The History of the ACT Test

The History of the ACT Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips How did the ACT get started? And how did it become the test it is today? Read on to learn more about ACT history, its successes and failures, and how things might change for it in the future. Early Days In 1959, an education professor at the University of Iowa named Everett Franklin Lindquist developed the ACT as a competitor for the SAT, which had been around for about 20 years as a mainstream college admissions test. The ACT originally stood for American College Test and wasbased off of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development.The goal for the ACT as an alternative to the SAT was that it wouldn’t just test cognitive reasoning; it would test information actually learned in school.It was the first standardized test to include a science section.It was also more focused on identifying strengths and weaknesses to guide student placement rather than determining cognitive reasoning strength across the board like the SAT. The first ACT was administered to 75,460 students in 1959.The original sections were English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences, with 45 minutes for each section and scores on a scale of 0-36.It gained popularity as a college admissions exam in the central and midwestern US where the SAT had not yet established its dominion.In fact, part of the purpose of the ACT was to provide other colleges and public universities with an admissions exam to use since the SAT was only used by selective institutions in the northeast. By 1972, the number of students taking the ACT had grown to over a million! Changes In 1989, the â€Å"enhanced ACT† was released, bringing us nearly up to speed with the current version of the test that we all know and love. The Natural Sciencesection was replaced with Science Reasoning.This was a move towards de-emphasizing specific scientific knowledge and insteadjust testing core analytical and problem-solving skills. Social Studieswas also replaced with Reading.This was when the Reading section really moved closer to the SAT.The Social Studies section had tested specific information about US History, whereas the new Reading section was only supposed to test pure reading ability and comprehension. There were also some changes to the Math and English sections. In math, trigonometry and pre-algebra were added as topics. In english, the test began to focus less on grammar and more on writing skills like coherent organization of thoughts. Scores from the old test to the new test were not directly comparable. On the new test, average composite scores rose two points, and the range of scores became 1-36 rather than 0-36. After this big change, some minor changes continued to be implemented. In 1996, the ACT redefined its name so the letters no longer stood for anything, and in2005, the ACT added an optional Writing section (a 30 minute essay) so that it could more directly compete with the essay requirement on the SAT. Starting in 2015, the format of the essay was changed slightly. Students are now given 40 minutes to write, and the Writing section is scored out of 36 rather than out of 12. Prompts deal with how students interpret big changes that are going on in the world, opening up the essay to a broader focus than previous prompts that focused on issues specifically related to high school. The ACT has now surpassed the SAT as the most popular college admissions test. Successes and Failures of the ACT The ACT today has many of the same problems as the SAT in terms of the achievement gap between minority/low-income students and white/high-income students.The percent difference between black and white students meeting the ACT’s benchmarks for college readiness across subjects ranges from 35-42%. According to the chart below, the percentage of African American students passing 3 or more ACT benchmarks lingers around 10%, whereas for white students it’s about 50% and for Asian students it’s almost 60%. The ACT, just like the SAT, has had little success in terms of leveling the playing field between races and income levels and creating an objective test. The ACT does seem to have recognized that this battle needs to be fought at a lower level in education.Many students who do poorly on the test are victims of years of subpar learning experiences.ACT Aspire is a system created by the ACT to track students from a young age based on Common Core standards to make sure they are reaching appropriate goals.So far, however, it has not had a very broad reach. The ACT overall does have much more straightforwardness and consistency in its testing model than the SAT, which makes it a better option for many students.Some people might argue that it’s a fairer test, and it's definitely less tricky in a lot of ways. However,it still hasn’t overcome the achievement gap.The ACT may be less entrenched in notions of elitism than the SAT, but it still contributes to the same problematic systems. ACT, Inc.: Non-Profit? It’s tempting to think of the ACT as a lovable underdog that overcame all odds to beat the snobby SAT in the college admissions test market. However,ACT, Inc. has almost as many issues with its supposed non-profit status as the College Board. In 2009, the CEO of ACT, Inc. was compensated over a million dollars.Just like the College Board, ACT, Inc. pays its executives at levels that are much higher than the average for most nonprofits.ACT, Inc. also sells test prep materials for its exams to increase revenue.The goal of the ACT is the same as that of the College Board: get as many people to buy into their tests and programs as possible. The ACT has surpassed the SAT as the most prevalent admissions test, so it has been pretty successful with this goal.Still, it may have to play catch up again after the SAT revamps its test model in 2016.The new SAT is going to be more similar to the ACT (less confusing question phrasing, trigonometry in the math section) so it should be interesting to see which one ends up dominating the market. Overview The ACT was created in 1959 as competition for the SAT.It was supposed to be an achievement test that dealt with content learned in school rather than just cognitive reasoning skills.However, it moved closer to the SAT as time went on, especially when the Science and Reading sections were created in 1989. The ACT has similar problems to the SAT in terms of the achievement gap and its questionable non-profit status.Even though it is often thought of as a fairer and less confusing alternative to the SAT, it’s really a pretty similar test at this point. It’s possible that the release of the new SAT and increased pressure from colleges for a more reliable performance assessment will catalyze changes to the ACT.Hopefully we're getting closer to creating assessments that are both fair to students and reliable as higher education standards. What's Next? Wondering whether you should take the ACT over the SAT? Check out these comparison charts to see the differences between them. If you want to try your hand at an ACT practice test, here's a link to some free full tests! You should also take a look at this list of test dates for the upcoming school year so you can start thinking about when to register for the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

How to Get a Job in Any Field By Humanizing Yourself

How to Get a Job in Any Field By Humanizing Yourself Sometimes the job hunt can feel like a numbers game: the average job search takes 43 days†¦92% of recruiters use social media†¦the average resume gets 6 seconds of attention. And our current obsession with data-driven decisions doesn’t stop there. We’re all walking, talking data points. But even though we’re up against numbers, don’t forget that there’s a human element to resumes: they’re written and read by humans (uh, after they make it through the automated keyword parsing systems, that is). And as such, there’s a huge mental game component to resumes: who’s reading this, and what will make them remember me? How can I present myself as a feeling, thinking, interesting person perfect for the job? Here is your guide on how to get a job by accomplish this.Pre-Game: Psych Yourself UpBefore you even write your resume, it’s important to get yourself into shape for this mental game. It sounds a little goofy, I know, but the more confident and winner-ish you feel going into the job search Olympics, the better you’ll feel about the whole thing. Now, you could start going to bed early and rising at 4:30 a.m. for sunrise jogs across town, but that kind of training isn’t necessary here (unless you’re applying for the actual Olympics). It’s more about adjusting your mindset and getting your plan in order so you can feel good about what you’re sending out.Set up the game.Thinking of your job search as a game is more than just a distraction- it can help you focus more on a successful outcome, believe it or not. It can be as easy as naming your goal, and setting personal rewards for making progress toward that goal (milestones). Maybe you give yourself bonus points along the way for doing well in an interview, or getting a call or email response for a resume you submit online.Think long game, not sudden death.Think of your job search as a long process, with every step and challenge along the way as progress toward an eventual win. If your goal is to find a job within 6 months, don’t get frustrated if your first few promising opportunities don’t pan out. Take it as an extended training exercise, where you get to practice honing your resume and interview skills.Concentrate on the present.You can’t control what happens in the future, and shouldn’t dwell on what happened before. There’s only the present and what you can do in it. So while you can reflect on the past to learn from it, and think about what your goals are in the future, it’s most important to concentrate on your present, and what you need to be doing right now to make sure you make progress.Remember that you have choices.Part of envisioning your job search as a mental game is remembering that as a player, you have options- plays to make, pieces to move. Nobody else is doing that for you. That puts all of the power in your hands to make this job search something that represents you, and your best abilities.It also helps if you feel stuck. If your career goal feels far away because you’re missing something (experience, the right network, etc.), what can you do to change that in the short term? There could be many ways to get to your goal, if you keep your thinking flexible. You can take a class to get more expertise. You could start trying to link up with movers and shakers on social media, or look for special networking events in your industry. Waiting around for things to happen to you is rarely a winning strategy.Game Time: Revamping Your ResumeIt’s time to play offense in the mental game, and that means working with your resume itself and prepping your application package. Here are 7 strategies you can use to try to reach the real person on the other end (recruiter, HR professional, hiring manager).Find a teammate.As you get started tailoring your resume for a particular job opening, try to network with so meone already at the company where you’re applying. Not in, like, a creepy and ingratiating way so you can drop their name in an interview, but in a â€Å"hey, I’m applying to your company’s marketing department and I’d love to have a chat about what it’s like to work there† way.You can also ask this person for feedback on your resume- e.g. does my resume match the company culture? It may not be a lifelong friendship, but if you find someone willing to be your networking buddy, it can give you good insight into what kind of people this place hires. And if this small request for a few minutes of insight opens the door to a word in the right ear or an introduction, then you definitely owe this person a beverage of their choosing to celebrate this new friendship.Quantity in addition to quality.If you have numbers to back up any point on your resume, use them! For example:Instead of: â€Å"Saved the company money by switching vendors†Try: â€Å"Coordinated a vendor change that saved 8% on office supplies in 2015.†Instead of: â€Å"Mentored new hires†Try: â€Å"Mentored 16-20 new hires per year.†Instead of: â€Å"Organized a fundraiser†Try: â€Å"Spearheaded an event that raised $12,000 from 250 participants†Don’t be afraid to be quirky†¦within reason.There’s not much leeway for jokes within your resume, because you want to present yourself as a genuine, serious candidate. But you can show some of your personality if you include your interests. This can catch the reader’s eye, and help them set you apart in their head as they sift through candidate resumes.For example, if your skills include being a world-class fly fisherperson, add it. If you won your company’s bake-off over 30 other people (true story!), list it along with any other awards. Little bits like this, used sparingly, can really sparkle in an otherwise straightforward resume- and again, you want to make yourself memorable to the person reading, kind of like a mnemonic device you set off in his or her head. â€Å"The pie guy- I liked him!† could get you to the next level.Don’t use fancy fonts or visual tricks.This one might run counter to the kinds of psychological trickery you might expect†¦after all, you want to stand out, right? Red Comic Sans might be the way to do that. Except it’s not. For one thing, your carefully chosen visual stunnery might be for naught if your resume translates through their system as plain text. Also, you run the real risk of an eye roll and being remembered for the wrong reasons. So you should try to stand out within the system, rather than showing what a rebel you are (design-wise).Follow the Rule of Seven.Jon Youshaei of Forbes recommends adapting the old â€Å"Rule of Seven† marketing policy, where your customer needs to hear your product name or message seven times before it really sinks in. You can use it here to create a kind of subliminal messaging. If you go to the company’s website and read it’s mission statement/About Us section, find buzzwords that are clearly important to the company, and use them (or variations on them) seven times in your resume. It should be done pretty subtly, though†¦you don’t want the reader to feel like he or she’s just reading the same thing over and over.For example, if the company puts a high priority on its status as an innovator, make sure to sprinkle in words like â€Å"changed,† â€Å"disrupted,† â€Å"modernized,† etc. throughout the resume. These kinds of keywords may or may not curry favor with the automated digital reader, but the human one will likely pick up on subtle connections to the company.Align yourself with bigger brands.Name-dropping can be insufferable (as George Clooney and mentioned to me the other day) in everyday conversation, but if you use some big names in your res ume, it can help increase the impressiveness factor. For example, if the last company you worked for won an award or had a major client, try to (artfully) insert that information. â€Å"Arranged sponsorship from Pepsi, Foxwoods, and Toys ‘R Us.†Emphasize what you want them to see.If you’re a little thin on experience but have a ton of skills, use a top-loaded skills-based resume. If you want to emphasize your work with notable companies, put the experience first. If the company has a reputation for hiring grads from schools with good basketball programs, put your UConn education front and center. There’s no single format for a resume- you find the one that works best with what you’re working with and how you want to say it.Whether you do see the job application process as a data exercise (collecting all your professional data) or more of a psychological give-and-take between you and The System, you want to put in as much work as possible to get to y our goal. And either way, you’ll want to have your end zone dance ready for when you win the game, job offer in hand.

Coming to Live in a Foreign Country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coming to Live in a Foreign Country - Essay Example I was very excited when I got admission in a United States College. Though I had hoped for it, however, for it to come true so easily was very exhilarating. I was glad that I had been granted this opportunity, both by the college’s board of admissions and by my family who supported my decision to go abroad for higher studies. The delight at felt at being able to be on my own, and that too in a foreign land was indescribable. I constantly made plans regarding how I would go about settling in once I reached the United States. I was essentially entering a new phase in my life and was very keen and enthusiastic about starting this chapter of my life. However, once I reached the United States, in fact as soon as I landed at the airport, I felt a strange sense of trepidation. Everything I saw and heard was new to me. All of a sudden I was surrounded by sights and sounds that were very unfamiliar. There were lots of people at the airport, in fact, it would be right to say that there was a throng of people at the airport, yet I felt completely and utterly alone. Out of all of these people around me, I knew nobody. What is more, nobody knew me. I felt like an outsider as if I somehow did not belong in this multitude of people. I was scared that this feeling of loneliness might get too much for me to bear, causing me to be unable to enjoy anything, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that that was not the case. All of a sudden, the feeling of anxiety was replaced by a sense of excitement. If I were essentially an outsider, then everything I was seeing was a new sight for me. I looked at everything I passed by closely. From the airport till I reached the college campus, I tried to absorb as much as I could. Everything seemed novel to me, even the simple and mundane things like air vents in buildings and how people had a different voice cadence in the United States than in Nigeria seemed to excite me. There was a sense of newness to everything. I noticed even dull and routine details around me and became excited over them. Though at first I only noticed the newness with an excited mindset, yet soon enough that excitement changed to trepidation. I simply had not taken to account the fact that there will be quite a lot of cultural gaps and cultural differences that I will have to cross. It is a given that all countries have their own set of norms and the adage of â€Å"when in Rome, do as the Romans do† entails that one follows local customs. I did not want to offend anyone for my lack of knowledge regarding local customs. Soon enough, though, I discovered that there were quite a bit of similarities between the two cultures of Nigeria and United States. I was still, however, afraid of offending others for my lack of understanding or knowledge regarding local culture. It was soon clear to me, though, that United States has a more relaxed approach towards following cultural norms and one can fit in without having to change or adapt much. Although that is true, nonetheless, I still looked forward to learning new things about the culture of the foreign land I found myself in. Perhaps it seems like my feelings were that of a child who is brought to a toy shop and told to go on an

THE WAR ON TERROR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

THE WAR ON TERROR - Essay Example This terrorism and war on terror is a direct outcome of America meddling into the business and affairs of other nations. Would it have been possible to avoid this kind of terrorism attacking us? When these attacks happen it is easy to put the onus on a few government or social departments. However when terror attacks of this scale happen then it is obvious that they are an outcome of years of meticulous planning. By the same logic blaming Federal Bureau of Investigation or Immigration and Naturalization Service was an easy way out of pinpointing the responsibility. However as stated earlier attack on America is an outcome of years of American intervention in the affairs of other nations and even failing to beef the security well within time. Posting guards at airports post the attacks was a reaction to the event. The more interesting question is what could have been done proactively to avoid the attacks. This clearly indicates that we did not look into the system weaknesses at our en d and rectify them well within time. It also means that someone whose idea could have been useful was rejected on the grounds of ulterior political aims and perceived to be confusing. For ex: Homeland security chief Tom Ridge introduced colour codes for levels of security risk. The colours changed from green to red as the level of security changed from low to high.

Opposing Models in Health Promotion

Opposing Models in Health Promotion HND Health, Diet Nutritional Studies – Unit Four INTRODUCTION Health promotion is provided by various organisations working together towards the same goal – overall health and wellbeing for everyone. It aims to prevent and reduce the risk of disease, manage illness, recovery and rehabilitation. Its objectives are to involve the public in their own quest for a healthier life through education and awareness, to improve services, support and continuity of care and provide a safe environment for people to live and work in with equal opportunities giving everyone the means to achieve, wherever possible, optimum health. We know children learn from parents and teachers but if parents fail to educate their children to make healthy choices at home in an informal setting, even if teachers do so to a preset curriculum in a formal setting, it may not happen. I recall a report on a TV news channel some years ago where Jaime Oliver introduced healthy meals in schools but the parents were against the idea so they squeezed Macdonald’s burgers to them through the school fence at lunchtime because that is the type of food they had grown to know. In social learning theory Albert Bandura suggests â€Å"behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning† (Bandura A. (1977)), we all know this to be true. Children often refuse vegetables etc when they are young but perseverance is a necessity if they are to receive the nutrients they require for a healthy, disease free life. According to the BBC Breakfast news this morning (31.05.14) researchers say that if a variety of foods are introduced to a child from a very early age and it is repeated at least ten times the child will grow up liking that particular food. Another story that springs to mind was when a friend’s husband claimed to be vegetarian, in reality as a child he could not be bothered to chew meat but his parents gave in to him and let him have what he wanted so his meals consisted mainly of egg and chips. How is it possible to teach children right from wrong when parents act this way?† The answer must be to educate them as well?† Health education and promotion requires repeatedly conveying the message to those at risk, through media advertising, health and welfare campaigns and organised frameworks to promote change. No smoking zones, for example, takes away the freedom to participate in harmful actions in public places making people stop and think about what they are doing to themselves and others. If people understand the consequences of their actions and believe that the changes will make a difference to them and those around them they are more likely to change their habits which in turn will reduce the associated social and economic costs. Making these practices illegal may sound like the individuals rights, liberty and freedom of movement are being taken away however the rights of their â€Å"victims† are of equal importance and it would be unethical for them to have to suffer as a consequence of another’s ignorance or selfishness e.g. second hand smoke or the cost of medical treatment for the driver of the vehicle injured as a result of an accident where he was not wearing a seatbelt. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION Researchers are constantly gathering information, from population surveys and health statistics etc, about people’s habits and behaviour, the environment they live in and how it affects them, their attitudes, where specific incidences are occurring, to whom and how often, they do not however, include ideas, opinions or the observations of the individual. This is known as quantitative research as it is deals with quantity i.e. the number of individuals affected and the causes contributing to health problems. Once collected the data can be divided into smaller categories e.g. demographic, lifestyle, education, ethnicity etc then used to identify where health promotion needs to be directed. This is an ongoing evaluation method with set criteria allowing statistical analysis and dissemination of informative data regarding the adequacy of service provision, number of incidences of certain diseases or where new trends are manifesting etc. and gives a â€Å"flavour† of a given situation at any one time. Other researchers gather data from healthcare facilities and charity organisations etc based on one to one or small group contact where people and things can be observed and where changes can be made, if necessary, to try to reach the desired outcome, this is known as qualitative data. Hospital wards, clinical trials etc record the effect and outcome of â€Å"tests†, their aim is to research holistically allowing results to be seen and patterns evaluated in the short term. Once the outcome of qualitative research has been determined the results can be built upon to further improve i.e. one thing can lead to another or the what if scenario, it has been seen where researchers look for a cure for one thing then stumble across another. Both these types of research are valuable in different ways e.g. for comparison or effect but can often be used together however, one important consideration before carrying out any research is that the researcher is competent in what his is aiming to achieve, that research will be carried out under a strict code of ethics and follows the legal guidelines laid down by the relevant authorities e.g. ensuring that there is no danger to the patient, he is fully informed about what to expect and that he is informed as to how the data will be utilised etc. HEALTH MODELS Individual Models By showing people the detrimental effects of unhealthy lifestyles versus the benefits of healthy lifestyles it is possible to change their views. They have to go through what is known as the â€Å"Stages of Change† (Prochaska J.O. DiClemente C.C. (1983)) whereby the individual has no wish or interest in changing (pre-contemplation) until an idea is sown in his mind, he begins to think about how he would benefit from change and realises the sense of it so decides to try (contemplation) he puts a plan into place (preparation). Day one arrives and he discontinues the habit (action), he is enthusiastic, he begins to see and feel the benefits encouraging him to continue (maintenance). At some stage he may falter so seeks help and support from others to keep him motivated during the difficult times. Intervention like this can come from many sources, often depending on the circumstances e.g. smokers decide they want to quit so they visit their local GP who prescribes a course of nic otine patches, he suggests contacting a local support group where individuals, who understand and have experienced the same situation, can advise and help him reach his goal and help prevent relapse, once a person sees that success is possible he will be motivated to continue. Some of the barriers encountered in changing behavioural habits are down to individual beliefs. If someone believes he is insusceptible to a particular disease, perhaps because no family member has been affected by it he is unlikely to feel threatened but if he sees a family member suffering he is more likely to want to avoid the disease himself. On the other hand, he sees someone living with a disease who looks fine he may do nothing, this could be because he may not fully understand or believe the severity of the disease to worry about it, but when that person dies he realises the implications and decides to take preventative action because he sees living longer is better than the alternative. Again the person may require help and support to maintain the new regime because without any visible signs it can seem pointless. Both of these models are similar in that they happen in stages, from pre-contemplation through to maintaining change, often without actually â€Å"seeing† immediate benefits and this is where continued reinforcement of the message is necessary. Individual and group methods are both effective ways for promoting health whether they are in supporting e.g. helping to overcome barriers and providing feedback or educating roles e.g. explaining and influencing ways to change behaviour but the main point is that the person must want to and believe he can change otherwise he will always find reasons not to try. Social and Community Models Promoting health in groups and communities relies on the collaboration of individuals to work towards the same goals within their particular environments where they can prepare for and react to situations that affect them all e.g. the recent flooding on the Somerset Levels brought everyone together to help strengthen barriers and limit damage to themselves and their properties. Their situation encompassed the social learning theory in that personal and environmental factors led to interaction by everyone affected to prevent further disaster and they came together on a community level to evaluate and plan effective strategies to solve and improve their situation. Together they organised themselves and put forward their ideas to government bodies responsible for keeping them safe and demanded policy changes to help prevent similar situations in the future along with financial funding for their loss of businesses and income. No single model or theory is better or worse it depends entirely on the particular situation e.g. the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of individuals or the structure, regulations and policies that exist in groups, organisations or communities. There are many other methods for communities and organisations to support, educate and effect positive change e.g. mother and toddler groups, wellness centres, school and workplace participation programmes, social networking etc. where peer and professional knowledge can be exchanged and support provided. CONCLUSION Many years may pass before we can confirm whether health education and promotion has helped us reach our goals because the outcomes will not be immediately apparent e.g. mortality rates due to obesity or the recent flood disasters however, we can measure if our objectives are being met through quantifying whether people have learned from the messages being conveyed by e.g. evaluating their lifestyle changes; are there fewer deaths due to heart attack or stroke? Are people safe in their environment? Has public policy changed to address the floodwater problem so that lives or property are not again put at risk in the event of heavy rains and have the measures proved satisfactory? We must carryon educating people about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, continue research and development and anticipate future problems in order to reduce these leeches on our society and utilise the funding in a better more rewarding way. TASK 2 INTRODUCTION Health education and promotion helps people to take control of and improve their own health and wellbeing. The idea is to teach people how to prevent disease and make improvements to attain that (primary level), to understand and manage current illnesses and aid recovery and rehabilitation (secondary level) and in the case of the terminally ill to help them and their families cope with the illness and provide counselling and care services that will alleviate some of the strain (tertiary level). Health education and promotion not only deals with illness but attempts to ensure that all factors relating to overall health and wellbeing are being achieved e.g. an end to poverty. Health education and promotion can be passed on formally or informally through a variety of sources e.g. schools, workplaces, NHS services, charities or voluntary organisations. HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION Teachers convey messages in a formal way by following a preset curriculum and involving students in the learning and practice with measured outcomes e.g. teaching children road safety. In the 1960’s The Society for the Prevention of Accidents â€Å"invented† a squirrel character, named Tufty, to help teach children road safety. It became so popular that there were 24,500 Tufty Clubs formed in the UK during that decade (http://www.rospa.com/about/history/tufty.aspx). Certificates and badges were awarded to children after they successfully completed the course, I will always remember the slogan (and the lesson) from those school days. A voluntary organisation known as Hope UK (http://www.hopeuk.org) train volunteers to educate and promote the dangers of drug, alcohol and smoking addiction to all ages. Their training techniques are planned to appeal to different ages of society so volunteers attend school assemblies or youth clubs to relay their message in a fun, interesting and interactive way while adults may be taught in an informative way highlighting signs and symptoms etc. followed by a QA session. Informing parents and teachers of the pitfalls of addictions, or whatever the subject may be, can strengthen the understanding of children and young people when they ask them informal questions. Sometimes it can work the other way e.g. if a child learns at school that smoking is bad for you and can affect other people he may then relay that message to a parent who is a smoker and this has been seen to make the parent stop to think about the damage it is doing to himself and his children and decide to give it up. Schools, workplaces and hospitals are all being encouraged to offer balanced, healthy meals in their eateries and introduce a variety of social activities to help people keep moving. I watched a television programme recently where they were testing a new invention where a school or office desk can be raised so that the operator can work alternately sitting or standing as sitting for long periods is known to be detrimental to health; research and innovation I believe it is called. It is becoming more and more fashionable nowadays to eat well and exercise more and a prime example of this is the number of sales Jamie Oliver has achieved with his books on 15 and 30 minute meals and his new one â€Å"Save with Jamie†, written in response to popular demand, which is aimed at eating healthily on a budget. We own two of these at home, we did not buy them because we do not know what to eat, but the inspiration and ideas they provide and the speed in which meals can be prepared as well as the pre-calculated nutritional balance has the hard work done for you. Celebrities are often advertising their exercise DVDs, endorsing exercise equipment and taking part in charity sporting events to encourage followers to take part. These are examples of health education and promotion aimed at prevention and improvement but there are people who are currently suffering and recovering from disease and illness who also need educating in its management and ways of reducing further risk. To do this we must ensure they are aware of how and why these diseases occur and what can be done to help them during its course while securing funding to enable further treatment research to help eliminate them altogether e.g. Cancer and Alcoholism. Most people will have seen the advertising campaigns for Drink Awareness and the fund raising campaign â€Å"Race for Life† (raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org) held each year in support of Cancer Research UK. The NHS and many charities are continually drumming into people what signs and symptoms to regularly check for e.g. breast or testicular lumps or sexual dysfunction and advising them where to go for screening and advice, the sooner these signs are detected the better chance th ere is of survival. Practically every week of the year there is an awareness campaign for one or more disease or illness that can affect anyone. Terminally ill people will require care of some description as will their families who can also suffer indirectly due to the situation. Either of these parties may need to talk to someone about it, terminally ill people can become depressed while their families find it difficult to get through their lives due to the strain and heartache, just having someone to listen can help immensely. There are many organisations that can help e.g. The Macmillan Cancer Support (www.macmillan.org.uk) can arrange to give families a â€Å"holiday† from caring for their sick family member to providing assistance and support for the families themselves. Others may join an informal support group where they can discuss how their illness, or that of a family member, is affecting them, their fears for when they are gone or how their passing will affect their family, this can give a great deal of comfort and support as it is sharing the experiences with people who are in the same situation. CONCLUSION The fact that people’s habits are steadilly changing shows that health promotion is working however, there is a long way to go before everyone is â€Å"on board†. Changing the views of people still in the pre-contemplation stage is probably the most difficult hurdle to cross but on the same token the more people that change the more the others will begin to face it which might be enough itself so getting to as many as possible, whether formally or informally, can only do more good in the long run. REFERENCES Bandura A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press. Prochaska J.O. DiClemente C.C. (1983). Stages and processes of self change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 390 395. http://www.rospa.com/about/history/tufty.aspx Tufty Club (Online) (Accessed 25.06.14) (http://www.hopeuk.org) (Online) (Accessed 22.05.14) http://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/index.html Race For Life Cancer Research UK(Online) (Accessed 22.05.14) http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx We are Macmillan Cancer Support (Online) (Accesssed 24.05.14)

Entrepreneur Biography – Walt Disney

Kenneth Uy 500438690 Entrepreneur’s Biography – Walt Disney Childhood Walter Elias Disney, commonly referred to as Walt Disney, was born on December 5th, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois (Walt Disney Family Museum, 2012). His father Elias Disney was an Irish-Canadian and his mother, Flora Disney, was of German and English descent. His family settled in a village known as Norton Disney in the country of Lincolnshire at the time of birth (Disney, 2000). At the age of four, Disney and his family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri, which is where he developed his love for drawing.At the time he paid a retired Doctor by the name of â€Å"Doc† Sherwood to produce images of his horse, Rupert. Later on his interest grew to train development in Marceline, specifically the Topeka and Santa Fe Railway where his uncle Michael Martin was the engineer (Disney, 2000). Four years later, the Disney’s moved to Kansas City where Walt Disney attended the Benton Grammar School. I n school Walt Disney met Walter Pfeiffer who introduced him to the world of vaudeville and motion pictures (Disney, 2000). He continued to emerge himself in art and filmography as he attended courses at the Kansas City Art Institute and went to Electric Park.Adulthood At age 22 Walt Disney left Kansas City and made his way into Hollywood regardless of his insufficient money and materials. With the help of his brother Roy Disney they were able to use their resources and construct a camera to film in their uncles garage. Shortly they received an order from New York to produce the film â€Å"Alice Comedy† and began production (IMDb, 2010). In 1925, Walt married Lillian Bounds, one of his employees, in Lewiston, Idaho and had two daughters named Diane and Sharon Disney (Disney, 2000).Three years had passed and the infamous Mickey Mouse was first portrayed in the silent cartoon â€Å"Plane Crazy† but made his debut in â€Å"Steamboat Willie† which is known as the wor ld’s first fully synchronized sound cartoon. The production Mickey Mouse was the first milestone that began Walt Disney’s progression (Disney, 2000). Soon after, he began the production of full-length animated cartoon that contributed his launch to succession. By the time 1955 had arrive the entire globe had been entertained by Walt Disney’s creations especially with his television programming like â€Å"The Mickey Mouse Club† â€Å"Zorro† and Wonderful World of Color†.On December 15, 1966 Walt Disney had died from Lung Cancer (WDFM, 2012). Education Walt Disney began his early education when he attended Benton Grammar School where he recognizes his ability to draw. Once the family moved to Chicago in 1917, Disney attended McKinley High School in his freshman year and took night courses at the Chicago Art Institute. He returned to Kansas City after a year to begin working as a graphic artist, therefore, Disney had a total of 9 years of formal education (Disney, 2000). Family Walt Disney had a father named Elias Disney and a mother named Flora Disney.He has three brothers Herbert, Raymond, Roy, and Walter. And a sister named Ruth Disney. When he married Lillian Bounds in 1925 they conceived a girl by the name of Diane Disney and adopted a girl named Sharon Disney (IMDb, 2010). Diane married Ron Miller who was former president and chief executive of Walt Disney Productions; and Sharon served as a member of Disney Board of Directors (Disney, 2000) Work Experience As a high school dropout in 1917, Walt Disney tried to join the army but was rejected at the age of 16 for being too young (IMDb, 2010).He then joined the Red Cross for a year as an ambulance driver. Upon his arrival back, he had difficulty finding work as an artist or even as an ambulance driver. He then found temporary work at an Art Studio creating advertisements for newspapers, magazines and movie theatres. He also met his first start-up partner Ubbe Iwerks. F inally, he worked for Kansas City Film Ad Company where he learned all about animation and decided to become an animator (Gabler, 2006). Past Startup Background Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists† was founded in January 1920 after Walt and Ubbe decided to start their own company (Gabler, 20006). Their company however was a failure and both started to work in animation at the Kansas City Film Ad Company. After learning all about animation, he pursued another start-up with another co-worker Fred Harman. This time he created an animation business and started screening cartoon’s titled â€Å"Laugh-O-Grams† in a local theatre. Following their success, Disney acquired Laugh-O-Gram studios, which soon went bankrupt due to Walt’s poor financial management.Later that year, Walt and his Brother Roy opened Disney Brothers’ Studio in Hollywood, California (WDFM, 2012). He then started selling his produced cartoons to a New York distributor that was a huge success . Everything was going well until Disney found out that his client had hired Walt’s animators under contract and took the rights to his most popular animated characters (Gabler, 2006). Motivation of Startup After losing everything, Walt and Ubbe decided to create another cartoon character now known as Mickey.After creating a series of short cartoons Mickey became the world’s most popular cartoon character in the 1930s. Walt created his first full-length animated musical feature in the production of â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs† which exceeded over $1,400,000 in profit (IMDb, 2010). Throughout 1937-1947 he continued to create full-length movies such as â€Å"Pinocchio†, â€Å"Fantasia†, â€Å"Dumbo†, and â€Å"Bambi†. Following his cartoon success, Walt thought it was possible to pursue his dream in creating a theme park and which is now Disneyland.After being rejected approximately 302 times (Cool Pup, 2012) for financing the park, he finally got approved and his venture would allow him to acquire ABC and open his second successful theme park, Disneyworld (JustDisney, 2003). The Walt Disney Company now has approximately 156,000 employees and had almost $41 billion in revenue the previous year (WDFM, 2012). Section 2 Stevenson’s Entrepreneurial Perspective on Walt Disney Note: This section pertains to Walt Disney while he had an influence on the Walt Disney Company until his death in 1966 and not the company at its current state.Strategic Orientation Strategic orientation is defined by Stevenson to be how one formulates strategy (2006). He mentions two styles: Promoter and Trustee and contrasts the two by describing the first as opportunity-driven and the latter as resource-driven. Walt Disney demonstrated many entrepreneurial traits throughout his animation business ventures. Even while working for other ad companies, he always ended up making his own company. I believe Walt Disney’s strat egic orientation strongly reflects that of a promoter.Walt always pursued opportunities in entertainment because while Walt was producing still-cartoons at a previous job, he saw a bigger opportunity in animation and continued to pursue such opportunities as shown in his many transitions in the industry. He then started making short-film cartoons leading him to open his own animation business and acquire a studio (Gabler, 2006). He then saw opportunities by creating full-length feature films and even in creating his own theme park. Stevenson also states that a promoter’s fundamental task is to require the resources to pursue the opportunity.Walt Disney never gave up on Disneyland and was rumored to have been rejected financing for the theme park over 300 times (Cool Pup, 2012) until he struck a deal with ABC who agreed to help finance the park (JustDisney, 2003). He achieved his task and was driven to succeed in his financing. Walt can also be justified as a promoter because he operates in an industry with diminishing opportunity streams. Before his cartoon Mickey Mouse became a famous icon, Walt Disney constantly produced new characters and films to build his company’s reputation. Commitment to OpportunityStevenson’s next concept is described as a person’s willingness to act (2006). Promoters are action-oriented and willing to act in short-time periods to chase their opportunities. He describes promoters to be action-oriented and have heavy involvement in risk management. Conversely, commitment for trustees is often time-consuming and usually takes a longer period of time. Through Walt’s journey we saw him deviate his concentration to many different forms of entertainment. He seemed to be involved with many cartoon characters until the creation of Mickey Mouse that lead to his huge success (IMDb, 2010).Walt’s ventures with his cartoons lead him to movies, television and the creation of the world’s most popular theme park. This revolutionary array of ventures reveals Disney’s commitment to opportunity as a promoter. He remained very action oriented in ensuring that he would follow through until his cartoons succeeded. As well, he was heavily involved in the risk management of his company because nobody was willing to invest in his Disneyland (JustDisney, 2003). He financed a lot of the park through the company and the other half through ABC and was determined to make the park succeed.With the park’s success, Disney had already made plans to commit construction for another one in Florida. His commitment to opportunity attributed largely to his company’s success. Commitment of Resources When it comes to the attainment of resources, Stevenson says that promoters go through many stages of resource commitment with the goal of minimizing resources (2006). On the other hand, trustees will commit upon a larger-scale after careful analysis and single stage commitment. In relati on to Walt, a lot of his projects underwent a series of funding.In his early career as an artist and animator, he had to find a distributor for all his productions (Gabler, 2006) since he could never totally finance his business unless he was selling cartoons. Even after the company’s success and Walter won his first academy award for his creation of Mickey Mouse, when the company transitioned to make its first feature-length film â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs† the studio ran out of money (Gabler, 2006). Since there were no formal venture capitalist groups at the time, the only way Walt could raise money was through loans.Eventually the movie would become the largest grossing film of the year (IMDb, 2010). The company went through many stages of funding to finance its various other projects. Similar to Snow White, Disneyland was funded in a similar manner where Walter would seek another loan to cover the costs of creating Disneyland (JustDisney, 2003). His jour ney through the resource commitment process mirrors promoter behaviour because he only sought funding when he needed it at multiple stages. Due to unpredictable resource needs and varied studio costs from film development, from a financial perspective Disney’s company was very chaotic.Control of Resources The use of resources in an organization plays a pivotal role in determining a company’s success. Stevenson describes promoters to only be concerned with their ability to use a resource while trustees seek to control their resources by attaining full ownership (2006). When it comes to the animation business, ownership plays a key role in everyday operations. When Disney lost the rights to one of his most successful characters â€Å"Felix the Cat† (Gabler, 2006), Walt found himself at a standstill.From that moment onward, Walt made sure to maintain full ownership on all his company’s future productions in order to preserve his business and avoid future leg al conflicts. Due to the nature of the business, Walt relied heavily on his staff and had to employ full-time animators who could consistently produce the high quality entertainment the company was known for. As well, in order to make Disneyland and Disneyworld, the company needed to purchase large amounts of land (Gabler, 2006).A promoter style of management does not suit the Walt Disney Company for this section because Walt himself influenced so much of the company and could only have done so through ownership of all his resources. Therefore, Mr. Disney favored the administrative domain because of factors such as power and coordination. Having complete ownership and influence was essential to Disney in order to make sure his vision became a reality. His coordination was also important because it ensured he could take action without further approval from other partners.Management Structures Stevenson’s views on management place relationships at the core of every structure. P romoters rely on receiving valuable information for key actors while trustees rely on formal relationships within the company based on detailed rights and responsibilities. Trustee management is the only applicable management structure for the Walt Disney Company (2006). He states, â€Å"Only in systems where the relationship with resources is based on ownership or employment can resources be organized in a hierarchy† (Stevenson, 2006).With the company’s heavy emphasis on ownership on its productions and land as previously addressed, it is only appropriate that structure is required to delegate roles and responsibilities within the company. Walt’s company demonstrated many things that favour trustee management, the first being the need for clearly defined authority and responsibility and the next to be organizational culture. As the company increased in size, in order to ensure Walt could influence every level of management, there needed to be a formalized hiera rchy common in many large corporations.Walt worked closely with his animators to ensure the company’s productions were under his direct approval (Gabler, 2006). Operating a large company also requires organizational culture because work needs to be formulated into a routine for employees to work within. Reward Philosophy When it comes to rewarding an organization’s employees, Stevenson finds that promoters reward employees based on their contribution and harvesting of value (2006). Investors and owners of the business want to generate returns to ensure they get their money back.Since performance is crucial in determining the success or failure of a start-up, key employees who help generate this value are usually rewarded on their performance. Trustee style management differs because compensation is usually pre-determined because of assigned responsibilities with the exception of small bonuses and promotions (Stevenson, 2006). Walt Disney maintained promoter behaviour b ecause a lot of his employees such as the staff at his studio were hired on salary with bonuses of 20% of profits for the short cartoons (Hill, 2004).At the time, Disney was considered to have the highest paid workers with the best working conditions. Disney embodied the promoter style of management because of factors such as individual expectations and competition. After the success of â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs†, Walt was known to have made â€Å"salary adjustments† to animators who he felt did exceptional work (Hill, 2004). As well, Disney strategically offered the best wages and working conditions in order to maintain its talent and attract more talent in a highly competitive industry. Section 3Recommendations for Walt Disney and The Walt Disney Company It is hard make comments and recommendations for one of the greatest and most ambitious entrepreneurs of all time but there a few things I would like to address in areas where I feel could have been handl ed differently. Although Disney operated in a completely different time period of more than 50 years ago, I will do my best to acknowledge the time period and his situation. 1. During the release of his first feature film â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs† and his change to the reward policy, the strike of his whole nimation staff could have put his business into financial hardship. In order to avoid situations like these, Disney should have reported or at the very least consulted with HR professionals on a better payment plan to reward employees during successful productions, and also support employees adequately through financial hardship as experienced in World War 2. Because his employees are crucial to the operation of the business, risky financial moves can have extreme and immediate effects on the company’s future. 2. The company found itself out of funds several times due to poor financial management.As previously mentioned, the company went bankrupt during the production of â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs† and it also did not have enough funds to complete Disneyland on its own. Although the company succeeded in both ventures, I believe that Walt Disney was poor at managing the company’s funds. In his earliest of animation days, his Laugh-O-Gram studios also went bankrupt as a result of overpaying his employees. He also tried to negotiate a price increase on his contract that actually resulted in termination of the contract, the loss of his production â€Å"Alice Comedies† and even most of his animation staff.He again was close to bankrupt and might have stayed that way had it not been for the creation his iconic â€Å"Mickey Mouse†. I believe that if there were a person with more financial experience and knowledge similar to the modern day equivalent to a Chief Financial Officer, he would have not reached such plateaus. As well if he had stronger legal advisors, he could have probably earned the righ ts back to his character and staff or at least won a settlement.While CFOs and law firms aren’t as readily available back then as they were today, I believe one thing that Disney lacked was his ability to have a reliable and knowledgeable management team that could have saved him a lot of hardship. Walt Disney is a remarkable man whose life work influenced the way people viewed imagination. His life dedication to providing entertainment was what helped him reach an entrepreneurial pinnacle. Arising from all failures and demonstrating a life committed to fulfilling his life goals lead him to be one of the most influential entrepreneurs of all time.References Cool Pup. (2012). Disneyland. In  Daily Celebrations. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www. dailycelebrations. com/071799. htm Gabler, N. (2006). Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination. IMDb. (2010). Walt Disney Biography. In  IMDb. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0000 370/bio Hill, J. (2004, June). Another look backat the 1941 Disney Studio Strike. In  Jim Hill Media. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://jimhillmedia. com/alumni1/b/wade_sampson/archive/2004/06/07/1204. aspx#. UJqz-Gl25YQ JustDisney. 2003). Disneyland's History. In  Disneyland History. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from http://www. justdisney. com/disneyland/history. html Stevenson, H. H. (2006, April 13). A Perspective on Entrepreneurship. Harvard Business School,  9(131), 1-12. The Walt Disney Family Museum. (2012). About Walt Disney. In  Timeline. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://www. waltdisney. com/timeline#41 Walt Disney. (2000). In  Walt Disney Biography. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www. norsknettskole. no/fag/ressurser/itstud/fuv/gunnargrodal/bio. htm

Comparison Topics for Essay Ideas

Comparison Topics for Essay Ideas Comparison Topics for Essay at a Glance It is possible to also order a fully written compare and contrast essay and alleviate the quantity of work you must do. By browsing compare and contrast essay examples, an individual can observe that a regular assignment is made up of 3 sections that have an introduction, discussion of your principal concept, the particular issues to study. In the introduction paragraph, mention your thesis statement plus a succinct explanation of the most important topic you will explore. It is very important to choose a minumum of one example and produce a paragraph with the counter-argument also. List the focal points that you should compare in your essay following a particular pattern. So now you are aware of how to pick the best compare and contrast topics and the various segments you require to address when writing. Often, based on the demands of the essay, you'll be wiser to pick topics in which much information is easy to get. Most themes will require some particular expertise, meaning that the search for facts and statistics and extra details will take much moment. When you're doing your research, remember to can analyze and organize the details properly. Once you establish the comparison items you needs to do some suitable research in order to have sufficient info on both to be in a position to do an appropriate comparison. Key Pieces of Comparison Topics for Essay The above mentioned compare and contrast essay topics are just a couple of the numerous topics it is possible to decide to talk about in your essay. Before starting to compose an essay, it's very im portant first to comprehend what it is about. Conclusion The conclusion is intended to provide the reader a summary of the essay. You must be very careful as you opt for a compare and contrast essay. Comparative essays are a breeze to write. A Conclusion is the previous area of the essay that summarizes the evidence and each of the principal points. Comparison Topics for Essay at a Glance You must find a good deal of resources to use to reveal the entire picture of the issue, and the structure of an essay needs to be well planned. You have to take one particular point at one time in every paragraph. If you've made an appropriate choice with selected topic, the full work procedure would be clear, simple, and convenient. In case you're supplied a topic, your task becomes a little less complicated because, dependent on this, it is easy to find comparable facets. What to Expect From Comparison Topics for Essay? When you compose an essay on moral topics, describe the issue from various points of view, showing either side of the exact same problem. Finding the perfect topic isn't the hardest job in the planet, all you need to do is to take a few factors under consideration. There is a range of interesting compare and contrast essay topics you may pick from you can describe laws you want to create, to offer you some adjustments to already existing laws, or to suggest to cancel a law which you don't like for certain explanations. Some topics might have a connection to the law for instance, death penalty or abortion legalization. Mention similarities and the way both ideas differ. Maintaining the important points of dissimilarities and similarities related to the essay topic can help you discuss things in a better method in the last copy. For example an individual may pick a topic like, life in the shoes of a werewolf. Frequent themes are alike. Since you may see, the topics are broken up into multiple categories so it would be simpler that you select one. You may use the suggested topics as inspiration for your own, or you could simply decide to write about one you enjoy the most. Before you begin, it's vital to choose topics that you truly kno w well. It's needless to mention your topics ought to be precise and on point. You see that it's an unusual topic which may be quite tough to imagine or explain, but some students might just turn that topic into a masterpiece. Whenever your teacher does not provide you exemplification essay topics, you always have the option to attempt employing a number of the topics on the next list.1. When you've got an interest in the topic matter, it again often makes your work much easier as you're motivated by the info you're studying. You must present your topic, naturally, and also your thesis statement that has the function of indicating to your readers what is the probable path of the full work. Keep in mind, make certain you do your research, and go at your own pace writing.