Ing Vysya Bank Essay Example for Free

Ing Vysya Bank Essay Banking system of a nation is the shadow of nation’s economy. A healthy and profitable banking system is just like the backbone of nation’s economy. It is necessary for a nation to achieve growth and remain stable in this global world and global economy. The Indian banking system, with one of the largest banking networks in the world, has witnessed a series of reforms over the past few years like the deregulation of interest rates, dilution of the government stake in public sector banks (PSBs) and the increased participation of private sector banks. History of Banking System Banking in the modern sense of the word can be traced to medieval and early Renaissance Italy, to the rich cities in the north like Florence, Venice and Genoa. Origin of the word The word bank was borrowed in Middle English from Middle French banque, from Old Italian banca, from Old High German banc, bank bench, counter. Benches were used as desks or exchange counters during the Renaissance by Florentine bankers, who used to make their transactions atop desks covered by green tablecloths. One of the oldest items found showing money-changing activity is a silver Greek drachm coins. Its performance is getting better year by year. It has been crossing a new lap at every year. ING Vysya Bank has a wide variety of products and services which it offers to its customers. The main customer segment belongs to middle age group. It belongs to mainly business class and service class. Majority of the customers are satisfied with the services provided by the bank. Its major competitors include Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDBI Bank, Karur Vysya Bank and Dhanlakshmi Bank. In short, it can be said that the future of the bank is very bright and the bank is growing at a fast rate.

Search Theory in Employment Scenario

Search Theory in Employment Scenario Introduction There have been changes in technology over years with people appreciating and embracing the technological changes. This has been witnessed even in the job search sector with most jobs advertised online. The use of internet has not only made the work easier but issued an efficient and effective platform for job search. Job websites like Monster.com has enabled many to get information in relation to vacancies. This has made them apply and in the process develop their careers in an easier manner. The Search Theory supports the notion that information availability helps in the reduction of frictional unemployment among workers (Alper et al., 2013). According to Stevenson (2008), the use of internet has enabled workers to change jobs without huge unemployment spell. Based in these two readings, job search using internet is improving today’s workers prospects when it comes to employment.6 Search Theory This theory is about sellers and buyer who struggle to find a partner in commerce at the spot. The theory specifically aims in finding the optimal strategy when choosing from several opportunities. The assumption made in the choosing is that there is a cost related to not making the decision. The search theory helps in the identification of the balance between cost and value. The cost is in relation to delay while the value is as per the act of trying again (Alper et al., 2013). Application of Search Theory in Employment Scenario This is one of the most influential theories in the economics field as to date. This theory is normally used in the economics of labor to study unemployment and factors related to it. The kind of employment studied is normally those caused by the employees seeking jobs that they desire more. The theory holds that desirability of a given occupation depends on the values of the available alternatives minus the undesired act that is associated with the hunt. That is, Occupation Desirabity = Alternatives Value- Hunting Undesirability This simply means that the desire of a given occupation depends on the value of the alternative jobs and the undesired to hunt the jobs (Alper et al., 2013). The use of internet in the job search has improved the desire when it comes to occupations. This is because of the fact that it has improved the information in relation to the alternatives in the market. Internet also has reduced the undesirability that is related to job search. Internet is a friendly method that is cost effective and reliable making people to desire its use (Alper et al., 2013). Employment Prospect Improvement First, it allows the employee to search for the known distribution of the vacancies. The known distribution vacancies are the job vacancies that one is aware of their existence. The information in relation to their existence can be from a friend, colleague or print material. The use of internet will increase the chances of employment since it will provide additional information in relation to the vacancy. The information can be in terms of how to apply for the job or the requirements that needed for application or the qualifications (Autor, 2001). According to Jansen, Jansen, Spink (2005), the use of internet can improve the employee’s employment prospect enabling the search for ‘unknown jobs’. This gives us the second point of this section which is searching for the unknown vacancies. ‘Unknown jobs’ are the jobs that one didn’t know of their existence thus could look no information in relations to it. This is normally done through random search in the job advert sites and sees if there are any relevant jobs. The ‘unknown job search’ can also be done trough random access to websites or other sections including sending emails o friends and social media. Internet job search allows for the search of jobs in a randomized manner (Glover, 2009). Jobs are always posted in a daily basis in the job sites thus making it important for randomized job search in these sites. This increases the chances that the employee will get a better job or develop his or her career to the better. The last point in this sector will be that internet job search can enable one to get a better job. The changes can be in terms of increased payment, increased benefits, higher or the change of environments. Using internet to search for jobs can enable one learn if the place they work at is really to the standard. If not, one can take the action of going to the better place or occupation or industry. Getting a better job normally comes with satisfaction and thus one values him or herself which is the main reason for career development (Holzer, 1996). According to Windleton and Five O’clock Club, people do go to internet so as to see that they access and apply to better jobs or positions. This is from the fact that in the market there are different ranges of salaries that are offered. These regions may be divided into the sections of government, non- government and private organizations. Similarly, the requirements needed in a given position may differ in terms of level of compe tence, experience or qualification. The Internet and Job Search by Stevenson Majority of the people who use internet when searching for jobs normally get employed in the relevant sectors they want to (Stevenson, 2008). These employment sectors have also made it clear that the internet is the way to go since this are the areas that they advertise jobs. Internet has enabled the employees to identify and shift from job to job in an easy way. There are several ways to which this improves the employee’s employment prospects; these are discussed below. Employment Prospect Improvement First prospect is that the internet offers job options to the employee without looking for in several sources. The internet allows the employee to get access in relation to the vacancies at the sitting position. This makes the employee to not waste time walking or engaging in activities as he or she looks for vacancies. As any other source of media, the fact that it informs the employee is an act of awareness creation. This makes the employee informed of the surrounding and the job vacancies that are related to his or her career. Most of the employers have shifted and advertises their jobs online thus one can only access the information through use of internet. Employers also have shifted their mentality and prefer the use of emails when it comes to job application. This ensures that the application gets to the relevant authority in a short span of time. Email use for job application also helps in the ensuring reliability of the means (Green, 2010). Secondly, use of internet in job search shows that the employee is up to date with the changes in technology. Dynamicity of the work places is a reality and the employees prefer potential employers or employers to be able to use these technologies. For example, a marketing firm that uses online as a strategy of marketing will only prefer sales person who know how to use the internet (Onah and Nigeria, 1994). The fact that most people are educated and have similar qualification makes it relevant to appreciate an additional skill. This means that those with the information in relation to internet use have higher employment chances that those who don’t. Thirdly, the use of internet in job search is cheaper compare to other means thus cost effective. Internet use can be in a bus, at a place of work, in the garden or any other place. This allows the act of multi tasking thus saving time. Using internet to search for jobs allows one to look for a job without making frictions with the present employer. This is because the employee will look for the jobs while at the office in the free moments between the working hours. This develops the career of the employee at the place of work. The same time it makes the employee aware of the greener pastures and their availability (Bellante and Jackson, 1983). Fourthly, the use of internet for job search improves the employment prospect of an individual through increasing the engagement frequency. The internet allows for the employee to engage as much as he or she wants with the site as he or she search for jobs. This freedom of engagement makes the use of internet in job search become flexible. With flexibility, internet then turns to be the best choice since one can refer to a site as many times as he or she wants. The fifth point will be in terms of reliability of the internet in job search. Most organizations normally make their advertisements in the website so that makes it appropriate for one to search jobs in the website (Keifer and Neumann, 1979). Even the adverts that are normally in the print source are first put in the website before getting them to the print media. This makes the employee therefore to get first hand information. Reliability of the use of internet also goes together with its accessibility compared to other means . This makes accessibility the sixth point: since the internet can be used in 24 hours, no matter the place, it is more accessible. Accessibility of the internet makes it more effective and efficient since time is not wasted. The seventh point is that internet job search equips the employee with the information in relation to job characteristics. Internet job search enables one to know the culture of the firm thus able to see if he or she can fit. This is through the information that is normally given in the organizations website. The eighth point is that internet job search enable creation of personal network. This is normally done through the platforms like LinkedIn among others. Through these networks the employees can know what to expect in the organization in terms of salary and also the environment (Green, 2010). Conclusion The Search Theory has three points that supports that internet job search improves the employees of today prospects. The work by Stevenson (Dissertation) also gives more than seven points as evidence of the same. Using this two works, it is therefore clear that the use of internet in job search in this era increases the prospect of the employees. Work Cited Alpern, S., In Fokkink, R., In GaÃÅ'Â ¨sieniec, L., In Lindelauf, R., In Subrahmanian, V. S. (2013).Search theory: A game theoretic perspective. New York, NY: Springer. Stevenson B. (2008). The Internet and Job Search (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge. (Order No. 13886) Green, L. (2010).The internet: An introduction to new media. Oxford: Berg. Keifer, N., Neumann, G. (1979). An Empirical Job Search Model, with a Test of Constant Reservation Wage Hypothesis. Journal of Political Economy, 87 (1), 89-107 Bellante, D. and Jackson, M. ( 1983). Labor Economics: Choices in Labor Markets. New York: McGraw- Hill Autor, A. (2001). Writing the Labor Market. Journal of Economic Prospect, 15 (1), 25-40. Jansen, B., Jansen, K., Spink, A. (2005) Using the Web to Look for Work: Implication of Online Job Seeking and Recruiting. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 15(1), 49- 66. Holzer, H. (1996). What Employees Want: Job Prospects for Less- Educated Workers. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Glover, C. (2009).How to Use the Internet to Get Your Next Job. Atlanta: Atlantic Pub Co. Wendleton, K., Five OClock Club (New York, N.Y.). (2014).Shortcut your job search: Get meetings that get you the job. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Onah, F. E., Nigeria. (1994).Employment prospects and training needs for self-employment in Nigeria. Lagos: National Manpower Board.

Big Game Hunting Should be Allowed :: Benefits of Hunting

When a Minnesota dentist killed a prized African lion named "Cecil" he received an onslaught of criticism and reignited the debate concerning big game hunting.  Is big game hunting wrong? Should big game hunting continue? Big game hunting has been a very controversial topic for some time and these types of questions are being asked daily. There are a lot of people for it and a lot of people against it. This issue causes a lot of extreme behaviors and ideas by both sides. Those who oppose it believe it to be morally wrong, unfair to the animals and damaging to the environment. Those individuals for it believe that it is the citizens' rights and a way to be involved in the environment. Hunting is the law and shall not be infringed upon. In defense of the hunters' I believe that there are five main issues of concern. The first big issue concerning big game hunting is that it is considered to be the citizens' rights. Anti-hunters would believe that there is no right for anyone to take the life of another living creature. It would be morally wrong. The thought of going out and killing an animal for fun is just appalling to these individuals. Maybe they believe hunters will rear a generation of killers. They would argue that there are many other things in this world that could bring that sort of excitement to a person. The right to hunt is the law. The twenty-ninth Article states, "...securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others..." If this is the law then it can not be infringed. With this there really is no question of big game hunting. These rights are personal rights of the citizens of the United States. Parents can choose what they want for there own children and let them do what they desire, and if that desire is hunting then let it be. When other people who oppose hunting try and stop this freedom then they are the ones at fault and are doing wrong by infringing on the rights of others. These actions are illegal and should be taken care of. In C M Dixon's article, "The Banning of Hunting is an Affront to Freedom," he stated that, "He has never heard of hunters violating the just requirements of public order or general welfare" (2). From the hunting experiences that I have had I agree with this statement one hundred percent.

McDonaldization: The Dehumanization of Workers Essay -- Argumentative

McDonaldization: The Dehumanization of Workers McDonaldization is becoming the new wave of job types where workers are being deskilled, dehumanized and exploited. Machines are taking over tasks which the employees used to do such as bank machines (interact). The McDonaldized jobs now instead of making the employee do all the work they have the customer working too, for example when the customer cleans up after eating. These jobs are becoming less interactive and personal because workers are becoming dehumanized and only allowed to follow a script, there is also the fact that fast food Company’s use drive through, where limited interaction occurs and are many restrictions. These types of jobs which the author George Ritzer labeled â€Å"McJobs† are run by organizational principals such as; efficiency, uniformity, predictability and control. The fast-food industry accounts for 40 percent of people employed in the restaurant business (of all types), of an approximate 6 million workers. The author gives evidence to show how fast-food highly depends on teenagers to work because the statistics are, about 70 percent of the workers are twenty years old and under, this was most likely their first type of job. This industry is mainly part time employee’s whose average work week consists of 29.5 hours. The rates of staff changes are quite regular, only about more than 50 percent stay for longer than a year. These jobs are mainly filled by lower classes and excessive amounts of mino...

Themes of Hope and Failure in The Awakening and The Outcasts of Poker F

To Fail or not to Fail The characters of Edna, Mr. Oakhurst, The Innocent, Piney, Mother Shipton, and The Duchess all face different forms of failure in their respective stories, The Awakening and â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat†. Each character has a unique response to failure; some bend, while others break. Though at times people fall short of their goals, it is not necessarily the human lot to try and fail; sometimes people make the choice to fail by losing hope, or by viewing death as failure, or by having a negative outlook on life, but it is essentially they themselves who allow the failure- it all stems from the person’s perspective and individual choices. Even though humans don’t always succeed in their endeavors, humans are not predestined to fail. Hope is arguably the one thing that keeps humans moving forward. Without it, there is no motivation, no reason to wake up in the morning. When people start to lose hope, they start to lose a part of themselves, and are driven toward despair. In The Awakening, the protagonist, Edna, says over and over again how despondent she is, which leads to her eventual suicide. It has been said that â€Å"There is no failure except in no longer trying,† and sadly, Edna gave into despair and lost the will to keep going. She felt as though life was no longer worth the effort, and decided death would be better than living a lie. And yet, there’s always more than one door to take. Edna didn’t search for other options- for her, it was either be untrue to her feelings, live without Robert, or death. She was too strong to pick the first, but too weak to consider the second; she was awakened to her feelings, but blind to alternatives. Dorothy Thompson once said, â€Å"Courage, it would se... ...e Billy’s â€Å"failure† to do the right thing probably wasn’t much of a failure to him. Perspective defines failure, not some outside force. What exactly is failure? It is, according to the dictionary, â€Å"Lack of success.† Many people say that â€Å"failure isn’t the falling down, but the staying down.† But who are we to say? Lack of hope, the thought that death and failure are one and the same, and a pessimistic outlook on life can cause someone to fail, but thankfully not everyone falls victim to these. Failure is always controversial, because people view things and events differently. As Elaine Maxewell once said, â€Å"My will shall shape the future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny.†

Literacies for Learning Essay

The necessity for educational institutions to equip students with the skills to cope in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse and globalised 21st century society, has led academics, such as the New London Group, to encourage educators to acknowledge the various literacy forms utilised in the new millennium (The New London Group, 1996) and to adopt a pedagogy of multiliteracies. This essay will explore the components of a pedagogy of multiliteracies and identify the transformations needed for the successful implementation of multiliteracies into educational practice. Likewise, the notion of language as a social practice which influences teaching content and assessment practices in secondary education will be examined, as will the use of multiliteracies in the teaching of the Mathematics curriculum. To understand the role of multiliteracies in pedagogy theory development, it is important to define the term literacy. Literacy is an evolving term that refers to an individualâ₠¬â„¢s ability to construct and comprehend meaning via the accepted symbol systems of one’s country or language group (Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl, Holliday, 2010). These symbol systems include written and spoken language and visual information such as icons and other graphical information. While literacy was traditionally viewed as a cognitive process with a focus on reading, writing and numeracy identification, in recent years its definition has become broadened to encompass the burgeoning text types being generated via multimedia and information technology (Winch et al., 2010). These electronic text types have quickly established themselves as integral components of a diverse range of 21st century vocations and social interactions (Tan, 2006).  A pedagogy of multiliteracies encompasses multimedia and digital text forms as well as traditional written and spoken texts. Likewise, the central role of literacy in a diverse range of knowledge domains and vocations has resulted in educators being encouraged to view literacy as a vital skill underpinning successful teaching and learning in all curriculum areas. The New London Group (1996) viewed the role of design as an ever changing paradigm of three stage teaching and learning processes. The first step, ‘Available Designs’ is determining what resources are available. These resources include texts, symbols, audio and visual resources. The second step is ‘Designing’ which takes these ‘Available Designs’ and places them within a social context, such as the classroom or learning environment, and is facilitated by an individual such as a teacher. This step creates an output with new meaning for both the learning environment and facilitator. This knowledge or new meaning is known as ‘Redesign’ (The New London Group, 1996). Literacy is a social practice that is not just taught in secondary schools, it is something which is part of each individual’s everyday life. According to Anstey & Bull (2000), the way in which an individual may read the world will be strongly linked to the contexts of their own life. The NSW Department of Education and Training (2006) maintains that literacy is a skill that continues to grow and develop and is fundamental to students’ success at school as well as for the rest of their life. For literacy to be successful in schools, it is planned in collaboration with parents and teachers. This collaborative approach reinforces that literacy is inherently a social practice. This approach must include a range of social influences and practices, in order to increase student’s knowledge and skill in the real world for real purposes (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006). As literacy development is undoubtedly a whole school and community approach, it is essential that a multiliteracies pedagogy, be utilised in the teaching of all curriculum areas. The impact of societal and cultural change is clearly reflected in the mathematics curriculum through the use of digital technologies such as graphical programs and spreadsheets. This use of technology provides numerous opportunities for the teaching of multiliteracies. Through explicit teaching and learning  experiences of digital texts, students are provided with the skills to successfully navigate and comprehend information communicated digitally. These skills can be acquired through students being provided with opportunities to access information via Internet websites. Likewise, students can use information technology to construct their own texts, thus allowing them to communicate their understanding of concepts to others. This may be achieved by encouraging students to construct texts through the use of software programs such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Visio, both of which allow students to communicate information graphically. These digital mediums allow students to acquire skills which will assist them in acquiring real world skills which they can utilise to gain and construct meaning, both in and out of the classroom. (Winch et al., 2010). Technology is an essential part of the transformations taking place in the social, political, cultural and economic spheres of contemporary society (Groundwater- Smith, Brennan, McFadden, Mitchell and Munns, 2009). Secondary school teachers need to prepare students with the skills necessary for life in a rapidly changing, technological world. In order to equip students with these skills, teachers must possess deep knowledge of relevant technologies (Treadwell, 2008). The Mathematics curriculum includes teaching of: statistics, probability, algebra, financial concepts, economics, technology, measurement and trigonometry. These strands include skills applicable to an individual’s school/work life, social life and personal life. Mathematics content areas, focus on aspects of society, reform, technology and life skills. It is important for teachers to link the social practice of literacy with the factors of a pedagogy of multiliteracies to create the best teaching environment they can (The New London Group, 1996). Walsh (2006) cites an example of successfully teaching his students literacy practices, through social relationships. Students worked in groups and were able to demonstrate specific social language structures. They were able to â€Å"enact, recognise and negotiate† in a social environment (The New London Group, 1996, p. 3) by design and re-design of Internet web pages. The created web pages were diverse, with each student using their own discourse to create what they believed the web page should contain. Prior to using multi-modal and digital literacy mediums in their teaching, it is essential that teachers be aware of cognitive and language factors in learning. The  ability to use multimodal learning, digital literacies and genres specific to each curriculum area must be carefully planned by the teacher. According to Winch et al., (2010) a multiliteracy pedagogy involves developing the ability to use language purposefully and skillfully in a range of social settings, rather than learning isolated segments of knowledge such as grammar conventions and spelling. Multiliteracy includes the use and creation of multimodal and multimedia texts (Winch et al., 2010). Multiliteracy seeks to address the rapid changes in literacy brought about by globalisation, cultural and social diversity and information technology (Winch et al., 2010). In response to these societal changes, The New London Group (1996), questioned the role of schools and outlined a need for change in literacy teaching due to key changes in three areas of life: working life, public life and personal life (life worlds). Central to these changes, was the need for schools to integrate learning with life experiences that students have both in and out of the classroom. â€Å"As these three major realms of social activity have shifted, so the roles and responsibilities of schools must shift† (The New London Group, 1996, p.18). The New London Group advocated for a change in the way, education was delivered, by enhancing the existing structures and overlaying with a new â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† of literacy teaching (The New London Group, 1996). The ‘how’ of pedagogy comes from a view of how learning is acquired, embedded and utilised. The New London Group (1996) proposed that a pedagogy of multiliteracies is a complex blend of four methods of design. The first is Situated Practice which involves learning by creating meaningful learning experiences that allow students be in an environment where the learning replicates the social use of what is being learnt. It is an environment where risks can be taken and ‘trial and error’ is used to gain mastery of skills or knowledge. It should be used â€Å"†¦developmentally, to guide learners to the experiences and the assistance they need to develop further as members of the community, capable of drawing on, and ultimately contributing to, the full range of it’s resources.† (The New London Group, 1996, p. 33). Situated Practice should be designed to motivate students to want to know, and engage students in their learning in a safe envi ronment. Assessment or evaluation is not considered part of Situated Practice. Overt Instruction is the second method of how a pedagogy of mulitliteracies is  implemented.  This involves teachers guiding and using effective teaching techniques such as scaffolding or explicit instruction to build student’s knowledge and confidence. Examination of the current secondary school’s Mathematics curriculum, (NSW department of Education and Training, 2010) reveals many opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate and engage in dialogue related to mathematical concepts which will guide and provide a scaffold for student learning. For example, the teacher makes links with prior learning, through asking open questions to the group, and uses multi-modal methods such as mathematical symbols, diagrams, charts and pictures to add to the learning. With each progression of new learning in the lesson, the teacher labels a new part of the diagram. Overt Instruction â€Å"†¦.includes centrally the sorts of collaborative efforts between teacher and student wherein the student is both allowed to accomplish a task more complex than they can a ccomplish on their own and they are conscious of the teacher’s representation and interpretation of that task†¦.† (The New London Group (1996, p. 20). Thirdly, Critical Framing focuses on the â€Å"how† of a pedagogy of multiliteracies, through the use and application of real world knowledge. This method is where assessment and evaluation of one’s self understanding can begin in relation to cultural, social, political and historical influences on what has been learned (New London Group, 1996). Teachers are able to encourage students to apply their learning in a practical sense and assess the transfer of student’s knowledge or skill. This knowledge is based on what they have previously learned, and requires students to â€Å"constructively critique it, account for its cultural location; creatively extend and apply it and eventually innovate own† and strengthen their ability to demonstrate what they have learned (The New London Group, 1996, p. 37). A mathematical example of this process is the conversion of degrees to radians. Its real life use is the calculation of the speed of a piece of machin ery. This calculation includes the formula in terms of radians rather than degrees. Finally, Transformed Practice is â€Å"where we try and re-enact a discourse by engaging in it for our real purposes† (The New London Group, 1996, p. 36).  Students need to think and learn outside their own discourse and think about how they can re-create their meaning, linking their own discourses to understand what they have learned. An example of this practice was where students were asked to plan and present a lesson including a Wiki activity and a Prezi (presentation tool) that teaches the concepts from a previous mathematics lesson. In groups, students collaboratively utilised the Internet to research topics, and create: work sheets for others to complete, interactive wiki activities, team tasks, and their own YouTube clips. The lesson included the use and creation of multimodal texts and scaffolding of existing knowledge. Students developed new knowledge through authentic multimodal texts such as image, sound, video and written text (Tan, 2006). Gunning (2002) explores the impact of reading and writing difficulties in a social stance, and highlights that poor instructions given by teachers can contribute to a student’s difficulties. Gunning’s (2002) observations and research serve as a reminder that teachers must be sure to provide the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of multiliteracies, to ensure each student has the opportunity to progress. Teachers need to evaluate their current practice and identify the text types typically used in the Mathematics content areas and consider the social needs and teaching strategies that will develop student’s literacy skills (Goos, Stillman., & Vale, 2007). In a mathematics lesson, students were introduced to the ‘Simpson’s rule’ formula. The lesson’s aim was for students to measure the area beneath a real life object, gain an understanding of what is needed to complete the formula and how the variables are calculated. Students were required to work collaboratively in pairs, discussing various ways in which measurements were taken in order to obtain an accurate result in working out the area of the object. Likewise, students were required to engage in higher order thinking, in order to formulate possible solutions to the dilemma. These experiences provided students with the opportunity to be inclusive in their learning, and consolidate their understanding of key concepts that are relevant to the lesson goals (Prain & Hand, 1999). Teacher observations and questioning during group work, guided the student’s discussions, with the teacher embracing a teaching style where multiliteracies were used. The New London Group (1996) have profoundly impacted on teaching practices, literacy research, policy curriculum and pedagogy (Mills, 2006). Gee (1991) explores  social literacy and the impact of a student’s discourse that are established outside the classroom, from their social group, f amily and cultural ties. Their view of literacy as social practice and their emphasis on incorporating the rapidly increasing number of electronic and multimodal text types in 21st century society into teaching practice represents a clear break away from the single dimensional teaching of literacy. However, for multiliteracies such as digital literacies, multimodal resources and ICT to provide best learning for students, teachers must be prepared to embrace the view that literacy is a social practice and and an essential skill underpinning all curriculum areas. Teachers also need to recognise that each lesson they teach to students provides the opportunity to develop the student’s literacy skills. In order to facilitate this change in pedagogical ideology, teachers must be prepared to evaluate their current teaching practice and adopt a more holistic approach to developing literacy skills in their students. As a consequence, students should be exposed to participative learning experiences with re al life learning outcomes. References Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2000). Developing multiple and critical readings of text. Reading the visual: Written and illustrated children’s literature (pp. 201-214). Sydney: Harcourt. Gee, J. (1991) What is literacy? In C.Mitchell & K. Weiler (Eds.), Rewriting literacy. New York: Bergin & Garvey Goos, M. Stillman, G. & Vale,C. (2007). Teaching secondary mathematics. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. Gunning, T. (2002). Factors involved in reading and writing difficulties. Assessing and correcting reading and writing difficulties (2nd ed., pp. 26-62). Sydney: Allyn & Bacon. Mills, K. (2006). Discovering design possibilities through a pedagogy of multiliteracies. Journal of Leading Design, 1(3), 61-72 NSW Department of Education and Training. (2010). NSW Department of Education and Training. (2007). Literacy K-12 Policy Retrieved from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/curriculum/schools/literacy/PD20050288.shtml?query=literacy+policy New South Wales Department of Education and Training. (2006). State literacy plan 2006-2008: Equitable literacy achievements for all students. Retrieved from http://www.curriculumsupprt.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/literacy/guidelinies/plan/index.htm Prain & Hand (1999) Tan, L. (2006). Literacy for the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://iresearch.osprey.url3.net/iresearch/slot/u110/litreviews/literacy4_21st_century.pdf The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. In B.Cope & M. Klantzis (Eds.), Multiliteracies, literacy learning and the design of social futures (pp. 9-37). London: Macmillan. Walsh, C. (2006). Beyond the workshop. Doing multiliteracies with adolescents. English in Australia, 41(3), 49-58 Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature (4th ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press Cope, Bill and Mary Kalantzis (eds), Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures, Routledge, London, 2000, 350pp. | link

Environmental Sociology Essay

Since ancient times, human beings have been persistent in modifying their environment through changes in various natural resources. However, the commencement of Industrial Revolution paved way for much of human activity that has had a strong impact on the global landscape. It is without question that the activities of human affect the composition of the environmental balance. Nevertheless, the unprecedented move of humanity toward industrialization over the past several thousands of years has resulted in serious concerns on the energy balance of the entire planet. The dramatic changes in the environmental makeup are clearly within humans today, attested by various environmental pollutants and their impact throughout much of the globe (Mayewski). In New England, the environmental pollution influenced by man has brought about extreme conditions recorded in history. Thus, this paper seeks to understand and identify three of the environmental issues in the New England area that existed within the past 10 years and still exist today that negatively affected the environment and the society. Extreme Climatic Event Due to Human Induced Causes The weather and climate in New England is considered to be the most varied in the globe because they include extremes of temperatures as well as heavy rainfalls, hurricanes, droughts, tornadoes, blizzards, and the likes. The said weather and climate variations in the state are influenced by many factors such as its geographical setting. Hence, the region’s weather is identified as notorious, characterized by its capability to change in a matter of minutes. However, the said climate changes are not only a result of the region’s geographical location; human-induced causes were also accounted for the dramatic changes in the state’s weather and climate. The continuous emission of airborne pollutants coming from industrial landscapes, metropolitan areas, transportation corridors, and other polluting human activities affect weather patterns on a regional landscape (Zielinski). As the people of New England incessantly engage in pollution-inducing activities, the past decade in New England history witnessed episodic ozone events, one of which is the recent tornado that struck New Hampshire on July 24, 2008. The tornado traveled through 11 towns from 11:30am to 12:50pm, killing one person, damaging more than 200 homes and structures, and destructing thousands of trees. However, what is puzzling about the occurrence of the said calamity is the fact that tornadoes do not usually happen in New England, since 1950 only 9 tornadoes occurred in the said state. The cool temperature in the state stabilizes the atmosphere, suppressing the opportunity for the development of tornadoes (Forbes). However, with this recent activity and the increasing number of individuals contributing to the induction of pollution, it can be assumed that the reason behind such catastrophe is associated with the climate and weather altering capabilities of the human-induced pollutions. Although there are interventions in order to avoid human-induced pollutions that contribute to the series of climatic events in New England, the continuous support of individuals in the use of potentially hazardous environmental materials is still widespread. Air Pollution Air pollution is also another environmental issue in New England. The major metropolitan centers and transportation areas in the region are pointed as the primary contributors for the release of hazardous chemicals in the air. The issue of air quality in New England is notable during the season of summer in the said state. In a 2002 study, it was noted that every summer, the high temperature in New England raises ozone alerts and poor air quality. To quote Jim Meagher of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s): â€Å"A review of air pollution episodes in New England suggests that blobs of polluted air often lurk in the Gulf of Maine during the summer months, causing high pollution levels in coastal areas† (qtd. in McGehan and Seif). Such claim was backed up by the American Lung Association of New England (ALANE) saying that the public is at risk for ozone poisoning every summer in the New England region. Just last year, it was recorded that New England had 54 days of high levels of ground level-ozone caused by pollutants emitted by cars and the burning of fossil fuels from power plants, refineries, industrial boilers, and other sources that chemically react with sunlight. According to the EPA, if the ozone level lasted for 98 days, the air quality in the said area could have been qualified as unhealthy. It was also found that due to such high levels of ozone in the region, New England was reported the highest asthma rates among the states in the USA. Studies also show that if such pattern of high ozone levels will remain, not only will it be a danger to the individuals suffering from respiratory diseases, but it can also lead to premature death for children and destruction of nature’s balance through the depletion of ozone layer and the degradation of soil and water. While the people from New England blame the states from the west because of such pollution, ALANE stated that typical New England states like Connecticut creates 40% of air pollution through automobiles and other local sources (qtd in â€Å"ALANE says Stronger Air†). As a response to the ongoing issue of air pollution in New England, the region has adhered to the Clean Air Act, a federal law regulating air emission from both stationary and mobile sources. As a result, the sulfur oxide emissions in the region have reduced. Likewise, most of the companies in the region are permitting air emissions in order to reduce excess smoke and pollution and multi-organization efforts are done in order to continuously test the air quality in New England. Water Pollution In the recent New England study, it was found that the water quality in the said region has already improved right after the adoption of advanced treatment of municipal and industrial wastes. However, there are still areas in the state experiencing low quality ground and surface water (Foster). Just in 2008, a complaint was filed against Kaler Oil Company Inc. in North Bath, Maine and other oil storage and distribution company when they failed to prepare and fully implement the â€Å"Spill and, Control, and Countermeasure† (SPCC) which is required by the federal Clean Water Act. Without the instant response, the possibility of drinking contaminated water could have lead to poisoning. Kaler Company and the others that failed to comply faced a maximum penalty of $157, 500 (MTBE Staff). Another case was that of the lawsuit filed against the New Hampshire’s regional fuel suppliers who were responsible for contaminating surrounding areas ground water with the use of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). MTBE is a substance added to the gasoline supplies of the nation in order to cut down pollution emissions. However, despite the advantages posited by such substance, MTBE chemically binds with ground water. Unlike other form of pollutants that can be filtered, MTBE is resistant and can develop into a much harmful chemical overtime. Hence, aside from its risk for the human health, it is feared by the officials that high concentrations of MTBE can go undetected for many years and can be the reason for the deterioration of the region’s bedrock aquifers. The filed lawsuit is said to be still away from the trial, but the citizens and local officials of New Hampshire are lobbying for the case to go on trial (Wacker). Based on the cases aforementioned, it is evident that water pollution is not only a human concern, but also a burden to the environment. Based on the above perspectives, what New England is experiencing and have experienced during the past years may not be in the same wavelength as that of the impact of Chernobyl incident in Ukraine, an incident that rooted from the desire of humans to amass nuclear power and further urbanization and industrialization, which ended in a tragic way and is continuously affecting the lives of many citizens. However, just like the Chernobyl incident, there is a possibility that the present environmental issues impacting present generation can be carried out in the near future. Just like what Maryann De Leo’s Chernobyl Heart Documentary presented, the long term impact of present day activities could affect innocent children. Though it can be assumed that the local government in New England is seeking solutions for the ongoing environmental issues being experienced by the state, the continuous support of the citizens to activities that induce environmental pollution should not be disregarded, as it may result in the total degradation of the environment and human health. The long-term effect of environmental balance destruction should also be safeguarded, as the broad range of nature’s destructive capabilities is still unpredictable to date. Works Cited â€Å"American Lung Association of New England (ALANE) says stronger air quality standards urgently needed. † Medical News Today. 26 May 2008. 5 March 2009 . Chernobyl Heart Documentary. 2003. Dir. De Leo, Maryann. Downtown TV Documentaries Production. Foster, Debra. â€Å"New England water is improving but problems remain, says new USGS report. † Bio-Medicine. 30 April 1999. 5 March 2009 . Forbes, Greg. â€Å"Record New England tornado. † The weather channel. 1 August 2008. 5 March 2009 . Mayewski, Paul A. â€Å"New England’s Changing Climate, Weather, and Air Quality: Chapter 1- Global Climate Change Sets the Stage for Viewing Climate Change in New England. † New England Climate Initiative (NECI). 1998. 5 March 2009 . McGehan, Barbara and Seif, Amy. â€Å"Air quality study focuses on New England. † U. S. Department of Energy. 9 July 2002. 5 March 2009 .