Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Existence Of God God - 1305 Words

The existence of God has been in question for as long as mankind has existed and thought logically. Many questions have plagued the human mind in regards to God, and there have been many arguments drawn with the hopes of proving the existence of a supreme being whom we know as God. The â€Å"God† question has been presented to every individual at some point in their lives. It is a topic that will bring forth never-ending questions and an equal amount of attempted answers. Many philosophers have formulated different rationales when examining the topic of God, some of which include how the word itself should be defined, what his role is in human existence, whether or not he loves us, and ultimately, if he even exists at all. Mankind cannot†¦show more content†¦Anselm in this case defines God as â€Å"a being than which nothing greater can be conceived† (Anselm 30). Ontological arguments tend to be a priori, which is an argument that utilizes thoughts as opp osed to empirical evidence to prove validity. Anselm addresses the Atheist fool in an attempt to disprove him â€Å"since the fool has said in his heart, There is no God?†(Anselm, 30). Anselm stressed that it is obligatory to recognize God as a perfect being that cannot be improved upon, and if someone understands the concept of God, then God exists in that person’s understanding. It is greater to exist in reality than just simply the understanding. The fool understands the concept of God. Therefore the fool has God in his understanding. Suppose God exists only in the understanding of the fool and not in reality. We could then think of something exactly as it existed in the fools understanding but it can also exist in reality, and the being we conceived of would be greater than the being that exists in the fools understanding. Therefore God exists not only in the understanding of the fool but also in reality. By showing that God exists in reality as well as in the understanding, we see that it is imperative that we should believe in God and that it is indeed reasonable. A cosmological argument focuses on the notion of causation and that everything in the universe including us must have an initial cause, for nothing comes from nothing. Thomas

Monday, May 18, 2020

Analysis Of The Poem Carcajou Dreams - 861 Words

At the beginning of this course, I didn’t realize that my poems would be read aloud to the whole class and that other students would be given the opportunity to tear into them. So, when the line, â€Å"Nine years before Gucci - hold onto the pole†, from my poem â€Å"Carcajou Dreams† was read aloud, I quickly realized how silly my words sounded and that I was going to need to write poetry with a bit more substance. However, even though â€Å"Carcajou Dreams† wasn’t the best thing I wrote in the class, it still made people laugh, which made me want to write more. But I knew I needed to dive deeper into the craft of poetry and grow, so I attempted to explore more artistic topics when writing my next three poems, â€Å"Basque†, Homonym†, and â€Å"Y.† And as I continued writing, these poems taught me how to clean up my work and develop a specific tone. When writing the poem, â€Å"Basque† I visited your office hours and you h elped me make this poem a much more concise love story. Removing filler words throughout really helped, and your suggestion about reminding the reader where the characters are traveling in the poem helped as well, and influenced the line, â€Å"Eating tapas at the bullfight, claiming that a break from school was good.† And even though, you hadn’t slept much the night before due to your architecture coursework, your help with this particular poem really set me up for success when writing other pieces throughout the term, by showing me how to analyze and fix what I thought was a

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Nietzsche s Views On Religion And Morality - 1166 Words

When it comes to the topic of religion, most of us readily agree that there are certain rules and actions that God requires of his followers. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of why we follow the rules. Whereas some are convinced that following God’s rules leads to heaven, others maintain that religion is only a code of conduct that can get in the way of happiness by stripping us of our passions. In â€Å"Morality as Anti-Nature,† Nietzsche claims that all religions are founded in a moral code of conduct that is supposed to lead to happiness. However, Nietzsche thinks that these religious rules keep people from being happy, because passions are part of what make people happy. I agree with Nietzsche that every religion and morality is founded on a general principle of ‘do this and do that,’ and I also agree that religions and morality do some damage to our passions. However, I think Nietzsche doesn’t realize that religio ns are more than just a code of conduct: they create communities that fulfill a person’s social needs. Nietzsche describes a common religious formula and then explains why the formula is based on a great error. Nietzsche says that â€Å"The most general formula on which every religion and morality is founded is: ‘Do this and that, refrain from this and that – then you will be happy! Otherwise†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Every morality, every religion, is this imperative† (352) Nietzsche claims that every morality and religion’s function is solely a code ofShow MoreRelatedNietzsche And Murdoch s Theme Of Morality978 Words   |  4 Pages Nietzsche and Murdoch’s Theme of Morality One of the nineteenth century’s greatest philosophers is Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche was ideas regarding morality and nature continue to be debated today. Irish Murdoch another great philosopher writer of the 20th century wrote about philosophy regarding religion and nature. Both philosophers discuss the theme of morality in contrasting ways. Nietzsche believes in individual morality from the natural perspective and religion not from nature. MurdochRead MoreFriedrich Nietzsche s Influence On Modern Intellectual History And Western Philosophy1559 Words   |  7 PagesFriedman Wilhelm Nietzsche was a German philosopher, poet, cultural critic, philologist, and a Greek and Latin scholar. His work has had lots of influence on modern intellectual history and Western philosophy in general. It revolved mainly around art, philology, religion and science. He wrote about morality, tragedy, aesthetics, atheism, epistemology and consciousness. However, some of Nietzsche s most profou nd elements of his philosophy include his powerful critique of reason and truth. He arguedRead MoreNietzsche s Philosophy On Personal Life And Education1200 Words   |  5 PagesFriedrich Nietzsche was a German, writer, poet, thinker and philopher. He was renowned for his ideas on the end of religion, existentialism and the concept of good and evil. Nietzsche focused essentially on the end of religion. He once declared that â€Å"God is dead†, a statement that decidedly defied Christianity as well as morality. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, he was rapt in the development of â€Å"individual and cultural health, and believed in life, creativity, power, and down-to-earthRead MorePlato s Allegory Of The Cave Essay1630 Words   |  7 PagesThe lasting condition impressed by an image can sometimes like as a flame, spreading throughout other discourses for long after its initial kindling. Such is the case with Plato s allegory of the cave, which has for o ver 2,500 years inspired significant contributions to theorizations of truth. Despite the age of Plato s work, the truth in the allegory is demonstrated by its own universality; as a formative piece of literature, the story acts as a gateway into Western discourses of truth. Truth remainsRead MoreComparing Nietzsche And Freud On Crime And Punishment931 Words   |  4 PagesConception of civilization in Nietzsche and Freud in relation to crime and punishment Nietzsche critiqued modern civilization since the entire scheme of modern society went against his philosophy. Nietzsche was afraid modern society and religion would bring the individuals to nihilistic voids, as they would eventually turn into uninteresting herds of controlled animals. Nietzsche wishes the individuals to achieve self-awareness, in that individuals would act upon themselves for what they trulyRead MoreGender Inequality And Idealized Beauty Standards1688 Words   |  7 Pagesmore demands on both males and females and is a form of oppression, and her beliefs regarding ideal beauty. Wolf’s ideas surrounding gender inequality relate to Nietzsche s theory regarding master and slave morality and man’s struggle to be a free spirit because those who adhere to society s dictates on ideal beauty also have â€Å"slave morality†. An important aspect of gender inequality are the demands and expectations that are placed on each gender. Males are supposed to be seen as toughRead MoreImmanuel Kant And Friedrich Nietzsche Essay1504 Words   |  7 Pagesand Friedrich Nietzsche are two widely acclaimed philosophers due to the groundwork they made towards the philosophical principles of morality. However, even though they both have openly discussed their views, they have ended up contradicting each other. Kant implied that morality is not learned, but rather predestined, whereas Nietzsche alluded to a experience based morality, or one that is learned through actions and memories. Although these two men have accepted views of morality, the ideas ofRead MoreBook Report On The Book Le Gai Savoir 1421 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst time I heard about Nietzsche was a few years ago, in my chemistry class. I had a friend who spent all his time, in science classes, reading books about philosophy. His nonconformity caught my attention. I started to be interested by the big mustache of the author on the cover page of his book Le Gai Savoir, because I knew, of course, that all authors with big mustache – such as Victor Hugo and Albert Einstein – wrote about great things! So I started to read Nietzsche s works. Then, one day, myRead MoreStephen Jay Gould And Friedrich Nietzsche1443 Words   |  6 PagesReligion Verses Nature If God is good and if creation reveals his goodness, why do nature’s victims suffer? Is God dead? These are the questions that the two essays from Stephen Jay Gould and Friedrich Nietzsche ask and attempt to answer. Stephen Jay Gould was a well-known professor of geology, zoology and curator of invertebrate paleontology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. Gould feels that animals are too complex to be compared to humans and deciding what is good andRead MoreNietzches Master and Slave Morality2209 Words   |  9 PagesIn Of the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche sought to provide context for what he saw as the central value system of the society in which he lived: slave-morality. Nietzsche saw morality as reflective of the conditions in which its proponents were brought up. He saw the roots of slave morality in oppression and slavery, and posits that it grew as a reaction to the morality of the masters of the time. What follows is a simplified account o f Nietzsche’s master-slave dichotomy, and what he saw as the

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Serial Killers Essay - 2668 Words

Serial Murder The mind behind the crime! Thesis statement: Serial Murderers are not just murderers but also victims of the rotten hand they were dealt. Abstract I. Definition History A. The Most Infamous Killer B. Myth Theory 1. WereWolves 2. Vampires III. Causes A. Serial Killer Characteristics B. Theories VI. Case Studies A. Charles Manson 1. Bibliographical Info 2. Childhood Trauma B. John Wayne Gacy 1. Bibliographical Info 2. Childhood Trauma V. The Female Serial Killer IV. Closing Abstract -Thesis Statement #8220; God, I#8217;ve never done anything. Help me, help me, help me! God, why is this happening? Help†¦show more content†¦1). The perfect ingredients for a blockbuster thriller. Myth Theory Serial murder. It is the stuff of horror films and, in fact, the legends of vampires and werewolves may well have begun when mutilated bodies of ancient serial killers were found. Even today there are deranged vampire killers like Richard Quentin Chase, and killers who seem normal, even charming, like Ted Bundy while they conduct their own campaigns of carnage. (Mind of a Killer, intro) III. Causes: SERIAL KILLER CHARACTERISTICS R. Ressler, A. Burgess, and J. Douglas executed a study involving 36 incarcerated serial killers, and compiled the data collected into a chart of childhood behavior traits among serial killers (p. 29). Frequency of Reported Behavior Indicators in Childhood BEHAVIOR # OF CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOR PERCENTAGE WITH BEHAVIOR % Daydreaming 28 82 Compulsive Masturbation 28 82 Isolation 28 71 Chronic Lying 28 71 Enuresis (bed wetting) 22 68 Rebelliousness 27 67 Nightmares 24 67 Destroying Property 26 58 Fire Setting 25 56 Stealing 27 56 Cruelty to Children 28 54 Poor Body Image 27 52 Temper Tantrums 27 48 Sleep Problems 23 48 Assaultive to Adults 25 38 Phobias 24 38 Running Away 28 36 Cruelty to Animals 28 36 Accident Prone 24 29 Headaches 21 29 Destroying Possessions 25 28 Eating Problems 26Show MoreRelatedSerial Killer : Serial Killers939 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is a serial killer? Serial killers are very sick and distraught compared to others. As indicated by the Vancouver Sun, a serial killer is characterized as somebody who is responsible for more than three killings over a period that than traverses over one month.In 2005 the fbi changed it to at least two killings with no reference to intention or time span. Generally, serial killers murder for some kind of mental benefit. Serial Killers can come in all shapes and sizes: don t be tricked byRead MoreSerial Killers And The Serial Killer1101 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The serial killer ‘is an entirely different criminal,’ †The term serial killer is misleading on the ground that each murder is intended to be the last.† We see them as a figure of â€Å"the dark side of human potential,† but they believe they’re â€Å"on a heroic quest for the biggest score possible† They believe they are â€Å"the archetypal figure of impurity, the representative of a world which needs cleansing.† However, society knows that serial killers are not heroes, and they’re not cleansing the worldRead MoreSerial Killer And Serial Killers Essay1171 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica has some of the most infamous serial killers who ma rked history, serial killers who once didn’t even think to harm any human being. Many people grow up differently from others, some people grow up in a safe environment surrounded with caring people and others grow up in a completely different environment being missed treated by others, therefore are serial killers made or born? A serial killer is defined as â€Å"a person who commits more than three murders over a period that spans more thanRead MoreSerial Killer And Serial Killers1644 Words   |  7 PagesSerial Killer A serial killer is someone who has killed three or more people on separate occasions with enough time between, allowing them to calm down or reflect on what they did. There are separate categories for serial killers. The types of serial killers are organized killers, unorganized killers, and medical killers (Crime museum, 2015, para. 1, 2, 3). Beverley Allitt was considered to be under the medical killer category. Allitt killed a total of 4 children in less than a year span (McCrystalRead MoreSerial Killer : Serial Killers909 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to an FBI study, â€Å"there have been approximately 400 serial killers in the United States in the past century, with anywhere from 2,526 to 3,860 victims (Hickey). No one really understands serial killers. It is actually quite difficult to comprehend how the mind of a serial killer works. Some believe that a serial killer feels strongly attracted by a specific physical characteristic in the victim. It could be his or her appe arance: facial features, clothes, or even personality. On the otherRead MoreSerial Killers And The Serial Killer1080 Words   |  5 Pageshelp? This was the technique one of the most infamous serial killer Ted Bundy used to approach his victims and ultimately murder them. B. Background and Audience Relevance: Today, I will be speaking to you about serial killers. C. Speaker Credibility: I decided to do my topic on serial killers because, criminology is something I’m genuinely interested in and would like to learn more about it myself. D. Thesis: By learning about serial killers, hopefully in the future they can be captured fasterRead MoreSerial Killers : A Serial Killer1820 Words   |  8 Pagesunderstand a serial killers background to get an understanding of how childhood trauma could lead to their need to kill. Although there are no exact factors that would absolutely cause a child to grow up into a serial killer, research found by Laurence Miller in â€Å"Serial killers: II. Development, Dynamics, and Forensics,† suggest that there are several common factors found in multiple serial killers’ childhoods. For example, some of the leading childhood characteristics found among serial killers includeRead MoreSerial Killers : A Serial Killer Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesCrimes and criminals define not only places, but certain time periods. Serial killers are usually the ones that individuals tend to remember the most. An individual is considered a serial killer when they murder three or more individ uals during a period of time with a cooling off period between each crime (Frailing Harper, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to discuss one of the most controversial and yet famous serial killer, Theodore Robert Bundy. Something interesting that attracts the attentionRead MoreSerial Killers : The Serial Killer Essay2076 Words   |  9 PagesThis serial killer was chosen because this serial killing pair is the most infamous English serial killers duo in the 1990s. Fred and Rosemary West were not convicted of all the murders they participated in; however, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. Also, this case is interesting because Rosemary West, to this day, does not claim to know anything about the murders even though she has victims that survived her attacks and have spoken against her in court. These serial killers have been coveredRead MoreFemale Serial Killers : A Serial Killer Essay1190 Words   |  5 PagesFemale Serial Killers For the most part the domain of serial homicide is ruled by men. There is however some females that has and can be serial killers. According to Bartol Bartol (2005) there have been at thirty six female serial killers throughout the United States. In general society we do not like to believe that women are capable of committing such acts, but as we continue to alter our views, moral, and beliefs of women’s equality and feminism there is room for women to be just as likely

Case Study of Bg Group Free Essays

A. METHODOLOGIES: 1. The Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) Approach: This method offers a wide range of advantages. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study of Bg Group or any similar topic only for you Order Now For instance, the Capital Assets Pricing Model (CAPM) is employed in the calculation of the Cost of Equity. Thus, the discounted rate of 7. 58 percent used in figure 1. 12 Appendix is likely to be precise. The total value of the firm is $4. 73 billion. Nonetheless, in view of the probabilities of forecasting errors in the estimation of cash flows, the degree of precision does not guarantee an accurate result. Another drawback of the approach would be the failure to allow for the impacts of real options available to management on future cash flows. Hence, this method is considered as an alternative for crosschecking. The assumptions are the dividends grow constantly in perpetuity at 3 percent and the debt ratio is also constant at 28. 1 percent. For further analysis, please refer to item 2a and 3c in the Appraisal. 2. The EBIT Multiples Approach: Under this methodology, the debt-equity ratio was not required. Thus, the value of the firm is approximately $4. 3 billion after liquidity discount was taken into account. This yields an insignificantly different result compared to the result under the WACC method. However, since the average EBIT multiples strongly depend on the comparable companies in the industry, reliable information is less likely to be available in practice. Therefore, another approach is employed. 3. Adjusted Present Value (APV) Approach: The APV method is more complicated t han two methods mentioned earlier inasmuch as it takes account of unlevered value of the firm and the interest tax shield. Recent complexity of the method notwithstanding, APV provides management with an explicit valuation of interest tax shield and an assumption of constant debt-equity ratio is unnecessary. According to figure 1. 10, the total value of the firm before synergies is $5. 02 billion. Nonetheless, this method ignores the costs of financial distress, which might lead to an overvaluation of the firm with a significantly high debt ratio. 4. Conclusion: Under different methods employed above, the range of difference appears to be immaterial. Thus, the value of the firm before synergies is expected to be approximately $4. 89 billion on average. For the purpose of consistency, APV method is selected for further analysis of the value of the firm both before and after synergies. B. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS: 1. Free Cash Flows (FCFs) Valuation: The present value of the cash flows is calculated based on the WACC rate and it is estimated at $1. 28 billion. The rate is used by reason of the assumption of different components, for instance cost of equity and cost of debt. For further information of the assumption, please refer to the Appraisal. . Terminal Values and Long-term Growth: The terminal value before synergies is $3. 45 billion whereas this amount after synergies is $8. 36 billion. In details, the synergies revenues and the backhaul synergies savings are the major contributors to the significant difference. Additionally, the terminal value represents the market value of free cash flows from AirThread Connections at all future dates. This, thereby, lends the analyst the plausibility to believe that the discounted rate is equal to the WACC rate of 7. 58 percent. Lastly, to be conservative, that is, in the worst scenario, the figure of growth rate obtained in the Appraisal is around 3. 0 percent. 3. Non-operating Investment in Equity Affiliates: This amount of $1. 72 billion is equal to Equity in Earnings of Affiliates times the historic P/E multiple for the industry at 19. 1. These investments are valued under the market multiple approach because a thorough due diligence is not possible to be conducted. 4. Value of Operating Assets: This value is equivalent to the present value of the target company on a going concern basis. It is estimated at $5. 02 billion before the synergies and at $10. 38 billion after the synergies. However, since the value of non-operating assets is not taken into account, the total value of the target company is not fully reflected. 5. Enterprise Value: The Enterprise value is equal to the sum of the value of operating assets and the value of nonoperating assets. i. Before Synergies: In this case, the synergies related business revenues and the backhaul synergies savings are not considered. The FCFs ppear to be more immaterial accordingly. It, therefore, leads to a lower Intermediate Term Value of $1. 57 billion and a lower Enterprise Value of $6. 74 billion. ii. After Synergies: With the effect of synergies, the FCFs and, thus, the Enterprise Value of $12. 1 billion appear to be more material. Importantly, the significant difference is contributed by the cost-saving efficiency in backhaul costs and the network utilization. Thus, more advantages would occur. Firstly, administrati ve expenses such as auditing fees are reduced. Secondly, the market share will, in essence, increase and monopoly gains due to large regional client bases from the target company could be expected. The company will be able to set a higher price and to increase a sheer volume of sales. Also, the company will gain more reputation and the cost of capital will be lower accordingly. Lastly, due to its new size, the company will have more bargain power and the relationships with banking entities will be better. Consequently, the cost of borrowing tends to decrease. How to cite Case Study of Bg Group, Free Case study samples

Currency Speculation and Dollar Fluctuations †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Currency Speculation and Dollar Fluctuations. Answer: Introduction: The assignment takes reference of the article Is the Australian Dollar overvalued written by Myriam Robin, published on February 10, 2017, in Sydney Morning Herald. This section of the assignment discusses the main issues of concern, which has been highlighted in the concerned article. The Australian economy is one of the most stable and eminent economies in the global framework and therefore the value of the domestic currency and the changes in this value have immense implication on both the domestic and the international economic scenario (Delatte and Lpez-Villavicencio 2012). As per the article, the performance of the Australian dollar, in the recent period has been impressive according to the opinion of the Reserve Bank of Australia. However, this opinion is not an unanimous one as one part of the speculators and economists assert that the currency has been appreciating in its value in the recent times. This trend was also observed empirically with the rise in the value of Australian dollar, when measured in terms of the domestic currencies of America, China, Japan, Britain and others (Smh.com.au, 2017). This was, however opposed by another school of thought, including the NAB currency strategist, according to whom there has been no noticeable appreciation in the value. Instead there has been slight devaluation of the currency compared to the earlier periods, which actually helped the economy to float when the effects of mining boom started dissipating. On the other hand, the opinions are unanimous in case of the trends observed in the value of the Australian dollar when measured with respect to the Trade Weight Index of the country. The trend, as suggested by the article has been clearly positive, mainly because of the increase in the terms of trade of the country (Diebold 2012). The value of the Australian dollar, however, is subjected to change provided the interest rate in the USA changes when the rate of interest in the country is kept the same. The foreign exchange market of a country as well as in the international scenario is like any other market as per the theoretical economic framework and the equilibrium and the stability in this market is also determined by the demand and the supply forces. The consumers and the suppliers in the currency market mainly are comprised of the multinational companies, the international banks and those speculators who invest in the risk and returns in this market (Frenkel and Johnson 2013). The demand supply model in the foreign exchange market attributes the determination of the value of a currency at any particular point of time, to the demand and the supply scenarios present in the market during that time. These in turn gets determined by the economic factors like the rate of inflation, interest rate and the regulatory policies taken by the governing authority of the concerned country (Rios, McConnell and Brue 2013). The situation in the foreign exchange market in the Australian economy can be analyzed with respect to the above discussion and the above figure. The Australian economy keeps the exchange rate at a floating level and therefore, the value of the currency is highly influenced by the demand and the supply of the domestic currency in the money market, both in global as well as in international scenario (Andrade and Prates 2013). The demand side determinants of the Australian dollar are the following: Export demand for the goods and services which are produced in the country and are demanded by the foreign residents The international tourists that Australia attracts every year The venture of the foreign multinational companies in the markets of the country, both in terms of expanding its business and setting up of production units in the country itself The amount of foreign direct investment the country receives from abroad The demand for the domestic currency of the country by the speculators, whose demand for the same usually increases with an expectation of a future increase in the value of the Australian dollar (Forbes.com, 2017) The supply side determinants, on the other hand, in this scenario can be shown as follows: The demand for foreign exchange by the domestic players of the country, who need the foreign exchange for the purpose of importing goods and services from the other countries. The demand for asset building in other countries by the residents of Australia The expectations and speculations regarding the future value of the domestic currency, by the investors, who, if expect the value to fall, will increase the supply of the Australia dollar in the international market (MacDonald and Stein 2012) Apart from the above-discussed factors, the rate of interest and the price levels prevailing in the country vis--vis the rates in the global framework also plays a crucial role in determining the value of the domestic currency of the country. In the current business scenario, in the global economic framework, a lot of the business activities of the country, especially those with foreign countries depend on the value of the domestic currency prevailing in the economy and vice versa. Therefore, the monitoring and analyzing of the trends in the dynamics of the domestic value of the currency is important as with time the countries are getting more interlinked, especially through trade. The movement of the domestic currency has crucial implications on the trade statistics as well as the growth of the country (Burstein and Gopinath 2013). To analyze the trends of the same, it is necessary to compare the value of the domestic currency with respect to the currency of the USA, which is one of the most stable currencies in the international scenario and is conventionally used broadly for this purpose. With respect to the US dollar, the performance of the Australian dollar in the last three years can be seen from the following figure: The figure above, published by the Reserve Bank of Australia, incorporates the changes in the concerned exchange rate over the last few years on a six-months basis. From the above figure it can be seen that the exchange rate of the country has been considerably high in the year 2014 with the rates prevailing above 0.90 during this period. However, the rate started falling after that till the first half of the year 2016 with the lowest value going down below 0.70 during this time span. After this, there has been a little and almost inconsiderable hike in the exchange rate value of the domestic currency of Australia, with the values prevailing near 0.75 in the current period. The statistics, however is a bit different when the when the dynamics in the value of the currency is seen in terms of the Trade Weight Index of the country, which can be seen with the help of the following figure: The data of the Trade Weight Index reflects the term of trade prevailing in the country and thus, indirectly reflects the condition of the trade sector of the concerned country. The trade weight index of the country, in this case, can be seen to be substantially high during the year 2014, with the value remaining near 72.5. The value, like that of the exchange rate, fell after that period and the fall continued till January 2016 before coping up again. Post the first half of 2016, the TWI is seen to have increased, though nit reaching the initial level, but still considerably. The trade weight index is seen to have reached to 65 in the current period from that of 60, which was prevailing in the economy during the second half of 2015. As discussed above, it is evident that the value of the domestic currency of Australia is highly dependent on the demand and supply conditions prevailing in the international market, as the value of the same is kept at a floating framework by the monetary authority of the country. The recent changes in the value of the Australian dollar can be empirically seen to be affected by the recent fluctuations in the price of oil and iron ore in the recent international scenario. As the data suggests, the fall in the value of these products also led to a considerable fall in the Australian exchange rate, thereby implying that the value of the currency moves more or less in line with the changes in the price of the commodities in the international scenario (Basher, Haug and Sadorsky 2012). The external sector of the country and its relation with the global economic giants like China, the USA and Japan can be seen from the recent global economic phenomenon. Here, the depreciation of the value of Japanese yen led to an upward pressure on the value of the Australian dollar as more and more investors went on drawing their financial resources from the former to the Australian economy. The fluctuations in the value of the domestic currency of a country and the changes in the exchange rates of the same have direct implications on the economy of the county, especially the external sector as the export import dynamics are considerably affected by these concerned fluctuations. In general, overvaluation of the domestic currency decreases the exports and increases the imports in a country (Atkin and Connolly 2013). For an alcoholic beverage producer of Australia, the overvaluation of the Australian dollar, thus, is expected to have implications on the export of his products in the USA. The overvaluation of the Australian dollar is in general expected to decrease the overall export of his product to the USA. However, by how much the export of his product will decrease depends on the type of alcoholic beverage he is selling, as the demand for beer in the USA is much higher and inelastic than the demand for other types of alcoholic beverages (Michie et al. 2012). However, in an overall framework, as alcoholic beverage does not fall under the domain of necessary goods, the overvaluation of the domestic currency will make the product more costly to the foreign nationals and thus will decrease the demand, thereby leading to a fall in the revenue of the concerned alcohol producer. Apart from increasing the import and decreasing the exports of the country, the overvaluation of the Australian currency also leads to increase in the aggregate import demand in the country with an increase in the purchasing power in the hands of the residents of the country. The overvaluation of the domestic currency in the Australian economy also affects the investment scenario, both by the domestic investors in the foreign market and by the foreign investors in the domestic market (Schulmeister 2013). As has been asked in the concerned question, to bring down the exchange rate in the Australian market, from US 76 C to US 72C, the governing authority has to embark on the process of evaluation of the domestic currency. This process involves mainly the release of the domestic currency in the international market, which can be done by activities like dumping and printing of the money. The imports in the country can be increased and restrictions can be imposed on the exports by the country to facilitate the devaluation of the currency in the economy, which in turn increases the supply of the domestic currency in the international market (Patro, Wald and Wu 2014). The devaluation of the domestic currency in an economy has considerable implications on the economic conditions of the country as a whole. On one hand, where the devaluated currency facilitates exports in the country, with the goods and services produced in the economy becoming more cheap to the foreign consumers and thus helps the domestic producers by increasing the nominal revenue earned by them. However, the fall in the value of the domestic currency makes importing goods and services painful for the domestic residents, as the real value of the domestic currency becomes less due to the devaluation (Towbin and Weber 2013). References Andrade, R.P. and Prates, D.M., 2013. Exchange rate dynamics in a peripheral monetary economy.Journal of Post Keynesian Economics,35(3), pp.399-416. Atkin, T. and Connolly, E., 2013. Australian exports: global demand and the high exchange rate.RBA Bulletin, pp.1-10. Basher, S.A., Haug, A.A. and Sadorsky, P., 2012. Oil prices, exchange rates and emerging stock markets.Energy Economics,34(1), pp.227-240. Burstein, A. and Gopinath, G., 2013.International prices and exchange rates(No. w18829). National Bureau of Economic Research. Delatte, A.L. and Lpez-Villavicencio, A., 2012. Asymmetric exchange rate pass-through: Evidence from major countries.Journal of Macroeconomics,34(3), pp.833-844. Diebold, F.X., 2012.Empirical modeling of exchange rate dynamics(Vol. 303). Springer Science Business Media. Forbes.com (2017).Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/2006/08/23/forex-trading-education-in_swh_0823investools_inl.html [Accessed 7 Oct. 2017]. Frenkel, J.A. and Johnson, H.G. eds., 2013.The Economics of Exchange Rates (Collected Works of Harry Johnson): Selected Studies(Vol. 8). Routledge. MacDonald, R. and Stein, J.L. eds., 2012.Equilibrium exchange rates(Vol. 69). Springer Science Business Media. Michie, S., Whittington, C., Hamoudi, Z., Zarnani, F., Tober, G. and West, R., 2012. Identification of behaviour change techniques to reduce excessive alcohol consumption.Addiction,107(8), pp.1431-1440. Patro, D.K., Wald, J.K. and Wu, Y., 2014. Currency devaluation and stock market response: An empirical analysis.Journal of International Money and Finance,40, pp.79-94. Rba.gov.au (2017).Exchange Rates | RBA. [online] Reserve Bank of Australia. Available at: https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/frequency/exchange-rates.html [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017]. Rios, M.C., McConnell, C.R. and Brue, S.L., 2013.Economics: Principles, problems, and policies. McGraw-Hill. Schulmeister, S., 2013. Currency speculation and dollar fluctuations.PSL Quarterly Review,41(167). Smh.com.au, M. (2017).Is the Australian dollar overvalued?. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/currencies/is-the-australian-dollar-overvalued-20170210-gu9wl7.html [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017]. Towbin, P. and Weber, S., 2013. Limits of floating exchange rates: The role of foreign currency debt and import structure.Journal of Development Economics,101, pp.179-194.

Friday, May 1, 2020

IT Management in School Districts Essay free essay sample

Introduction Today’s students are encircled by digital technology since they are born, and are primarily dissimilar from the earlier generations. In the past, technology was not included in most school curriculums. Two decades back, the educational standard in the US was better than most countries in the world. The performance of the students was superior as compared to the 21st Century. As a result the labor force that the country produced was much more competitive in the global marketplace. The former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has indicated that today’s students are not primed to compete globally (Kagan Stewart, 2004). The main issue that the school districts face is the technological access of the students to media for inquiry. Other problem that introduction to new technology into the classrooms brings is change in the educational process and teaching method. This paper discusses about the key issues that the school districts face because of the integration of technology into the curriculum. The paper also provides solutions to the problems that are identified and discussed in the paper. The Issues Technology has assumed a considerable stake in the educational and social lives of the students in school districts. Some say it has proved to be a catalyst for teaching and learning in the class rooms. As the years are passing the use of technology has been increasing in the workplace and the international recruiters demand the labor to be literate in new technology. For this reason, the school districts are including the technology education and technology itself in the learning process of the children. Nearly every school district nowadays has access to internet and technological applications incorporated in the educational system (Goldman et al, 1999).Integration of technology in the school curriculum may be a solution to the need of technological literacy, but it is also a problem. The appearance of the classrooms has changed (Deutsch, 2005). The learning atmosphere is no longer reflected by anterior teaching where the instructor is keenly engaged upfront and the students are seated. Teachers are now supervisors and facilitators who manage the classroom and assign work to the students. Frontal lectures have been replaced by students’ performance (Deutsch, 2005). Computer rooms or classrooms with computers need supervision and organization. Task scheduling and student rotation are important aspects of a computer laboratory. Student rotation needs to be planned by the teachers in an efficient way (Deutsch, 2005).This problems or students rotation arises when the number of computers available is less than the number of students. Students execute tasks at different pace and hence the all the learning activities are not effective (Deutsch, 2005). The students who are fast in working with computers need to be provided more work to reduce the spare time they have (Deutsch, 2005). One of the major issues the children’s parents are most concerned about is that the students get access to all kind of information on internet. When the students are not under supervision, they tend to look for what they desire. Most students often visit adult sites which they are not allowed to. Once they are able to locate the adult website, they may tell their friends also and the chain will go on as every student will know about this. Problems that are caused because of this are very serious. The students tend to devote less time on their studies as their minds drift away towards other activities. At home, to keep a check, most of the parents supervise their children when they are using the internet. In schools, mostly there is no supervision on the students which makes them visit inappropriate sites. Another issue that the parents and the teachers are facing is the issue of plagiarism. A decade back when technology had a lesser degree of involvement in the school districts, the students had limited access to information. This information included the school library, magazines and course books only for referencing. Now the students have access to unlimited knowledge in forms of online databases, media contents, magazines and articles on websites. Most of assignments that the teachers give are required to be submitted in printed form. This makes the work of the students much easier as they can find tons of relevant information online and they can just copy and paste it in their assignment. In this case the student is not learning anything from the assignment as he is using someone else’s work in his assignments. Plagiarism makes the student addicted to it once he starts doing it. Schools administrators need to be vigilant on this emerging issue. For this reason, they try to educate the students about the plagiarism and they make strict policies on plagiarism. The students are taught that plagiarism is unethical and the ways of avoiding plagiarism are also taught in the schools to shun the plagiarism element in the future. But the students tend to indulge themselves more in this unethical and illegal behavior.One more related issue is the copyright concerns for the school administrations and the parents as well. This issue arises when the student uses the school computer to use some copyright material in his own work or on a different website. Many of the school districts fail to provide a right mix of technology that is required in the school. The school administration most of the time also fails to provide an ongoing training to the teachers and the technological support team which is not able to implement the controls needed. All these schools define their security policy and threaten to take a strict action against any one who breaks the rules or controls. But   still the problem of accessing inappropriate files and using them some where else is an ongoing issue in the school districts. The schools administration is not able to protect all the data, hardware and software and even their computer in the district. Millions of laptops are stolen every year from the classrooms which include important teachers’ data about the course material, students’ grades, their marking for the whole years and exam results. The laptop may also include important data that the students use. The people who steal the laptop take with them this important data and software and cause the schools to lose millions of dollars in this case.Many teachers and administrators still see the computers and technology as some out of the world invention. It has posed a threat to the comfortable life of teachers as the students have become more literate and prone to technology. The students can perform difficult tasks on computers more efficiently than the teachers. The teachers are unable to plan work for the students in the classrooms which wastes a lot of time of the students. The technology of video conferencing has caused a lot of ease for the schools as the teacher is not necessarily required in the classroom to teach the students. The perception of the teachers of their students’ capabilities can change noticeably when technology is included in the school curriculum. As this change occurs, the teachers find themselves acting more as coaches and managers, and less as lecturers.With the advent of technology, the payment of fees and dues has been made very easy. The students’ parents are able to pay their fees online through credit cards or using their bank account. The information about the credit cards can be transmitted from one place to another which causes the schools to get fees online. Thieves can invade online and steal the credit card number from the schools records or websites if proper measures are not taken to secure the database. The scope of the invasion varies; some thieves may even manipulate the credit   information online. The worst part is that the schools and the parents do not publicize the losses most of the time because of which the thieves get more lose ends. Solution to the Challenges For effective use of technology, the schools district should develop and impose policy for the use of technology. These rules should be made public to inform all the students, the teachers, staff members and the parents. The school district should take measures to limit the access of media contents and online databases to the students. Computer software that blocks inappropriate websites and internet contents should be installed to deal with this issue.These sites include the adult websites, social networking websites, unrated media contents and gaming websites. This cyber patrol will not allow the students to visit these unsuitable websites. The content which is inappropriate for the school students is automatically blocked. This will reduce the expenditure for the school administration as student supervision will not be required. The teachers should keep the students occupied with proper learning activities to challenge them. In the 21st Century, the teacher’s job is no more than a facilitator and a manager of the classroom (Deutsch, 2005). To change this perception of the students, competitive teachers in the field of technology should be employed. These teachers should engage the students in effective learning activities that involve class discussions, making personal relations, negotiations and development of interpersonal skills. This can be achieved through dividing the students into pairs or teams and encourage class discussions (Deutsch, 2005). This will allow the teacher to work with other small teams or pairs. Making teams or pairs is also a solution to the inadequate number of computers in the classrooms.The teachers should provide the students with clear guiding principles on school rules and policies in functioning with technology in the school (Deutsch, 2005). The students should be allowed to view articles, journals, magazines, educational streaming media so that they can learn to communicate effectively. To avoid plagiarism, students should not be allowed to copy any material from the web. The submission requirement of assignments and deliverables should be a soft copy rather than a hard copy.The soft copy can be checked for the plagiarism with the use of plagiarism software. Therefore if anyone is caught copying someone else’s work from the internet, the student shall be fined, punished and penalized in the grade. Strict policies on plagiarism will keep it to the minimal level in the school districts.An acceptable Terms of Use of technology in the school should be enforced by each school that requires signatures by both the students and their parents. This document will comprise of suitable behavior of students when dealing with technology. To keep the data and the hardware of the computer safe, guards should be employed on the school premises. This will allow the thieves not to steal the computers from the school premises so easily. The school website also needs to be defended against the online thieves. These thieves steal the credit card numbers of the students’ parents and other invaders are able to change the grades in the school database online. The school should hire a web administrator and install anti-viruses which will not allow the invaders to bypass the computer security. Conclusion Technology alone cannot solve the problems that it has spawned; therefore the collaboration of the parents, teachers and the administration can help the students to concentrate more on their studies. To be successful, however, technology must be used to endorse fresh  learning objective and teaching stratagem that are in favor of students, mutual, appealing, genuine, independent, and based on expansion of thinking skills.ReferencesOwnston, R.D. (1997). The world wide web: A technology to enhance teaching and learning? Educational Researcher,26, 27-42. September 12, 2009.Oppenheimer, T. (1997). The computer delusion. The Atlantic Monthly, 45-62. Retrieved September 12, 2009.Piaget, J. (1965). The moral judgment of the child (M. Gabain, Trans.). New York: Free Press. Retrieved September 12, 2009.Brown, J. .M. (1997). Technology Ethics. Learning and Leading with Technology, March, 38-41. Retrieved September 12, 2009.Kagan, S. L., Stewart, V. (2004). Putting the world into world-class education. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(3), 195-197. Retrieved September 29, 2009.Deutsch, Nellie. (2005, June 30). Effective Classroom Management Strategies for Technology. Retrieved September 30, 2009, http://www.nelliemuller.com/effectiveclassroommanagementstrategiesfortechnology.htm