Computers in education Essay

Computers have rapidly become one of the most vital parts of our civilization today. Computerized applications have set no limits in technological innovations. As a result, the human history has drastically changed since the revolutionary invention of computer. In December 1943, the first electric programmable computer, the Colossus, was introduced. Since then, computers not only have propelled innumerate industries to unquestionable success, but also created new industry like Information Technology. Computer-based instruction is becoming more prevalent in secondary education in the United States. Using computers to deliver instruction can help to correct inequities in educational opportunities that exist due to race/ethnicity, budget constraints, geographical location, income, school size, and substandard teaching (Carroll, 2000). There is no doubt that most up-to-date technological features cannot be fully appreciated, if future generations do not adapt and learn the technology. Future generation’s early adaptation in use of computers is extremely essential for further progress of technology; the computer’s constant technological advancements provide more extensive learning resources through multi web referencing tools and enhance students’ understanding by user friendly integrated programs. As of the traditional teaching process, using blackboard to present materials has been time consuming. Especially when the teacher’s back obscures what is being written on the blackboard, lack of attention from students automatically increase. Arguably, excessive usage of the blackboard in teaching limits the way of conveying materials in creative manner. For example, writing on a blackboard provides an inflexible presentation with few colors and styles, as well as difficulties in displaying pictures or multimedia content. On the other hand, â€Å"with the right software, they could help make science tangible or teach neglected topics like art and music. They help students form a concrete idea of society by displaying onscreen version of the city which they live.† (Gelernter 278) Another disadvantage of using a blackboard is that once the information written on the board is erased, it cannot be reproduced, or interchanged. Consequently, students have to make notes or copy the material from the blackboard, all of which is inconvenient (Apperson, Laws, & Scepansky, 2008). By implementing computers in classrooms, class times lost in taking notes will be allocated more efficiently, and perhaps, portions of saved class times can be utilized for other small educational activities. According to William R. Thomas, Director of Educational Technology for the Southern Regional Education Board, â€Å"virtual high schooling is no longer a marginal educational activity. It is rapidly becoming a mainstream component of secondary education in the United States. For example, there are now over 19,000 virtual high school students in the state of Florida. In 1998 there were fewer than 1,000.† The study vividly shows the positive impact that computer implementation had on virtual schooling over the last decade. The main factor for such success was largely due to students’ access to the internet. Physically handicapped students and temporarily disabled students now have the benefit of utilizing online education for their convenience. The Internet has â€Å"won† the technology struggle for primacy in education (Carroll, 2000). The Internet alone has completely altered the way in which students research information, facilitated distance education, and led to an increase in the spread of ideas (Diodato, 2007). World-widely shared information database has brought abundant educational resources to students. Computers in education can unload heavily burdened shoulders of college students, using the recent tablet technology. Students for instance Apple’s Cyber-safety is defined as the safe and responsible use of information and communication technologies (Balfour, 2005; Beach, 2007), including protection against unsolicited marketing and advertising (Frechette, 2005). Cyber-safety teaches children about the positive and negative aspects of ICT (Livingstone & Haddon, 2009), safeguarding against individuals who operate websites, attempt to contact children online, or to organize unsupervised meetings in person with children (Grey, 77). Cyber-safety education also involves guidance on cyber-ethics to form a responsible attitude to the use of ICT (Berson & Berson, 2004). Educating young children about cyber-safety is complicated, as young children often do not understand the social and technical complexity of the internet (Yan, 2006). Child protection programs are successful if children’s developmental level and cognitive abilities are considered, if abstract terms are avoided, and clear rules are repeated often so children retain the information (Sanderson, 2004) â€Å"Mobile technology customizes the learning experience to better fit students’ preferred mode, media, and pace of learning. It helps students connect with courses, content, and each other. It helps share insight on academic progress between teachers, students, and parents, and allows students to create content for assignments directly from devices and more.† (Etter, 2011) Technological literate people would possess knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities that assist them as they interact with the technology found in their environments (Pearson & Young, 2002). Works Cited Apperson, J. M., Laws, E. L., & Scepansky, J. A. (2008). An assessment of studentpreferences for PowerPoint presentation structure in undergraduate courses. Computers & Education, 50(1), 148–153 Blaylock, T. Hendon, and Joseph W. Newman. â€Å"The impact of computer-based secondaryeducation.† Education 125.3 (2005): 373+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Balfour, C. (2005). A journey of social change: Turning government digital strategy into cybersafe local school practice. Paper presented at the Safety & Security in a Networked World: Balancing Cyber-rights & Responsibilities conference, Oxford, UK Beach, R. (2007). New Zealand’s first steps to cybersafety. Paper presented at the Early Childhood Convention, Rotorua, NZ Carroll, T.G. (2000). If we didn’t have the schools we have today, would we create theschools we have today? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 1(1), 117-140. Diodato, Michael. â€Å"Innovative age: technology for education in the developing world.†Harvard International Review 28.4 (2007): 38+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Etter, Ryan. â€Å"VISIONS OF MOBILE LEARNING. (Cover Story).† T H E Journal 38.9 (2011): 28-34. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Frechette, J. (2005). Cyber-democracy or cyber-hegemony? Exploring the political and economic structures of the internet as an alternative source of information. Library Trends, 53(4), pp. 555-575 Gelernter, David. â€Å"Unplugged: The Myth of Computers in the Classroom†. The McGraw-Hill Reader 11th edi. Ed.Gilbert Muller. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. 278-280 Grey, Anne. â€Å"Cybersafety In Early Childhood Education.† Australasian Journal Of Early Childhood 36.2 (2011): 77-81. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2012 Livingstone, S., & Haddon, L. (2009). EU Kids Online: Final report. LSE, London: EUKids Online (EC Safer Internet Plus Programme Deliverable D6.5) Pearson, G., & Young, A.T. (2002). Technically speaking: Why all Americans need to know more about technology. Washington, DC: National Academies Press Sanderson, J. (2004). Child-focused sexual abuse prevention programs: How effective are they in preventing child abuse? Research & Issues Paper Series, 5, June 2004 Yan, Z. (2006). What influences children’s and adolescents’ understanding of the complexity of the internet? Developmental Psychology, 42(3), pp. 418–428.

Managing Financial Resources Master Research Paper

Managing Financial Resources Master - Research Paper Example Must Have Furnisher's current financial information (charts) can be found in Annex A of this report. All other charts and reports related to the projects to be examined and the company in question for the merger can also be found in Annex A. This report begins by comparing the profit/loss statement for the year ending 30/09/03. What follows is a bar graph that compares 2002 profit/loss and 2003 profit/loss. You may find the results quite startling. With sales and gross profit being higher in 2003 one would expect the operating profit to higher, but its not: The blue bars represent 2002's data and the reddish bars represent 2003's data. Sales were way up in 2003 as were cost of sales and gross profit. There is a considerable gap between 2002 and 2003 in sales and expenses. When you get down to the number that really counts, the operating profit, 2002 was a better year. 2003's data shows a 311% increase in sales, 466% more spent in cost of sales, etcBut, when you look at the final bars (operating profit) 2002 reported 674000 profit and 2003 reported 620000 profit. The company actually made less in 2003 (-54000) and spent considerably more in 2003. What hurt in 2003's numbers were the expenses such as bad debts, depreciation, selling expenses, and interest owed. It appears that the new p... The Simplified Balance Sheet (See Annex A) for Must Have Furnishers LTD tells more of the story. There are big number differences as seen in the prior graph only this time 2003 came out with the bigger numbers. Why Because the earlier chart gave a snapshot of one part of the business and the chart below gives a snapshot of the business as a whole and takes a look at such things as stock ownership to raise capital and expenditures for machines and equipment. The bars on the left represent 2002 data while the ones on the right represent 2003 data. The ratio of assets is .358911:1 and the ration of liabilities is .0625:1. The next graph shows the company's net worth (net assets minus long term liabilities): Column 1 is the company's 2002 net worth and column 2 is the company's 2003 net worth. Why is the company worth more in 2003 In 2002 the company had 60 stock holders and that number increased to 476 in 2003. One way of raising money (capital) to fund projects or growth is to sell more stock. This could work well or backfire. Selling more stock could make the stock price fall. The stock owners before the new sale would lose because their stock lost value and their percentage of ownership in the company dropped as well. This company also took on more debtors (1000). That raised the current assets for 2003. The net worth for the company increased from 1858 in 2002 to 2534 in 2003. That equates to roughly a 36% increase in net worth for the company. If the company could reduce its long term liabilities the profit margin would be greater. Also, the company needs to take a good look at the expenses 2002 vs. 2003. Lowering those expenses would raise the operating

Texting and driving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Texting and driving - Research Paper Example This paper shall exclusively try to relate texting while driving, and how the two must be kept separate when either one of these is committed into. Since texting is so common these days, the drivers do not feel the urge to park their cars at a safe location and then do the texting. Talking whilst driving might sound reasonable considering one receives the calls as and when these come, but texting can take a while to respond back. People need to realize the gravity of the problem that can linger on their heads and then find a solution to have a remedy for the same (Hermes, 2010). The remedy can be in terms of stopping one’s car and then finding the most appropriate place to park the car and do the texting bit. Recent accidents have proven that the drivers who were texting whilst driving have had more than 400 percent of their concentration diverted while doing this act. They completely block their minds and concentrate wholly and solely on what are written on the cell phone scr eens. They give up the idea that they are driving and respond to what all the content has been about. This is a grave situation which must be dealt with a stern hand, because many people can suffer on this count and are still suffering with each passing day, around the world. The cell phones can wait, they must and they should! After all, it is just a device which must not take one’s life. It does not have the power to take one’s life, but what is happening here is a totally different act altogether. The cell phones thwart the entire basis of a person’s concentration when he is driving. What this suggests is the fact that the cell phones are the attention diverters, and essentially break the ice between the concentration that the individuals have with the road and their car whilst driving (Squire, 2009). The sound of the cell phone message is enough for them to forget that they were on the car and start depending on what is written on the Inbox within their cell phones. This is a horrendous understanding which has been established by people in this day and age, where maximum concentration is laid on the fact that people need to be on their feet at all times, without any shortcomings coming to their fore, which is not humanly acceptable and possible. The birth of a social networking phenomenon has highlighted a number of negatives than bringing out any sheer advantages for the people. It is an acceptable proposition that the cell phones do create social linkages amongst people but this is no way means that the people can take their lives for granted, as well as the people who are around them (Author Unknown, 2010). A sense of empathy seems to be the missing ingredient within the thick of things, and for this proper efforts need to be made to make sure that sanity does creep in within the relevant equations. The social networking premise is such an important one that it will do away with the basics of spending a normal living pattern and bri ng into close proximity tools like cell phones and the like to remain in close contact with the people, no matter where they are and what kind of environments they are a part of. What must matter is the fact that cell phones do have to be used, and driving is no exception within the related folds. People need to unlearn what they have learned within the new dimension of cell phone usage and the

The effect of Spanglish on writers writing output Essay

The effect of Spanglish on writers writing output - Essay Example One major advantage of Spanglish is its ability to illustrate the power of the mind to play with words showing further inventive and creativity at some certain point. In other words, Spanglish could eventually make substantial touch in creative writing as in a way it could be highly viewed as creativity of the mind especially in aspects concerning words are played. In most of creative writing techniques, playing with words are normally highlighted just to help emphasize the main point of the writers and even emphasize their creative touch for more aesthetic feel. In other words, by this specific advantage, Spanglish eventually affects the way people right these days. People have creative ways and means to express themselves in writing and Spanglish eventually is a specific tool in helping them to wallow in deeper sense of creativity with words. Therefore, with Spanglish, there could be an assurance of achieving creative piece. There is eventually a market for Latino and Spanglish is remarkably accepted as an evolution of the language growth (Kevane & Heredia, 2000, p. 136). In other words, with Spanglish, it is not only on the point that creativity can be nourished, but with it also includes the fact that a writer would be able to use language freely and openly and allow it to grow or even execute the things it must necessary do. These are just some of the advantages of Spanglish, which substantially show that it has remarkable impact on the writer’s creativity to play with words in a positive way.... 240). In other words, Spanglish could eventually make substantial touch in creative writing as in a way it could be highly viewed as creativity of the mind especially in aspects concerning words are played. In most of creative writing techniques, playing with words are normally highlighted just to help emphasize the main point of the writers and even emphasize their creative touch for more aesthetic feel. In other words, by this specific advantage, Spanglish eventually affects the way people right these days. People have creative ways and means to express themselves in writing and Spanglish eventually is a specific tool in helping them to wallow in deeper sense of creativity with words. Therefore, with Spanglish there could be an assurance of achieving creative piece. There is eventually a market for Latino and Spanglish is remarkably accepted as an evolution on the language growth (Kevane & Heredia, 2000, p. 136). In other words, with Spanglish it is not only on the point that creat ivity can be nourished, but with it also includes the fact that a writer would be able to use language freely and openly and allow it to grow or even execute the things it must necessary do. These are just some of the advantages of Spanglish, which substantially show that it has remarkable impact on the writer’s creativity to play with words in a positive way. Disadvantages of Spanglish Spanglish is usually written by bilingual writers which means they also have to look out for readers who in nature are bilingual and have great affinity for combined languages (Castillo, 2005, p. 190). The problem therefore with Spanglish is finding for good markets for it. Hispanic are good market opportunities for Spanglish (Castillo, 2005, p. 190), but

Character comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Character comparison - Essay Example In this story , the character Paul rides his rocking horse with an undying passion to bring luck and money to him ,so that he can help is mother in becoming wealthy. The son being at a tender age, asks naively his mother as to the reason for her unhappiness. However the mother is unable to give an appropriate answer to the child as to her reason for her unluckiness and unhappiness. The mother is greedy, and wants to reach the status of artistrocracy and lead a wealth life style which she is deeply missing in the current situation.The son being naive and caring for his mother, attempts to fulfill the wishes of his mother. The character of mother is not living in realism, but is attracted to the pompous life and riches. She never understood that life is not a game of money but something to be bound with love and happiness. The Paul in his innocence and kind heartedness, deliberately and desperately tries to help his mother in winning money. He has lived in a situation where his parents crave for money and it is the only things echoes in the house. His character and attitude is different than his mother, who is greedy and materialistic. Paul is in a stressful situation wants to earn money to bring about a peaceful situation at home. The mother is selfish, less caring, and is not attentive to her duty towards home and children. She is not keeping interest in the happiness of her children, but is only concentrating on the luxurious life she would lead when money pours in. Being elderly and experienced, the mother is unable to understand the subtle attitude of her son and depicts to be ignorant and cold hearted. The son her is acutely aware of his mother’s relentless desire for leading wealthy life style .Even when he is deprived of love and caring from his mother , he thinks selflessly for her and providing her with what she dreams for. The boy being hearing the want of money from his mother since early years of childhood only hears the words â€Å"There mus t be more money†. The boy undoubtedly wants to help is mother but is not selfish like her. He is a giving person and continuously rocks the horse and also makes handsome money with his clairvoyance in betting. The mother instead is drowned in the dream of acquiring money and is utterly forgotten the demand of love firing in the hearts of her children. The character of the son is more inquisitive in nature, as he is dissatisfied with the answer of his mother regarding her unlucky situation. This shows that the son is more of a thoughtful nature and wants to know the thinks very deeply. The mother’s character is very shallow and does not give importance to aspects like emotions and relationships. Here the son is shown to be more loving, caring, understanding and soulful person. The son in his effort to make money indulge in rocking horse to attain a clairvoyant state where he get intuition about horse race winning .The son is only thinking of his mother and rides the hors e all time to foresee winning clue in a desperate move to acquire money. This shows how thoughtful he is about his mother and how much he cares for her. However, both the characters are closely connected as they share blood relationship and live in the same house. The son and

Understanding positive environment for student learning and Research Paper

Understanding positive environment for student learning and professional collaboration - Research Paper Example ls’ management towards creation of a positive environment but also helped in understanding the relationship between good instruction, assessment, and collaboration. The interviews with administrators, teachers, and parents helped in understanding the vision and concerns of these stakeholders regarding positive environments. At the end of the project, a walkthrough was also conducted the purpose of which was to get an insight into the importance of positive environment and collaboration for students and teachers respectively. In educational sector, the most important thing that matters for all stakeholders is a positive learning environment. The reason is that positive environment promotes enhanced learning and collaboration for students and teachers respectively. A positive learning environment is not restricted to any particular stakeholder, rather includes all stakeholders who have a specific role to play in improving instruction, collaboration, and assessment areas. Students need a positive environment to show improved performances not only in classrooms but also in the play grounds. Similarly, teachers need a positive environment where they can provide education to learners in interactive way using latest educational technologies and equipment. Along with students and teachers, the role of parents cannot be ignored by any means because parents are highly concerned about the environment in which they send their children to learn. Parents are one of the main stakeholders of any educational institute b ecause they are directly concerned with the schools performances of their children. Therefore, the role of teachers, students, and parents is equally important in moving towards the cause of creating a positive learning and collaboration environment at schools. A positive learning environment has some key characteristics that make it an essential element in the success of an educational institute. For example, a positive learning environment is one that reflects

Financial calculation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial calculation - Essay Example Planning for a new business or expansion of a business today is never again a simple task. Globalization had caused factors that are previously 'foreign' to local business, becomes more and more influencing. Local producers cannot relax and keep producing mediocre quality products as foreign competitors entering the local market. The furniture industry for example, has become an international business rather than local. Local furniture producers in a country as far as Jamaica are threatened by the presence of US competitors ('Globalization and', 2003).The global environment has made planning a more complicated task as non-financial measurements are become increasingly important toward business forecasts. Specific preferences of the industry, habits of international competitors, and other non-financial factors must be considered, to prevent bias reporting of financial forecasts. Nevertheless, financial performance is still the main indicator of corporate success or failure. This is wh y the financial calculation has always been incorporated within academic studies.Financial performance of a corporation can be evaluated by observing financial ratios. Financial ratios are indicators designed to elaborate certain aspects or corporate financial performance. Different aspects are elaborated by different ratios. There are four types of financial ratios, they are:Profitability ratios display the rate of return resulted from company operation over a certain period. The amount of profit itself is not sufficient to describe corporate performance over the period. Excess of revenue over expenses are compared to total sales and corporate assets in order to obtain a ratio that describe how much money resulted from existing assets (Financial Ratios, n.d). Several profitability ratios are profit margin, return on equity and return on total assets: Ratios 2003 2004 2005 Profit margin 30.00% 18.75% 11.67% Return on asset 15.38% 17.44% 7.29% Return on equity 35.29% 31.91% 12.73% According to corporate financial statement, Fine furniture is experiencing a significant decline over the last three years. In order to properly assess corporate performance we actually ought to compare corporate ratios with industrial average. However, comparison of the three periods available has clearly displayed significant downward shift. The ratios indicated that profitability performance decline more than 50% over the past two years. Due to limited data available, we are using end of year numbers to calculate the financial ratios, instead of average numbers. Liquidity Ratios Liquidity Ratios display corporate ability to pay short-term debt. The ratios compare liabilities of the company to existing assets, to see how many assets are available to guarantee each dollar of corporate short-term loan. The most well known liquidity ratios are current ratio and acid test ratio: Ratios 2003 2004 2005 Current Ratio 1.24 1.89 1.57 Acid Test Ratio 0.86 1.19 0.79 Fine furniture displayed average liquidity performance regarding liquidity ratios. The best performance was during the year 2004. Current ratio increases during 2004, but decreases again during 2005. Similar patterns are shown by the Acid Test Ratio. Solvability Ratios Solvability ratios have similar functions to liquidity ratios. However, solvability ratios concern long term instead of short term corporate abilities to meet existing obligations. Solvability ratios include debt ratio, gearing ratio and equity ratio. Ratios 2003 2004 2005 Debt Ratio 0.97 0.95 0.94 Gearing Ratio 0.06 0.08 0.10 Equity Ratio 0.44 0.55 0.57 According to financial statements, Fine Furniture has not seemed to take full advantage of long term debt possibilities. This is revealed by the gearing ratio, which displayed that only a very small portion of the capital is financed using long term debt. However, the debt ratio described acceptable