You can decide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

You can decide - Essay Example Some of the fossils propose a geographical diversity and a difference in characteristics are KNM-ER 1808 and Trinil 2. In 1891, an archeologist named Eugene Dubois found angular, domed, and thick-walled human skullcap with a large shelf like brow ridge near Trinil, Java (Indonesia. He decided that the skull be named Trinil2 (Dorey). Another person, Kamoya Kimeu in 1974 discovered a 1.7 million years old femur of Homo erectus KNM-ER1808 in Koobi Fora in Kenya. This female Homo erectus has an incredible distinct feature that surprised the researchers; it has an abnormal layer of bone on her thigh that shows evidence of bleeding to her death. Scientists have concluded that it is an overdose of vitamin A. The two skulls have some significant differences between them. Trinil 2 has a long, flat forehead, distinct brow ridges and have sagittal keel (Dorey). The cranium of Trinil 2 is thick brow ridges that are sharply angled rear where the neck muscles attach. When the Trinil femur is compared with KNM-ER 1808, one will see that Trinil is considerably ‘human’ while the other is more of Homo er ectus. The skeleton of KNM-ER 1808 has almost complete right femur but unfortunately lacking a head. There have numerous changes in the evolution of the hominid that have occurred. These changes have significantly contributed to the change in the proportion of the skull. Different parts of the skull in various hominids are varying proportion. The change from one hominid can be noticed in face size, shape, brain capacity and even position of occipital condyles. In this Lab report, we shall measure different proportions, calculate indices and compare them with known or commonly recognized hominines species. 2. When the location of the points are known, connect their location with lines (porion intersects lowest point of the eye orbit such that line almost touch top circle and bottom edge). As shown in the guides. The ratio uv/tv of is

The strengths of a Goalkeeper Essay Example for Free

The strengths of a Goalkeeper Essay For my GCSE PE Coursework Ill be writing about the strengths of a Goalkeeper.  A Goalkeeper always needs to be fit before a match because even though he doesnt need to run on the pitch a lot a goalkeeper needs to be fit because if they are not fit they will have difficulties diving to reach a ball when an opponent tries to score and also the keeper might get the ball blasted onto him so he might go down because he is not fit enough to take the shot coming towards him. A Goalkeepers vision is very important for his job because if the keepers vision is bad he wont be able to see the shots coming towards him and then the opponent can score a goal.  I think the most important part of a Goalkeepers currier is if he has good grip with his hands because if he is clumsy the opposing player shot will slip right through the keepers hands therefore he lets in a silly goal so the keeper must make sure he has his hands nice and steady and make sure he doesnt have a injury to one of his fingers because if his fingers are injured and the ball hits it hard the keeper could have a broken finger and that could be a permanent injury ending his goalkeeping currier. A Goalkeeper must be a good goal kick taker and also have to do good long balls otherwise if he cant that means there is a very big risk every time he has to take a goal kick and could accidentally pass to the opposing player leaving him a good chance to score.  One of the main skills that a keeper has to have are his diving skills because a football goal is quite big so you need to be a very good diver in order to get the ball when it is shot on goal otherwise the keeper cant do much besides stay in one spot or move left or right. One of a goalkeeper strengths has to be how alert he his this is called reaction time a keeper when he sees a ball he as to be alert  Page 2 of 2  To dive or jump to it as fast as possible otherwise he will be letting his team down and could cost him dearly in the future.  A Goalkeeper strengths must also be Accuracy because if hes going to kick the ball when its a goal kick he has to know where hes kicking it to otherwise he will be wasting time kicking it around the pitch or he could make a mistake and kick it to a opponent leaving him a chance to score. Another keepers skill that he must master is Agility because if he has to go and chase a ball that a striker from the opposing team is also chasing he has to be fast enough to get the ball and clear it so the opponent wont benefit and end up scoring.  A really testy skill that some keepers have trouble with are balance a keeper must be able to balance himself after hes taken a hard shot because if he cant balance himself after the ball was blasted onto him he could easily walk in the goal and scoring for the other team which would let your team down. A lot of goalkeepers always happen to be tall from their hands to their feet they must be at least able to reach from the cross bar to the floor otherwise an opponent could easily chip the ball over your head and score a goal so a goalkeeper has to have good height to play and also a Goalkeeper should also have a high jump because if somehow hes out off his 6 yard box anyone could lob him and he has to have a good high jump to catch the ball or at least stop it from going into the goal. CONCLUSION  I think that the goalkeeper has the hardest job on the pitch much harder than a defender or midfielder or forward because the goalie has to take all the hard shots and takes a lot of hits by the ball or opposing player trying to score he has to sacrifice himself when he has to jump or dive to stop the ball and when he dives he also has to risk not banging on to the post and risk smashing his head thats why the keeper I think works the hardest on a pitch because of all these reasons.

tragoed Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King (Oedipus

Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King In the introduction to Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines a tragic hero as one who "[behaves] admirably as a man, [but who] is nevertheless tripped up by forces beyond his control and understanding..." (Sophocles 76).   In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero. The force that "trips up" the hero is fate, or, moira. It is Oedipus's actions that set the events into motion,   but it is ultimately his fate, and his attempted aversion to it, that brings about his downfall. This downfall, and elements such as plot, character, diction and spectacle (Aristotle 175), that cause Oedipus the King to be a tragedy. In order to describe Oedipus as a tragic hero, one must begin by describing a tragedy. A tragedy must consist of a variety of elements in order to truly fulfill its purpose. According to Aristotle, the most important element is plot (175). Without the events that unify all aspects, the story would not be held together. It is the actions of the tragic hero that lead to his downfall, and that define his characteristics and set into motion all other aspects of the work. In Oedipus the King, it is Oedipus's attempt to avoid his destiny, an overt act of hubris, that leads to his rise in power and ultimate fall. In this aspect, he completely fulfills the job of a tragic hero. Another aspect of a tragedy is character. These are the qualities that are imbued in each character in the story. There have to be admirable traits in the characters, or the readers would not care what happened to them. Some of these characteristics can include honor, bravery, and intelligence, as with Oedipus. If readers did not care, there would be no catharsis... ...hat it was his father whom he killed. He was also acting out of love for his parents when he tried to avoid his fate by leaving town. Due to these circumstances, it can be seen that Oedipus's punishment far exceeded the crime; but this is just one more reason   why he is a tragic hero. Bibliography Bloom, Harold, ed. Sophocles. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. 54-57. The Complete Plays of Sophocles. "Introduction." Ed. Moses Hadas. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. p.vii-xvi The Complete Plays of Sophocles. "Introduction to Oedipus the King." Ed. Moses Hadas. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. p.75-76 The Complete Plays of Sophocles. "Introduction." Ed. Moses Hadas. New York: Bantam Books, 1967. p.77-114 Aristotle. "Poetics". Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art. Ed. Butcher, S.H. New York. Dover Publications, Inc. 1951.

Comparative Study on Singapore vs Indian Higher Education System Essay

Abstract: In the world of globalization almost every country in the world wants their education system to be the best, so their students can obtain the necessary skills and knowledge taught by the schools/universities that meets the challenges of the 21st century. The present article explores how Singapore and Indian way of higher education system works; in which way both the countries differ and how they are leading in the field of higher education and it also highlight the different pathway that leads to the student’s progression from their nursery to doctorate degree. 1. 0 Indian education system: The University Education Report had set goals for development of higher education in the country. While articulating these goals Radakrishnan Commission on University Education, 1948-49 put it in following words: â€Å"The most important and urgent reform needed in education is to transform it, to endeavor to relate it to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby make it the powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of the national goals. For this purpose, education should be developed so as to increase productivity, achieve social and national integration, accelerate the process of modernization and cultivate social, moral and spiritual values. † India’s higher education system is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States. The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission (India) is a statutory organization established by an Act of Parliament in1956 for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. Apart from providing grants to eligible universities and colleges, the Commission also advises the Central and State Governments on the measures, which are necessary for the development of higher education. Central Government is responsible for major policy relating to higher education in the country. It provides grants to University Grants Commission (UGC) and establishes central universities in the country. The Central Government is also responsible for declaration of Education Institutions as ‘Deemed to be University’ on the recommendation of the UGC. Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 12 autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission. At the end of the third year of XI Plan (2009-10), the number of Universities has gone up to 493 (42 Central, 130 Deemed and 316 State Universities and 5 Institution established under Special State Legislature Acts) and the number of Colleges to 31,324, thus registering an increase of 36% in the number Universities and 48% in the case of Colleges in comparison to the figures at the end of X Plan (31. 03. 2007). During the academic year 2009-10, there had been 146. 25 lakhs (provisional) students enrolled in various courses at all levels in universities/colleges and other institutions of higher education as compared to 136. 42 lakhs in the previous year, registering an increase of 7. 2 per cent. Out of 146. 25 lakhs, 60. 80 lakh had been women students, constituting 41. 6 per cent. The comparative trend of total students enrolment and enrolment of women students, among states during 2009-10 had been increased. The enrolment of women students, in terms of absolute numbers, had been the highest in the state of Uttar Pradesh (8. 4 lakhs), followed by Maharashtra (7. 8 lakhs), Andhra Pradesh (6.1 lakhs), Tamil Nadu (5. 2 lakhs) etc. In terms of percentages, Goa accounted for the highest percentage of 59%, followed by Kerala (57%), Punjab and Meghalaya (51%) etc. indicating the dominance of girl students over boys in these states and A&N Islands (52%), Chandigarh (51%), Puducherry (50%) among the Union Territories. (Annual Report, University Grant Commission (UGC, 20092010)). The enrolment position in the academic year 2009-10 reveals that majority of students in the higher education system had been enrolled for a variety of courses at the under-graduate level. The students at this level constitute provisionally 86. 55 per cent of the total number of students in colleges and universities put together. The percentage of students enrolled for Master’s level courses had been 11. 49 per cent while a very small proportion i. e. 0. 89 per cent of the total number of students had been enrolled for research. Similarly, only 1. 15 per cent of the total number of students had been enrolled in diploma/certificate courses. As regards the distribution of student’s enrolment between universities and affiliated colleges, the largest number of students in the higher education system had been enrolled in affiliated colleges. About 90. 24 per cent of all the under-graduate students and 70. 83 per cent of all the post-graduate students had been enrolled in the affiliated colleges, while the remaining had been in the universities and their constituent colleges. (Annual Report, University Grant Commission (UGC, 2009-2010)). 115 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 There has in fact been considerable improvement in the higher education scenario of India in both quantitative and qualitative terms. In technical education, the IITs, and in management, the IIMs have already marked their names among the top higher educational institutes of the world. Moreover the Jawaharlal University and Delhi University are also regarded as good higher educational institutes for doing postgraduates courses and research in science, humanities and social sciences. As a result, students from various parts of the world are coming today for higher education in India. Apart from these higher education institutes there are several private institutes in India that offer various professional courses in India. According to the Department of higher Education, government of India, there are total enrolment of students (146. 25 lakhs), 42. 01% students had been in the faculty of Arts, followed by 19. 30% in Science and 17. 83% in Commerce/ Management. Thus, 79. 14% of the total enrolment had been in the three faculties of Arts, Sciences and Commerce / Management while the remaining 20. 86% had been in the professional faculties indicating the highest percentage in Engineering. /Technology (10. 33%), followed by Medical courses (3. 48%), etc. In the academic year 2009-2010, the total number of teachers in universities and colleges had been 6. 99 lakhs as compared to 5. 89 lakhs teachers in the previous year. Out of 6. 99 lakhs teachers, 86% teachers had been in Colleges and the remaining 14% in University Departments / University Colleges (Annual Report, University Grant Commission (UGC, 2009-2010)). accounting, teaching, medicine, law, agriculture, veterinary, polytechnic and others. 1. 2 The Current Scene: India is today one of the fastest developing countries of the world with the annual growth rate going above 9%. In order to sustain that rate of growth, there is need to increase the number of institutes and also the quality of higher education in India. Therefore the Prime Minister of India has announced the establishment of 8 IITs, seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and five Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research (IISERs) and 30 Central Universities in his speech to the nation on the 60th Independence Day. The outlay for education during the 11th Five Year Plan, which runs from the current fiscal to 2012-13, represents a four-fold increase over the previous plan and stands at Rs 2500 billion. 1. 3 Advantages of Indian higher education: With India emerging as a global hub for commercial R&D (India Today International, 3 Oct 2009), R&D within the scope of Higher Education has gained greater importance. Now, the country is fast emerging as a major centre for cutting-edge research and development (R&D) projects for global multinationals such as Microsoft and Motorola as well as Indian firms. More and more companies in industries ranging from IT and telecommunications through pharmaceuticals and biotech are setting up ambitious R&D projects, in part to serve the Indian market, but also with an eye to delivering new generations of products faster to the global market. It has been stated that 150 international firms have set up R&D centers in India and in 2004 US patents office granted over 1000 patents to Indian units of US companies. India has developed one of the largest systems of Higher Education in the world with over 493 universities and 6500 vocational colleges catering to about 10 million students. India provides a big market and playing field for private initiatives at both the national and international levels. It is very rich in human resources, in terms of quantity as well as quality. Statistics from the Indian census bureau shows, over 35% of our population is below the age of 20. By 2020, it is expected that 325 million people in India will reach working age, which will be the largest in the world. This will come at a time when the rest of the developed world will be faced with an ageing population were as India with its bourgeoning middle class people who are willing to invest in quality higher education will be an asset for India’s growth in education. No wonder that foreign universities from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are vying for students from India. India, too, is trying to attract students from neighboring countries. It is also willing to cater to the needs of the Indian Diaspora. Many non-resident Indians are now sending their wards to India for professional education in the fields of medicine, engineering, and business management. For them, higher education in India is both cost-effective and culturally rich. 1. 1 Pathway of learning in Indian education system: The Indian Education System is comprised of six stages: nursery, primary, secondary, higher secondary, graduation & post-graduation. Schooling prior to university lasts 12 years. Higher education in India starts after passing the higher secondary education or the 12th standard. However, there are considerable differences between the various states in terms of the organizational structures within these first 12 years of schooling. The government is committed to ensuring universal elementary education (primary and upper primary) education for all children aged 6-14 years of age. These various stages of Education, set by the Indian Education Ministry, are instrumental in an individual’s growth. Thus to ensure consistency in the overall development of the individual, first 12 years of education are made basic for all. Graduation and Post Graduation though depends upon person’s academic interest. Depending on the stream, doing graduation in India can take three to five years. Postgraduate courses are generally of two to three years of duration. After completing post graduation, scope for doing research in various educational institutes also remains open. (See the table 1. 0 for details) Education system in India covers almost all kinds of careers right from health services, management, mass media, legal services, social science, home science, fine arts to environmental science, administrative services, fashion courses, vocational courses, engineering, technology and 116 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 If TeamLease Services were to be believed, by 2025 India will be proud possessor of a workforce equivalent to a quarter of the world’s human resource capital. This positive forecast comes with a rider. A study conducted by the staffing firm, TeamLease Services, suggests India has to harness the latent talent of its young and productive population to achieve this goal. As per the ‘India Labour Report 2009’ released by Teamlease Services in collaboration with IIJT Education, the India can achieve a per capita income of USD 4,100 (approximately Rs 187,554 at an exchange rate of Rs 45. 74 per dollar). The report says this is not impossible if a labourfriendly atmosphere is in place. The study suggests some drastic reforms in the labour policy. The report says, â€Å"If we harness this dividend by 2025, India will not only have 25 per cent of the world’s total workforce, but our per capita income will be USD 4,100. † The report further adds: â€Å"This would rise to USD 9,802 in 2040 and USD 20,836 in 2050. This will finally put poverty in the museum it belongs. † higher education. The pro-high technology policy of the government has invited billion of dollars of foreign investment in the fields of biotechnology, IT and research. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is responsible for controlling the development and administration of the schools and various government-funded educational institutions. In case of private schools, the MOE plays a crucial supervisory and advisory role. Education mainly revolves around the interests of the students. The teaching and pedagogical system follows a flexible approach that helps the students in developing their potentials and aptitudes. † [Source: Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore] The Singapore education system aims to provide students with a holistic and broad-based education. Given the multi-cultural and multi-racial characteristics of Singapore, the bilingual policy is a key feature of the Singapore education system. Under the bilingual policy, every student learns English, which is the common working language. Students also learn their mother tongue language (Chinese, Malay or Tamil), to help them retain their ethnic identity, culture, heritage and values. The mission of the MOE is to mould the future of the nation, with a vision of Thinking Schools, Learning Nation. Since 2003, Singapore has also focused on nurturing a spirit of Innovation and Enterprise (I&E) among students and teachers. â€Å"Teach Less, Learn More† (TLLM) was a call for all educators to teach better, improve the quality of interaction between teachers and students, and equip students with the knowledge, skills and values that prepare them for life [Yearbook of Statistics Singapore, 2011]. For both public and private schools there are variations in the extent of the autonomy in their curriculum and the scope of government aid and funding. Students in primary school do not pay school fees, while students at secondary and Pre University levels pay subsidized school fees. The Ministry of Education aims to help their students to discover their own talents, to make the best of these talents and realize their full potential, and to develop a passion for learning that lasts through life. They have been moving in recent years towards an education system that is more flexible and diverse. The aim is to provide students with greater choice to meet their different interests and ways of learning. Being able to choose what and how they learn will encourage them to take greater ownership of their learning. They are also giving their students a more broad-based education to ensure their all-round or holistic development, in and out of the classroom. Singapore currently has three autonomous universities, with a fourth slated to open in 2012. They are the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU). The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will be Singapore’s fourth autonomous university. It is developed in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Zhejiang University. SUTD’s mission is to advance knowledge and nurture technically grounded leaders and 1. 4 Issues for Indian Higher education: India is being projected as a would-be super-power by the year 2020; at the same time, higher education, which is growing at the rate of 20% per annum worldwide, is being counted as one of the most important ingredients in knowledge-based economies. India therefore faces a big challenge in achieving its goals in this respect. Private initiatives in higher education are not only feasible, but also desirable, if India is to meet the target of 20% of its youth in the age group of 17-23, as against 7. 2% today. The government has not been able to attain the desired level of literacy during the last 65 years. At the time of independence, the literacy level was just 14%; India’s target is a 100% literacy rate by 2020. At present there are 300 million adult illiterates in India and only 60 million out of 170 million children at the primary school level are able to make to secondary education. Out of these 160 million, only 9 million make it to post-secondary education. According to a recent report by Asian brokerage and investment group CLSA, India’s education and training market is valued at $40 billion and is growing rapidly. It is expected to be a $70 billion industry by 2012. Primary education (K-12) makes up about half of the market. However, India continues to face challenges. Despite growing investment in education, 35% of the population is illiterate and only 15% of the students reach high school [Source: India still Asia’s reluctant tiger, by Zareer Masani of BBC Radio 4, 27 February 2008]. As of 2008, India’s post-secondary high schools offer only enough seats for 7% of India’s college-age population, 25% of teaching positions nationwide are vacant, and 57% of college professors lack either a master’s or PhD degree[Source : SPECIAL REPORT: THE EDUCATION RACE, by Newsweek, August 18–25, 2008 issue] 2. 0 Singapore Education System: â€Å"Apart from enjoying a status of famous shopping and tourism destination, Singapore is also emerging as a place for pursuing 117 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No.1, 2012 innovators serve societal needs. This will be accomplished with a focus on Design, through an integrated multidisciplinary curriculum and multi-disciplinary research. The university is expected to open its doors in April 2012, with its campus constructed by 2015. A graduate medical school, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, was also created through a partnership between Duke University School of Medicine and NUS to increase Singapore’s capacity to develop a vibrant biomedical hub. Specialized institutions have also sprung up, both local and international. For instance, well-known business schools University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and INSEAD, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) provide specialized education in the arts, and the Digipen Institute of Technology focuses on world-class technology education. In addition, polytechnics were also set up to train middle-level professionals and their main aim is to educate and nurture their students to excel in work and in life, and to equip young as well adult learners with skills and knowledge to enhance their employability in the market. A total of five polytechnic schools (Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, and Republic Polytechnic) were established in Singapore to cater to students those who passed the secondary school and those who are interested in learning more technical subjects with hands on training. Most of the diplomas offered are three years duration and their course curriculum is designed to meet the industry needs. Last, but not the least; the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) was established as a post-secondary technical institution of excellence. The basic purpose of the institute is â€Å"To Create Opportunities for School Leavers and Adult Learners to Acquire Skills, Knowledge and Values for Lifelong Learning in a Global Economy† [Mission statement: ITE]. The Institute of Technical Education campuses were reorganized under the â€Å"Collegiate system† into 3 major colleges around the island, ITE College Central, ITE College West, ITE College East. You may also choose to send your children to one of the over 300 private education institutions in Singapore. Private schools offer a large variety of courses, including language and professional programmes. When choosing a private school, do make sure it has proper accreditation. The EduTrust for Education and Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organizations are two hallmarks of quality implemented in Singapore. Under the MOE, The Higher Education Division (HED) oversees the provision of tertiary and technical education in Singapore as well as registration of private schools. It oversees nine statutory boards — five Polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the Science Centre Singapore (SCS), the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and the Council for Private Education. HED also oversees the development of four autonomous universities (the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University, the Singapore Management University and the Singapore University of Technology and Design). (See the table 1. 0 for details) More details can be found in MOE website. 2. 2 The current scene: The proposed vision of Singapore education is to develop a self-sustaining education ecosystem offering a diverse and distinctive mix of quality educational services to the world, thus becoming an engine of economic growth, capability development and talent attraction for Singapore. Education ecosystem refers to a cluster of mutually reinforcing, complementary education institutions which vary in terms of student enrolment numbers, country of origin, cultural environment, nature of activity, academic level, academic discipline/subjects, research interests and price. This network of institutions will raise education standards, create more choice for Singapore students and enrich the overall student experience. Singapore has placed an essential emphasis on education. This can be seen from the fact that education spending forms at least 20% of the budget of Singapore. Primary education has become compulsory for all the citizens of Singapore and if parents fail to enroll their children into school, it is considered a criminal offence. Singapore’s public schools maintain high standards of teaching and learning. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2009/2010, Singapore was ranked 1st internationally for the quality of our educational system. Singapore was also rated as one of the world’s best performing education system, with an excellent teaching force, according to the McKinsey & Company 2007 report How the World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top. Enrolment in educational institutions, see table below [Yearbook of Statistics Singapore, 2011] 2. 1 Pathway of learning in Singapore education system: According to the system, students in Singapore generally undergo six years in primary school and four to five years in secondary school. They can then enroll in post-secondary institutions, pre-university courses, or move on to the polytechnics. Eligible students are subsequently given the opportunity to enroll in the universities. [Source: Ministry of Education, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic,118 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, National Institute of Education, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University and Singapore Institute of Technology. Note: Data for primary, secondary and junior college exclude private schools. 2. 3 Advantages of Singapore higher education: Singapore has several competitive advantages that position it well as a global education hub. These include a strategic geographical location, reputation for educational excellence, a vibrant business hub (which presents opportunities for institutional-industry collaboration), and a safe and cosmopolitan environment. Singapore can capture a larger share of the global educational market (estimated at US$2. 2 trillion), and increase educational services’ contribution to GDP from the existing 1. 9% of the GDP to a projected 3 to 5% in 10 years. [Source: Executive Summary – Developing Singapore’s Education Industry Prepared by the Education Workgroup]. About 120 of the 353 primary and secondary schools in Singapore have some form of exchange programmes which allow students to visit overseas schools. In 2005, the Ministry of Education set up a SGD 4. 5 million School Twinning Fund to facilitate 9,000 primary and secondary school students to participate in these exchange programmes, particularly in ASEAN countries, China and India. [Source: Forss, Pearl (2005-10-13). â€Å"Education Ministry sets up $4. 5m fund to facilitate student exchange programmes†. Channel News Asia]. Singapore Government aims to increase the numbers of foreign students studying in Singapore from the current 97,000 to 150,000 by 2015. Based on current statistics, approximately one-fifth of those applying through UCAS are third-country nationals mainly from mainland China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore is aggressively moving forward to become an education service provider in the region, the Economic Development Board has also continued to pursue brand-name foreign universities to set up specialized campuses to serve an international market from Singapore. The number of students studying for foreign qualifications in-country – Transnational (TNE) programmes – was 36,700 in 2001. According to latest HESA TNE data for 2009/10 the number of students studying for a UK qualification in Singapore is 42,715 – The majority of these are delivered in partnership with local private institutions. According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) done in 2006, cited by MOE in a 2007 survey by the Fraser Institute, Singapore was ranked fourth among 45 education systems. Dr Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, also proudly claimed that educational leaders around the world are flocking to Singapore to copy Singapore’s successful educational model. He said that some North American schools are even using similar textbooks as those used in Singaporean schools. While Singapore is clearly proving to be a popular destination for students from Asia, small numbers of students from Europe, the United States, and Australia are also choosing to study in Singapore. Many international students consider Singapore to be a comfortable introduction to Asia, providing both the chance to get a Western education at a leading institution and become familiar with Chinese language and business practices as well closer to their home country. Moreover, most MNCs have their regional base here and with Singapore positioned as the business and commercial capital of the region, job opportunities for graduating students are aplenty. Given the better job prospects that Asia currently offers as compared to the US and Europe, it is likely that Asian students will continue to pursue their higher studies within the region and more specifically in Singapore. This is a win-win situation for all – the students, Singapore’s education industry and the companies based in the city-state. [September 22, 2009, in Doing Business in Singapore] 2. 4 Issues for Singapore Higher education: Critics of the education system, including some parents, state that the education system is too specialized, rigid, and elitist. Often, these criticisms state that there is little emphasis on creative thinking, unlike education systems in other societies, such as those in the States. Those defending the current education system point out that Singaporean student have regularly ranked top when competing in international science and mathematics competitions and assessments. Detractors believe this is more an indication of students’ skills in using rote to prepare for a certain style of competition or examination than of their ability to think critically. There have also been complaints about excessive educational streaming at a young age. A popular local film, I Not Stupid, highlights the competitiveness of the system and the social stigma that students struggling with studies have to face. The best students are streamed into the best and normal classes, while the others are streamed into the foundation class, where teachers usually allow them to get worse, since they are part of the â€Å"ungifted† class [Source:http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Education_in_Singapore# Development_and_future_plans]. â€Å"Singapore’s Ethnic Education Problems† The problem is a serious and persistent one. Figures from the Education Ministry show that while Singaporean exam results have increased across the board over the last decade, the stark disparities between the city-state’s main three ethnic groups remain. In 2008, just 59. 3 percent of Malay students achieved 5 passes at O-level, the exams taken by 15 and 16-year-olds, compared to 86. 2 percent of Chinese and 73 percent of Indians. [Source: Written by Ben Bland, Feb 2, 2010 in http://www.asiasentinel. com] 119 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 Overview of the Singapore vs. Indian Education System Table 1. 0 Conclusion: I understand that I have different ways of thinking and different mindsets compared with most people. My comments only show my perspective, not an absolute authoritative assessment of the situation. I admit to have a certain level of subjectivity due to my previous involvement in the system and my limited set of experiences. Progression pathway for the students might be different from county to county but what is the key in higher education is who provides better service with high quality education at affordable rate is in high demand worldwide. 120 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 REFERENCES [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Blackwell, Fritz (2004), India: A Global Studies Handbook, United States of America: ABC-CLIO, Inc. , ISBN 1-57607-348-3. Vrat, Prem (2006), â€Å"Indian Institutes of Technology†, Encyclopedia of India (vol.2) edited by Stanley Wolpert, 229231, Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0. Department of Education, Government of India, http://www. education. nic. in/higedu. asp http://www. indiaedu. com/education-india/higher-education. html Annual Report Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India 2006-2007. Draft Report of Working Group on Higher Education for the XI Plan, Planning Commission, Government of India (2007) Selected Educational Statistics 2004-2005 (as on September 2004), Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India (2007) Agarwal, P (2006), Higher education in India: The need for change. New Delhi, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. URL: www. icrier. org/publication/working_papers_180. html. Higher Education in India-Restructuring for increased innovation, Document prepared for the World Bank, June 2006. [10] UGC: Chairman’s Nehru Memorial Lecture, University of Mumbai, Nov. 24, 2006 (available on the Web) [11] UGC Annual Report 2004-05, 2006-2007, 2009-2010 [12] Wikipedia, (2008). [13] Educationworld, [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Content_analysis† The Human Development Magazine, www.educationworldonline. net Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore (www. moe. gov. sg) Singapore Education (2010), Government of Singapore, http://www. singaporeedu. gov. sg Crescent Achievements (2006) Co-Curricular Activities – Singapore found at http://www. crescent. edu. sg/achievements/cca. htm Ministry of Education, (2004) A Broader Picture of School’s Performance in Academic and Non Academic Domains found at http://www. moe. gov. sg/press/2004/pr20040924b. htm Contact Singapore,(2010) http://www. contactsingapore. sg/investors/live/education/ http://www.channelnewsasia. com/stories/singaporelocalnews/vi ew/294891/1/. html. http://www. asiasentinel. com/index. php? option=com_content&ta sk=view&id=2318&Itemid=195 AUTHORS PROFILE NaganathanVenkatesh obtained his Degree and a Master degree in Computer Science from University of Madras, India as well he also holds another Masters Degree in Human Resource Management and presently he is pursing PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from University of Madras, India. As Research Scholar, from NITTTR(National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research.

Competency Goals Essay

In order for children to feel safe away from home they need a safe environment where they can learn and play comfortably. I am always alert and continuously observe the children at all times. Children must never be left unsupervised. In the class, safety precautions such as checking all tables and chairs for damage and sharp edges is done weekly. All electrical outlets that are not being used are covered with safety caps. I guarantee that the children’s work and play areas are free of clutter. When the children are using scissors, pencils or other instruments, I make sure they carry them in an appropriate manner to prevent injury. We have on file written permission from the parent’s to take their child for any emergency medical care if the nurse isn’t on campus. Outdoor play areas are checked daily for harmful objects such as bottles, cans, or other litter items before the children go out to play. In the center, a fire drill is conducted Once a month. A Healthy Environment A healthy environment is essential for effective learning. A visual daily health check is done each day upon each child’s arrival. I respond immediately to accidents, health concerns and emergency conditions calmly. The classroom is maintained in a clean and hygienic environment. While working with parents, together we assist the children in building good grooming habits b maintaining consistent routines at school and encourage them to do so at home. Hand washing following toileting, washing hands before meals and brushing teeth is done in the center to encourage healthy needs. Children are able to flourish in an environment that influences their growth and development. A Learning Environment Children learn by doing and by imitating each other, their parents and their teachers. I respect and acknowledge each child’s ideas, concern and feelings. We provide a variety of materials in the class from the books we  use to the toys with which the children play. Participation is encouraged without any of the children feeling frustrated. An environment is provided where each child has fun during activities that are allowed and encouraged to participate in various activities to appreciate each other’s cultural differences. Each child display their work around the classroom they enjoy seeing their accomplishments. Open communication is provided for each child. I try to make sure the children’s daily schedule is followed, but sometimes we get a little behind. Transition from one activity to another is smooth. COMPETENCY GOAL II TO ADVANCE PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUALCOMPETENCE Physical Physcial development is important for healthy development. Physical activities are designed to be fun for the children. Children like a lot of physical movement. In the class we schedule time to use both gross and fine motor skills. We plan physical activities during outside time, such as relay races, jumping rope, hula hoops, throwing a ball and just plain exercising. Play enhances learning both inside and outside. My enthusiasm is shown when I actively play with the children. In the class, we exercise to music, combining music and movement. Parents are encouraged to get involved in physical activities with their children. We plan, develop and coordinate fine and small motor skill activities such as stringing large and small beads, cutting with scissors, turning single pages in books, drawing and putting puzzles together. Sleep is also important for growth. Children need rest during the day. Quiet time with music is played in order to help the child relax. Intellectual Children want answers to their questions. Most of their questions start with â€Å"Why†. As their teacher, I know that it is important to their questions answered. It is their way of learning. They need to learn how to perceive different things. In the class we use symbols as part of comprehending.  Books are used to ask questions and think about what is being read to them. As part of our schedule, I let the children plan their own activities. They tell me what center they want to go in and what they plan to do in their centers. Children are given the opportunity to talk about their parents, friends and things happening around home and community. On some Fridays we do show and tell or idol Friday. The children bring items from home and tell the class something about the item. We also bring something to share; this way the children in turn ask us questions. In the class, we sing our Alphabet and sounds song. This helps them to learn letters of the alphabet. We play number gam es for rote counting and shape searching in the class for shapes recognition. COMPETENCY GOAL III TO SUPPORT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TO PROVIDE POSITIVE GUIDANCE Social Development Teachers are very important role models for a child. Promoting social skills includes helping children begin to understand the feelings and needs of others. In the class, I always model good social skills around the children. Observation is an important tool while learning how a child feels and behaves. When a child tells me no one will play with him/her, through observation, the child is monitored around his/her peers to see if there is a lack of social developing skills. Helping, sharing, showing concern and cooperation with each other is always encouraged. Children are rewarded with praise for kindness, being helpful and cooperative to each other. Each child is made to feel special. Addressing social skills, knowing the children’s cultural background and environment is very important to me. Social interactions are provided through play. Play socially helps children to cooperate and appreciate each other. Children have to be able to get along with each other in order for the day run smoothly. Emotional Development As a teacher, I try to make a great difference in developing emotional skills in the children. Children are encouraged to express love, fear, and anger. It is important for me to help the children control both negative and  positive emotions. Emotional development through play is encouraged. It helps children relieve feelings in a safe environment and promotes self-confidence. I respect each child as an individual and the natural differences in how children express their feelings. In the class, puppets and role-play are used in exhibiting emotions whether positive or negative.in the class, I plan and provide a place for the children to have some down time when they are experiencing negative emotions. Positive Guidance The way a teacher acts influences the children. I always maintain a positive attitude around the children. The climate of the class is always relaxed. My tone of voice is calm, when speaking with the children. As the teacher in the class, I use guidance techniques such as modeling appropriate behavior and allowing the children to act their age. Directions are given in a positive way. The schedule is provided and followed daily so the children will know the routine and can make transitions easier. A helper chart is put up this way, all the children share responsibility of keeping the classroom clean and orderly. As a group, we together come up with a set of class rules, which are agreeable with the students and me. Children are encouraged to feed and dress themselves. Children are praised when they cooperated and help each other, especially during clean up Time. COMPETENCY GOAL IV TO ESTABLISH POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES It is very important to me to let parents and families of the children I work with know and feel they are a big part of our program. The parents as well as their children are important to me and the overall success of the program. I encourage a cooperative atmosphere among each child’s relationships within the family structure. Parents are always welcome in the classroom. Regular communication with the parents is important. It is important to present a united effort to the family of the children with whom I teach. Newsletters are sent home on a weekly basis t parents to inform them of upcoming events. A parent news board is set up to provide daily  updates to parents on meals, activities and important dates. In order to maintain an open, friendly and cooperative relationship with each child’s family we provide parents with opportunities to become involved in the programs. We encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom, attend workshops, serve on policy and advisory committees, attend field trips and attend parent meetings. During parent meetings suggestions are made for improving the daily program. Information about their child’s experiences and achievements in the center is provided to the parents. Reports are distributed periodically to help parents understand the progress of his or her child. Home visits are made twice throughout the school term to share activities and materials that parents can use at home with their child. Each family’s cultural background, religious and parenting beliefs are respected. Parent-Teacher conferences are another means of communication with parents they are also held twice in a school term. Parents need to know and feel they are a part of the teaching team in the classroom. Together, our common goal is always, the children. COMPETENCY GOAL V TO ENSURE A WELL-RUN PURPOSEFUL PROGRAM RESPONSIVE TO PARTICIPANT NEEDS To ensure a well-run program, I maintain an open communication with my Lead Teacher and other staff members. We work as a team to provide quality, developmentally appropriate activities and materials for the children each day. I’m always willing to work with bus monitors, parents and volunteers. It is important to me that the children can flourish well in an environment that influences their growth and development. Each child’s nutritional needs are met. Up-to-date records is maintained on each child. Each child’s record is kept confidential. Confidentiality secures the privacy of the children and their families. The parents, staff members Lead Teacher and myself work to identify the strengths and needs of each child. Records and reports concerning growth, behavior, health, and progress of each child is maintained. This information is shared with each child’s parent. Schedules are posted and followed daily they are where the parents can read them. This way, they know what their child is working on daily. By using appropriated  guidelines, I observe the children for signs of abuse or neglect and follow through if needed. Center brochures are distributed to each child’s family. Each child’s progress is discussed with his/her respective parents. Planning is essential. A great deal of time is sent on planning, so that children will have their needs met. I ensure that the classroom is clean and safe. The classroom is always prepared before the children arrive. Reference materials, are utilized as needed each day. To stimulate and motivate the children, I consistently look for new and innovative methods. I read various books and education websites to acquire acknowledge. It is important to maintain appreciation for each child’s cultural background. COMPETENCY GOAL VI TO MAINTAIN A COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONALISM As a teacher, I enjoy teaching Pre-K. I demonstrate a positive attitude toward the children and their parents. It is important to promote quality services. I take advantage of all opportunities to improve my personal and professional growth. This growth is beneficial for the children I teach, as well as their parents. I take advantage for personal development by attending conferences, in-service trainings, staff meetings and study groups. I read books, stay in contact with other pre-k teachers and resource coordinators to help keep me informed of changes in the teaching field. Information about the children, their families and staff is kept confidential. Effective communications and working well with my co-workers is very important. I perform my duties professionally no matter where I work. While dressing in a professional manner, my hair, nails and attire are maintained clean and attractive. A positive, professional attitude is projected at all times. Cultural differences in the chi ldren are respected at all times. Parents are informed about field trips, home visits and conferences. I ask parents to volunteer in the class, each week I send home a family activity this keeps them involved in learning about their child’s experiences at school. I am committed to keeping the children safe, providing good communication, positive guidance and working with the families of the children. It is important for the children’s family and me  to work together. The key is teamwork. The common goal is that the parents and myself will do what is best for the child.

Case Study Outline Method

Case Study Outline Method Case Study Outline Method Writers around the world have extensively used the signpost outline to logically structure their books, especially novels and stories. The signpost outline helps writers treat each scene as a separate entity, which in turn increases their effectiveness in describing and organizing the story besides keeping eye on the big picture. A typical signpost outline used by novelists around the world has the following format: scene number and short description; setting; characters; plot. The good news is that as a student, you can adapt and use the signpost outline to turn your case study into a great paper. How? Well, signposting actually divides a case study into logical and easily manageable sections with separate headings and subheadings. Moreover, it calls for the placement of relevant phrases and words throughout the write-up, so the reader can easily read and understand the content and context of your case study. The signpost outline for a case study starts with an introduction, which is then followed by the main arguments highlighted by paragraphs, headings and subheadings. At the end of the case study comes the conclusion, but the arguments between the introduction and conclusion have to be reader friendly and engaging enough to rationally guide the reader throughout the study. To achieve this, you need to use connecting words and phrases to create linkage between the viewpoints, sentences and sections of your case study. One of the advantages of using this outline is that it will give you enough room to see the big picture and evaluate your ideas for their richness, convincing power and sustainability. It is important for the signpost outline, however, that you prepare the ground for the fundamentals ahead of time. Do not go into the specifics at this point, but simply see where you want to take the study, what you want to achieve with it and how you will organize it. Details will be added during the drafting phase. Introduction Introduce the case study by throwing light on what the study is about. Make sure to open it with an interesting perspective. If there are a range of problems you’d like to address, use words like firstly, secondly etc. to divide the problems into logical parts and tell the reader what you are going to address in the paragraphs to follow. Case Study Body: Paragraphs and Sections Make sure that the paragraphs and sections are logical extensions of what you said in the introduction. You can divide each problem/major topic into dedicated sections with separate headings, or you can make separate, dedicated paragraphs. Some of the words you can use to create linkages between sentence, paragraphs, and sections, include the following: if you want to add extra ideas, use words like furthermore, additionally, moreover etc.; if you want to make comparisons, use words like comparatively, relatively, otherwise etc.; if you want to make something evident, use words like obviously, because and certainly etc.; if you want to emphasize something, use words like absolutely, apparently, unavoidably, irrefutably. While summing up the sections and paragraphs, make sure to highlight the evidences. For example, you can use sentences like: it is proved that; hence it is clear that; what makes this approach effective is the fact that. Conclusion The conclusion of your case study will summarize all the important point of the study. To make the conclusion even more compelling, make sure to include your recommended solutions for the problems. For example you can say things like: as it is evident from the study that; this study makes it clear that the most important factors are; in order to resolve problem A, it is recommended that; this study concludes that; on the basis of the evidences narrated in this study, it is suggested that; it has been established that. The signpost outline has the potential to make your case study shine and turn it into an A grade paper. The outline is flexible, meaning that you can adapt it according to your specific requirements and situation. Good luck with it! Also, you can enjoy professionalism of our custom case study writing service.

Review of the Miracle Ball Method

Review of the Miracle Ball Method The Miracle Ball Method is a method of stretching and realigning your spine using a couple of softly inflated, four inch vinyl balls. By laying down on these balls and adjusting their positions you can alleviate stress, improve your alignment, and stretch hard to stretch areas. Why is it Different? By following the method you can aid your bodys healing and recovery through stretching and realignment without the need of a physical therapist or chiropractor. But unlike most of the self-realignment aids on the market, the balls allow you the flexibility to work your entire body from your neck to your feet. Additionally the balls are safe and foolproof. They do not require any difficult postures or erratic movements. You simply lay on them and breath. Does it Deliver? Yes and no. The method is more of a suggestive anecdote. It seems more like it is there to justify spending $15 for a couple of vinyl balls. But on the other hand Im glad I spent $15 for a couple of vinyl balls. The method is not as scientifically rigorous as your might think it should be. But in reality most people would not get that much benefit from it if it was. The book does a good job of communicating the key point, that the location of your pain may not be the location of the problem. In other words your feet might hurt because your hips are out of place. The book also gives you a couple of good ideas of where to start searching for the problem areas. Once youve flipped through the book you can get started with the balls. For the most part you simply place one or two of the balls under you and lay down on them. Then you take some deep breaths until your muscles stretch. Finding the perfect spot might take some time but it will let you get more familiar with your personal body mechanics and that will reap benefits through out the rest of your life. The balls themselves are great. You can not bust them even when stepping on them. And they are the optimal size for safely stretching and realigning your spine and pelvis. Beneficiaries Quite simply everyone can benefit from a set of these Miracle Balls. Daily stretching helps everyone and the Miracle Balls allow you to stretch areas that most people can not stretch on their own. Some groups that will benefit from these tools are: Back Pain SufferersAthletesSlouchersCouch PotatoesJugglers Summary Get a set of these Miracle Balls. That is all there is to it. Stretching on these balls is meditative and therapeutic. They are compact and adaptable for almost any body part. Additionally you will get more in tune with your body and gain a better understanding of your body mechanics by using them. The book, which contains the method, can pretty much be ignored. The balls, though, are worth it. With the Miracle Balls I can quickly release the tension between my shoulder blades (which previously required a trip to the chiropractor), stretch my lower back and unlock my pelvis (which also required a trip to the chiropractor). Not to mention it relaxes me to the point that I could fall asleep right on the floor.

Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome

Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome By Maeve Maddox A reader asks for clarification regarding the use of the phrase â€Å"anyone and everyone† in such sentences as these: Everyone knows they love to talk on the phone to anyone and everyone. Anyone and everyone is [sic] to speak to you on the phone. You will speak to anyone and everyone who might listen. Anyone means â€Å"an individual person†: I will give a free book to anyone in the audience who can solve this problem. - Only one person or a selected few (depending upon how the problem is presented) will win the book. Everyone means â€Å"every person in a group†: Everyone in the audience received a video recorder. - All of the audience members received a free recording device. The combination â€Å"anyone and everyone† is used in the context of a welcome or invitation as a way to emphasize inclusivity, as in these examples from the Web: Anyone and Everyone are invited  to join the server after we open, which is very soon.   Anyone and everyone are  invited to Roundtable.   Anyone and everyone are  welcome  to come  hack on things. Sometimes the phrase is used in the sense of â€Å"people in general† or â€Å"people of no specific qualifications: Today anyone and everyone  can set up an online business.    Amazon also maintains a flourishing side enterprise in  self-publishing, where  anyone and everyone  can write an e-book. And sometimes, especially when preceded by just, â€Å"anyone and everyone† occurs in the context of exclusion: If  just anyone and everyone are  too easily included, we are saying in effect that anything goes.   We dont want just anyone and everyone, just a select few. We will  not  sign on  just anyone and everyone. We demand the  best. We dont work for  just anyone and everyone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesTelling a Good Poem from a Bad One3 Types of Essays Are Models for Professional Writing Forms

Advances in Transportation SLP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advances in Transportation SLP - Research Paper Example Today life without systems like London’s tube or Japan’s Shinkansen is unthinkable in a society where commuting between the home and workplace depends to a large extent on this form of transport. The 19th. century was an era of great technological advances. Perhaps none of these has had as far reaching an effect on the lives of people, as has the steam engine that led to the invention of the railway. The British used this invention to maximum advantage in their colonies, to expand business opportunities, ferrying local goods like spices, tea, coffee, rubber and cotton to the shipyards from where they were marketed to every part of the western world. The railways were used to carry the finished goods from factories to far flung corners of the world and allowed even farmers to sell their products further away from the regions where they were grown. This new means of transportation that ferried people as well as goods at speeds unmatched at the time by any other means of t ransport; was a boon, giving people a chance to explore new opportunities, to live away from their work places and above all to travel to far away places, that allowed them a glimpse of a world they had never seen before. As Nobel peace prize winner Sir John Boyd Orr remarked â€Å" After the First World War the economic problem was no longer one of production. It was the problem of finding markets to get the output of industry and agriculture dispersed and consumed.† (Boyd Orr, 1949) Railroads provided the solution to this problem by transporting finished goods to markets across the world. Huge public structure investment ensured that distances shrank and railroads began to determine the location and shape or size of new cities and towns. Joe Biden put it in a nutshell when he remarked â€Å"public infrastructure investment raises private sector productivity †¦.they literally are the veins and arteries of commerce.† (Biden, 2011) Railways brought economic prosper ity to people in towns and cities supplying them with every necessity - food, clothes, building material, fuel and access to markets. The railroad system resulted in a production boom; as resources and raw materials from one part of a country or continent were transported to far away factories, and finished goods marketed to every nook and corner that was now accessible through this new system of transportation. In Russia the Trans-Siberian Railway, gave an economic boost by facilitating agricultural exports from Siberia, to Russia and Europe. In Japan, the government promoted railways to cut down dependence on imported fossil fuels. Railroads have therefore been the backbone of the Japanese urban transport system and train stations formed the nucleus around which cities bloomed. Japan was the first country to have high speed rail and Japan’s business, economy, life and culture has been greatly impacted by the bullet trains that run at amazing speeds. High speed rail has beco me an efficient and convenient means of transport in Western Europe, and although this means of transportation has become popular throughout the world due to its efficiency and economy, Japan, China and Europe have the largest networks of high speed rail. It has however not taken off yet in the US. President Barack Obama in an effort to increase job opportunities in an economy that is yet to pick up after the down slide of 2008 remarked, High Speed Rail â€Å"will help accelerate job growth in an economy tha

Philosophy - Marx - Capital, Volume 1 (1867) - Ch 1, sec 1-2 Ch 2 Essay

Philosophy - Marx - Capital, Volume 1 (1867) - Ch 1, sec 1-2 Ch 2 - Essay Example Early in the book, Marx declares that he writes of individuals â€Å"only in so far as they are the personifications of economic categories, embodiments of particular class relations and class interests† (Marx, 15). Today, the world economy is made more complex by the advent of the Internet, over which countless transactions take place in the blink of an eye, and the introduction of new and ever more sophisticated financial products. Consequently, relationships between labor and commodity, and between the working class and bourgeoisie, have grown more complex. The profound effect of recent economic instability in the U.S., aggravated by relaxed restraints on Wall Street and deprivations of the corporate elite, would seem to bear out Marx’s contention (Name) 2 that not only is crisis the nature of capitalism, but that the essence of human action and interaction in a capitalistic society is inherently economic.

'civilization and its discontent, Sigmund Freud Essay

'civilization and its discontent, Sigmund Freud - Essay Example Freud was controversial and influential and in â€Å"civilization and its discontent†, Freud explicitly argues that humankind is violent and cites different terrible instances that suggest part of humankind is violent and he refers to it as â€Å"the inclination toward aggression†. Freud suggests that humans were never meant to be happy because what is often referred to as happiness comes from satisfaction of needs, which are currently complex therefore from this nature is possible as episodes. However, in â€Å"Civilization and its Discontents† Freud emphasized the social role of superego in preserving social order by preventing and turning individual aggression against the society which result in increased discontent with civilization. Though Freud has less to say regarding the common defense against guilt; he manages to show that instead of being victims of sadistic superego people become its agent in the name of ideals, laws and ethics. According to Freud (p. 66), conscience is one of the three functions of superego; however, Thrasymachus, the sophist, promotes doing away with justice as well as all moral standards when he breaks into the discussion angrily claiming to offer better definition of justice. Thrasymachus considers justice to be merely an advantage for the strong even though he considers his definition to be not the real definition of justice because it is de-legitimization of justice since he believes that it is not rewarding to be just. Thrasymachus believes that just behavior works for the benefit of other individuals and not the individual who behaves justly; therefore, he considers justice to be the unnatural restraint on people’s desire to have more. Hence, to Thrasymachus justice is a principle forced on people and does not benefit them to adhere to it so the rational thing is to ignore it entirely. Nevertheless, this view of Thrasymachus promotes injustice as a virtue because the perception of life from this vi ew is that life is a continuous competition for more money, power among others and individuals who possess much in the struggle have the greatest virtue. As the discussion progresses, its burden shifts from the challenge of defining justice to defining justice in a way that is proven and worthwhile. In â€Å"The Republic† Socrates tackles the challenge of describing justice and injustice throughout the discussion (Lear 186). Nevertheless, Thrasymachus manages to show that justice is never universally presumed to be valuable because there are individuals who this it better to look out for their interests instead of following rules. Thrasymachus claim points down to general sophistic moral concept that norms and mores considered just are mere conventions that hinder individuals who adhere to them while benefitting those who flout them. Thrasymachus does not only make assertions that norms of justice are conventions but also claims that the norms are conventions promoted by rule rs for their interests and keeping the subjects in oppression. In countering Thrasymachus claim, Socrates has various arguments against Thrasymachus claim the first argument involves making Thrasymachus admit that he advanced injustice as a virtue where life is a competition. Socrates also launches another long and complex chain of reasoning that results in him concluding that injustice can never be a virtue since it remains contrary to the virtue of wisdom. Injustice goes against wisdom since wise men like men skilled in some art do not seek to thrash out those that possess similar skills in the same art; as well, mathematicians are never in constant competition with each other. Socrates moves to another argument from the understanding that justice involves adherence to certain rules that enable similar

Landscape Archaeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Landscape Archaeology - Essay Example in God, landscape painting, cartography and human enterprise, among others, to illustrate how humans have usurped nature, superimposed sophisticated concepts over it, and bent it to their own purposes. Using concepts fleshed out by such philosophers of science as Heidegger, Thomas moves on to explain human concepts of place and how ‘purpose’ is always superimposed thereon. ‘A place is always the place of something.’ (pp173) He also shows how landscapes seem to be contained within a frame: visual or conceptual, and of course monetary or pecuniary. Humans attach value to place, whether or not it is land, developed or otherwise. They also impose meanings of time, as evidence by the article itself; the value placed on findings from the past; as well as practical present-time use. In addition, Thomas shows a connection between land and the cosmos, seen as early as Neolithic times. Tombs, houses and henges not only formed part of the land form, but had some sort of attachment or reference to the skies and astral bodies; so that the passing of time and seasons were understood to affect the land and places where people lived and died, even from such an early time. We are deluding ourselves, Thomas suggests, if we try and interpret archaeological findings within the landscape using our modern mindsets. (pp 180) We would always fail if we superimposed our way of seeing things over whatever remnant of early undertakings we find. We cannot ultimately gain access to the meanings given to, and the uses of, the environment by early civilisations. He gives the examples of evidence of large gatherings in long houses, discoveries of human remains, patterns of movements between and around monuments, and other details studied through visions and understandings that are necessarily limited (or overly expanded) by modern knowledge. Thomas uses the literature, citing Gow, Frazer and Berger among many others, to extrapolate a theory of anthro-centrism: a superimposition (and

Flashbulb memories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Flashbulb memories - Essay Example This retrieval failure is called Tip Of the Tongue or TOT. Memories are classified as declarative memory and procedural memory. Declarative memory is static and procedural memory is dynamic in nature. Declarative memory describes what things are in the world for instance how to spell words, remembering birthdays etc.; procedural memory describes how to do things in the world for example ride a horse. Flashbulb memories are those memories that are not erased and remains in the memory bank and they seem like as if they just happened. Some memories might change or distorted, but these memories remains in the memory bank. Flashbulb memories are those, which has significant importance in a person's life that cannot be easily forgotten. People's shared experiences could be examined to study flashbulb memories. The examples of flashbulb memories were the assassination of John F. Kennedy, princess Diana's death, Challenger space shuttle disaster, Iraq war, recent terrorists attack, etc. The writer has his share of flashbulb memories. Since childhood the writer has a great crush on one of the pop divas in his country. He almost fell in love with her at the first sight. Since she was popular it was very difficult to meet her. On her countrywide tour she came to the writer's city. At the time of the event the writer managed to skip into her rest room. At first she was astonished but when he explained about his crush she let him to stay with her the whole day.

Human Trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Trafficking - Essay Example Human trafficking involves the exploitation bit in the sense that people are forced into prostitution, forced labor and receipt of services for no money whatsoever, slavery and even removal of different organs from the body. Children are also being used under the trafficking regimes since they form as the most vulnerable of human beings to attract and thus abduct them from their homes, schools and other areas of attachment. These children are used for begging purposes, in the form of recruitment of child soldiers, as child camel jockeys and as religious recruits for cult purposes. These indeed are the targets of the human trafficking processes and regimes. One must understand that human trafficking is somewhat different from people smuggling. What the difference is indeed is of the fact that in people smuggling, the individuals voluntarily ask the authorities to be sent across ports, in order to make their ends meet. Whilst human trafficking is a wholly different phenomenon since the human being under question does not even know where he is being transported and what will be done to him next. This is a complete case of abduction without letting any of the immediate family members know as to what is going to happen to the individual and what lies ahead for him in the future. In people smuggling, the smuggled person is set free when he reaches the new destination or port while in human trafficking, this seldom is the case. In most of the instances, the individual in human trafficking is enslaved and even the most basic of human rights is not granted upon this individual, let alone other aspects. Human trafficking is indeed full of rubbish stories and false promises which are made with individuals who will eventually be transported across lands, with the parents who do not know what future holds for their young ones, etc. For the individuals who are subjected

Flashbulb memories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Flashbulb memories - Essay Example This retrieval failure is called Tip Of the Tongue or TOT. Memories are classified as declarative memory and procedural memory. Declarative memory is static and procedural memory is dynamic in nature. Declarative memory describes what things are in the world for instance how to spell words, remembering birthdays etc.; procedural memory describes how to do things in the world for example ride a horse. Flashbulb memories are those memories that are not erased and remains in the memory bank and they seem like as if they just happened. Some memories might change or distorted, but these memories remains in the memory bank. Flashbulb memories are those, which has significant importance in a person's life that cannot be easily forgotten. People's shared experiences could be examined to study flashbulb memories. The examples of flashbulb memories were the assassination of John F. Kennedy, princess Diana's death, Challenger space shuttle disaster, Iraq war, recent terrorists attack, etc. The writer has his share of flashbulb memories. Since childhood the writer has a great crush on one of the pop divas in his country. He almost fell in love with her at the first sight. Since she was popular it was very difficult to meet her. On her countrywide tour she came to the writer's city. At the time of the event the writer managed to skip into her rest room. At first she was astonished but when he explained about his crush she let him to stay with her the whole day.

Racial Harmony throughout Hawaii Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Racial Harmony throughout Hawaii - Essay Example Harmony on other hand represents happiness or agreement and so it is important to note that the happiness of the USA is Hawaii. Having put that across, it is pertinent to heed that Hawaii has a role in representing â€Å"Harmony† in USA history and media, since â€Å"USA† means several states of America under the same rule and all of the states are governed by harmony. It is vital to note that the republic of North American represents fifty different states. Therefore, when the United States is discussed, the foremost thing to think of is the term harmony (Winters 23). The above is true because despite of the country being a comprise of several states, they live in peace and agreement. The above is only possible because of the respect the Americans have to the rule of the state, the culture, and laws followed by the definition of the American history. With the above point in mind, it is noted that harmony is a pertinent requirement to the states of America. It is intere sting to realize that Hawaii specifically represents harmony in itself among the states of America. In other words, Hawii is a model of harmony that aspire the rest of Americans. It follows that Hawaii is a link or rather a channel that enforces harmony to the states of America (Lee 14). The above is true according to the common sense that, for any given individuals of different caliber to stay together then it needs harmony. It applies to the state of Hawaii, with the relationship it has with the rest of the states of America. According to the experts, several reasons have been drawn to represent the harmonic symbol of Hawaii to the Americans. Here the first reason that makes Hawaii to have the harmonic symbol in the United States is that as fiftieth state, Hawaii joined the union on August 21 in the year 1956. It is also important to acknowledge the fact that USA respects the laws, culture and lands of the Hawaiians (Haas12). Further to the above, the whole country (united state) does not only agree but also accepts the Hawaii as one of the state member. The above evident the fact that though it is the last to be assimilated into the states of America, it has to some extent participated to the contribution of the harmonic environment to the American state. By harboring harmony and promoting peace to the whole nation. The idea that acknowledges Hawaii as a harmonic symbol of the United State is that Hawaii has a Pearl Harbor. Here, it is notable that the US Navy guards are situated in the Pearl Harbor of the Hawaii and they act as the state protectors (Liu 42). Fortunately, the guard does not protect only the states or Hawaii but the entire world, where they enforce peace and unity. Therefore, with the US Navy guard at the coast, they facilitate harmony in not only the Hawaii but also the entire world. The above is true since the guards maintain law and order and in so doing, they facilitate peace in the American country and the entire world. With its origin at the coast of Hawaii, it is enough reason to note that Hawaii is harmony motivator in the states of America. If that is not enough, the reason of tourism development to some extent acts as a symbol of Harmony. Here, tourism develops in Hawaii makes the whole of US people to think that Hawaii is a harmonic figure in the history of the US (winters, 57). It is evident that a tourist sector is always peaceful to attract the tourist. That is way; the tourist development in Hawaii gives it advantage of being a Harmonic

Educational Psychology study Essay Example for Free

Educational Psychology study Essay The study was done by Penny Clunies-Ross, Emma Little and Mandy Kienhuis, (2008). It is titled ‘Self-reported and actual use of proactive and reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and student behavior’. The study was done with primary school teachers in Australia and examined the teachers’ self-report on the behavior management strategies that they use in the classroom and how these affect their stress level and the students’ behavior. The literature reviewed for this study discussed research done in four areas which were used as the theoretical base for the study. One is the level of disruptive behavior in schools. The second is the teacher stress and its causes. Third is the relationship between the two. And fourth is the type of classroom strategies that teachers use which are categorized as proactive and reactive. The proactive strategies have been described as a more positive approach that is preventive. The reactive strategies are more negative and remedial. The proactive strategies have been found to be more effective. This study therefore aims to â€Å"investigate the relationship between primary school teachers’ self-reported and actual use of management strategies, and to identify how the use of proactive and reactive strategies is related to teacher stress and student behavior†. The hypothesis was that using reactive strategies would result in higher levels of teacher stress and lower on-task behavior of the students. Also that using proactive strategies would result in lower levels of teacher stress and higher on-task behavior of the students. The sample was obtained by contacting principals of the schools. First convenience sampling was used, and then random phone calls to ensure that five schools from each district in Melbourne were included in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires to all teachers and observations of those who volunteered to participate. The data was collected and analyzed by SPSS. In general the results showed that hypothesis one was supported while hypothesis two was not supported. The study was generally well done. The literature review was comprehensive and discussed a wide range of studies from as early as 1986 to 2003, showing the range of research on the topic over the period of time. It was also well organized into sections. The sampling technique was straightforward. Persisting until each district was represented by five schools was good. However the final sample was ninety seven participants from twenty one schools. This means an average of less than five teachers from each school. It may have been better to have surveyed fewer schools but more teachers from each school. The culture of the school often affects teacher stress so that the small number of teachers from a large number of schools may not be reflective of the levels and causes of stress in any one of the schools. The effect of the classroom management strategies used in one school may not completely relate to the teacher stress at that school. The results were analyzed as one sample, rather than analysis by school. Therefore there is no examination of whether the difference in school culture, (if in fact any differences exist) affected the study. However, the study did an analysis of the multivariate effects of gender, level of qualifications and years of teaching experience and found that they were not predictors of teacher stress. These are important variables to include as possible effectors of teacher stress. The study presented a lot of detail on the sample and the materials. However there should have been more detail on the procedure- how exactly were the observations set up and carried out. The report only says â€Å"After the 30-minute observation had been conducted in the teacher’s classroom, observation and questionnaire data were matched using the four-digit code†. The analysis of data was another section that was well presented. This section was again well organized into sub- sections which made reading and following the results much easier. All the data were represented by well-laid out and well- labeled tables which were easy to read. This structure was repeated even in the discussion so that the reader was able to follow the analysis of the results and the discussion for each research question or issue. That was in fact one of the key aspects that made this study encouraging to read- that the subsections were repeated in each part of the study- literature review, data analysis and discussion. An important aspect of this study was the use of both questionnaires (self-report) for teacher behavior and observations. It was significant to educational research on the whole to examine the relationship between the two, since generally self-reports alone cannot be relied upon for accurate measures of behavior. The significant positive correlation between the teachers’ reported use of strategies, both proactive and reactive, and what the researchers observed helps to make self-reports a more reliable tool in educational research. The study ends with two important sections- methodological limitations and suggestions for further research. Discussions in these two sections show the researchers’ awareness of the limitations of the study despite the fact that it is a good piece of research and it helps the reader to understand why certain things were not done in a particular way. One example is this study is the mention that the sampling though it seemed random in fact was not completely random as the teachers who volunteered for the study may be teachers who are not particularly stressed, or that the stressed teachers may not have been so willing to participate. Secondly the number of teachers volunteering to be observed was quite small. The study does not mention the actual number. A section that I would have liked to see included in this study was one on ethical considerations. In general the study was a useful one, well conducted and reported. It investigated the effect of proactive and reactive strategies as classroom management techniques on teachers’ stress levels. The study did in fact find that the use of proactive strategies had less effect on teachers’ stress. This would be the most important benefit to teachers to help them to keep the stress of teaching to a minimum. They could be encouraged by these results to focus on implementing activities in the classroom that would prevent classroom disruptions, rather than having to use their attention and energy intervening in classroom disruptions and losing teaching time. The study also looked at the effect of these strategies on students’ on-task behavior, and again found that the proactive strategies fostered more on-task behavior. This is also useful to the teachers to keep students focused on their work and lessen the disruptions in the classroom. Reference Clunies-Ross, P. , Little, E. and Kienhuis, M. (2008) Self-reported and actual use of proactive and reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and student behavior, Educational Psychology, 28:6,693 — 710

Borrow Pits In Construction Of Road Networks Engineering Essay

Borrow Pits In Construction Of Road Networks Engineering Essay Over the last two decade there has been an unprecedented boom in the Irish construction industry in road infrastructure. It has become a common sight on Irish roads to see countless Lorries carrying materials to these sites ranging from crushed rock, sand, gravel and tarmac. At present these materials are formed from primary aggregates. The use of these primary materials reduces the natural resources of existing quarries. An alternative to this, is the use of borrow pits which will help in the supply of materials requirements both in general fill and aggregates which may help to avoid the use of reserves from established quarries which will help increase the lifespan of these quarries. As with the supply of material, borrow pits could also be used for recycling purposes also because most jobs would have inert materials that would have to be discarded of site to landfill. The term borrow pit is generally utilized by the Contractor when a project requires a larger amount of fill material versus amount of usable material obtained from cut sections. Borrow pits are typically located next to the construction site, and in the ideal situation are soon backfilled with waste materials, such as soft clay, that often have to be removed from the construction area hence the material excavated is borrowed. Normally, large quantities of material, mainly bulk fill, are required over a short time. The author first became involved in the construction of road infrastructure during the construction of the N18 N19 Ballycasey to Dromland Dual Carriageway in early 2000 where there was a lot of import material brought into to the job from nearby quarries and materials that had to go to landfill. From the authors initial research and work experience on various road jobs it was apparent that the use of borrow pits to provide an alternative source of material would be a worthy dissertation topic and that the knowledge gained would be invaluable for future use. Hypothesis The key question that this dissertation will address is Could the use of Borrow pits in the construction of the road network be a benefit Aim To determine if Borrow pits can provide the necessary quality material required for the construction of roads and also provide alternative options for the disposal of inert waste produced on sites other than to landfill. Outline of chapters This dissertation is structured into and comprises of six chapters, which are briefly described as follows. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the dissertation. Its shows the particular reasons why this topic was chosen. This chapter also outlines the aim, objectives and hypothesis of the dissertation. In chapter 2, the methodologies used to research the topic are discussed. It provides a review of both the primary and the secondary sources utilized for gathering information and the limitations encountered in carrying out the research are also discussed. In chapter 3 outlines the work that is required to ascertain if borrow pits are up to providing the material necessary for the construction of roads. It also looks at site investigation and soil testing. Chapter 2 Research Methodology Introduction This chapter outlines the methods of research which were adopted in relation to the fieldwork research for this dissertation. It explains in detail the various methods of data collection that were used, indicating the methods of primary and secondary data collection methods and any limitations encountered during the research are highlighted. Research Process The proposal for my dissertation began to materialise when looking back on my previous working experiences in the construction industry. One of the main areas of the authors work was involved in road construction. During the initial research the author investigated on the availability of information for his topic and when satisfied, proceeded to expand on this proposal. There was a medium volume of primary and secondary data available for this topic and also from the authors work experience there was a readily available source of primary data. Sources of Information Primary Sources Naoum (2007, p20) states that Primary literature is the most accurate source of information as it publishes original research The author sourced valuable primary information from Conferences, Reports, Government Publications, (for example NRA) and information from his work experiences. Secondary Naoum (2007, p20) states that Secondary literature sources are those that cite from primary sources such as textbooks and newspaper articles The subject of recycling and waste management in the construction is very topical at the present and the author was able to gather a substantial amount of information through secondary sources. The internet played a vital part in the collection of information. Through this median the majority of information was researched. As well as the internet other sources of secondary information was gathered from Publications/Reports Trade Journal and magazines Textbooks The text books on the subject where sourced through the LIT and GMIT libraries . Literature Review Once the literature search was completed a literature review was carried out to choose which material was most relevant to the dissertation. All this literature was placed in a literature file. Much of the material which was web based was stored on a computer file and was not printed out. Research Limitations The author found that he was unfortunately limited as there were not a lot of books published on certain past of the chosen topic. This meant a lot more time was spent searching the internet for information required for the various chapters. Borrow Pit Selection Introduction There a number of factor in the selection of a potential borrow pits Pantouvakis et al said the overall objective in selecting a borrow pit is to determine the most economical and technically efficient location with the minimal impact. the next activity is to establish which are the best sites to develop. The main influences that have to be evaluated include: Technical Considerations Economic Considerations Social and Environmental Considerations A summary of all the main factors to be taken into account is presented in Figure 4.1. This Figure illustrates the large number of potential influences and their interrelationship. The decision to develop one material source rather than an alternative will often require engineering judgement in order to adequately balance the technical, economic, social and environmental considerations. This Section provides guidelines for carrying out an evaluation of technical considerations and presents an introduction to economic influences. Detailed consideration of economic influences associated with developing a material supply strategy for sections of road are reviewed in Section 9. The detailed review of potential social and environmental impacts associated with material resource development is also presented separately, in Section 11. Borrow Pit Site Investigation Introduction Site investigations are primarily carried out in order to establish reliable estimates of the quantities, quality and processing needs of potential road building materials. Quigley For road projects, a principal aim of the site investigation is to classify the suitability of the soils in accordance with Table 6 / 1 from Series 600 of the NRA Specification for Road Works (SRW), March 2000 see appendix A The design of the site investigation must consider the following factors: How much material is required? The investigation should concentrate on identifying sufficient workable material to supply expected requirements. The method of site investigation will probably be influenced by the availability of suitable resources (plant and test equipment). The hardness of the deposits may dictate the method of investigation. The depth and nature of overburden deposits may influence choice of investigation methods (this can be seen later on in the chapter). Borrow pit ground investigations should be carried out at regular intervals across the site. It is recommended that the depth of overburden, and the characteristics and thickness of the workable deposit is investigated on the basis of a 30 m to 50 m square grid. This distance should only be widened if the site is very large and the materials very similar at each test location. Unexpected changes in the ground profile should be examined locally by making additional intermediate investigation sites in the grid. A site plan of each borrow pit to be investigated should be prepared, showing: The main features of the site. The means of access and the pit location with respect to haul road placement for extraction. The location of each site been investigated and investigation borehole should be logged using modern GPS or similar devices. This information will be important when you go to work out the quantity of the resources in each potential site been looked at. This process will be looked at further on in this chapter. Desk top study A desk top study is one of the first steps undertaken when you look at a potential site because it can provide you information already available about a site. (Simons et al, 2002). Within the construction industry, desk studies are well know but are an under-used method of gathering and assessing existing information about a site. Desk studies generally include a visual inspection of the site and its surrounding area (usually called a walkover survey). The desk study examines and draws together existing information from a variety of sources to form an initial appraisal of possible ground conditions. A good starting point is to use OS maps. These allow the site to pin pointed and an accurate grid reference to be obtained. This permits much more accurate references on the geological maps used later, which can be got from the Geological Survey of Ireland, which show existing geological records for the area and also historical maps could be a help. The walk-over survey of a site can give valuable insight into potential ground condition problems (for example slope instability or shallow groundwater) and contamination issues (revealed for example by vegetation dieback). On site visit, local resident can often provide information on groundwater and sources of raw material in the area. The combination of the desk study and the walk-over survey is an extremely cost effective first stage in an investigation. It provides early warning of pote ntial problems and a sound basis for the scope of subsequent, more detail investigation which may follow. The desk study and walk-over survey can also provide early recognition of site issues such as ecology and archaeology which may have implications on site selection. Traditional Ground investigation methods There are number of different types of ground investigation methods available on the market and we will look at some of the most common method used. Trial Pits. Boreholes investigation, Light Percussion Boreholes. Rotary Drill holes. Geophysical Seismic Refraction Method. Electrical Resistivity Method Trial Pits Trial pits are predominantly carried out using mechanical excavators which will give information of the ground while the digging is taking place. Throughout the process photos are taken of the ground conditions and samples of material Quigley (typically 30kg for engineering performance tests) are also taken are specified ground depths. Depending on the excavators reach this will determine depth or if bedrock is reached, Cat 320D digging depth is up to 6.690m (Caterpillar 320D brochures). All field work is carried out in accordance with BS5930.1999. Figure Picture of Trial Pit operation. (Source www.prioritygeotchnical.ie) Figure Pictures of samples taken (Sourced www.prioritygeotchnical.ie) (Quigley) points out that A suitably experienced geotechnical engineer or engineering geologist should supervise the trial pitting works and recovery of samples. It is important that all trial pits are backfilled after testing is completed. See appendix 2 for example of Trial Pit log. Borehole Investigation Light Percussion Boreholes (Shell and Auger) Light percussion boreholes or otherwise known as Shell and Auger boring can be used in all types of soils and is mainly used for depths exceeding that of an excavator. The rig consists of an engine powered winch and tripod frame that is easily collapsed for towing behind a four wheel drive vehicle. The boreholes are usually 150 to 200 mm in diameter and steel casing is typically required throughout most of the hole. Boreholes of 20 to 30m depth are commonly bored in suitable soils, however in mixed soil, depths can vary samples should be taken at ( Quigley) 1.00m intervals or change of strata. See figure 3 for example of rig in working position. Figure Light percussion boreholes rig (Sourced www.southerntesting.co.uk) Boring is achieved by repeatedly dropping an auger, consisting of a steel tube, to the bottom of the borehole. In sands and gravels a valve is fitted to the lower end of the tube to trap the material entering it, this is a shell or sand auger. Any large stones or small boulders encountered can be broken up with a heavy chiselling tool. Large disturbed samples may be obtained, but below the water table the washing action of the shell may remove some of the fine material from sand and gravel deposits. Attachments to the rig allow the use of light rotary drilling equipment that will enable limited investigation of the characteristics of any bedrock encountered. See figure 4. Figure Attachments for light rotary drilling (Sourced Clayton et al,, 1996) Rotary Drill Boreholes Rotary drill rigs come in a variety of sizes from small skid mounted machines to large truck mounted machines. See Figure 5. They use a rotary action combined with downward force to grind away the material in which the hole is made. The primary use of rotary drilling techniques is to investigate rock quality by taking core samples. However, rotary drilling rigs can be used for non core drilling. A destructive tricone (rock roller) drill bit is generally used to advance a non-coring hole. Only the rate of advance and characteristics of the cuttings flushed to the surface by the drilling water give any indication of the strata penetrated. This can be supplement by small disturbed samples recovered from a driven sampler (i.e. SPT sampler). Non core drilling is therefore of limited use, but might be employed through the overburden covering a rippable rock or quarry stone. Figure Rotary drill rig in operation (Sourced www.prioritygeotchnical.ie) Rotary coring involves the use of a water lubricated diamond or tungsten tipped hollow core bit attached to a core sample recovery barrel and a series of hollow drill rods. See figure 6. In weak or fractured rocks better quality core are recovered from larger diameter bits. Some ground investigation drillers have developed a technique for recovering disturbed soil samples by dry drilling with a single tube core barrel, but This practice is not widely used and is less successful in coarse deposits with little plastic clay binder. Example of rotary log see appendix 3. Further information on site investigation drilling and the description of drill cores is contained in BS 5930 Code of Practice for Site Investigations (1999). Figure Layout of a small Rotary core unit. (Sourced Clayton et al,, 1996) Geophysical Exploration This method of investigation is not commonly used as it is not suitable for all ground conditions and there are limitations to the information obtained. The main use of this form of exploration is it can give bedrock and water table levels and it can also detect sub-surface cavities. The two main methods are. Seismic Refraction This method involves the generation of an artificial shock waves in the rock or soil and then records the finding in a series of detecting station which are place across the area been investigated. The detecting stations are known as geophones. This method is often used to detect buried channels and identify bedrock levels. See figure Figure Seismic Refraction Method (Source www.geophysics.co.uk) Electrical Resistivity Method This method involves the driving of four equally spaced electrodes into the ground in a straight line. When this process is done and a current is passed through the outer electrodes and the difference in volts with the inner electrodes is measured. See Figure 8 Figure Electrical Resistivity Method (Source www.discoveryprogramme.ie) Soils Testing The purpose of the soil testing of material from the borrow pits is to Determine the engineering properties of the material. To establish if the material is the same quality throughout. To provide document records of the pit for the clients. In order to fully assess the engineering properties of a borrow pit material it is necessary to have samples tested in a Materials Laboratory. The purpose of testing material is to see if the comply with the specifications of there indented use. The laboratory will use standard testing procedures to classify the samples taken. In Ireland the parameters set out in Table 6 / 1 of the NRA SRW include a combination of the following. Typical tests undertaken are for soils and aggregates Moisture content 10% fines Particle size grading Plastic Limit and Liquid Limit CBR MCV Triaxial Shear Strength Test (Laois County Council 2007) Moisture content Moisture content is the amount of water to amount of dry soil. The method is based on removing soil moisture by oven-drying a soil sample until the weight remains constant. The moisture content (%) is calculated from the sample weight before and after drying tests carried out to B.S.1377: Part 2: 1990 for soils and BS 812: Part 109:1990 for aggregates Figure Soils Oven (Sourced Testing equipment Supply) 10% Fines This test is not too dissimilar from the test to determine the aggregate crushing value which determines the ability of an aggregate to resist crushing. But instead of using a standard force of 400kn. the force at which 10% of fines are produced is noted as the Ten Percent Fines Value. This usually requires a number of tests and a graph to establish the exact figure. This test tends to be used for softer aggregate where a force of 400kn. would crush most or all of the aggregate. This test is carried out BS 812 Part 111: 1990 for aggregates Partially Grading Tests The particle size distribution grading of a road surfacing material is an essential guide to the suitability of the material since the engineering properties are very dependant on grading. See Figure 7. Testing is carried out to B.S.1377: Part 2: 1990 for soils and BS 812: Part 103.1:1985 for aggregates. Figure Sieve Test (Sourced Soil Compaction Handbook) Plastic Limit Testing and Liquid Limit Testing The Plastic Limit (PL) is an indication of the percentage moisture content at which the soil fines change from a semi solid to a plastic state. In this test a 20 gram sample of material passing the O.425 mm sieve is mixed with a little water until it becomes plastic enough to be formed into a ball. The soil is then moulded between the fingers until the surface begins to crack. It is then repeatedly rolled on a glass plate into 3mm diameter threads until longitudinal cracking causes the tread to start to break up. This moisture content is the plastic limit. Test are carried out to BS 1377: Part 2:1990, CL5 Figure Plastic limit test and equipment (Sourced http://ral.train.army.mil) and (Sourced www.humbolgtmfg.com) The Liquid Limit (LL) is an indication of the percentage moisture content at which soil changes from a firm plastic state to a soft liquid state. Two methods are available for determining the liquid limit: the traditional method using the Casagrande apparatus and the more recently developed cone penetrometer method. Test are carried out to BS 1377: Part 2:1990, CL4.3 4.4 Figure Casagrande equipment Figure Cone Penetrometer (Sources www.humbolgtmfg.com) (Sources www.sbe.napier.ac.uk) The difference between the Liquid Limit and the Plastic Limit is called the Plasticity Index (PI). This index provides a good guide to the cohesive properties of a road building aggregate. A high PI may indicate the presence of an undesirable amount or type of clay. CBR test It is in essence a simple penetration test developed to evaluate the strength of road subgrades. How strong is the ground upon which we are going to build the road. (Summers 2010) Tests are carried out either unsoaked or soaked. Unpaved road materials would normally be tested according to the 4 day soaked test procedure. An estimated CBR value may be derived from the results of grading and plasticity tests. Tests are carried out to B.S.1377:4:1990 Section 7 Figure CBR test apparatus (Sourced Testing equipment Supply) MCV Test This test involves compaction of soil or fine aggregates using a hand held device. The compactive effort can be compared to that needed at the optimum moisture content. This enables a comparison with the actual moisture content of the soil. Test carried out to BS 1377: Part 4:1990 see Figure 13 for test apparatus. Figure MCV apparatus (Sourced www.ele.com) Triaxial Shear Strength Test The triaxial shear strength test subjects a soil specimen to three compressive stresses at right angle to each other with stress being increased until the sample fails in shear. This test is carried out to predict how the material will behave in a larger-scale engineering application. An example would be to predict the stability of the soil on a slope, whether the slope will collapse or whether the soil will support the shear stresses of the slope and remain in place. Tests are carried out to BS 1377: Part 6:1990. See figure 14 for test apparatus. Figure Test apparatus for Triaxial Shear Strength Test (Sourced www.namicon.com) New Changes to Site Investigation and Testing At present all Geotechnical investigation and testing is carried out to B.S. but come 31st March 2010 all test will be carried out using the new Eurocode 7 this will be for all publicly funded project. This does not apply to the private sector but there are likely to follow suit. Example of changes. TC 341: Geotechnical investigation and testing 14688 Identification and classification of soil 3 Parts 14689 Identification and classification of rock 2 Parts 17892 Laboratory testing of soil 12 Parts 22282 Geohydraulic testing 6 Parts 22475 Sampling methods and groundwater measurements 3 Parts 22476 Field testing 13 Parts (Sourced New Irish Geotechnical Standards and Selection of Characteristic Parameter Values 2009) Resources Estimation Introduction In this chapter the author will look at how quantities of materials that can be potentially in a borrow pit and how they may be calculated. One of the main primary objective of a borrow pit investigation and testing is to establish the extent of the different classes of materials and there suitability to the given project. With all the information in the next objective is to calculate the quantity of material that is in the potential borrow pit to see if its a viable option to proceed with. The potential quantity of material that can be extracted from a borrow pit should always be calculated in cubic metres (m3). A cubic metre should be seen as a box of material with a length (l) of 1 metre a height (h) of 1 metre and a depth (d) of 1metre. Before and estimates can be taken off a detail topography survey of the potential borrow pits will have to be taken see figure 21 for typical contour survey. However, with all information from the investigation of the site it can be hard to estimate an exact amount so it is better to estimate on the conservative than on the generous. This may come about if the information between the trial pits may vary from data collected as seen early a grids of 30 to 50 meters should be used and for larger areas if could be up to 100 meters grids There are different method of calculation the quantity of material that in the given site depending on the borrow pit make up but the most simple way is to break the area up into simple shapes such as rectangular prisms or triangular prisms. The volume of material in these shapes is estimated by first calculating a representative area in square meters (m2), and then multiplying this area by its depth or a length (in metres). It may need to be an average depth or length if the pit is irregular in shape or the deposit has a variable thickness. Formula for calculating the areas for different type of pit can be work out using the standard mathematically formula to get the quantities for the site. See figures 17,18,19,20 Trapezoid Figure Formula for a Trapezoid shape Volume = Base X Height Figure Formula for Prisms Volume = Length X Width X Height Figure Formula for a Rectangular Volume = 1/3 pr2x height Figure Formula for a cone shape (Sourced Area and surface Formulas) Another method of course if available to you is different types of computer packages that can do the work for you like AutoCAD 3D civil packages. Figure Typical Contour Survey (Sourced Volume Calculations) Material Wastage, Shrinkage and Bulking Material Wastage Wastage can occur if site investigation reports of material dont add up to what in the ground and material been use for work it was not envisaged to do, like having to create bund not accounted for some. Material Bulking Material bulking will also to be taken into account when hauling materials of the bulking-up factor. When materials are excavated they are loosened and sometimes broken down, this result in an increase in volume per unit weight known as bulking. The bulking factor of a material is the bulk density in the pit face (bank) divided by the loose bulk density. A bulking factor of 1.25 indicates that 100 m3 of bank material will become 125 m3 of loose material in the stockpile. Material Shrinking Compacted material, material that has been excavated from it natural state and placed some place else for compaction. With compaction the volume reduces. The same can apply to shrinkage when material is been compacted what was originally 1m3 in a compacted state with shrinking factor is 0.85m3. Table 1 Typical Material Density, Bulking and Shrinkage Factors. (Source Earthworks) The Resources Estimation has a dual purpose with given you the quantities of resources out but also on the other hand the amount of material which if can be disposal back into to fill the pits from surplus or unsuitable material that cannot be use on site. Legalisation Introduction This chapter discusses of both Planning legislation and Waste legislation in the terms of Construction and Demolishing Waste in the construction sector. The planning legislation we will be looking in relation to opening up of a borrow pit for bulk material (soil) and the production of aggregates. In CD waste legislation for the disposal of inert material. In the area of waste management there has been a number of direct and indirect (both national and EU) legislative influences on how operations should be carried out with the regards to CD waste in road construction The Planning and Development Act 2000 and associated Regulations 2001 The Planning and Development Act 2000 is the main act for planning permission in Ireland and this process is overseen by the different Local Authorities in the country. Regulations 2001 is the statutory legislation that applies to new and existing extractive developments and ancillary facilities in Ireland. Quarries (including sand and gravel pits) operating before the existence of planning legislation in Ireland that was implemented in 1964 did not have to obtain planning permission and were essentially unregulated. Despite this, much self-regulation took place such as imposition of emissions (noise, blasting, and dust) limits and the implementation of Environmental Management systems accredited to IS0 14001. However, under Section 261 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, a new system of once-off registration for all quarries was introduced. Only those quarries for which planning permission was granted in the five years before section 261 (i.e. after April 1999) became operative are excluded. Section 261 has also resulted in some extractive sites being required to submit an Environmental impact statement and to go through the formal planning process. This review process has resulted in up-to-date environmental and biodiversity management conditions being enforceable on all authorised sites; this process is largely complete at this time. CD Waste legislation As spoken earlier on CD waste legislation in Ireland is influenced by European waste policy and legislation. The EU waste management is based on the waste hierarchy which gives preference to waste prevention, then to waste recovery (including reuse, recycle and energy recovery). And finally to waste disposal (to landfill) See figure 22 for hierarchy Figure Waste hierarchy (Source Fas CIF Handbook on Construction Demolishing and Waste) European Legislation The majority of European waste management directives are based on the Symonds report 1999 which evaluated the recycling of CD Waste in each of the member state and prepared 55 recommendation. The following is a list of the most important recommendations of the report Fly tipping subject to sanctions Land filling of CD waste should be discouraged by member states. CD Waste derived aggregates should not be discrimination in the market place, primary aggregates and CD Waste derived aggregates should be both be considered as raw materials The client should demand that Environmental Impact Analysis be undertaken for each project which could form part of Environmental Management Plan. Governments to draw up National Waste Management plans for CC waste. The main based EU based legislation that influences CD waste management on a national level are Framework Directive on waste 75/442/EEC plus amendments Framework Directive on Hazardous Waste,1991 91/689/EEC