The Life Cycle of a Star

Introduction For millenniums, stars have fascinated the human race. In medieval times, these heavenly bodies were thought to possess mystical powers and some civilizations even worshiped them. This supernatural view was caused by the lack of information on the true nature of stars. Modern science has enabled man to study stars and come up with scientific explanations of what they are and why they shine. Astronomers in the 20th century have been able to come up with a credible model of the entire life cycle of stars.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Life Cycle of a Star specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Green and Burnell (2004) state that the life cycle of a star takes place over a timescale that appears infinitely long to human beings. Astronomers are therefore unable to study the complete life cycle of stars since the changes occur at a very slow rate to be observed. The evolutionary pattern of stars is theref ore deduced by observing their wide range at different stages of their existence. This paper will set out to provide a detailed description of the life-cycle of a star. Birth of a Star Stars are born from vast clouds of hydrogen gas and interstellar dust. This gas and dust clouds floating around in space are referred to as a nebula (NASA2010). Nebulas exist in different forms with some glowing brightly due to energizing of the gas by previously formed stars while others are dark due to the high density of hydrogen in the gas cloud. A star is formed when the gas and dust making up the nebula start to contract due to their own gravitational pull. As this matter condenses due to gravitational pull, the gas and dust begin to spin. This spinning motion causes the matter to generate heat and it forms a dull red protostar (Krumenaker, 2005). When the protostar is formed, the remaining matter of the star is still spread over a significant amount of space. The protostar keeps heating up due to the gravitational pressure until the temperature is high enough to initiate the nuclear fusion process (NASA, 2010). The minimum temperature required is about 15 million degrees Kelvin and it is achieved in the core of the protostar. The nuclear fusion process uses hydrogen as fuel to sustain the reaction and helium gas is formed from the fusion of the hydrogen nuclei. At this stage, the inward pull of gravity in the star is balanced by the outward pressure created by the heat of the nuclear fusion reaction taking place in the core of the star (Lang, 2013). Due to this balance, the star is stable and because of the nuclear fusion, considerable heat and a yellow light is emitted from the star, which is capable of shining for millions or even billions of years depending on its size. Mature and Ageing Stars The newly formed star is able to produce energy through nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium for millions to billions of years. During the nuclear fusion process, the heavier h elium gas sinks into the core of the star. More heat is generated from this action and eventually, the hydrogen gas at the outer shell also begins to fuse (Krumenaker, 2005).Advertising Looking for essay on astronomy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This fusing causes the star to swell and its brightness increases significantly. The closest star to the Earth is the Sun and scientists predict that it is at this stage of its life cycle. The brightness of a star is directly related to its mass since the greater the mass, the greater the amount of hydrogen available for use in the process of nuclear fusion. Death of a Star A star dies when its fuel (hydrogen) is used up and the nuclear fusion process can no longer occur. Without the nuclear reaction, the star lacks the outward force necessary to prevent the mass of the gas and dust from crashing down upon it and consequently, it starts to collapse upon itself (Lang, 2013). As the star ages, it continues to expand and the hydrogen gas available for fuel is used up. The star collapses under its own weight and all the matter in the core is compressed causing it to be being heated up again. At this stage, the hydrogen in the core of the star is used up and the star burns up more complex elements including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen as fuels. The surface therefore cools down and a red giant star, which is 100 times larger than the original yellow star, is formed. From this stage, the path followed in the cycle is determined by the individual mass of a star. Path for Low Mass Stars For low mass stars, which are about the same size as the Sun, a helium fusion process begins where the helium making up the core of the star fuses into carbon. At this stage, a different heating process from the original hydrogen nuclear fusion process occurs. Al-Khalili (2012) explains that due to the compression heat, the helium atoms are forced together to make heavier elements. Wh en this occurs, the star begins to shrink and during this process, materials are ejected to form a bright planetary nebula that drifts away. The remaining core turns into a small white dwarf star, which has an extremely high temperature. The white dwarf is capable of burning for a few billion years but eventually it cools. When this happens, a black crystalline object referred to as a black dwarf is formed. Path for High Mass Stars For high-mass stars which are significantly bigger than the Sun, the carbon produced from helium fission fuses with oxygen. More complex reactions occur and eventually an iron core is formed at the center of the star. Since this iron does not fuel the nuclear fission process, the outward pressure provided by the previous nuclear process does not occur and the star collapses. The collapse leads to a supernova explosion. Green and Burnell (2004) describe a Supernova as the â€Å"explosive death of a star† (p.164). During this explosion, the star prod uces an extreme amount of energy, some of which is carried away by a rapidly expanding shell of gas. The exploding star attains a brightness of 100 million suns although this amount of energy release can only last for a short duration of time.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Life Cycle of a Star specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For stars that are about five to ten times heavier than the sun, the supernova is followed by a collapse of the remaining core to form a neutron star or pulsar. As the name suggests, neutron stars are made up of neutrons produced from the action of the supernova on the protons and electrons previously available in the star (Krumenaker, 2005). These stars have a very high density and a small surface area since their diameter stretches for only 20km (Al-Khalili, 2012). If the neutron star exhibits rapid spinning motion, it is referred to as a pulsar. For stars that are 30 to 50 times he avier than the Sun, the explosion and supernova formation lead to the formation of a black hole. In this case, the core of the star has a very high gravitational pull that prevents protons and neutrons from combining. Due to their immense gravitational pull, black holes swallow up objects surrounding them including stars and they lead to a distortion of the space. Parker (2009) observes that the gravity of the black hole is so strong that even light is unable to escape from this pull. The only substance thing that black holes emit is radiation mostly in the form of X-rays. Conclusion This paper set out to provide an informative description of the life cycle of a star. It started with nothing but modern astronomy has made it possible for mankind to come up with a convincing sequence for the life cycle of a star. The paper has noted that all stars are formed from a nebula cloud. It has revealed that the life expectancy of stars can vary from a million to many billions of years dependi ng on their mass. A star begins to die when it runs out of hydrogen and the fusion reaction can no longer occur. The paper has also demonstrated that the death of a star is dependent on its mass. If a star is the size of the Sun, it will die off as a white dwarf while if it is significantly bigger, it will have an explosive death as a supernova. References Al-Khalili, J. (2012). Black Holes, Wormholes, and Time Machines. Boston: CRC Press.Advertising Looking for essay on astronomy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Green, S.F., Burnell, J. (2004). An Introduction to the Sun and Stars. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Krumenaker, L. (2005). The Characteristics and the Life Cycle of Stars: An Anthology of Current Thought. NY: The Rosen Publishing Group. Lang, R.K. (2013). The Life and Death of Stars. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. NASA. (2010). The Life Cycles of Stars: How Supernovae Are Formed. Web. Parker, K. (2009). Black Holes. London: Marshall Cavendish. This essay on The Life Cycle of a Star was written and submitted by user Edith Martin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

mythology Research Paper Example

mythology Research Paper Example mythology Paper mythology Paper The role of women in ancient Greek life was insignificant compared to that of Greek men. A womans Job was to take care of the children and to cook and clean unless she had servants or slaves that would do it for her. Yet, in Greek mythology, women were often written as major characters. Well-known Greek plays contain many well- written, complex, female characters. Female individuals in Greek mythology were often seen as very powerful and fierce Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the ature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. It was a part of the religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to and study the myths in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself. l] Greek mythology is explicitly embodied in a large collection of narratives, and implicitly in Greek representational arts, such as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and dventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and mythological creatures. These accounts initially were disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; today the Gre ek myths are known primarily from Greek literature. The oldest known Greek literary sources, Homers epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on the Trojan War and its aftermath. Two poems by Homers near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices. Myths are also preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age, and in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch and Pausanias. Archaeological findings provide a principal source of detail about Greek mythology, with gods and heroes featured prominently in the decoration of many artifacts. Geometric designs on pottery of the eighth century BC depict scenes from the Trojan ycle as well as the adventures of Heracles. In the succeeding Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, Homeric and various other mythological scenes appear, supplementing the existing literary evidence. [2] Greek mythology has had an extensive influence on the culture, arts, and literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in the themes. [3] mythology By monicalhouston

Personal Leadership Development Project Paper Essay

Personal Leadership Development Project Paper - Essay Example The training period, all the trainees are conduct seminar, study classes etc, for developing the quality of employees. It is a good training. Verizon wireless, my role is to design the job, job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, hiring, induction, evaluation of performance, compensation management, training and development, welfare administration, employee movements, health and safety administration, grievance handling, discipline etc. The H R training in offices getting lot of experience, these experience are helps to manage the colloquies in the organization, also helps to identify the minds and behaviour of sub-ordinates. In my carrier planned some strategies. First one is to keeping 99% attitude for work and personal matter. Attitude is 99 percent, every person’s carrier is successful, for the reason I am keeping attitude for one year for the marketing training period, and our attitude is loose at one time for losing our carrier. Another strategy is to don’t cheating others. As a manager, in my view, to achieving the goal of the organization, to motivate and trained to the subordinates to achieve the higher volume of business. Which subordinates are performing better, to give additional bonus, gifts etc,. The main role of HR manager is to functioning the effective utilization of human resource in an organization. The overall goal of the organization is to building strong brands, expanding the bus iness, and getting marketing leadership. The main goal of organization is to create a new business in new areas. The top of the organization focusing expanding the networks across the countries. The training is conducting in the branch office; communicate the sub-ordinates for the entire process of organization and the organizational goals. The aim and objectives of the company is to achieve the market leader in wireless network. It is a very good feedback from my sub-ordinates or trainees, because,

Building and leading creative teams Research Paper

Building and leading creative teams - Research Paper Example Mayo’s motivation theory can therefore be applied in understanding another possible reason why Jeannie ceased to work as a freelancer and joined McTate & Mann advertising company. It is possible that Jeannie considered the social needs of being viewed as a career driven individual by the society by going to work rather than freelancing from home. Nonetheless, the main focus of Mayo’s motivational theory is the manner in which managers and leaders treat employees in relation to meting their social needs (Wilson & Madsen, 2008). It is evident that the social needs of both Jeannie and Sandy are met at the work place because they are happy with their work. The social needs of employees are further described by Maslow’s theory of motivation. According to Maslow’s theory, there are five distinct levels of human needs which should be met for them to feel motivated. The social needs of employees are postulated by Maslow within the third level of his hierarchy of needs. These include the sense of belonging and love needs (Wilson & Madsen, 2008). It can be depicted therefore that Sandy and Jeannie were motivated to leave their respective jobs for McTate & Mann because they needed to belong to a group. Moreover, Sandy and Jeannie needed to belong to a recognized company which met their needs for belonging. In addition to the social needs, the physiological needs are postulated in the first level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The physiological needs include hunger and thirst (Wilson & Madsen, 2008). Through a good pay at McTate & Mann, Sandy and Jeannie would not go hungry or thirst. Therefore this justifies their motiv ation to work with the advertising company rather than their previous jobs. Furthermore, Maslow’s theory of motivation postulates that employees are motivated if their safety needs are met (Viorel, Aurel, Virgil & Stefania,

The Asda Effect Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Asda Effect - Assignment Example Everything changed all of a sudden as Asda found itself with demoralized employees, slow growth in sales, and declining profits in 1991. It had been a 1 billion pounds cash surplus supermarket chain in 1987, and by 1991 it had a debt of over 1 billion pounds. That was precisely the state of affairs at Asda when Archie Norman entered into the scene as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The main reasons of the problems that Asda and Archie Norman had to face were due to complex organizational inefficiencies that they had to solve as soon as possible, right away, in order to survive, and at the same time, Asda had to become an efficient organization once again.  Ã‚   Among the different reasons behind Asda’s failures by mid-1991 were the following:   Asda as an organization with its own culture had become a bureaucratic and hierarchical institution beginning in the 1980s.   As a direct result of this rigid functioning structure in the company, any kind of innovation was stopped from being encouraged or implemented.   Without any innovation, Asda was unable to keep its competitive advantages in the retail market in the United Kingdom.   (Weber and Beer, 1998a:   p. 6).   So Asda and Archie Norman had to face the challenge of transforming the superstore in relation to its management style of doing things as well as implementing a sense of culture based on the core values of Asda.   Management and leadership had to change significantly in order to create a new productive and efficient organization.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

The Importance of Narrative Analysis in a Fake News World

The Importance of Narrative Analysis in a Fake News World Heroes, Villains, and Strangers: The Importance of Narrative Analysis in a Fake News World In When Narrative Matters More Than Fact, Ashley Lamb-Sinclair argues that Facts [ ] mean very little to people caught up in storylines. When it comes to creating ideologies and perceptions about the world, narrative is more powerful than facts and figures. Human beings tend to believe ideas that arise out of internal narratives, and these narratives are often based on limited personal experience. In an era of fake news, there is a tendency for teachers to focus on fact-checking as a way for students to combat erroneous information. Lamb-Sinclair argues that fact-checking is not the most effective approach to addressing errors in perception. Rather than placing an emphasis on facts and figures, adults should teach young people to analyze narratives and identify unreliable narrators, as well as heroes and villains. Lamb-Sinclair argues that narratives shape beliefs, and minds are changed when narratives change. The author draws upon her own experiences and provides two examples of the way that narrative has affected her own views. In high school, a love of historical narrative affected the author so deeply that she chose to study history in college. Perhaps even more significantly, Sinclairs youth experience working with two Latino men who were a little more flirty than is probably appropriate to be toward a 17-year-old girl became the source of her own temporary prejudice against older Latino males. It wasnt until she moved to Southern California and became sisters with Latina women in a sorority that she was able to form a new image of Latino men. While in the sorority, she went on dates with several men, and had the best carne asada from the father of her Latino friend. These new experiences caused her internal narrative about Latino men to shift, and her perceptions changed along with the n arrative. The author also points out that in an era of fake news, an emphasis on fact-checking and trying to persuade people through facts is largely unsuccessful. Narrative is rooted in the human experience, and will always be more compelling than a collection of facts. Even when people are not conscious of being involved in narrative, they want to connect with characters and to follow a plot to its end through multiple layers of conflict. The fascination with story and narrative structure means that emphasizing the extent to which a statement is factual has little impact on someone, if that person has already formed a narrative that contradicts the facts. Lamb-Sinclair offers an alternative to fact-checking: The best way to teach true understanding is not by teaching students facts (although that is still a valuable lesson); it is to teach them to analyze, as one does with elements of narrative. The recent U.S. general election provides an example of how this alternative approach might be ef fective. Simply pointing out that Donald Trump didnt help save 2,100 jobs with the Carrier deal may not be persuasive for someone who has lost a job and gotten it back. Creating a new narrative that challenges someones pre-existing narrative is far more likely to have an impact on causing someone to question her or his pre-existing views. Lamb-Sinclair sees adults, and particularly teachers, as playing an important role in teaching younger people how to analyze narratives. Teachers must not only teach students how to be critical thinkers who question the validity of facts, but also how to dissect a narrative and to identify unreliable narrators. Teachers must expose students to various types of characters and plotlines from many perspectives, both fictional and real in order for students to develop the analytical skills necessary to engage with real-world narratives. The author suggests that if students are familiar with heroes and villains from literature and history, they will be equipped to recognize heroes and villains in real life situations. Sinclair illustrates her own commitment to narrative by omitting facts and figures from her article and relying on personal narratives to illustrate her points. The efficacy of this approach poignantly demonstrates how susceptible readers are to being swept up in a narrative that makes use of only personal stories and recent events. Sinclair never refers to any statistics or facts when describing the way that her perceptions of Latino men shifted over time, yet her story resonates with the reader and felt trustworthy and factual. The author states that while no one had presented [her] with the facts, she understood much more of the story. Sinclair is critically aware that she has simply rewritten the original narrative, implying that the story is ever changing and another set of experiences could quickly alter what she believes. Lamb-Sinclair recognizes that not everyone has the opportunity to shift internal narratives through exposure to diverse people groups or experiences. The author states that while she was lucky enough to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ experience other cultures, the general population is not so fortunate. For that reason, Lamb-Sinclair writes to encourage the education system to teach students analytical skills to avoid another generation where the facts mean very little. If teachers and other responsible adults fail to teach young people how to recognize unreliable narratives and real-world heroes or villains, prejudice and bigotry may take root in our society and permeate the ideologies of future generations.

Spiritual Shallowness in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Spiritual Shallowness in The Great Gatsby The American Dream was based on the assumption that each person, no matter what his origins, could succeed in life on the sole basis of his or her own skill and effort. The dream was embodied in the ideal of the self-made man. The Great Gatsby is a novel about what happened to the American dream in the 1920s, a period when the old values that gave substance to the dream had been corrupted by the vulgar pursuit of wealth. Spiritual shallowness is portrayed in The Great Gatsby through the characters' pursuit of power and pleasure, the character groupings and images and the forgotten past. The characters of The Great Gatsby are Midwesterners who have come east in pursuit of this new dream of money, fame, success, glamour, and excitement. Tom and Daisy must have a huge house, a stable of polo ponies, and friends in Europe. Gatsby must have his enormous mansion before he can feel confident enough to try to win Daisy. The energy that might have gone into the pursuit of noble goals has been channeled into the pursuit of power and pleasure, and a very showy, but fundamentally empty form of success. Fitzgerald employs clearly defined character groupings and various images and symbols in developing the theme. Character groups include Nick, the observer and commentator, who sees what has gone wrong, Gatsby, who lives the dream purely, and Tom, Daisy, and Jordan, the "foul dust" who are the prime examples of the corruption of the dream. The primary images and symbols used are, the green light, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, the image of the East and Midwest, Owl Eyes, Dan Cody's yacht; and religious terms such as grail and incarnation. Both the character groupings and the images and symbols suggest a second major theme that may be referred to as "sight and insight." The novel contains many images of blindness, perhaps because hardly anyone seems to "see" what is really going on. The characters have little self-knowledge and even less knowledge of each other. Especially Gatsby- he lacks the insight to understand what is happening. He never truly sees either Daisy or himself, so blinded is he by his dream. The only characters who see, in the sense of "understand," are Nick and Owl Eyes. Spiritual Shallowness in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays Spiritual Shallowness in The Great Gatsby The American Dream was based on the assumption that each person, no matter what his origins, could succeed in life on the sole basis of his or her own skill and effort. The dream was embodied in the ideal of the self-made man. The Great Gatsby is a novel about what happened to the American dream in the 1920s, a period when the old values that gave substance to the dream had been corrupted by the vulgar pursuit of wealth. Spiritual shallowness is portrayed in The Great Gatsby through the characters' pursuit of power and pleasure, the character groupings and images and the forgotten past. The characters of The Great Gatsby are Midwesterners who have come east in pursuit of this new dream of money, fame, success, glamour, and excitement. Tom and Daisy must have a huge house, a stable of polo ponies, and friends in Europe. Gatsby must have his enormous mansion before he can feel confident enough to try to win Daisy. The energy that might have gone into the pursuit of noble goals has been channeled into the pursuit of power and pleasure, and a very showy, but fundamentally empty form of success. Fitzgerald employs clearly defined character groupings and various images and symbols in developing the theme. Character groups include Nick, the observer and commentator, who sees what has gone wrong, Gatsby, who lives the dream purely, and Tom, Daisy, and Jordan, the "foul dust" who are the prime examples of the corruption of the dream. The primary images and symbols used are, the green light, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, the image of the East and Midwest, Owl Eyes, Dan Cody's yacht; and religious terms such as grail and incarnation. Both the character groupings and the images and symbols suggest a second major theme that may be referred to as "sight and insight." The novel contains many images of blindness, perhaps because hardly anyone seems to "see" what is really going on. The characters have little self-knowledge and even less knowledge of each other. Especially Gatsby- he lacks the insight to understand what is happening. He never truly sees either Daisy or himself, so blinded is he by his dream. The only characters who see, in the sense of "understand," are Nick and Owl Eyes.

Autocratic Leadership Style Essay

Can an authoritarian/autocratic/directive leadership style be appropriate in American companies currently? If yes/no, why? It is first important to clarify what the term leadership means. According to Kinicki & Fugate (2012), â€Å"leadership is defined as ‘a social influence process in which the leader seeks the voluntary participation of subordinates in an effort to reach organizational goals’† (p. 364). This means leadership involves exercising authority at individual, group, and organizational levels. Bass (2008) identifies positive leadership traits to include task competence, interpersonal competence, intuition, traits of character, biophysical traits, and personal traits. With this basic understanding of leadership, it can be said that the appropriateness of an autocratic leadership style depends on the type of company and situation at hand—the idea of situational leadership (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012, p. 370). Even though the United States is a democratic country, an autocratic leadership style fits some but not all companies, depending on what the company wants to accomplish and what the company’s circumstances are. A manager with an autocratic style of leadership typically does all the decision-making without getting input from his/her subordinates (Rao, 2010, para. 3). Therefore, the manager is the authoritarian while all the subordinates are to simply follow instructions without giving their own thoughts or concerns about the task given to them. A benefit of this style is it can help provide structure and discipline to an otherwise inexperienced team, and also help a team stay on top of strict deadlines. Since the manager makes all the decisions, there is no time â€Å"wasted† on decision-making if there’s a time constraint. This type of leadership is also helpful when the manager has the highest amount of knowledge and could therefore specifically guide the subordinates on how to complete a task (Cherry), or when a type of industry simply does not require much communication or creativity relative to other industries. However, an autocratic style of leadership would be ill-fitting for many other types of companies, especially if the autocratic style is taken to extremes. As the textbook Organizational Behavior mentions, a bad leader would possess traits like being incompetent, rigid, or callous (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012, p. 366). Since a manager taking up an autocratic style of leadership is enforcing rigid rules, it could be potentially easy to become rigid as a person as well, which could lead to loss of respect from subordinates and ruin morale of the team. Cherry states that abuse of the style can make a person seem â€Å"controlling, bossy, and dictatorial,† and that this autocratic style of leadership prevents subordinates from producing creative solutions to problems. Giving employees such a lack of influence in the company could cause them to feel resentful since their opinions are never heard (â€Å"Leadership Styles,† 2008, para. 3-4), which means valuable relationships cannot be developed, thus straining human and social capital. An example of where an autocratic style of leadership would not be appropriate is if all the subordinates are just as knowledgeable or skilled as the manager. It would make more sense to use a democratic style of leadership so that everyone can participate and have a sense of importance in the decision-making, and because of their contribution, would feel more committed and enthusiastic about the company’s goals. Situational leadership theories suggest that â€Å"the effectiveness of a particular style of leader behavior depends on the situation.† This applies to how the appropriateness of the autocratic style of leadership depends on the company at hand. It is important to fully analyze the employee characteristics (locus of control, experience, task ability, etc.) and environmental factors (task structure and work-group dynamics) to decide whether or not an autocratic style of leadership would produce the most desirable results for the company (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012, p. 370-372). References Bass, B.M., & Bass, R. (2008). The Bass handbook of leadership. New York: Free Press. Cherry, K. Lewin’s leadership styles. About.com: Psychology. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership Cherry, K. What is autocratic leadership?. About.com: Psychology. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership Kinicki, A., & Fugate M. (2012). Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills, and best practices. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Leadership styles: Autocratic leadership. (2008). Leadership-toolbox.com, pp. 3-4. Retrieved from http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.html Rao, M.S. (2010). Is autocratic leadership relevant today?. Chief Learning Officer: Solutions for Enterprise Activity. Retrieved from http://clomedia.com/articles

The eNotes Blog Does AP stand for Absolutely Pointless

Does AP stand for Absolutely Pointless My 12-year-old son began his first semester in junior high this year. In July, all of us parents were rounded up for a three-hour information seminar. We visited each of the Pre-AP teachers rooms,   a total of seven different potential course offerings. In every session, the message was the same: you enrolled your kid in ALL Pre-AP classes if your child isnt a complete dummy. Pre-AP, it was (sometimes not) patiently explained, was necessary for your child so that he or she could take AP courses in high school, and then be eligible to skip introductory courses in college. The point, apparently, was to save us a little money and to (it was implied) feel a bit superior about our offspring. The same teachers who teach Pre-AP classes also teach regular courses. Although our information seminar was supposed to tell us the difference between the two types of classes, virtually none   of the teachers even mentioned the regular classes. The Pre-AP was pushed so hard it made a parent feel like admitting your kid was as on par intellectually with the Honey Boo Boo clan for simply asking about the differences. As the evening droned on and on, I began to wonder: Whatever happened to teaching students at the actual level they are at, intellectually, emotionally, and socially? I wondered too, as a college professor myself, if AP is pushed so heavily, why is it that I find my freshmen so unprepared for the rigors of a college course?  This week, the Atlantic  published an article by John Tierney, a retired professor and high school AP teacher. Like me, Tierney wondered the same thing. So why this huge push into AP?   Probably the biggest reason is that the College Board, which sets the standards and publishes the AP curriculum, earns over half of its earnings from AP courses. Which might be all right with everyone if high schools truly were turning out enhanced and advanced learners. However, in Tierneys experience, and my own, they are not doing any such thing. Tierney investigated the many reasons for the failures of the AP programs, and some confusion about their promises. For example,  while AP courses in high school may let a college freshman opt out of an introductory course, they often do not receive actual college credit for AP classes as expected. And when they do get to skip an intro class, many students find that their AP classes in high school do not remotely resemble the challenges of a true college class, and many wish they HAD taken the regular introductory college course. Another valid argument is Tierneys opposition to open enrollment for   AP classes.   This was the case in my sons new school. There was no merit base.   No one was asked to join because of high scores in elementary school or a teachers recommendation. What we were basically told is that Pre-AP was sink or swim. Tierney argues that, two thirds of the students taking my class each year did not belong there. And they dragged down the course for the students who did. And what of the kids who fail to swim? Its pretty grim, according to Tierney. He says that those classes get ever more full as the years wear on and some kids just cant hack it, but they are not given the strongest teachers. Those teachers, of course, are reserved for the AP program. A lot of these non-swimmers are minorities, who will now face even more obstacles to higher education. Finally, and reinforcing what I have already seen in my own home, the push to cover so much material so fast leads to rigid stultification a kind of mindless genuflection to a prescribed plan of study that squelches creativity and free inquiry. No wonder when I took my Freshmen out on a sunny day and we all did nothing but read Thoreau out loud to one another, they all looked stunned then they slowly began to relax, smile, and enjoy the pleasures of learning. Sadly, high school teachers are not able to take their students down interesting paths of learning. After all theres a test coming up.

Free Essays on Fidel Castro And Cuba

Fidel Castro and Cuba When Columbus came to Cuba in 1492, he and his predecessors would probably never have imagined of this island’s outcome within the centuries ahead. From conquering the country, to its independence, to the rise of the current totalitarian regime, all these major events have made the island what it is today. Before giving the whole story about the Communists, one must understand how the country was born so here’s a little bit of a background history: Spain had conquered Cuba in 1511 under Diego Velasquez. Frequent insurrections failed to end Spain’s harsh rule. From 1868 to 1878 occurred the Armed rebellion known as the Ten Year’s War, led by plantation owner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, a co-author of Cuba’s declaration of independence. After the loss of more than 200,000 lives, the revolt ended in failure. In 1933, Fulgencio Batista led a â€Å"sergeants† revolt† that toppled the despotic rule of Gen. Grarado Machado and it was at that t ime that Batista became the most powerful man in Cuba. He was elected president in 1940 and made himself chief of state with dictatorial powers. Years of corrupt government, terrorism and embezzlement made by the United States led to a revolt in 1958 under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Batista fled to the Dominican Republic and the Fidelistas were in control of Havana. Castro then became Cuba's leader at the young age of 32. At first people applauded the downfall of Batista and hoped that Castro could bring the country the prosperity it had wished for. Unfortunately, before long, people came to realization that the new regime had embraced Communism. In Cuba, Castro’s regime has created the most repressive police state apparatus in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba is like the George Orwell nightmare predicted in the book â€Å"1984† except that this time the country is set in the tropics with Big Brother sporting a beard and cigar. Cuba never believed in Human Rights as C as... Free Essays on Fidel Castro And Cuba Free Essays on Fidel Castro And Cuba Fidel Castro and Cuba When Columbus came to Cuba in 1492, he and his predecessors would probably never have imagined of this island’s outcome within the centuries ahead. From conquering the country, to its independence, to the rise of the current totalitarian regime, all these major events have made the island what it is today. Before giving the whole story about the Communists, one must understand how the country was born so here’s a little bit of a background history: Spain had conquered Cuba in 1511 under Diego Velasquez. Frequent insurrections failed to end Spain’s harsh rule. From 1868 to 1878 occurred the Armed rebellion known as the Ten Year’s War, led by plantation owner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, a co-author of Cuba’s declaration of independence. After the loss of more than 200,000 lives, the revolt ended in failure. In 1933, Fulgencio Batista led a â€Å"sergeants† revolt† that toppled the despotic rule of Gen. Grarado Machado and it was at that t ime that Batista became the most powerful man in Cuba. He was elected president in 1940 and made himself chief of state with dictatorial powers. Years of corrupt government, terrorism and embezzlement made by the United States led to a revolt in 1958 under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Batista fled to the Dominican Republic and the Fidelistas were in control of Havana. Castro then became Cuba's leader at the young age of 32. At first people applauded the downfall of Batista and hoped that Castro could bring the country the prosperity it had wished for. Unfortunately, before long, people came to realization that the new regime had embraced Communism. In Cuba, Castro’s regime has created the most repressive police state apparatus in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba is like the George Orwell nightmare predicted in the book â€Å"1984† except that this time the country is set in the tropics with Big Brother sporting a beard and cigar. Cuba never believed in Human Rights as C as...

The Rise of American Industry- American Economic History Research Proposal

The Rise of American Industry- American Economic History - Research Proposal Example Although America has been blessed with abundant geological resources, the intensity of conversion of natural resources into manufactured commodities, which grew the most during 1880 to 1920, was the major reason that American industry could grow to this predominance. Economies of scale and capital intensive production was possible because of the access to new materials like aluminum and copper as well as larger markets through the transportation network (Chandler, 1992). This enabled the American industry to get a competitive advantage in the period prior to the First World War. During the inter-war years, 1929-41, the American economy witnessed the worst recession and unemployment situation as a result of demand crash, hence the period popularly known as the Great Depression. The economy recovered after the Second World War and the period between 1948 and 1973 was a boom time, with private non-farm enterprises growing fast. Interestingly, even during the depression years, growth in real output was higher than the growth in real wages and real capital, that is total factor productivity (TFP) grew faster than in the post-war boom years. Some economists have argued that this simultaneous existence of high labor productivity and unemployment stems from the fact that with decline in demand, private enterprises tended to lay off the unproductive labor. Hence, selective labor retention and improved management practices enabled higher labor productivity. However, other economists have found that factors other than selective retention of labor resulted in the high inter-war productivity growth, which was the base on which post-war economic revival happened in America. For example, quality of labor improved as Americans received better educational qualifications during the inter-war years, a level that was not achieved again since the 1960s (Goldin, cited in Field, 2006). On

List the author's main point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

List the author's main point - Essay Example It’s not really† (837). The author further explains this argument by stating that even though these factors results into environmental calamities, they don’t deserve to be totally eliminated but rather safeguarded to balance the ecological and social state, this is backed up by the statement where the author says that â€Å"economic, political and social systems have produced our current environmental calamities but they don’t deserve to be replaced rather they should be preserved† (837). The author also states that in pursuit towards a successful environment and culture, virtue and violence needs to be combined, this is supported by the quote where the author indeed feels that his readers wonder why he would† yoke together value and violence†(838). Although the use of positive violence is encouraged when it comes to business and economics as supported by the quote â€Å"How can one remove the claim of virtue from the behavior that is most habitual to people?† â€Å"The artful use of violence is obviously something that we admire in those sectors of the culture that we most associate with success† (838). The author states that our virtue is manifested ethically through the use of positive violence. The use of the expression â€Å"we can move mountains† (839) clearly supports this statement of pride. By presenting itself as a type of wisdom, sustainability acts as a mediator between our damaging values and truthfulness to democracy. This is supported by the quote† Sustainability participates in the yearning and willingfulness to the Barbaric Heart despite of itself† (839). The author states that to achieve sustainability, economists, politicians and scientists put their minds together to work and set a common goal .This is supported by the quote â€Å"In short, sustainability assumes that the reasoning of the economics-or economics as thought of