Virtue and Happiness Essay Example for Free

Virtue and Happiness EssayThere are so many different circumstances under which someone will coiffe an action that it can be confusing when to determine if an action is virtuous. There can be factors of ignorance or factors of pressure to do certain actions. Pressure, ignorance, or honor can have a various affects on a psyches choices about virtuous acts but when it causes his or her lesson actions to be compromised, indeed only certain situations can pressure or ignorance be an excuse.Courage is a virtue that can be determined by choices that a person can make. A person that only does an act because he sees some personal gain from the act such as saving a child from a fire may non have committed a virtuous act because of the motive behind it such as fame or honor. However, a person who has done a virtuous act can still be honored and glorified with the act still being virtuous.If that person were held at gunpoint and told to save the child, if he performed the act it wou ld be hard to determine if it was truly virtuous. It does not mean that it was not a virtuous act, but it would be hard to tell what the motive was behind the action. Near the end of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle talks about the range of peoples characteristics. Aristotle states that the of the moral states to be avoided there are three kinds-vice, incontinence, brutishness. (Aristotle. varlet 157.)Aristotle states that there are the opposites of these which are virtue, continence, and the super-virtue. Vice would mean the person knows what they are doing is wrong but does it regardless. Incontinence would mean that a person has an incorrect moral that they act on, causing them to act in a manner that was not virtuous. And brutishness would be a person acting purely on urge and having no emotional or rational or even irrational thought behind what they are doing. It would be primarily animalistic in nature.Looking at Aristotles view on the best life or a happy life, it can be seen that virtue is what he really believes will atomic number 82 to a good life. The fact that there are many different ways in which someone may be virtuous or not shows that acting on desire can be right as well as wrong. And many different situations can determine this right or wrong act. Aristotle states that one must fulfill the desire for happiness by virtuous means and that our rational mind can lead us out-of-door from the correct way of fulfilling our ultimate desire.

Legal and Ethical Implications Essay Example for Free

Legal and Ethical Implications EssayIn the class populate there is responsibility and duties for the instructors, students, as strong as the parents. These responsibilities help the class agency to run smoothly and they help to build a well-managed classroom. Of those responsibilities teachers, students and parents need to understand legitimate and ethical issues in classroom management. This musical composition go away discuss two articles and address the legal and ethical issues for classroom management. It will address how the articles relate to the rights and responsibilities of students, teachers, as well as the parents. Lastly, I will discuss how each article will make a difference in the way I will manage my classroom in the future. member One Untangling Legal Issues that Affect Teachers and student Teachers This article discussed legal issues and foc apply on squirt revilement, safety in the art room, license of case and religion, and special education and h ow these topics affects art teachers as well as student teachers. From the article I learned that the Tenth, First, and Fourteenth Amendments hold significance for educational legal philosophy in the United States. Next, from the article I state that it is required by law that a teacher reports child abuse.The article defined child abuse as a non-accidental, patterns of injuries, sexual abuse, neglecting treatment, physical or mental injuries, or mistreatment of a child under the age of eighteen (Untangling Legal Issues that Affect Teachers and Student Teachers, 2009, page 48). Child abuse is a federal crime and teachers could be held responsible if they dont report it. If it is not reported a teacher can receive a misdemeanor and the penalty could range from spending time in jail to being fined. Safety in the art room is another topic discussed in this article. From the article I learned that a teacher could be held liable for injuries if the injuries are found to be negligent. A n example of a negligent injury is teacher not demonstrating to students the proper care and handling of materials and tools. Art teachers should not assume that materials are safe and they should send come in authority forms that let parents know what material students will be working with, have parents lists their contact information, and any know allergies the child may have. The article states that the art room should be caste up properly, hazardous materials should be labeled, and teachers should lock up hazardous materials. This article discusses how children with exceptional needs cannot be excluded public education. Also, I read in the article about freedom of religion and how teachers cannot preach their beliefs in school nor have religious conversations with student and I read how students have freedom of expression but it is the art teacher responsibility to make surely the students art work is displayed in a way that is appropriate. Then the article goes into incide nt to discuss the liability of student teachers. From the article I read that student teachers are responsible for the corresponding duties as full time teachers and the liability is the same as also. After reading this article it has impacted how I will manage my class. It made me realize how important it is to get to know all of my student and their parents, how to pay careful attention to my students, how to set my classroom up appropriately, and make sure I demonstrate how to use materials appropriately. It definitely made me realize the richness of freedom of expression and religion. I will respect all my students and never try to force my religion on them. Also, I will report child abuse if I see it. I didnt realize how important all these things were but this article made me aware and my outlook on classroom management is differently. When managing my classroom I will make sure it incorporates all these things like freedom of expression, religion, and I will make sure the c lassroom is set up in a way that I am able to monitor my students for things like child abuse and to make sure they use legitimate materials appropriately. Article Two Using Time-Out Effectively in the ClassroomIn this article it discusses how to use time out legally and how it could lead to legal problems if used ineffectively. From the article, time out is defined as a procedure or form of punishment where students are denied access to all opportunities for reinforcement and it is used when inappropriate look is displayed (Using Time Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007, page 60). Time-out has been used by many teachers to address inappropriate behaviors in the classroom. there are four different types of rest period and they are inclusion rupture, exclusion time-out, seclusion time-out, and restrained time-out (Using Time-Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007). Inclusion time-out involves removing the reinforcement from the student. Some variations that involved in this type of time-out are ignoring and removal of materials. Exclusion time-out is when the student is removed from the enhancing setting that caused the behavior. Exclusion time- out requires a student to be removed from instructional activities. still time-out which is the most preventive form of time-out requires both a restraint and restriction. Restrained time-out is when the teacher places the student into a time-out position and maintains the student and position using physical restraint (Using Time Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007, page 62). Isolation time- out better known as Seclusion time-out involves the teacher removing the student from the classroom and places them in a room or assigned area where he or she is restricted from leaving until they serve their time in this area. From the article I read that time-out becomes ineffective when natural pitfalls include classroom environments that are insufficiently reinforcing to the students or when time-out procedures los e their punishing qualities and take on reinforcing qualities (Using Time-Out Effectively in the Classroom, 2007, page 62). Also, I read over some recommendations on how to make the classroom reinforcing, use effective teaching strategies, how to come up with a time-out plan, and how to develop a hierarchical behavior management plan. I learned that we as teachers should be trained in methods of controlling behaviors. I learned some ways time-out is used inappropriately. For example, a teacher used it for a mild behavior. By doing this it could result to legal problems. After reading this article it has definitely changed my view on how I will manage my class in the future. When I manage my class, I plan to apply time-out effectively and use it in a way that is appropriate and will reduce the misbehavior within the student. Next, I will make sure I develop a hierarchical behavior management plan as well as a time-out plan so that the behavior and time-out is managed properly. Next, I will document when I use time- out which includes important information like the student name, date, behavior, duration, etc. By doing this, this can assist staff in determining if time-out was effective and this could reduce chances of legal problems. I will make sure I establish a time out policyand I will go over this policy with my students on the first day of school and send a copy home to the parents to make sure they understand the time-out policy. oddmentThere are many responsibilities for parents, teachers, and students when it comes to managing a classroom. Teachers need to make sure they take the proper precautions and follow the state laws and schools policies when managing a classroom, and students need to make sure they understand the rules, policies, and procedures in the classroom. Also, parents need to be notified of these rules, policies, and procedures. Understanding and communication needs to co-exist between parents, students, and teachers so that legal and e thical issues dont arise.ReferencesBain, C. (2009). Untangling legal issues that affect teachers and student teachers. Art Education TX. Katsiyannis, A., Ryan, J., Sanders, S., Yell, M. (2007). Using time-out effectively in the classroom. Teaching Exceptional Children 39(4), 60-67.

Concept of leadership

Concept of leadinghiphip leading be born and leading skills go off be highly-developed re interpret two basic solelyy different perspectives towards the training of leading quality. Which perspective would you support, and what implications may this spend a penny for management development in organisations?IntroductionThe concept of attractionshiphip is as old as man himself. This is because ever since men came together for the purpose of achieving their different goals (communal, economic, political etc), there has always been the existence of a arrange for a leader/ lead who would set the path towards the achievement of decided goals. This paper seeks to assume the position that leadership skills can be developed. One truth we know is that all leaders be born and when thrust with responsibilities performs with mixed results whatsoever perform thoroughly others perform woefully duration others argon able to balance the scales of performance. Upon the study of th e heterogeneous available literatures on leadership it was discovered that so many commonswealth have posited beautiful logical arguments for both sides of the divide. Nevertheless the question at egest demands that a position be assumed and support and this is what i seek to do. The position of this paper is to logically argue against the nonion of a breed of mess born as leaders as those qualities atomic number 18 not inscribed on a mans forehead but are developed through true challenges which make for out those qualities which become evident to every nonpareil. As would be highlighted in ulterior sub-topics the paper would attempt to make a point for is assumed position.What is leaders?Like many other concepts there are many definitions of leadership. Nevertheless they all assume that it involves the headship of any entity, organization, or group. Many scholars dexterity argue backb atomic number 53 and ahead rough the philosophy of leadership, but the fact remains that the leader is the one who determines the path the group or entity would follow. Antonakis, Cianciolo and Sternberg (2004) agree with this point of view as they point out that it is a concept which is very easy to pick out but difficult to define.Fieldler, cited in Antonakis et al (2004) as well as noted that there are many definitions of the concept as there are theorists and scholars working on the subject. John Max easily, the author of the book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership believes that leadership is nobody more than influence. frankincense a leader to him is the person with the most influence among a group or deep down an entity. Northouse (2006) however argues that leadership is a different concept that might mean many things to different people. Nevertheless he assumes that there are common elements in all the definitions of leadership and he establish his view on these common elements. To him, leadership is a arrangingatic process whereby a person is able to i nfluence other people to achieve common goals. Northouse posits that his definition is rooted in the following elements namely process, influence, groups and common goals. Bryman (1986) is also in support of the position that the context in which the concept of leadership is utilise varies from scholar to scholar. He also highlights that there have been ethical attempts by scholars to distinguish in the midst of leadership and other methods of influence like power and authority.Leadership is a concept that is present in every group or entity be it a school, church, condescension organization, bring up, association (local and international) etc. There are so many conditions why people emerge as leaders of the versatile groups they find themselves in. Some emerge by popular consent e.g. as establish in a democratic state like the United States, others emerge by appointment e.g. the chief executive officer of an organization or blood line corporation. Others yet emerge as lead ers via their possession or control of the means of coercion e.g. military leaders and dictators and in the business world council chamber politics and manipulation might see the emergence of a new head/ boss. Leadership is an essential feature of all entities that must be present as an entity without leadership might be brought down by internal and external instability. It is for this reason that scholars have taken time to study about leadership and the role it plays in achieving organizational goals. The recognition of its importance has declaren rise to the question of ethics in leadership and the dichotomy between good and faulty leadership. Nevertheless it must be said on hand that the ethics of leadership is dependent on the position of the interested scholar. Thus opus slightly scholars may concern themselves with leadership by consent, others may be more Machiavellian in nature. However this paper does not want to delve in to the ethics of the matter but lovely of wis hes to pay attention to the question at hand.THEORIES OF LEADERSHIPMany scholars over the years have opined and debated on the various approaches to understanding the concept of leadership. This debate has spanned from the time of early philosophers like Plato down to modern theorist. According to literature there are a number of theories which helps one to understand the concept of leadership and these we shall take a note of briefly.Seleshi Sissaye (2001) provides us with whatsoever of the well known theories namelyTrait theoryFunctional theorySituational theoryTrait theoryAccording to Sissaye the trait theory can be seen as that which argues that leadership traits are acquired at birth. It is one of the earliest theories as it assumes the notion that approximately people have these traits while others lack it. It has however been criticized for its inconsistency although it later regained prominence in later years. Northouse (2009) also refers to it as the cracking man theory because it concerns itself with those qualities that made men great. He shape up noted that unlike other theories this one was focused on the nature of the leader and not the followers.Functional TheorySissaye (2001) says that this theory came after the trait theory and it is an important one because it takes recognition of the role that leaders play in their environment. It was propounded by Parsons in 1951. Reisman in Sissaye further teaches that in this theory the leader actually serves three roles in his institution facilitator, administrator and model.Situational TheoryTo Sissaye (2001), the situational theory came to replace both the useable and the trait theories of leadership. It is founded on the contingency theory of social organization. Hamilton in Sissaye postulates that the core of this theory is the argument that the nature of the job determines the emergence of the leader. In other words, a leader emerges based on the opportunities presented or on the circumstance he/ she find himself in. Northouse (2009) observed that that this type of leadership theory involved a directing and supportive dimension and these have to be applied when the occasion calls for it.Are Leaders Born?This is an interesting question. It is one because it attempts to understand the notion that leaders are a special breed of people who come into the world to fulfil their role of leadership. Thus it bears an element of destiny in it. Roger gill (2006) noted that scholars and philosophers have debated this position over the years like Shakespeare and Aristotle. However many scholars of the modern period have also argued this position on the grounds that there is an inseparable characteristic in certain individuals which might be highlighted or can be moulded to attain the desired level of leadership characteristics. Indeed Nicholson and Norburn in lamella assume the position that there are innate genetic cells in individuals which may be developed to the desired standar d. To them since all people are not leaders it is only reasonable to assume that the leaders have a certain leadership trait that has placed them in that position. This argument is also supported by Kilpatrick and Locke in Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2008). They also believe that leaders possess certain genetical leadership traits such as drive, motivation and self corporate trust which make it easier for them to perform well in leadership positions. The truth is that all leaders are biologically born. They are all products of the biological reactions which bring forth everyone- leaders as well as followers. There is nothing extraordinary about the birth of leaders because so many factors are involved in the emergence of a leader and it is these factors if favourable to the leaders success that might lend some validity to this statement. This notion makes one to question the existence of the followers. If leaders are born and developed from the womb to be leaders, then are followe rs already predetermined to become followers from birth? Finzel (2007) proposes that real leaders arent born but learn by trial and error and that inability to learn good leadership habits might haunt a generation of subsequent leaders. Cohen (1999) makes an interesting point that there are so many people who are educated and have good qualifications but this does not naturally dower them to lead. Rather than support the claim this paper wishes to disapprove of this philosophy that leaders are born not made and that leadership skills can be developed.Leaders and their skills are developedLeadership Development according to McCauley, cited in sidereal day (2001) involves the collective expansion of organizational members to involve themselves in leadership roles and processes. The fact is that all human beings are born with various traits talent and skills psychological and physical. Leadership should however not be viewed in this light. This is because unlike genetical traits like nerve colour, lip colour, looks etc, leadership is a combination of opportunity and ability. Leadership traits as argued by scholars of the trait school are not as evident as those physical traits which individuals are known to exhibit. Thus we might say that all individuals are born with leadership skills all of which are not made manifest, rather their skills are honed and change through the various challenges they face and opportunities presented to them. His/ her ability to head a group visibly confers on him the status of leader (although in some cases the visible head might not be the real leader e.g. as in the case of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru in India. In management circles a leader is identified through his ability to handle different difficult situations put in his charge. These opportunities are presented to identify key areas of strength and weakness and this gives people the jeopardize to weigh and determine the kind of leader they want at the top. Lenore Mewton (200 9) in her paper argues this position by admitting that although it is very possible for individuals to possess traits and qualities which equip them for positions of leadership, it can also be learned and developed from executives and other business practitioners as their experience helps shape and individuals decision making processes. She believes that for a leader to be fain he must assume leadership of himself of self leadership and proposes that individuals must be conscious and aware of their qualities and abilities as this allows them to decide on which to employ while taking decisions in leadership position.Lets take a closer look at this position. Leadership development might start from any point in an individuals life. Factors such as the environment and the individual a leader comes in contact with also shape the way his leadership abilities are developed. An individual who attends school, goes to church or mosque and develops through life might remain a follower unless given such positions that bring out such leadership qualities in him. It is for this reason why many institutions such as businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations etc spend upsurges of money engaging their staff in various leadership courses within and outside state boundaries. For instance in institutions such as the military, soldiers rise through the ranks and are given positions of command. Their success in handling these various assignment given to them determines how the cash in ones chips up the military hierarchy. This view is in agreement with the thought process of Lussier and Achua (2009) who argue also that most of the worlds major corporations spend millions of dollars on various leadership seminars and learn course of studys around the world. They further posit that irrespective of an individuals talents, he/she could be developed to lead if given a chance or provided an opportunity.In trying to resign the position of this paper the argument would rely greatly on the opinions of the development theorists. This is because many of the popular businesses in the world today depend on leaders that are developed through their ability to handle various challenges presented to them. The modern business environment is such that the only leaders that are recognized are those who have risen through the ranks and have had their abilities tested and developed through the various programs, seminars and leadership programs they have found themselves in which has brought out those leadership qualities in them. The next sub heading would try to look at how leadership skills are developed in an organizational context.Leadership Skills Development in an governing bodyHow are leadership skills developed in organizations? What are the processes? What does it entail? Do the beneficiaries of such processes end up becoming good leaders? These are some of the questions that this sub heading hopes to answer in a brief yet concise way. Many organizati ons have many ways of ensuring that leadership skills of her staff are harnessed to the fullest. Many of the popular corporate names like General Motors, General Electric, IBM, Procter and Gamble etc have a culture of developing their staff to bring out the leadership skills in their staff. This was further confirmed in a Fortune Magazine online article of the World best companies for leaders which saw those companies listed originally as examples as part of the top ten. A look through the list of companies and their profiles show that the companies all have various strategies and methods for identifying and developing managerial talents into the kind of leaders that would benefit the corporate world. For instance in Procter and Gamble top executives also participate in training staff at the companys leadership colleges, while at IBM mobility assignments are given to thousands of staff spanning from a range of three to six months. At Titan Cement, which also made the Fortune list, their own leadership program also includes a one year program known as the career pre heater, as well as a value system for evaluating people thereby identifying leadership material through their performance.Why do companies take the effort to develop the leadership skills of their staff? A personal opinion might be that companies prepare to advance to the next build of growth by preparing their staff and developing their leadership skills so as to figure that the business has a viable leadership to steer them through to that next phase of growth. A lot of the major corporations try to satisfy their leadership needs internally by developing special leadership programs for their leadership talents or high performing managers. For instance Hewlett Packard or HP for short, the PC and InfoTech Company based in the US according to Carter, Ulrich and Goldsmith (2005) through their Workforce Development and Organizational Effectiveness Group developed a program called Dynamic Leadership a program which according to HP was to improve decision making and leadership amongst other objectives set by the then CEO Carly Fiorina. The end product of this program was after a study and analysis of the process was that they benefitted financially over the long term after evaluation of various processes as well as successfully merging with another PC company-Compaq. A lot of the big corporations also have a similar pattern for identifying and filling leadership gaps within the organization. Other big corporations that have implemented a similar model to that of HP include Macdonalds Corporation, Intel, Lockheed Martin etc. Macdonalds Corporation for instance is one of the biggest fast feed ventures in the world. In 2001 its HR Design Centre created a program for its key managerial staff called the Macdonalds Leadership Development Experience. This program was specifically intentional to bring out leadership qualities of staff that would go on to occupy a key position within t he Macdonald hierarchy namely the position of regional Manager. The candidates undertook training and the scholars, Ulrich et al considered the training process good decorous to bring out the leadership qualities in these candidates. However many people are developed through structural positions of leadership. Thus their ability to head a position determines if they have the Capacity to handle people and resources on a larger scale.Day (2001,a) however notes that there are other methods by which companies develop their potential leaders. Some of the examples given include the 360 degree feedback, which involves the collection of different points of view of an individuals performance, as well as mentoring, which Day defines as dinner dress developmental relationships while performing duties on the job. McCauley and Brutus (1998) identify with Job Assignments as an important tool in training potential leaders and Day (2001, b) notes that this has been employed by Businesses like th e Coca Cola Company.IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATION.What are the implications of leadership development in organizations? How does management benefit from the leadership skills development that many organizations are now focusing on? It must be said that a lot of companies in the world today are investing in leadership development because they are aware of the benefits that come with good leadership in business. This is what Mullins (2007) believes, that businesses identify people who would be beneficial to the companys management in the long term. If we borrow from the resource based view of HRM we would understand that leadership skills constitute part of the resources which give a company competitive advantage against rival businesses. Shajahan (2007) is also of the opinion that leadership programs directed at skill development serve as a source of competitive advantage. Some implications which i personally identified include the following namelyContinuity Smooth flow of CommunicationIdentification of the obligation leaders for the business.Continuity One of the reasons why companies undertake leadership skills program is to ensure continuity of leadership. Thus businesses undertake different strategies of leadership skills development to ensure that there is continuity in the business. This is because only good leaders have the foresight to keep a company going through to the next phase of growth. As Shajahan (2007) noted in the example of General Electric (GE), while its iconic C.E.O, Jack Welch, was preparing to retire in 2001, executives where being recruited to report to the potential successors of Welch. Thus Shajahans point is that companies concerned with leadership do not wait until the last minute to get a leader. They rather start the process early enough and continue till the process till whenever the process becomes unnecessary.Smooth flow of Communication Leadership Skills development allows for a smooth flow of communi cation between potential leaders and other staff. This is because staffs that are trained under these leadership development schemes are knowledgeable of the internal workings of the organization as well as the people who bring about these workings and functions i.e. the staff. Thus it is easier for them to communicate and pass down directives because of their knowledge of the system and familiarity with those that operate the system. This can be seen in companies that recruit their management staff internally.Identification of Right leaders for the business This is also similar with the first point but is also unique in its nature. Leadership development is a process which highlights the leadership potential of all participants involved in the development program. As a result such programs do not only provide leadership options in times of succession and continuity but also provide options for those who would take charge of key areas of business. such people might mature over time to take over the leadership mantle if need be as such key positions handled by these persons constitute part of their leadership training process. Others might not assume leadership positions in that company but might be suitable and well qualified for like positions in other companies.There are other key implications of leadership skills development which are crucial to management success in an organization. Nevertheless it can be seen that it is a process that is very good in bringing out that part of individuals which is usually hidden unless identified and sharpened to suit the objectives and mission of the organization.CRITIQUE OF THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT POSITIONAlthough i have taken the position that leadership skills can be developed, there are still some criticisms that linger over it and much of it come from the philosophical school of thought that leadership qualities are in born, a position pick out by the trait school of leadership theory. These scholars have made s ome reasonable points that are worthy of consideration and analysis.According to Gill (2006), the argument about leaders being born or made started with Hippocrates description of personality types based on body humour. In his book, Gill argues the point that this position is a psychological one, which makes it important because its concerns are crucial to the success and making of a leader. Such psychological concerns include interpersonal, psychological and emotional concerns. One of the major flaws of the leadership development position thus is that it downplays the importance of psychology in leadership. Although it can be argued that leaders are developed over time to suit their roles, one must not ignore the fact that leaders also have certain qualities that identify them as natural born leaders. For instance Northouse in Gill (2006) identified in his analysis certain trait qualities associated with leadership namely integrity, dominance, self confidence and sociability. Judge in Gill (2006) also identified some more characteristics which could be identified with leaders namely agreeableness, extraversion and conscientiousness. This view is also upheld by Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) who argue that leaders possess those special traits which push them further to develop those identified traits. They make use of examples of personal characteristics of some leaders like Sam Walton of Wal-Mart and John Paul Jones of the US Navy to drive planetary house their point of the relationship between trait and leadership. Nevertheless it must be noted that although possession of leadership traits is a factor, it does not determine the success of a leader.Another criticism noted with this leadership development position is that the fact that leadership skills which are developed through certain training schemes either formal or informal does not guarantee the success of a leader. Skills development does not uniquely give leaders a successful tenure in their organizat ion just as traits alone does not explain leadership success.CONCLUSIONThis paper has briefly reviewed the concept of leadership and has seen that leadership although identifiable cannot be given an encompassing definition. Many people see leadership in different lights influence, management, control, power etc and as a result it cannot be given a wholesome definition to embrace all these points of view. The theories surrounding the concept of leadership have also been briefly reviewed as it is the opinion of this paper that these theories have a great influence on the question of concern. The two points of opinion leaders are born and leadership skills can be developed have also been reviewed in a bid to provide a bit of understanding on the debate. While this paper has adopted the position of leadership development, it nevertheless has seek to point out that any of the positions is subject to the beliefs and opinions of the individual as there is no universally acceptable positio n on the subject of leadership. One might be forced to make the conclusion that an argument like this is more of a philosophical question and with leaders coming up in different sectors and carrying out their duties in different ways there is no clear superior argument as both positions have considerable weight. Nevertheless the position of this paper still stands that leadership skill can be honed and sharpened to suit and lead a people in a particular way. This stands because people have certain qualities that could be shaped to be of better use to the larger society, community, organization or country.

Technological Advancements On The Film Industry Media Essay

Technological Advancements On The Film Industry Media EssayAbstractThere be in general three parts when it comes to the impact of technology on the convey fabrication.The first part is how the new tools has benefited or harmed the put d make industry. These tools admit the camera technology, video alter software, adding special(prenominal) effects etc.The second part is how technology has affected the selling and the auditory sense of the ingest makers. How the rise of cordial networks and moveing 2.0 world has affected the communication, publicize and distribution of their products with their audience. This will alike include the new HD media distribution methods comparable Blu Ray and HD-DVD that provide better quality for their audience.The third part is roughly how technology has actu eachy hurt the scene industry. The main focus of this area will be near how different technologies adopt violated the copyright laws. creative activityThe dash industry has benefited a bundle from the ever growing new technology. With the rise of digital germinatemaking over the years motion pictures are once over again going through a reinvention. associateless of the biggest benefits the film industry has had with technology is camera technology. With the cheap digital cameras available these twenty-four hourss it has been relatively easier for sm wholly film companies to unwrap films. Also more(prenominal) films are produced these days because it is profuseer to produce films.Now it is also easier and less expensive these days to communicate and share media with the audience with the rise of mul cartridge clipdia mobile phones. Also the audience feedback is habituated faster and easier.An anformer(a)(prenominal) biggest benefit of new technology is that it has saved a lot of time in making documentaries and images. This is because of the new compact digital cameras with ample space.The internet has also had a in truth(prenominal) big ef fect on the film industry. weather vane 2.0 sites like YouTube and other video sites have enabled film makers to interact with their audience more easily. This has also enhanced the relationship with the audience.Article Cited From (How Digital Technology has Changed) curriculum of actionMy primary medium of re depend will be the internet. I think there is a plenty research material available on the internet that will be helpful in my research. There will be several case studies that will focus on how technology has helped the film industry.One of the leading case studies will be of recently released movie by James Cameron Avatar. This film is entirely based on animation and special effects.Next I plan on contacting some of the animation and small film businesses and find out their views on how new technology has affected how they produce films.Media Distribution MethodsIn the past media distribution methods were limited to video tapes and cassettes where the quality of the video was not as good as straight off and they used hit-or-miss access. This meant that it was not possible to skip directly to a scene.The most cat valium media distribution method currently is the DVD. New technologies like Blu-ray and HD-DVD are also bonny famous. DVDs are one of the cheapest ways to distribute films and the this has been the standard distribution method for films for quite some time.Over the past year Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are becoming more famous and could soon replace the older method like DVD. The reason they are becoming more famous is because of the quality they offer. Users shadow now have a go at it movies on very high definition which is upto 1080p, the highest definition available.The introduction to these new media distribution methods has had both, a good and a bad effect. The advantage the film industry had with this is that they were to charge a premium price for higher quality movies compared to standard quality DVDs and this, in many cases, resulted more profits for them.On the other hand, since masses now have access to high quality movies from the comfort of their homes, visit the cinemas less often.Film spirit ToolsAutodesk Maya And FilmThe leading animation software today comes from Autodesk. The two very famous softwares they make are Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max. These two have been used in numerous movies to edit and animate characters. Some shake movies like Monsters Vs Aliens and Avatar.The latest development in digital camera and computer graphics (CG), stereoscopy, is becoming more famous in films these days. Stereoscopic technology uses the characteristics of the human passel which burn make characters or objects appear at the front or behind the cinema screen. This creates an illusion of depth.Autodesk Maya enables users to view, create and edit stereoscopic content and enables film makers to uses stereo as a powerful way to help in story telling.The advantage this has is that the audience were drawn mor e deeply into the movie make love because of the new standards it sets in stereoscopic 3D production apply Autodesk tools.(Autodesk Film AVATAR)Fully Featured Animated Film Using Autodesk 9On 9th family 2009, the movie 9 was released. This was a fully featured light film with every frame featuring Computer generated inages and characters. All this was matched up with multilayered computer generated images and advanced 3D lighting and camera effects.This whole animated film was made utilize Autodesk Maya animation software and Autodesk mudbox a sculpting software. With these two tools, all the creative and technical demands this animated 3D film had were met.Autodesk To The RescueDuring the making of this movie, animators faced quite a few challenges. The very first challenge faced by the animation squad was the timeframe that the work had to be completed in. 14 months. This included everything from start to finish the way the characters looked, the storyline itself, how th ey would move and the animatics. For the team this seemed an impossible task within the timeframe given and the level of detail and complexity required.During the movie there were a lot of scenes where the characters that dynamically interacted with each other at the same time. There were a lot of virtual stunts done in the movie with characters that had very fine, stretchy burlap mesh with a rigid zipper in front and visible stitching.These mesh textures were really a challenge for the animation team, especially when the characters moved and the animation was difficult. It was a challenge but Autodesk Maya had the capability to accomplish these tasks although it did put Maya to test.All these challenges were met by both Autodesk Maya and Autodesk MudBox. Maya handled most of the challenges like the asset creation, virtual camera and the multilayered 3D animation and all the effects. MudBox helped alongside with Maya to make the highly detailed shapes and models and the ground textu re.Animation software like Autodesk Maya has helped the film industry to create movies like these. Without the use of such software, making of such movies would have been impossible.One of the members of the team, Adams, said that Maya is a very robust, fast and it has enabled us to make highly complex 3D structures, a lot of camera moves, explosions and lighting effects. He also states that Autodesk Maya was the best solution that they could have used to make a movie such as 9.(Autodesk Starz Animation)Case Study The Technology behind The Making Of AvatarPerformance magnetize go CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and motion set about is not very new to the film industry, performance capture is something that was sound recently invented specially for this movie. As mentioned earlier that Motion Capture is done by placing reflecting markers all over an actors body and these are then interpreted by the computer and converted into CGI. However the difference between a real human expr ession and computer generated is quite noticeable. Performance capture is something different. In performance capture actors are supposed to wear special wit gear which has a camera attached to it which records each and every muscle movement and converts them into digital media.Stereoscopic 3D Fusion television camera System subsequently seven years of research and hard work James Cameron, the director of Avatar, along with his partner, Vince Pace, came up with the most advanced 3D lightweight camera that can shoot both in 2D and 3D mode. Before this invention 3D cameras were very big and weighed about 450 pounds.Digital AnimationFor this movie the digital animation was done by Peter Jacksons company, Weta Digital. Very professional artists turned the basic renderings into photo-real images using new breakthrough techniques in lighting and shading.Virtual Camera/Simul CameraFor this movie two new kinds of cameras were also invented. The virtual camera and the simul camera which wo rk together. The virtual camera isnt a real camera at all but it stimulates another camera that was transmitted computer generated images by super computers. What the simul camera did what fed real time computer generated images to the 3D confederation camera system.Use of Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation ToolsFor this movie, James Cameron and his team developed a new way to develop innovative visual effects using advanced virtual cinematography techniques. Using the software a virtual stage was created in which the performance of actors would be captured, applied to computer generated characters and also the ability to view the results in real time.The uncanny valley, which is the noticeable difference between real life human characters and computer generated characters, was overcome by using advanced performance capture and visualSource (Avatar Behind The Scenes)Motion CaptureMotion Capture has been used in the film industry very often. The most basic definition of motion capture is recording the movement and translating that movement into a digital model.To achieve this actors in movies wear reflective markers all over their body which are then interpreted by a computer and turned into digital 3D models.Advantages Of Motion CaptureVery fast and it is possible to achieve real time results. Because of this the cost of keyframe animation can be reduced.Very complex movements can be recreated.The amount of animation entropy that can be gathered is very large. This saves a lot of time.Disadvantages Of Motion CaptureSpecial hardware and software is needed to execute motion captureMovements that do not follow the law of physics can generally not be captured.(Motion Capture)Film Industry and Web 2.0The amount of users using the lucre these days have grown dramatically over the past years. This has allowed the film industry to reach their audience more easily through online advertising and by the use of social networks such as Facebook, YouTube.Search Engi nesThe internet revolves around Google. The term search online these days means using one of the major search engines. These are either Google, Yahoo or Bing.Search engines also have an impact on the film industry. New movies coming out have their own websites and these are found mostly by search engines showing the relevant results and showing the movie website when users search online for it through search engines.This is the way the relevant websites of movies are found and they reach wider audience.FacebookWith over 500 million users on Facebook, this has become an enormous platform to advertise on for film makers of their latest upcoming movies. One of the main reasons Facebook is a huge marketing advantage for film makers is because of the ability for information to be spread virally on it. Facebook groups and fan rascals are liked by thousands of Facebook users daily and these are very viral in nature. It is not very uncommon to see a Facebook Fan Page having liked by millio ns of Facebook users.The above mentioned marketing methods are in fact free and it doesnt cost anything for film makers to create a these pages and they eventually become viral. Facebook also has a paid advertising program that can be used to market just about anything.Fanpages are a great way to know your audience better. Facebook is all about conversation and interaction with people which is why film makers can interact with their audience more easily, ask for their opinions and get to know what they want.There is one main advantage to why paid advertising on Facebook is the best. The reason is because you one can get ultra-targeted audience from Facebook due to all the information that users put on their profile.(Facebook Stats)Above is a screen shot of information from a Facebook users profile. All the information put is put here by the user itself and it contains information about the users location, college/school, sex, martial status, their likes and interests and hobbies.Fa cebook uses this information to target the right audience through their advertising program. Whenever an advertiser wishes to create an advertising campaign with Facebook he/she is presented with a number of targeting options. These options include the followingAgeLocationSexMarital StatusEducation And WorkLikes And InterestsAdvertisers on Facebook can target their audience based on all of these above criteria which enables them to target only the kind of people that might be interested in what they are advertising, which in this case are movies.YouTubeNow own by Google, YouTube is the most famous video sharing site on the Internet. YouTube has both good and bad effects on the film industry. According to the stats from YouTube.com itself and other sites like website-monitoring.com YouTube exceeds 2 billion views per day.An estimated number of 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every individual(a) minute and an average person spends about 15 minutes per day on YouTube. Film Ma kers know this and have had an enormous marketing advantage and have reached a more wider audience because of this.YouTube has made a separate page especially for movie trailers where they can be uploaded and then made public.YouTube, like most other Web 2.0 sites engages conversation among the viewers and visitors that come and keep up videos and movie trailers. This is except another advantage to the film industry as they can know the opinions of their viewers and get their feedback.Another great feature of YouTube is its ability to share the video virally on other social network sites like Facebook MySpace and others. An estimated number of 46.2 years of video is watched a day from Facebook itself.One important aspect of these Web 2.0 sites is that most of them are interlinked. For example you can use your Facebook account of sign in to several Web 2.0 sites. This makes information on the internet very viral in nature which is a benefit for advertisers.The disadvantage of YouTu be is that currently there are about 7,000 hours of movies and TV shows that are put up on YouTube for users to watch for free. Some of these videos uploaded do break the copyright law. These videos are continuously being uploaded on YouTube and there is little that can be done about this.This is just one of the several video sharing sites. There are also others like Vimeo also where copyrighted material are being uploaded every single day by users.(Youtube accompaniments)Social BookmarkingSocial bookmarking is when users bookmark a certain website or web page that they have found interesting and this is then in public viewable to all the other users on that social bookmarking website. Two of the very famous social bookmarking websites online today are Digg and Delicious.These social bookmarking websites are again a great way for information on movies, film to go viral and reach a lot of people. It is again possible to sign into most of these social networks using your Facebook ac count. One such social bookmarking site is Digg.Disadvantages Of Web 2.0Broadband InternetEver since broadband internet was introduced, internet users have been able to delight in higher speeds in downloads and uploads. This has given a rise in piracy. It is said that one inn four people have illegally downloaded a film.The film studios say that piracy on the net has cost them billions of dollars in losses. The estimated figure as of the year 2006 is $20 billion.It is said that film piracy is going to ontogenesis as more people shift to broadband and can download files at higher speeds.(Online Film Piracy Set To Rise)(Film Piracy Cost The parsimoniousness $20 billion)data file Sharing SitesThe main disadvantages when it comes to the internet and Web 2.0 are copyright issues. Since digital data can be easily copied it is very common to see movies being shared on File sharing sites and discussion boards.A lot of these file sharing sites have their servers off-shore, in some other c ountries where copyright laws dont apply to them. This means that it is possible for them to have lot of copyrighted material on them and users from anywhere in the world is able to download them solely with the click of a mouse button.Peer 2 Peer NetworksP2P and torrent sites have become a very common way to share files on the internet. All that is needed is a small piece of software installed on a computer that allows a user to share files directly from their computer.This way millions of users can openly share whatever is on their hard drive with other users on the peer to peer network. This makes it very easy to share pirated movies across the internet.File Sharing Message BoardsThe term Warez refers to copyrighted material being shared for free and this term is very famous on the internet. A lot of forums and meaning boards are specially made for this purpose and millions of users download movies and tons of other copyrighted material for free which does a significant harm to the film industry.portable Digital CamerasRecent portable digital cameras and camcorders have given a rise to piracy. It is now very easy for users to take a portable camcorder or camera into a cinema and record the movie during the runtime. This recording is then sold on DVDs and/or uploaded on file sharing sites and/or peer to peer networks.Conclusion And EvaluationThe leap in Digital Animation software has helped the film industry in making more detailed, 3D animated films.Web 2.0 has played a major part in the success of the booming film industry that is present today. With the help of social networks and its viral features, the marketing of new movies have become very easy and also cost effective.Although film piracy is on the rise and more people are using camcorders in theatres and copying off DVDs and posting them on the internet, the film industry has shown a significant amount of growth. Film piracy has cost them millions of dollars but yet film revenues have tripled over the last 25 years.Newly developed CG techniques like performance capture have started a new era to the film industry which is going to lead them into making more better films.It is clear from the above information presented that the advantages of what then new technological advancements have done for the film industry clearly outweigh the disadvantages. 3D cameras and state of the art animation and editing have lead todays movies to be more enjoyable and fun to watch.(The Fact And Fiction Of Camcorder Piracy)

Gene Therapy: History and Advancements

broker Therapy History and AdvancementsGene therapy is an advanced and evolving technology that is being researched and developed extensively. It is an experimental technique that simply, introduces a gene into cells, in the place of a defective or missing gene to correct a patrimonial disorder. Gene therapy is very interesting and it is very important for scientists to surface the knowledge of gene therapy which brook be expanded and applied to help correct different genetic disorders.In 1966, a paper was published by Edward Tatum, proposing the effectiveness of viruses to be used in gene therapy. A couple of years after the paper was published, a demonstration proved Edwards concept true.The limit gene therapy arose during the 1960s and 1970s. The rootage successful patient to be treated with gene therapy was in 1990, a four-year-old girl who had ADA (Adenosine deaminase deficiency), a illness that severally affects the immune sy arrest and its ability to fight infections. T he therapy consisted of her white blood cells being taken from her and being inserted with the correct genes for making ADA, which was then reinjected into her. Along with her, another nine-year-old was infused with their profess corrected cells over a two-year period.Gene therapy has treble uses, the main being used to localize defective genes or to replace missing genes. Researchers and scientists w ar been working on gene therapy for decades and the future is very encouraging. Gene therapy can be used to correct a mutated gene. Gene therapy has successfully cured multiple diseases such as immune deficiencies like Severe Combines Immune Deficiency, Adenosine deaminase deficiency, different types of inherited blindness, haemophilia, blood diseases, fat metabolism disorder and gene therapy treatments atomic number 18 chthonic development for cancer. A promising discovery of an effective treatment for melanoma has provided hope for many cancer sufferers. Although gene therapy h olds a promise for treating a field of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, haemophilia, cystic fibrosis, it is only available as part of a clinical trial.Gene therapy is the future of curing diseases. Through the transit of gene therapy, genes are able to be introduced into existing cells to cure a wide range of diseases. Some examples of gene therapy successes includeParkinsons disease is a disease that targets the brain, causing the patient to lose cells. As the disease advances, the sufferers lose the ability to control their movements.After a small group of patients were treated by the fundament of new normal cells, they all had improved muscle control.Beta-Thalassemia is a disease where patients dont have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Sufferers wait on constant blood transfusions for survival.In 2007, a patient with a severe blood disease received gene therapy to treat the blood stem cells. After the treatment, the patient was abl e to raise the level of healthy red blood cells. The patient is now living without blood transfusions.Immune deficiencies are among the first genetic disorders to be treated successfully by gene therapy.An example would be Severe Combined Immune Deficiency. SCID was one of the first to be treated by gene therapy. The cure for SCID has been modified since it was first discovered because the old cure could potentially trigger leukemia. The cure now uses safer vectors which are much less likely to cause cancer.Still in research, gene therapy is far from being perfected. Gene therapy has many risks because of this. Some risks may include inflammation because of how your immune system responded to the working gene copy, the working gene might be slotted in the wrong spot, the working gene might produce to a fault much of the missing protein or enzyme it was targeted to do, causing complicated health problems and other genes may be delivered to the cell instead of the correct gene and t he deactivated virus that was mean to target a cell might target another cell. Because gene therapy changes how your body functions, some people may be against that idea because they believe that it is ethically wrong to do. For example, some people might believe that God made us how we are and it is not up to us to change our genes and how they function to fix our imperfections.Gene therapy is still in development and conducting gene therapy clinical trials with genetically modified organisms presents potential safety and infection issues. All human clinical trials that are undertaken in Australia must be conducted under either the Clinical Trial Notification (CTN) or Clinical Trial Exemption schemes (CTX). In addition to the contour to the CTN or CTX, any human clinical trials involving gene therapy must also require approval by the Gene Technology regulator under the Gene Technology Act of 2000. The intention of the Gene technology act is to protect the health and safety of peo ple, and to protect the environment, by identifying risks posed by or as a result of gene technology.I believe that gene therapy is a big advancement in science. Gene therapy has the potential to revolutionize the way we can cure diseases. Gene therapy, if perfected, has an enormous potential to do good such as curing genetic disorders, but things such as genetic engineering science are being researched more. There are already some foods such as rice, that has been genetically altered to have more minerals and vitamins, including vitamin A. This sort of genetic adaption isnt bad because it can help increase vitamin levels in some populations of the world that do not have access to more nutritious foods. The concerning side to genetic engineering would be that scientists could find ways to manipulate anything wee need such as our height, build, gender, eye sight ability, potentially developing super-humans.

Individualistic and Traditionalistic Cultures in Texas Essay -- Politi

Texas is an intricate state with deep roots embedded in limited government authority. Almost all, Texans, favor the limited government between citizens and state. The two most important finales in Texas are individualistic and traditionalistic culture. single views are summoned by limited government and that politics are the root of malicious acts, and is usually responded with negative reactions from the community. The individualistic cultures vision is egotistical for ones self-interest. The individualistic culture is viewed as priority in private independent business rather that those of the community as a whole. Unlike individualistic views, traditionalistic culture is motioned by conservatism. This cultures vision is supported by the common wealth of societys privileged. Its beliefs are usually of distrust in its bureaucracy. Traditionalistic culture maintains an obligation to its family hierarchy. The traditionalistic subculture has a lower voting turn out rate compa red to the opposition. These distinctive cultures were bestowed upon Texans in the 1800s, when Texas was changing into a diverse and demographically society. Individualistic and traditionalistic cultures are the muster in of ideology and certainty to the way Texas government is administrated. This has a huge impact on the way the Texas structures its government and why people support such a structure. And Texas is viewed as both subcultures.Individualistic subculture was based out of the Middle East Atlantic states (Elazar) and migrated towards the west in hopes of establishing a limited government course and in conclusion settling in Texas. Texas is a prominent state that stays true to its strict views about reduced government. So it i... ...neth M. Goldstein, and William G. Howell. Chapter 20 The Social and Economic environs of Texas Poltics. Understanding American Politics and Government. Texas ed. New York Longman, 2010. 690-93. Print.Elazar, Daniel. Explaining Policy D ifferences Using Political Culture. Reading. West Texas A&M University. Political Culture Handout. Dr. Dave Rausch, Teel Bivins Professor of Political Science. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. Newell, Charldean. Inflexibility, Traditionalism, and Partisanship The Texas Response to New Federalism. Review. Annual Review of American Federalism 12 (1981 (1983) 185-95. Publius. Oxford University Press. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. Texas Politics - Texas Political Culture. Welcome to Texas Politics. University of Texas at Austin, 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. .

Introducting the Characters and Themes in Educating Rita Essay

Introducting the Characters and Themes in Educating RitaGCSE Coursework In what ways is Act 1 Scene 1 of Educating Rita agood introduction to the plays main characters and themes? Do youthink Willy Russell has made his opening dramatic and socialise?Im coming in arent I? Its that lumpish bleedin handle on thedoor is not the way in which we would expect a new universitystudent to talk to a lecture she had never bear before, but as welater find give away, Rita, is not a stereotypical student and her lecture, detent, is not a stereotypical lecture. The play Educating Rita isbased on an out going character, who has decided her working classlifestyle, does not fit who she is anymore. She believes she canchange her life by achieving a higher education, to fit in witheveryone else roughly her. Changing her name from Susan to Rita is herfirst step, she had now begun the great leap from the 26year oldhairdresser, to a well spoken and well educated higher classed humanbeing.This 1970s pla y displays the struggle and frustration of a woman,caught in the working class. Willy Russell uses wit, humour and hisknowledge of that time period to create and develop his two charactersas they travel through substantial changes in their lives. WillyRussell uses two very opposite styles of writing for each of hischaracters, the introduction to his play begins with a conversationbetween lecture Frank and his wife. Look if youre trying to inducesome feeling of guilt in me over the prospect of a burnt dinner youshould have hustling something other than lamb and ratatouilleRussell was determined to show Franks striking upper class exterior,with the usage of such formal and polite languag... ...appy with life until Rita was able to show him his truecolours. Using the snappy, chatty atmosphere so early on in the play,Willy Russell was able to keep his fairly long opening dramatic,entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Willy Russells choice to usessuch different characters to base his piece around, made one hundredpercent sure that his audiences anxiety levels would have been raiseas they became more and more intrigued, to find out if the characterswould clash or get on like a house on fire. But I believe it was WillyRussells pure talent that enabled him to places to differentcharacters in the same scene and make it work. Using the two differentstyles of writing and such different character personalities creatingan opening, which was not only dramatic and entertaining but will beremembered in history as the starting point for woman.