Enron Accounting Scandal - 1706 Words

The Enron Accounting Scandal of 2001 There are many accounting scandals that have occurred throughout United States History. Many scandals occur even without outsiders knowing anything that had occurred. Companies try their best to keep many of the accounting scandals quiet. Everyday, there are political and business fraud happening, and most of it goes unnoticed. No company wants to admit that there was a problem or that people within the company are not trust worthy. However, when executives in large corporations take scandal to the extreme, there is no way of keeping out of the spot light. Unfortunately, scandals are the tip of the iceberg. They represent visible failures and companies could really go down for such†¦show more content†¦Ultimately, Enron became bankrupt. This scandal is the one of America’s largest investigations into a firm’s illegal accounting practices and attempt to conceal it from the shareholders and credit lenders. It was too late for Enron to keep quiet and the many accounting issues that they were going through were now about to be out in th e open. Enron’s stock was at its highest reaching at over $90 per share but quickly bottomed out at 9 cents per share. Stockholders, investors, and creditors wanted to know how one of the nation’s top accounting firms could have missed such changes and irregularity in Enron’s accounting practices. This was one reason that led to investigation into the accounting practices of the firm (Kay, 7). As a result, the US Department of Justice brought obstruction of justice charges against Andersen which ultimately ran Andersen out of business. Because of these charges, Andersen’s limited liability partnership found themselves in unfamiliar territory, and filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter. Enron was estimated to have about twenty-three billion in liabilities which included outstanding debt and guaranteed loans. There were so many people and companies involved with the Enron Scandal of 2001. So many people lost their jobs, their lives due to bankruptcy, a nd their dignity. Another key person involved with this accounting scandal isShow MoreRelatedAccounting Scandals And Enron Accounting Scandal1596 Words   |  7 Pagespaper I will be examining accounting scandals, specifically the Enron Accounting Scandal. First, I will be exploring the history of Enron. Then I will be going into further depth on what accounting issues Enron faced and then I will be explaining what a derivative is. Finally yet importantly, I will consider the different types of Accounting Fraud following a conclusion. Accounting Scandals are born due to collective greed and corporate arrogance. In the case of Enron there was a lot of euphoriaRead MoreEnron Accounting Scandal1096 Words   |  5 PagesEnron was originally a pipeline company in Houston, Texas in 1985. Enron became a company that was able to profit by providing deliveries of gas to utility companies and businesses. As the deregulation of electric power rose, Enron diversified the business and e ntered into an energy broker, which traded electricity and other types of commodities. Enron employed several highly qualified PHDs in mathematics, physics, and economics. Enron continued to enter into contracts with customers and utilizedRead MoreEnron Accounting Scandal1927 Words   |  8 PagesENRON ACCOUNTING SCANDAL The Scandal In the history of accounting, Enron scandal means more than just a legend of accounting managements. It exceeds every other accountings deceit, because the need to secrete its real economic situation was not just a matter of hiding failures borne out of unsuccessful business protrusions. In our summary of the ten major accounting scandals that altered the business world, Enron led the set of white collar crimes committed out of pure gluttony (McLean PeterRead MoreAccounting Scandals And The Enron Corporation1721 Words   |  7 PagesAccounting scandals have happened in numerous companies. In one major case, the firm filed for bankruptcy, and many of its workers lost their jobs, savings, and investments from stocks. This major epidemic happen at Enron, an energy firm stationed in Houston, Texas founded by Kenneth Lay in 1986 (Frontain). On December 2, 2001, the Enron Corporation, an apparently strong and booming business, fell to an all-time low by shocking the world when it filed for bankruptcy protection. Many people wereRead MoreAccounting Scandals. ENRON, WORLDCOM1894 Words   |  8 PagesENRON Enron shocked the world from being â€Å"America’s most innovative company† to America s biggest corporate bankruptcy at its time. At its peak, Enron was America s seventh largest corporation. Enron gave the illusion that it was a steady company with good revenue but that was not the case, a large part of Enron’s profits were made of paper. This was made possible by masterfully designed accounting and morally questionable acts by traders and executives. Deep debt and surfacing information aboutRead MoreAccounting Scandals Of Enron Company1070 Words   |  5 PagesBaasit Kazi Ms. Bogert College Accounting 1-1B 28 April, 2015 Accounting Scandals Reflection Enron was founded in July of 1985. Enron was an electricity and natural gas company which was a fortune 500 company and it was ranked the sixth largest energy company in the world. Enron’s stock went from a peak of $90.75 to $0.67. This was very detrimental to stockholders. Enron’s top executives sold their stock a long time before the stock price fell. A lot of lower level employees could not sell theirRead MoreEnron And The Collapse Of Enron1254 Words   |  6 Pagesone dollar. This happened to shareholders of Enron. The total debt amounted to over $ 16 billion, which was the largest corporate bankruptcy in American history. Shareholders lost 60 billion dollars within a few days, 4500 employees lost their jobs, and the employees lost billions in pension benefits. I had never heard the name of Enron nor Enron’s scandal until I watched a film, â€Å"Enron: The Smartest Guys in The Room,† but I realized the Enron scandal affected the whole of the business in the UnitedRead MoreThe Enron Scandal And Its Impact On The Business World1320 Words   |  6 Pagescan often times become a second priority behind the gaining of profits and success as a company. This is the controversial issue that led to the Enron scandal and ultimately the fall of this company. Enron Corporation was an energy company, and in the peaks of their success, they were the top supplier of natural gas and electricity throughout America. Enron Corporation came about from a merger between Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth. Houston Natural Gas was a gas providing company formed in HoustonRead MoreEthics Standards And The Field Of Accounting950 Words   |  4 Pagesnecessity in the field of accounting. Businesses rely on accountants to accurately report their financial information and give sound advise and consultation in regards to their business. There are standards and rules set in place to ensure that ethics and information is reported accurately. Laws and repercu ssions are created place to deter unethical and illegal accounting practices, although it still occurs in the business world on many levels. The field of accounting has a code of ethics forRead More Deception, Fraud, and the Collapse of Enron Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagesand the Collapse of Enron Introduction From America’s 7th most valuable company in December 2000, to a company in ruins by early 2002, Enron has been involved in one of the most incredible reverses of fortune ever. With shares riding high on Wall Street at $84.87 on the 28th December 2000, and awards such as â€Å"America’s most innovative company† from Fortune Magazine 6 years running, and â€Å"Energy Company of the Year† from the Financial Times also in 2000, it looked as though Enron were promising to

The Ethics Of An Ethical Dilemma - 1201 Words

Introduction An ethical dilemma by definition is a situation that requires an individual to make a choice between two equally unfavorable alternatives (Castalano, 2009-outsourced from book, pg 87). An ethical dilemma only occurs when there is no clear correct answer to choose one action over another. Ethical Ideas Ethical principles are defined as being set guidelines that influence decision making. Autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, veracity, and justice are used frequently to assist health care workers in decision making(pg87, book). Autonomy means that each individual is capable and able to make their own choices for themselves. This is true most the time, except for when speaking of children, the mentally ill, or comatose individuals. Beneficence is defined as the ethical accountability that each person has to promote the good in another person. Veracity is defined as being honest at all costs, even when it seems necessary to not be. Non-maleficence is defined as to do no harm, which means that we don’t make a problem worse, or create even a new problem. For example, if we don’t turn a patient who is bedridden every two hours to a different position, further harm will occur because they will incur possible bedsores and infection. We know to implement interventions in ord er to prevent this, but the situation can occur from being too lazy, forgetful, or too busy, and for all these reasons we would be guilty of being maleficent. Justice is defined as treating allShow MoreRelatedEthics And The Ethical Dilemma1324 Words   |  6 PagesEthics in business has to do with making the right choices - often there is no apparent one right way and one must choose the best in the circumstances. Managers are sometimes faced with business choices that create tensions between ethics and profits, or between their private gain and the public good. Any decision where moral considerations are relevant can potentially give rise to an ethical dilemma, for example: †¢ A decision that requires a choice between rules †¢ A decision where there is no ruleRead MoreEthics : Ethical And Ethical Dilemmas1473 Words   |  6 Pages Ethics Help the Helper in Ethical Dilemmas Fred L. Slack University of the Rockies Abstract In ethical decision-making, there is an established way to address resolving ethical dilemmas systematically and following established decision-making steps to resolve ethical dilemmas effectively. Applied established ethical-decision making steps along with an understanding of established ethical codes is essential Here we will comprehensively discuss how a professional wouldRead MoreEthics And The Ethical Dilemma1252 Words   |  6 PagesAnswer 1) In general, Ethical dilemma occurs in every business field and in every area of work. Now speaking about the ethics in an engineering perspective we generally refers to code of ethics 2010 that was written for Engineers in Australia. But these are basically applied to all employees in engineering field. The four principles to be followed according to code of Ethics 2010 are 1. Demonstrate Integrity. 2. Practice Competently. 3. Exercise Leadership. 4. Promote Sustainability. NowRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma And Ethics2010 Words   |  9 PagesDilemma #1: Name: Dat Le Student ID #: 1527599 †¢ What is the ethical dilemma and, specifically, what are the two â€Å"goods† in conflict? â€Å"Brad is a production engineer at a bicycle company and part of his job includes inspecting broken bikes and drafting the design repairs for their repair† (Bartlett). Brad is considering replacing a broken brake cable with a more durable material, even though the customer did not request it in their order and specifically requested that â€Å"No aesthetic changes beRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma With The Code Of Ethic1352 Words   |  6 Pagesin an ethical dilemma. However, when a situation such as accepting gift from client can turn into something different. When it comes time to terminate a client some client’s may feel a sense of generosity or appreciation for the therapist work. At this point and time, some clients, may show their appreciation towards their therapist with a gift. Some may said that this is something that is completely harmless and that there is no need to be concern. However, many do not understand the ethical dilemmaRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemm a Of Business Ethics995 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Today, business ethics is one of the most important topics in discussion. 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In every organization individuals face ethical and moral dilemmas, which is definitelyRead MoreEthics Chapter 1 Ethical Dilemma Essay690 Words   |  3 PagesEthics Chapter 1 An Ethical Dilemma – Questions/Exercises 1. What is/are John’s ethical issues? I do not know the exact definition of ethical but I believe it to be related to our behavior and the decisions we make and if they are considered right or wrong by society. I am sure there are times when a situation may be perfectly legal but we may not think it is okay. Keeping this in mind, John’s ethical issues include thoroughly researching IPOs and using this information to his advantageRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of The Law Enforcement Code Of Ethics1309 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract An ethical dilemma is an intricate situation that in most cases involves a mental conflict between moral obligations, in which to observe one would result in disobeying another. Tony, do not get Johnny in trouble.† The first order given to Tony Denardo by the sergeant is going to be the most significant, life-changing order that was given; unfortunately for Johnny the order was ignored. Throughout the scenario, there are instances where Tony takes Johnny under his wing and teaches him byRead MoreMedical Ethics : Medical Ethical Dilemma Essay878 Words   |  4 PagesMedical Ethical Dilemma 1. Why did you select this topic? I choose the article, A Medical Miracle Poses Ethical Dilemma written by Anna Gorman and published in the Los Angeles Times. It stood out to me because it dealt with a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) born at twenty-four weeks’ gestation, weighing nine ounces. I want to be a NICU nurse so I am sure I will be faced with an issue similar to this at some point in my career. 2. What are your feelings about this dilemma? Are you

Last Sacrifice Chapter Eight Free Essays

string(71) " words out loud made them real in a way they hadn’t been before\." IT TURNED OUT I WAS wrong about the local police department comprising of one guy and a dog. When Dimitri and I walked back to the motel, we saw flashing red and blue lights in the parking lot and a few bystanders trying to see what was happening. â€Å"The whole town turned out,’ I said. We will write a custom essay sample on Last Sacrifice Chapter Eight or any similar topic only for you Order Now Dimitri sighed. â€Å"You just had to say something to the desk clerk, didn’t you?’ We’d stopped some distance away, hidden in the shadow of a run-down building. â€Å"I thought it would slow you down.’ â€Å"It’s going to slow us down now.’ His eyes did a sweep of the scene, taking in all the details in the flickering light. â€Å"Sydney’s car is gone. That’s something, at least.’ My earlier cockiness faded. â€Å"Is it? We just lost our ride!’ â€Å"She wouldn’t leave us, but she was smart enough to get out before the police came knocking on her door.’ He turned and surveyed the town’s one main road. â€Å"Come on. She has to be close, and there’s a good chance the police might actually start searching around if they thought some defenseless girl was being chased down.’ The tone he used for â€Å"defenseless’ spoke legions. Dimitri made an executive decision to walk back toward the road that had led us into town, assuming Sydney would want to get out of there now that I’d blown our cover. Getting the police involved had created complications, but I felt little regret over what I’d done. I was excited about the plan that had occurred to me in the woods and wanted, as usual, to get moving on it right away. If I’d helped get us out of this hole of a town, so much the better. Dimitri’s instincts about Sydney were right. About a half-mile outside of town, we spotted a CR-V pulled off on the road’s shoulder. The engine was off, the lights dark, but I could see well enough to identify the Louisiana plates. I walked over to the driver side window and knocked on the glass. Inside, Sydney flinched. She rolled down the window, face incredulous. â€Å"What did you do? Never mind. Don’t bother. Just get in.’ Dimitri and I complied. I felt like a naughty child under her disapproving glare. She started the car without a word and began driving in the direction we’d originally come from, eventually merging with the small state highway that led back to the interstate. That was promising. Only, once we’d driven a few miles, she pulled off again, this time at a dark exit that didn’t seem to have anything at it. She turned off the car and turned to peer at me in the backseat. â€Å"You ran, didn’t you?’ â€Å"Yeah, but I got this–‘ Sydney held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"No, don’t. Not yet. I wish you could have pulled off your daring escape without attracting the authorities.’ â€Å"Me too,’ said Dimitri. I scowled at them both. â€Å"Hey, I came back, didn’t I?’ Dimitri arched an eyebrow at that, apparently questioning just how voluntary that had been. â€Å"And now I know what we have to do to help Lissa.’ â€Å"What we have to do,’ said Sydney, â€Å"is find a safe place to stay.’ â€Å"Just go back to civilization and pick a hotel. One with room service. We can make that our base of operation while we work on the next plan.’ â€Å"We researched that town specifically!’ she said. â€Å"We can’t go to some random place–at least not nearby. I doubt they took down my plates, but they could put out a call to look for this kind of car. If they’ve got that and our descriptions, and it gets to the state police, it’ll get to the Alchemists and then it’ll–‘ â€Å"Calm down,’ said Dimitri, touching her arm. There was nothing intimate about that, but I still felt a spark of envy, particularly after the tough love I’d just had being nearly dragged through the woods. â€Å"We don’t know that any of that’s going to happen. Why don’t you just call Abe?’ â€Å"Yeah,’ she said glumly. â€Å"That’s exactly what I want. To tell him I messed up the plan in less than twenty-four hours.’ â€Å"Well,’ I said, â€Å"if it makes you feel better, the plan’s about to change anyway–‘ â€Å"Be quiet,’ she snapped. â€Å"Both of you. I need to think.’ Dimitri and I exchanged glances, but stayed silent. When I’d told him I knew a way to seriously help Lissa, he’d been intrigued. I knew he wanted details now, but we both had to wait for Sydney. She flipped on the dome light and produced a paper map of the state. After studying it for a minute, she folded it back up and simply stared ahead. I couldn’t see her face but suspected she was frowning. Finally, she sighed in that woeful way of hers, turned off the light, and started the car. I watched as she punched in Altswood, West Virginia into her GPS. â€Å"What’s in Altswood?’ I asked, disappointed she hadn’t entered something like Atlantic City. â€Å"Nothing,’ she said, pulling back onto the road. â€Å"But it’s the closest place to where we’re going that the GPS can find.’ A passing car’s headlights briefly illuminated Dimitri’s profile, and I saw curiosity on his face too. So. I wasn’t the only one out of the loop anymore. The GPS read almost an hour and a half to our destination. He didn’t question her choice, though, and turned back to me. â€Å"So what’s going on with Lissa? What’s this great plan of yours?’ He glanced at Sydney. â€Å"Rose says there’s something important we have to do.’ â€Å"So I gathered,’ said Sydney dryly. Dimitri looked back at me expectantly. I took a deep breath. It was time to reveal the secret I’d been holding since my hearing. â€Å"So, it, um, turns out Lissa has a brother or sister. And I think we should find them.’ I managed to sound cool and casual as I spoke. Inside me, my heart lurched. Even though I’d had plenty of time to process Tatiana’s note, saying the words out loud made them real in a way they hadn’t been before. You read "Last Sacrifice Chapter Eight" in category "Essay examples" It shocked me, hitting me with the full impact of what this information truly meant and how it changed everything we’d all come to believe. Of course, my shock was nothing compared to the others’. Score one for Rose and the element of surprise. Sydney made no attempt to hide her astonishment and gasped. Even Dimitri seemed a little taken aback. Once they recovered, I could see them preparing their protests. They would either demand evidence or simply dismiss the idea as ridiculous. I immediately jumped into action before the arguments could start. I produced Tatiana’s note, reading it aloud and then letting Dimitri look at it. I told them about my ghostly encounter, where the queen’s troubled spirit made me believe there was truth to this. Nonetheless, my companions were skeptical. â€Å"You have no proof Tatiana wrote the note,’ said Dimitri. â€Å"The Alchemists have no records of another Dragomir,’ said Sydney. They each said exactly what I thought they would. Dimitri was the kind of guy always ready for a trick or trap. He suspected anything without hard proof. Sydney lived in a world of facts and data and had total faith in the Alchemists and their information. If the Alchemists didn’t believe it, neither did she. Ghostly evidence didn’t convince either of them. â€Å"I don’t really see why Tatiana’s spirit would want to deceive me,’ I argued. â€Å"And the Alchemists aren’t all-knowing. The note says this is a pretty heavily guarded secret from Moroi–it makes sense it would be secret from the Alchemists too.’ Sydney scoffed, not liking my â€Å"all-knowing’ comment, but otherwise remained silent. It was Dimitri who pushed forward, refusing to take anything on faith without more evidence. â€Å"You’ve said before that it’s not always clear what the ghosts are trying to say,’ he pointed out. â€Å"Maybe you misread her.’ â€Å"I don’t know †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I thought again about her solemn, translucent face. â€Å"I think she did write this note. My gut says she did.’ I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You know it’s been right before. Can you trust me on this?’ He stared at me for several moments, and I held that gaze steadily. In that uncanny way of ours, I could guess what was going on. The whole situation was far-fetched, but he knew I was right about my instincts. They’d proven true in the past. No matter what he’d been through, no matter the current antagonism between us, he still knew me enough to trust in this. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he nodded. â€Å"But if we decided to search for this alleged sibling, we’d be going against Lissa’s instructions to stay put.’ â€Å"You believe that note?’ exclaimed Sydney. â€Å"You’re considering listening to it?’ A flash of anger lit up within me, one I worked to hide. Of course. Of course this would be the next obstacle: Dimitri’s inability to disobey Lissa. Sydney feared Abe, which I could kind of understand, but Dimitri’s concern was still the lofty vow of chivalry he’d made to Lissa. I took a deep breath. Telling him how ridiculous I thought he was behaving wouldn’t accomplish what I needed. â€Å"Technically, yes. But if we could actually prove she wasn’t the last in her family, it would help her a lot. We can’t ignore the chance, and if you manage to keep me out of trouble while we do it’–I tried not to grimace at that–‘then there shouldn’t be a problem.’ Dimitri considered this. He knew me. He also knew I would use roundabout logic if need be to get my way. â€Å"Okay,’ he said at last. I saw the shift in his features. The decision was made, and he’d stick to it now. â€Å"But where do we start? You have no other clues, aside from a mysterious note.’ It was deja vu and reminded me of Lissa and Christian’s earlier conversation with Abe when they were figuring out where to start their investigation. She and I lived parallel lives, it seemed, both pursuing an impossible puzzle with a sketchy trail. As I replayed their discussion, I attempted the same reasoning Abe had used: without clues, start working through obvious conclusions. â€Å"Obviously, this is a secret,’ I said. â€Å"A big one. One people have apparently wanted to cover up–enough that they’d try to steal records about it and keep the Dragomirs out of power.’ Someone had broken into an Alchemist building and taken papers indicating Eric Dragomir had indeed been funding a mystery woman. I pointed out to my companions that it seemed very likely to me this woman was the mother of his love child. â€Å"You could look into that case some more.’ Those last words were spoken toward Sydney. Maybe she didn’t care about another Dragomir, but the Alchemists still wanted to know who had stolen from them. â€Å"Whoa, hey. How was I not even part of this decision process? † She still hadn’t recovered from our conversation suddenly running away without her. After the way our night had gone so far, she didn’t look too pleased about being sucked into another of my rogue schemes. â€Å"Maybe breaking Lissa’s orders is no big deal for you two, but I’d be going against Abe. He might not be so lenient.’ It was a fair point. â€Å"I’ll pull in a daughterly favor,’ I assured her. â€Å"Besides, the old man loves secrets. He’d be into this, believe me. And you’ve already found the biggest clue of all. I mean, if Eric was giving money to some anonymous woman, then why wouldn’t it be for his secret mistress and child?’ â€Å"Anonymous is the key word,’ Sydney said, still clearly skeptical of Zmey’s â€Å"leniency.’ â€Å"If your theory’s right–and it’s kind of a leap–we still have no idea who this mistress is. The stolen documents didn’t say.’ â€Å"Are there other records that tie into the stolen ones? Or could you investigate the bank he was sending money to?’ The Alchemists’ initial concern had simply been that someone had stolen hard copies of their records. Her colleagues had discovered which items were taken but hadn’t given much thought to the content. I was willing to bet they hadn’t searched for any other documents related to the same topic. She affirmed as much. â€Å"You really have no idea how â€Å"researching records’ works, do you? It’s not that easy,’ she said. â€Å"It could take a while.’ â€Å"Well †¦ I guess that’s why it’s good we’re going somewhere, um, secure, right?’ I asked. Struck with the realization that we might need time to put our next step together, I could kind of see the disadvantage of having lost our out-of-the-way hideout. â€Å"Secure †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She shook her head. â€Å"Well, we’ll see. I hope I’m not doing something stupid.’ With those ominous words, silence fell. I wanted to know more about where we were going but felt I shouldn’t push the small victory I’d made. The victory I thought I’d made, at least. I wasn’t entirely sure Sydney was 100 percent on board but felt certain Dimitri had been convinced. Best not to agitate her right now. I looked at the GPS. Almost an hour. Enough time to check back on Lissa. It took me a minute to recognize where Lissa was, probably because I’d been expecting her to return to her room. But no, she was in a location I’d only been once: Adrian’s parents’ home. Surprising. In a few moments, though, I read the reasoning from her mind. Her current suite was in guest housing, and in the ensuing panic over my escape, her building was swarming with visitors now trying to leave. The Ivashkov townhouse, situated in a permanent residential area, was a bit quieter–not that there weren’t a few fleeing neighbors there too. Adrian sat back in an armchair, feet carelessly resting on an expensive coffee table that some interior designer had probably helped his mother choose. Lissa and Christian had just arrived, and she caught a whiff of smoke in the air that made her think Adrian had been sneaking in some bad behavior beforehand. â€Å"If we’re lucky,’ he was telling Lissa and Christian, â€Å"the parental units will be tied up for a while and give us some peace and quiet. How rough was your questioning?’ Lissa and Christian sat on a couch that was prettier than it was comfortable. She leaned into him and sighed. â€Å"Not so bad. I don’t know if they’re fully convinced we had nothing to do with Rose’s escape †¦ but they definitely don’t have any proof.’ â€Å"I think we got in more trouble with Aunt Tasha,’ said Christian. â€Å"She was kind of pissed off that we didn’t tell her what was going on. I think she probably wanted to blow up the statues herself.’IT â€Å"I think she’s more upset that we got Dimitri involved’ pointed out Lissa. â€Å"She thinks we screwed up his chances of ever being accepted again.’ â€Å"Shes right,’ said Adrian. He picked up a remote control and turned on a large, plasma screen TV. He muted the sound and flipped randomly through channels. â€Å"But no one forced him.’ Lissa nodded but secretly wondered if she had forced Dimitri inadvertently. His dedicated vow to protect her was no secret. Christian seemed to pick up on her worry. â€Å"Hey, for all we know, he never would have–‘ A knock interrupted him. â€Å"Damn,’ said Adrian, standing up. â€Å"So much for peace and quiet.’ â€Å"Your parents wouldn’t knock,’ said Christian. â€Å"True, but it’s probably one of their friends wanting to sip port and gossip about the terrible state of today’s murderous youth,’ Adrian called back. Lissa heard the door open and a muffled conversation. A few moments later, Adrian returned with a young Moroi guy that Lissa didn’t recognize. â€Å"Look,’ the guy was saying, glancing around uneasily, â€Å"I can come back.’ He caught sight of Lissa and Christian and froze. â€Å"No, no,’ said Adrian. His transformation from grumpy to cordial had happened as quickly as a light switch being flipped. â€Å"I’m sure she’ll be back any minute. Do you guys all know each other?’ The guy nodded, eyes darting from face to face. â€Å"Of course.’ Lissa frowned. â€Å"I don’t know you.’ The smile never left Adrian’s face, but Lissa picked up quickly that something important was going on. â€Å"This is Joe. Joe’s the janitor who helped me out by testifying that I wasn’t with Rose when Aunt Tatiana was murdered. The one who was working in Rose’s building.’ Both Lissa and Christian straightened up. â€Å"It was a lucky thing you turned up before the hearing,’ said Christian carefully. For a while, there’d been panic that Adrian might be implicated with me, but Joe had come forward just in time to testify about when he’d seen both me and Adrian in my building. Joe took a few steps back toward the foyer. â€Å"I really should go. Just tell Lady Ivashkov that I came by–and that I’m leaving Court. But that everything’s set.’ â€Å"What’s set?’ asked Lissa, slowly standing up. â€Å"She–she’ll know.’ Lissa, I knew, didn’t look intimidating. She was cute and slim and pretty, but from the fear on Joe’s face–well. She must have been giving him a scary look. It reminded me of the earlier encounter with Abe. â€Å"Really,’ he added. â€Å"I need to go.’ He started to move again, but suddenly, I felt a surge of spirit burn through Lissa. Joe came to a halt, and she strode toward him. â€Å"What did you need to talk to Lady Ivashkov about?’ demanded Lissa. â€Å"Easy, cousin,’ murmured Adrian. â€Å"You don’t need that much spirit to get answers.’ Lissa was using compulsion on Joe, so much that he might as well have been a puppet on strings. â€Å"The money,’ Joe gasped, eyes wide. â€Å"The money’s set.’ â€Å"What money?’ she asked. Joe hesitated, as though he might resist, but soon gave in. He couldn’t fight that much compulsion, not from a spirit user. â€Å"The money †¦ the money to testify †¦ about where he was.’ Joe jerked his head toward Adrian. Adrian’s cool expression faltered a little. â€Å"What do you mean where I was? The night my aunt died? Are you saying †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Christian picked up where Adrian couldn’t. â€Å"Is Lady Ivashkov paying you off to say you saw Adrian?’ â€Å"I did see him,’ cried Joe. He was visibly sweating. Adrian had been right: Lissa was using too much spirit. It was physically hurting Joe. â€Å"I just †¦ I just †¦ I don’t remember the time †¦ I don’t remember any of the times. That’s what I told the other guy, too. She paid me to put a time on when you were there.’ Adrian didn’t like that, not at all. To his credit, he remained calm. â€Å"What do you mean you told â€Å"the other guy’?’ â€Å"Who else?’ repeated Lissa. â€Å"Who else was with her?’ â€Å"No one! Lady Ivashkov just wanted to make sure her son was clear. I fudged the details for her. It was the guy †¦ the other guy who came later †¦ who wanted to know when Hathaway was around.’ There was a click from the foyer, the sound of the front door opening. Lissa leaned forward, cranking up the compulsion. â€Å"Who? Who was he? What did he want?’ Joe looked like he was in serious pain now. He swallowed. â€Å"I don’t know who he was! No one I’d seen. Some Moroi. Just wanted me to testify about when I’d seen Hathaway. Paid me more than Lady Ivashkov. No harm †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He looked at Lissa desperately. â€Å"No harm in helping them both †¦ especially since Hathaway did it †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ â€Å"Adrian?’ Daniella’s voice rang down the hall. â€Å"Are you here?’ â€Å"Back off,’ Adrian warned Lissa in a low voice. There was no joking in it. Her voice was just as soft, her attention still on Joe. â€Å"What did he look like? The Moroi? Describe him.’ The sound of high heels clicked on the hall’s wooden floor. â€Å"Like no one!’ said Joe. â€Å"I swear! Plain. Ordinary. Except the hand †¦ please let me go †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Adrian shoved Lissa aside, breaking the contact between her and Joe. Joe nearly sagged to the ground and then went rigid as he locked gazes with Adrian. More compulsion–but much less than Lissa had used. â€Å"Forget this,’ hissed Adrian. â€Å"We never had this conversation.’ â€Å"Adrian, what are you–‘ Daniella stopped in the living room’s doorway, taking in the strange sights. Christian was still on the couch, but Adrian and Lissa were inches from Joe, whose shirt was soaked with sweat. â€Å"What’s going on?’ Daniella exclaimed. Adrian stepped back and gave his mother one of those charming smiles that captivated so many women. â€Å"This guy came by to see you, Mom. We told him we’d wait until you got back. We’re going to head out now.’ Daniella glanced between her son and Joe. She was clearly uneasy about the scenario and also confused. Lissa was surprised at the â€Å"heading out’ comment but followed Adrian’s lead. Christian did too. â€Å"It was nice seeing you,’ said Lissa, attempting a smile to match Adrian’s. Joe looked totally dazed. After Adrian’s last command, the poor janitor had also probably forgotten how he’d ended up at the Ivashkov home. Lissa and Christian hastily followed Adrian out before Daniella could say much more. â€Å"What the hell was that?’ asked Christian, once they were outside. I wasn’t sure if he meant Lissa’s scary compulsion or what Joe had revealed. â€Å"Not sure,’ said Adrian, expression dark. No more cheery smile. â€Å"But we should talk to Mikhail.’ â€Å"Rose.’ Dimitri’s voice was gentle, bringing me back to him, Sydney, and the car. He’d undoubtedly recognized the expression on my face and knew where I’d been. â€Å"Everything okay back there?’ he asked. I knew â€Å"back there’ meant Court and not the backseat. I nodded, though â€Å"okay’ wasn’t quite the right word for what I’d just witnessed. What had I just witnessed? An admission of false testimony. An admission that contradicted some of the evidence against me. I didn’t care so much that Joe had lied to keep Adrian safe. Adrian hadn’t been involved with Tatiana’s murder. I wanted him free and clear. But what about the other part? Some â€Å"ordinary’ Moroi who’d paid Joe to lie about when I’d been around, leaving me without an alibi during the murder window? Before I could fully process the implications, I noticed the car had stopped. Forcing the Joe-info to the back of my mind, I tried to take stock of our new situation. Sydney’s laptop glowed in the front seat as she scrolled through something. â€Å"Where are we?’ I peered out the window. In the headlights, I saw a sad, closed gas station. â€Å"Altswood,’ said Dimitri. By my estimation, there was nothing else but the gas station. â€Å"Makes our last town look like New York.’ Sydney shut her laptop. She handed it back, and I set it on the seat beside me, near the backpacks she’d miraculously grabbed when leaving the motel. She shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. Not too far away, I could see the highway and expected her to turn toward it. Instead, she drove past the gas station, deeper into darkness. Like the last place, we were surrounded by mountains and forests. We crept along at a snail’s pace until Sydney spotted a tiny gravel road disappearing into the woods. It was only big enough for one car to go down, but somehow, I didn’t expect we’d run into much traffic out here. A similar road took us in deeper and deeper, and although I couldn’t see her face, Sydney’s anxiety was palpable in the car. Minutes felt like hours until our narrow path opened up into a large, dirt-packed clearing. Other vehicles–pretty oldlooking–were parked there. It was a strange place for a parking lot, considering all I could see around us was dark forest. Sydney shut off the car. â€Å"Are we at a campground?’ I asked. She didn’t answer. Instead, she looked at Dimitri. â€Å"Are you as good as they say you are?’ â€Å"What?’ he asked, startled. â€Å"Fighting. Everyone keeps talking about how dangerous you are. Is it true? Are you that good?’ Dimitri considered. â€Å"Pretty good.’ I scoffed. â€Å"Very good.’ â€Å"I hope it’s enough,’ said Sydney, reaching for the door’s handle. I opened my door as well. â€Å"Aren’t you going to ask about me?’ â€Å"I already know you’re dangerous,’ she said. â€Å"I’ve seen it.’ Her compliment offered little comfort as we walked out across the rural parking lot. â€Å"Why’d we stop?’ â€Å"Because we have to go on foot now.’ She turned on a flashlight and shone it along the lot’s perimeter. At last, it flickered across a footpath snaking through the trees. The path was small and easy to miss because weeds and other plants were encroaching on it. â€Å"There.’ She began to move toward it. â€Å"Wait,’ said Dimitri. He moved in front of her, leading the way, and I immediately took up the back position in our group. It was a standard guardian formation. We were flanking her the way we would a Moroi. All earlier thoughts of Lissa flitted from my mind. My attention was totally on the situation at hand, all my senses alert to the potential danger. I could see Dimitri was in the same mode, both of us holding our stakes. â€Å"Where are we going?’ I asked as we carefully avoided roots and holes along the path. Branches scraped along my arms. â€Å"To people I guarantee won’t turn you in,’ she said, voice grim. More questions were on my lips when brilliant light suddenly blinded me. My eyes had grown attuned to the darkness, and the unexpected brightness was too abrupt a change. There was a rustling in the trees, a sense of many bodies around us, and as my vision returned, I saw vampire faces everywhere. How to cite Last Sacrifice Chapter Eight, Essay examples

Ethical Dilemma Accounting Department of a NPO

Question: Discuss about theEthical Dilemma for Accounting Department of a NPO. Answer: Introduction In the sector of social service, a non- profit organization is working for the community. The company is doing well. However, they need some permission or license from the government for which they are trying since last few years. This information comes from the sources that tell about the conversation between senior accountant and general manager of the company. In this situation, there was an ethical dilemma for that senior accountant. The reason being, in past years, company has shown manipulations in its accounts to take many permissions and grants from the government. Whenever they had to take some grant from authorities, they show the accounts of a prosperous year instead of the current year. They have been successful in this since so long. So, this time also they want this new senior accountant to follow the same practice as the previous accountant did. In fact, the general manager has strongly proposed to do so. And if he does not follow the instructions, then his responsibil ity will be given to some other employee along with his incentives and bonuses. The general manager warned him not to discuss this with anyone outside the meeting room. This was very disturbing for the accountant because he was not able to choose what would be right for him. He is concerned about the poor financial practices prevailing in the organization. Ethical Dilemma The accountant faces a dilemma in which either he has to compromise with his job or he has to concede with his ethical values. If he chooses to agree with what general manager said, he has to prepare a false report. This will be against his values and may have ethical implications on his career. On the other side, if he chooses to refuse the instructions of general manager, he will have to face financial consequences. He has a family of four children and he is the only bread winner of this family. He will not only lose incentives, but may also have disciplinary actions against his job. So, he is in a difficult situation and is not able to choose the right path to move on (Stanga Turpen, 1991). Ethical Questions in the Situation Is this Behaviour Acceptable on the Part of a Non- Profit Organization? The underlying case study is of an organization which is an NPO and works for welfare and betterment of the society. Such organization is expected to follow a certain code of conduct which is full of moral and ethical values. Government gives them permissions for certain events and even allot funds to them having trust that they will work for the poor and needy. Society trusts on these organizations and donate handsome amount to them to work for the social welfare. In return, these organizations have so many malpractices internally and deceive the entire community. The question arises that as a responsible population, should we accept such behaviour of so- called NPOs? (Austin Seitanidi, 2012) To What Extent Such Humiliation of an Employee is Justified on Ethical Grounds? An employee who is simply an accountant in a not- for- profit organization is being humiliated and put into an ethical dilemma which laid him in serious distress. The employee is the only income source of a family which comprises of 4 children. He has no option to leave his job and even the incentives or bonuses, reason being he needs money to bear the expenses of his family. So, he is compelled to compromise with his moral values. He has to prepare a false report showing sound financial position of the organization. This dilemma has put him into confusion because he is going to face adverse consequences in either situation. The ethical concern here is to what extent it is justifiable to humiliate an honest employee in such manner (Mc Devitt Van Hise, 2002). Is Window Dressing Acceptable Under Ethical Code of Conduct? Another concern is window dressing. It refers to changing or manipulating financial accounts in a manner that they seem attractive and shows a strong position of the organization. Companies often use this practice before they finally present their accounts to stakeholders. They purposely manipulate some figures of revenues, taxes and profits to show that they have sound liquidity and profitability. Sometimes they show losses so that they can avoid tax payments. This NPO under study is using this practice to take a grant from the government. Is this an ethical code of conduct? A big question of concern! (Kellogg Kellogg, 1991). Lessons Learnt from this Dilemma Firstly, I learnt that no matter how much righteous an organization behave in a society, it doesnt prove that it can make no mistakes. A critical analysis is always required to assess the ethical conduct of any organization and to avoid ethical dilemma as faced by the senior accountant of this organization. If one is honest and ethical, then he/ she need to find an ethically performing organization to be a part of. Besides that, even if one is already working in an organization and comes across such a situation as we have in underlying case study, then he has to decide very smartly. He must work in a manner which is not offensive for the organization and it should also not hurt ethical sentiments of yours. Lastly, I have learnt about the flaws of regulatory systems. This organization is using window dressing since so many years, yet not detected to be faulty. This is a serious issue of concern. Conclusion The above case study clearly defines an ethical dilemma for an honest employee. Firstly, this shows that there is no place for honesty and sincerity in a corrupt workplace. Secondly, this case study also shows dampened ethics and moral values of organizations, and surprisingly it is a non- profit organization. It is meant for public welfare but instead of that it is indulged in window dressing and other malpractices. This is really disgraceful and a pathetic situation not only for the organization, but also on the part of government authorities. They are known of the facts but still they did not take any action. This is a question on ethics of a workplace. Recommendations There is a recommendation for the accountant to face the situation and for others who have experienced the similar dilemma in their workplace. The following steps will give them an insight on how to react in such scenario. First of all, they must find out all the facts about the situation. Discern all the ethical issues affecting stakeholders. Try to determine the alternative courses of action. Identify the pros and cons of the situation (Finegan, The impact of personal values on judgments of ethical behaviour in the workplace, 1994). Take final decision that must be compatible with the code of conduct given by International ethics standard board of accountants (IESBA) (ICAEW, 2011). References Austin, J.E. Seitanidi, M.M., 2012. Collaborative value creation: A review of partnering between nonprofits and businesses: Part I. Value Creation Spectrum and Collaboration Stages. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, pp.726-58. Finegan, J., 1994. The impact of personal values on judgments of ethical behaviour in the workplace. Journal of business ethics, 13(9), pp.747-55. ICAEW, 2011. Code of Ethics C. [Online] Available at: https://www.icaew.com/en/membership/regulations-standards-and-guidance/ethics/code-of-ethics-c [Accessed 24 August 2016]. Kellogg, I. Kellogg, L.B., 1991. Fraud, window dressing, and negligence in financial statements. Shephard's Commercial Law Series. Mc Devitt, R. Van Hise, J., 2002. Influences in Ethical Dilemmas of Increasing Intensity. Journal of Business Ethics, 40(3), pp.261-74. Stanga, K.G. Turpen, R.A., 1991. Ethical judgments on selected accounting issues: An empirical study. Journal of Business Ethics, 10(10), pp.739-47.

How is Political Neutrality Defined

My Friend Jack essays

My Friend Jack essays All Jack's frineds think Jack is a pretty strong and healthy-looking guy with a broad shoulder, good muscles and a pair of strong legs. Above all, I think they say so because of his enthusiasm to sports. His love to sports started when he was a kid and since then he had been fancy to become an athlete someday, and he had even dreamed about to be able to play at Olympics. So he played basketball, table tennis, badminton, and even tried to play volleyball when he was in high school. Unfortunately, he was not excellent at any of the games so that he could be thought to be able to become a potentially good athlete. He finally gave up and simply enjoy watching other people playing. Despite his healthy look, he had an a little bit unhealthy and complicated mind full of curiosity and strange imagination. I remembered that once he told me that when he was three or four years old, he was so freaked out by the thought of death. It haunted him whenever he was alone in the evening, imagining the terrible next world learned through books and tales told by others and thinking why people need to die some day. Many things would come up in his mind and some were so frightening that he could not sleep very well. This bothered he until he was a little older. With ages growing, his imagination to lives and God extended far beyond death, it became an obsession and sometimes it went wild in the late evening, he completely lost himself in it.... Although he was very afraid, he had never talked those questions with anybody at that time. His parents were so busy and the teachers at school were not so caring. Over the years, he became very introverted. I was very easy to get shy at anything on any occasion. He shut down his emotional door to anybody. But he knew there were something kicking around inside him and trying to get out. He knew he was a guy enthusiastic about many things, one who loved to make friends and to hang out with them. He just need...

Mid term paper comapring and constrasting one perfect day' and ' the

Mid comapring and constrasting one perfect day' and ' the ameican way of death - Term Paper Example Take for example, the two known lavish industry nowadays, the wedding and funeral industry. These two industries are respectively discussed in â€Å"One Perfect Day† by Rebecca Mead and â€Å"The American Way of Death† by Jessica Mitford. To emphasize, both of the books are written exposà © of the real deal behind the two events in one’s life, wedding and funeral. The former reveals the issues behind the wedding industry which actually counts one hundred sixty billion dollars in the United States economy (â€Å"Synopsis†). On the other hand, the latter talks about the highly commercialized funeral service in America. Both of the authors highlighted the â€Å"costs† of having either of the two. It is observed that the wedding and funeral industry have become more and more expensive. In the book â€Å"One Perfect Day,† the main topic is about a wedding ceremony which highlights the two central figures, the bride and the groom. Nonetheless, majority of the exposà ©s are associated with the whims and caprices of the bride from the gown to the wedding’s order of events. Plausibly, the bridal gown which is the central object with its matching accessories such as the shoes, veil and many others are also considered by the author in exposing the evils behind the wedding industry. Normally, in a wedding, it is the bride who initially plans everything as the groom only approves or makes some modifications. This is the normal behavior during the planning stage. In most cases, the bride and the groom hire a wedding planner to set up everything for them. The author then highlights the disadvantages of hiring a wedding planner (Mead). The author’s explanation do not really dwell on the skill of the wedding planner, but, instead on the accessory role of such person in the wedding and its correlative effect to the substantive aspect of the ceremony. Obviously, there is much to spend

Services marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Services marketing - Essay Example Service marketing is the marketing of service or performances of the service seller. Service is intangible in nature and hence it cannot be measured. Similarly, service marketing is also intangible and cannot be gauged easily. The reason behind the distinction between that of the product marketing and service marketing is because of the fact that services are more heterogeneous in nature. There is no uniformity when it comes to service marketing as there are different types of services available. Crux of service depends on its uniqueness. If a better service is provided then that particular company will get to sell more of its services. Thus there is no standardization in marketing as opposed to that of the products. You need to bring this awareness into the customers as well. Literature Review Marketing Types and Characteristics There are different types of marketing needs. One of the marketing types is that of the product marketing wherein the customer’s needs toward the products are taken care of. Product marketing is easy to gauge and thus will provide a clear cut approach for marketing. The manufacturing of the product is based on the product marketing. If the demand from the customer is more then more such products will be manufactured. Service is something that is rendered as per the requirement of the service buyer. Both service buyer and service seller plays a major important role in the market of service. Service marketing is entirely different from that of the product marketing and requires a completely new approach than that of the product marketing. The four major characteristics of marketing play a major role in optimizing of the service marketing. They are intangibility, heterogeneity, intangibility and perishable nature. In view of Bruhn M. and Georgi D. (2006, p. 478), the service indu stry has got a value chain that it needs to follow through in the process of marketing. Once the managing of service value chain is mastered then it becomes quiet easy thereafter. A set procedure will make a huge difference. A lot of factors that can be attributed to service marketing, that makes gives it a winning edge. Services have a special angle to it as they can never be stored for future consumption. It has to be used then and there. Thus service is produced and consumed at the same time. Perishable in nature services need to be utilized when it is produced. Marketing of services needs a lot of other contributing factor. Say for instance, if you are marketing a product, only the product needs to be good. If the product is good then people will go for it without any further questioning. On the other hand service marketing needs a lot of attractive features such as the company that renders service should be well known in the market. The person who is undertaking the responsibil ity to deliver the service should also be good and impressive. Only then the service will be sought after. The distinct nature of service marketing It is the service industry that needs more of marketing than that of the product manufacturing. Hence service marketing is more important aspect of the business. People need to get the name of

Managed healthcare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managed healthcare - Research Paper Example errors have been attributed to various factors including miscommunication, bad handwriting, and confusion in names, poor packaging, and other dosing unit errors. In most cases, the errors occur because of several complex factors throughout the health care system generated by both healthcare providers and patients. For example, we all have, at one time or another scratched our heads trying to figure out what a physician wrote on the prescription note. In this regards, the health information technological systems (HIT) have been introduced into the clinical setting to prevent and minimize medication errors occurrence but the menace â€Å"medication errors† still remains as a major problem and a danger to patient’s safety in the clinical care setting. One great milestone in the health care delivery and management system was the introduction of health information technology (HIT) to clinical care setting. An example of such solutions is the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, which has marked a great milestone in healthcare delivery. Despite such improvements, statistics still indicate a worrying trend in medication error incidents (Chaudhry et al., 2006). Looking at a report by CDC in 2010, it showed that more thanâ€Å"700,000 emergency department visits and 120,000 hospitalizations were due to adverse drug events (ADEs) annually†. In 2005, the report given by CDC on death and hospital mortality rates indicated medication errors as the sixth leading cause of patient mortality, eight years down the line in 2013, medication errors was identified as the third leading cause of patient mortality (CDC, 2005, 2013). This can be attributed to lack guidelines, measures and policies to enhance the utilization of the s ystems as well as lack of the relevant information of the associated benefits with HIT systems utilization. Medication errors is a current issue in healthcare delivery and management that needs to be addressed with great care and concern. The

Discourse Analysis of Trumps North Korea Interactions

Discourse Analysis of Trumps North Korea Interactions The projection of power in United States-North Korea contemporary interactions Introduction Language has an essential role in the projection of political power (Foucault in Pitsoe and Letseka, 2012). Besides being an instrument for communication, it also serves as a tool for projecting power, (Bordieu, 1977), portraying certain image to the audience and turning the publics attention to particular matters (Behr, Iyengar and Cohen cited in Sirin and Villalobos, 2018). Also, language can be a tool for power to realize what it is known as the ‘holding of common sense’ (Jones and  Wareing, 1999, p. 34), so as to convey certain ideology to the extent of it being voluntarily considered by the public as part of shared system of principles, what Fairclough calls ‘the manufacture of consent’ (2001, p. 3). Already a controversial public figure, Donald Trump, since the very beginning of his mandate, has been known for his contentious discourse. His inaugural speech showed the first signs of the ‘rhetorical rift’ (Sirin and Villalobos, 2018) from his predecessor, whose positive rhetoric greatly differs from Trumps negative and sharp statements. Even though it is not rare seeing Trump explicitly addressing other countries in a discrediting way (Watkins and Phillip, 2018) and despite the fact that US-North Korean relations have been tense since the Cold War (IBP USA, 2005), new forms of communication, combined with the new US presidents fondness of public attention, among other factors, have generated a tug-of-war situation around such risky issues as international security. The aim of this essay, thus, is to analyse how power is being projected in US-North Korea interactions through discourse analysis. In terms of methodology, several texts will be studied. Speeches pronounced by US President Donald Trump and North Korean government statements have been chosen for this matter. Prior to our analysis, it is important to address the fact that North Korea public communication features a high level of censorship, scoring the last place in the Reporters without Borders â€Å"2017 World Press Freedom Index† (Reporters Without Borders, 2017). Regarding texts issued by the United States side, the sources consulted have official status (The White House and Donald Trumps official Twitter) but the Government of North Korea does not have an open-access official website in English. For this reason, the only primary source is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea: Rodong Sunmun. In terms of the procedure, the essay will be focused firstly on a general study of the elements of communication; secondly, it will consider grammar analysis; and thirdly, as pects related to the lexical level will be addressed. This way, the projection of power will be assessed through these elements following a Critical Discourse Analysis model, as according to Simpson and Mayr ‘it is the most comprehensive attempt to develop a theory of the interconnectedness of discourse, power, ideology and social structure’ (2010, p. 51). Discourse Analysis Elements of communication For this section, we will use, among others, the Jakobson criteria model presented in Barbara Johnstones book Discourse Analysis (Jakobson in Johnstone, 2002, p.220), which includes an ‘addresser’, an ‘addressee’ and ‘message’. In the first speech presented, Remarks by President Trump to the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Trump, 2017) these components will play a very important role. The addresser is Donald Trump in the sense that he is the direct source. However, in the first line, he states that ‘it is a profound honor to stand here in my home city, as a representative of the American people, to address the people of the world.’ (Trump, 2017). This is the first sign of power projection: with this statement, Trump is implying that everything he will mention comes not only from him but is also endorsed by the people in his country. In other words, his message is not personal; it comes from the United States to the world and, indirectly, to North Korea. This is not the case with State of the Union Speech, as it is targeted at the United States in particular and not at an international organization as the United Nations. Thus, due to the different nature of both communications, both messages will have different repercussions in terms of projection of power as there is an increase in legitimacy by including addressees in the message (Johnstone, 2002, p.46). In the case of North Korea examples, we see that Kim Jong-Un himself is hardly ever the person who directly conveys the message but a government official. In the first example, the addresser is the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nonetheless, in the other selected text, he is the one to deliver the response to Trump’s speech in the Office of the United Nations, fact which could be considered as a way to project power itself, as he only speaks in very rare occasions (Smith, 2017) and this is one of them. Regarding the addressee, it is important to underline that there are some differences in terms of direct referencing. North Koreas discourse displays direct explicit references of the United States. In Trump speeches, however, this is highly dependent on the context where the discourse takes place. While speeches thought to be delivered in an international scenario, such as the one pronounced in the Office of the United Nations, feature a more serious rhetoric, it is not uncommon to find direct descriptions, like Rocket Man in communications coming directly from Trump in more informal contexts or channels of communication, such as Twitter. On the other hand, as stated before, North Korea lacks this individual dimension as statements hardly ever come from its leader himself. It terms of projection of power, this clearly states a difference: Donald Trump is a public figure, as the president of the United States but also, as an individual persona with his own opinions. Kim Jong-Un, on t he other hand, not only is not separated from his position (he does not have a private channel of communication) but does not appear in the public international scenario. This way, an image of unreachability is portrayed, as if he did not participate directly in this issue.  Ã‚   Finally, the channel of communication is also worth mentioning. Donald Trump is an avid Twitter user (36,900 tweets) (Trump, 2018b), which can be used not only as a way of communication but also as a way of portraying influence. The very same act of communicating by social media has a strong connotation in terms of projecting power. In the first place, due to its spontaneous nature, this tool enables to reach a high number of people (Sirin and Villalobos, 2008) in seconds. Most importantly, ‘joint discourse activitycreates and affirmed shared membership in a community of practice’ (Wenger in Johnstone, 2002, p.116). Twitter has its own textual conventions. Due to its capacity of reach the public and the brevity of the messages, language tends to be direct and informal. Even though political discourse is ‘highly stylized and predictable most of the time’ (Edelman in Lim, 2008, p. 4), it is highly noticeable how Trumps discourse through social media is nowhere near traditional presidential rhetoric and his remarks feature almost bantering language. We can see this in the well-known nuclear button tweet, where he states that his button ‘is bigger than the North Korean leaders’ (Trump, 2018b). It would be relevant to think that this is part of a political strategy in the sense that power can be projected by highly intellectual rhetoric but also by disregarding the formality aspect expected taking into account the type of interaction (Fairclough, 2001). In simpler words, informal language could be used to downplay North Korean threats. On the other hand, North Koreas official channel of communication is a perfect example of one of Faircloughs ideas. He supports that the access to discourse itself is as much of a good as economic wealth (Fairclough, 2001). If one were to access the Korea Central News Agency, it would be impossible to find much information, as access is highly restricted and the system does not allow to search for more than a couple of statements if subscription is not paid. Thus, the channel of communication is this case is a tool for projecting power by not providing information, being the exact opposite of Trumps case.   Grammar Agency in voices In the first place, we are going to analyse these texts in terms of grammar as ‘grammatical and semantic forms can be used as ideological instruments’ (Fowler et al. cited in Simpson and Mayr, 2010, p. 50). To start with, our study will focus on agency. Agency is expressed in grammar through the use of the passive or the active voice as this is a way to determine which participants are actors and which ones are the recipients of the action. One significant trait of the selected extracts from Trump is the lack of use of passive voice except for two cases which will be later addressed. We can see that in ‘Authority and authoritarian powers seek to collapse the values, the systems, and alliances that prevented conflict’ (Trump, 2018a), where the fact that North Korea (or authoritarian regimes) is trying to end with the current state of peace is stated indirectly. Also Trump is making an implicit reference, which can be used in political discourse as a way to ev ade responsibility (Simpson and Mayr, 2010, p.43). We find another example in this same text: ‘no regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea’. Again, the regime is the main actor through the use of personalization and the use of active voice. There is a change of meaning between ‘citizens have been oppressed by the regime’ and ‘the regime has oppressed the citizens’ as the centre of the action has been shifted. However, it is significant to point out that the passive voice is used twice in the extract related to North Korea in the State of the Union speech (Trump, 2018a) and it is when Trump tells the story of a North Korean defector (‘he was tortured by North Korean authorities’ and ‘his father was caught trying to escape’). In this part of the speech, the centre of the action has shifted through the use of passive voice and it is not the North Korean regi me anymore but the defector. We can see how here the human factor is what is important, appealing to the more emotional aspect by making this defector the passive subject of the sentence. There are similar strategies in North Korean’s response. While the majority of sentences in the text are introduced by verbs in active voice, there are some cases where subjects have been changed into objects. We can see this in ‘the prevailing serious circumstances, in which the situation on the Korean peninsula has been rendered tense as never before’ (The New York Times, 2017). The agent is unknown, which can be, according to Johnstone, due to the fact that it is ‘unknown,  obvious  or  unimportant’ as well as a way of hiding  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœan  agent  who  is  known’ (2002, p. 46). However, although the attempt to conceal the agent could be argued, it is noticeable that the same verb (to render) has been used just a line below (‘Trump has rendered the world restless through threats and blackmail against all countries in the world’), this time in active voice, with a clear agent, establishing thus a direct link between the existing tension and the President’s actions. There is a similar case: ‘Should the Korean peninsula and the world be embroiled in the crucible of nuclear war because of the reckless nuclear war mania of the U.S.’ (Rodong News Team, 2017), where the use of the passive voice and the verb â€Å"embroil† suggest that this situation is almost circumstantial, as neither Korea nor the world would be taking part in this conflict and would find themselves in the middle of a war. Agency in pronouns As Fairclough mentions, pronouns in English can establish different relations (2001). In Trumps statements, it is worth noting that the first person of the plural form appears throughout the whole text (i.e. ‘our military will soon be the strongest’ or ‘the scourge of our planet’). The sentence ‘I intend to address some of the very serious threats before us today’, which belongs to the United Nations speech, is particularly revealing. With this statement, Trump is essentially conveying that North Korean threat is not only an attack to his country, but the addressees as well: this matter involves the world and not just one nation. However, it is also important to point out that the use of the pronoun â€Å"we†, especially as inclusive, can be used to ‘obscure responsibility and agency’ and a method to ‘share responsibilities’ (Simpson and Mayr, 2010, p. 44). In this case, taking into consideration that the address ee is the United Nations and that Donald Trump does not usually hide his intentions towards North Korea, it would be more appropriate to think that he is trying to convey a message of unity against this country, an attempt to engage the rest of nations, instead of aiming at concealing his opinions. In consequence, by using this pronoun, power has shifted, as now it would not be US against North Korea but North Korea against the United Nations. Unlike Trumps statement at the United Nations, Kim Jong-Un response contains just one inclusive pronoun. As it has been mentioned, it is very rare that the Korean leader himself delivers a speech personally. Nonetheless, he is the direct addresser in this response and he shows it by always using the pronoun I. This way, Kim Jong-Un’s statement is portrayed as a reaction to a personal attack. Trumps words were not only targeted at North Korea but his leader himself. Thus, the figure of the leader, already very prominent in this nation, is even more enhanced. Power, in this case, is portrayed by focusing the interaction solely on one (or two, with Trump) participants. Lexical aspects We have also regarded the analysis of vocabulary as something very relevant, as ‘choices about naming and wording deciding what to call something can constitute a claim about it’ (Johnstone, 2002, p. 46) In this regard, we will consider referencing and metaphors. In other words, we will focus in the way each participant refers to the other. It is usual to find implicit referencing to North Korea in Trump’s discourse and many times this is done using metaphors, which are well-known to the public such as the famous ‘fire and fury’ (NBC News, 2017). In the selected texts, we can find that Trump talks about authoritarian regimes as ‘the scourge of our planet’ (Trump, 2017) without mentioning directly North Korea. However, he mentions it a line below as a way of example. This strategy appears in Johnstone’s book Discourse Analysis under the name of â€Å"presupposition†, where the public is ‘delivering information implicitl y and leaving it to the hearer to deduce meaning and make assumptions’ (Johnstone, 2002, p.43). The same strategy is used the same text: ‘if the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph’. In this case, he refers to these regimes (and, ultimately, North Korea) as â€Å"wicked† but, more importantly, he is implicitly referring with the word â€Å"righteous† not only to himself, as taking into account that this speech is pronounced at the United Nations, this serves as an appeal to engage for the rest of countries.    Lastly, in his speech for the State of the Union of 2018, several references are made through metaphors which are related to the idea of North Korea being a nation deprived from freedom. We can see that in the final part, where Trump tells the story of a North Korean defector, is a metaphor itself. This is becomes clear in the final sentence he states saying that Seong-hos tale is a ‘testament to the yearning of every human soul to live in freedom’. Regarding North Korea, Kim Jong-Un’s use of metaphors is also quite relevant. In the response speech (The New York Times, 2017), a constant metaphor exists in which the North Korean leader associates Trump with an animal, specifically, a dog. We can see that in the idiomatic sentence ‘a frightened dog barks louder’. This implicit reference becomes explicit at the end of the speech, (‘I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire’), through the use of the verb â€Å"to tame† which, according to the Oxford Dictionary online, means ‘make less powerful and easier to control’ but also ‘to domesticate (an animal)’. He also uses the expression ‘with fire’, retaking Trump’s statement (‘fire and fury’), which could be considered as a response. Also in this speech, we can see that, while he refers to himself as ‘a man representing the DPRK’, appealing to the â€Å"Democratic† in ‘Democratic Popular Korean Republic’ he calls Trump ‘the man holding the prerogative of the supreme command in the US’, appealing to the fact that he is the sole person holding the power. In terms of projection of power, metaphors are an essential part of political discourse as they can ‘change the addressee’s perspective on the referent or topic that is the target of the metaphor, by making the addressee look at it from a different conceptual domain or space’ (Steen, 2008, p.22) and ‘an important means of conceptualizing political issues and constructing world views’ (Charteris-Black, 2004, p. 48). In this case, we can state that they are a resource to engrain in public opinion a certain association so the audience can identify an idea with a concept belonging to their reality, which Simpson and Mayr refer to as â€Å"target domain† and â€Å"source domain† respectively (2010, p.43). Conclusions From our analysis we can conclude that power is being portrayed in the language of North Korea-US interactions in different ways: in the first place, by an increase of legitimacy on the part of Donald Trump by including the American people and the United Nations as addressers. Secondly, by making explicit references. We see a change in the language of Donald Trump in cases where the addressees differ. While in an international context, references are more implicit, we see an â€Å"explicitation† process when the speech is pronounced at a national event or come through a personal way channel of communication. Thirdly, by restricting access to information. Finding official statements made by Donald Trump is much easier than finding North Korean official sources. Information from this country, thus, would be reserved only to a few people. In this regard, the exposure to the public is also relevant. The North Korean leader does not appear usually in the media which, on the one hand, portrays an image of unreachability and, on the other, increases the importance of the occasions when he does. Fourthly, by the position of agency through the use of active and voice and pronouns. Shifting agency is useful when portraying to the audience who does what. Lastly, through the use of metaphors, also present on both sides. While Trump intends to lead the public to assumptions and evoke the emotional side of the story, Kim Jong-Un uses this resource for the portrayal of authority downplaying Trump’s and this, establishing an asymmetrical relation of power. As Simpson and Mayr state (2010, p.4) ‘language is influenced by ideology’. By analysing the elements studied in this essay, it can be said that ideology can also be affected by language. In the case of United States-North Korean interactions, where current events keep changing the international scenario and taking into account that ‘discourse is one of the principal activities through which ideology is circulated and reproduced’ (Foucault in Johnstone, 2002, p.45), it will be relevant to keep observing both countries’ discourse from the projection of power perspective.    Bibliography Bourdieu, P. (1977)  Outline  of  a  theory  of  practice. Cambridge: Cambridge  University  Press   Charteris-Black, J. (2004) Corpus Approaches to Critical Metaphor Analysis. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave. Macmillan Fairclough, N. (2001)  Language  and  power. 2nd edition. London: Longman IBP USA (2005) Us Korea North Political and Economic Relations Handbook. Washington DC: International Business Publications. Johnstone,  B. (2002)  Discourse  Analysis.  Oxford:  Blackwell   Jones, J., S. Wareing (1999) Language and politics. In: Thomas, L. and S. Wareing. eds. Language, society and power. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 31-47. Lim, E.T. (2008)  The  anti-intellectual presidency. New York: Oxford University Press   NBC News (2017) Donald Trump: North Korea Will Be Met With Fire And Fury [online]. Available from: Youtube [accessed 3 February 2017] Pitsoe, V.   M.,  Letseka  (2012)  Foucault’s Discourse and Power: Implications for Classroom Management. Open Journal of Philosophy, 3(1), pp. 23-28 Reporters without Borders (2017) 2017 World Press Freedom Index. Reporters Without Borders [online], 26 April. Available from: https://rsf.org/en/ranking {accessed 1 February 2018] Rodong News Team, (2017) FM Spokesman on Planned Joint Aerial Drill by U.S. and S. Korea. Rodong Sinmun [online], 5 December. Available from: [accessed 31 January 2018] Semino, E. (2008): Metaphor in Discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Simpson, P., A. Mayr (2010) Language and power: A resource book for students. London: Routledge Sirin, C. and Villalobos, J. (2018)  Rhetoric,  Public  Politics, and Security. In: Conley, R. ed.  Presidential  Leadership  and  National  Security:  The  Obama  Legacy  and Trump  Trajectory. New York: Routledge, pp. 19-42   Smith, M. (2017) Kim Jong-Un calls Trumps UN speech declaration of war and brands US president mentally deranged in rare speech. The Daily Mirror [online], 21 September. Available from: [accessed 3 February 2018] Steen, G.J. (2008) The paradox of metaphor: â€Å"Why we need a three-dimensional model for metaphor† in Metaphor & Symbol 23(4), 213-241. The New York Times (2017) Full Text of Kim Jong-un’s Response to President Trump. The New York Times [online], 22 September. Available from: [accessed 27 January 2018] Trump, D. (2018a) President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address. Capitol Building, Washington, 31 January. Trump, D. (2017) Remarks by President Trump to the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Office of the United Nations in New York, 19 September. Trump, D. (2018b) 2 January. Available at: [accessed: 23 January] Watkins, E., A. Phillip (2018) Trump decries immigrants from shithole countries coming to US. CNN [online] , 12 January. Available from: [accessed 5 February 2018]

Oh the Possibilities! :: Teachers Teaching Education Essays

Oh the Possibilities! Whether we know it or not, throughout life many people mold and shape our lives. These are the people that make us who we are today. I am simply talking about one person in particular, a teacher. Teachers’ change lives every day without even sometimes realizing it. Erich Fromm said it best when he stated, â€Å"Education is helping the child realize his potentialities.† Knowing that I could have a positive effect on a child’s life is the main reason for my teaching career. In this paper, I will explain why I want to teach, my educational goals, and the philosophy that I will use during my teaching career. From my grade school years, I had always thought of being a pediatrician. Even during my senior year while filling out my college application, my major would be Pre-Med Biology. However, it was during that same year that I started teaching for the Wednesday night youth group at my church. Although it was very informal teaching, I knew that I had a knack for it. I also started teaching 5 ladies piano lessons during my senior year. One by one, they would tell me how wonderful I would be at teaching. But I will still very unsure about the whole idea. After that year of teaching, I knew that teaching was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Education plays a vital role in our society. Becoming a teacher is not a fashionable choice by our society, but it is crucial. Many people claim that the teaching profession doesn’t pay enough and are quickly unenthusiastic to enter the field. Is changing the life of one child at a time not enough? Another common misconception the public has about teaching is that bright people should enter another profession. When I finally decided that teaching was what I wanted to do with my life, I was told so many times that I needed to do something that would benefit my life. I was too smart to be a teacher. My reply was always, â€Å"Who taught the doctor the human anatomy?† Who taught the lawyer about the ways of the law? Oh the Possibilities! :: Teachers Teaching Education Essays Oh the Possibilities! Whether we know it or not, throughout life many people mold and shape our lives. These are the people that make us who we are today. I am simply talking about one person in particular, a teacher. Teachers’ change lives every day without even sometimes realizing it. Erich Fromm said it best when he stated, â€Å"Education is helping the child realize his potentialities.† Knowing that I could have a positive effect on a child’s life is the main reason for my teaching career. In this paper, I will explain why I want to teach, my educational goals, and the philosophy that I will use during my teaching career. From my grade school years, I had always thought of being a pediatrician. Even during my senior year while filling out my college application, my major would be Pre-Med Biology. However, it was during that same year that I started teaching for the Wednesday night youth group at my church. Although it was very informal teaching, I knew that I had a knack for it. I also started teaching 5 ladies piano lessons during my senior year. One by one, they would tell me how wonderful I would be at teaching. But I will still very unsure about the whole idea. After that year of teaching, I knew that teaching was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Education plays a vital role in our society. Becoming a teacher is not a fashionable choice by our society, but it is crucial. Many people claim that the teaching profession doesn’t pay enough and are quickly unenthusiastic to enter the field. Is changing the life of one child at a time not enough? Another common misconception the public has about teaching is that bright people should enter another profession. When I finally decided that teaching was what I wanted to do with my life, I was told so many times that I needed to do something that would benefit my life. I was too smart to be a teacher. My reply was always, â€Å"Who taught the doctor the human anatomy?† Who taught the lawyer about the ways of the law?

Inclusive Education Essay

This report details the role of educational inclusion, individual and general perspectives on inclusion and how the medical and social models have played a great part in the conception and in its application in regards to inclusion in the past and in recent times. Inclusion has different conception and used in certain terminology that relates to inclusion. It is used in different settings such as in social care and in the educational setting in the society today. In this report I will be focusing on the educational part. The Encarta English Dictionary defines inclusion as the addition of somebody or something to the rest of a whole. This definition has not specified who is to be included but a person or group being part and accepted by the rest of a whole. Inclusion have been defined and interpreted by many as just the integration of children with special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream school. According to (Rigby 2000) these kinds of misconception and viewpoints often lead to the misunderstanding and maltreatment in such a way that it creates room for continuous labelling, bulling and rejection by others without SEN. The term Inclusion according to (The Warnock 1978 Report) was initially used as integration, whereby children with SEN who have been educated in special schools where integrated into mainstream school provided they did not have any effect on adequate use of resources. The definition of inclusion is actually changing and moving, in the sense that, its concept and dynamism is now broader, people are now beginning to fully understand what it means and what it evolve in the society today. It is not just about people with special needs integrating or having the same capabilities to perform but having equal choices on where is more conducive they choose to live, having equal opportunity to engage in whatever they choose to do and being accepted the way they are (Giangreco 1997). Social Inclusion/ Social Exclusion There are no definite definitions for social inclusion and social exclusion, both of them has multiply definitions, it all depends on the context which it is used for and is still being developed. Exclusion can be defined as the act of excluding, or of shutting out, whether by thrusting out or by preventing admission; a debarring; rejection; prohibition; the state of being excluded (Inc Icon Group International 2008). According to the definition above, it indicates that social exclusion is multidimensional; people are not only excluded in the society because of their age, sex, religion, colour, disabilities, race and gender it can also be due to unemployment, homelessness, low income, poor mental health, locality, dysfunctional family, educational achievement, status in the society etc (SEU 2004). This group of people are said to be in a Cycle of Disadvantage ( Pope, Pratt and Hoyle, 1986). Article (136 and 137) of The (1997) Amsterdam Treaty was enacted in order to eliminate exclusion and promote economic and social cohesion. Social inclusion promotes integration and community cohesion, it builds the communities, promotes understanding and unity. Inclusive Education and Government Legislation According to (The 1944 Educational Act) it initially stated that, children’s education should be based on their age, aptitude and ability. During the Act establishment, there was a philosophy that children with special need were to be able fit in the school rather than the school making provision to accommodate them before gaining admission into the mainstream school. The (1944 Act) was in use until 1974, when the Warnock Committee was set up to review the provision that was available for children with Special Educational Need. This committee which was headed by Mary Warnock lead to the publication of the 1978 Warnock Report. The Report concluded that, they were about 20% of children in school population that might have Special Education Need and only 2% of which may require support in the mainstream school. The Warnock Report suggested that there should be a proper provision in place for children with Special Educational Need, which then will ensure that the 2% in mainstream school received the adequate provision. The 1978 Warnock Report had since lead to the enactment and development of various educations Act such as, (1981Education Act), (1993 Education Act), (1996 education Act) and the (2001 Special Educational Needs & Disability Act) All these Acts listed above reinforces government’s dedication and commitment to the fully inclusion of children with Special Education Needs into mainstream school and the society as a whole. Inclusive Education and Autism  Abraham Maslow formed a theory on ones personality that has a great influence on education. In his theory of human need, he emphasized that, the student with education need that has a wish or desire to belong to a normal group, that desire creates the motivation to acquire new skills, which the student can only achieve in a learning environment that is void of segregation. He further argued that the sense of belonging is the foundational need that that needs to be met in order to achieve the higher level self actualization. According to (Article 28) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it stated that every child has a right to education. No child should be discriminated, excluded or deprived on the basis of belonging to a particular group. Therefore Inclusive education can be defined as the integration of adults or children into mainstream school regardless their gender, age, disabilities, ethnicity, colour or impairment (Daniels and Garner 2000). Children with hidden disabilities like autism, which is a life time disability that affects the way a child communicates and interact within the society, are faced with difficulties of being fully included into mainstream school. Prior to the development of the Special Need Education, children with autistic spectrum were viewed under two models of disabilities, Medical or Social Model. These are ways how people viewed and acted towards people with disabilities. The Medical Model of Disability sees the illness in the person first and the individual second, this notion creates a bad and negative conception of disability (Cigman 2007). The Social Model of Disability sees the disable person first before their illness. This model sees the person as an individual, different and unique, who has an equal rights and opportunities to education and other essentials of life. The model recognises the fact that a disable person’s impairment does not regard him or her less than anyone else in the society.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling Before the beginning of American public schools in the mid-19th century, home schooling was the norm. Founding father John Adams encouraged his spouse to educate their children while he was on diplomatic missions (Clark, 1994). By the 1840's instruction books for the home were becoming popular in the United States and Britain. The difficulty of traveling to the system of community schools was provoking detractors.At this time, most of the country began moving toward public schools (Clark, 1994). One of the first things early pioneers did was set aside a plot of land to build a school house and try to recruit the most educated resident to be the schoolmarm. This led to recruiting of graduates Eastern Seaboard colleges to further the education oftheir children beyond what they could do at home (Clark, 1994).As the popularity of the public school movement began to rise behind Horace Mann many states soon passed compulsory-education laws.Champ Clark at Sea Gert [i.e., Girt] (LOC)These w ere designed primarily to prevent farmers, miners, and other parents form keeping their kids home to work (Clark, 1994). Ironically another factor behind public schools was the desire to use them to spread Christian morality, with its concern for the larger good over individualism (Clark, 1994). Massachusetts enacted the first such laws in 1852 requiring children ages 8-14 to be at school at least 12 weeks a year unless they were too poor. The laws proved to be effective, from 1870-1898 the number of children enrolling in the public schools outpaced the population growth.Except for certain religious sects and correspondence schools home schooling remained limited for most of the 20th century. During the 1960's the hippie counterculture exploded into the scene. This culture led a revolt against the education establishment. Thousands of young Americans began dropping out of society and going back to...

What to Do With Your PSAT Scores

What to Do With Your PSAT Scores SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve taken the PSAT and gotten your score report, but what’s next? This is a guide as to how to interpret and use your PSAT score to help you prepare for the SAT. Read on to make the most of your PSAT score. Interpreting Your PSAT Scores On your PSAT score report, you will get scores for each section and an overall composite score. On the â€Å"old† PSAT (any PSAT taken during the 2014-15 school year and earlier), the test is scored out of 240 total points, with Critical Reading, Writing, and Math each being worth 80 points (notice that this matches with the current 2400 SAT scoring system). The scores on the new PSAT (which will start being given during the 2015-2016 year) will be matched up with the New SAT (which is scored out of 1600) and scored between 320 and 1520 – 160-760 for Math, and 160-760 for Reading and Writing combined. Your PSAT score is designed to predict your actual SAT score, so if you get a 1300 PSAT that means you are predicted to get around a 1300 SAT. (The PSAT scale doesn't go up to a perfect 1600 since the SAT is harder than the PSAT. So even if you score very high on the PSAT you won't necessarily be set up to get a perfect 1600 on the SAT, though you will be predicted to get a very high score.) You also get subscores for Math, Reading, and Writing so you can see which subsections you are best at. You will also get score ranges on the report – these are meant to show the extent your score could change with repeated testing. Keep in mind these ranges are just estimates, so don’t think that you can’t get a higher score than the top of your score range on the real SAT. Also don’t assume that you won’t score any lower than your predicted ranges. Furthermore, your predicted SAT score is also an estimate, and certainly not set in stone. Your actual SAT score will depend on numerous factors, including how much you study and how much more difficult the real SAT is. What You Can Learn from Score Comparisons Your PSAT score report will also include a number of score comparisons to put your score in context. These comparisons are a lot more helpful than just comparing your PSAT score report with your friends' reports (as exhilarating as that can be). For all you know, your school could have PSAT scores well below or above the national average. First, the score report will show the average scores that other test-takers got nationwide per grade. According to College Board, if you’re at the average score or higher, you’re on track to develop the reading, writing, and math skills you’ll need in college. College Board also includes benchmarks for each section. These are scores you should meet or exceed to be considered on track for college. (College Board doesn’t specify what happens if the average score is lower than the benchmarks they set. Likely the benchmark should take precedent over the score average, since the average is dependent on the students who take the test. So if you score above the average but are still below the college-readiness benchmark, assume you need to put in more work to be considered on track for college.) Percentiles are also given for each section, comparing you to others in your grade. For example, if you are in the 70th percentile in the Reading section, you scored higher than 70% of other students in your grade on this section. These comparisons are a good measure of your overall progress and ability, and can help you spot any potential red flags. For example, if you’re above the 90th percentile for Reading and Writing but at the 50th percentile for Math, you know that you will have the most work to do in the Math section when you study for the SAT. It might also be a cue to work harder in math class. But keep in mind it’s more important to meet your own SAT goals (like a score high enough for your top school) than to be at the top of the percentile charts. How College Board’s Tools Can Help You Study Part of the PSAT’s purpose is to help students get introduced to the SAT in a low-stress context and learn about their skills and weaknesses on the SAT. College Board is trying to expand this by creating a more detailed online score report for the new PSAT. It will include performance summaries for each section, insights into strengths and weaknesses grouped by content area and level of difficulty, and a scanned copy of your essay so you can evaluate your performance. The old score reports had many of these elements, including breaking down sections into concepts and reporting how many questions you got right for each. But they didn't expressly analyze your strengths and weaknesses, include detailed percentile rankings, or include your essay. College Board is also adding additional resources. One of these is a partnership with Khan Academy, that will give students targeted SAT practice based on their PSAT performance. They are also adding a feature that predicts your readiness for AP courses, and even a personality profiler to help you explore college majors and careers. How You Can Go Further to Prepare for the SAT As we've discussed, your PSAT report gives you tons of valuable data about how you are shaping up to do on the SAT. But now that you have the report, you can use more than just College Board's tools. Come up with a personal target SAT score, create a plan, and study until you're positive you'll achieve your target score. By doing that, you can get an SAT score that will help you get into your top schools. Does that seem a bit ambitious? We'll take it step by step. First, Know Your Goal You can't hit the target if it doesn't exist! While College Board analyzes your PSAT score in detail, before you start studying for the real SAT, it’s important to have an end goal in mind. There is a huge difference between going from a 1300 PSAT to a 1400 SAT than a 1300 PSAT to a 1600 SAT. So how do you know your SAT target score? Based on the score ranges of the most competitive schools you want to get into. We have a detailed guide to coming up with your SAT target score based on your top colleges. You might also base your target score off scholarship score cut-offs at state schools. Once you have your goal in mind, you can determine how long you need to study and schedule your study plan. For example, if you decide you need to study 40 hours, will you study for 4 hours a week for 10 weeks or 10 hours a week for a month? Actionables from this section: set your SAT target score, determine the length of time you’ll study. Second, Analyze Your Weaknesses and Strengths Before you begin to study, you also need to know where your strong points are and where you’re weak. The PSAT does a good amount of this for you on the score report by analyzing the problems you got wrong. However, it doesn’t tell you why you got certain problems wrong – for example, you may see you missed 3 Pre-Algebra problems, but the score report can’t explain why you got them wrong. Did you completely misunderstand the questions or were you going too fast and making silly mistakes? The why is what you’ll get at as you start studying. We recommend grabbing a notebook and making an initial inventory of your strengths and weaknesses based on the PSAT score report. As you start doing SAT practice problems and tests, expand on this list and add detail as to why you’re getting problems wrong and what you need to do to fix your mistakes. The goal is to shrink your list of weaknesses as you study. Remember – don’t just study until you can get something right, study it until you’re positive you can’t get it wrong. Actionables from this section: create your â€Å"weakness† notebook based on your PSAT report. Third, Gather Resources to Study Of course, you can’t study for the SAT with your PSAT score report alone. An easy place to start is the free online resources from the SAT, like the Khan Academy program we described above. You can also check out other free, online resources we have gathered for studying, as well as SAT practice tests you can access online. We also have a study guide for the new SAT, and tips for studying vocabulary on the new SAT. But websites alone might not cut it. Check out our advice on the best SAT prep books on the market, including math-specific prep books. Remember to keep the "quality over quantity" rule in mind. Don't spend time finding 15 different resources if you're only going to use a few of them. Finally, if you're considering a formal preparation program, we highly recommend our PrepScholar program – not just because it’s ours, but because it was created by experts. We truly believe it’s the best test preparation service on the market. Actionables from this section: determine which study tools you’ll use and gather them. Remember: The PSAT Is Just Your Starting Point Your PSAT performance will give you some great data on how you are shaping up to do on the SAT. From detailed section performance breakdowns to your final predicted SAT score, the PSAT gives you a lot of info about your potential SAAT performance. However, the main reason to take the PSAT is to practice for the SAT. Just because you’ve taken the PSAT, don’t underestimate the SAT itself, which is longer and more difficult. Full practice tests should be part of your study regimen. Also, do not assume your PSAT score dictates your eventual SAT score! It’s more than possible to outscore your PSAT on the real SAT if you study. It’s also more than possible to score lower than your PSAT if you don’t study enough. Use your PSAT score as just one tool as you move into serious studying for the SAT. Used correctly, it can be a very helpful tool. What’s Next? Get a complete guide to the new 2015-16 PSAT, a practice test for the new PSAT, and a guide to the new SAT in 2016. If you’re in the class of 2017, you’re probably wondering whether you should take the old or new SAT. Get an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of each possibility here. If you want to compare the percentiles on your PSAT report with actual SAT scores, check out our guide to SAT percentile ranks. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: