to release him from the asylum because he feels that he is a endangering them, he uses proper persuasive strategy to express his goal. He first recognizes that his target audience is not Seward alone, since his friends Morris, Lord Godalming, and Van Helsing are also present. He immediate decides to appeal to his audiences’ pathos by praising their honour and background. He alludes to the Declaration of Independence and the Monroe Doctrine of the United States when he compliments to Morris that â€Å"the power of the Treaty may yet prove a vast engine of enlargement, when the Monroe doctrine takes its true place as a political fable† (Stoker 263). Being the madman that he is labelled as, he proves to have a vast amount of knowledge by referring to information from outside of his home country. Following the statement, seeing that it is not enough to win over his audience, Renfield attempts to appeal to their logos by expressing a philosophical statement that â€Å"when an individual has revolutionised therapeutically†¦conventional forms are unfitting, since they would seem to limit him to one of a class† (Stoker 263). This type of behaviour with strategic and logical response is certainly uncommon for individuals deemed as insane, so it ironically questions the sanity of the people who brought him to the asylum in the first place. In addition, when describing the character Renfield, Stoker often uses contrasting devices to heighten the true quality of this character. After Renfield’s attempt to persuade them, Morris comments with the use of paradox that â€Å"[Renfield] is about the sanest lunatic [he] ever [sees]† (Stoker 267). Also, even Seward is astonished by Renfield’s impressive behaviour that â€Å"[he] at once [makes] the introduction† (Stoker 262) for Renfield and his friends, addressing Renfield as â€Å"Mr. Renfield† (Stoker 262). This can be contrasted to an earlier diary entry made by Seward when he refers to Renfield as â€Å"R.M. Renfield, aetat 59† (Stoker 65), showing that Renfield is nothing other than a subject of study to the doctor. This shows that Renfield is capable of both expressing himself freely as well as with proper manner, and that he changes between the two at will to fit the situations he occurs in. This puts the appropriateness his treatment in question, since his behaviour contradicts the way he is expected to behave. Overall, Renfield’s behaviour can be concluded with Seward’s alliterative paradox that â€Å"there is a method in his madness† (Stoker 74). With this in mind, the parallel between the sane and insane characters can be seen through the similarities between Renfield and Seward. Seward is known for his unique diary keeping style of recording his oral recounts of daily events on a phonograph. He does so because â€Å"to write with a pen is irksome to [him]† (Stoker 365), since he likes to make sure every detail is being recorded without the troubles of having muscles cramps. It is Seward himself that recognizes this similarity between his patient Renfield and himself: â€Å"He [closes] [his] daily account most accurately† (Stoker 76). Also, both of these characters display strong faith towards people they trust despite external influences. Renfield shows strong devotion and loyalty towards Dracula because of his belief that Dracula is able to fulfill his desire of consuming lives. He recognizes that Dracula is harmful in nature, but still remains loyal to him. At the same time, Dr. Seward keeps a blind faith towards his old friend Van Helsing purely because he trusts the professor’s wisdom from his experiences. At times, Van Helsing’s conclusions are too abstract for Seward to comprehend, but he never fails to obey and aid him to the best of his abilities. The nature of these two characters’ relationship intently sets them to have contrasting sanity levels, however the similarities between their habits and attitudes contradicts this, which shows that the state of sanity cannot be accurately placed upon an individual even despite their occupation. Through the supernatural experiences through course of the novel, Seward comes to the conclusion that: â€Å"[he] sometimes think [they] must be all mad and that [they] shall wake to sanity in strait waistcoats† (Stoker 295). Being the scientist that Seward is, the most significant character change he undergoes is that he opens up his mind and learns to accept new things. The significance of his conclusion is that the sanity of people is not always what others think it should be. He does not deny the possibility that he can, in fact, be mad, just as how Renfield is able to calmly declare his perfect sanity: â€Å"I am no lunatic in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul† (Stoker 266). The confusion of how Seward is the psychologist and how Renfield is his patient is again aroused, which shows that these characters does not fit the one state of sanity labelled on them. All the characters are able to demonstrate traits of being mentally unstable as well as being reasonable and logical. The barrier between sanity and madness is then blurred as the sane and mad behave in very similar ways and shows that same attitude towards their interests. Since â€Å"all men are mad in some way or other† (Stoker 128), it becomes unreasonable and unnecessary to strictly place an individual under either one of these categories. Note to self: http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Causes-of-Sleepwalking-85332.shtml

The Knowledge Management Challenge Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Knowledge Management Challenge - Assignment Example These three types of knowledge are what form the intellectual capital that is needed by PolySpec as it evolves. (1) Internal process knowledge related to PolySpec work processes This includes the trade secrets of the company such as patents and technical papers, the composition of the products especially the ratio of combinations, acquisitions, and their competitive advantages, blueprints and formulas. This is in addition to the internal operations and communications of the company that is not open to the public such as confidential conversations and documents. For example, Buddy holds four patents, has published several technical papers and he has hands-on management style (Fielder, et al n.d, P.2). PolySpec has made several acquisitions including Selby Battersby, Thiokol Formulated Products, and Flowcrete Plc (UK) with each merger bringing in new competitive advantage and products (Fielder, et al n.d, P.2). ... (2) External process knowledge related to client tasks and projects This includes the knowledge of upcoming disputes regarding clients’ quality of workmanship, technical assistance to contractors, claims of mislabeled products, and product failures related to job conditions. For example, PolySpec technical personnel provide most of the technical support through informal ways such as telephone conversations (Fielder, et al n.d, P.1). Also, the following litigations are as a result of product or project failure associated with PolySpec and its subcontractors: Instafreeze, Inc. vs. Environchem Technology and PolySpec Corp; W.J. Enterprises, Inc. vs. PolySpec Corp; Ladell Alexander, et al vs. American Cyanamid, et al; and B-Z-B, Inc, vs. Slip Free Systems, Inc, and PolySpec, L.P. (Fielder, et al n.d, P.7). The external knowledge process belongs to the knowledge acquisition stage of the knowledge management process. (3) Product knowledge This includes the knowledge of company produ ct categories, products professional opinions, product catalogs, product labels and product knowledge available on the company website.

Practical Windows Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Practical Windows Security - Assignment Example If a statement from a security prospective integrates Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures identifiers, we can then rapidly and exactly get admittance to the predetermined information in one or else more isolated CVE-compatible warehouses, ways and services to rectify the difficulty. In addition, through Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, our tools and services are competent enough to "respond" (i.e., swap data) to each other. However, we will be acquainted with precisely what each take in for the reason that Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures offers us a level of comparison proposed for evaluating the behavior of our tools. This outlines that we are proficient to find out which tools are mainly effectual and suitable for convening our businesss requirements. Briefly explaining, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures compatible benefits, tools and databases will offer us much better reporting, fairly easy capability to share and make use of information, and improved safety (IPA, 2 009), (Skoudis, 2010) & (Mitre, 2010) Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures is an industry which is authorized by the CVE Editorial Board and by many associations and organizations that have confirmed their goods CVE-compatible or else incorporate CVE identifier in their retailer observant as well as safety consultants. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures content must be accepted by the CVE Editorial Board that generally includes prime professionals from the information security society (Mitre, 2010). This report is designed to provide deep and comprehensive analysis of some of the main issues and areas of the Practical Windows Security. In this report I am going to discuss and analyze some of the prime aspects of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) and its connection to the Windows security management as well as organization. For this reason I will assess one of Windows security aspects

Describe climate and soil classifications, using raw data and thematic Essay

Describe climate and soil classifications, using raw data and thematic maps - Essay Example The main objective of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of landsite, thematic mapper to help in soil classification in Johannesburg in South Africa. Climate system is based on the location of hot and cold air-mass region and the atmospheric circulation created by trade winds in wester-lies. South Africa soil classification is based on the location and the kind of climate being experienced and the location of the place. Thematic mapper (TM) scene from the Johannesburg, in South Africa, mapped with the soil taxonomy system becomes the preferred city of attention. In that case four sensing approaches were created to determine the best method to identify soil mapping-units. They were named as simple, technical, scaled and complex approaches. The agreement to use the TM data was tested using the matrix approach in a supervised classification, where spectral signatures were selected by separability analysis and applying the transformed divergence technique. The table fully describes the entire approaches that were utilized by the climatologists to obtain their data. The statistical accuracy and the data reduction of a thirty years span makes technical approach of obtaining data the most appropriate in this situation. Monitoring and assessing the state of earth and its climate is the key requirement to the global change research. Managing climate and vegetation, requires a lot of study that is much complex than that of soil classification. The classification and mapping of vegetation is a time consuming process and it takes scientist and experts for accurate data to be relied upon. The use of Koppen climate classification system is the most widely used for classifying world climate in both a simple and complicated manor. Classification system use today was developed from the one introduced by the Russian-German climatologist Koppen in 1900. He divided Earth’s climatic regions to generally coincide with world pattern of

Approaches to the 'city' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Approaches to the 'city' - Essay Example In one of the poems, cities are described as man’s tight hold on nature. The attitude of the poets reveals that in the eyes of architectural philosophers such as Constant Nieuwenhuys and Le Corbusier cities are a nuisance. To the above men, architecture has lost its way due to the confusion and the lack of uniformity, which has become the hallmark of modern cities. In Constant Nieuwenhuys and Le Corbusier’s theories, there is a relentless quest for cities to regain their lost glory, which to them can only be achieved by enhancing uniformity. The modern day cities are problematic which may be attributable to the state or architecture. Looking back, architecture has given us beautiful buildings such the Westminster Abbey and the tower of Piazza. In addition, architecture has also created beautiful cities such as Venice, Nancy and old Paris. However, it is vital to consider the contextual challenges that architecture is encountering if at all solutions will be coined for the appalling conditions of the modern cities. To begin with, it is vital to pose certain critical queries, which should provide guidance going forwards. Is it practical or realistic for modern architecture to hold on to the ideals that have guided architects in the past? Are the ideals of past architecture relevant in the present day? And if so, which ideals should we embrace? In the past, the most dominant values were simplicity and uniformity (Le Corbusier 1976, 32). One of the dominant characters of cities is the disparity in the individual cells or ho use units, which form the city. Individualism should take an equal share of the blame for the present state of the cities. According to Le Corbusier, there is need to establish certain standards which will guide construction. The emergence of discipline, astuteness and concord are the only factors, which can help the modern city rediscover uniformity, which exemplified past

Innovation is the HVAC field - Thermoelectric cooling components Research Paper

Innovation is the HVAC field - Thermoelectric cooling components - Research Paper Example The technology has since been used to cool temperatures of devices by creating heat sinks for different electronic materials. The most recent applications of this type of technology are the â€Å"wristify† cooling system invented by four MIT students. The â€Å"wristify† is used for maintaining the body temperature at a personal level. This they managed through the use of two different conductors and a very small battery. In order for the cooling to take place, the then a DC current is applied so as to initiate the movement of electrons. The efficiency in thermo-electric cooling, depends on materials be selected keenly. Many thermo-electric coolers made today are from an alloy of Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3). Thermo-electric cooling poses very advantages like lack of mechanical maintenance and ability to be used in very small places. The technology has a place in the future since there is a possible use of the technology in marine engineering of submarines, night vision a nd many more others. Prototype wearable 'air-conditioning' device According to fox news, In the MIT, four engineering students have been able to develop a wrist worn body cooling device that is based upon the Peltier Effect and theory. The device code named wristify employs a series of two different conductors that are referred to as the Peltier cooler. The device is powered a very small battery and then attached to a wrist wrap so as to hold it in place. For the device to reduce the body temperature, it starts by reducing the wrist temperature in degree fractions every second for a specified time period. However, the students have not arrived at the correct time calculations, but they say that a reasonable cooling effect is achieved when the wrist is cooled by 0.4 degrees Celsius for five seconds. After this session, the device goes off for 10 seconds and maintains the interval. However, the four students are still on the process of calculating for optimal timings so as to perfect the device. The Wristify is one of the major breakthrough in human attempt to thermo-electric cooling (Balmer, 2011). With this device, a different person will be able to customize their own temperature ranges without affecting others. This is an aspect that many will appreciate. This rate of success is a sign that with the rise in advance technology and availability of resources, thermo-electric cooling can be utilized in areas that people had never imagined before. Thermo-electric cooling Definition Thermo-electric cooling refers to an application of the Peltier Effect to create a difference in temperature between two materials of different type. A thermo-electric cooler is usually a solid stated active that is able to transfer heat from one side of a device to the other. This is possible based on the following physical theories. First, when two different conductors are under electric contact, there is an electron flow out of the conductor that is less bound into the other conductor in which electrons are more. This is possible because of the dif ference in Fermi level between the two devices used as conductors. The Fermi level shows the difference in energy levels that are contained in different conductors occupied by electrons, and those that are not occupied. Therefore, when two conductors of different Fermi levels. This can be easily compared to diffusion in which molecules move from an area of high concentration to that of low concentration. How it works In order for the cooling to take

Pepperdine University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pepperdine University - Essay Example The reason I choose this university is because I want to be part of a unique learning environment in which I am able to contribute to the mission and vision of the educational institution. I believe that it is better to give than to receive. During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to helping others whenever I could. Once I become a member of your prestigious institution I plan on donating as much of my time as possible in volunteer work. In order to find volunteering opportunities I plan to reach out to the local churches, non-profit organizations, and governmental institutions. One of the most gratifying experiences in my life occurred a few years ago when I volunteered at a homeless shelter. I worked serving meals to people in need. It was amazing seen the gratitude and positive reaction of these human beings that were going through some harsh times. While searching through the schools’ website I noticed that there is an alumni association that is doing great work in the community. I definitely would like to become a member of this student association. This would give me the opportunity to help others, while at the same time being given the opportunity to meet new people that have the same interest as me of helping out humanity.

Personal statement of character Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal statement of character - Essay Example hat the maker of drugs should have the traits that are required to understand the philosophy behind the administration of drugs and their role in healing. When I first considered being a pharmacist, I did not base my decision on my mere aptitude at math and chemistry; it was also my personal qualities that motivated me to pursue a profession which is a crucial cog in the healing process. One of the most important qualities that can be of great assistance to me in my career as a pharmacist is my compassion for others. During my nursing profession, I often found myself empathizing sincerely with the patients and understanding their pain and suffering. My experience as a nurse has made me sensitive to the suffering of the people and the pain that they have to bear due to disturbances in their normal physiological functions. Bearing this in mind, my focus when preparing drugs would be solely to mitigate the pain and affliction of these people. I am a compassionate by nature and my poised and calm personality can be a great asset during my professional practice as a pharmacist. My experience as a nurse has equipped me with the skill of appeasing patients- an attribute that I feel is necessary for satisfying frightened and stressed customers. I am also good at sports and have remained an active sportsperson in tennis and basketball in my school and college years. Being a team member and working with the rest of the team members have equipped me with a very valuable trait- team work. The profession of pharmacy requires that the pharmacist interacts with a number of professionals from the health care field. These include doctors, drug retailers, lab technicians etc. Working in teams for the success of the team and assisting team members to improve their performance has not only made me more helpful but has also made me more goal-driven. My ambition has enabled me to deliver excellent results when working on my own. Table tennis is a sport that requires players to develop

Put the best subject you fell its good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Put the best subject you fell its good - Essay Example This may involve the frequency with which earthquakes are experienced in certain regions. In addition, seismicity may refer to the type of earthquake as well as the size of the earthquake experienced in certain regions. Earthquakes are characterized by the shaking of the earth surface, leading to deaths, destruction of properties as well as changes in the physical features of the landscape. Earthquakes can manifest in several fault types. These include the reverse fault, the normal fault as well as the strike-slip faults (Sinvhal, 2010). Each type of fault is associated with a range of earthquake magnitude. Earthquakes majorly occur in volcanic regions. In such regions, tectonic faults as well as magma movements mostly cause them. It is of crucial significance to note that earthquakes are measured through the use of seismometers. These instruments are quite beneficial in measuring the intensity of the earthquake whenever they occur in any region. In addition, the seismometers are also beneficial in measuring other aspects of earthquakes relating to the magnitude of such an earthquake (Sinvhal, 2010). The earthquakes of very low magnitudes are measured using special instruments specifically adapted for such earthquakes of lower magnitudes. One of these instruments for measuring low magnitude earthquakes is called Ritcher scale, which is a part of the seismometer. It is of crucial significance to note that earthquakes occur when the rocks underground break and move under intense pressure and stress. The vibrations associated with the earthquakes makes the rocks underground to break. This leads to release of lots of energy from beneath the ground. This energy is very strong and is capable of causing massive destructions to the landscape itself, infrastructure, structures as well as property (Brumbaugh, 2010). Moreover, the energy released from the underground following the incidences of

East of Eden Essay Example for Free

East of Eden Essay In John Steinbeck’s novel, East of Eden, the deprivation of a sound conscience is a theme that is associated with Cathy Ames, and afflicts the people around her. The author uses foreshadowing to portray the future of Cathy and her multiple victims. By doing so, the author builds onto the characterization of Cathy, revealing how truly malevolent she is. From birth, Cathy is foreshadowed to develop into something monstrous. The author claims that he â€Å"believe(s) there are monsters born in the world to human parents† (72). Even though she has not been physically presented to the reader yet, Cathy is about to be portrayed as the main evil in this novel. This prelude to Cathy’s characterization foreshadows the evil that will come with her presence. Cathy’s reign of terror begins when she burns her own house down, and â€Å"the frightened talk ran through the town that the whole Ames family had burned† (87). This action corresponds to the foreshadowing presented by the author’s description of monsters being born to human parents. By committing such an inhumane act, the reader gains the knowledge that Cathy has no conscience. Cathy’s tirade did not end there, and after giving birth to Adam, and possibly Charles’, babies and trying to leave him, â€Å"she shot at him. The heavy slug struck him in the shoulder and flattened and tore out a piece of his shoulder blade† (202). Cathy’s ability to kill the father of her children without even considering the severity of her actions shows how much of a monster Cathy truly is. The actions performed by Cathy at such an early stage in the story only foreshadows to the reader that she has not yet ended her path of destruction. Cathy’s inner evil is revealed at birth, and, at a young age, she discovers that she holds powers that can be used to manipulate others. From birth Cathy is foreshadowed to be pure evil, and she â€Å"learned when she was very young that sexuality with all its attendant yearnings and pains, jealousies and taboos, is the most disturbing impulse humans have† (75). It is disturbing that Cathy realizes her sexual capabilities at such a young age. The way Cathy’s thought process is presented, it can be seen that Cathy plans to abuse her powers, foreshadowing conflicts to arise in the future. It did not take long for Cathy to utilize her powers, and â€Å"at ten Cathy knew something of the power of the sex impulse and began coldly to experiment with it† (75). Cathy’s ‘experimentation’ with sexual power at such a young age helps further depict her as a malevolent being with no conscience. The fact that she begins abbling in sexual activities, at an age where most don’t even know what sex is, foreshadows that there can only be trouble to come from involvement with Cathy. Years pass and, as foreshadowed, Cathy becomes a major contributor to her local brothel. When speaking of her regular customers with the brothel’s owner, Faye, Cathy tells her to â€Å"look at the heel marks on their groins†¦ I’ve got the sweetest set of razors all in a case† (236). Cathy has been secretly sodomizing and extorting extra money from her regulars, showing she is not content with the amount of control she already possesses. Her actions foreshadow that Cathy’s search for power is never ending, foreshadowing she will continue her malicious acts until someone is capable of stopping her. At birth Cathy is depicted to be monstrous, which is proven true by the actions she displays while growing as a child. The realization of the many powers she possesses are developed and abused by Cathy, showing she disregards all others well being in her search for total control. Such actions can only be performed by those who have no sound conscience, and have no fear of the consequences posed by society.

The Dangers Of Cyber Bullying

The Dangers Of Cyber Bullying Todays children and young people have grown up in a world that is very different from that of most adults. As mobile phones and internet use become increasingly common, so has the misuse of technology. Many young people experience the internet and mobile phones as a positive, productive and creative part of their activities and development of their identities; information communication technologies support social activity that allows young people to feel connected to their peers. This research will explore the various ways that cyber bullying has become prominent in todays youth. Bullying does not only prevail in schools now, but also in the Internet. Todays technology and internet play a major role in cyber bullying. Every day of our lives we are exposed to the benefits of technology; innovations such as mobile phones enable us to communicate, and collaborate more effectively than before. However, in the possession of those who wish to inflict harm upon others, these inventions can be leveraged for nefarious purposes. One severely dangerous and unfortunately obscure application of technology is cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is when a child or teen is threatened, humiliated, or harassed by another child or teen using the internet, mobile phones, or any other digital technology. Cyber bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, intended to harm (Belsley). Cyber bullying has been used to augment bullying that is occurring in school. The major differences between cyber bullying and traditional bullying are that the bully does not have to see the victims reaction to the harassment, the victim can remain anonymous, the harassment can occur at anytime, and the audience has the potential to be worldwide. Parents are not currently familiar with cyber bullying, but this aspect of cyber bullying will change with time. Many of the strategies that were successful with traditional bullying could be applied to cyber bullying. If adults become involved in this kind of behavior, it is called adult cyber-harassment (YoungWomensHealth). This is a far cry from the bullying behavior from days gone by. I interviewed people from two different generations. Carrie was in high school in the late 1940s. Alana: Was your school setting similar to that of today? Carrie: No, we were all taught in a one room schoolhouse. Grades one to seven learned lessons together. Alana: Was there any bullying going on back then? Carrie: No. Just chiding or what some folks call doing the dozens. Children were accustomed to behaving. They cared about what their parents thought. They never wanted to embarrass their parents. It was respectful almost all of the time. Alana: Did any child kill themselves over being picked on? Carrie: No. Never. Alana: Thank you for your input. Aishah was in high school in the 1980s. Alana: How were children bullied when you were in school, and was there a lot of it? Aishah: Oh yeah. There was bullying back in those school days. It wasnt viscious like it is today, though. Alana: What did children do or say? Aishah: They would write ugly messages on bathroom stalls and student desks or pass ugly notes in class. Alana: Did anyone fight over rumors and name-calling? Aishah: They fought and were friends the next day. Alana: You all used computers. Who was bullied by computer? Aishah: Please, not too many people had a home computer. They were kind of expensive back then, and we played Space Invaders and one other game on them. Thats it. Alana: Did teens and pre-teens have cell phones or other electronic communication devices at that time. Aishah: Oh absolutely not. Those were very expensive back then, as were the charges. Only doctors, lawyers and drug dealers carried cell phones and pagers. Alana: Does it seems as though all of the new electronic forms of communication have contributed to cyber bullying. Aishah: I do. 100 percent! Numerous physical and mental ailments can ensue from online harassment in youth and adults all over the world. Whereas traditional bullying is confined usually within school boundaries, cyber-bullying can take place at any time or place, even in the privacy of ones home. Therefore, students who are electronically engaged can be cyber bullied at any time. Options for escape are extremely limited, with the principal options being either to cease using the Internet or ignore the harasser. Preliminary research by Willard suggests cyber-bullying may produce even more damage to youth, with such consequences ranging from low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, depression, school absenteeism, poor grades, an increased tendency to violate against others, to youth suicide (Willard). Examples of cyber bullying are sending threatening or offensive e-mails, instant messages, or cell phone text messages directly to the victim (WiredKids). Some cyber bullies berate their intended victims by sending mass e-mails, or text messages, to a large group of their peers to humiliate them. The appeal of using instant messaging, email or other communication platforms for bullies is the advantage of covert humiliation. Users can hide behind their IP address, which is little accountability for their actions, and the probability of the abuse being traced to an individual culprit being slim to none. Temporary email accounts and pseudonyms in chat rooms, instant messaging programs, and other Internet venues can make it very difficult for individuals to determine the identity of aggressors. The nature of much of this of this cruelty also prevents blame from being duly laid. The phenomena deals more with the ability to reach such a wide audience and humiliate, threaten, or virtually destroy the reputation of another with a single click of a mouse or the send button on a mobile phone. Although rumors spread fast with word of mouth, they are not able to reach as many people in such a short period of time as they would with text messaging. It is very difficult to defend oneself from cyber bullying when the audience is vast, and the perpetrator is often anonymous. Those who bully others seek to establish power and control over others that they perceive to be weaker than them (Belsley). The motivation of bullies is sometimes due to a lack of confidence and a desire for control. Bullying on the computer is quite cowardly, because the perpetrator wont confront their victim in person. The lack of face-to-face interaction in cyber bullying, reduces empathy in bullies and the fear of getting caught. Cyber bullying is strange thing. Although there is no physical violence, cyber bullying can be more frightening to the targets because there are, potentially, an unlimited number of witnesses. When bullying is anonymous, targets are unaware of whom to watch out for or respond to attacks; which can lead to feelings of helplessness. Over half of teenagers who are targeted by cyber bullies never actually report it. Cyber bullying often occurs away from adults. Therefore, witnesses or bystanders to cyber bullying have a very important role to play when it comes to putting an end to it. They represent social consensus and in this capacity, have an important role to play in stopping or supporting cyber bullying (BeWebAware). The latest technologies used by cyber bullies are camera phones, built-in digital cameras into the phones, add new dimensions to the problem. Cyber bullies use them to take pictures of a victim in the restroom or locker rooms and post them on the web or send them to others through e-mail or picture messaging on a cell phone. Violent fights at schools are captured by students on their mobile phones and then sent to others or posted on websites like YouTube, MySpace, or Face book for others to view and comment on, causing harm to the victims. Now school administrators and teachers are being asked to oversee students in cyberspace, which anyone can access just about anywhere, anytime, day or night (Franek). If the offending media is a video file of a schoolgirl in a compromising situation that is being shared from phone to phone, is everyone who has a copy of the file worthy of punishment? It is these issues, and many more that have prompted a timely increase in the awareness of cyber b ullying. On social networking sites, they allow you to tag the names of people who appear in a photo. This simple act can lead to cyber bullying, as these photos will appear in any search engine under the persons name, allowing the victims to be exposed. Children and teens write messages for all of their friends to see in blogs. However, kids sometimes use these blogs to damage one anothers reputations or invade their privacy (WiredKids). Sometimes teens set up fake profile pages, impersonating others, degrading them and saying things designed to harm and humiliate them. MySpace is the number one social networking site for high school age students and younger. Most kids use MySpace to set up profiles and share information about themselves, their favorite music, Hollywood stars and other interests with kids in their school or neighborhood. For most, MySpace represents a fun form of self-expression that utilizes the latest online technology. However it is executed, cyber bullying on MySpace remains a significant problem. While many chalk it up to kids being kids, more and more are starting to realize that a nasty post on someones MySpace page is as bad or worse that a taunt yelled across the schoolyard. Facebook is similar to MySpace except that it is geared towards a slightly older audience, the music and customization functionality is a lot less robust than found on MySpace, but is still being used by cyber bullies to harass their classmates and ex-friends. The rules of engagement are similar to those found in MySpace. People will either use their own profile to harass others, or create fake identities and build profiles to harass other people or dupe them into thinking another person is interested in them, romantically or as a friend. When on Facebook, sometimes you get requests from people you dont know through your friends. Many teens want to seem popular so they accept the unknown people, to expand their friends to try and get as many as possible. When a friend doesnt like something youve said or done, they can bad mouth you to the people that are on your friends list. One of the fastest growing social media enterprises, Twitter, allows people to follow one another by posting regular updates about their activities. Twitter is seeing a growing number of cyber bullying incidents as more and more kids figure out how to post hateful, harassing information about their friends and deliver it via Tweet to as many followers of the site as they can. In the most extreme cases of cyber bullying, many kids are going to the trouble of building entire websites from scratch in order to use them to humiliate another individual. A common method for doing this is to buy a URL from godaddy.com that humiliates the target such as: www.ambersisugly.com, then fill it with unkind postings and photos. Photoshopping a person into uncompromising positions is a highly used form of cyber bullying, then spreading word about the site to others via email, social networking, etc. Many kids today are playing interactive games on gaming devices such as X-Box Live and Sony Play Station 2 Network. Multiplayer online games and virtual worlds can be venues for harassment and cyber bullying. These gaming devices allows teens to communicate by chat and live Internet phone with anyone they find themselves matched with in an online game. Sometimes the kids verbally abuse the other kids, using threats and crude language. Sometimes they take it further, by locking them out of games, passing false rumors about them or hacking into their accounts (Willard). Yet, interactive gaming is what kids and teens enjoy the most. And what used to be a solitary and isolating activity is now a community and social activity. As entertaining as interactive gaming is, parents should be aware that their children can speak, using their own voice, with strangers online. Xbox comes with built-in parental controls, which prevent the child from using voice chat until the parent feels they are able to handle it safely. They need to be aware that networked gaming devices offer voice chat (WiredKids). They also need to understand that many other interactive voiced games can be accessed online using an ordinary headset. Some teens who get involved in cyber bullying dont realize the impact or consequence of what they say online or in a text message. They may feel that saying something online or via a text message is not as bad as if they said it in person. The bully then sits back and gains gratification from seeing others engage in destructive behavior towards each other (Field). It may even start out as a joke. Others use cyber bullying because they dont have the courage to say something face to face. Either way you look at it, cyber bullying is wrong because the remarks are usually untrue, very hurtful and can be damaging to the victim. If educators and administrators could create and use blogs to educate students about cyber-bullying in language that students can understand and to which they can relate, it may be a more appropriate medium for implementing guidelines as opposed to the more traditional and older-fashioned approaches. Web blogs represent a new medium for computer-mediated communication that may offer discernment into the ways of young peoples self-expression and relationships in peer groups. Schools need to educate students and parents about cyber bullying. They need to inform parents and students of acceptable computer use policies in writing at the beginning of the school year and strictly reinforce these policies throughout the school year. It is recommended that there be a clause in the policy allowing school officials to discipline students for violating the acceptable use policies when not using school computers under certain circumstances (COPS). The policies should be posted visibly in areas where computers will be used by students. A penalty for students violating any acceptable policy should be suspension of their computer privileges. All children and teens have a way of showing their emotions or signs that something is wrong. Parents and teachers sometimes mistake these signs as normal behavior. It is not until this behavior gets out of hand or creates problems, that someone grows concerned and begins to ask questions. Signs that a child is being cyber bullied can vary. A few things to look for are: signs of emotional distress during or after using the internet, withdrawal from friends and activities, avoidance of school or group gatherings, slipping grades and acting out in anger at home, or changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or appetite (KidsHealth). Children who are victims of cyber bullying normally do not tell anyone, because they feel afraid or are embarrassed. There have been many high profile and tragic incidents in the media in recent years which have linked adolescent suicides to experiences with cyber bullying. The connection between suicide and interpersonal aggression is certainly nothing new, as a number of studies have documented the association between bullying and suicide. Those who experience bullying, and those who bully, report higher levels of suicidal ideation and are more likely to have attempted suicide. Some people who end their lives or attempt suicide might be trying to escape feelings of rejection, hurt, or loss. Others might be angry, ashamed, or guilty about something. Some people may be worried about disappointing friends or family members. And some may feel unwanted, unloved, victimized, or like theyre a burden to others (KidsHealth). The following is an account of real-life examples. Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri was, by all accounts, a sweet, loving young lady. Megans parents vigilantly monitored Megans Internet use, going so far as refusing to give Megan access to her own MySpace account unless one of them was there to input the secret password. Shortly before her fourteenth birthday, a cute boy name Josh sent Megan an electronic request to be added as a friend to her MySpace account. For the next six weeks, Megan and Josh exchanged on-line correspondence and Megan began to have a rosier outlook on life as there was now a cute boy who thought she was pretty; Megan had suffered for years with weight issues and depression. Suddenly, and inexplicably, Megan received a message from Josh ending their on-line relationship because he had heard that she was not nice to her friends. Josh had also shared some of the private content of their prior conversations with other classmates on MySpac e which led those classmates to launch an online attack against her, calling her vicious names. Later that evening, Megans mother found her hanging by a belt in her bedroom closet; she died the next day. Sadly, Megans story gets much worse. Weeks later it would be revealed that Josh was an imaginary persona, allegedly created by the mother of one of Megans former friends. The mother, the former friend, an eighteen-year-old employee of the mother, and several other of Megans classmates all took turns pretending to be Josh, writing messages and causing Megan to reveal personal and private information to an audience that she believed was a cute boy that liked her (Pokin). Eerily similar, is the story of thirteen-year-old Ryan Halligan of Essex Junction, Vermont. Ryan had struggled during his early years in school and had self-esteem issues as a result. Beginning in the fifth grade, he was bullied by another boy in school. The bullying persisted until seventh grade when Ryan was able to fend for himself during a physical altercation with the bully. After that, Ryan and the bully became friends and Ryan revealed potentially embarrassing confidences to the boy. The boy then revealed these stories to classmates via the Internet, starting rumors about Ryans sexual orientation. Later that summer, Ryan began chatting on-line with one of the most popular girls in school. Like Megan Meier, he felt comfortable enough with the girl to discuss topics that he would not necessarily want others to know about. When the school year began, Ryan approached the girl only to be rejected in front of her friends. She informed Ryan that the on-line relationship had been a joke, and that she had shared the contents of their chats with her friends. Unable to deal with the humiliation, Ryan committed suicide (Halligan). These are extremes but far from unique examples of devastation wrought by cyber bullying. Since Halligan and Meierss death, more and more children are logging onto the internet, so its likely that online bullying, including sending threatening messages, displaying private messages and posting embarrassing video and photos online, is also increasing. There are no laws that specifically address cyber bullying. Cyber bullying offences can fall under other laws depending on the state. Victims of cyber bullying should not respond to the cyber bully, as the situation can escalate into serious incidents offline. Keeping electronic and printed evidence to document incidents and reporting serious incidents to law enforcement officials is recommended. What can you do to protect yourself and your family from the consequences of cyber bullying? First, get involved with your childs online activities. Require that all passwords be divulged to you, and make it a policy to audit regularly. If your child has an online web page, such as those on MySpace, visit it often to see what he or she is posting. This includes both the parents of the bullies and the victims. Next, there needs to be frank talk to other parents about what is going on in your childs online life. You would be surprised how much other parents could tell you about your own child. Finally, if your child is bullying someone, make sure he knows the potential educational, criminal or financial consequences of such behavior. If you discover that your child is a victim of bullying, consider having her see a counselor to ensure that there are no issues that would cause her to crack under the pressure. Although most kids are able to live through the ordeal, there are some kids such as Megan and Ryan who may have underlying issues that need to be addressed (Curier). Finally, if your child is being ridiculed for an issue that could be easily improved with the proper attention, parents should not delay in getting help for the youngster. This issue is not going away, and begs for much more attention and a host of solutions to cease what is definitely one of the most troubling trends of our times.

Goal And Objectives Of A Spar Business Tourism Essay

Goal And Objectives Of A Spar Business Tourism Essay Through its vast network of research on the consumer and industry, some researchers were pinpointed the following spa industry trends: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spa is a Lifestyle: Research shows that more than 2 million spa-goers took part in lifestyle classes in 2005. Examples of lifestyle offerings include healthy cooking classes, seminars on achieving balance and managing stress and treatments which allow guests to customize their own at-home spa experience. more people are embracing the spa experience as it is linked to lifestyle decisions based on health and wellness. Issues such as stress, obesity, and environmental toxins being serious concerns, many spas are incorporating lifestyle elements, which include fitness, diet and overall health into the traditional treatment-based spa concept. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spa Visits are Necessary and an Entitlement: This trend is catching particularly among baby boomers. The most common reasons for visiting spas include soothing sore joints/muscles, relieving/reducing stress to feel better about oneself and for mental/emotional health. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Looking for Results: People expect more than just pampering from their spa visits simply. More than one in ten spa-goers treat spa-going as part of their larger health and wellness lifestyle. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Medical Components: The annual growth of 69 percent from 2003 to 2005 shows that medical spas are one of the fastest growing segments of the industry. The most popular medical treatments are microdermabrasion, chemical peels and natural weight loss measures such as body wraps. Increasingly, the medical industry in general, and the plastic surgery sector in particular, are incorporating spa treatments such as acupuncture and naturotherapy into their service structure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Living at the Spa: Spas are adding residential components and real estate developers are building spas in gated communities and condominiums. For example it is particularly visible in cities like New York City and Las Vegas. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Socialization: Todays spas are offering enhanced opportunities for socialization. Many spas are merging the traditional spa concept with entertainment and networking. Eight percent of U.S. spa-goers say they use their time at the spa as an opportunity to socialize. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customization: In todays times Spa-goers desire experiences that are customized to their personal needs and desires. Right from booking time, to selecting the background music, room temperature lighting, and massage oils; being a spa-goer is no longer a spectator sport. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gender-specific experiences: consumers are looking for experiences tailored specifically to their gender. As 45 percent of spa-goers are men, the demand for products and services designed specifically with men in mind is at an all-time high. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spa Vacations: About 63% of U.S. spa-goers have visited spa while traveling from home. Apart from budgetary considerations, trips to spas are shaped by desires to visit particular places and have specific types of vacations. Women are more likely than men to be spa-goers, though spa traveling reduces the gender gap considerably as 36 percent of spa travelers are male. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Experiential Journeys: Spa-goers are drawn to indigenous treatments and products, especially when traveling. New textures, aromas and sounds with meaningful story-telling help forge connections to people, places and traditions. Additionally, another trend to watch for is skin care evolving from a product-based service to an experience-based service. Industry Background The spa industry has grown significantly from 2005 to 2007. According to the latest Global Spa Research of ISPA (International SPA Association) there are nearly 100 million active spa-goers globally. The need to relax transcends borders. Regardless of where they live, the primary reasons spa-goers visit spas are to relax and relieve/reduce stress. Most spa businesses market a Web site to advertise products or services. It may not be an attractive or professional looking page on the Internet, but businesses are still using these uninviting Web pages. Owners are staying away from potentially helpful management software, because they are caught up in the paperwork. If all businesses used an Internet strategy, sales and new clients would increase significantly. Its a matter of developing an Internet strategy, sticking to a plan, and remembering the big picture. The purpose of this research is to determine whether having an Internet strategy is beneficial in the spa industry. Internet art icles, e-books, personal interviews, and books were used for research purposes. Overall, research suggests that having an Internet strategy proves beneficial for clients, spa technicians, and management. With a willingness to learn about new software and ways of doing business online, revenue will increase as fast as over night. Goal and Objectives of the Business and Milestone Our mission is to run a profitable business by providing high-end therapeutic massage and aesthetician services in a caring, upscale, professional environment. We offer massage in a variety of styles traditional Swedish Massage, Sports Massage, Deep Tissue work, Sports Massage,  Hot Stone Massage, Reflexology, and others.  Our licensed aestheticians offer the latest in skin treatments, body treatments and anti-aging therapies.   Our goal is to tailor the clients experience based on initial interview information, as well as feedback during the treatments, to ensure the clients comfort and satisfaction, and to increase repeat business.  We are mindful of the overall experience using only the finest oils and lotions, beauty treatments and aromatherapies. Special lighting, music, decor, and textiles  are used throughout the spa to  complete the comfortable, plush environment  and enhance the clients overall spa experience. Objectives of the Business Achieve $33,900in sales the third month after opening by performing 16services per day. Achieve $81,600 in sales the 6 month after opening by performing 27 services per day. Have a local client return rate of 90% by the end of the first 6 months. Become an established community Spa destination by the end of the first 12 months. Perform 23 services per day by the end of the first year. Uniqueness of Product or Service Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Owner is a proven, 15-year sales executive.   Marketing will be the first strength to our success and a huge competitive edge. Professionalism: Which are includes everything from maintaining confidentiality, to hiring the very best LMT and Aestheticians. Individual Attention: Each clients experience will be tailored to his or her preference. Repeat business/Recommendations: giving the kind of service that brings people back for regular treatments, and encourages clients to recommend us to friends, and other health professionals to recommend their clients. Unique Treatments: We have the latest in techniques with the best products from around the world. Fantastic Location:  Orchard road A Few More Notable Itemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Treatments that use two or more therapists are also seen as being on the rise.   Spa-going moms desire products and experiences designed for them. The most reason that customer want go to spa is to reduce and relieve their stress, painfuls and the attractiveness of our spa is stone and fruit massage. Marketing Plan Research and Analysis Knowledge of the target market provides a basis for determining the appropriate marketing action strategy that will effectively meet its needs (Hisrich, Peters Shepherd, 2008, p245). Market Segmentation A basic foundation of relationship marketing is market segmentation (Zeithaml Bitner, 2003, p.164). Through market segmentation, our company can reach target market easily. Market segmentation is variable. For our company, the main segmentations are as follows. Demographic Segmentation Age:The chart above is the result from our survey. That indicates the main customers of our company are aged from 25 to 40. Occupation Our market segment will include officials and housewives. Officials in Singapore are always stressful because of work. Therefore, doing spa will make them be relaxed and comfortable. Housewives always have a lot of leisure time. In that case, spa would be one of their favorite activities. Income group Our market segment would include people with high income. Because of our company not only provides traditional massage, also provides special Day spa, like hot stone treatment and fruit spa, our clients should has high income. Behavior Segmentation This segmentation is based on peoples lifestyle. Our companys market segment would include people who prefer to take massage to relax. In addition, people who like to take massage as a healthcare method also can be seen as our target segment. Geographic Segmentation Our main target segment is tourists who are from other countries. Target Market Firstly, tourists would be our companys major target market. Meanwhile, based on the demographic segmentation, our company would target local people aged from 25 to 40. According to the left graph below, the population of Singapore had a dramatically increase from year 1970 (2,013,600) to year 2009 (3,733,900), which means the number of people we can serve also increased. In addition, the chart on right depicts people at age group from 25 to 40 is a large segment therefore that is a huge market for us. It is also has a growth trends from 1999 to 2009. These are good signals for running Spa Company. Source: Statistics Singapore, 2010 Market Analysis The spa industry in Singapore is prosperous. This country has been positioned as the urban spa hub of Southeast Asia by the tourism board. (Melinda Taschetta-Millane, 2007). Source: Singapore Tourism Board, 2010. The graph above depicts the number of visitor arrivals in Singapore. It is clear that, the number of tourists increased from 2003 to 2007. After that, the number decreased slightly, probably because the economic crisis. However, visitor arrivals to Singapore registered 26.7% growth to reach 950,000 in June 2010, the highest ever recorded visitor arrivals in the month of June (Statistics Singapore, 2010). Thereby the number of tourists is still large. In that case, the market size of spa industry is very big in Singapore. On the other hand, our survey also asks peoples opinion on whether spa is popular. The chart below indicates that the percentage of people who state spa becomes more popular is 94. Figure: Survey result of whether Spa become more popular However, there are many key players in spa industry, such as Spa Esprit, Estheva Spa and Raffles Amrita Spa. Based on many years operation, these spas already have good brand image and many loyalty customers. Therefore, they already got a large number of market share. In that case, our company should use business strategy to gain at least one percent market share at the first year, such as use the latest in techniques with the best products from around the world. Competitor Analysis As the spa business is growing day by day, competition is becoming more challenging than before. The graph above indicates which spa is the most favorite. This is done by survey from our own. It is clear that most people prefer to Spa Esprit. It is one of the key players in spa industry. However, our companys competitors would be a Fond and Esprit Spa which are located in Holland Village. The main competitive advantage for them is their experience from long term operation. In addition, they might have some loyalty customers which would affect us. Our company not only has direct competitors but also has indirect competitors. For instance, OSIM Corporate which has variety kinds of massage tools. People can take massage at home by using their massage chair. That would also impact our company as our potential customers would loss. Marketing Plan Our strategy is to implement the most aggressive marketing and networking in the community, followed by the best services in the business.  Our prices are competitive for the area, and our personnel plan, which includes using a pool of skilled, commissioned therapists and aestheticians, will give us a financial advantage. Competitive Edge Our competitive edge is our ability to market effectively and creatively to bring in the clients and then back that up with the best service and products in the business.   In addition, our  combination of unique services, outstanding location and our interaction with the customers are setting us up for huge success. Market Strategy: Sale Distribution Local Advertising Seasonal Promotions: Local newspaper advertising, local fliers, grand opening party kick-off and promotion for first 30 days.   Continue regular advertising and plan for seasonal events like Christmas, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Chinese New Years. Local Networking: Charities, womens groups, country clubs, wedding planners, and membership with the  Spa Association Singapore (http://www.spaassociation.org.sg/). Health Care Referrals Prior to opening: Work current contacts and create new contacts with health care providers, especially chiropractors.   Also, become a Provider with health insurance companies that offer Alternative Care to their members.   Most people dont know that massage therapy is usually paid by insurance when billed correctly and when prescribed by a physician.   aFond and Esprit Spa already has practice management software to handle medically billable massage.   When the insurance does not cover the entire amount of a service the client will pay the difference.   For that reason, we will not want to participate with any PPOs that require write-off for amounts over the usual and customary fee (which tends to be too low).   A list of acceptable insurance company plans will be maintained and those clients will be able to handle massage therapy through their insurance.   Any opportunity to convince allopathic physicians MDs to see massage as having long-term healing benefits for their patients will also be  taken, since they  hold to key to having  massage paid for as medically necessary.  Ã‚   The client will also help drive that with the physicians if they are properly educated.   Hotel Referrals: Hotels that do not offer their own spa services will send their guests to our spa or use our out-call spa  services.  Prior to opening, I will make contacts with managers and concierges at local hotels to ensure they are aware of the services available.  Promotions will be offered to professionals in these industries to create buzz and build relationships. Online Website: Our spa will show up on  every  major  search engine  and in the phone directory.  The website will have a full menu of services and eventually have the ability to schedule appointments on-line.  The spa software we are using will allow a user to see the schedule and make an appointment without making a phone call. Location traffic: It is imperative that we  be located in a high-traffic strip road, Tanglin road, which is high-end, modern, and clean.  We prefer locating near a complementary business like a nail or hair salon, shopping centre that does not offer any massage or facial treatments.  Ã‚   Pricing Strategy If, as it has been said, the top three items which determine success in business are location, location, location, then a busy location at Culway Pla in a thriving residential community represents our top marketing strategy.  With the owner focusing on the sales, marketing and management and delegating the massage and aesthetician therapies to employeesbusiness profitability potential is exponentially maximized over a one or  two person operation by a  direct care-giver without any marketing, management or sales background. As the owner, Madame Pamperzhou has done extensive market research and visited some of the best spas in the world Beverly Hills, Paris, Amsterdam, Vegas and Arizona and has taken ideas from the best to offer an upscale, ultra-amenity, spa experience.  Once a client experiences the luxurious, high-end level of personalized care that we offer, we are confident that we will have a return client.   Advertisement and Promotions The business is still in its introductory stages. Therefore, it is necessary for the business to advertise heavily through mass media. There are various ways of doing so: Newspapers and magazines: The Company may choose to advertise with color in the standard newspapers. Leaflets, brochures and pamphlets: These will be prepared for the purpose of informing the customers about the prices, the activities and the general background information concerning the nature of the business. Banners and posters: For the sake of large-scale advertising, the most eye-catching form would be the banners and the posters. These will be used to illustrate the name of the business, its nature, location and the products we offer. They will be located in areas concentrated with the target market. 5. Business cards: They will be distributed in the market since our business comprises of offering services, it is a good form of increasing clientele. 6. Travel agencies: They will be used to market our spa packages. A certain fixed amount will be paid to them annually to issue our brochures and leaflets as they will be the first ones to come in contact with potential customers. 7. Face book: Perhaps, the easiest and most effective form of advertising in the modern days. It will deliver our message to our target market directly. 8. Discount vouchers: Since our business is heavily outsourcing with various companies, to promote our business in return, they may issue discount vouchers for certain activities or packages for our business, in order to promote it and attract more clients. 9. Hotel referrals: we can make contacts with managers and concierge at local hotels that do not offer their own spa services; this will help to create more awareness about our services. Operations Plan 3.1. Company Location and Facilities Location 1 Development Name: 41 Holland Drive Property Type: Shop / Shophouse Price: S$ 8,000/ month Negotiable Size: 731 sqft / 68 sqm PSF (built-in): S$ 10.94 psf Developer: Housing Development Board Tenure: 99-year Leasehold Lease Term: 2 years The convenience location in the bustling Holland Village vincity, walking distance to 2 Mrt: Bouna Vista Mrt upcoming Holland Village Mrt. Ample carpark space just behind the shop and another multi-storey car park across the street. Upmarket neighbourhood with sophiscated consumers, highly suitable for specialised clinics/education centres/niche retail concept shop/etc. Operation Hours Our business is day spa so the operating hours will be from 9 am to 7 pm. We will run the business all 7 days and during holidays the business will increase because many people have plans to spent time in holidays. In public holidays also our spa will be opened, the staffs will be paid incentives during public holidays. Transportation The transportation facilities in Singapore are easy and economical. Holland Village is usually reached from other parts of Singapore either by bus or taxi, and is linked to Orchard Road via Holland Road. Holland village is nearby to Queensway. 3.2. Products and Services The products we use in our Day Spa are body treatments like body scrub and body scrub, facials and fruit massage. Services Body Scrub Body scrub will remove your dead skin and unveil a smoother more rejuvenated skin with these divinely aromatic scrubs. Your skin will feel refreshed and reborn. Body wrap Our body wrap recipe is made up of a fresh daily blend of ingredients that includes special herbs and oils. The more times you perform a body wrap the faster and better the results. You will be amazed at how soft and healthy your skin will feel and look after. Facials This is a fresh and radiant treatment nourishing you skin. In twenty steps including whether it is: cleansing, deep cleansing, Peeling, Massaging and improving your skin by using mask and specific serum depending on skin type. Nourishing Treatment for Normal Combination Skin. Moisturizing Treatment for Dry Skin. Purifying Treatment for Oily Skin Fruit Massage This Moisturizer provides that lock in the skins own moisture to prevent dryness and cracking, this new formula nourishes dry skin and helps retain moisture giving your skin a softer and smoother feeling like never before. Suppliers The products for our spa are mainly brought from Amber Products. The Amber products are one of the favourite brands for the customers. Amber has been a dedicated partner with spas and salons around the world for 30 years. Their goal is to build awareness of the importance of maintaining health and well-being through spa services. Packages In our Spa the package is very open and allowed guest to choose any product they like not more than 2 things. 3.3. Licenses and Permits to Start a Business in Singapore Compulsory Licenses A compulsory copyright license is an exception to copyright law that is usually philosophically justified as an attempt by the government to correct a market failure. As an exception to copyright, another party can exercise one or more of the copyrights exclusive rights without having to obtain the copyright holders permission (hence compulsory) but will have to pay a licensing fee. Some compulsory licenses protect those who wish to use a work for educational or non-commercial purposes. In cases when it is judged too burdensome for scattered or small-scale buyers and sellers to find one another and negotiate a price, governments sometimes issue a compulsory license for the use so that the relative difficulty of obtaining permission for it does not extinguish it. Intellectual Property legislation in Singapore is pepped with regimes for compulsory licensing. Business Activity License And Permits A business license is a permit or registration required by the federal, state, county, or local government to conduct business. Besides the basic operating permits, business owners should investigate other possible licensing requirements based on their location and industry. Conducting business without the proper licenses and permits may result in penalties, notices, and the inability to operate. 3.4. Legislation and Regulation Due to spa business, company also needs certificates or licenses for each employee to show the credibility. In the pre-opening of our spa, if employees do not have licenses, we would like to pay for them to training section and get the certificate or license. This method gives benefit to both employees and employers. In order to work smoothly, our spa needs to get prove from union that our work place is safe, employees have the proper social security, holiday, salary, wages, and other benefits are enough for their living standard. Operating as the company is a must to pay TAX to the government; however, we cannot be sure how much tax will increase or decrease in the specific period. Management 4.1. Management Team Key Personnel Benny: Managing Director and one of the investors holding 40 % of the share in the investment for the business. He comes from a business family having an amazing business skill and is a PR in Singapore, also has a good knowledge about SPA and Massage as he owns some of the popular Massage shop in other parts of the city. He will only be present for the monthly meetings with the management team and would not be looking after the day to day operations. Raja: Finance Manager and holds 30 % of the investment share in the business. He has a good knowledge of finance as he has done his masters in finance from University of Wales. He will be looking after the cash inflow and outflow, would be preparing the balance sheet and profit and loss statements and would help the management team in taking the financial decisions of the business. Becky: Operational Manager having a sound academic background and holding 20 % of the investment share in the business. She has a good work experience as he is in this industry from the last 10 years. She has worked in some of the best restaurants lounge in the city. He will be having the sole authority of the operations in the workplace. Varun: Marketing Manager having a good work experience. His responsibility is to update the management from time to time with the Spa and lounge industry, watching out the competitors, negotiating and finding reliable suppliers. He will also serve the business as a Receptionist during the day time. Nathan: Floor manager and will look after the inventory supplies and will provide assistance to the operational manager. 4.2. Legal Structure Employment Agreement Employment agreement is also known as employment contract. It is an agreement between an employee and employer that specifies the terms and conditions of employment (Janus Corporate Solutions Pte , n.d.). A violation of one or more of the terms in an employment contract by either an employee or employer is considered breach of contract. Employment agreement will include several important clauses such as: Code of Conduct This Code is a concise outline of the Companys standards of business ethics and conduct (A. T. CROSS COMPANY, n.d.). It deals with various laws and Employee should act honestly and always in the best interests of the employer. Employee should follow all the rules lawfully and proper direction of the employer (ipccc, 2004). The employee must not use any item belong to the employer for their personal use. The employee must not smoke and take any drugs on the workplace. Salary/Wages The Salary will be paid according to the appointment position. The salary must be paid at least once a month within 7 days after the end of the salary period. Overtime pay, if applicable, must be paid within 14 days of the stipulated salary period. This will be paid to the employee by electronic fund transfer. The employer is required to make contributions to the CPF fund. Both employee and employer make monthly contributions to the fund. Hours of Work Employees are entitled to work not more than 44 hours per week (focus singapore, n.d.). The employee may be required to work for additional hours depending on requirements. Employee ordinary daily hours of full time work are not more than eight hours per day. Employees are entitled to take a break for 30 min after working not more than 6 hrs. Public Holidays Employee is entitled to paid day off on public holidays. These are the following public holidays in Singapore. New Years Day, Chinese New Year, Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, National Day, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali, Hari Raya Haji, and Christmas Day (8Links, n.d.). Annual Leave Employee must have served at least 3 months with the employer for qualifying the leave for 7 days. An  employee is entitled to 14 days of sick leave per year, and 60 days of hospitalization leave provided the employee has worked for at least 6 months for the company (The Law Society of Singapore, n.d.). Employee Benefits Employer offer medical insurance plans that extend to dependants and typically cover personal accident and hospitalization. Company will provide a per-day allowance, transportation allowance or reimbursement of actual expenses while travelling.  The company will sponsor employee training programs and educational courses (The Law Society of Singapore, n.d.). Stock Agreement This agreement is between the supplier and the customer. This agreement is mandatory for all the business. For the spa there must be an agreement between the spa and the supplier of the materials. Stock agreement will include several important clauses such as: The Engagement The spa has appointed the Supplier to supply the goods and the supplier have agreed to supply the Contract Goods for the Customer. And the supplier will be the sole and exclusive provider of the Contract Goods to the Customer. Prices and Payment The spa has agreed to pay the Supplier the prices for the Contract Goods as negotiated. The Supplier must issue a Tax Invoice for the Contract Goods supplied. If for whatever reason the spa does not pay for any Contract Goods when payment becomes due the Supplier may stop the supply until all the dues will be cleared. Suspend supply of the Contract Goods until all outstanding payments have been made. Retention of Title Until the spa has paid the Supplier for the Contract Goods, title in the Contract Goods will not pass to the spa. The spa must keep the Contract Goods insured noting the Suppliers interest therein. The title remains in the Supplier, the Contract Goods will be at the spas risk until they are paid for. Quality of Contract Goods The Contract Goods must comply with all safety standards, codes and applicable legislation. Ordering, Delivery and Packaging All Contract Goods must be ordered by the spa on the Suppliers standard order form or standard method which order form or method the Supplier may from time to time change. Any damage during the transportation will be the suppliers liability. Financial Plan (Detail Balance Sheet) Critical Risks The risk refers to the probability, and magnitude, of downside loss, which could result in bankruptcy. The risk of downside loss is partly derived from the entrepreneurs uncertainties over market demand, technological development, and the actions of competitors (Hisrich, Peters Shepherd, 2008, p477). There are several potential problems for our company in the tourism industry. Firstly, the natural disasters would be our potential risk. For instance, the erupted of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland lead to many flights canceled, as a result of Singapore lost a large number of tourists. Our companys potential customers also would decrease. Other natural disasters effects are the same. During that period, our company should focus on local customers to reduce the losses. Secondly, the economical factors also would be our potential risk. During the economic crisis period, people would not prefer to spend money on spa. It would affect our company directly. In that case, our company should do many promotions to attract people, such as distribute gift certificate and lower prices. Thirdly, the increasing number of competitors would be our companys risk. Singapores population is not large therefore if there are many competitors, the number of our companys potential customers will decrease. On the other hand, our company provides the special spa-fruit spa, which is the first company use this kind of treatment. It means that it would be our competitive advantage. However, other company also can imitate tha