Computer Networks And Internet Protocol Television Essay Example for Free

Computer Networks And Internet Protocol Television Essay The advent of computer has changed the way the world moves. Distance factor is no longer a problem. The physical might appear a big place with things at far off places but the world in virtual form doesn’t believe in distance. Everything can be achieved within minutes if not seconds. The whole technology behind this mega change is based on computer and is termed as Information Technology. This technology has led to the creation of a cyber world or electronically generated world with the help of computers connected to each other through suitable wires. Now words like cybercafe, cyber chat, cyberspace, cyber shopping, etc. have started making rounds. People can send electronic mails to far off places within seconds. Details and information are getting transferred within few seconds. People in Shanghai and New York are just seconds away. Transferring data in electronic form is actually the fastest way to transfer things. It’s not only the message transfer that has been revolutionized but also the business world. There are virtual shopping malls with website offering you a range of products ranging from computer peripherals to groceries. Companies are now providing details of their product through their website and are accepting customers’ requests of information and now even orders for products are being accepted. Everything is available. Money transfer can easily be done through wire transfer techniques. People do not wait. This world is not ruled by armed soldiers or any nuclear weapon. It’s the information which rules. The physical world just has to react on the outcome. Its role is just for receiving and sending. This high performing virtual world has made significant change in the performance of the actual world (Tanenbaum, 2003). Things in real world are now easier to comprehend. Outsourcing has helped in accessing low cost labor in far off Asian nations like India and China. Multinational companies like Microsoft, IBM, GM. , GE etc. have offices in almost in each part of the world with performance of each of these units can be monitored from any of its offices. Their offices have been networked though LANs i. e. , Local Area Network and WANs i. e. , Wide Area Network. They have virtually made themselves available to their customers any time anywhere and just a click away (Tanenbaum, 2003). 2. Computer System Network of computers A computer system and network of computers are actually two different but interrelated things. A computer system is just a normal computer including peripherals and software necessary for the functioning of the device (Webopedia). But if we talk of Computer Network, it can be defined in a very simple way as a network of computers (Princeton). But giving full importance to all factors getting into act when we talk about network, the definition which actually makes complete sense is none other than the two or more computers connected together to share hardware, software and data and has been implemented according to some topology (Tanenbaum, 2003). The network can have all peripherals located within an office or building. This arrangement is often termed as Local Area Network or LAN (Tech, 2006). If the same is achieved in a wide area i. e. , computers connected to the network are located at places as diverse as countries in different continents, we can call the same as Wide Area Network or WAN (Cisco, 2006). Calling all computers and other intelligent parts of it as nodes, the term network topology can be defined as patterns of links connecting a pair of nodes of a network. 3. Internet Protocol IPTV Technology related television services which include uplink and transmission has seen some of very revolutionary inventions of modern science. The television delivery system has now moved from terrestrial transmission through analog signals to encrypted digital signals through internet as well as IPTV (Anderson, 2006). The entertainment world through television is now very much eager to move from TV being delivered through cable to Internet Protocol Television with content being viewed through technologies used for computer networks (Lu, 2006). The last decade of the 20th century witnessed the massive growth in Internet Protocol based services. Now with the fast development of hardware and software technologies, this internet world has now developed to accommodate services like VoIP and many other telecom products (Wikipedia, 2007). It is a system which delivers digital television services to registered subscribers in a managed network with address based technology. The unique IP address of a subscriber provides him a virtual address over a network and creates a connection between the service provider and the television (Wikipedia, 2007). 4. Television through IPTV: a new experience IPTV is going to give the most electrifying experience to its subscribers. It’s not just seamless TV viewing but also more interactive and personalized. Things like participation in a game show or any discussion board will only require the use of the remote while sitting on the couch. Now the user will not feel being bombarded with a long list of channels rather get a very creative option to receive them with a much richer experience (International Engineering Consortium, 2007). The two-way signal broadcasting system through the network over which IPTV depends, allows the viewers to make selection that too on demand with time shift option. The additional services which can also be incorporated with IPTV are the Web Browsing i. e. surfing the internet, gaming with a game console with the current system and finally the communication applications which can enable email, MMS, Chat, etc (Telecom Italia, 2006). Figure 1 (IPTV delivery Infrastructure) The Set-Top Box which has made this IPTV happen which at one end is connected to the TV set while the other end to an ADSL connection can easily be made to supply Broadcast TV services (BTV) as well as Video On Demand (VOD) services. This BTV facilitates the simultaneous reception by the users of a traditional TV channel. And using multicasting protocols IPTV can make available services which are similar to experiences of a traditional TV like Free-to-air or Pay TV or a Pay-Per-view service (Luarel Networks). The same IPTV can be used by service providers to provide the VOD service which is made available on request. The VOD service requires implementation through IP unicast protocols (Ericsson, 2006). The enhanced IPTV can also make Personal Video Recorder (PVR) services available. The local PVR makes way for video-recording on the STB hard-disk with another set of functions for live, pause and replay. Similarly the Network-based PVR stores the data on the operator’s server which is generally used for VOD (International Engineering Consortium, 2007). On technological point, the IPTV makes way for better utilization of available infrastructure like the bandwidth. Traditional transmission technology actually sends more than hundred channels simultaneously while the IPTV requires just one channel to be sent to the subscriber at a time. Every time the user selects a channel or a program, a new streaming takes place with data related to the newly selected channel (Anderson, 2006). 5. IPTV: More Advantages, More services More Business The IPTV will lead to a very new level of interactivity among Internet and data mainly as voice and video. A cable based TV network beams data in form of video mostly in MPEG format through an explicit bandwidth portion while the internet which enables high speed data transfer works on an IP based network and the data transfer is based on packets rather than streams. Both the technologies are technically very different. This IPTV is an amalgam of both the successful technologies. Being a data-centric application, the packets over this network can deliver both video as well as data (International Engineering Consortium, 2007). Figure 2: Telecommunications IPTV system solution The traditional cable network is often overloaded with more than 100 channels being transmitted simultaneously. So there is a limitation of maximum number of channels that can be made available to the subscriber. IPTV has a very clear advantage (Times News Network, 2006). Theoretically this technology can make almost infinite number of channels at the customer’s disposal. The transmission line actually transmitted a single channel which has been demanded by the customer. So the infrastructure usage per customer is negligible while opening a new era of almost every channel on the planet being made available to the user. The IP technology being a packet based product requires an acknowledgement to be sent to the source for every packet. This ensures that every packet sent by the source should remain intact and any loss of data will require resending of the same packet. This feature ensures very high quality of the product which the subscriber will receive (Anderson, 2006). The advantages associated to IPTV is not just conventional entertainment and advertisement based business but the technology can have its usage in developing new products which can make way to many other forms of businesses. The web based training is one of the many other possibilities. The IPTV network can be used to run different courses by making the videos of the classes available to the registered students (International Engineering Consortium, 2007). IPTV is the next big thing after telecom and internet. The business possibilities associated with this technology is almost as broad as the human thought. Almost all telecom companies are putting big money in exploration and marketing of this product (Blau, 2005). The business network and the corporate LAN’s may be greatest beneficiary with the delivery of videos and television content. The customized content delivery and the extremely secure network will reduce the theft cases to negligible. Customization facility will help the advertisers to understand the behavior of consumers and then will go for personalized ads that will translate into significant business returns (Iyer, 2005). 6. Conclusion The IPTV is going to be the next big thing in communication and media industry. With money pouring inform all big telecom companies IPTV is going to be a very serious business with entertainment becoming more and more customizable. The subscriber will experience a very different medium of entertainment with highest level of interactivity and almost innumerable possible services that too very much on his own wishes. 7. Bibliography Anderson, N. (2006) An introduction to IPTV. Available from http://arstechnica. com/guides/other/iptv. ars [Accessed 10 October 2007] Blau, J. (2005) Internet TV: Still Fuzzy, but Promising. IDG News ServiceAvailable from http://www. pcworld. com/news/article/0,aid,122138,00. asp [Accessed 10 October 2007] Cisco Systems, 2006. Wide Area Network. http://www. cisco. com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/ito_doc/introwan. htm [Accessed 10 October 2007]

Tnt Is The Market Leader Marketing Essay

Tnt Is The Market Leader Marketing Essay Introduction TNT is the market leader in the provision of business-to-business (B2B) express delivery services. It delivers documents, parcels and freight securely between businesses, using road or air transport. Ken Thomas founded TNT in Australia in 1946 with a single truck. It became Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) in 1958 and TNT Express Services UK in 1978. Today TNT is a global company and serves customers in over 200 countries around the world, employing 10,000 people in the UK. TNT has two operating divisions in the UK. As a global company, TNT seeks to project a consistent image across the world. For example, it uses the global strapline Sure we can on all its vehicles, aircraft and communications material. Back ground TNT N.V. was an international express and mail delivery services company with headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. In the Netherlands, TNT operated the national postal service under the name TNT Post. The group also offered postal services in eight other European countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy and Belgium. TNTs mail division recorded sales of about â‚ ¬4.2 billion in 2009. The companys demerged express delivery services division, known as TNT Express, has fully owned operations in 65 countries and delivers documents, parcels and pieces of freight to over 200 countries. TNT Express recorded sales of about â‚ ¬7.2 billion in 2011. On 2 August 2010, TNT M.V. announced its intention to split up into two independent companies, an express and a mail company. TNT sold its logistics unit in 2006 to focus on network activities, mail and express delivery services. TNTs networks were concentrated in Europe and Asia, but the group also had operations in the Middle East and South America, and several road freight companies in China, India and Brazil. TNT employed 155,000 people. Over 2009, TNT reported â‚ ¬10.4 billion in revenues and an operating income of â‚ ¬648 million. TNT was officially quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange unit May 2011. Its major competitors included FedEx, DHL, and national post carriers such as US Postal Service and Royal Mail. TNTs last chief executive officer was Peter Bakker. Other members of the Board of Management included Bernard Bot (Chief Financial Officer), Marie- Christine Lombard (Group Managing Director, Express) and Harry Koorstra (Group Managing Director, Mail). Mission, aims and objectives TNT is the fastest and most reliable provider of express delivery services and is the European market leader. Organizations do not become market leaders by chance. It takes vision, careful planning, outstanding quality and a committed, highly trained staff. This organization-wide planning is known as business strategy. Organizations identify the goals that they want to achieve through: a mission aims clearly stated objectives. Mission A business mission is a statement that reflects its core purpose and principle business aims. It states what the business is, what it does and where it is heading. Employees and other stakeholders who have an interest in the organizations activities need to be able to understand the mission easily. TNTs mission is to: Exceed customers expectations in the transfer of their goods and documents around the world, Deliver value to our customers by providing the most reliable and efficient solutions through delivery networks, Seek to lead the industry by instilling pride in our people, creating value for our stakeholders and sharing responsibility around the world. Aims and objectives The aims supporting this mission focus on efficiently transferring goods and documents, providing customer satisfaction and behaving responsibly. To achieve these aims the organization needs to establish objectives at a number of levels. SMART objectives are designed to ensure that everyone understands what is required and by when. They make it easy to measure performance so that the business knows if and when its aims have been achieved. Where necessary, it can change its plans to overcome any problems or obstacles. Specific exactly what is to happen Measurable by quantity or proportion Achievable capable of being achieved within available resources Relevant to the overall business or corporate objectives Time-related with a deadline attached Measurable objectives cover every aspect of TNTs operations and service. The top-level objective is to achieve profitable growth. Examples of SMART objectives across the business that contribute to this include: Answer 85% of calls from customers within ten seconds. This objective fits with the mission to provide the most reliable and efficient solutions for customers. TNTs customer focus is one of the key ways in which it aims to differentiate itself from competitors. To improve TNTs carbon efficiency by 45% by 2020 (measured against the 2007 baseline). This example of a longer-term objective reflects TNTs aim to reduce the environmental impact of its business. Building a strategy Business strategies are the means by which businesses achieve objectives. They usually take the form of long-term plans relating to the chosen markets, products and environment. A competitive strategy can be based on: having a distinctive position in the market. TNTs market position is based on differentiating itself from rivals through its speed, reliability and provision of services of the highest standard. building core strengths (known as core competencies). TNTs strengths are based on attracting and developing high-caliber staff who are able to exceed customer expectations so that customers remain loyal to the business. TNTs strategies need to take into account a number of important areas. These include: what goods and services to produce, e.g. an integrated delivery service which territories will deliver best return on investment. TNTs international operations focus on key trading areas of Europe, Asia, North America and South America. how to build a competitive advantage, e.g. by providing the most reliable, customer-focused services. Tactics Businesses deliver their strategies through a series of tactics. TNTs practical measures are set out under three main headings Operational Excellence, Customer Relationship Management and Innovation. The map describes the journey that TNT is taking towards achieving the long-term aims. For example: The map shows that Operational Excellence will be achieved through a solid foundation of fast, reliable and quality services. From there, the Customer Relationship is improved by understanding what different customers want. This builds a stronger allegiance and loyalty. Innovation is about anticipating the future needs of TNT customers. Through stronger relationships the business can develop a joint approach and shared vision. TNT segments its customers according to their requirements. For example, some customers provide the company with one off requests. Others are major accounts regularly placing large orders. TNT responds to the needs of each of these customer groups in different ways and hopes for loyalty in return. The market is highly competitive and it is more cost-effective to keep repeat business than to generate new customers. Strategic direction and strategic gaps TNT has high-quality people working within the organization in many different roles. These range from the front-line distribution of parcels and documents to accounts, sales and marketing functions. However, in places, TNT may require additional skills to bridge the gap between its existing human resources and those required to implement the strategy fully. This is referred to as a strategic gap. By developing its people, TNT ensures that it will have the capability to meet and implement quickly any necessary changes in its strategy. TNT is committed to minimizing the environmental effects of its operations and conducting its business in a sustainable way. For example, it recognized the value the business could gain from making drivers more aware of methods of driving which would improve safety and efficiency. Drivers are therefore trained in SAFED (safe and fuel- efficient driving) techniques, earning certificates of competence. Conclusion Creating and delivering an effective business strategy involves: having clear aims and objectives building a competitive advantage by developing core competences Identifying gaps and seeking to close these through development of resources. TNT demonstrates good practice in each of these areas. The company has clear business aims and objectives that are time-related. It focuses on developing competitive advantage through its strategies for customers, innovation and its people. TNT ensures that the people working for the business have adequate opportunities to grow. It meets any gaps in the ability of the workforce to deliver its strategy by training and developing its existing people. This retains their skills and offers attractive career opportunities to recruit new talent. Recommendation TNT should start a new service to pick goods from customer place that will give a competitive advantage over competitors. More sub offices should be open for the ease of customers and for better communication within company. On delivery of goods at destination confirmation message service should be started via e-mail or messaging. Questions What kinds of data can TNT use to build a phylogenetic tree? What is the growth rate of TNT in 20th century? How does TNT become world widely recognized company? What is the company position in the market?

Manipulation Of Images In Media Texts Media Essay

Manipulation Of Images In Media Texts Media Essay There are many arguments and concepts towards manipulation of images in media texts. The manipulation of images is seen every day by everybody who picks up any kind of media text from newspapers and magazines to internet articles, retouching photos is happening. Whether its changing how a person looks, changing the dominant characters surroundings or deleting parts of the image this all adds to the audiences perception of the text which the media has given them. There is no right or wrong answer unto whether the manipulation of media texts is actually something that should happen and should carry on happening throughout texts, some people think it is wrong to change the way people look, however some people believe that the changing and manipulation of media texts is all part of the media process. There are more arguments throughout the world of media which say the retouching their images is misleading for young people and manipulates them to believe this is how you should look. I want to see regular girls that look like me in a magazine thats supposed to be for me. For the sake of all the struggling girls all over America, who read Seventeen and think these fake images are what they should be, Im stepping up (Bluhm, 2012) Julia Bluhm is a 14 year old American teenager who understood the manipulation of texts and how the retouching and development of photos will influence teenage girls lifestyles and make them change the way they look at themselves because of the fake images portrayed by the media. For young girls like Julia photo manipulation could potentially make them change the ways they look at themselves due to the retouched images, young girls tend to idolize celebrities and icons in magazines. The retouched photos which may lead them to believe their own imperfections are abnormal influencing them to even turn to anorexia and body issues. Many people believe that the manipulation of images in media texts also leads to many people having low self-esteem issues which may also cause self obsessions and body issues within ones self. Theres no end of studies that show that consistently seeing airbrushed images makes women feel worse about themselves. (Crisell, 2010) There have been many articles written to show how the retouching of images affects the lifestyles and health of people, especially women. Many psychologists have studied the effects of the manipulation of media texts and how it reflects on a persons health; many say we are more likely to compare ourselves to these images due to the excessive exposure we have to them. We live in a current society which consists of a high percentage of people living with high body dissatisfaction and manipulation of images in media texts could potentially increase this percentage. Some people may disagree and believe that the retouching of images in media is a normal thing to do and is all part of the media process. No longer is it about  just  taking pictures.   Editing is involved. (Boutwell, 2012) Today, many photographers and people involved in the media believe there is a lot more behind an image and it isnt about just taking a photo anymore, editing is used in the images in media to enhanced the beauty of the image and to potentially get the most out of it. My opinion is that Photoshop is a major reason why photographers make so much money. (Boutwell, 2012) From getting the most out of the image that is possible some people say, like Allison Boutwell, that this is how photographers and the media make more money and sell more which is a process that every worldwide business want to do and this is just the way the media achieve this. Every business and company wants to make a profit, and by selling the manipulated images is the way the media do this. Arguments can show that the manipulation of images in media texts is just the way the media are trying to earn a living so to say. The retouched images seem to show more public interest than the non retouched images due to the public wanting to see the eye catching beautiful celebrities on the cover of their favourite magazines. Beauty-retouching is a quite deceptive art. (Metzmacher, 2008) Like Metzmacher some people disagree that the manipulation of images is wrong due to the idea that retouching images is only enhancing beauty of people and is seen as an art form. Today, 23 percent of women ages 25 to 29 now retouch their own personal photo and even more concerning, 41 percent among those ages 18 to 24 now retouch their photos too. Figure like this now may begin to suggest that women now begin to feel compelled to retouch their own photos due to manipulation of media images in order to fix their own personal self-esteem problems that the media have persuaded them into. Research shows that many women globally have all started editing their own photos in order to try and fit their own personal needs. Although only 43 percent of women agree with retouching photos, higher figure show that women edit their own photos. The media assist in this process subconsciously to the public, but it may lead to potential problems in the future like women becoming too obsessive with having the perfect figure and generating the perfect photo to feel they are meeting the need of the media also. Overall, the manipulation of images in media texts and be misconstrued in both directions, there are many positive and negative aspects to retouching photos. In my opinion, i do think that redevelopment of images can be seen as an art form and is only trying to enhance the beauty of the image in order to grab the audiences attention. I think that the media have in somewhat gone too far with the retouching of photos and can convey ideas to young girls and change the way they look at themselves to try and can potentially cause them problems like anorexia and low self-esteem because of the fake images which are too perfect to even be real.

Queen Victoria :: essays research papers

On November 6, 1817 Princess Charlotte, the only heir to the crown of England died. She was the only child of the Prince Regent and was not a happy women. She was married off to prince of Orange at the age or 17, but broke off the marriage after falling in love with Prince Augustus of Prussia. He was already married but she was unaware and she continued seeing him. After a long time of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobury admiring her, Princess Charlotte gave him a chance and finally they were married in 1816. Later she got pregnant and for nine months of doctors told her that she was not in good health to have the baby on November 5, 1817 at nine o'clock in the evening after a 50 hour labor, Princess Charlotte delivered a dead baby boy. That night she was obviously dying. The Prince was in her room for hours and left for but a moment when a doctor came out and told him his wife was dead.After many controversies between the royal family about who was to become the heir to the crown there was a female infant born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24, 1819.Born Alexandrina Victoria to Victoria Mary Louisa, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Cobury-Saalfeld, and Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathern, the fourth son of George III and youngest brother of George IV and William IV, both kings of Great Britain.In January of 1920 the Duke a Kent remembered a prophecy that a fortune teller told him. The fortune teller said two members of the royal family would die. The Duke of Kent never would have thought one of the two members would be him and the other would be his father George III. The Duke of Kent caught a cold and inflammation of lungs occurred and he died on January 22 and then six days later his father's long, unh appy life was ended. Victoria called Drina by her family was raised in Kensington Palace and was very spoiled she was idolized by her mother's ladies and despite her mother's strictness about her being spoiled, she had everything she cloud have wanted. At the age of five, Fraulein Lehzen came who was the previous governess of Princess Feodoram she helped Drina learn her letters and she acted like an angel unlike before the arrival of Fraulein Lehzen when she was naughty and violent. Queen Victoria :: essays research papers On November 6, 1817 Princess Charlotte, the only heir to the crown of England died. She was the only child of the Prince Regent and was not a happy women. She was married off to prince of Orange at the age or 17, but broke off the marriage after falling in love with Prince Augustus of Prussia. He was already married but she was unaware and she continued seeing him. After a long time of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobury admiring her, Princess Charlotte gave him a chance and finally they were married in 1816. Later she got pregnant and for nine months of doctors told her that she was not in good health to have the baby on November 5, 1817 at nine o'clock in the evening after a 50 hour labor, Princess Charlotte delivered a dead baby boy. That night she was obviously dying. The Prince was in her room for hours and left for but a moment when a doctor came out and told him his wife was dead.After many controversies between the royal family about who was to become the heir to the crown there was a female infant born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24, 1819.Born Alexandrina Victoria to Victoria Mary Louisa, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Cobury-Saalfeld, and Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathern, the fourth son of George III and youngest brother of George IV and William IV, both kings of Great Britain.In January of 1920 the Duke a Kent remembered a prophecy that a fortune teller told him. The fortune teller said two members of the royal family would die. The Duke of Kent never would have thought one of the two members would be him and the other would be his father George III. The Duke of Kent caught a cold and inflammation of lungs occurred and he died on January 22 and then six days later his father's long, unh appy life was ended. Victoria called Drina by her family was raised in Kensington Palace and was very spoiled she was idolized by her mother's ladies and despite her mother's strictness about her being spoiled, she had everything she cloud have wanted. At the age of five, Fraulein Lehzen came who was the previous governess of Princess Feodoram she helped Drina learn her letters and she acted like an angel unlike before the arrival of Fraulein Lehzen when she was naughty and violent.

Arthurs Unrealism: Monty Python, Gawain and the Green Knight, and the Destruction of :: Essays Papers

Arthur's Unrealism: Monty Python, Gawain and the Green Knight, and the Destruction of Ideals It may be that ideals are necessary for humanity. Without idealized images, codes of behavior, even idealized objects, mankind would have difficulty functioning. There would be a lack of context or criteria with which to judge objects that may be termed less than ideal. However, the problem with idealized images is that they can never be described fully, and certainly never attained. An example is the contemporary ideal of feminine beauty, which has led to countless problems such as depression and psychological dietary disorders among women who perceive themselves to be "inadequate." The more culturally emphasized an ideal is, the more ordinary people are made to feel inadequate. This has led to a trend common to all centuries, that of puncturing ideals by showing them to be less than what they are supposed to be. In art and literature we see manifestations of this mechanism. It is a protective mechanism in a sense, for it prevents total absorption in the ideal, forcing us to see it for what it is, a benchmark and not a realistic goal. Even in the works where men and women achieve the ideal, it is usually accomplished by supernatural means, for a concomitant of the ideal is that it cannot truly exist in the natural and hence imperfect world. Examples of such mechanisms range from the colloquialism "out of this world" to describe the superlative to the common mythological pattern of the religious leader being the son of a god. One of the most enduring myths in the Western world is that of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Regardless of the origins of the tales, the fact is that by the time they had been filtered through a French sensibility and re-exported to England, they were representations of not one but several ideals. Courtly love and chivalry and the various components thereof, such as martial prowess, chastity, bravery, courtesy, and so on, were presented as the chief virtues to aspire to, and the knights as role models. Arthur's eventual fall is precisely because of having failed at some level to fulfill these ideals in his life. The Arthurian cycle shows a sporadic awareness of the impossibility of mere humans fulfilling all the ideals that Arthur and his court represent. The story of Lancelot and Guenevere, Merlin's imprisonment by Nimu‘, and numerous other instances testify to the recognition of this tension between the real and the unrealistic.

Modules on skills and materials Essay

â€Å"Well prepared teachers have a large repertoire of activities for their classes. They can organise preparation and controlled output practice; they can direct students in the acquiring of receptive skills and organise genuinely communicative activities. This repertoire of activities enables them to have varied plans and achieve an activities balance.† â€Å"The Practice of English Language Teaching† Harmer Which of the techniques outlined in this module, and elsewhere in the modules on skills and materials, would you use in order to achieve genuine communication in the classroom? This task should refer to other areas of the course. You should aim to write about 750 words. The ultimate aim of teaching English to speakers of other languages is to achieve genuine communication by limiting teacher talking time and maximising student participation. Simply standing in front of a class and telling things to the students does not guarantee they will learn them. Students need to be actively involved in the lessons. A vital step in establishing a class of active learners is classroom management. There are many techniques which can be implemented in order to achieve genuine communication within the classroom. Communication should take place the minute the class begins. Getting into the habit of ‘chatting’ to the students at the start of a lesson gives them the chance to take part in natural conversation. This can be achieved by greeting the students and allowing five minutes to go around asking what people did at the weekend, for example. This gets students speaking before they have had a chance to worry about getting involved. In order to create an open learning environment and aid the flow of communication, the furniture in the classroom should be arranged appropriately. Ideally, the furniture should be  arranged in a circle as it allows all the students to be involved and creates a sense of equality. However, if this is not possible, a semi-circle or some form of group arrangement is best. A semi-circle ensures the students are able to see any visual aids clearly and as many students as possible have eye contact with the teacher. A group arrangement allows for a huge degree of interaction and can be useful in mixed-ability classes, where groups of students can concentrate on different communication tasks according to their ability. Another great way of rousing communication is to show interest in the students by getting to know about their interests and backgrounds. This allows teachers to make conversation before and after class using personal information. How is your new cat? Is your husband feeling better? It is encouraging for the students and they are more likely to want to speak about themselves, their families, etc. Getting to know the students also allows teachers to personalise lessons and set up relevant discussions. This increases student involvement by allowing them to express opinions about their environment and personal experiences. A similar technique is to talk about current affairs or news stories. These are subjects that the students are likely to have knowledge of and will be able to discuss amongst themselves. This will encourage students to find interesting stories or anecdotes they can share with the class or to keep themselves informed so they can have meaningful input in class activities. Current newspaper and magazine articles can be cut out and used to prompt discussions. These techniques can allow the students to take control of the conversation, reducing teacher talk time and consequently further their learning. Relevant and realistic practise of language is important in spurring meaningful communication from students. Teachers should focus on elements of language and communication that are necessary for the student’s goals or are of personal interest. The types of activities utilised in a lesson can give more or less opportunities for communication. The most obvious way to get someone talking is to ask them questions, but teachers should really think about the kinds of questions they ask. Closed questions are simple direct questions that can be useful for checking understanding or reviewing language, whereas open questions do not always have a single or right answer and get the students thinking. Both types of questions are useful in the classroom and teachers should establish a good balance between  the two. Furthermore, questions should be directed to the whole class initially, rather than a named individual, as this ensures all students are alert and thinking about the answer should they be chosen to respond. Another technique to keep students focused is avoiding asking questions in a fixed order. Teachers should mix it up by darting around the classroom, keeping the students on their toes. Asking questions can be rather limiting in the degree of communication it fosters and it involves a lot of initial input by the teacher. In order to encourage genuine communication between students so they get the most out of the experience, teacher talking time needs to be limited. Group or pair-work activities are a great way to do this. They generate conversation and communication flows more naturally. Well prepared group or pair-work activities should require students to maintain communication in order to complete the task. They dramatically increase the amount of speaking time each student gets in the class and allow students to interact independently without guidance of the teacher. This promotes learner independence and more spontaneous communication. Role-plays, dialogues, sketches, etc. can be a great way to reduce anxiety about speaking. Students may be embarrassed at first, but become less self-conscious as they concentrate on the character or role they are required to carry out, thus produce more natural language. In addition, prompts, such as role cards and realia can be provided as an aid for the students to use during their performance. It is important for the teacher to continue monitoring groups during fluency tasks to ensure English is being spoken. It is imperative that the use of the mother tongue language is limited in the class. If the class are of differing nationalities, this aids communication as the students have no choice but to use English to communicate. Thus, there are many techniques that can be adopted to ensure genuine communication is achieved in every lesson. It is important for teachers to really think about all aspects of the lesson, including the introduction, seating arrangement, the delivery of activities, materials used, etc. prior to teaching in order to maximise student talk time so that each individual gains the most out of their experience within the classroom. TASK FOR SUBMISSION TO YOUR TUTOR TASK 2 You are working in an ESOL school with class sizes of 14-18. Your boss does not like your school’s current way of testing spoken English. At the moment it is tested in a one-on-one, 2 minute speaking test at the end of course with a mark from 0-10. It does not seem to be working well and takes up a whole lesson from the course. He has asked for suggestions as to how to change the system. With reference to what you have studied in this and other modules, and to your own experience and reading, make some suggestions to your boss as to how the school could assess the spoken English of the students in a more accurate and less pressurized way. You should write about 400 – 500 words to send as an email setting out your ideas. Dear ______, In light of your recent request for ideas as to how to change the current way of testing spoken English, I would like to propose the following suggestions. Rather than a one-on-one end of year speaking test, we could adopt a task approach and assess the students speaking ability in a variety of ways throughout the duration of the course. We could create tasks that require the students to use the language in ‘real-life’ communicative performances. This type of testing is advantageous as it can be conducted with more than one student at a time, reducing the amount of time dedicated to the testing. It allows the students to use their language knowledge and competence in ‘real-life’ communications with their peers. It is a more realistic and accurate measure of their abilities. Not only do these tasks test accuracy and fluency, they also test how creatively the students are able to use language and whether they are able to communicate effectively with each other . It is likely to reduce the pressure they feel about a single ‘interview’ with the teacher, particularly if they get to perform the  tasks with other students so the focus isn’t solely on them. Adopting this kind of testing approach will allow us to carry out a number of different oral tests throughout the course, assessing a variety of skills. There are a number of different tasks that could be used such as role plays, debates and presentations. Role Plays: We can give them a specific situation and roles to play that utilise the language they have learnt. Role plays can be used informally throughout the course so the students get lots of time to practice for a formal assessment. Debates: We could split the classes into groups and have each group debate an argument relating to different topics they have studied. Each group would be split into two smaller groups, one to represent each side of the argument. The students can be given time in or out of class to prepare their side of the debate. Each side could be allocated a specific time for giving their initial argument in which each student has to contribute the same amount of time. Again, debates can be used informally throughout the course to practice language, allowing students ample of practice before the formal assessment. Class Presentation: We could assign group projects for the students to carry out in or out of class. The students will have a deadline to complete the project, at the end of which they will be asked to give a group presentation. We can provide them with guidelines of what to include and what skills they will be individually tested on. Another way to test students individually that takes away the pressure of ‘performing’ in front of the class is to ask them to make a recording. In a previous school, we had students read a short story and then asked them to imagine they were one of the characters. They had to record themselves giving an account of what happened according to their {the characters} personal experience. The students were allowed time to think about what they wanted to say before making the recording. After assessment, the students listened to each other’s recordings and gave constructive feedback to their classmates. This type of assessment was carried out a number of times throughout the course, with notable improvements across the board. Although this approach is less realistic, it gives the students a chance to hear themselves speaking and pinpoint their own mistakes which they can work on in the future. I hope these suggestions are of use and we are able to implement a more successful way of testing the oral skills of the students.

History Of The Paraprofessional Education Essay

There has been a long history of statute law and alterations in educational doctrine that have influenced both the functions and the makings of paraprofessionals. † ( â€Å" Unit 7 Reading † . neodymium. parity. 1 ) The paraprofessional function is dramatically critical presents because of these alterations and influences. Today, the life of a paraprofessional is filled with extended undertakings and duties that stretch far beyond the boundaries of clerical work ; paraprofessionals in my sentiment are one of the most indispensable gateways, if you would, to the academic success of particular needs pupils and to those that seek farther direction. However, since this was non ever the instance for paraprofessionals, a brief history of the paraprofessional function and attach toing Torahs of each epoch of paraprofessional history is included in the undermentioned paragraphs. Read on. There are a figure of past events and associated Torahs that have impacted the function of the paraprofessional. To get down with, in the 1950 ‘s equal rights for kids ‘s instruction was good needed but non present. This academic inequality was based on racial segregation and a deficit in accredited instructors. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ( 1954 ) challenged the Acts of the Apostless of academic racial bias in a tribunal of jurisprudence that resulted in a opinion for academic equality for all pupils. ( â€Å" Unit 7 Game Study Guide † . neodymium. parity. 3 ) As for the remainder of the accredited instructors, paraprofessionals were recruited for excess aid. Revolution peers change no affair what the circumstance. In the 1960 ‘s a radical motion in societal services, wellness attention, instruction, and employment brought away the alteration in rightful standing of many. Womans and the detested, the disableds and the hapless insisted upon the same rights as the remainder of world and the wealthy. These demands resulted in the undermentioned Torahs and plans: Civil Rights Act of 1964, Head Start ( 1965 ) – a plan for kids in the earliest phases of development that I am so grateful for, it offers a battalion of support for runing from faculty members to wellness and health for kids who are like me when I was a kid ( you know, a small less fortunate ) . In the same epoch, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 passed and urged parents to acquire involved with the school and academic life of their kid or kids ; Title I plans established through this Act â€Å" aˆÂ ¦ increased instructional support of basic acco mplishments to deprived pupils. † ( â€Å" Unit 7 Game Study Guide † . neodymium. parity. 4 ) Still in that same clip frame, yet another jurisprudence was passed-Immigration and National Act Amendments of 1965-and alleviated certain judicial admissions on policies for in-migration. This Act caused an augmented demand for paraprofessionals in the schoolroom because of an addition in pupils with linguistic communication and/or cultural barriers. A bilingual or multilingual paraprofessional was an ideal campaigner in conformity to this Act. Today, people with disablements are protected from favoritism because of the civil rights jurisprudence passed in the 1970 ‘s. Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 appointed equal chance rights for the mentally and physically disabled against favoritism in every facet including the educational facet of society. ( Charmatz. Penn. neodymium. parity. 1 ) In sight of this new right, more paraprofessionals were needed. A twelvemonth subsequently, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act extended its range out to pupils with linguistic communication and/or cultural barriers to acquisition, doing it compulsory for schools to help these pupils ; therefore ensuing in the farther demand of expertness of paraprofessionals. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act or Public Law 94-142 ( 1975 ) besides required extra support of pupils with disablements, bit by bit increasing the demand for paraprofessionals thenceforth. ( â€Å" Unit 7 Game Study Guide † . ne odymium. parity. 5 ) A call for reformation of the needed criterions and teacher answerability arose after a series of educational studies by a figure of governmental bureaus in the 1980 ‘s. These studies were directed toward the quality of instruction and the overall answerability of instructors for the expected criterions of their Plutos, and their instructional abilities. Simultaneously, instructors, the local school communities, and parents were encouraged to collaborate to find pupil larning abilities and failings, wellness and physical challenges in order to find which larning plans are the best to integrate in the school ‘s course of study. The National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals and the Council of Exceptional Children besides supported structured course of study and criterions for paraprofessionals and their supervisors. ( â€Å" Unit 7 Game Study Guide † . neodymium. parity. 6 ) The Immigration Act of 1990 besides contributed to the addition in paraprofessionals, particularly those that were culturally diverse. The Americans with Disabilities Act mandated adjustments for pupils and workers with disablements. Persons with Disabilities Education Act, a reauthorization of the Education of all Handicapped Children Act ( reauthorized twelvemonth 1997 ) . Actual acknowledgment of the paraprofessional function, developing specifications and appropriate supervising specifications of the paraprofessional function were identified, clarified, and mandated. ( â€Å" Unit 7 Game Study Guide † . neodymium. parity. 7 ) In the twelvemonth 2001, the ill-famed No Child Left Behind Act ( once known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ) focused a batch on the countries of instruction that will assist increase the academic standing of pupils with and without disablements, every bit good as for the economically advantaged and disadvantaged, and for the behaviorally, mentally, and physically challenged. In 2004, the Persons with Disabilities Education Act was one time once more reauthorized, this clip as the Education of all Handicapped Children Act ( reauthorized twelvemonth 1997 ) made important alterations in the Individual Education Plans ( IEPs ) for kids with particular demands and larning disablements. These alterations once more, resulted in the increased demand for paraprofessionals. ( â€Å" Unit 7 Game Study Guide † . neodymium. parity. 8 ) Nowadays, as a consequence of all the history of the paraprofessional, paraprofessionals I able and required to further help all pupils that need excess aid. Undertakings that a paraprofessional can anticipate to carry through are transporting out remedial lessons, helping pupils with disablements in transitional plans, of class copying documents and rating documents, they can anticipate to assist maintain up with schoolroom visual aspect and help the oversing instructor in lesson planning excessively, they can besides anticipate to work in a figure of topographic points like in traditional schoolroom scenes, in remedial acquisition categories, and transitional categories, they can anticipate to chaperone kids on field trips along with many other undertakings and duties. All in all, the significance, day-to-day undertakings, and duties of the paraprofessional function have changed enormously, as a consequence of a long history of alterations and reforms to the Torahs and plans in edu cational history.