1800 Century English Literature Essay

Introduction Poems have been used for centuries to communicate, hide, preserve and transform meaning that in normal parlance would lose its significance. The significance of poems is as vital as the human race as is echoed by the words of John Keating who said, â€Å"We don’t read and write poems because it is cute. We read and write poems because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion†¦Ã¢â‚¬    Therefore, poems can tell a story, vividly describe an object or situation, express the feelings of animate and in-animate things beyond what the normal sentence structure ever will (Kurkland). The use of language as a vehicle or tool of delivery is paramount through out histories of all cultures. Linguistic importance is noted in many poems written before the 1800 because they capture historical moments and great deeds of men which normal language would not do much justice.   Hero and Lander is a fragmentary poem   by Christopher Marlowe who lived in the 1550s , a retelling a love story of two people, first written by a Greek poet Masseus Grammaticus but retold by Marlowe in a unique sensual and erotic way that captured the hearts of many of his contemporaries and was considered a master piece. The battle of Maldon is a poem named after a famous battle fought towards the end of 10th century between the English and the Vikings. The poem describes the events of the battle and the gruesome experience endured by the fighters, the act of courage(folly)by the main character in the poem King Brithnoth, who was the English leading his army against the Viking invasion.   The two poems underscore the importance of linguistic devices and reveal the major concerns of the period in terms of human development. They are a passionate account of their subject and strive to deliver a vivid and moving account of the times using style and symbolism to carry their emotionally laden subjects. Comparison and Contrast In Battle of Maldon, the opening stanza begins at a high note. †Then he ordered each of his warriors his horse to loose Far off to send it and forth to go, To be mindful of his hands and of his high heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Battle of Maldon The king is urging his soldiers on for a combat. He does not give them time to think of going back or of retreat. He also encourages them to be brave. In Hero and Lander, the beginning is as dramatic as the one on Battle of Maldon. â€Å"On â€Å"Hellespont, guilty of true-love’s blood, In view and opposite two cities stood, Sea-borderers, disjoined by Neptune’s might;..† The fact that there is guilt is already a foreshadow of revelations of sins ahead. The heart , which is alluded to in these first few lines (by true love and blood) is also mentioned in Battle of Maldon , to bring out the urgency and tense condition the subjects in the poems are experiencing. The key similarities and differences between the two cultural periods represented by these narratives While Hero and Lander was written during the period of romanticism in Europe when most of the scholarly work was based on the liberal arts, intellectual development based on theology religion and the arts took centre stage. It was the period of Shakespeare and human beings were more concerned with topics such as love, justice, war, among others. The battle of Maldon was however written when human beings existed to serve the wish of their kings, battles were fought as often as duels and everything was done with the aim of battling an enemy and protecting boundaries. The battle of Maldon elevates moral triumph over physical victory. Though the king is defeated, his action of letting the Vikings into his territory, â€Å"Then did the earl, in his overweening heart Lend land too much to that loathed people. Then ‘gan he call out – across the cold water Brighthelm’s son, and all the band listened. â€Å"Now room is meted you, come swiftly to us.† (The battle of Maldon)   This is an act chivalry because he chooses not to fight a battle with an enemy who is greatly disadvantaged. In doing this, he was able to make a level-battling field for his opponents who later butchered him mercilessly. However, king Brithnoth dies, his act of bravado lives in the poem to this day. His country men who also stand by his body to fight until death also display the solidarity, patriotism and loyalty demanded of any subject. The others who fled portray an influence of insincere and coward-like men who decided to flee their own brothers while they are being butchered. Though some of the texts in the beginning and the end of the original manuscript were burnt in a fire, the background to the poem completely captures the heroic act of Brithnoth who decides to fight to death instead of the option of paying off the Vikings. Both poems seem to be concerned with a central object in the human body, the heart. They try to explain how the heart is an important component on moving men to act in either cowardice, bravery or foolishness.   In contrast, the two poems also address different topic altogether. While the battle of Maldon addresses courage, morality and loyalty (virtues), Hero and Lander focuses on the passion and intensity of love and its effect on human beings. While the former is drawn toward principles and virtues (objective), the latter is drawn toward human suffering and happiness. However, both poems advocate for dying for a cause. In the battle of Maldon, the cause is honor while in Hero and Lander, its love References Daniel J Kurkland 2000. www.Critical reading.com http://www.criticalreading.com/poetry.htm â€Å"The Battle of Maldon† translated by Barridge Wilfridge.   1997-2009 http://www.battleofmaldon.org.uk/index.htm â€Å"Hero and Leander, Christopher Marlowe – Introduction.† Poetry Criticism, Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 57 Gale Cengage, 2004. eNotes.com. 2006. 11 Dec 2009 â€Å"Hero and Leander†, by Christopher Marlowe http://www.classic-literature.co.uk/british-authors/16th-century/christopher-marlowe/hero-and-leander/   

Detailed procedures and results of the experiment on the determination of the density of kerosene (dpk), petrol (pms), crude oil and soap solution

Density determination by pycnometer is a very precise method. It uses a working liquid with well-known density, such as water. For the purpose of this experiment, distilled water was used. The pycnometer is a glass flask with a close-fitting ground glass stopper with a capillary hole through it. This fine hole releases a spare liquid after closing a top-filled pycnometer and allows for obtaining a given volume of measured and/or working liquid with a high accuracy. The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is Ï  (the lower case Greek letter rho). In some cases (for instance, in the United States oil and gas industry), density is also defined as its weight per unit volume;[1] although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight. Different materials usually have different densities, so density is an important concept regarding buoyancy, purity and packaging. Osmium and iridium are the densest known metal elements at standard conditions for temperature and pressure but not the densest materials. Less dense fluids float on more dense fluids if they do not mix. This concept can be extended, with some care, to less dense solids floating on more dense fluids. If the average density (including any air below the waterline) of an object is less than water (1000 kg/m3) it will float in water and if it is more than water's it will sink in water. In some cases density is expressed as the dimensionless quantities specific gravity (SG) or relative density (RD), in which case it is expressed in multiples of the density of some other standard material, usually water or air/gas. (For example, a specific gravity less than one means that the substance floats in water.) The mass density of a material varies with temperature and pressure. (The variance is typically small for solids and liquids and much greater for gasses.) Increasing the pressure on an object decreases the volume of the object and therefore increase its density. Increasing the temperature of a substance (with some exceptions) decreases its density by increasing the volume of that substance. In most materials, heating the bottom of a fluid results in convection of the heat from bottom to top of the fluid due to the decrease of the density of the heated fluid. This causes it to rise relative to more dense unheated material. The reciprocal of the density of a substance is called its specific volume, a representation commonly used in thermodynamics. Density is an intensive property in that increasing the amount of a substance does not increase its density; rather it increases its mass. Changes of density In general, density can be changed by changing either the pressure or the temperature. Increasing the pressure always increases the density of a material. Increasing the temperature generally decreases the density, but there are notable exceptions to this generalization. For example, the density of water increases between its melting point at 0  °C and 4  °C; similar behavior is observed in silicon at low temperatures. The effect of pressure and temperature on the densities of liquids and solids is small. The compressibility for a typical liquid or solid is 10−6 bar−1 (1 bar=0.1 MPa) and a typical thermal expansivity is 10−5 K−1. This roughly translates into needing around ten thousand times atmospheric pressure to reduce the volume of a substance by one percent. (Although the pressures needed may be around a thousand times smaller for sandy soil and some clays.) A one percent expansion of volume typically requires a temperature increase on the order of thousands of degrees Celsius. CHAPTER TWO Theory: Archimedes’ Principle states that any object completely or partially submerged in a fluid is buoyed up by a force with magnitude equal to the weight of the weight of the fluid displaced by the object: B = Ï fluid Vfluid g , where Ï fluid is the density of the fluid and Vfluid is the volume of the displaced fluid. In this lab, all the forces and weights are measured in the unit of grams using the triple beam balance, then the above equation becomes: B = Ï fluid Vfluid . When measuring the weight of an object completely submerged in a fluid,the volume of the displaced fluid is equal to the volume of the object, and the reading on the balance ( Win-fluid), the buoyant force, and its weight in air (Win-air) should satisfy the following equation: B = Win-air – Win-fluid = Ï fluid Vobject . Thus, the volume of the object can be determined as: Vobject = (Win-air – Win-fluid)/ Ï fluid , and the density and the specific gravity of the object are, respectively: Ï object = Win-air / Vobject = Ï fluid Win-air / (Win-air – Win-fluid), s.g. = Ï object / Ï water . Mathematically, density is defined as mass divided by volume: where Ï  is the density, m is the mass, and V is the volume. From this equation, mass density must have units of a unit of mass per unit of volume. As there are many units of mass and volume covering many different magnitudes there are a large number of units for mass density in use. The SI unit of kilogram per cubic metre (kg/m ³) and the cgs unit of gram per cubic centimetre (g/cm ³) are probably the most common used units for density. (The cubic centimeter can be alternately called a millilitre or a cc.) 1000kg/m ³ equals one g/cm ³. In industry, other larger or smaller units of mass and or volume are often more practical and US customary units may be used. See below for a list of some of the most common units of density. Further, density may be expressed in terms of weight density (the weight of the material per unit volume) or as a ratio of the density with the density of a common material such as air or water. Measurement of density The density at any point of a homogeneous object equals its total mass divided by its total volume. The mass is normally measured with an appropriate scale or balance; the volume may be measured directly (from the geometry of the object) or by the displacement of a fluid. For determining the density of a liquid or a gas, a hydrometer or dasymeter may be used, respectively. Similarly, hydrostatic weighing uses the displacement of water due to a submerged object to determine the density of the object. If the body is not homogeneous, then the density is a function of the position. In that case the density around any given location is determined by calculating the density of a small volume around that location. In the limit of an infinitesimal volume the density of an inhomogeneous object at a point becomes: Ï (r)= dm/dV, where dV is an elementary volume at position r. The mass of the body then can be expressed as Density of solutions The density of a solution is the sum of mass (massic) concentrations of the components of that solution. Mass (massic) concentration of a given component Ï i in a solution can be called partial density of that component. Expressed as a function of the densities of pure components of the mixture and their volume participation, it reads: Density of composite material In the United States, ASTM specification D792-00[11] describes the steps to calculate the density of a composite material. where: Ï  is the density of the composite material, in g/cm3 and Wa is the weight of the specimen when hung in the air Ww is the weight of the partly immersed wire holding the specimen WbÏ  is the weight of the specimen when immersed fully in distilled water, along with the partly immersed wire holding the specimen is the density in g/cm3 of the distilled water at testing temperature (for example 0.9975 g/cm3 at 23  °C) common units The SI unit for density is: kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m ³) Litres and metric tons are not part of the SI, but are acceptable for use with it, leading to the following units: kilograms per litre (kg/L) grams per millilitre (g/mL) metric tons per cubic metre (t/m ³) Densities using the following metric units all have exactly the same numerical value, one thousandth of the value in (kg/m ³). Liquid water has a density of about 1 kg/dm ³, making any of these SI units numerically convenient to use as most solids and liquids have densities between 0.1 and 20 kg/dm ³. kilograms per cubic decimetre (kg/dm ³) grams per cubic centimetre (g/cc, gm/cc or g/cm ³) megagrams per cubic metre (Mg/m ³) Specific gravity is the ratio of the density (mass of a unit volume) of a substance to the density (mass of the same unit volume) of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for liquids or air for gases. Temperature and pressure must be specified for both the sample and the reference. Pressure is nearly always 1 atm equal to 101.325 kPa. Temperatures for both sample and reference vary from industry to industry. In British brewing practice the specific gravity as specified above is multiplied by 1000.[1] Specific gravity is commonly used in industry as a simple means of obtaining information about the concentration of solutions of various materials such as brines, hydrocarbons, sugar solutions (syrups, juices, honeys, brewers wort, must etc.) and acids. Specific gravity, as it is the ratio of densities, is a dimensionless quantity. Specific gravity varies with temperature; reference and sample must be compared at the same temperature, or corrected to a standard reference temperature. Substances with a specific gravity of 1 are neutrally buoyant in water, those with SG greater than one are denser than water, and so (ignoring surface tension effects) will sink in it, and those with an SG of less than one are less dense than water, and so will float. In scientific work the relationship of mass to volume is usually expressed directly in terms of the density (mass per unit volume) of the substance under study. It is in industry where specific gravity finds wide application, often for historical reasons. True specific gravity, can be expressed mathematically as: where is the density of the sample and is the density of water. The apparent specific gravity is simply the ratio of the weights of equal volumes of sample and water in air: where represents the weight of sample and the weight of water, both measured in air. It can be shown that true specific gravity can be computed from different properties: where is the local acceleration due to gravity, is the volume of the sample and of water (the same for both), is the density of the sample, is the density of water and represents a weight obtained in vacuum. API Gravity 1. API gravity represents a dimensionless property similar to specific gravity. The measure itself derives from specific gravity (see Reference 3): API = (141.5 / SG) – 131.5. Note that because specific gravity appears in the denominator of the equation, API gravity and specific gravity exhibit an inverse relationship: A liquid with high specific gravity will exhibit low API gravity and vice-versa CHAPTER THREE EXPERIMENTATION The experiment carried under room temperature at 34oC, was aimed at determining the density/specific gravity of five varying samples (PMS, DPK, Crude Oil, PKO, and Soap Solution) using two different measuring apparatus; a weighing balance and a measuring cylinder applying the Archimedes principle of floatation to obtain values in ml and then subsequently in grams. PROCEDURE 1. The weights (sliders) on the beam of the weighing balance apparatus was set to zero before measurements. A dry empty pycometer was then placed on the scale pan to obtain its weight for which results were recorded after careful observations of the beam’s calibrations in grams. 2. The weight was determined by locking three different sets of weights (sliders) on their respective number-calibrations (in grams), for which the beam was balanced. The values which these weights rested on at beam-balance were then added up to give the mass of the empty pycometer. 3. The weights on the beam were set back to zero and the pycometer lifted off the pan to restart the process but this time to measure the mass of the pycometer filled with a sample; DPK in this case. 4. 50 milliliters of DPK was measured with a cylinder and poured into the pycometer, then corked with a small glass-like capillary tube. A small volume of the liquid sample (DPK), which was spilled as a result of the pressure from corking the pycometer, was noted as negligible. The DPK-filled pycometer; a combined weight of both the pycometer and the DPK fluid, was then placed on the pan scale for the second time to acquire readings in grams. 5. The same method for measurement, as explained in the earlier paragraphs, was used to accurately determine the mass of the DPK-filled pycometer and then subsequently recorded. The above elaborated procedures for the determination of were further carried out for three more samples; PMS, Crude Oil, and PKO to determine their masses. First, the masses of the empty pycometers were measured, followed by the combined masses of the pycometers and samples and then subsequently, the individual masses of the fluid samples were calculated. In the supplementary method involving the application of the Archimedes principle of floatation – 1. The measuring cylinder was filled with water and the initial volume was observed and recorded. A piece of string was then tied around a dry empty pycometer and attached to the retort stand so that it dropped directly into the measuring cylinder enough to submerge itself in the containing water so that the volume increased. The new volume of water was then noted and recorded in milliliters. The difference between the initial volumes of the water before the introduction of the empty pycometer and after the submergence of the pycometer was also calculated and recorded in grams as the mass of the empty pycometer.

Organisation leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Female Objectification in Contemporary Films from Different Origins Research Paper

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Application of Psychology on Leadership and Management - Essay Example In those theories, the theorists who were of diverse professional backgrounds came up with â€Å"frames within which they explained human personality, what dictated the kind of personality that one would possess and the characteristics of those various personalities† (Tjosvol and Tjosvol 7). Psychologists endeavor to explain why people with the same heredity (from the same mother and/or father) and same environment react differently. They also explain why people of different heredity and past life experiences may sometimes react in the same manner in a similar environment. There are different theories all of which endeavor to explain human personality. Tjosvol and Tjosvol widely studied the major groups of theories that study people’s personality such as trait, behavioral, psychoanalytic, humanist and social learning (9). They embrace different approaches, for example, the biological theories that suggest that the genetics of an individual are responsible for a person’s personality. This involves heritability which suggests that there is a link between a person’s traits and the genetics. Behavioral theorists, on the other hand, explain that the personality of a person is dictated by the environment in which the individual stays. Tjosvol and Tjosvol studied that behavioral theorists study the measurable and observable behaviors of individuals by explaining that personality is adopted from the friends with whom one hangs most of the time (6). It is based on the belief that behavior and by far personality is a result/product of the fu se between an individual’s genetics and the environment. Psychoanalysis is the oldest theory of personality and is based on the Sigmund Freud’s arguments and analysis of human personality. From this theory, personality is based on psychic energy (libido) and the unconscious. The man slowly develops from the id to the ego and finally to the superego which forms the basic structure of the human personality.  

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Organizational Culture and Structure - Research Paper Example It had the good foresight that GSM will be replaced by a new technology, and so it was not afraid to take the risk. Its advances in technology were brought by this excellent foresight. T-mobile boats of its â€Å"latest technologies and modern multimedia services† faring well with its fiercest competitors such as Vodafone. â€Å"In line the Companys vision of ‘Connected life and work’, the mobilization of personal social networking is at the heart of T-Mobiles corporate activities† (Deutsche Telekom, 2009). An example of this is their mobile internet offering, the web’n’walk which enables customer to have a mobile access to the internet. Taking advantage of its wide product portfolio, Deutsche Telekom Group has increasingly its integrated product portfolio, â€Å"which enables standardized access to personal data like music, videos and addresses across all terminal equipment and which also provides for ever more integrated services on an incr easing number of mobile devices† (Deutsche Telekom, 2009). In an industry where technology spells success, T-Mobile’s key culture is its fast, timely and courageous innovation. Taking advantage of its wide business portfolio, Deutsche Telekom Group has never stopped to amaze its customers with innovative and valuable IT solutions. â€Å"This becomes even clearer with mobile web surfing: T-Mobile was the first provider in Europe to give its customers open access to the Internet and thus offer them unrestricted access to the web. The range of news, films, music and infotainment available to customers is constantly growing† (Deutsche Telekom, 2009). Currently, Deutsche Telekom is â€Å"is systematically gearing its business to broadband services and mobile Internet† as this is the need of the hour (Deutsche Telekom, 2009). This is in congruent to their vision of connected life and work. Recently, it has adapted its â€Å"Focus, fix and grow† strategy which is

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Francis Scott Key and the "Star Spangled Banner" - Research Paper Example Penned more than two hundred years ago, the Star Spangled Banner is hailed as America’s national anthem. Written at a time when the country was facing series of attacks from the British, the song does not hide its distaste for the enemy and its profound pride when the nation’s flag remained firmly etched on the ground after the war, a sign of victory. Although it is still regarded as a musical and iconic symbol of the country, critics have deemed the Star Spangled Banner as violent and overtly boastful. The question is: should the song be discarded as the national anthem for being violent and boastful? Since he was a prominent attorney at the time, Francis Scott Key was sent to negotiate the release of William Beanes from the British fleet at Baltimore. As part of the negotiations, Key and his allies presented British prisoners in exchange for Beanes. The deal was sealed; however, the British had one extra demand- Key and his allies were not to leave until they witnessed the destruction of Baltimore. They had no option but to oblige as the British ship was heavily guarded and they had no soldiers to redeem them from captivity. The ensuing battle between the British forces and Fort McHenry lasted for 25 hours. When Key saw the American flag was still standing the next day, he knew the British had been defeated. The victory stirred Key to write the Star Spangled Banner lyrics. On September 20, 1814, the Baltimore Patriots published the poem, christened as â€Å"Defence of Fort M’Henry†. The poem became a song once it was sung to the tune of a song belonging to the British Anacreontic Society known as â€Å"To Anacreon in Heaven†. The military adopted it to be their theme song during the First World War and subsequently, the congress and president Herbert Hoover raised it to the national anthem in 1931. (Maryland, n.d.) The Banner is a bone of

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How Business Can Protect Themselves From Fraud in an Ecommerce Environment - Essay Example Fraud transaction is an issue of concern among customers and merchants. In the situation of fraud transactions, customers have several assurances from their card issuing banks through companies like master cards, visa, American express, and discover. Nevertheless, merchant have limited resources to counter fraud occurrences. Merchants can also follow the stipulated legal transaction process but end up losing payment without making any mistake. In case of a fraud transaction, banks are always not willing to refund the merchant resources. It is also likely that banks do not even bother to do an investigation on merchants’ claims. On the other hand, it is extremely easy for customers to make fraud claim to the bank as compared to merchant. Most customer claim refund of their transaction verbally. In most cases, detecting fraud cases is very expensive and labor extensive to merchant companies. In the scenario of fraud transaction, merchant are the one who suffer immensely since cu stomers can be compensated the loss. It is therefore imperative for online merchants to take action and come up with ways of minimizing fraud risks and protect their business from any financial loss through fraudulent transactions. Proper measures can increases confident among merchant in transacting business online. To develop confidence in their transaction, merchant should adopt the following measures ... One key is for decryption which is also known as private key while the other key is for encryption commonly known as public key. The public key is used by transaction administrators to assess the transaction process while the private key is used by customer and merchant to protect their personal information. The key helps in denies access of transaction information to intruders and hackers. The technology is also characterized by theoretical based security guarantees, effective weighing features and arithmetical elegance which identify the area transaction fraudulent. The technology does not require centralized intermediary for safe transaction thus it is cheap for the business (Anderson, 2001). The other most effective technology for protecting data and preventing fraud transaction is the use of smart cards. Smart card is effective in storing data such as identification credentials, medical information, and financial records. Due to the sensitivity of the information contained in sm art card, encryption keys are exceptionally relevant. The information in smart can be very helpful in retracing the transaction process in case the transaction is fraud. The merchant can use the contents in smart card to trace the customer in the situation of any transaction problem. It also reduces trust between the merchant and the customer thus forcing the merchant to be more cautious in the transaction process (Bishop, 2003). To protect their businesses from fraud transactions, merchants should adhere to the laid down guidelines and security policies. Most fraud cases are brought about by failure of merchant to adhere to the laid down security policies and regulations. More than 60 percent of the fraud cases emerge as a result of exposing transaction

Relational Calculus Essay Example for Free

Relational Calculus Essay Introduction Procedural Query language query specification involves giving a step by step process of obtaining the query result e.g., relational algebra usage calls for detailed knowledge of the operators involved difficult for the use of non-experts Declarative Query language query specification involves giving the logical conditions the results are required to satisfy easy for the use of non-experts Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 1 TRC – a declarative query language Tuple variable – associated with a relation ( called the range relation ) †¢ takes tuples from the range relation as its values †¢ t: tuple variable over relation r with scheme R(A,B,C ) t. A stands for value of column A etc TRC Query – basic form: { t1.Ai1, t2.Ai2,†¦tm.Aim | ÃŽ ¸ } predicate calculus expression involving tuple variables t1, t2,†¦, tm, tm+1,†¦,ts specifies the condition to be satisfied Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 2 An example TRC query student (rollNo, name, degree, year, sex, deptNo, advisor ) department (deptId, name, hod, phone ) Obtain the rollNo, name of all girl students in the Maths Dept (deptId = 2) {s.rollNo,s.name| student(s)^ s.sex=‘F’^ s.deptNo=2} attributes required in the result This predicate is true whenever value of s is a tuple from the student relation, false otherwise In general, if t is a tuple variable with range relation r, r( t ) is taken as a predicate which is true if and only if the value of t is a tuple in r Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 3 General form of the condition in TRC queries Atomic expressions are the following: 1. r ( t ) -true if t is a tuple in the relation instance r 2. t1. Ai t2 .Aj compOp is one of {, ≠¥, =, ≠  } 3. t.Ai c c is a constant of appropriate type Composite expressions: 1. Any atomic expression 2. F1 ∠§ F2 ,, F1 ∠¨ F2 ,  ¬ F1 where F1 and F2 are expressions 3. (∀t) (F), (âˆÆ't) (F) where F is an expression and t is a tuple variable Free Variables Bound Variables – quantified variables Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 4 Interpretation of the query in TRC All possible tuple assignments to the free variables in the query are considered. For any specific assignment, if the expression to the right of the vertical bar evaluates to true, that combination of tuple values would be used to produce a tuple in the result relation. While producing the result tuple, the values of the attributes for the corresponding tuple variables as specified on the left side of the vertical bar would be used. Note: The only free variables are the ones that appear to the left of the vertical bar Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 5 Example TRC queries Obtain the rollNo, name of all girl students in the Maths Dept {s.rollNo,s.name | student(s) ^ s.sex=‘F’ ^ (âˆÆ' d)(department(d) ^ d.name=‘Maths’ ^ d.deptId = s.deptNo)} s: free tuple variable d: existentially bound tuple variable Existentially or universally quantified tuple variables can be used on the RHS of the vertical bar to specify query conditions Attributes of free (or unbound ) tuple variables can be used on LHS of vertical bar to specify attributes required in the results Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 6 Example Relational Scheme student (rollNo, name, degree, year, sex, deptNo, advisor) department (deptId, name, hod, phone) professor (empId, name, sex, startYear, deptNo, phone) course (courseId, cname, credits, deptNo) enrollment (rollNo, courseId, sem, year, grade) teaching (empId, courseId, sem, year, classRoom) preRequisite (preReqCourse, courseID) Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 7 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Example queries in TRC (1/5) 1)Determine the departments that do not have any girl students student (rollNo, name, degree, year, sex, deptNo, advisor) department (deptId, name, hod, phone) {d.name|department(d) ^  ¬(âˆÆ' s)(student(s) ^ s.sex =‘F’ ^ s.deptNo = d.deptId) Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 8 Examples queries in TRC (2/5) Schema 2)Obtain the names of courses enrolled by student named Mahesh {c.name | course(c) ^ (âˆÆ's) (âˆÆ'e) ( student(s) ^ enrollment(e) ^ s.name = â€Å"Mahesh† ^ s.rollNo = e.rollNo ^ c.courseId = e.courseId } Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 9 Examples queries in TRC (3/5) Schema 3)Get the names of students who have scored ‘S’ in all subjects they have enrolled. Assume that every student is enrolled in at least one course. {s.name | student(s) ^ (∀e)(( enrollment(e) ^ e.rollNo = s.rollNo) → e.grade =‘S’)} person P with all S grades: for enrollment tuples not having her roll number, LHS is false for enrollment tuples having her roll number, LHS is true, RHS also true so the implication is true for all e tuples person Q with some non-S grades: for enrollment tuples not having her roll number, LHS is false for enrollment tuples having her roll number, LHS is true, but RHS is false for at least one tuple. So the implication is not true for at least one tuple. Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 10 Examples queries in TRC (4/5) Schema 4) Get the names of students who have taken at least one course taught by their advisor {s.name | student(s) ^ (âˆÆ'e)(âˆÆ't)(enrollment(e) ^ teaching(t) ^ e.courseId = t.courseId ^ e.rollNo = s.rollNo ^ t.empId = s.advisor} 5) Display the departments whose HODs are teaching at least one course in the current semester {d.name | department(d) ^(âˆÆ't)(teaching(t) ^ t.empid = d.hod ^ t.sem = ‘odd’ ^ t.year = ‘2008’)} Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 11 Examples queries in TRC (5/5) Schema 6)Determine the students who are enrolled for every course taught by Prof Ramanujam. Assume that Prof Ramanujam teaches at least one course. 1. {s.rollNo | student (s) ^ 2. (∀c)(course (c) ^ 3. ((âˆÆ't),(âˆÆ'p)( teaching(t) ^ professor(p) ^ 4. t.courseId = c.courseId ^ 5. p.name = â€Å"Ramanujam† ^ 6. p.empId = t.empId )) → 7. (âˆÆ'e) (enrollment(e) ^ 8. e.courseId = c.courseId ^ 9. e.rollNo = s.rollNo) 10. ) 11. } Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 12 Problem with unrestricted use of Negation What is the result of the query: {s.rollNo |  ¬ student(s)} ? Infinite answers !! Unsafe TRC expression : Any expression whose result uses â€Å"constants / values† that do not appear in the instances of any of the database relations. Unsafe expressions are to be avoided while specifying TRC queries. Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 13 Expressive power of TRC and Relational Algebra It can be shown that both Tuple Relational Calculus and Relational Algebra have the same expressive power A query can be formulated in (safe) TRC if and only if it can be formulated in RA Both can not be used to formulate queries involving transitive closure find all direct or indirect pre-requisites of a course find all subordinates of a specific employee etc. Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM.

Economic Impact of the UN on World Trade in the 20th Century

Economic Impact of the UN on World Trade in the 20th Century Thompson, Tyler Many different sources went into providing an in depth response to the question, What economic impact did the United Nations have on world trade in the 20th century? Two of the most important sources used were The Reconstruction of the International Economy, 1945-1960 by Barry Eichengreen and International Business: Opportunities and Challenges in a Flattening World, v. 1.0 by Mason A. Carpenter and Sanjyot P. Dunung. The Reconstruction of the International Economy, 1945-1960 is a historical journal published in 1993. The author, Barry Eichengreen, is very educated in both history and economics, receiving his masters in History from Yale University in 1978 and his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1979. He wrote this piece in an effort to analyze the way that the international economy reacted and responded to the economic crisis caused by the Second World War. He also analyzed the different forces in play that caused the economy to react the way that it did. This work is valuable because of the insight it gives to the situation being analyzed. Eichengreen, as a professor of history and economics, has access to a lot of information relating to international economics. He is also very skilled at interpreting the extent to which certain forces impacted the economy. For this reason, this source gives an accurate overview of the international economy between 1945 and 1960. This document is limited, however , in the sense that it was written and published before the end of the 20th century. This means that the document does not give insight into the rest of the century, and so it is limited in the information that it contains. Furthermore, since it was published before the end of the century, it fails to understand the long term effects of the events that occurred during the time period. International Business: Opportunities and Challenges in a Flattening World, v. 1.0 by Mason A. Carpenter and Sanjyot P. Dunung is a book written in an attempt to analyze the changing international economy. Carpenter received his Ph.D. in 1997 from the University of Texas. He is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin. Dunung has considerable experience in educating different cultures. Carpenters knowledge of history along with Dunungs ability to understand multiple cultures allows them to accurately come to conclusions about the international economy. This document is valuable because it analyzes the trends in international economics and gives a good idea of the forces at play in international economics. It also shows the different ways that the United Nations referees the international economy. However, it is limited in the sense that instead of analyzing specific instances in which the United Nations interfered in the international economy, it simply discusses general trends and the general methods the United Nations uses. Because of this, the source tends to be general in its information. Word Count: 470 Section 2. Investigation According to Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, one of the purposes of the United Nations is to, achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. The United Nations is an organization that seeks to maintain peaceful relations between major powers. Because of the far reach of this organization, the effects of their policies and actions have far reaching effects socially, politically, and especially economically. Through policies that maintain peace and aiding in the negotiations of trade agreements, the United Nations has had a major positive effect on international trade between 1945 and 2000. Prior to the formation of the United Nations in 1945, the world economy was in disarray. During this time period, the economy saw, the almost total cessation of normal international economic relations (Eichengreen 1). This lack of trade along with debts from the war left many economies in poor shape. Poverty was at an all-time high, while international GDP was at an all-time low. Many industrial countries found it difficult to import raw materials for their factories. On the other side, many countries that export raw materials found it hard to find markets to sell their goods. This general disruption of trade left many economies staggering and struggling. However, the birth of the United Nations soon saw the recovery of many economies. Trade was soon established between countries that had just recently been at war and the international economy began to grow. World trade has a major effect on international economies as, there is a strong positive correlation between growth in per capita income and growth in trade, (Roser). World trade managed to grow about eight percent annually from 1950 to 1965. And in fact, international GDP per capita grew at a steady rate and did not once decrease from 1960 until the end of the century. In 1960, the world GDP stood at 1.353 trillion US dollars as compared to the 33.391 trillion US dollars that it stood at when the century ended. The United Nations has enacted a multitude of policies in order to facilitate the expansion of international trade. The UN has created a series of 10-year International Development Strategies in order to develop smaller countries that may be rich in resources and could have a beneficial impact on international trade. This plan was set into place by the General Assembly in 1960 and continued throughout the rest of the century. Furthermore, they work with agencies that, provide technical assistance and other forms of practical help to countries around the world. In cooperation with the UN, they help formulate policies, set standards and guidelines, foster support and mobilize funds (United Nations). Although the United Nations is not the only organization that worked to benefit international trade in the second half of the 20th century, it was the common denominator in many instances and acted as the main organizer of other separate efforts. The role of the United Nations in maintaining peace has a major impact on international economics. According to International Business: Opportunities and Challenges in a Flattening World, military conflict can be extremely disruptive to economic activity and impede long-term economic performance. Through peace, businesses find it easier to find and hire qualified workers, work with less regulations to due lack of war time restrictions, and find that international trade is made easier through easier currency exchange. When countries are at war, many qualified workers are working either in the military or in a field that ties directly to the military in order to help the war effort. Also, trade between foreign countries that are at war with each other is very difficult because there are generally greater tariffs and restrictions on trade between companies in these two areas. In general, peace is good for business and the world economy as a whole. The United Nations completed more than 20 missions all around the world between 1945 and 2000 in an effort to maintain international peace. One of the earliest examples of these missions was their role in the end of the India-Pakistan War in 1947-48. This war began when India gained its independence as a colony from England in 1947. The colony was split into India and Pakistan. However, there was considerable debate between the two over who would get control over the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This eventually led to a war that was quickly stopped due to United Nations mediation. This action had significant impacts on international economies. India is a major exporter of oil, textiles, engineering goods, and jewelry, while Pakistan exports rice, cotton, tiles, surgical instruments, and rugs among other goods. Without the mediation of the United Nations, these two countries would have continued to fight. They would have spent valuable resources on the war instead of focusing them on producing goods for trade. This has benefited the countries that trade with them because they now have more access to the goods that these countries produce. This single conflict, had it not been stopped by the United Nations, would have had a serious negative impact on the international economy by hurting trade and reducing both imports and exports. On a grander scale, the fact that the United Nations has organized negotiations many times shows how they have had a great impact on maintaining international trade and improving international economies. Although the evidence points to the United Nations as one of the major powers that influenced the growth of international economies after 1945, some historians disagree. Eichengreen claims that the Bretton Woods Agreement was one of the most important policy changes that benefited economies, and this occurred without the aid of the United Nations. The Bretton Woods Agreement gave rise to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the International Trade Organization. This immediately paved a path for the reintroduction of international trade between nations that had very recently been at war with each other. The steady growth of international economies and the continued peace between major powers indicates that the United Nations played a greater role in international economics than the Bretton Woods Agreement. Although the Bretton Woods Agreement provided immediate trade relations, there remained considerable disagreement between the British and Americans over the particulars of the Bretton Woods Agreement (Eichengreen 4). In addition, one of the organizations that the agreement created was the IMF, which along with the World Bank are, twin intergovernmental pillars supporting the structure of the worlds economic and financial order, (Carpenter). Yet, historians claim that the IMF, played little role in international monetary affairs until the end of the 1950s. The quick transition to current account convertibility envisaged by the framers of the Bretton Woods Agreement never came to pass (Eichengreen 4). In summary, the United Nations has had a major positive impact on international trade during the 20th century. The United Nations mediated in international conflicts multiple times in the 20th century and has also helped enact trade agreements. All of these actions have been shown to have been beneficial to the international economy based on steady GDP growth throughout the 20th century and a quick recovery from the poor international economic situation during which the United Nations was created. Word Count: 1225 Section 3. Reflection This investigation has been a great experience for me. I have learned a lot about the process of gathering information from different sources and drawing a single conclusion. When I began this assignment, I knew little about the process that historians actually go through when writing historical analysis reports. I had the misconception that historians simply gather information that all seems to support a single thesis. However, I did not realize history is not black and white. This major issue is one of the biggest challenges that historians face. In my own investigation, I found that a single event could have been caused by multiple different causes. For example, The Reconstruction of the International Economy, 1945-1960 by Barry Eichengreen shows the different events that helped the economy respond to the crisis immediately following the Second World War. He shows that both the United Nations and the creation of different organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the ITO all contributed to the economys recover. I was challenged and tasked with analyzing which factor impacted the economy the most. Encountering this in my own research showed me the importance of understanding the values and limitations of different sources. Being able to evaluate sources and try to extract accurate information from them is the job that historians are faced with. In this way, I learned that the work of a historian involves more than just gathering and discussing information. Historians are tasked with analyzing the information they use and being able to draw conclusions based on their analysis. When I conducted this investigation, I saw this dilemma first hand. Although I had a variety of sources of information that were all credible in their own way, I had to draw my own conclusions from the sources and be able to support my ideas. I value this experience because I feel that I have learned not only what historians have to do, but I have also gained the skills needed. I feel that in the future I will lean on this experience as a guide to any historical analysis that I encounter. The insight I have gained from this experience is valuable and the ability to draw my own conclusions is something I will use in the future. Word Count: 377 Works Cited About Economic and Social Development. United Nations. United Nations, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2016. . Carpenter, Mason A., and Sanjyot P. Dunung. Challenges and Opportunities in International Business. Vol. 1.0. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Carpenter, Mason A., and Sanjyot P. Dunung. International Business: Opportunities and Challenges in a Flattening World. Vol. 1.0. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. The Charter of the United Nations. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1945. Print. Eichengreen, Barry. The Reconstruction of the International Economy, 1945-1960 (1933): n. pag. Print. GDP (current US$). The World Bank. The World Bank, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2016. . Milestones: 1961-1968 Office of the Historian. U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2016. . Ortiz-Espina, Esteban, and Max Roser. International Trade. Our World In Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2016. .

Oversea Greed Essay -- Dutch Republic, The Netherlands

The Netherlands have been a long time tolerant and rich land. The country opened the Bank of Amsterdam and ran a major trade business incomparable to any other. Although small, the territory bore a perfect harbor for ships of the time. Up until the late 17th century the Dutch Republic had a successful nation, unified under a booming economy. When England and other alliances shifted, the Dutch Republic would experience immense turmoil. England’s reasoning behind allying with the Spanish was solely for personal economic gain and power, by destroying the Dutch unity and economy it left room for England to become the most powerful commerce. The Dutch economy was devastated by the military force of foreign countries. England wiped out over 2,000 Dutch ships within twenty years (Document 3). Having a border across a sea from the Dutch Republic made it easier for the English to demolish the Dutch’s naval fleet than it was for France who was obstructed by the Spanish Netherlands. In fact, the routes the Dutch took for trade to Africa and the East Indies went directly past England, many naval battles were held in this straight (Document 1). The only relatively safe path from England the Dutch could take for a trade route was to the Baltic Sea, but even this route’s trade decreased by approximately 45% over the span of 50 years (Document 2). With a lack of trade the Dutch fell into financial debt rapidly, in just twenty years the Dutch Republic was in almost 150,000,000 guilders of debt (Document 12). None of the provinces could handle this debt except Holland which included Amsterdam, the most successful cente r of trade in all of Europe. However, not even Holland’s wealth could save the Dutch. With the constant financial burdens and ba... ...e Dutch Republic’s despair, so did some of Asia, such as the Portuguese, Chinese, and Muslims (Document 13). The Dutch Republic feared the â€Å"other kings [who] seem more and more to scheme how to ruin what remains of the trade†¦ and to take over part of it for themselves† (Document 7). Not only did England increase her own power by destroying the Dutch Republic, the nation had such a powerful business of trade other countries took the Dutch wealth for themselves. England had no intention to help France; they only wanted more money and power for themselves. This decision resulted in more power for other countries. Although the Dutch suffered greatly, lost national unity and security, and their economy crashed, the balance of power was checked. Ultimately the Dutch power had to end eventually for the balance of power to remain equal amongst European and Asian nations.

Possible Solutions to the Youth Violence Problem Essay -- Solutions Es

Possible Solutions to the Youth Violence Problem The birds are chirping, the sun is beaming down through the clouds, and you can hear the shrieks of excitement from the neighborhood park. Walking down the street, you envision raising your family on this picture-perfect street. As the vision becomes more and more detailed, however, the shot of a gun rings out from the distance. You duck behind a parked car, wondering where the bullet came from and why. Looking around, you are shocked to see a group of adolescents standing around another child, this one laying lifeless on the ground. As you rush over to help, the group scatters, and you notice all are wearing the same sign on their beanie hats. Looking down at the body, you see that there are no shoes to be had on his feet, although there are socks. When the police arrive, it is explained to you that this was an act of youth violence, and one that is common in that part of town. A child was shot to death for wearing a pair of shoes that a member of a street gang desired. This probably does not sound like your street where you live. It does not, however, mean that there are not places out in the world where this is an everyday occurrence. Youth are subjected daily to pressures from their peers, and sometimes these peers might be ones with a stronger temper. Programs have been implemented to help youth who become part of gangs or other types of violence, but have they been enough? One needs to search deeper to determine the causes, but it is the solutions to the problem that is, in the end, of most importance. On a local scene, the Corpus Christi Police Department has a gang prevention program. This program has a presentation in which members of the police... ...this type of violence is growing, there is not as much information available as other forms of violence. Programs, such as the Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs, are in place all over the world. However, the United States youth violence is an issue with no solution. It has stemmed from social and class differences from the time of the first immigrants, and has continued into our modern day society, with money and sexuality as basis for violent acts. Problems not only occur in our neighborhoods, but in those of other countries as well. In order for the problem of youth crime and violence to diminish, it is up to the above-mentioned programs, from local, all the way to a global, international level, to inform citizens and parents ways to help with the problems of the next generation. How can a solution ever be found if ignorance is blamed on behalf of society?

Urban Safari :: Free Essay Writer

Urban Safari There are times when having a brother with twenty more years of age, experience, and wisdom, can adversely effect your credibility. This is especially true at nine years old. I found this to be the case one Christmas day many years ago when my brother Tom came home for the holidays. It appeared to be the start of a special Christmas, for my brother was coming to visit. I was even more excited than usual for a nine-year-old boy at this time of year. I wondered what new presents would be under the tree? In the past, Tom always got me such neat stuff. I could hardly wait to start shaking the gifts and guessing. As usual, I was up before dawn, tearing into my gifts with all the fervor with which the drowning seize life preservers. My folks, along with my brother, had now joined me in the gift-opening ceremony. Saving the best for last was out of the question; it was the gift from my brother that I tore into first. My dreams had come true. My prayers were answered. There it was, bigger and shinier than anything in the display case of any Western Auto store in the world. It was a B B gun. Finally, I had entered the ranks of the big kids. The prestige of such a gift! I anticipated the glory of shooting my first bird. This was truly a present for a twelve years old, maybe even a teenager. While reveling in my grandeur, I hadn't noticed that my Mother was watching with obvious disapproval. Apparently she had other plans for the B B gun. "You can't shoot that thing in the yard!" she barked. "You'll have to go to the riverbed." With those words, I was instructed to leave the B B gun under the tree with the less attractive presents. "You can open your other gifts now. Tom will watch you while we go visit Auntie Mabel, and don't forget, leave the B B gun alone," Mom ordered. No sooner than they were out the door my brother grabbed the gun and headed towards the back yard. "Where’re you going?" I asked. "To test your gun out before Mom and Dad get back" was his reply. I thought this was a grand idea. Our back yard was full of potential targets. My brother's first choice was two cases of empty mason jars my Mom used for canning fruit.

American Aid Policy

The United States is the leading developed nation in foreign aid that considers both the interest of its own citizens and industries and those of beneficiary countries. Billions of people all over the world have benefited and appreciated the role of United States in both foreign and food aid. This research paper looks deeply into the overall effectiveness of US foreign aid policy, the need to effect any changes in policy framework or continue to handle affairs in their current form and finally examine the need to increase or decrease the amount in foreign aid.Aid and Millennium Development Goals The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in third world countries and specifically the African continent cannot be realized when foreign aid to these nations is not fully availed. Human development has been ignored by international donor community notably the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, instead putting more focus on biased economic parameters. Poverty levels in these nations thus cannot be eradicated. Africa alone needs a total of 72 billion dollars in foreign aid per year to achieve its Millennium Development Goals by 2015.This is meager fraction in comparison to the $ 362 billion in subsidiaries developed countries paid to its home based agricultural sectors in 2006. Commitment by developed countries to increase amounts in foreign aid to 0. 7% of their national income has not been realized (Marr, Gunatilaka & Killick, 1998). United States has faired poorly in its rating with only 0. 16% and appears at the bottom of the list. Eradicating poverty and improving human life demand increase in foreign aid to developing nations and failure to honor these commitments means that the present status in terms of poverty levels will remain for a long time.Effectiveness of Foreign Aid The close relationship that exists between foreign aid effectiveness and conditions attached to it has always been a thorny issue. Important development agendas such as the balancing of existing relationship between recipient and donor, considering first support to priorities sectors by the government, deter cases of aid programmes duplications and providing means for undertaking transparency assessment on aid performance are factors that must be put into consideration to ensure aid effectiveness.Furthermore, donor support harmonization in aid programmes that undertake development projects in more than one country demands mutual accountability. Direct budget subsidy contributed by donor countries which still stands at 5% of aid given to developing nations should be viewed by the recipient countries as domestic; hence, implemented vividly on development agendas rather than being accountable to the donors.Though this may be the best way of implementing aid as it create an opportunity for strong economic principles and political willingness to avoid bureaucracy, donors do not yet willing to adopt this model because of their institutionalized channel o f aid flow which do onto conform with the developing countries political structures. In essence, increased direct budget support by donors and good government structure of the recipient countries will increase aid effectiveness (Guillaumont & Chauvet, 2001)Need For Change in Aid Policy Critics have always advocated for foreign aid policy reforms. While United States foreign programme has noted high levels of success, it cannot be without a list of problems. The original aim of American aid policy was to generate and improve its economic sub-sectors such as the shipping industry, dump surpluses and promote trade. A clear example is the food aid policy in which food aid is no longer about providing a meal for the hungry but takes care of a multitude of objectives.A half of every dollar spent on food aid goes into the related costs such as processing and shipping. This reveals that policy changes must be put in place to make food aid perform to its fullest. This is because the current food aid policy strives to accomplish very many objectives, most of which are obsolete. It takes a very long time to transport food from a farmer to its final destination and at times this period takes up to five months. Such delay in delivery leads to added costs such as insurance and crew wages.Furthermore delay is the delivery in food aid cost lives in disaster situations. Money should be used to purchase food closer to their destination and reduce costs of transportation. A drastic shift must be made towards of food aid procuring, with purchase in the beneficiary nation and in the United States. Purchasing goods in countries closer to the beneficiary nations would strengthen agricultural market in these nations (Hansen & Tarp, 2000). The main objective here is local procurement of goods, not aid with conditions.America must move away from tied aid to make its foreign aid policy effective. The global economic crisis has led to questions about the general effectiveness of foreign aid. Questions as to how aid can be sustained continuously in times of economic recessions must be answered to achieve high performance. At the moment, American legislation demands that 50% of aid commodities must be processed and packed at home before shipment. Furthermore, 75% of food aid is managed by the USAID and 50% is under the management of US department of agriculture (Guillaumont & Chauvet, 2001).These commodities must be shipped in vessels flying US flags. Such conditions must be constantly reviewed to do away with long procedures of aid handling and delivery. While there are efforts to reform the aid policy, it is expected to take time before full effectiveness is achieved. The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act and the Farm Bill under President George Bush are some efforts to restructure United States foreign aid policy. An examination into different types of foreign aid reveals a complex scenario on how effective its overall objectives are.The reconstruction of countries reel ing from effects of war such as Iraq and Afghanistan are always controversial in nature. Given the overlap in time due to security related issues, it is almost impossible to accurately determine how much and to what level of effectiveness these aid constitute (Dalgaard & Hansen, 2007). Another area that requires total change is the technical cooperation. This is poorly defined due to its ambiguity and thus hard to measure. They are always under criticism due to the huge amounts involved but often not properly accounted for.Technical cooperation always means transfer of skills and knowledge from the donor country to the beneficiary country but always become controversial when they involve military aid assistance such as generous packages to Israel and Egypt. The so-called aid for national interest always attracts huge aid packages than moral areas such as poverty and disease alleviation. Pakistan is a major recipient of United States aid due to its influence and geographical location with Afghanistan and receives this foreign aid to maintain stability and peace in the region. America must do away with some aid conditionality.The imbalance in aid contracts creates conditions which translate into donor demands for change in social, political and economic affairs (Burns, 1984). One of the most absurd conditions from the western donors is the system of state control over all sectors of the economy. The demand for democratic states and good governance, free and fair elections, constitute to some of these conditions. Considering achievement of these conditions a yardstick to receiving foreign aid undermines its role and objects and thus makes it a political tool to control affairs of other countries.Reforms must be made on how aid is channeled to the beneficiary countries. Multilateral aid is always channeled through World Bank and other regional development banks while bilateral aid is paid direct to the beneficiary countries (Miyashita, 2003). Multilateral aid has so far recorded greater success than bilateral aid since it is not selective and undertakes its programmes on neutral basis. These aids are in the form of grants that ensure maximum utilization for the set objectives. Reforming policies in these sectors to ensure maximum transparency and reduce levels of political interference would definitely improve its performance.Conclusion Bilateral aid must not be used to hood-wink political leaders. It is obvious that some developing countries whose economic performances are poor depend mainly on foreign aid to support their programmes. Application of selective strategies and tough conditions driven by greed to control the smaller nations will eventually render the foreign aid ineffective. The way to go in improving the performance is forging a close alliance with the beneficiaries and improving levels of transparency (Toye, Harrigan & Mosley, 1995).The handling of foreign food must take into consideration the overall improvement of agricultu re and provision of close markets for agricultural markets to regions close to the beneficiary country. Foreign aid must therefore seek to improve the level of human development. References: Burns, W. J. , (1984), Economic Aid and American Policy towards Egypt. Sunny Press Dalgaard, C. J. & Hansen, H. , (2007), On Aid, Growth and Good Policies, The Journal of Development Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 37(6), 17-41. Guillaumont, P. & Chauvet, L., (2001), Aid and Performance: A Reassessment, The Journal of Development Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 37(6), pages 66-92 Hansen, H. & Tarp, F. , (2000), Aid effectiveness disputed, Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. , vol. 12(3), pages 375-398. Marr, A. , Gunatilaka, R. & Killick, T. , (1998), Aid and the Political Economy of policy change, Routledge. Miyashita, A. (2003), Limits to Power: Asymmetric dependence and Japanese foreign aid policy, Lexington Books. Toye, J. F. Y, Harrigan, J. J. & Mosley, P. (1995), Aid and power; The World Bank and Policy–Based Lending, Routledge.

Technology in Education

Software Support Tools According to Rogers (2008), â€Å"the landscape of the classroom is being transformed, with technology becoming a driving force† (p. 92). In today’s classroom there are numerous software support tools available to enhance learning and cater to the needs of all learners. Roblyer and Doering (2010) presented six categories of software support tools. They listed these as: material generators, data collection and analysis, graphics, planning and organizing, research and reference, and tools for the content areas. Material generators are software tools that are used for making instructional materials such as posters, brochures, quizzes, tests, rubrics, puzzles, worksheets, games, awards, and IEPs for special education students. Many teachers regard these tools as essential to the day-to-day operation of the classroom. Wellert (2008) stated that the use of games allow teachers to directly cater to the learning style needs of the visual and tactile learners, and that games can expedite the learning process when constructed with the different learning styles in mind. Data collection and analysis software tools allow teachers to collect information about their students and closely monitor their performance and progress throughout the year. According to Roblyer and Doering (2010), the electronic grade book is preferred by many teachers because of its special feature to analyse data from tests and print reports based on the information given. Student information systems (SIS) help teachers keep account of students’ data such as attendance and test scores. Roblyer and Doering also referred to computerized testing systems which offer benefits such as immediate feedback of results. Additionally, it allows students to take tests on screens or scanned sheets. According to the authors, these simplify test scheduling because everyone does not take the test at the same time. Graphic tools consist of draw/paint programs, image editing tools, charting/graphing tools, and clip art animation, sound, video, and font collections (Roblyer & Doering, 2010). These allow teachers and students to create, illustrate, modify, and combine drawings, illustrations, clip art, pictures, charts and graphs. They also give students the opportunity to create their own designs and show them on paper or screen. Additionally, teachers and students can insert these into documents and reports to give a more professional look. Catchings and MacGregor (as cited in Roblyer & Doering, 2010) believed that these programs aid in the development of students’ visual-verbal literacy and creativity. Planning and organizing software tools entails outlining and concept mapping, software, lesson planners, and scheduling and time management tools. Outlining tools assist students in outlining their story ideas and help them to get their stories started, while the other tools help teachers organize their time and prepare for instruction. Research and reference tools such as electronic encyclopedias, atlases, and dictionaries help facilitate research. Electronic atlases and maps are useful in the classroom because students get to see and learn information being taught, and are especially helpful because they are interactive. Wellert (2008) stated that students need to have active participation and involvement in lessons that include technology. Furthermore, student engagement is vital to ensure motivation during the learning process. Finally, the last category of software support tools put forward by Roblyer and Doering (2010) is content area tools. These support teaching and learning in the different content areas. Multimedia Multimedia refers to multiple media or a combination of media. Media can be still graphics, and photographs, sound, motion video, animation, and or text items along with products used to communicate information in multiple ways. Multimedia impacts the classroom in various ways. For example it increases motivation as it offers a variety of options for the user and encourages the learner to be proactive. For students who might not be strong in written expression but have visual aptitude, multimedia offers flexible learning modes. It also fosters the development of creative and critical thinking skills as it opens up creative avenues for students to apply higher thinking skills.. For those who struggle with organizing and presenting information, multimedia offers improved writing process as students are equipped to create characters and linking dialogue to it rather than simply creating a lengthy story. Creativity is encouraged by this process. The use of multimedia also decreases the time it takes to present lengthy presentations as information is presented in chunks as oppose to monotonous reports. According to Mayer and Moreno, 1998; Moreno and Mayer, 2002 (as sited in Roblyer and Doering, 2010) learners exhibited greater comprehension and retention of learned materials when pictures were accompanied by spoken words rather than by written words. They observed that the â€Å"split attention† effect was consistent with a model of working memory that had separate visual and auditory channels. As oppose to chalk and talk which rarely engage students, the use of multimedia encourages interaction and positive immediate feedback. Students are prompted when answers are incorrect giving them the option to correct their answers. Multimedia also provides easy navigation with clearly defined procedures. It is learner controlled for those who are less experienced as well as those who are advanced in technology. Color is also used to bring certain elements to the learner’s attention. Utility provides assortment of functionalities and features necessary to accomplish their instructional tasks, while usability deals with the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of the user. Aesthetics on the other hand, represents elements of design which enhance or heightens the learner’s experience as oppose to just satisfying the pedagogical or instructional objectives. In addition (Lavie & Tractinsky, 2004; Wilson, 2005), research on emotion suggests that aesthetically pleasing objects positively influence our emotions which in turn help students to actively process material. Commercial multimedia products include instructional software such as tutorials, drills, simulations, instruction and problem solving tools. It also includes interactive storybooks and eBooks for toddler’s right up to adults. There are digital libraries, Google books, listening to books online, Grimm Fairy Tales as well as Clifford Interactive Storybooks. In addition to these, these products include reference materials such as Encarta (Encyclopedia), Almanacs, Atlases, newspapers and newsletters, collection of development resources like Clip art, Audio clips, Video clips and Animations, all of which can be used for learning. When producing power points and graphics, fancy fonts and animation can all be incorporated. Multimedia tools also provide editing systems which allows the polishing of the end product. The question about how to effectively integrate support tools, multimedia, and hypermedia into teaching and learning for the highest potential relative advantage, this question can be answered by simply choosing the right tools to meet specific needs of the audience being taught. It is no longer debatable whether or not these tools are relevant, but which tools are relevant for what and who is being taught. Hypermedia According to (Roblyer and Doering, 2010), Hypermedia is also known as â€Å"linked media†. It is a system in which information stored in various media is connected, often through the internet. Most multimedia products are also hypermedia products. There exist a synonymous connection of their uses and alternative purpose. The ability to get information using multimedia tools, from one media element to another, makes them hypermedia. There are six kinds of hypermedia formats, such as: commercial hypermedia software, presentation software, video production and editing systems, hypermedia design and development software, virtual reality environments and Web 2. 0. Hypermedia has been impacting the educational system in many ways. Students are able to attend classes in the comfort of their home. Teachers are able to peruse through a wide variety of activities to effectively and efficiently deliver lessons. Hypermedia is geared at providing multiple channels by which students are able to learn and process information. It has been stated by researchers that students who learn through verbal and visual means are better able to solve problems in comparison to those who learn only through verbal means. In using hypermedia in the classroom, it saves time. Students and teachers are able to search through multiple types of information in a short length of time, with little or no cost. It can be stressful and frustrating for those who are not fully equipped with the skills of navigating. Users can also use hypermedia to add, modify or share information. The software is designed to be easy to use and understand. The programs available can incorporate video and audio of CD’s and DVD’s on the web. This creates a merger of both concepts which can realize learning at its maximum relative advantage. In considering Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, we can integrate support tools multimedia and hypermedia into teaching and learning. This can be done in various ways. Software programs that supports tutorials, drill and practice, simulation, instructional games and problem solving can all be incorporated using an interactive approach. Students as well as teachers are motivated to learn and present information. According to Edyburn (as cited in Roblyer & Doering, 2010), the accessibility capabilities of special needs students are often challenging. Special programs are provided along with software for these students, but in order to use the programs, one must be especially skilled. Roblyer and Doering (2010), further stated that in order for hypermedia to be used effectively, some hardware are needed in order for the software to function, such as: computer with keyboard, mouse and monitor, digital cameras, scanners, video digitizers, camcorders and other video output, microphones and audio speakers. Financial resources are necessary for this system to take place. Adobe Flash Reader has become the standard for creating interactive web based animation and other software tools. Flexible learning modes exist but teachers must carefully select programs that promote higher order thinking, which are few in the case of reading and language. The response based methods are critical and students are able to use their creativity to access information. Students can also make the distinction between various texts and think critically about which is appropriate and applicable. Teachers are able to assess students based on the outcome of assigned projects while challenging them to learn independently at times. Students use the Web 2. 0, and presentation software such as Microsoft Power point Presentation to deliver work the way they understand. Hypermedia helps students to generate new ideas, raise the bar for creativity and independence and thus provide a, variety of sources which students can use to understand and interpret information, thus reaching their highest potential relative advantage. Factors Influencing the Effective Integration of Technology Gorder (2008) stated that integrating technology is not about having technology available in the classroom, but more about how teachers use technology as a tool for learning. To effectively and successfully integrate support tools, multimedia and hypermedia into teaching and learning for the highest potential relative advantage, certain factors need to be considered. Franklin (2008) outlined four factors that influence the integration of technology: availability and access to technology, teacher preparation and training, good leadership, and time. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (as cited in Franklin, 2008), the availability of classroom technology correlates to teacher use of computers. This means that when more computers are available in the classroom, teachers tend to incorporate more activities involving technology. While the average elementary classroom in the United States has two computers (NCES, as cited in Franklin, 2008), classrooms in Belize are yet to experience that luxury. Access to computers in Belizean elementary schools is very limited, often through a computer lab. Oftentimes many of these computers are outdated, or not working. The lack of hardware and software tools do very little to promote the use and integration of technology in education. Teacher preparation and training is also an important factor in the effective integration of technology. Franklin (2008) indicated that teachers who feel better prepared to use technology are more likely to have their students use technology than teachers who feel unprepared. With the advent of numerous new technological advances, more experienced teachers are feeling unprepared to face the technological world. The NCES (as cited in Franklin, 2008) reported that only one third of elementary teachers in the United States felt they were well prepared to use technology in the classroom. Gorder (2008) referred to this as a change from educating students for the industrial age, to one of educating students for the technological age. This change will require teachers to become students again, seeking assistance from fellow teachers as well as from their own students. In light of this change, Ash (2007) felt that for teachers to implement technology effectively in the classroom there needs to be some form of professional development. Ash reported that in order to meet the professional development needs of teachers, some school districts have encouraged teachers to form on-line learning communities with their colleagues where they can seek technology advice, share resources and tips. Additionally, Ash suggested having a technology specialist on staff to assist teachers with new technology as well as to provide training for teachers in the form of after school training and workshops. Pitler (2006) said that most importantly teachers need to be provided with ongoing technology professional development. Ash (2007) believed strong leadership is required to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning and considered the principal as the key factor to ensuring the successful integration of technology into the school curriculum. Hope and Stakenas (as cited by Gosmire & Grady, 2007) suggested three primary roles for the principal as technology leader: role model, instructional leader, and visionary. They stated that principals themselves need to have a good working knowledge of technology tools and be able to use these for their own administrative and managerial duties. When principals have a good working knowledge of technology they are more committed to its importance in teaching and learning and tend to impart this to their teachers (Franklin, 2008). Furthermore, principals are the instructional leaders of the school and are primarily responsible for overseeing technology integration. As a result, principals need to have a good knowledge of technology hardware and software to be able to acquire those that best fit the needs of their school. Hope and Stakenas emphasized that the most important thing is for principals to have a vision for technology in their school. They need to have a clear understanding of how technology will be used by teachers and students to better facilitate teaching and learning. Franklin concluded that principals who provide strong leadership â€Å"help create a climate in which experimentation with technology is looked on with favour and given encouragement† (p. 55). Finally, the fourth factor that influences the integration of technology is time. Franklin (2008) believed that for technology integration to be effective it is necessary to provide the time for teachers to learn, practice, and plan how they will integrate technology into the curriculum. She stated that this might, at times, require teachers to be released from their regular classroom duties in order to facilitate this experience. Apart from the time teachers need to learn and plan for technology, students also need time to use technology. Franklin indicated that time needs to be placed in the daily schedule when students will be using technology. Schacter and Fagnano (1999) also suggested several practices to aid in the successful implementation of technology in the classroom. These include: (a) getting students involved in discussions and debates where they will be required to work with a team to evaluate their work, as well as the work of others, (b) allowing students to analyse situations and think independently through self reflection and thought, (c) getting students to design programs that encourage critical thinking, judgement, and personal involvement, (d) using project-based learning activities, (e) engaging students in contextualized and meaningful projects, and (f) teaching students how to use computers to design projects. The authors emphasized that the effective use of technology increases students’ learning, understanding, achievement and motivation as well as develops their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Conclusion Hence, it is clear that in order to integrate technology into teaching and learning for the highest potential relative advantage, it is not just about having the technology and being knowledgeable about its use and benefits, but also about having a vision and plan of how technology will be integrated into the school curriculum and providing the necessary training for teachers. Pitler (2006) stated that all the new technologies in the world will not impact student achievement if the school does not have a clear vision of how and why they will use the technology. It is important to understand that the acquisition of technology alone will not improve the quality of instruction. Day (2010) emphasizes that â€Å"the fundamental determinants of instructional quality have always been the course content, the teachers, the learning activities in which the students are engaged and the students themselves† (p. 49). Technology in Education Software Support Tools According to Rogers (2008), â€Å"the landscape of the classroom is being transformed, with technology becoming a driving force† (p. 92). In today’s classroom there are numerous software support tools available to enhance learning and cater to the needs of all learners. Roblyer and Doering (2010) presented six categories of software support tools. They listed these as: material generators, data collection and analysis, graphics, planning and organizing, research and reference, and tools for the content areas. Material generators are software tools that are used for making instructional materials such as posters, brochures, quizzes, tests, rubrics, puzzles, worksheets, games, awards, and IEPs for special education students. Many teachers regard these tools as essential to the day-to-day operation of the classroom. Wellert (2008) stated that the use of games allow teachers to directly cater to the learning style needs of the visual and tactile learners, and that games can expedite the learning process when constructed with the different learning styles in mind. Data collection and analysis software tools allow teachers to collect information about their students and closely monitor their performance and progress throughout the year. According to Roblyer and Doering (2010), the electronic grade book is preferred by many teachers because of its special feature to analyse data from tests and print reports based on the information given. Student information systems (SIS) help teachers keep account of students’ data such as attendance and test scores. Roblyer and Doering also referred to computerized testing systems which offer benefits such as immediate feedback of results. Additionally, it allows students to take tests on screens or scanned sheets. According to the authors, these simplify test scheduling because everyone does not take the test at the same time. Graphic tools consist of draw/paint programs, image editing tools, charting/graphing tools, and clip art animation, sound, video, and font collections (Roblyer & Doering, 2010). These allow teachers and students to create, illustrate, modify, and combine drawings, illustrations, clip art, pictures, charts and graphs. They also give students the opportunity to create their own designs and show them on paper or screen. Additionally, teachers and students can insert these into documents and reports to give a more professional look. Catchings and MacGregor (as cited in Roblyer & Doering, 2010) believed that these programs aid in the development of students’ visual-verbal literacy and creativity. Planning and organizing software tools entails outlining and concept mapping, software, lesson planners, and scheduling and time management tools. Outlining tools assist students in outlining their story ideas and help them to get their stories started, while the other tools help teachers organize their time and prepare for instruction. Research and reference tools such as electronic encyclopedias, atlases, and dictionaries help facilitate research. Electronic atlases and maps are useful in the classroom because students get to see and learn information being taught, and are especially helpful because they are interactive. Wellert (2008) stated that students need to have active participation and involvement in lessons that include technology. Furthermore, student engagement is vital to ensure motivation during the learning process. Finally, the last category of software support tools put forward by Roblyer and Doering (2010) is content area tools. These support teaching and learning in the different content areas. Multimedia Multimedia refers to multiple media or a combination of media. Media can be still graphics, and photographs, sound, motion video, animation, and or text items along with products used to communicate information in multiple ways. Multimedia impacts the classroom in various ways. For example it increases motivation as it offers a variety of options for the user and encourages the learner to be proactive. For students who might not be strong in written expression but have visual aptitude, multimedia offers flexible learning modes. It also fosters the development of creative and critical thinking skills as it opens up creative avenues for students to apply higher thinking skills.. For those who struggle with organizing and presenting information, multimedia offers improved writing process as students are equipped to create characters and linking dialogue to it rather than simply creating a lengthy story. Creativity is encouraged by this process. The use of multimedia also decreases the time it takes to present lengthy presentations as information is presented in chunks as oppose to monotonous reports. According to Mayer and Moreno, 1998; Moreno and Mayer, 2002 (as sited in Roblyer and Doering, 2010) learners exhibited greater comprehension and retention of learned materials when pictures were accompanied by spoken words rather than by written words. They observed that the â€Å"split attention† effect was consistent with a model of working memory that had separate visual and auditory channels. As oppose to chalk and talk which rarely engage students, the use of multimedia encourages interaction and positive immediate feedback. Students are prompted when answers are incorrect giving them the option to correct their answers. Multimedia also provides easy navigation with clearly defined procedures. It is learner controlled for those who are less experienced as well as those who are advanced in technology. Color is also used to bring certain elements to the learner’s attention. Utility provides assortment of functionalities and features necessary to accomplish their instructional tasks, while usability deals with the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of the user. Aesthetics on the other hand, represents elements of design which enhance or heightens the learner’s experience as oppose to just satisfying the pedagogical or instructional objectives. In addition (Lavie & Tractinsky, 2004; Wilson, 2005), research on emotion suggests that aesthetically pleasing objects positively influence our emotions which in turn help students to actively process material. Commercial multimedia products include instructional software such as tutorials, drills, simulations, instruction and problem solving tools. It also includes interactive storybooks and eBooks for toddler’s right up to adults. There are digital libraries, Google books, listening to books online, Grimm Fairy Tales as well as Clifford Interactive Storybooks. In addition to these, these products include reference materials such as Encarta (Encyclopedia), Almanacs, Atlases, newspapers and newsletters, collection of development resources like Clip art, Audio clips, Video clips and Animations, all of which can be used for learning. When producing power points and graphics, fancy fonts and animation can all be incorporated. Multimedia tools also provide editing systems which allows the polishing of the end product. The question about how to effectively integrate support tools, multimedia, and hypermedia into teaching and learning for the highest potential relative advantage, this question can be answered by simply choosing the right tools to meet specific needs of the audience being taught. It is no longer debatable whether or not these tools are relevant, but which tools are relevant for what and who is being taught. Hypermedia According to (Roblyer and Doering, 2010), Hypermedia is also known as â€Å"linked media†. It is a system in which information stored in various media is connected, often through the internet. Most multimedia products are also hypermedia products. There exist a synonymous connection of their uses and alternative purpose. The ability to get information using multimedia tools, from one media element to another, makes them hypermedia. There are six kinds of hypermedia formats, such as: commercial hypermedia software, presentation software, video production and editing systems, hypermedia design and development software, virtual reality environments and Web 2. 0. Hypermedia has been impacting the educational system in many ways. Students are able to attend classes in the comfort of their home. Teachers are able to peruse through a wide variety of activities to effectively and efficiently deliver lessons. Hypermedia is geared at providing multiple channels by which students are able to learn and process information. It has been stated by researchers that students who learn through verbal and visual means are better able to solve problems in comparison to those who learn only through verbal means. In using hypermedia in the classroom, it saves time. Students and teachers are able to search through multiple types of information in a short length of time, with little or no cost. It can be stressful and frustrating for those who are not fully equipped with the skills of navigating. Users can also use hypermedia to add, modify or share information. The software is designed to be easy to use and understand. The programs available can incorporate video and audio of CD’s and DVD’s on the web. This creates a merger of both concepts which can realize learning at its maximum relative advantage. In considering Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, we can integrate support tools multimedia and hypermedia into teaching and learning. This can be done in various ways. Software programs that supports tutorials, drill and practice, simulation, instructional games and problem solving can all be incorporated using an interactive approach. Students as well as teachers are motivated to learn and present information. According to Edyburn (as cited in Roblyer & Doering, 2010), the accessibility capabilities of special needs students are often challenging. Special programs are provided along with software for these students, but in order to use the programs, one must be especially skilled. Roblyer and Doering (2010), further stated that in order for hypermedia to be used effectively, some hardware are needed in order for the software to function, such as: computer with keyboard, mouse and monitor, digital cameras, scanners, video digitizers, camcorders and other video output, microphones and audio speakers. Financial resources are necessary for this system to take place. Adobe Flash Reader has become the standard for creating interactive web based animation and other software tools. Flexible learning modes exist but teachers must carefully select programs that promote higher order thinking, which are few in the case of reading and language. The response based methods are critical and students are able to use their creativity to access information. Students can also make the distinction between various texts and think critically about which is appropriate and applicable. Teachers are able to assess students based on the outcome of assigned projects while challenging them to learn independently at times. Students use the Web 2. 0, and presentation software such as Microsoft Power point Presentation to deliver work the way they understand. Hypermedia helps students to generate new ideas, raise the bar for creativity and independence and thus provide a, variety of sources which students can use to understand and interpret information, thus reaching their highest potential relative advantage. Factors Influencing the Effective Integration of Technology Gorder (2008) stated that integrating technology is not about having technology available in the classroom, but more about how teachers use technology as a tool for learning. To effectively and successfully integrate support tools, multimedia and hypermedia into teaching and learning for the highest potential relative advantage, certain factors need to be considered. Franklin (2008) outlined four factors that influence the integration of technology: availability and access to technology, teacher preparation and training, good leadership, and time. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (as cited in Franklin, 2008), the availability of classroom technology correlates to teacher use of computers. This means that when more computers are available in the classroom, teachers tend to incorporate more activities involving technology. While the average elementary classroom in the United States has two computers (NCES, as cited in Franklin, 2008), classrooms in Belize are yet to experience that luxury. Access to computers in Belizean elementary schools is very limited, often through a computer lab. Oftentimes many of these computers are outdated, or not working. The lack of hardware and software tools do very little to promote the use and integration of technology in education. Teacher preparation and training is also an important factor in the effective integration of technology. Franklin (2008) indicated that teachers who feel better prepared to use technology are more likely to have their students use technology than teachers who feel unprepared. With the advent of numerous new technological advances, more experienced teachers are feeling unprepared to face the technological world. The NCES (as cited in Franklin, 2008) reported that only one third of elementary teachers in the United States felt they were well prepared to use technology in the classroom. Gorder (2008) referred to this as a change from educating students for the industrial age, to one of educating students for the technological age. This change will require teachers to become students again, seeking assistance from fellow teachers as well as from their own students. In light of this change, Ash (2007) felt that for teachers to implement technology effectively in the classroom there needs to be some form of professional development. Ash reported that in order to meet the professional development needs of teachers, some school districts have encouraged teachers to form on-line learning communities with their colleagues where they can seek technology advice, share resources and tips. Additionally, Ash suggested having a technology specialist on staff to assist teachers with new technology as well as to provide training for teachers in the form of after school training and workshops. Pitler (2006) said that most importantly teachers need to be provided with ongoing technology professional development. Ash (2007) believed strong leadership is required to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning and considered the principal as the key factor to ensuring the successful integration of technology into the school curriculum. Hope and Stakenas (as cited by Gosmire & Grady, 2007) suggested three primary roles for the principal as technology leader: role model, instructional leader, and visionary. They stated that principals themselves need to have a good working knowledge of technology tools and be able to use these for their own administrative and managerial duties. When principals have a good working knowledge of technology they are more committed to its importance in teaching and learning and tend to impart this to their teachers (Franklin, 2008). Furthermore, principals are the instructional leaders of the school and are primarily responsible for overseeing technology integration. As a result, principals need to have a good knowledge of technology hardware and software to be able to acquire those that best fit the needs of their school. Hope and Stakenas emphasized that the most important thing is for principals to have a vision for technology in their school. They need to have a clear understanding of how technology will be used by teachers and students to better facilitate teaching and learning. Franklin concluded that principals who provide strong leadership â€Å"help create a climate in which experimentation with technology is looked on with favour and given encouragement† (p. 55). Finally, the fourth factor that influences the integration of technology is time. Franklin (2008) believed that for technology integration to be effective it is necessary to provide the time for teachers to learn, practice, and plan how they will integrate technology into the curriculum. She stated that this might, at times, require teachers to be released from their regular classroom duties in order to facilitate this experience. Apart from the time teachers need to learn and plan for technology, students also need time to use technology. Franklin indicated that time needs to be placed in the daily schedule when students will be using technology. Schacter and Fagnano (1999) also suggested several practices to aid in the successful implementation of technology in the classroom. These include: (a) getting students involved in discussions and debates where they will be required to work with a team to evaluate their work, as well as the work of others, (b) allowing students to analyse situations and think independently through self reflection and thought, (c) getting students to design programs that encourage critical thinking, judgement, and personal involvement, (d) using project-based learning activities, (e) engaging students in contextualized and meaningful projects, and (f) teaching students how to use computers to design projects. The authors emphasized that the effective use of technology increases students’ learning, understanding, achievement and motivation as well as develops their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Conclusion Hence, it is clear that in order to integrate technology into teaching and learning for the highest potential relative advantage, it is not just about having the technology and being knowledgeable about its use and benefits, but also about having a vision and plan of how technology will be integrated into the school curriculum and providing the necessary training for teachers. Pitler (2006) stated that all the new technologies in the world will not impact student achievement if the school does not have a clear vision of how and why they will use the technology. It is important to understand that the acquisition of technology alone will not improve the quality of instruction. Day (2010) emphasizes that â€Å"the fundamental determinants of instructional quality have always been the course content, the teachers, the learning activities in which the students are engaged and the students themselves† (p. 49).