Child Development Essay

Purpose of the course: The course meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:45 to 10:00 in Mayborn 105. My office hours are Wednesdays from 10-12 and nearly anytime by appointment in Hobbs 217a. The course is about experimental methods of research on child development. It is designed for students concentrating in child development, cognitive studies, or psychology. The prerequisites include at least one course about child development and at least one course about statistics. The course is built around empirical articles about child development (many of the articles are â€Å"classics† that you may have read about in your other courses) and around readings about statistics & research methods. The main purpose of the course is to bring to life the basic elements of experimental approaches to psychological science in the context of child development research. To accomplish this we will read chapters about statistics and research methods. These concepts will be anchored to child development by applying them to classic (and recent) research reports, by applying them to hands-on experiences of designing and implementing data collection protocols, and by applying them to the entire research process by writing a research proposal. Requirements: 1. Come to class and participate. This will count 5% of your final course grade. I hope everyone receives the entire amount of credit. I’ll distribute an attendance list at the start of each class. It is fine to miss two classes. If you need to miss, please email me the day before. As for participating in class – it is a good thing for students to ask & answer questions in class. Sometimes I’ll ask people to hold on to their questions and ask me after class, so I can continue with the lecture. 2. Midterm exam. This is the only test in the course and will count 40% of your final course grade. It is a â€Å"concept mastery† test. You will be expected to define, explain, and apply the statistical concepts and the research design concepts to the empirical papers that we have read up to that point. It involves teaming-up with classmates in order to identify a classic research study, to design dependent variables and independent variables based on that study, create an observation sheet, and observe a few children. Then students should, individually, summarize what you observed in a table, and report your observations within a scientific style format. It will count 15% of the your final course grade. 3. Term paper in lieu of a final exam. This is to be a 12-20 page paper roughly following the format of an NIH research proposal. It will count 40% of your final course grade. 4. Letter grades: Excellent or outstanding work will receive a grade of â€Å"A† or â€Å"A-â€Å". Good or very good work will receive a grade of â€Å"B+† or â€Å"B†. or â€Å"B-â€Å". Work that minimally fulfills the assignments will receive a grade of â€Å"C†, and work that does not fulfill the assignment will receive a grade of â€Å"D† or â€Å"F†. The Vanderbilt Honor Code: I strongly encourage students to brainstorm together, to study together, and to team up to prepare for tests together. However, all written work should be your own. Tests are to be taken on the scheduled day and assignments are due on the scheduled day. I will make exceptions for documented medical emergencies, family emergencies, and participation in official Vanderbilt events.

Germany and the germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Germany and the germans class - Essay Example Prussia came out of the war stronger than it was before because of his military skills. He gave the press the freedom to express themselves and he also established common religious toleration. He managed to protect the people from the law by having a quick judicial process, torture was abolished and the capital sentence was made at his discretion. He developed infrastructure and agriculture. That is how he built his legacy in his time (Woloch, 54). Joseph II lived between 1741 and 1790. He was the Roman emperor and ruler and during his tenure he managed to finish what his mother had started. His reforms were political, economic, judicial and social oriented. He changed the education system by separating it from the monarch and finding the best scholars. The executive and judiciary were separated at the strategic level and he did this to the lower levels of this arms. He managed to make the General hospital a top hospital in Europe. He gave the press their freedom and established an equality of religion. He also transferred ownership of the theaters to the actors to enhance their performance. He also managed to emancipate the Jews which gave the culture a boost. His war tactics also gave his kingdom a competitive edge and position (Woloch, 67). His reforms were well rounded as he touched each and every aspect of the

Strategic Management Analysis on B-777 Aircraft Term Paper

Strategic Management Analysis on B-777 Aircraft - Term Paper Example Boeing 777 business development under Philip Condit is a clear demonstration of a well thought strategic management analysis of the company that helped the Boeing 777 to be an industry leader through large market share. The company through its leadership identified key weaknesses that threatened to collapse the company that included production inefficiencies, high cost of production, delays in delivery among others. This discussion looks at the strategic management of the business in detail. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis involves strategic analysis of both internal and external business environment. Internal business environment is analyzed by looking at the strengths and weakness of a firm while external environment is analyzed through opportunities and threats brought about by forces without the organization. The strengths of the Boeing 777 Aircraft mentioned in the case study are discussed below as follows. One, the company’s decision to involve airline operators across the g lobe who operated earlier versions of Boeing airlines to generate ideas on the new design and customer preferences helped to develop an aircraft that met the needs of the target customers. Decision to outsource key services through subcontracting internationally and within US helped to spread risk reduce time taken to break even. This meant that the company would benefit from comparative advantage of each partner it was working with. In addition, working with various companies across the ground created an opportunity and easy market penetration (Hill and Jones 2009). Strong relationship developed between Philip Condit and the employees (engineers) helped to end the secretive management style. This allowed free flow of information and sharing of new ideas. Acquisition of McDonell Douglas Company in 1997 helped Boeing to become the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of military aircraft thus expanding this market segment as well as eliminating one of its competitors. In fact its main rival was now Airbus Industries which trailed it by sales. The acquisition helped the Boeing to ride on the skills and networks developed by the acquired company. Ability to develop flexible design from the Boeing 777 helped the company to meet orders for cargo, long, medium and short distance travel aircraft without necessarily incurring high design and development costs. Use of the Digital Designs helped to identify errors and overlaps thus improving on efficiency and reducing time taken to deliver an aircraft. In terms of weaknesses that characterized the company, huge development cost initially threatened the survival of the business. It made returns low and the company would take a long time to break even not to mention creation problem of cash flow. Rising costs, declining productivity and delays in delivers in the early 1990s when the Boeing 777 project was being developed was not a positive aspect towards the project. Highly structured management style just bef ore Philip Condit to the scenes would have easily affected idea generation, product development and production. Huge labor force and large capital outlay required to develop the aircraft almost exhausted the company’s income streams. Managing such a large workforce and imparting the necessary skills was going to be a big challenge especially with the then management structure. The fact that Boeing 777 projec

Economy - Market structure & Macroeconomy Essay

Economy - Market structure & Macroeconomy - Essay Example Mombasa has endured rule of many different nations, from the Portuguese in the 12th century to the British more recently, until gaining its independence in 1963. The completion of a railway from Mombasa to Uganda in 1901 serves as the link between the port and the rest of Kenya, as well as surrounding East African countries. While Mombasa is an important shipping port for imports and exports along the East African coast, it is also a popular tourist area, with many hotels to the North and South of the 15 square km island. The population of Mombasa is roughly 900,000. Over one fourth of all workers in Kenya are employed in Mombasa working in the port itself, in manufacturing, and in tourism. Tourism, and particularly that of visiting naval ships, is an important aspect of the economy, accounting for nearly 40% of Mombassa’s revenues. Among its many exports are coffee, flowers, vegetables, textiles and livestock. Problems that the port has encountered since the early 1990s inclu de a declining economy that is said to be the result of price controls, import licensing and foreign exchange controls. Like Nairobi, the largest city in Kenya, the city of Mombassa has experienced an increase in population, though on a much smaller scale. This is a continuing problem across Eastern Africa, and solutions for â€Å"secondary cities† (Otiso, 2005, p.117) in which occupants can live and work to sustain themselves is elusive.

War And Civilization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War And Civilization - Assignment Example Wars have been the violent catalyst for changes throughout history. Wars are, however, part of the agencies that help bring changes and progress in human life and the world. It might sound absurd, but wars are part of the human life activities. Wars simulate national growth, advancement in information technology, medical research, and solve some of the most complex political differences. They evoke bravery and heroism among communities and nations. In medical and health care systems, war has been the subject of appreciation as it has promoted human civilization. It is indeed a catalyst that has brought advances in medical science. Most of the chemical medicines and surgical techniques used in clinics and hospitals were not discovered when people were at peace in their homes. They were discovered and advanced when the need arose particularly when casualties of wars were in dire need of medication. Diseases such as Pestilent that evolved out of the war needed the rapid response with th e appropriate medical treatment (Smith, 2006). There are indeed several contributions of war to human civilization. The US, for example, had economic gains for its people from both World War I and II. If one looks the wars as agents of world peace, they did succeed in promoting peace and keeping the world safe. World War II eliminated Hitler who was a threat to the peace and unity of many people. In the 1973 war, Israel won a battle that enabled it to expand boundaries and acquire land that was previously a forbidden territory.

China Global Trade Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

China Global Trade Report - Essay Example In terms of the Chinese market there are a number of overarching indicators. Currently the Chinese’ gross domestic product (GDP) is a reported $6.09 trillion making it the world’s second largest gross domestic product. In terms of growth rate, China demonstrated a 2.3% growth rate throughout 2011. China has a strong amount of exports, particularly to the United States where a strong number of production plants have implemented Chinese low-cost labor and manufacturing for item production ("Starmass"). Chinese exports include most prominently electrical machinery and equipment, followed by power generation equipment, apparel, toys, games, and sports equipment, furniture, and footwear ("Starmass"). In terms of goods imported into China, the major import items are machinery and transport equipment, these and then followed by non-edible raw materials, mineral and fuel materials, and finally chemical products ("Starmass"). There are a number of Chinese regulatory bodies that have control over internal and external economic elements. In these regards, the most prominent Chinese regulatory bodies include the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC).   In addition to these aspects, there are a number of more specific trade indicators. One of the most prominent among these concerns are Chinese workforce numbers. The staggering Chinese population, currently over a billion citizens, contains equally staggering workforce figures. In these regards, the total number of the population that is economically active has been placed at 760,800,000. In terms of a specific workforce figure, the percentage has been placed at 58.9%; this number jumps to 77.7% when only individuals over age 15 are considered. With the expansive size of Chinese society virtually all forms of services and goods are produced within this country (Yifu). Chinese pillar industries continue to remain energy and heavy industries; these elem ents are aided by China’s relatively lax environmental regulations relative to Western industrialized countries. Notably, China continues to lag behind many Western countries in production of high technology innovative goods. Still, it’s notable that China has and continues to experience staggering economic growth. In terms of continued growth, the Chinese economy is estimated to grow at a 9.5% rate between 2011 and 2015 (Yifu). In terms of specific indexical growth indicators, it was recently demonstrated that China has a very high 3G growth rating (Yifu). There are still other prominent global trade measures that must be considered in terms of macroeconomic and cultural concerns. Some of the most notable of these concerns are the shifting nature of Chinese trade relations. Within this context of understanding it’s noted that recent years have witnessed an increasingly liberalization in trade matters, with regulatory bodies increasingly calling for free trade a reas. Recent years have seen the increasing establishment of trade pacts, for instance the 2005 East Asian Summit established relations with India, Australia, and New Zealand (Yifu). Recently the United States has eased trade restrictions with the country, allowing Chinese exports in at the same rate as other countries. China’s joining of the World Trade Organization (WTO) also points towards positive future global trade measures. Still, Chinese is noted to rank 29th in the Global Competitiveness Index and 135th among 179

Managing Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Managing Homeland Security - Essay Example Emergency managers, in their pursuit of tackling critical problems, need to make the best use of available resources, and act efficiently during disaster situations. Although the role of an emergency manager is magnified only during problematic conditions, his work is nevertheless an on-going process. The department of emergency management is required to prepare in advance for potential disasters, respond effectively during disasters, and ensure the well-being and settlement of residents after the disasters are over. Emergency Management departments try their best to make sure that the opportunity cost of emergency management actions such as emergency preparedness and hazard are less than the long-term losses incurred from maximum credible disasters. As the Emergency Management Coordinator, it is my job to have proper hazard and vulnerability analysis of the city conducted frequently, and facilitate training to task-forces, as well as citizens to ensure that the city is prepared to handle catastrophic situations at all times. These trainings can be done in the form physical exercises and drills, or dissemination of safety information. Also included as part of my duty is the creation of new positions and policies for the innovative and initiated minds, redefining responsibilities and considering budget requirements. Moreover, I shall endeavour to form coalitions with banks, insurance companies, local government agencies, and other forms of community groups so as to reduce disaster losses to the city and its residents. When a situation arises, it is important that emergency managers work in collaboration with other public service and safety departments like the police force, fire department and paramedics. To achieve unanimity of purpose, an emergency manager can work towards ensuring that public safety departments are in frequent contact with each other, and information flows through them without barriers of