Communications Decency Act Essay

Different countries have different laws. Since different countries have different laws, internet service providers from different countries have different policies. Because of that, it will be hard to come up with a universal standard for the Internet. And enforcing that standard will be a different story on its own. â€Å"The laws concerning decency are only as good as those who are willing to abide by them† (â€Å"Grossman† internet). There have been a lot of attempts to censor the Internet. There has been an attempt to make censorship on the Internet a law, as a part of the telecommunications bill, Communications Decency Act, shortened as CDA. CDA would have made it a crime to post anything on the internet â€Å"that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs† (â€Å"Grossman† internet). Also caught up in the internet-censorship-fervor are the software companies. Almost overnight, many companies sprang up providing parents and libraries programs that promised to filter out all the inappropriate materials on the Internet. Branched out from the filter programs are filter search engines. Basically, it is a same old search engine that puts its results through the filter engines. Another attempt to censor the Internet is made by companies that attempted to rate every website on the homepage. They are independent companies that visit each website and give it a rating. All of the attempts to censor the Internet had been ineffective. All of the past actions about Internet censorship have been, more or less, failures. The filter programs have failed to truly filter out the unwanted. It is like using mesh wires to filter out basketballs. Not only do you filter out the basketballs, you also filter out the tennis balls and golf balls. The filter programs filters by two ways: searching for keywords or blocking a list of websites previously reviewed by someone as inappropriate. When the filter program filter out websites by keyword, they also filter out a lot of appropriate and possibly useful information. For example, a website containing information about breast cancer would be blocked out because it contained the word breast. Same result would happen with a website containing a recipe for chicken breast. When the filter program uses the pre-made list to block out, it is very accurate because someone has already reviewed the website, and would not confuse a website about breast cancer with a breast fetish website. However, there are two downfalls to the method. First, there is just too many websites to review. There are literally billions of websites out there and millions of new ones being made everyday. If a staff of a thousand people reviewed day and night for a year, they still wouldn’t have gotten close to reviewing all the websites. Second, unlike books and magazines, Internet websites come and go on a snap of a finger. It doesn’t take long to create a homepage, neither does relocating it. The second a new list of â€Å"banned† website is released, it is already obsolete. Since the so-called â€Å"family-friendly† search engines are based on the same inefficient filter programs, they are also inefficient. Only a very small fraction of the Internet contains inappropriate material, however, the inefficient â€Å"family-friendly† search engines filters out around 95% of the Internet (â€Å"Faulty† internet). Even when Dr. Suess was searched, most of the websites were blocked. 2630 of the 2638 websites found in a normal search engine was blocked (â€Å"Faulty† internet). It is a fact that pornography websites tend to link themselves all over the search engine to attract the most customers. But do they really link themselves to 99. 7% of a Dr. Suess search (â€Å"Faulty† internet)? Even after they wiped out 99. 7% of the search result, one of the eight that wasn’t blocked was an inappropriate website (â€Å"Faulty† internet). It was a parody of a Dr. Suess story using details from the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson (â€Å"Faulty† internet). The companies that tried to set up a rating system have yet to succeed either. The companies have yet created an universal standard for the ratings.

Charachter analysis

She danced madly, wildly , drunk with pleasure , giving no thought to anything In the triumph of her beauty, the pride of her success , in a kind of happy cloud composed of all the adulation , of all the admiring glances ,of all the awakened longings ,of a sense of complete victory that is so sweet to a woman's heart. The Necklace by Guy De Unpleasant is a story about a poor lady Nathalie Eloise who gets invited to a ball ,but has nothing to wear . She asks her wealthy friend to loan her an expensive necklace.After the ball, she loses It so she spends 10 long years to repay it . Until madam Forrester tells her the necklace was fake. For this reason she blames everyone but herself for her long ten tragedy years. Nathalie Eloise is very self- centered , finicky, and dependent , without these traits her and her husband wouldn't be what they are now. Nathalie is a very self-centered woman. In paragraph forty it states He threw her over his shoulders the wraps he had bought for going home , modest garments of everyday life whose shabbiness clashed with the stylishness of her evening clothes.She felt this and longed to escape , unseen by the other woman who were draped in expensive furs. † This shows that she only cares of what other people think of her . Another example ,†She would dream of great reception balls with old skills, of fine furniture filled with priceless curios , and of small , stylish scented sitting rooms Just right for the four o' clock chat with some intimate friends ,with distinguished and ought-after men whose attention every woman envies and longs to attract. This tells the reader that she only thinks about herself. Nathalie always tries to get her ways and she does. This trait helps Nathalie by making her husband getting her everything she wants. Like when her saved 400 francs for a rifle gun but, gave it to Nathalie to buy a new dress for the ball. This gets her into trouble by taking advantage of the borrowed necklace. She thinks too high of herself at the ball and doesn't notice that it's missing Another trait Madame Loosely has Is being finicky .In paragraph seventeen she says , † Give the card to some friend at the office whose wife can dress better than I can. † Another example is when her husband buys her a new dress , but when the day of the ball comes up she isn't satisfied because she has no Jewels. She claims , † I'll look like a pauper â€Å". But her husband doesn't complain he makes suggestions . This trait hurts her husband , he goes through and makes a lot of sacrifices to please his wife . Matchless last trait Is always being dependent on her husband.She expects him to solve all her problems . Like when he spends ten long years of his inheritance to pay back the necklace or when he gives her four hundred francs to buy a new dress for the ball. This trait affects her husband. He has to work harder, make bargains , and sell his possessions to pay for something Nathalie was res ponsible for. These traits are what made up the character, Nathalie Eloise. If It weren't for these actions there would be no point to the story. Being self-centered , finicky , and

Qualitative Article Review Essay

Purpose The purpose of this article is to show that there is a correlation between dropout rates and teen pregnancy, and to discuss ways to prevent teen pregnancy. The American Promise Alliance evaluated data on school districts that struggle with both poor school completion and high numbers of teen births. They identified 25 schools with the highest dropout and teen pregnancy rates. And they also evaluated school districts with high school completion rates and innovative pregnancy prevention programs to help students avoid early pregnancy and parenthood. The 25 persistently low achieving school districts account for twenty percent of all high school dropouts in the USA. Thirty percent of all teen girls that drop out of school cite pregnancy or parenthood as the reason. Thirty four percent young women who were teen mothers did not earn a diploma or GED. Less than two percent of teen mothers attained a college degree by age 30. School districts with higher school completion rates recognized the correlation between teen pregnancy and school dropout; they initiated programs to address these two high priorities. School districts collaborated with organizations receiving federally funded teen pregnancy prevention grants, such as US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Adolescent Health’s (OAH), and evidenced based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program(TPP). Through their collaboration, grantees could use the funds in a variety of evidenced based models to meet the needs of their school, community and the age of the students being served. Description of Participants/Sample The participants in this study were all the teenagers in the USA. All USA students that attended public schools were a part of the data collection. School completion, pregnancy rate and dropout rate data was gathered from every public school in all the US school districts. Research Design/Data Analysis America’s Promise Alliance analyzed data from four reputable sources on teen pregnancy and dropout rates, and identified the school districts with the highest dropout rates. They also analyzed the data on teen birth rates or teen pregnancy rates from these school districts with high dropout rates. Method Diplomas Count 2011, Common Core of Data (CCD), VitalStats and Child Trend were the four sources of data information that was used to examine the number of dropouts and teen births within the 25 persistently lowest achieving school districts. Diplomas Count is a national report from Education Week and Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center, which provides graduation rates and graduation trends for all the public schools in the USA. Diplomas Count then identifies the 25 persistently lowest achieving school. Data on total school enrollment and enrollment by grade level was extracted from CCD. VitalStats and Child Trends provided data on teen birth rates and numbers. Results The data draws a parallel between high school dropouts and teen births. The data shows the school districts that struggle with poor school completion and high numbers of teen births and how various school districts are tackling these issues. Opportunities for Further Research The America’s Promise Alliance needs to collect more data for evidence that teen pregnancy caused dropouts, rather than just being correlated with dropout rate. After the 25 identified school districts with the high dropout and teen pregnancy rate implemented pregnancy prevention, the Alliance could check back in a year with these school districts to see if the dropout rate changed. Threats to Validity The four sources cited in this study are all very reputable sources that are cited often in the field of education. But although the America’s Promise Alliance spent a lot of discussion regarding the link between dropout rates and teen pregnancy, and suggesting that combating teen pregnancy could lower dropout rates, they ended the article by saying â€Å"readers should note that this data is meant only to draw a parallel between high school dropouts and teen births. No quantitative analysis to examine the statistical significance of the association between these two issues was performed and, therefore, causality should not be inferred.† They spent most of the article talking about things (teen pregnancy and dropout rates) that only made sense if there was causation, and then at the end of the article they retracted this conclusion from the readers. Insight and Criticism Teens getting pregnant while still in school are more likely to drop out of school, but the data in this article does not prove this, but I think it made a strange correlation between the two. There may be other factors that make pregnancy and dropping out more likely. Implications of Findings Thirty percent of teen girls who drop out of school cite pregnancy or parenthood as their reason. The connection between teen pregnancy or teen parenthood and educational attainment is strong. All interested parties in the prospect of these teen parents and their children need to collaborate and develop strategies to reduce the risk of them dropping out of school. References Shuger, L. (2012). Teen pregnancy and High School Dropout: What Communities are Doing to Address These Issues. Washington, DC: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned pregnancy and America’s Promise Alliance. Retrieved November 2012, from www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/†¦/teen-preg-hs-dropout.pdf

Extent of Growth Depends on the Diversity Among the Students and Essay

Extent of Growth Depends on the Diversity Among the Students and Faculty - Essay Example I was born in Macao, and hail from a Chinese background. This has influenced my viewing of the world from a Chinese perspective. Over the time that I have spent in the United States of America, I have broadened my vision of the world through interaction with students from different cultural and economic backgrounds, and with different academic capabilities. It is this experience that I believe will stand me in good stead in my choice of a good classmate to assist me in the development of myself as a person, and my knowledge and skills. I also believe that this is not intended to be one-way traffic of me receiving only, as I am capable of giving assistance for the development of other individuals. My potential classmate would be of Indian origin. There are several reasons for this choice of mine. Indians have had a very long culture and tradition extending as long as the Chinese. This has deeply ingrained traditional, cultural and social values in Indians. Such deeply ingrained culture and tradition do not wipe off easily in new environments, and there will be ample opportunities when these will be displayed. The reason why I feel that Indian traditions and culture are important lies in the ability of Indians to cope with adversity and then emerge triumphant. India is rising as an economic power of esteem within six decades of gaining independence from the ruin of two hundred years of colonial rule. I believe I have leadership qualities, but in this changing world, I need to develop the ability to cope with change, which I believe my Indian classmate could give me.

Reseach in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reseach in Education - Essay Example In terms of education, research plays a vital role as it adds to what was previously known. This will in turn result in the betterment of educators and students’ performances as well as improving communication among those characters situated within the learning environment. The function of research in education is to increase knowledge and provide solutions to problems. In addition to this, research can improve the different methods of teaching. When an educator responds to a question of concern, this is also known as basic research. In contrast, when a reply is more complex, it is termed applied research. Because of this, basic research looks to increase comprehension and knowledge; applied research attempts to fix problems that have been highlighted. Furthermore, make a differentiation between basic research and applied research is a difficulty that thwarts research in the field of educational technology. Throughout this essay we will illustrate the nature of research in edu cation, its procedures, and how educational research can be carried out in the dealings of information and communication technologies. The educational research characteristics: Educational research contains an exclusive environment that is compelled from its extraordinary features. A researcher needs to make sure that these features are included in his or her research and should also be relevant in a useful manner. Researches that encompass a number of these attributes can be thought of as trustworthy resources of information and knowledge. There are many research traits that have been suggested by a number of experts (Tuckman, 1994; Wiersma, 1986). Educational explorations should be valid, dependable, and methodical as wells as taking shape in an assortment of forms. Consistency in our research backs up our hypotheses and proposals. In support of this, Wiersma (1986) remarks, â€Å"validity involves two concepts simultaneously: the extent to which the results can be accurately interpreted and the extent to which the results can be generalized to populations and conditions" (p.4). From this explanation, it can be concluded that validity comprises two level s: internal and external. Also, if research is short of internal validity, thus the conclusions cannot be understood. Following on from this, external validity will also be unavailable for this very reason. However, it is virtually impossible to include both internal and external validity in research (Wiersma, 1986). It is really only a predictability of validity that makes a research’s results both rational and practical. Dependability is one more crucial part of educational research. As Weirsma (1986, p. 6) says, this is â€Å"the consistency of the research.† In other words, research can come up with identical results even if it is recreated under the same conditions as well as the same subjects. If research does not have dependability, it cannot be repeated another time. If so, it will be harder to understand the results and it will even be more impossible to come to a reliable conclusion. The third characteristic involved in research is methodical research. Resear ch is an ordered procedure that can be concluded one step at a time. A methodical research process contains a number of elements that range from locating the problem, re-examining accessible data,

Describe the different particle shape and surface texture of aggregate Assignment

Describe the different particle shape and surface texture of aggregate and discuss its importance - Assignment Example Natural aggregates are extracted from large rocks found on the surface and underground, manufactured aggregate is a product of the manufacturing industries, and recycled aggregates come from by-products of industries (Best 1978). The particle shape of aggregates has two properties: Roundness and its Spherical shape. Roundness is the relative sharpness or angularity of the particle corners and edges. Sphericalness can be termed as the measure of whether the particle is compact in shape. In other words, if it is close to being a cube or a sphere as opposed to being elongated or flat (disk-like). The higher the sphericalness of the particle the closer it is to being a sphere or a cube and the lower its surface area will be. The smaller the surface area of the particle, the lesser the amounts of water needed for mixing and the lower the amount of sand need to achieve desired workability. The aggregate shape can affect the properties of concrete in both the hardened and plastic states. The shapes vary from rounded to angular. The form of the aggregates can be assessed by observation and the classification in accordance with the table below. Surface texture is a term used to describe the roughness and level of irregularity of the particle surface. Generally, terms such as granular, rough, smooth, glassy, or crystalline are used to describe the surface texture of an aggregate rather than using any scientific or quantitative method (Kandhal et al., 1998). The surface texture of aggregates affects the properties of concrete in both hardened and the plastic state. Smooth particles will need less water for mixing and, therefore, cement material at a fixed water-cement ratio. Consequently, it produces concrete that has the desired workability, but at the same time, it will have less area to bond with the cement paste than rougher particle (American Concrete Institute 2005). The surface texture and shape of particles of

Performance Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance Evaluation - Essay Example 6). Performance Evaluation Points of Concern The case study talks about a mid size manufacturing plant and the performance evaluation of an engineer is conducted who previously had worked in the aerospace industry and hard working employee. Major concerns with respect to performance review in the manufacturing firm was that the review was performed by someone who was not effectively trained and so he won’t be able to understand the criteria of judging a person and deciding upon the appraisal. Secondly, the engineer did not trust the company’s approach towards evaluation of performance as it concentrated only personal characteristic and relationship with the worker. Thirdly even after learning about the 360 degree evaluation method, the manager was not sure of implementing it. Most Commonly-Used Performance Evaluation Tool The plant manger evaluated the performance based on two criteria personal characteristic and relationship with the co workers of the engineer. ... A good relationship means working as a team to solve problems and learn on new skills in order to reach the objective of the team and can bring about effective result. Therefore comparing personal characteristic and relationship among the co workers, the latter is more important for effective result. Advantage and Disadvantage Advantage of including the superiors, subordinates and peers in the evaluation process also known as the 360 degree is it improves the performance of whole organization and focuses on individual growth. An all round feedback allows an employee to understand as to how other perceive them and getting feedback directly from customers, colleague in a safe way helps an employee get the reality of information. In addition it also includes certain disadvantages like it is time consuming and a complex process, it can result in intimidating for some employees due to extensive feedback and most importantly it requires training in order to work effectively (Fagerhaugh, 19 96, p. 80) Three Common Performance Evaluation Methods Three common performance evaluation methods which are used to analyze performance data are rating scale or the ranking method, 360 degree evaluation method and behavioral evaluation method. Common characteristic of the three methods is that they are used to evaluate performance of the employees by the evaluator. The ranking method is the most common and easiest method where the employees are ranked based on the relative worth towards the organization although the method suffers from defects like bias report from the evaluator and also not suitable for large number of people. The 360 degree helps to get feedback from multisource unlike the ranking method. The

Exploring the Brain Responses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Exploring the Brain Responses - Assignment Example The experimental study has the hypothesis of the inducement of either the rTMS or the stimulants triggering the dopamine production. In the two experiments, the brain is induced with rTMS for patients with depression and stimulants for the c-Fos experiment, which uses rats. Procedure outline of rTMS Eight Patients with depression was treated with rTMS, over the left prefrontal cortex on a daily basis. Each of them underwent neuropsychological test scores and PET scan before and after the rTMS treatment (Goldman et al. 1978). Procedure outline of c-Fos experiment Six rats was injected with cocaine and six with amphetamine. The rats were then killed, and the brain extracted. The brain was then preserved and treated with antibodies that recognize the c-Fos-positive cells. A special dye was then added to reveal the location of the c-Fos cells. The cells are counted easily since they are brown due to the dye. Q1a. The independent variable (IV), the conditions and the two dependent variabl es (DV) for this study First, the TMS experiment will be considered. The independent variable (IV) is the raclopride binding. This does not rely on the other variable, but it is rather depended on by the other variable. The conditions of the experiment rTMS are repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. There are four dependent variables that depend on the set conditions, which are R caudate, Laudate, R putamen, and L putamen. These will vary depending on the rTMS induced on the patient. In the second experiment (c-Fos), the Independent variable is c-positive cells, which are not necessarily dependant on the other variable set. The conditions are cocaine and the amphetamine. The independent variables are the nucleus accumbens from the sections of the rat’s brain (Goldman et al. 1978). Q1b. The study within a participant study explanation The study of rTMS involves the participation of several patients who are observed before and after the rTMS induction. A PET scanning is then done to establish the number of functional dopamine receptors using radioactive raclopride. The study is thus within a participant study where the data obtained is from the patient pairs under experiment. The participants involved are patients who are 8 rather than being a single patient. Since 2 pairs of participants had the same pre-rTMS test scores represented by a single point for each pair, the study is within a participant study. The c-Fos experiment study is also within a participant study. This is because the study experiment involved the participation of every group member. This means that obtaining the data of all the group members was essential. Q1c. The vital piece of statistical information missing from the study results obtained The essential piece of statistical information missing from the results presented here is a hypothesis. This is a vital tool in analyzing the data presented to either agree with the data or disagree. This tool would be critical in making c onclusions, like establishing the level of deviation from the expected results set on the hypothesis. This piece of information set as a hypothesis would act as the researchers’ guideline when they are setting the procedures. This tool is also helpful to a researcher in the field since it will define his research scope.

Economics of International Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics of International Trade - Essay Example The sale of the imported goods from the developing countries was high that most of the manufacturing companies lowered the wages for their workers. Most of the manufacturing companies were experiencing difficulty in trade because of the low sale of the manufactured goods. That is the export level was much lower compared to the exports. Most of these companies began hiring people that were not trained and other unskilled labor. Other factors that affected international trade in the United States is the rise in inequality due to the skill differentials. The international trade differences are what led to the rise in inequality in the payment of wages and employment in general (Ebenstein , Harrison    McMillan & Phillips p. 3). The countries that had low income wages were producing more manufactured products compared to the manufacturing countries that based their labor on skilled workers. This is because most of the manufacturing countries with low wages had more employees and could manufacture more goods compared to the latter. History has recorded that the rise and the fall of the income trends have been affected by the rise and fall of the international trade. As most of the manufactured goods come from the developing countries, trade seems to have favored the developing countries. For instance, due to the fact that the developing countries export most of the manufactured products thus has trade favored these countries. The fact that has led to inequality is because of the employment in these countries. Because the export many products, they also employ many employees compared to the other countries. This has in turn increased the inequality in trade in the international market. The changes in the payment of wages have also influenced the pricing of the good in the international market. As a result, the changes in the wages have also become a contributing factor in inequality in the international trade. It is true that the

Autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Autobiography - Essay Example This lack of parental supervision and guidance led me to fall into the wrong crowd. Although I was constantly bounced within the foster and educational system, I managed to keep my optimism about my future intact. Little did everyone at the community high school and mainstream high schools that I attended know that what they thought were behavioral issues such as acting as the class clown and rudeness towards authority were actually the methods by which I was trying to express my creativity. Having discovered my talent for music and writing helped ease the conflicts within my life and give me a direction. My talents did not go unnoticed in our town as I often find myself invited to perform my original compositions at local hotspots where I am always warmly welcomed and embraced by the audience. I even became a local celebrity in my own right when I was invited to perform at the Senior Center as my performance together with the choral group that I am a member of was covered by and reported by the local paper. All my experiences in life have led me to understand the importance of education and its direct effect on my life and on the life of those around me. I will be the first generation graduate in my family and I hope that my accomplishment over the adversities of life will serve as an inspiration to those around me. I want them to see me as an example of how it is never too late to take charge of your life and accomplish anything that you want to and gain recognition for it. I am looking forward to attending college either at a local or out of town university where I can learn all about the business world alongside the development of my love for music. I believe that business and music can make beautiful music together as a musician such as I must have the knowledge and skill to promote my talents as a business and invest the earnings that I make from my engagements in order to keep me financially secure in the

Persuasive memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Persuasive memo - Essay Example While I respect your professional background, I believe that this is less of an identity and more of a description of a particular aspect of our business model. In reality I believe that Persuade Cafà © suffers precisely from this lack of corporate brand. The following suggestions work within this recognition to both improve business efficiency and establish a more thorough brand identity. While I understand you are opposed to the introduction of t-shirt sales, I believe that our business has simply gone about them wrong. Rather than implement them as a kitsch item with a one-time slogan, they could be constructed with a brand identity like Nike’s that is less about advertising the company and more about embodying its core values. This way the shirts would establish this emotional connection with the consumer and constitute a new mode of in-store revenue. Another point I took contention with was your downplaying of in-store dà ©cor. You indicated that dà ©cor was unnecessary as quick service was the primary goal. I believe even for fast transactions it is important to pay attention to the in-store dà ©cor as this send a message to the consumer about the stores’ values. The employee surveys indicated that training programs were clearly lacking. I believe it would be effective for the corporate offices to hire an instructional designer to establish an e ffective and efficient corporate training program that could ensure new employees are brought into the company in the proper way. Additionally, long-term career opportunities and advancement options could be established. Ultimately, I believe all the problems at Persuade Cafà © stem from a lack of a strong corporate identity. If the company then is going to come out of their Wall Street difficulties that must establish more a market niche. If the company’s intention is fast service, then we need to find a way to maximize the quality of the items in as fast a way as

Pepsodent Essay Example for Free

Pepsodent Essay This will be based on the weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of the organization along with the toothpaste brand line of Pepsodent will be assessed. In addition, further information on the current market share, sale, and profitability of Pepsodent in the scope of PESTEL analysis will be provided. At the conclusion of the first section the competitive advantage of Pepsodent will be declared. The subsequent section entails a recommended strategy of marketing employing marketing tools like targeting, positioning and segmentation, the marketing mix as well as SMART objectives. This is as a result of an extremely effective strategy of marketing of the organization formerly. However, principally in an environment that is competitive, such as the personal care sector it is fundamental for Pepsodent that it advances its marketing as well as organizational approaches so as to meet consumer’s demands (Budavari, et al. 1996). In addition, these days a wide array of diverse toothpaste brands is provided to the consumer (eHow, 2012). This in general implies that Pepsodent is obliged to distinguish its merchandise from the competitor’s commodities by being unique and innovative. Furthermore, the toothpaste market is developing continually which signifies that additional diverse demands and anticipations of the consumer will arise. As a result, Pepsodent should utilize marketing tools for instance, market segmentation to well recognize their needs so as to supply them with the fitting merchandise. The threats and opportunities recognized will serve as a foundation for the pinpointing strategy of marketing detailed in this report 3. 1. Political Factors: The government of United Kingdom endorses the just trading obligation for both internal and foreign manufacturers. UK has set regulations regarding issues like disposal of wastes and product safety. Pepsodent is dependent on local, provincial and international laws, rules and regulations. These laws and directives cover a range of areas like product claims, product safety, trademarks, patents, the environment, copyrights, employee health and safety, listing and disclosure, employment and taxes, and corporate governance (Pepsodent Official website, 2012). As a result of the extensive focus of Pepsodent in developing and emerging markets, whichever political transformations for instance, those in fiscal stimulus, foreign direct investment regulation or adjustments in taxation or tariffs could have a great impact on the operations of Pepsodent in the nation. Pepsodent is obliged to engage in constant scanning not just to mitigate political threats, however, to take hold of and seek out novel, appealing openings for political inducements. 3. 2. Economic Factors: United Kingdom is the biggest economy in the planet and third largest in Europe. In the time of recession UK is in its worst time. Organizations are not investing but doing terminations that is why consumer markets are reducing and individuals are losing their power to purchase. The market environment of Pepsodent is turning out to be highly competitive particularly in the United Kingdom. Macro-economic atmosphere is highly tentative which has had an effect on the micro-economic environment in addition, by generating a fear among regular buyers (Watson, Lysonski, Gillanamp; Raymore, 2002). Buyers would not wish to purchase a costly product as a result of current tides of the economy. Rivalry in United Kingdomhas become so strong that Pepsodent is encountering difficulties in a number of regions. Economic turn down in business in an economic decline has resulted in consumer and supplier default. The business of Pepsodent is reliant on constant customer demands for its brands. Diminished customer capital influenced by harsh economic circumstances has resulted in customers turning out to be incapable (Bloch, Satish and  Robert, 2007)or unwilling to acquire Pepsodent products, which has profoundly had an effect on the cash flow, profit margins, turnover, and profits. 3. 3. Social Factors: Social aspects entail the cultural aspects. Socio-cultural aspects UK vary from region to region. This entails: age, education, way of life, and religion(Bang and Joshi, 2008). Pepsodent has structured a well-built corporate repute for numerous years,continuous concentration on societal aspects, as well as encouraging sustainable development and usage of resources that are renewable. The intention of Pepsodent is to assist people look bright, feel well and achieve a lot out of life with services and brands that suitable for them and suitable for the rest too. Pepsodent has effectively maintained standards that are high for the design and creation of merchandise that are harmless for end users.

How Cell Phones Have Influenced The Media

How Cell Phones Have Influenced The Media It is not unfathomable that a 7th Mass Media may appear sometime in the not too distant future. This new mass media is the mobile phone or as some call it, the cell phone. With around 84 percent of American adults owning a cell phone, cell phone usage has already penetrated deep into our society. It is reported that two-thirds of cell phone users also use other features including texting, e-mailing, web browsing and apps (software applications that allow them to play games, access web content and access media or data). Only a third of Americans now use their cell phones just for making phone calls (Domain-b). CellularHYPERLINK http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives-432849.html HYPERLINK http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives-432849.htmlphones have had a major impact on our lives and the way that we perform everyday tasks. Many of these changes are apparent, while others we may not even be aw are of (Anonymous).A cell phone is the only universal gadget because the need to communicate is more powerful than the need to compute, to be entertained or to be informed (Ahonen 1). With a cell phone we get all of these things wrapped into one little neat device that fits right in our pocket. The cell phone is not the dumb little brother of the internet, nor the dumb tiny screen version of TV. Yes, the cell phone is small, but it has attributes that make it a superior medium in many ways and a dominating media channel in the three most important factors reach, audience accuracy and money (Ahonen 6). What Ahonen is saying is that while small in size, the cell phone will have a huge impact on mass media. The power of the mobile phone as a mass media is six elements not available on previous mass media. (1) The phone is the first truly personal media. A 2006 survey by wired revealed that 63% of the population does not share the phone even with ones spouse, it is that personal. (2) The phone is always carried. A survey in 2005 by BDDO found that 60% of the population sleeps with the phone physically in bed; a Nokia 2006 study found that 72% of us use the phone as our alarm clock. (3) The phone is the first always-on mass media, today many media offer alerts via the phone, what is on another real time media like TV, such as CNN breaking news alerts via SMS. Probably the most important, is that (4) the phone has a built-in payment mechanism. No other media has a built-in payment mechanism, even on the internet you have to subscribe to PayPal or provide a credit card, etc. But already today, older media collect payments through the phone. TV shows from Big Brother to American Idol earn bi llions via SMS votes. Perhaps the most novel phenomenon is that (5) the phone is a creative tool available always at the point of creative impulse. The camera phone (which is also our video recorder and podcast recorder) is in our pocket, always at the ready to snap images and clips. User-generated content is radically altering the media world as seen at YouTube etc. And (6), mobile is the only mass media with near-perfect audience information. Where most print are sold on newsstands and even subscriptions do not tell who in the household consumes the periodicals, and TV and radio rely on Nielsen ratings and similar audience estimates, the internet promised accurate audience measurements. That proved to be a false promise, as firewalls, shared PCs, multiple accounts, removed cookies and users deliberately falsifying their info have proven. But on cellular networks, every individual phone user is identified uniquely, across the billions of phones worldwide. Having a pre-paid account (voucher/pay-as-you-go) does not diminish the unique identification of every phone. Thus mobile for the first time offers near-perfect audience data (Ahonen). Mobiles are an integral part of our lives so much that many of us cannot remember a time without them. To have a mobile has become second nature and we are generally never separated from them we eat, breathe and, yes, even sleep with our mobile phones making them the most private and personal accessory we own today. And yet, there is still a lack of understanding about how mobile can be a powerful, complimentary mass media. It can be boiled down to two key differentiators: 1) mobile is interactive; and 2) mobile has unique features including SMS and MMS. These differentiators create something that no other media can the ability to respond to, initiate and maintain a dialogue between those wanting to communicate, whether they are family and friends, colleagues, or brands and advertisers (Ahonen, Foreward). Like the internet before it, today the phone can replicate everything the previous six mass media can do. You can consume newspapers, read magazine articles, listen to radio and podcasts, buy MP3 songs, watch TV, even watch whole movies on the phone. Any web content can be consumed on the phone, and the phone easily supersedes the interactivity of the web, because e-mail and IM are already on the phone, but SMS and MMS messaging are unique to mobile. Nick Wiggin, the head of the Mobile Marketing Association, says: The mobile phone will be the red-button technology of the future it will enable interaction with broadcast media, be that radio, posters or TV. Mobile is the media glue that links different communications solutions together (Bonello). These days people are all about portability we want to get news, listen to music, and even watch some of our favorite TV shows all on the go. Mobiles are an integral part of our lives, so much that many of us cannot remember a time without them. To have a mobile has become second nature and we are generally never separated from them. We eat, breathe and, yes, even sleep with our mobile phones, making them the most private and personal accessory we own today(Ahonen). The future will be even more mobile. We will be connecting more people, devices, pets, plants, etc all via mobile, not via the traditional internet or television or any other technology (Ahonen and Moore 55). Mobile is a simple solution for many people to simplify their lives and how they choose to get their information. Will cell phones phase out more traditional media such as print media, Television and Radio? This is still uncertain but largely people own twice as many cell phones as TV sets, there are three times as many cell phone subscribers as internet users, and four times as many cell phones as Personal Computers. Advertising, news, TV, internet giants, social networking and even Hollywood movies and printed books are now rushing to capture their share of this 7th mass media (Ahonen 1). Through about six decades of continuous evolution, the mobile phone has retained its relevance to the life of the modern man. At every stage in his growth curve, it has undergone metamorphosis, adding features and functionalities that make it even more indispensable. It started as an extension of the landline; a bridge between the home and office landlines. It found relevance in the need of the modern professional to remain in communication in and out of home or office, at play, in the car, at lunch and anywhere else. The mobile phone has since moved up from this simplistic role to become more actively involved in the way modern businesses are conducted (Awe). How has mobile changed news media? How many people get their news has largely changed. First was radio, then television, and then came the internet. So where does the cell phone fit into all of this? The cell phone is a valuable tool for both obtaining news and capturing it live. Chicago even has its very own 9-1-1 video call line where citizens send images from their cell phones to the police department if they witness a crime has been committed. The images from 9-1-1 callers will allow authorities to analyze emergency situations more objectively, says Jose Santiago the executive director of the citys Emergency Management and Communication.They also can be used as evidence in a criminal case, he said (Main). Portable news via a personal cell phone is accessible to the public 24/7 wherever that specific person may be; this has made news on the go a likely choice for anyone with a cell phone who wants to keep up with what is going on in the news. Nearly half of American adults say the y get at least some of their local news and information on their cell phone or tablet computer according to a survey by the Pew research center (Purcell, Rainey, Rosenstiel, and Mitchell). How we get our music is also changing due to the mobile phone. In adapting to an age where the passion for music, particularly among the young and the young at heart, has risen to obsessive proportions, mobile phones have largely become music devices. There are mobile phones on the market that are anything between a radio transistor and an MP 3 player. There are many that can give almost the same music experience as traditional music devices. Apart from downloading music for listening pleasure, mobile phone users can also download any music of their choice as ring tones (Awe). Music was the first content type to emerge as paid downloaded content to mobile phones 11 years ago. Today mobile is a giant new market opportunity for the music industry. (Ahonen 46). With so many changes and advancements in technology these days it is not surprising that music and how people get and listen to their music has transitioned as well. The portable music revolution has been with us for only a few y ears according to an article in Wired Magazine online, but we may see a slow transition from a standard mp3 player to a cell phone when it comes to music access and playback. This change will not be driven by cell phones that act like MP3 players, dishing out music that must be organized by the user. It wont even be about software that streams your own music to your phone. Instead, the next great thing in music technology will be cell phone applications that replicate the experience of listening to interactive, customized radio stations at a computer (Buskirk). According to Buskirk, interactive radio on your cell phone can replace your mp3 player. Most interactive radio services such as Pandora, Flycast, and AOL radio have free and paid versions for getting access to your music. Of course not everyone will automatically throw away their standard mp3 players in favor of this option. One of the downsides to accessing music via cell phone is that the music is streaming online so if you have no signal, then you have no music. Accessing music with our cell phone will become a viable option and will continue to grow in popularity but it will not totally replace other more traditional methods. Books are also transitioning. In fact, while items like the Amazon Kindle are popular portable reading devices, there is another portable device some others prefer, the cell phone. A growing number of people are getting their book fix via mobile phone. It is considered a more convenient method over the dedicated e readers available. The idea of downloading a book to a device you already own is most appealing to those on a budget or to those who simply do not want to carry something extra around all the time to access their books (Kharif). In this technology-enamored nation, the mobile phone has become widespread as an entertainment and communication device that reading e-mail, news headlines and weather forecasts, rather advanced mobile features by global standards, is routine. Now, Japans cell-phone users are turning pages. Tens of thousands of Japanese cell-phone owners are poring over full-length novels on their tiny screens. You can read whenever you have a spare moment, and you dont even need to use both hands, says Taro Matsumura, a 24-year-old graduate student who sometimes reads essays and serial novels on his phone. Such times could be just around the corner in the United States, where cell phones are become increasingly used for relaying data, including video, digital photos and music( Associated Press). It has also been noted that cell phones may be more important to the future of publishing than dedicated e-reading devices. Whereas in the US dedicated devices such as the Kindle, Nook, and iPad get most of the spotlight, these devices have been slow to make it to the rest of the world and so most people elsewhere read on their mobile phones. Since mobile phones tend to be considerably less expensive than e-book devices, in the developing world they are far more likely to be owned for other purposes already (Meadows). Using cell phones for internet access is also very popular these days. Although most people still access the Internet on a computer, the use of mobile devices to check e-mail or browse the Web is growing, outpacing even laptops in some markets, according to a new study (Associated Press). What is media convergence in relation to cell phones? Convergence is the process where several media channels come together to exist and operate in synergy or rather in harmony. A media convergence is basically seen in every persons cell phone, glance down at your palm and there sits a device that can click a photograph, edit and modify the same and also send it like a mail. Some people like to define media convergence simply by stating it to be a merger of mass media and communication outlets. In some cases multi utility of the same gadget or some media was also attributed to be a media convergence (K). By virtue of it always being with you, the mobile phone is the most personal of devices. Let us look at the following questions: How many of us have personal pictures on our mobile phones? (It holds our precious treasures) How many of us keep personal appointments or reminders on our mobile? (Like a personal assistant) Is our mobile phone used for an alarm? (We go to bed and wake up with it) Does our mobile phone serve as a GPS? (Gives directions helps us get to where we need to go) There are many uses and most importantly many personal uses for a cell phone because we are busy, always running around either for work or for home the mobile device has grown in importance , and continues to do so. Marketers know this and so does everyone else in the world. They want to interact with us as close to that moment of want as possible. That moment when we see something and we want it! They want to have a hand in creating that moment for us. Marketers, merchandisers and everyone else want to interact with us as much as possible and wherever we find ourselves. The mobile phone allows the message (whatever that may be) to reach us wherever we find ourselves. For many of us, where they find our mobile phone they will most likely find us! Thats why media convergence is taking place at the mobile phone. Not because of the phone but because of us (HC). Blogger Cdauphin states in his blog on Open Salon about Media Convergence and the smart phone: As an avid cell phone user I find that my use of the computer, a past necessity, seems to have gone downhill. Different mass media being converted into the newest technologies has been going on for decades, however I find that the technologies of the smart phones many of us use today has really taken this to a new level and opened up a whole new way of accessing as many media portals in one small device. So much of my life can now be found in this little device that fits in my pocket that my Internet, television and even book usage has gone down significantly. As a daily news addict I have not only changed from reading the newspaper to watching it on television, but now I get an alert on my phone from BBC News every time there is a new breaking story. Being interested in the happenings around the world no longer takes any effort- my phone does the work for me (Cdauphin). Mobile advertising is the next big thing according to an article in the Economist, last year spending on mobile ads was $871million worldwide. At the moment, most mobile advertising takes the form of text messages. The 2.5 billion mobile phones around the world can potentially reach a much bigger audience than the planets billion or so personal computers. The number of mobile phones in use is also growing much faster than the number of computers, especially in poorer countries. Better yet, most people carry their mobile with them everywheresomething that cannot be said of television or computers. Yet the biggest selling point of mobile ads is what marketing types call relevance. Advertisers believe that about half of all traditional advertising does not reach the right audience. Less effort and money is wasted with online advertising: half of it is sold on a pay-per-click basis, which means advertisers pay only when consumers click on an ad but mobile advertising through text message s is the most focused: if marketers use mobile firms profiles of their customers cleverly enough, they can tailor their advertisements to match each subscribers habits. While it is true that mobile phones have helped us connect and make changes in how we get our information on a day to day basis, there are also conflicting views on whether or not this is a good thing. Though cell phones can be wonderful, liberating tools of communication, freeing us from the confines of an office, and providing more leisure time, they often do the exact opposite. Cell phone use has blurred the boundaries between work and non-work time, increasing stress and tension within families and between friends. As Noelle Chesley, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, explained in a report on CBS News, The question of blurred boundaries may become an irrelevant one for the next generation of workers, spouses, and parents because they cannot imagine life any other way. As Slate commented in his Adbusters essay, It seems the more connected we are, the more detached we become(Dangl). One of the greatest disadvantages of the cellular phone i s the fact that we do not talk to strangers when traveling anymore. In the past, several people waiting for a bus would engage in a conversation while they were waiting. People who traveled the same routes every day might develop friendships along the way. This situation does not happen anymore. Today when people are waiting for a bus, they just pull out their cell phones and speak with old friends, missing out on the opportunity to make new ones. In large cities, many people do not know their neighbors, even though they may have lived in the same neighborhood for years. As a society, we are beginning to lose the face-to-face contact that was such an important part of our lives in the past. Cell phones are a great asset in aiding in our everyday lives. However, you should remember, however, to hang up every once in a while and pay attention to the world around you (Anonymous).

Interactive Whiteboard: Benefits in the Classroom

Interactive Whiteboard: Benefits in the Classroom Introduction The issues surrounding the use of interactive whiteboards (IWB) and creativity forms the focus of this essay. This area provides an opportunity to look at the interaction between new technologies and classroom reality in the Primary school setting, both in theory and practice. The essay starts with a brief overview of interactive whiteboards within the classroom setting before looking more closely at encouraging creativity both in teaching and learning. Teachernet (online) credits interactive whiteboards with the benefits of: Improving understanding of new concepts Increasing pupil motivation and involvement Improving planning, pace and flow of lessons Teachernet online, Interactive Whiteboards As Cogill (2003, p. 52) points out in her research report for Bects/DfES on IWBs in primary schools, the uniqueness of IWBs lies in its design to be used by teachers for teaching at whole class level. Yet in order to achieve the goals quoted above it is clear that certain other systems need to be put in place, especially professional development and teacher training. For example, as Barber et al. (2007) point out, it is vitally important for teachers to be confident and familiar with IWBs in order to use them to best effect. They also need to have a solid understanding of how to work with, and inspire, creativity and why (e.g. see Loveless 2002). To this end, and in agreement with official policy, there has been an upsurge in texts designed to help teachers work with IWBs. For example, Cooper et al. (2006) give a pragmatic description of how one can use IWBs within all teaching areas, from Maths to Reading. Craft (2000) also argues for the potential to use new technology with creativ ity rather than following the view expressed by some teachers that ‘†¦computers, far from stimulating or fostering creativity, both represent and do the exact opposite of this’ (Craft 200, p. 88). In creating space to use technology creatively it would seem that the first stage is to support their classroom use through training teachers both at pre-service level and through ongoing professional development. However, there is room for debate as to the depth of learning some of these formats inspire, seeming as occasionally do to seek to add entertainment rather than enrichment to learning. Whilst the funding made available through official initiatives, such as the National Grid for Learning (DfES 2003: DfES 2001) has encouraged schools to invest in new technologies, there is a need for systemic support to get the best out of it. For example Machin et al. found correlations between schools success with ICT and a ‘fertile background for making use of it’ (2006 p. 12). More pragmatically, Yelland (2007, p. 163) is one who warns that ‘not all software is positive for learning outcomes’ but then goes on to argue, in common with Machin et al. that it is the pedagogies generated by these new technologies that can create issues. Likewise Sutherland et al. (2004) warn that embedded use of ICT in the classroom can affect how knowledge is constructed. It is bearing this in mind that the following essay seeks to differentiate between, and concentrate on, creativity and not on the range of pedagogies that fall between poor practice and what has been referred to as edutainment. It seems clear that IWBs can provide a fantastic support, especially for visual learners, and posses the potential to be used to support and encourage highly creative interactive and educational learning environments through a wide range of curriculum areas. The ability for both students and teachers to manipulate visual materials (e.g. numbers, words, pitures etc) via the IWB and interact with the information displayed has been credited with: †¦increased pupil engagement, motivation and enjoyment, all potentially leading to improvements in pupil attainments Jones Vincent 2006, p. 2 However, research shows there is still considerable unfulfilled potential with the creative use of IWBs (Jones Vincent 2006: Smith et al. 2005). Creativity in itself has been viewed as essential for the progress of society (Cropley 2001, p. 133) and the next section of this essay looks more closely at how IWBs can be used in a variety of creative contexts starting theory and exemplifying with practice. Learning, or cognitive, styles are traditionally divided into visual, aural and kinesthetic and, in common with Gardner’s (1983) Theory of Multiple Intelligences, recognize what Craft (2000, p. 10) called a pluralist approach. This means catering for the various ways in which individual’s best absorb information and make meaning of it which in turn affects levels of student motivation. From the teaching perspective, creative planning is a means of overcoming individual barriers to learning and requires presenting information in a number of different ways. Cropley (2000, p. 148) saw this application of variety as encouraging creativity in students. IWBs ability to operate as a computer means that audio and video tracks, live websites and multimedia applications can be used to appeal to a range of students learning styles. Ideally, this engages their attention, thereby impacting on their motivation and encouraging creative thinking. IWBs provide an opportunity to link or encourage student interests in a very visual and interactive way. The following takes an aspect of geography as an example of the ways that IWBs can enhance and allow creativity of teaching methods. When teaching the water cycle, the IWB can be linked to any number of live weather cams and channels both in the locality and internationally and show real time weather. Diagrammatic representations of the water cycle can involve the students moving the pictures or labels into the right order using the IWBs touch sensitive capability. Graphic representations of rainfall data or ‘what if’ questions connected with changes in rainfall can all be presented on the IWB. The IWB allows questions to be investigated and extra dimensions to be added, such as a 3 dimensional view of a rain drop or the response to a question regarding the different forms of water – solid (e.g. show ice cubes to glaciers), gas (e.g. show animated kettle boilin g or a steam train running) or liquid (show rivers, seas etc). Notes can be added as the subject is discussed and saved for review the next time. It has been commented that, even as early as Key Stage 1, science can be taught in too theoretical a manner (Charlesworth 2008). Yet in the Ofsted Success in Science report (2008), from which this information apparently derived, the use of an IWB is described as an effective component in a science lesson demonstrating how light works. The teaching strategies included whole class to small group work, role plays and investigative questioning with the IWB used make notes of the students ideas and ‘aid learning’ (Ofsted 2008, Sec. 18, p. 16). Although how the IWB was used to aid learning was not actually described, the suggestion is that it was a valued means of contributing to lesson management, flow and effectiveness. Likewise in maths, the IWB can be used to easily display mathematical representations, be they numeric or conceptual, such as numbers or blocks on a clearly visible scale to the whole class. IWBs provide an excellent support to lesson modeling. This issue of visibility is clearly important and to be able to demonstrate things such as small blocks or coins to a whole class so all can see has been mentioned frequently, such as one of the teachers in Cogill’s research into IWB use in primary schools (2002, p. 25). The DfES has produced – and continues to do so – Interactive Teaching Programs (ITPs) within the Primary National Strategy. For numeracy, these provide curriculum linked interactive programs designed to contribute, not take over, the lesson. Other methods include those demonstrated by Cooper et al.(2006) who show simple ways to add to the dynamics of the lesson, for example using games with clipart to play number line football on the IWB and so on. The imp ortant point is that the IWB works in combination with other teaching strategies, not at the expense of, or to the exclusion of, a balanced well-rounded teaching approach. Equally, the IWB is available to literacy and has an increasing array of supporting software (e.g. DfES ITPs). Cooper et al. (2006) exemplify the IWBs ability to provide students with focus through managing the amount of text visible and the method of presentation – font size and type, highlighted, shaded, hidden, revealed, coloured etc. This adds a dimension to focusing on text formats, from punctuation to spelling and can be very useful in identifying difference for students and helping the retention of information. At the same time, the IWB allows for connection to external media, for PowerPoint’s, video and audio clips, all of which add a dimension to the intended learning if used carefully. IWBs can also be used to create an inclusive environment for students with special needs. As with the font, size and colour changes mentioned above, for students who may have issues with eyesight or problems interpreting words, IWBs can be used to add a dimension of size and impact. For students who find it hard to concentrate, the use of interactive, highly visible materials within their range of interest can easily be projected through IWBs, for example using cars as counters or horses as cursors. The ability to use the IWB to gather notes may also enhance assessment opportunities for the teacher and the savable nature of IWB notes means these are accessible when required in an easily usable format. All these elements not only add to the pace of the lesson and appear to add to the pace of the learning, they also add to the teachers resource bank both for teaching and evaluating progress. In essence, it is perhaps in the area of ongoing professional development that the creative use of new technologies, such as IWBs, needs to focus. When the teacher is motivated and confident, then that comes through in the teaching tools. Indeed the research looked at for this essay has generally agreed with Wood and Ashfield (2008) that new technologies such as IWBs can provide excellent formats for creating and inspiring creative teaching and learning, yet these depend on the teacher’s knowledge and ability to use the technology to achieve this. Becta supports this in its assessment of research and comes to the conclusion that: In some subjects, the more experience the teacher has of using the interactive whiteboard the greater the likelihood of positive attainment gains for pupils Becta 2007, online Cropley (2001) argued that creativity is dependent on a wide range of factors, from cognition to personality, and this has to be considered within the context of the whole classroom environment. IWBs provide teachers with another means of teaching creatively through presentation in altered formats, especially when it comes to communicating with the class as a whole. However it is not alone in encouraging the creative skills of divergent (broad concept connections) and convergent thinking (focused concept connections) or in developing meta-cognitive thinking and accommodation, rather than assimilation, of information. In conclusion, IWBs have the potential to be used extremely creatively for both teachers and students. However, as with many new technologies, their use needs to be supported both by school policy and professional development. As it is likely that these technologies will continue to develop considerably during the near future, it is not enough to teach the usage of specific technologies and think that is where it ends. Perhaps an ongoing mentoring program or collaborative approach to planning with a high IT content may help compliment continued professional development. The same criteria apply to pre-service teacher training whereby familiarity with current IT needs to be support by an ongoing ability to develop IT capacity. From the students’ perspective, well planned and imaginatively used IWBs provide a stimulating, engaging and motivating means of learning. It is clearly just as important to use this interface as a part of a holistic, well rounded curriculum as well as an area in itself and not enough to assume familiarity with contemporary technology without teaching it. References Audain, J., David, A., Flute, M., Fielder, S. Cogill, J (2006) You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 7-11, Scholastic Barber, D., Cooper, L. Meeson, G (2007) Learning and Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards : Primary and Early Years, Learning Matters Becta (2007) ‘Becta response to the evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion project, accessed 11th January 2009, http://www.becta.org.uk Becta (2004) ‘Getting the most from your Interactive Whiteboard: A guide for Primary Schools, accessed 10th January 2009, http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/15090.pdf Charlseworth, (2008) ‘Science teaching ‘too theoretical’, online article accessed 12th January 2009, http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2219313/science-teaching-theoretical-ofsted Cogill, J (2003) ‘The use of interactive whiteboards in the primary school: effects on pedagogy’, in ICT Research Bursaries: A Compendium of Research Reports, ICT in Schools Research and Evaluation Series – No, 16, Norwich: HMSO, available online at http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DfES-0791-2003.pdf#page=54 Cooper, A., J., Botham, K. Cromie, H (2006) You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 4-7, Scholastic Craft, A (2000) Creativity across the primary curriculum: framing and developing practice, London: Routledge Cropley, A. J. (2001) Creativity in education learning: a guide for teachers and educators, Kogan Page DfES (no date) Interactive Teaching Programs (ITPs), accessed 12th January 2009, http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/frameworks/library/Mathematics.ICTResources/itps/ DfES (2003) Fulfilling the Potential: Transforming Teaching and Learning through ICT in Schools, Norwich: HMSO DfES (2001) Survey of ICT in Schools 2001, Norwich: HMSO Gardner, H (1983) Frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligences, Basic Books: New York Jones, A. Vincent, J (2006) ‘Introducing interactive whiteboards into school practice: one school’s model of teachers mentoring colleagues’ online article accessed 12th January 2009, http://www.aare.edu.au/06pap/jon06333.pdf Loveless, A (2002) ‘Literature Review in Creativity, New Technologies and Learning’ Report 4, Futurelab Series, Bristol: Futurelab, available online at http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Creativity_Reveiw.pdf Machin, S., McNally, S. Silva, O (2006) ‘Summary of articles: New technology in schools: is there a payoff? Discussion Paper No 55’, Centre for the Economics of Education at CEP, accessed 12th January 2009, http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs.download.CP199.pdf Ofsted (2008) Success in Science, Ref. No.070195, accessed 12th January 2009, www.ofsted.gov.uk Smith, H J., Higgins, S., Wall, K. Miller, J (2005) ‘Interactive whiteboards: boon or bandwagon? A critical review of the literature’ in Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Vol. 21, pp. 21-101 Sutherland, R., Armstrong, V., Varnes, S., Brawn, R., Breeze, N., Gall, M., Matthewman, S., Olivero, F., Taylor, A., Triggs, P., Wishart, J. John, P (2004) ‘Transforming teaching and learning: embedding ICT into everyday classroom practices’ in Journal of computer Assisted Learning, Vol. 20 (6), pp. 413-425 Teachernet (online) ‘Interactive Whiteboards’, accessed 10th January 2009, http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/ictis/infrastructure/iwb Wood, R. Ashfield, J (2008) ‘The use of the interactive whiteboard for creative teaching and learning in literacy and mathematics: a case study’ in British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 39 (1), Jan, pp. 84-96 Yelland, N (2007) Shift to the Future, Abingdon: Routledge

Dawn by Elie Wiesel Essay -- Dawn Elie Wiesel Essays

Dawn by Elie Wiesel In this report you will see the comparisons between the novel Dawn and the life of Elie Wiesel, its author. The comparisons are very visible once you learn about Elie Wiesel’s life. Elie Wiesel was born on September28,1928 in the town of Hungary. Wiesel went through a lot of hard times as a youngster. In 1944, Wiesel was deported by the nazis and taken to the concentration camps. His family was sent to the town of Auschwitz. The father, mother, and sister of Wiesel died in the concentration camps. His older sister and himself were the only to survive in his family. After surviving the concentration camps, Wiesel moved to Paris, where he studied literature at the Sorbonne from 1948-1951. Since 1949 he has worked as a foreign correspondant and journalist at various times for the French, Jewish, periodical, L’Arche, Tel-Aviv newspaper Yediot Ahronot, and the Jewish daily forward in New York City. Francois mauriac the Roman Catholic Nobelest and Nobel Laureate convinced Wie sel to speak about the Holocaust. Wiesel wrote an 800 page memoir which he later edited into a smaller version called "Night". In the mid 60’s Wiesel spoke out a lot about the Holocaust. Later on Wiesel emerged on as an important moral voice on Religious Issues and the Human Rights. Since 1988 Wiesel has been a professor at Boston University. Some of Wiesel’s greatest novels has been "Night", "Dawn", "The Accident", "The Town Beyond The Wall", "The Gates Of The Forest", "The Fifth Son"...

Characterization of Scully in Tim Winton’s The Riders Essay -- Tim Win

The Characterization of Scully in Tim Winton’s The Riders  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most endearing aspects of The Riders is the clever characterization. This allows the reader to relate to the typical national stereotypes and yet very extravagant personalities portrayed in the novel. The characterization, together with Winton’s considerable skill at using the characters’ view to evoke a sense of place, are two of the strengths of The Riders. The character of Fred Scully, the ‘hero’ of The Riders, is one of the most wonderfully written characters to have come out of Winton’s writing so far. Scully’s character encompasses all the traditional traits of the Australian: his use of vernacular, appearance, humor, as well as the outlook and many more. Winton has the reader accompany Scully in his desperate struggle through Europe and it is Scully’s personality that the reader finds themselves enjoying more than the sightseeing trip. "...Scully [is] one of the most memorable characters in Australian fiction." Scully is memorable because his traits could be found in someone known by the reader; he could easily be the ‘man next door’. The beauty of Scully is that Winton has allowed for the character to evolve, and he has adapted along with his character. At the beginning of the novel Scully is the "...big friendly shambles of a man who followed them like an ugly hound, loyal and indestructible..." yet not long after Scully is seen as "...sheepish like a lamb unto the slaughter...". These changes which occur in the character of Scully fit into the structure and plot of The Riders. Before the disappearance of Jennifer, Scully was a ruggedly handsome optimist, content to wait out the bad times, yet after the trauma of loss and heartache, ... ... is based around the idea that Scully is an emotional person, one who considers the needs of others. Scully follows Jennifer because of the baby. Yet he does not pursue Connor Keneally, because he understands that it would not be right, no matter how much he feels that he wants to. Tim Winton’s Scully is a very memorable Australian character. His connection with the reader enables them to enjoy his individual humour, vernacular and his generally unsinkable optimism. Winton’s writing skills allow the reader to be drawn to Scully by the character’s particular outlook on situations. Scully once said "What you see is what you get". Within The Riders this is not necessarily so, Winton gives Scully much more than what is printed on the page and it is up to the reader’s discretion of how much they perceive. Work Cited Winton, Tim. The Riders Prentice Hall 1996. Characterization of Scully in Tim Winton’s The Riders Essay -- Tim Win The Characterization of Scully in Tim Winton’s The Riders  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most endearing aspects of The Riders is the clever characterization. This allows the reader to relate to the typical national stereotypes and yet very extravagant personalities portrayed in the novel. The characterization, together with Winton’s considerable skill at using the characters’ view to evoke a sense of place, are two of the strengths of The Riders. The character of Fred Scully, the ‘hero’ of The Riders, is one of the most wonderfully written characters to have come out of Winton’s writing so far. Scully’s character encompasses all the traditional traits of the Australian: his use of vernacular, appearance, humor, as well as the outlook and many more. Winton has the reader accompany Scully in his desperate struggle through Europe and it is Scully’s personality that the reader finds themselves enjoying more than the sightseeing trip. "...Scully [is] one of the most memorable characters in Australian fiction." Scully is memorable because his traits could be found in someone known by the reader; he could easily be the ‘man next door’. The beauty of Scully is that Winton has allowed for the character to evolve, and he has adapted along with his character. At the beginning of the novel Scully is the "...big friendly shambles of a man who followed them like an ugly hound, loyal and indestructible..." yet not long after Scully is seen as "...sheepish like a lamb unto the slaughter...". These changes which occur in the character of Scully fit into the structure and plot of The Riders. Before the disappearance of Jennifer, Scully was a ruggedly handsome optimist, content to wait out the bad times, yet after the trauma of loss and heartache, ... ... is based around the idea that Scully is an emotional person, one who considers the needs of others. Scully follows Jennifer because of the baby. Yet he does not pursue Connor Keneally, because he understands that it would not be right, no matter how much he feels that he wants to. Tim Winton’s Scully is a very memorable Australian character. His connection with the reader enables them to enjoy his individual humour, vernacular and his generally unsinkable optimism. Winton’s writing skills allow the reader to be drawn to Scully by the character’s particular outlook on situations. Scully once said "What you see is what you get". Within The Riders this is not necessarily so, Winton gives Scully much more than what is printed on the page and it is up to the reader’s discretion of how much they perceive. Work Cited Winton, Tim. The Riders Prentice Hall 1996.

Hypothalamic Lesion :: Medicine Health Research

Hypothalamic Lesion from the Perspective of Neurologist and Neurosurgeon The hypothalamus is a substructure of the diencephalon and acts as one of the most significant control centers of the brain. It is located inferior to the thalamus, encapsulates the ventral portion of the third ventricle, and lies just superior to the pituitary gland, which it has direct regulatory control over (Gunderson, 1996). Neurosecretory neurons in the hypothalamus secrete releasing and inhibiting hormones which are carried to the anterior pituitary where they exert their effects via hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal veins. Included in the many functions of the hypothalamus are regulation of food and water intake, autonomic function, emotions, body temperature, motor functions, and circadian sleep-wake cycles (Kalat, 2004). Hormones secreted by the hypothalamus include Thyrotropin- releasing hormone, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, Growth- releasing hormone, Corticotropin-releasing hormone, Somatostatin, and Dopamine (Klaus,n.d.). Medically, a lesion is a term referring to abnormal tissue in the body that can be caused by many factors including disease, trauma, infection, or neoplasm which is an abnormal growth of tissue, such as a tumor (Healthopedia.com, n.d.). For the purpose of this paper tumor and lesion will be used interchangeably. As a neurologist I am a medical doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system, including diagnosis of brain tumors. As a professional I act as the primary care provider for patients with chronic neurological problems and as a consultant to other physicians who have clients suspected of having a condition involving the nervous system (Life NPH, n.d.). A neurological examination allows me to effectively diagnose the condition of the patient and suggest appropriate treatment options. I first review the patient's health history with special attention to the current condition. A patient suspected of having a disorder of the nervous system will be subjected to a general neurological examination which includes testing of eye movement and pupil reaction, hearing, reflexes, balance and coordination, sense of touch, sense of smell, facial muscle functioning, gag reflex, head movement, mental status, abstract thinking, and memory (Malhi, 2000). A full neurological examination is generally administered, despite any preconceived opinions of a patient’s potential ailment, in order to illustrate the condition as clearly as possible and rule out any alternative diagnosis. An examination takes 90 minutes or more in most cases and consists of a battery of tests. A neurological exam tests for a client’s level of function of the area of the nervous system involved in a given

Business Math

Chapter 5 Interest Rates 5-1. Your bank is offering you an account that will pay 20% interest in total for a two-year deposit. Determine the equivalent discount rate for a period length of a. Six months. b. One year. c. One month. a. Since 6 months is [pic] of 2 years, using our rule [pic] So the equivalent 6 month rate is 4. 66%. b. Since one year is half of 2 years [pic] So the equivalent 1 year rate is 9. 54%. c. Since one month is [pic] of 2 years, using our rule [pic] So the equivalent 1 month rate is 0. 63%. 5-2. Which do you prefer: a bank account that pays 5% per year (EAR) for three years or a. An account that pays 2[pic] every six months for three years? b. An account that pays 7[pic] every 18 months for three years? c. An account that pays [pic] per month for three years? If you deposit $1 into a bank account that pays 5% per year for 3 years you will have [pic] after 3 years. a. If the account pays [pic] per 6 months then you will have [pic] after 3 years, so you prefer [ pic] every 6 months. b.If the account pays [pic] per 18 months then you will have [pic] after 3 years, so you prefer 5% per year. c. If the account pays [pic] per month then you will have [pic] after 3 years, so you prefer [pic] every month. 5-3. Many academic institutions offer a sabbatical policy. Every seven years a professor is given a year free of teaching and other administrative responsibilities at full pay. For a professor earning $70,000 per year who works for a total of 42 years, what is the present value of the amount she will earn while on sabbatical if the interest rate is 6% (EAR)? Timeline: 0 |7 |14 | | | |42 | | | | | | | | | |0 |1 |2 | | | |8 | | | | | | | | | |0 |1 |2 | | | |304 | | | | | | | |48 |0. 75 % |20,092. 9 |–500 |0 | Thus, your remaining balance is $20,092. 39. If you prepay an extra $100 today, your will lower your remaining balance to $20,092. 39 – 100 = $19,992. 39. Though your balance is reduced, your required monthly payment does not ch ange. Instead, you will pay off the loan faster; that is, it will reduce the payments you need to make at the very end of the loan. How much smaller will the final payment be? With the extra payment, the timeline changes: That is, we will pay off by paying $500 per month for 47 months, and some smaller amount, $500 – X, in the last month.To solve for X, recall that the PV of the remaining cash flows equals the outstanding balance when the loan interest rate is used as the discount rate: [pic] Solving for X gives [pic] So the final payment will be lower by $143. 14. You can also use the annuity spreadsheet to determine this solution. If you prepay $100 today, and make payments of $500 for 48 months, then your final balance at the end will be a credit of $143. 14: |N |I |PV |PMT |FV | |48 |0. 75 % |19,992. 9 |-500 |143. 14 | (2) The extra payment effectively lets us exchange $100 today for $143. 14 in four years. We claimed that the return on this investment should be the loan interest rate. Let’s see if this is the case: [pic], so it is. Thus, you earn a 9% APR (the rate on the loan). 5-19. Consider again the setting of Problem 18. Now that you realize your best investment is to prepay your student loan, you decide to prepay as much as you can each month. Looking at your budget, you can afford to pay an extra $250 per month in addition to your required monthly payments of $500, r $750 in total each month. How long will it take you to pay off the loan? The timeline in this case is: and we want to determine the number of monthly payments N that we will need to make. That is, we need to determine what length annuity with a monthly payment of $750 has the same present value as the loan balance, using the loan interest rate as the discount rate. As we did in Chapter 4, we set the outstanding balance equal to the present value of the loan payments and solve for N. [pic] We can also use the annuity spreadsheet to solve for N. N |I |PV |PMT |FV | |30. 02 |0. 75 % |20,092. 39 |–750 |0 | So, by prepaying the loan, we will pay off the loan in about 30 months or 2 ? years, rather than the four years originally scheduled. Because N of 30. 02 is larger than 30, we could either increase the 30th payment by a small amount or make a very small 31st payment. We can use the annuity spreadsheet to determine the remaining balance after 30 payments. N |I |PV |PMT |FV | |30 |0. 75 % |20,092. 39 |–750 |–13. 86 | If we make a final payment of $750. 00 + $13. 86 = $763. 86, the loan will be paid off in 30 months. 5-20. Oppenheimer Bank is offering a 30-year mortgage with an APR of 5. 25%. With this mortgage your monthly payments would be $2000 per month. In addition, Oppenheimer Bank offers you the following deal: Instead of making he monthly payment of $2000 every month, you can make half the payment every two weeks (so that you will make 52 ? 2 = 26 payments per year). With this plan, how long will it take to pay off the mortga ge of $150,000 if the EAR of the loan is unchanged? If we make [pic] every 2 weeks the timeline is as follows. Timeline: |0 |1 |2 |3 | | | | | | | | | | | | Using the formula for the loan payment, [pic] Next we write out the cash flows with the extra payment. Timeline #2: 0 |1 | |6|7| |18 | | | | | | | | | To determine the outstanding balance we discount at the original rate, i. e. , [pic] [pic] Next we calculate the loan payment on the new mortgage. Timeline #2: |0 |1 |2 | | | |360 | | | | | | | | | The discount rate on the new loan is the new loan rate: [pic] Using the formula for the loan payment: [pic] b. pic] c. [pic] (You can use trial and error or the annuity calculator to solve for N. ) d. [pic] (Note: results may differ slightly due to rounding. ) 5-24. You have credit card debt of $25,000 that has an APR (monthly compounding) of 15%. Each month you pay the minimum monthly payment only. You are required to pay only the outstanding interest. You have received an offer in the mail for an otherwise identical credit card with an APR of 12%. After considering all your alternatives, you decide to switch cards, roll over the outstanding balance on the old card into the new card, and borrow additional money as well.How much can you borrow today on the new card without changing the minimum monthly payment you will be required to pay? The discount rate on the original card is: [pic] Assuming that your current monthly payment is the interest that accrues, it equals: [pic] Timeline: |0 |1 |2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |312. 50 |312. 50 | |This is a perpetuity. So the amount you can borrow at the new interest rate is this cash flow discounted at the new discount rate. The new discount rate is [pic] So,[pic] So by switching credit cards you are able to spend an extra [pic] You do not have to pay taxes on this amount of new borrowing, so this is your after-tax benefit of switching cards. 5-25. In 1975, interest rates were 7. 85% and the rate of inflation was 12. 3% in the United States. What was the real interest rate in 1975? How would the purchasing power of your savings have changed over the year? pic] The purchasing power of your savings declined by 3. 96% over the year. 5-26. If the rate of inflation is 5%, what nominal interest rate is necessary for you to earn a 3% real interest rate on your investment? [pic] implies [pic]. Therefore, a nominal rate of 8. 15% is required. 5-27. Can the nominal interest rate available to an investor be significantly negative? (Hint: Consider the interest rate earned from saving cash â€Å"under the mattress. †) Can the real interest rate be negative? Explain. By holding cash, an investor earns a nominal interest rate of 0%.Since an investor can always earn at least 0%, the nominal interest rate cannot be negative. The real interest rate can be negative, however. It is negative whenever the rate of inflation exceeds the nominal interest rate. 5-28. Consider a project that requires an ini tial investment of $100,000 and will produce a single cash flow of $150,000 in five years. a. What is the NPV of this project if the five-year interest rate is 5% (EAR)? b. What is the NPV of this project if the five-year interest rate is 10% (EAR)? c. What is the highest five-year interest rate such that this project is still profitable? . NPV = –100,000 + 150,000 / 1. 055 = $17,529. b. NPV = –100,000 + 150,000 / 1. 105 = –$6862. c. The answer is the IRR of the investment: IRR = (150,000 / 100,000)1/5 – 1 = 8. 45%. 5-29. Suppose the term structure of risk-free interest rates is as shown below: [pic] a. Calculate the present value of an investment that pays $1000 in two years and $2000 in five years for certain. b. Calculate the present value of receiving $500 per year, with certainty, at the end of the next five years. To find the rates for the missing years in the table, linearly interpolate between the years for which ou do know the rates. (For example , the rate in year 4 would be the average of the rate in year 3 and year 5. ) c. Calculate the present value of receiving $2300 per year, with certainty, for the next 20 years. Infer rates for the missing years using linear interpolation. (Hint : Use a spreadsheet. ) a. Timeline: |0 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Since the opportunity cost of capital is different for investments of different maturities, we must use the cost of capital associated with each cash flow as the discount rate for that cash flow. Unfortunately, we do not have a rate for a 4-year cash flow, so we linearly interpolate. [pic] [pic] c. Timeline: 0 |1 |2 |3 | | | |20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |2,300 |2,300 |2,300 | | | |2,300 | |Since the opportunity cot of capital is different for investments of different maturities, we must use the cost of capital associated with each cash flow as the discount rate for that cash flow.Unfortunately, we do not have a rate for a nu mber of years, so we linearly interpolate. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] 5-30. Using the term structure in Problem 29, what is the present value of an investment that pays $100 at the end of each of years 1, 2, and 3? If you wanted to value this investment correctly using the annuity formula, which discount rate should you use? PV = 100 / 1. 0199 + 100 / 1. 02412 + 100 / 1. 02743 =$285. 61. To determine the single discount rate that would compute the value correctly, we solve the following for r: PV = 285. 1 = 100/(1 + r) + 100 / (1 + r)2 + 100/(1 + r)3 = $285. 61. This is just an IRR calculation. Using trial and error or the annuity calculator, r = 2. 50%. Note that this rate is between the 1, 2, and 3-yr rates given. 5-31. What is the shape of the yield curve given the term structure in Problem 29? What expectations are investors likely to have about future interest rates? The yield curve is increasing. This is often a sign that investors expect interest rates to rise in the future. 5-3 2. Suppose the current one-year interest rate is 6%.One year from now, you believe the economy will start to slow and the one-year interest rate will fall to 5%. In two years, you expect the economy to be in the midst of a recession, causing the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates drastically and the one-year interest rate to fall to 2%. The one-year interest rate will then rise to 3% the following year, and continue to rise by 1% per year until it returns to 6%, where it will remain from then on. a. If you were certain regarding these future interest rate changes, what two-year interest rate would be consistent with these expectations? . What current term structure of interest rates, for terms of 1 to 10 years, would be consistent with these expectations? c. Plot the yield curve in this case. How does the one-year interest rate compare to the 10-year interest rate? a. The one-year interest rate is 6%. If rates fall next year to 5%, then if you reinvest at this rate over two years you would earn (1. 06)(1. 05) = 1. 113 per dollar invested. This amount corresponds to an EAR of (1. 113)1/2 – 1 = 5. 50% per year for two years. Thus, the two-year rate that is consistent with these expectations is 5. 0%. b. We can apply the same logic for future years: c. We can plot the yield curve using the EARs in (b); note that the 10-year rate is below the 1-year rate (yield curve is inverted). 5-33. Figure 5. 4 shows that Wal-Mart’s five-year borrowing rate is 3. 1% and GE Capital’s is 10%. Which would you prefer? $500 from Wal-Mart paid today or a promise that the firm will pay you $700 in five years? Which would you choose if GE Capital offered you the same alternatives? We can use the interest rates each company must pay on a 5-year loan as the discount rate.PV for GE Capital = 700 / 1. 105 = $434. 64 < $500 today, so take the money now. PV for Wal-Mart = 700 / 1. 0315 = $600. 90 > $500 today, so take the promise. 5-34. Your best taxable investment o pportunity has an EAR of 4%. You best tax-free investment opportunity has an EAR of 3%. If your tax rate is 30%, which opportunity provides the higher after-tax interest rate? After-tax rate = 4%(1 – . 30) = 2. 8%, which is less than your tax-free investment with pays 3%. 5-35. Your uncle Fred just purchased a new boat.He brags to you about the low 7% interest rate (APR, monthly compounding) he obtained from the dealer. The rate is even lower than the rate he could have obtained on his home equity loan (8% APR, monthly compounding). If his tax rate is 25% and the interest on the home equity loan is tax deductible, which loan is truly cheaper? After-tax cost of home equity loan is 8%(1 – . 25) = 6%, which is cheaper than the dealer’s loan (for which interest is not tax-deductible). Thus, the home equity loan is cheaper. (Note that this could also be done in terms of EARs. ) 5-36.You are enrolling in an MBA program. To pay your tuition, you can either take out a s tandard student loan (so the interest payments are not tax deductible) with an EAR of 5[pic] or you can use a tax-deductible home equity loan with an APR (monthly) of 6%. You anticipate being in a very low tax bracket, so your tax rate will be only 15%. Which loan should you use? Using the formula to convert an APR to an EAR: [pic] So the home equity loan has an EAR of 6. 168%. Now since the rate on a tax deductible loan is a before-tax rate, we must convert this to an after-tax rate to compare it. [pic]Since the student loan has a larger after tax rate, you are better off using the home equity loan. 5-37. Your best friend consults you for investment advice. You learn that his tax rate is 35%, and he has the following current investments and debts:  ¦ A car loan with an outstanding balance of $5000 and a 4. 8% APR (monthly compounding)  ¦ Credit cards with an outstanding balance of $10,000 and a 14. 9% APR (monthly compounding)  ¦ A regular savings account with a $30,000 balan ce, paying a 5. 50% EAR  ¦ A money market savings account with a $100,000 balance, paying a 5. 25% APR (daily compounding) A tax-deductible home equity loan with an outstanding balance of $25,000 and a 5. 0% APR (monthly compounding) a. Which savings account pays a higher after-tax interest rate? b. Should your friend use his savings to pay off any of his outstanding debts? Explain. a. The regular savings account pays 5. 5% EAR, or 5. 5%(1 – . 35) = 3. 575% after tax. The money-market account pays (1 + 5. 25%/365)365 – 1 = 5. 39% or 5. 39%(1 – . 35) = 3. 50% after tax. Therefore, the regular savings account pays a higher rate. b. Your friend should pay off the credit card loans and the car loan, since they have after-tax costs of 14. % APR and 4. 8% APR respectively, which exceed the rate earned on savings. The home equity loan should not be repaid, as its EAR = (1 + 5%/12)12 – 1 = 5. 12%, for an after-tax rate of only 5. 125(1 – . 35) = 3. 33%, which is below the rate earned on savings. 5-38. Suppose you have outstanding debt with an 8% interest rate that can be repaid anytime, and the interest rate on U. S. Treasuries is only 5%. You plan to repay your debt using any cash that you don’t invest elsewhere. Until your debt is repaid, what cost of capital should you use when evaluating a new risk-free investment opportunity? Why?The appropriate cost of capital for a new risk-free investment is 8%, since you could earn 8% without risk by paying off your existing loan and avoiding interest charges. 5-39. In the summer of 2008, at Heathrow Airport in London, Bestofthebest (BB), a private company, offered a lottery to win a Ferrari or 90,000 British pounds, equivalent at the time to about $180,000. Both the Ferrari and the money, in 100 pound notes, were on display. If the U. K. interest rate was 5% per year, and the dollar interest rate was 2% per year (EARs), how much did it cost the company in dollars each month to keep the cash on display?That is, what was the opportunity cost of keeping it on display rather than in a bank account? (Ignore taxes. ) Because the prize is in pounds, we should use the pound interest rate (comparable risk). (1. 05)(1/12) – 1 = . 4074%. 0. 4074% x 90k = 366. 7 pounds per month, or $733 per month at the current exchange rate. 5-40. You firm is considering the purchase of a new office phone system. You can either pay $32,000 now, or $1000 per month for 36 months. a. Suppose your firm currently borrows at a rate of 6% per year (APR with monthly compounding).Which payment plan is more attractive? b. Suppose your firm currently borrows at a rate of 18% per year (APR with monthly compounding). Which payment plan would be more attractive in this case? a. The payments are as risky as the firm’s other debt. So opportunity cost = debt rate. PV(36 month annuity of 1000 at 6%/12 per month) = $32,871. So pay cash. b. PV(annuity at 18%/12 per mo) = $27,661. So pay over time. ———————– 47 –500 0 2 –500 1 –500 48 –500 47 –500 0 19,992. 39 2 –500 1 –500 48 –(500 – X) N -750 0 20,092. 39 2 -750 1 -750 [pic]