Noninvasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Guided Focused Ultrasound (FUS) Treatment for Breast Cancer

Magnetic resonance imaging guided focused ultrasound is completely noninvasive treatment for breast cancer which requires less anesthesia, recovery time and could avoid infections, scar formation and possibly reduce cost. It is the method of choice for accurate delimitation of many breast tumors, it can noninvasively measure ultrasound induced temperature. The combination of MRI and FUS concurrently allow the delineation of tumors margins (American cancer society). The MRI guided FUS system consist of a supply of unit for radio frequency conditioning, driving hydraulics, the cooling and fluidic system, MR- compatible ,ultrasound applicator, comprising a therapeutic ultra sound transducer with a hydraulically driven positioning system and coil for MRI within the MR- scanner and computer for therapy planning , MRI –based temperature monitoring and MRI. The MRI guided FUS objective is to compute an optimize beam pattern that covers the targeted area in such a way that the multiple focal ultrasound volumes are packed till the whole target volume are treated (American cancer society).Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800s According to American cancer journal 1931-1940, during the MRI planning and FUS therapy, the breast is placed on the transparent window surrounded by the MRI coil. To optimize the ultrasound beam angle, the sonication window is adjusted around the vertical axis through the center of the breast. Acoustic coupling is mediated by ultrasound jelly and water. The ultrasound wave are focused through the intact skin and resulted in the localized tissue ablation at a maximum temperature of 70 degree centigrade (www. cancer . org). Thus, nurses should teach the patient that MRI guided FUS therapy is safe and effective, with no side effect. It reduces the chance of anesthesia usage, infection, scar formation, recovery time and it is also very cheap. Effective teaching about the therapy will reduce agitation, depression, fear and signs and symptoms. As nurses we should also emotionally support these patients, this will give them more hope and strength to fight this ill disease. References : Noninvasive of Breast Cancer Therapy, the journal of Cancer Research (1916-30), the American journal of cancer (1931-40). Retrieve from http://www. cancer . org American Cancer Society, Retrieve from http://www. cancer . org

750 Word Essay

Brianna Churchill Mr. Lee English 104 11 October 2012 George Strait George Strait is one of country’s living legends, but to me he is much more. He’s my hero and my idle when it comes to not giving up. George grew up with his brother and dad after his mother left them. He enlisted in the army after high school and married his high school sweetheart, Norma. George started singing while in the army. After he got out of the army he started trying to build a successful career in country music. It took George awhile to really launch his career. George Strait has more than 50 number one hits.George Strait was born on May 18, 1952 in Poteet, Texas. George’s father, John Strait, was a junior high school math teacher and his mother was a homemaker. George was in fourth grade when his mother and father divorced. George grew up with only his brother and their father taking care of them. After high school, George eloped to Mexico with his high school sweetheart. When they go t back, their families made them have a small ceremony for family and friends to make it really official. George enlisted and began serving in the army in 1971. While in the military he was stationed in Hawaii for three years.Norma moved to Hawaii to be with George. In 1972 George and Norma had their first child, Jenifer who died in a car accident at the age of 13. George taught himself how to play the guitar while in the army, playing country music from hit artists like Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He started a band that only lasted two months. George found out that the commanding officer was auditioning groups to entertain the base. George was hired and didn’t have to wear a uniform and got to wear western style clothing.After being honorably discharged from the army in 1975, Strait went back to college and got a degree in agriculture. During and after college George played in a band for different bars and honkytonks. Thi s band was known as The Ace in the Hole. George joined this band after seeing their advertisement at college. One of the band member’s grandfather was Pappy Daily who was the manager of George Jones. George began playing for more and more bars and honkytonks. This started his singing career. Don Daily encouraged George and the band to come and record a demo to distribute to record companies.George played at The Prairie Rose (whose owner was Erv Woolsey until he sold it). Erv went back to Nashville and got a job as the promotions head at MCA Records. George went to Nashville and played some songs for promos, but nothing seemed to click. He kept going back and forth from Texas to Nashville with nothing to show for it for the next four years. In 1979 he almost gave up on his dream of becoming a country music singer and signed up for a job working for an outfit in Uvalde, Texas that designed cattle pens. Norma didn’t like George moping around, so she told him to give it an other try.He decided to give it one more year. In 1980 George went and talked to Erv Woolsey, and they formed a plan that George would come and record three songs. With the three songs they started shopping for a record deal. Finally, he hit it with MCA Records. When George finally started his career he was considered the hat act, so in the 1990’s every guy in country music tried the cowboy hat. In early country music, cowboy hats weren’t in high fashion, but with George Strait it became a signature style in country music and that led to George being known as the original hat act.In 1981 he released his first single, â€Å"Unwound. † That same year George and Norma had another child: George Harvey Strait, Jr. (Bubba). George then followed â€Å"Unwound† up with number one hits like â€Å"Fool Hearted Memory† and â€Å"Ocean Front Property† time and time again. In 1984, George was announced Top Male Vocalist for Academy of Country Music. In 1 985, George was announced Male Vocalist of The Year and had the Album of The Year for the Country Music Association (CMA) and Academy of Country Music (ACM).In 1986 he won Male Vocalist of The Year again for the CMA’s. In 1986 and 1987 he was Top Country Artists for Billboards. In 1988 George won Top Male Vocalist again for the ACM’s. George continued to win these awards year after year until 1990. In 1990 George became Entertainer of the Year, the award he wanted most. He won the award again in 2000. In 1992 George starred in the movie Pure Country. In the opening song to the movie, â€Å"Heartland,† his son, Bubba, sings the beginning of the song and the vocals fades into George Sr. singing the rest of the song.Even though the movie wasn’t as big as his music, the soundtrack to the movie was considered his best album ever. He still continues to produce number one hits and records. In 2006, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. George was announced as Artist of the Decade in 2009. George has had the best track record for country music in history. On February 2, 2012 George became a grandfather with his grandson becoming George Harvey Strait, III. George will be ending his touring career after his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014, but will still be making and recording country music.George Strait has 59 number one hit records and is known as a living legend and the â€Å"King of Country Music. † I choose to do this paper for the final because I thought it was stronger than my 1500 word paper. This paper to me had more meaning and I was interested in it more than the other one. With this paper I have been given the opportunity to send it to George Strait, himself, to have it signed. I think this paper is going to help me out for a contest to win tickets to one of his shows. This paper has more meaning for me since I am such a big fan.

African influence on Western Culture Essay Example for Free

African influence on Western Culture Essay ? Africa, a continent with a not so peaceful history, has always been mysterious and amazing, all at the same time. â€Å"Afri† was a Latin name used to refer to the Carthaginians who lived in Northern Africa from the 9th century B.C to the 7th century A.D when the last Punic culture was destroyed in the Arab conquest. Before I start recounting my general point of view on the topic above, I would like to share a brief opinion about multiculturalism. Some people refer to multiculturalism as a word that describes society where many different cultures live together in peace. But is it always like that? What about inherent racism and fear? Over the last few years, lots of people have been exploiting it in order to abuse other cultures and discriminate people who are different from them. In a normal world, they would be reprimanded and heavily fined. In most countries, that’s not the case and even the authorities do not care about them. On the other hand, all cultures deserve respect, including the African ones. Cultures have been developed over centuries to allow people to live together, reasonably and peacefully. Multiculturalism can mean a country accepting some practices it tends to object to, but it can also mean that a culture becomes exposed to other ways of living, which could have quite a bad impact on the other dwellers. In conclusion, we must learn that accepting people as they are is of great importance. It is important to respect each other, and one should know that living by moral standards is one irreplaceable thing. African influence on Western Culture. (2016, Nov 27).

Analysis and Recomendation of Marketing strategy of Vodafone Essay

Analysis and Recomendation of Marketing strategy of Vodafone - Essay Example Strategies of an organization should well be able to detail themselves as per the needs of the environment while planning for the future. A framework for any program can well be preferred if it is deeply affinitive to the generalization of a venture or enterprise keeping in mind the quality of methodizing. The one concept firmly oriented towards the creation of values for its customers will conclude with excellence in the target market. Vodafone uses its familiar red logo and retains themes of togetherness, fashion joy and enjoyment throughout its marketing communications. The same uniformity is maintained and followed by Fanta, Microsoft, Nike, Sony and host of other companies. What should be the rational behind this? Is it for fun? Integrated marketing communications see the elements of the communications mix integrated into a coherent whole. As the fight of market shares and quest for product success continue, marketers are employing all the necessary tactics, and methods to give their product a break through, or remain competitive (Brennan, Baines, and Garneau, 2003, Rowley J 2004). One way of doing this is through differentiation, making your product outstanding, by having your values and image (Zineldin M., and Philipson S., 2007). This is known as the marketing communications mix, and forms the basis of marketing (Pelsmacher& Kitchen., 2005) This paper examined the importance of marketing to Vodafone, it current and future market challenges using certain analytical tools and models. Part one of the paper lay emphasis on these models while part three looks at the resources and capabilities that distinguished Vodafone from its competitors. The PESTEL framework can only be used to look at the future impact of environmental factors and that this impact might be

A Canticle for Leibowitz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Essay Example While Miller’s text presents a compelling narrative, it is perhaps most relevant in terms of the metaphorical critique it holds for contemporary life and the potentials of future existence. This response essay considers many of these elements and meditates on potential solutions to some of the most pressing challenges. There are a number of considerations related to Miller’s notion that religious inspiration can create a culture-saving alternative community. One first considers the nature of religious inspiration. In the text what largely appears to have occurred is that religion has rejected the location of what it once readily embraced – namely simplification. In these regards, one considers the church’s position in the Medieval Period as readily embracing a rejection of knowledge for more faith based modes of understanding; these modes of understanding created institutions that largely rejected scientific inquiry, particularly when it conflicted with re ligious doctrine. In this sense the nature of ‘religious inspiration’ would be recognized as actually rejecting knowledge. Still, in the Medieval period through the Renaissance and even into the contemporary world religion has operated to stringently retain its own culture in the face of scientific and ethical challenges from the outside world. It seems the notion of ‘religious inspiration’ as a culture-saving operation is perhaps best exemplified in the university system. In these regards, to a large extent the university system and the professors working therein constitute a culture that is partly in opposition to pervading trends of society. That is, the university system embraces concepts and values that reject the simple pursuit of profit for the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge. This is slightly a religious concept as, at least in Western society, the fundamental driving impact of change and development are profit incentives. Ultimately, then this attests to the nature of religious inspiration as a culture-saving entity. One considers whether Americans are tempted towards oversimplification. Particularly in regards to the aforementioned university establishment there is the consideration that much of mainstream society is opposed to intellectualism. Rather than holding intellectuals or scientists in ultimate esteem, society more readily embraces athletes or popular entertainers. Within mainstream media television programs, films, and popular novels project a culture that rejects intellectualism and positions intelligence or knowledge as counter to natural living. Newspapers and television news oftentimes are targeted towards the lowest common denominator. The cumulative recognition of these trends is that American society largely tempts its citizens towards oversimplification. Within the text the nuclear weapons engineer that founds the monastic order to preserve knowledge is later carved in a statue with a wry smi le. To an extent this can be viewed as a metaphor on society as entirely ironic. That is, we all act like we know what we’re doing, but none of us really have any idea. To an extent it appears that this notion is correct in that much of what is termed functioning in society is based on the blind embrace of pervading cultural standards that the majority of us do not understand. Still, one considers that existentialism positions meaning as a personal choice. In these regards, there is self-reflexivity and authenticity in the way that humans go about living their lives. The question of meaning and understanding is related to questions of control and directing natural forces. The text asks, â€Å"Who will govern the use of power to control natural

The Diamond Necklace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Diamond Necklace - Essay Example Even though she lives in their humble home she desperately longs for a rich life. One day her husband, Loisel, gets an invitation to a ball. Mathilde pleads and manages to get her husband to part with the money he had been saving for himself and buys a dress for her to wear to the ball. She is still not satisfied and complains that she does not have any ornaments to wear that would go well with the dress. Acting upon her husband’s suggestion she goes to her friend Madame Forestier and borrows a beautiful necklace from her. Mathilde feels happy throughout the evening and for once in her life feels at par with the ladies that she had been envious of ever since she could remember. However she finds out after reaching home after the ball that the necklace was missing. Both husband and wife search high and low but can’t find the ornament. They decide to replace it with another necklace. They borrow money from many sources and even use up the money that Loisel’s father had left him and buy the necklace for a huge sum, and return it to Madame Forestier without letting her know what actually happened. A ten year period of extreme hardship follows as they repay the debt that they incurred to buy the necklace. By the end of that difficult period Mathilde comes across Madame Forestier and confesses all that happened. Madame Forestier then reveals that the original necklace Mathilde had borrowed was a clever imitation and worth only a few hundred francs. One can’t help but feel sorry for Mathilde. She had been yearning all her life to be a part of the elite. The one evening that happened proved to be too expensive and deprived her of her peace of mind for ten long years. Even though the story has the moral that one has to be happy with what one has and the greed leads to eventual destruction. The plight that Mathilde went through could have been avoided if she had dealt with the situation in a different manner. As soon as she found out that the necklace was

SIDRA Medical and Research Centre Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

SIDRA Medical and Research Centre - Case Study Example The ownership type of this centre is of a private nature. This centre is located in the Doha city of Qatar and owned by a company known as Zawya Industrial Classifications. It is expected that the centre will be built on a 2,500 acre piece of land found at the Education City campus. The architect for construction is OHL International while the designer is known as Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli and Blerbe Becket, which is an executive architectural firm (Pelli & Michael 25). The funding for the construction and development of the facility will be from the Qatar Foundation; hence, the Qatar government believed to be the client for the building. The geographical location of the building is one opposite the Education City and adjacent to the Science and Technology Park as well as National Convention Centre, both in Qatar. Project description Currently under construction, this facility will be considered the best groundbreaking hospital in the region, offering digitalized education an d research on the health of both children and women from the region as well as internationally. The initial structure of the building was slotted to be able to contain a capacity of 400 beds, 550 beds at most after expansion as shown in image 1 below. The construction cost including the furnishing with required equipment has been estimated by the Qatar Foundation at a cost of $7.9 billion. 1. Architectural image of SIDRA when complete 2. Interior design of SIDRA http://pcparch.com/project/sidra-medical-and-research-center#view-image The design for the centre both interior and exterior shall comprise of cutting edge glass, steel and white ceramic structure thus, guaranteed to provide an ideal environment for privacy, tranquility and healing for patients as shown in image 2 above. The official opening of the centre for patients to access is expected to be in the year 2015 when the centre shall fully be operational. Concept (Mission statement and goals) As a part of highly digitalized dynamic education and research environment in Qatar, SIDRA will comprise of international institutions that are leading such as Weill Cornel Medical College and BGI-Health Asia Pacific. The mission statement is to raise the health care standards throughout the country with a main focus on women and children while providing valuable learning and research opportunities. This will encompass three main missions which includes providing world class medical and patient care, provision of medical education and facilitation of biomedical research. The centre’s main goal is to be a fully ultra-modern, digitalized/all-digital research and academic medical centre through the setting up of new patient care standards for children and women in Qatar, regionally and internationally (Qatar Investment and Business Guide, 13). Spatial analysis The spatial analysis of SIDRA details the need for proper coordination between engineering and architectural components of the construction. Consequentl y, the quality of the architectural components of the project as well as the constructability will be analyzed. The architectural documents will also be reviewed to ensure that none of them potentially conflicts in any manner with other disciplines (Park 15). Circulation/way finding In this scenario, this case study can reveal that as in the case of most international buildings, the floor plan of SIDRA portrays various symmetries such as C ­Ã‚ ­1, C4, and D1 for various rooms and floors of the building. This case is also a common feature in which the symmetrical dispositions of the building are being emphasized both by local and global symmetry. This then becomes the determinant for its organizational design. By being able to read the symmetry of a building, one is capable of reading the spatial

Equity and Trusts Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Equity and Trusts Assignment - Case Study Example The second general point is that in order for any trust provision to be valid, it must comply with the rule set out in Knight v Knight2 by Lord Langdale MR. This states that there must be three certainties in the trust provision, certainty of words, certainty of subject matter and certainty of objects.3 The certainty of words requirement was described in Re Kayford Ltd.4 as being akin to a certainty of intention. The intention is to impose a mandatory obligation on the trustees of how the trust property is to be dealt with. Regarding certainty of subject matter I do no see any issues. English law has long recognised the distinction between real and personal property, with real property being land, interests in land, and fixtures.6 Coupled with the condition that the property be in England and Wales, this description would allow for a clear identification of the trust property. Per Ungoed-Thomas, in Re Golay7 as long as property is capable of ascertainment, it will be valid. Regarding certainty of objects, if this is a discretionary trust then the requirement, as set out by the House of Lords in Macphail v Doulton8 is that it must be possible to determine whether any individual is within the class of beneficiaries or not, with absolute certainty. The Court of Appeal further clarified this requirement by stating9 that what was required with a discretionary trust was 'conceptual certainty' of the class. 'Evidential certainty' would then only be required for the members of the class that were actually to benefit, and the rest of the class, or the 'complete list' of beneficiaries need not be defined. However, since it states that the proceeds are to be distributed equally, it could also be a fixed trust, in which case the stricter requirement, known as 'complete list' certainty is required10. This means that there must be 'conceptual certainty' regarding who is or can potentially be a beneficiary. As well as this, there must be 'evidential certainty' identifying clearly, every single member of the class. Only if full certainty is present in both of these senses, will the trust be upheld as certain of objects. In this case, it should not be too difficult to establish who are the grandchildren of Marcus and therefore this provision should be successful. My shares in Delta to be sold and the proceeds, at the discretion of my trustees, to the employees and ex-employees of Delta. According to the beneficiary principle, 'for a trust to be valid it must be for the benefit of individuals'.11 This follows the simple logic that without beneficiaries, there is no owner of the property. This is the basic reason why purpose trusts, trusts that have as their goal some purpose other than the direct benefit of persons, are also invalid. However, in Re Denley's Trust Deed12 it was held that the maintenance of property for the benefit of

Efficiency of the market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Efficiency of the market - Essay Example At the same time, perfect indiscriminate price monopoly not only leads to the optimal benefit to the firm but also maximizes market efficiency. In monopolistic market, single-priced monopoly adversely impacts the market mainly because it does not reflect the real human cost of producing goods which result in market anomalies and inefficient market. But when perfect indiscriminate price monopoly is applied on goods, the market response is more positive. Different price strategy in segmented market helps the firm to sell all the goods that are produced. In imperfect indiscriminate pricing, inefficient allocation of resources adversely influences the market efficiency and consequently, both the firm and the consumer become losers. Moreover, perfect indiscriminate price monopoly also encourages innovative inputs and highly creative ideas that facilitate production of goods which can provide the firms with competitive advantage vis-Ã  -vis market monopoly. Patents law, intellectual rights and copyrights are prime examples of government aided monopoly that promotes creative inputs and widens the scope of market driven goals and

Generation Gap Essay Example for Free

Generation Gap Essay Do you know what a generation gap is? Even if you dont know the particular definition, you are aware of this problem, basing on your own experience. Generation gap is a popular term used to describe serious differences between people of two generations. To realize how to deal with it, you should keep in mind that generation gap includes several aspects: children must know as much as possible about their parents and parents — about the world outlook of their children, about relations between brothers and sisters, and also about the attitude to them of close relatives on both sides — fathers and mothers. Children demand a great deal of attention, time and patience, so, if you are not ready to devote all that to your baby, it is better not to hurry There are many families where both parents keep working after giving birth to their baby It is similar to the situation with a single-parent family, when a father or a mother hardly have enough time and neglect their childrens upbringing. In such cases most of the time the child has to spend on his own or with his friends. Due to the fact that he has not got any guidance from his parents he may be involved in some bad companies which commit violence or even crime and become alcohol or drug addicted. When the parents discover that, its usually too late to change anything. On the other hand, there is a different situation when the parents treat their children too strict and dont give them any freedom at all. In this case the children may become pariahs among their peers. Constant bans may increase the risk that the child will grow up insolent and defiant. This causes another big problem — lying. The child is forced to lie to the parents because of the fear to be punished. It can be anything from putting on make-up in the girls room at school to stealing. Some children rebel against discipline and family values. They listen to a loud music, wear inappropriate, to their parents mind, clothes, dye their hair in inconceivable colours, have all their bodies pierced and tattooed trying to show their ind ependence and establish their identity. They want to be treated as adults, but they are not ready to take all the necessary responsibilities. It doesnt mean that your child is bad and he will become a criminal. Of course, not! It only means that your child is in his transitional age and he is in need of your understanding and support. But how to handle such behaviour? Parents should become his close friends. First of all they should learn to respect his interests. Try to speak with him as often as possible, offer some parent-child activities like shopping or going in for sports. It is worth involving the child in discussing some family questions, just to show that he is a full member of the family. Moreover, children in their teens are very vulnerable when they are criticized in public, so try to avoid it. Parents should always be honest and sincere with their child; otherwise it would be unfair to require the same from him. Too authoritarian parents cant do any good to their children as well as parents who overindulge all the childs caprices. Overindulgence may lead to the same results as negligence. There are parents who are afraid of hurting the child by banning something when it is necessary. Such parents risk becoming powerless in the family and losing control over their children who may become spoiled and capricious. It demands to make a great effort from both parents and children to reach mutual understanding. There are many different opinions on the question of treating children if they disobey their parents, but every parent should decide for himself what will be best for his child and set him on the right path.

Gandhis character and leadership style

Gandhis character and leadership style Below analysis of case study from movie Gandhi is based on life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. M.K. Gandhi after a successful fight against indiscrimination in South Africa devoted rest of his life to lead India to freedom. In the forthcoming sections detailed leader profile of M.K. Gandhi based on observations will be generated. Different leadership aspects, principles, effectiveness, and styles used by Gandhiji in his fight for the independence of India will be demonstrated. Also, part of focus will be the reaction of followers and peers on a very different perspective of leadership and its impact on British Empire. Entire analysis is supported by existing theories, research evidences and empirically grounded data about leadership. Leadership concepts According to Yukl (2010) Leadership can be defined as the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives. Movie Gandhi based on M.K Gandhis life over the length has very well depicted the various dimensions and aspects of leadership. It portrays the birth of great leader under adverse circumstances, who later on transforms into exceptional leader to lead India to its long awaited independence from British Empire. Movie very well captures number of instances in the life of M.K.Gandhi which have an influential impact on the masses as well as on the viewers. How a leader can effectively and efficiently lead people with an unconventional style and what differentiates a good leader from an extraordinary leader are the highlights of the movie. Over the time different flavours of leadership style under different circumstances can be observed. The legacy of Gandhijis leadership remains one of the most powerful forces for peace in the world, and this film is a superb tribute to it. Charismatic, transformational, ethical leadership aspects are among the few that are quite significantly depicted in the movie. Use of Power and Influence tactics Power is useful for understanding how people are able to influence each other in organization (Mintzberg,1983). Power involves the capacity of one party (the agent) to influence another party (the target). French and Raven (1959) developed taxonomy to classify different types of power according to their source. The taxonomy includes five different types of power as below Reward Power The target person complies in order to obtain reward controlled by the agent. Coercive Power The target person complies in order to avoid punishment controlled by the agent. Legitimate Power The target person complies because he/she believes the agent has the right to make request and the target person has the obligation to comply Expert Power The target person complies because he/she believes that the agent has special knowledge about the best what to do something. Referent Power The target person complies because he/she admires or identifies with the agent and wants to gain the agents approval. Gandhis possession of power was more of a referent kind. As observed in the movie Gandhi always identified himself among the masses. He fought the battle in South Africa with a tie and a suit but when he came to India he changed his attire to that of an Indian peasant. Before he started his mission in Indian Gandhi went across all over India to meet people and know them. For this very reason in one of the scene Gandhi while addressing people says that, the battle for Indian Independence can be fought by being one among them. As illustrated by Dubrin the end results of a leaders influence outcomes are a function of the influence tactics he or she uses. The influence tactics are in turn moderated, or affected by, the leaders traits and behaviours and the situation. He further adds that the three possible outcomes are commitment, compliance, and resistance ( as shown in the figure on next page). Commitment represents the highest degree of success; the target of the influence attempt is enthusiastic about carrying out the request and makes it a full effort. Pretty much like an outcome of the non co-operation movement. Compliance means that the influence attempt is partially successful. The target person is apathetic (not overjoyed) and makes only a modest effort to carry out the request. This type was illustrated when in some parts the violence broke out in Hindu-Muslim. There were no signs of complete resistance where in an absolutely unsuccessful attempt was made. The model shown in figure on next page illustrates the possible end results of a leaders influence. Gandhi power and Influence tactics_1.png 3.1) DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION OF INFLUENCE TACTICS Influence tactics are classified as those that are essentially ethical and honest versus those that are essentially manipulative and devious. Gandhiji has always used his ideals and principle in which he had beliefs to influence people. Non-violence was one of the biggest influencing tools that Gandhiji used throughout. Gandhi always practiced as well as preached the importance of honesty, self dependency and courage. He had a completely ethical and honest approach to his ideologies. Considering that his influence tactics falls in to the category of Essentially Ethical and Honest Tactics. Essentially Ethical and Honest Tactics Used with tact, diplomacy, and good intent, the tactics described in this section can facilitate getting others to join you in accomplishing a worthwhile objective. These tactics vary in complexity and the time required to develop them. 1. Leading by Example and Respect. A simple but effective way of influencing group members is leading by example, or leading by acting as a positive role model. Being respected facilitates leading by example. Gandhi use to weave his clothes by himself. He appealed people to stop using western clothes and use the clothes made in India. He got a terrific response from the people wherein thousands of them burnt their clothes. 2. Using Rational Persuasion. To implement this tactic, the leader uses logical arguments and factual evidence to convince another person that a proposal or request is workable and likely to result in goal attainment. Rational persuasion is likely to be the most effective with people who are intelligent and rational. A major intervening variable in rational persuasion is the credibility of the influence agent. A subtle factor is that credible people are perceived as having higher power. Gandhi was an astute individual he always used simple facts and witty humour to convince another person. He had knowledge of law and during many incidences particularly a court scene in champaner where he refuses to pay for bail, refrain from leaving the village as well and agrees to stay in jail knowing it would be difficult for court to keep him. Also many such logical arguments can be cited in the movie during his negotiations with the British, his comrade, press people and general public. He backe d up his belief in non-violence by providing the evidence of his struggle for civil rights movement in South Africa. Gandhis character and leadership style South African president recently quoted pertaining to Gandhiji You produced a lawyer and we produced a leader out of him. Indeed, the first colours of this great leaders charisma were evident in South Africa when he was thrown out of first class compartment on racial basis. Gandhijis self respect and an absolutely intolerant attitude to injustice made him to take a stand to proclaim the rights to be treated as equal citizen of Empire by peaceful means. He had a completely impartial view and courage to an extent that he was willing to take a blow but not accept injustice. His strong belief on the cause he was working on helped him to gain faith of the people and he gave them a way. This eventually led to reconsideration and abolition of act pertaining to racial discrimination of Indians in South Africa. According to Weber (1947) charisma occurs during a social crisis, when a leader emerges with a radical vision that offers a solution to the crisis, and attracts followers who believes in the vision Particular situation in South Africa was emergent where in Gandhiji came out to be a strong and a highly charismatic leader. He had a vision to fight against the indiscriminate rules and eradicate them which he did successfully. Self- confidence, strong conviction in his beliefs, and high expectations and confidence on the abilities of the followers are clear evidences of a strong charismatic leader which Gandhi showed. Evidence is very well supported by current theories of charismatic leadership.. On his return to India, Gandhiji was looked upon with lots of hopes and expectation especially after the triumph in South Africa and his writing skills. In India he faced with a broader vision of a Home Rule Movement. Gandhijis participation in peasants problems against landlord in champaner signifies to large extend his stubborn nature and belief to fight against indiscrimination and injustice. It started when an individual approached Gandhiji with the problems the peasants in champaner were facing. Gandhijis presence there to fight the problem clearly demonstrated the importance, respect, individual attention and consideration to an individual. His rational approach towards the problem was very different and intellectually stimulating than what was expected, but it yield results. Victory in champaner had a message that speeded all across India, it was a new way to fight and win. Above observations guides towards the Transformation Leadership characteristics that Gandhiji demonstrated. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect and admiration from their followers. Various components that are part of transformational leadership are presented on the next page. 4.1) Transformational Leadership:- Bass suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership. Idealized Influence The transformational leaders serves as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate the leader and internalize his or her ideals. Before Gandhi came to India he was already known for his writing and non-violent movement in South Africa. After he successfully fought to waver of the taxes for the peasants people of the entire nation looked up to him. Individualized Consideration Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of each followers unique contributions. Gandhiji believed that to effectively lead people he need to know and understand them at the grass root level. His expeditions to discover India illustrate the same. He believed that effective communication was a must to convey the message to the masses. And true representative of people should stand with the people and only than they will be able to face any challenges together. Inspirational Motivation Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfil these goals. Gandhi always made his vision very clear and also the means by which he wanted to achieve it. He had a principle based approach which suited the people of India and people started looking up to him as the saw the feasibility of the goal achievement. Intellectual Stimulation Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn. Gandhi used his writings and speeches to stimulate the masses. His writings were so impressive that people who were non aggressive in nature actually started believing that they could be a part of movement and contribute. Below figure illustrates the transformational characteristics transformational Leadership.jpg 4.2 Ethical Leadership As can be observed throughout the movie Gandhijis battle was totally based on moral values, ethics, spirituality, family values and religious insights. He based his leadership on these grounds and people called him a Mahatma meaning a great soul. He always encouraged ethical practises like self discipline and dependency (weaving his own clothes), abolition of untouchability, truth and love. Gandhi had a high impact on the people because of his ethical characteristics of his leadership resulting into people giving up the foreign clothes and started weaving their own khadi clothes. Below figure shows the various aspects of ethical leadership. Ethical leadership theories fall into two categories Leaders conduct and Leaders character Leaders conduct Consequences (Theological theories) Focus on what is right and what is wrong. Below table illustrates the different type of theological theories. Ethical egoism An individual should act to create the greatest good for themselves. A leaders should take a career that they would selfishly enjoy (Avolio Locke, 2002). This is closely related to transactional leadership theories. Utilitarianism We should act to create the greatest good for the greatest number. Maximize the social benefits while minimizing the social costs (Shumann, 2001). Altruism This is the opposite of Ethical Egoism and is concerned with showing the best interest for others even when it runs contrary to self-interest. Authentic transformational leadership is based on altruistic behaviour (Bass, Steidlmeier, 1999). Gandhi particularly demonstrated altruism in his acts. He fasted for several days to drive people towards his purpose of stopping violence. He never cared what impact it had on his own health, he persistently strived till he could see a desired outcome. Duty (Deontological Theories) This is telling the truth, keeping promises, being fair, independent of the consequences. Gandhi always preached honest and was completely unbiased in his approach. This was very much evident when he asks his wife to leave the house when she disagrees to clean the toilets. Actions should not infringe on others rights and should not further the moral rights of others. Gandhis struggle for a civil rights movement in South Africa was a part of his belief that such unjust laws cant be forced on people and they should be treated equally on moral and humanitarian basis. Leaders Character:- Virtue-based theories These are not innate, but can be acquired. They are rooted in heart of the individual and in their disposition. It focuses on telling people what to be as opposed of what to do Examples include courage, temperance, generosity, self-control, honesty, sociability, modesty, fairness, and justice. This theory is about being and becoming a worthy human being. Above attributes of virtue based theories can be perfectly related to Gandhis behaviour, belief and preaching on numerous occasions throughout the movie. Analysis of followers Initially in South Africa the followers were sceptical about Gandhi resulting into a rather low turnout in one of the meeting he called for. His adamant attitude to burn the passes even after getting repeated blows from the police had a message in it. The rule was barred and people opened up to Gandhis courage. They started believing and trusting him for fighting against the civil rights movement in South Africa. Gandhi was successful and emerged as a popular leader. Even before he came to India he was a hero for his triumph in South Africa. Gandhi wanted people in India to identify him as one among them, so he went to the people, heard their grievances and fought with them. Such type of attributes has a high impact on people as they start identifying the leader among themselves, started perceiving Gandhi to be trustworthy thereby giving up autonomy. Gandhis leadership style was more of a followers-centric type. Followers who perceive the leader as responsible for making decisions (U hl-Bien Pillai, 2007) are less likely to take an active role in the decision-making process, thereby giving up autonomy. Robert E. Kelley described five styles of followership categorized according to two dimensions. The first dimension: Independent, critical thinking, versus dependent, uncritical thinking. Independent thinking recalls the discussion of mindfulness; independent thinkers are mindful of the effects of peoples behaviour on achieving organizational goals. A dependent, uncritical thinker does not consider possibilities, does not contribute to the cultivation of the organization, and accepts the leaders ideas without thinking characterized by a need for constant supervision and prodding. The second dimension: Active versus passive behaviour. An active individual participates fully in the organization, and a passive individual is characterized by a need for constant supervision and prodding. The extent to which one is active or passive and is critical, independent thinker versus a dependent, uncritical thinker determines a type of followership style. Below figure depicts the dimensions and the types of followers. Followers.png Below table illustrates a brief description of type of followers. Alienated Follower Alienated followers are often effective followers who have experienced setbacks and obstacles, perhaps broken promises by superiors. They focus exclusively on the shortcomings of the organization and other people. Conformist Followers A conformist carries out any and all orders regardless of the nature of the tasks, participating willingly but without considering the consequences. The only concern is to avoid conflict. Pragmatic Followers This type of follower uses whatever style best benefits a personal position and minimizes risk. Pragmatic survivors emerge when the organization faces desperate times, and followers do whatever is needed to get themselves through the difficulty. Passive Follower Being passive and uncritical, this type of follower displays neither initiative nor a sense of responsibility. Passive followers are often the result of leaders who are over controlling and punish mistakes. Effective Follower Effective followers behave the same toward everyone, regardless of their position. They do not try to avoid risk or conflict. They initiate change and put themselves at risk to serve the best interest of the organization; they are characterized by both mindfulness and a willingness to act. Gandhis followers were more of a conformist kind as they complied to his orders irrespective of whatever he asked them to do. Evidence of this was found after the salt satyagrah when they went ahead and took the beatings irrespective of the consequences without any retaliation. When Gandhi called for a salt satyagrah because of unlawful enforcement of taxes on salt millions of people marched behind him. Also the appeal made by Gandhiji to give up the western clothes and use those made in India was exemplary of how followers were ignorant of the consequences. It was the kind of influence Gandhi had on them and the trust they showed on Gandhis decisions. Development as a Leader To be optimally effective, leadership development must be consistent with an organizations competitive strategy as well as with other human resources activities (Day2000; McCall, 1998). In the context of above description we can say that Gandhis leadership skills developed from those in South Africa to those in India. Even though what was common at both places were his belief on his principles. From being a leader of a community he turned to become a leader of masses. In South Africa Gandhi fought in suite and tie he wore same clothes as people there. He was not an eloquent speaker at that time as he was suggested to improve on those skills of his. His strong beliefs, courage and adamant attitude led a success in civil right movements in Africa. But when he came to India he knew it was a different battle all together, there were expectation of millions of people riding on his shoulder. He took his time to know the people of India went across the country lived with them and heard there problems personally. He adapted to the situations in India realising that Indian battle for independence cant be fought in same way as that in Africa. He led in an exemplary way in India, wore clothes of a peasant, lived in a small house, weaved his own clothes his approach was more on ethical bases. In the later part it can also be observed that he came out as a better and a confident speaker . Because of his understanding of the people he had a clear vision of how he wanted to lead the battle for independence. He was always in control of the situations that were going on in the country. His effective negotiations skills while dealing with the British authorities were the evidence of his maturity as a leader. Conclusion Movie Gandhi depicts a clear picture of Gandhi as a successful leader. Gandhi gave a nation to the people of India and satyagrah to the world one of the most revolutionary approach to struggle. Gandhi was a leader who inspired and still continues to inspire, people of all nation with his ethical and ideological legacy. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and many other leaders follow his example. Frail, bespectacled figure with simple clothes and the ready smile led India to march on the path of glory on the basis of sheer principles and ethics which he preached and practiced. As he always said Be the change you want to see in the world.

Shintoism in Japan Essay -- Papers

Shintoism in Japan Shintoism is the indigenous and national religion of Japan. The word Shinto means the way of the gods. Shintoism is a nature worship based religion. Shintoism is a unique religion with its own concepts on deities, ethics and life. Shintoism is based on the beginning of the race when "the trees and the herbs had speech"(Underwood 16). At the beginning of the Earth, Shinto followers believed, that the animals acted and spoke like men. The religion does not directly deal with common religious themes of; problem of evil, man's consciousness of sin and his need for redemption. Shinto followers believe that spirits exist everywhere whether good or evil. The religion is unorganized worship of these deities. The name given to these spirits and deities are Kami. Kami is a key concept in Shintoism and is difficult to define. "All that is wonderful is God, and the divine embraces in its category all that impresses the untrained imagination and excites it to reverence or fear." (18) Objects of worship included: the sky, heavenly bodies, mountains, rivers, seas, trees, beasts, great fishes, reptiles and the process of reproduction in nature and humans. There are four historical written sources, which provide scholars with information on the beginnings of Shintoism. The first of these books is the Kojiki, which means records of ancient matters. The Kojiki was written in a combination of archaic Japanese and Chinese. The book was compiled in 712 CE by an emperor who feared that many variants may destroy the foundation of the monarchy. The book's principle aim was to demonstrate the divine origin of the ruling family and the foundation of the state. Some refer to this book as the "Bible of the Japa... ...lose connection with the state. Every Emperor in Japan's imperial lineage has served as both sovereign and priest. The Emperor was head of the Shinto faith as well as head of the nation. This in turn transferred down the ranks. The heads of the provinces were also head of Shintoism in that province. The head of each clan was the head priest for that particular clan. And the head of each family was the head priest of that family. And even today the priests of Japan's over 50 000 Shinto shrines are under state control. Shintoism is a uniquely Japanese religion. It is inseparable from the Japanese state and is critical in defining Japanese culture. Shintoism is a thriving religion as many people in Japan follow both the teachings of Shintoism and Buddhism without any difficulties. The religion stresses the importance for respect of nature and oneself.

Knowles Separate Peace Essays: Loss of Innocence -- Separate Peace Es

Loss of Innocence in A Separate Peace    In the human nature, naive ignorance of the world's imperfections eventually yields to the recognition that the world does contain hatred and violence.   John Knowles places his novel A Separate Peace in situations which necessitate this emotional transformation.   The characters become increasingly aware of the nature of the world.   In addition, symbols help show the interrelation of ideas and events as they appear in Gene's subconscious mind.   In this novel, setting, character, and symbols develop the theme of loss of innocence.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Setting expatiates the theme of loss of innocence.   For example, the four major characters in this story are sixteen and seventeen years old, which is the age when teenagers prepare to end their childhood and become adults.   Also, the Devon school, where the story takes place, is a place where boys make the transition to full adulthood, and so this setting shows more clearly the boys' own growth.   Finally, World War II, which in 1942 is raging in Europe, forces these teenage boys to grow up fast; during their seventeenth year they must evaluate everything that the war means to them and decide whether to take an active ... ...nature.   Finally, the tree off which Finny and Gene jump represents the Tree of Knowledge; jumping from the tree is against the rules, and in doing so the boys symbolically accept the loss of their innocence as Adam and Eve did by eating of the forbidden fruit.   Symbols certainly convey the theme of loss of innocence.      Ã‚  Ã‚   In John Knowles' novel A Separate Peace, the theme of loss of innocence is skillfully developed through setting, character, and symbols.   This story simply details a young man's entering the adult world as all children do.   Everyone suffers loss of innocence.   

Us-Ukraine Relations :: essays research papers

US- Ukraine Relations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recently with the Ukrainian presidential elections, the relationship between the U.S. and the Ukraine has come to the forefront of International policy. Ukraine has been making strides in reformatting its government and culture in a change from communism to democracy. Already they have changed from a command to free market, to an ownership society, and the consolidation of powers should be coming along smoothly with the new president. Lastly, the Ukrainian government has shown its willingness to work with western countries by aligning some polices with the E.U., N.A.T.O., and the U.S. This willingness was also proven in their part in the signing of the START treaty and the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently Ukraine has a plethora of natural resources, arable land, and a willing workforce. This combination, with the right economic stimulus can flourish creating a stable and extremely potent economy. In order limit the Russian influence in the area, we must send economic stimulus packages to revitalize the Ukrainian industries. This has already shown promise with the Gore- Kuchma commission and should be continued. Simultaneously it is important that we begin forming a strong trade relationship, focusing on limiting the Ukraine’s need for Russia, by providing an alternate means for goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important that the U.S. insures Ukrainian independence from Russia. If the Ukraine became part of Russia, not only would Russia obtain the worlds leading supplier of ICBMs, But other countries part of the former Soviet Union are at risk of losing their independence. Russia’s interest in the region has recently come to light during the election scandal of 2004. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin strongly supported candidate Yanukovych in the election. Yanukovych’s main policies dealt with â€Å"Russifying the Ukraine†, and obviously the west did not support this. On the other hand, Yanukovych’s opponent Yushchenko supports more western based ideas. During the investigation into the voter fraud, it is important to point out the massive public protest to the outcome of the election, the so called Orange Revolution. This protest against the government shows the peoples’ want for a democratic government and willingness to fight the government using industry strikes and sit ins. Another important point was the poisoning of Yushchenko which was linked to the KGB and the Russian government. The results of this election shows the need for the United States to help wean the Ukrainian government off of Russian influence.

Raman Effect

Raman Effect : Raman scattering  or the  Raman effect  (  /? r m? n/) is the  inelastic scattering  of a  photon. It was discovered by  Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman  and  Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan  in liquids,[1]  and by  Grigory Landsberg  and  Leonid Mandelstam  in crystals. [2][3] When  light  is  scattered  from an  atom  or  molecule, most  photons  are  elastically scattered  (Rayleigh scattering), such that the scattered photons have the same energy (frequency) and  wavelength  as the incident photons.However, a small fraction of the scattered light (approximately 1 in 10 million photons) is scattered by an excitation, with the scattered photons having a frequency different from, and usually lower than, the frequency of the incident photons. [4]  In a gas, Raman scattering can occur with a change in vibrational or rotational energy of a molecule (see  energy level). Chemists are concerned primarily with t he vibrational Raman effec Hargobind Khorana :   Indian-bornAmerican  biochemist who shared the  Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine  in 1968 with  Marshall W.Nirenberg  andRobert W. Holley  for research that helped to show how the  nucleotides  in  nucleic acids, which carry the  genetic code  of the cell, control the cell’s synthesis of proteins. Subramanian Chandrasekhar: was an  Indian  astrophysicist  who, with  William A. Fowler, won the 1983Nobel Prize for Physics  for key discoveries that led to the currently accepted theory on the later evolutionary stages of massive stars. [3][4]  Chandrasekhar was the nephew of  Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930.J. C Bose : was a  Bengali  polymath: a  physicist,  biologist,  botanist,  archaeologist, as well as an early writer of  science fiction. [5]  He pioneered the investigation of  radio  and  microwave  optics, made ve ry significant contributions to  plant science, and laid the foundations of  experimental  science  in the  Indian subcontinent. [6]  IEEE  named him one of the  fathers  of  radio  science. [7]  He is also considered the father of  Bengali science fiction. He was the first person from the  Indian subcontinent  to receive a  US patent, in 1904.

Real World

Real world cyber crime cases This document is an extract from the book Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective authored by Rohas Nagpal. This book is available as courseware for the Diploma in Cyber Law and PG Program in Cyber Law conducted by Asian School of Cyber Laws www. asianlaws. org Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. Real World Cases This chapter serves as a ready reference guide. First the various scenarios are covered. A detailed discussion on the various cyber crimes, is covered in the ASCL publication titled â€Å"Understanding Hackers and Cyber Criminals†. This is provided as official courseware for the ASCL Certified Cyber Crime Investigator course. Then the applicable law and legal liabilities are covered. Then the modus operandi usually followed by the criminals is discussed. The investigation guidelines for cyber crime investigators are not discussed in this book as they are part of the syllabus of the ASCL Certified Cyber Crime Investigator course only. For real world case studies on investigation of cyber crimes, please refer to the ASCL publication titled â€Å"Case Studies on Cyber Crime Investigation†. This is provided as official courseware for the ASCL Certified Cyber Crime Investigator course. – 130 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 1 Orkut Fake Profile cases Orkut. com is a very popular online community and social networking website. Orkut users can search for and interact with people who share the same hobbies and interests. They can create and join a wide variety of online communities. The profiles of Orkut members are publicly viewable. The scenarios 1. A fake profile of a woman is created on Orkut. The profile displays her correct name and contact information (such as address, residential phone number, cell phone number etc). Sometimes it even has her photograph. The problem is that the profile describes her as a prostitute or a woman of â€Å"loose character† who wants to have sexual relations with anyone. Other Orkut members see this profile and start calling her at all hours of the day asking for sexual favours. This leads to a lot of harassment for the victim and also defames her in society. 2. An online hate community is created. This community displays objectionable information against a particular country, religious or ethnic group or even against national leaders and historical figures. 3. A fake profile of a man is created on Orkut. The profile contains defamatory information abut the victim (such as his alleged sexual weakness, alleged immoral character etc) The law Scenario 1: Section 67 of Information Technology Act and section 509 of the Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Section 153A and 153B of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 3: Section 500 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: Directors of Orkut as well as all those who create and update the fake profile. Scenario 2: Same as Scenario 1. Scenario 3: Same as Scenario 1.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 131 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective The motive Scenario 1: Jealousy or revenge (e. g. the victim may have rejected the advances made by the suspect). Scenario 2: Desire to cause racial hatred (e. g. Pakistani citizens creating an anti-India online community). Scenario 3: Hatred (e. g. a school student who has failed may victimize his teachers). Modus Operandi 1. The suspect would create a free Gmail account using a fictitious name. 2. The email ID chosen by him would be unrelated to his real identity. 3. The suspect would then login to Orkut. com and create the offensive profile. – 132 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 2 Email Account Hacking Emails are increasingly being used for social interaction, business communication and online transactions. Most email account holders do not take basic precautions to protect their email account passwords. Cases of theft of email passwords and subsequent misuse of email accounts are becoming very common. The scenarios 1. The victim’s email account password is stolen and the account is then misused for sending out malicious code (virus, worm, Trojan etc) to people in the victim’s address book. The recipients of these viruses believe that the email is coming from a known person and run the attachments. This infects their computers with the malicious code. 2. The victim’s email account password is stolen and the hacker tries to extort money from the victim. The victim is threatened that if he does not pay the money, the information contained in the emails will be misused. 3. The victim’s email account password is stolen and obscene emails are sent to people in the victim’s address book. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 384 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 3: Sections 43, 66 and 67 of Information Technology Act and section 509 of the Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: Persons who have stolen the email account password and who are misusing the email account. Scenario 2: Persons who have stolen the email account password and who are threatening to misuse it.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 133 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective Scenario 3: Persons who have stolen the email account password and who are misusing the email account. The motive Scenario 1: Corporate Espionage, perverse pleasure in being able to destroy valuable information belonging to strangers etc. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 3: Revenge, jealousy, hatred. Modus Operandi 1. The suspect would install keyloggers in public computers (such as cyber cafes, airport lounges etc) or the computers of the victim. 2. Unsuspecting victims would login to their email accounts using these infected computers. 3. The passwords of the victim’s email accounts would be emailed to the suspect. – 134 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 3 Credit Card Fraud Credit cards are commonly being used for online booking of airline and railway tickets and for other ecommerce transactions. Although most of ecommerce websites have implemented strong security measures (such as SSL, secure web servers etc), instances of credit card frauds are increasing. The scenario The victim’s credit card information is stolen and misused for making online purchases (e. g. airline tickets, software, subscription to pornographic websites etc). The law Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 420 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? All persons who have stolen the credit card information as well as those who have misused it. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect would install keyloggers in public computers (such as cyber cafes, airport lounges etc) or the computers of the victim. Unsuspecting victims would use these infected computers to make online transactions. The credit card information of the victim would be emailed to the suspect. Scenario 2: Petrol pump attendants, workers at retail outlets, hotel waiters etc note down information of the credit cards used for making payment at these establishments. This information is sold to criminal gangs that misuse it for online frauds. 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 135 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 4 Online Share Trading Fraud With the advent of dematerialization of shares in India, it has become mandatory for investors to have demat accounts. In most cases an online banking account is linked with the share trading account. This has led to a high number of online share trading frauds. The scenario Scenario 1: The victim’s account passwords are stolen and his accounts are misused for making fraudulent bank transfers. Scenario 2: The victim’s account passwords are stolen and his share trading accounts are misused for making unauthorised transactions that result in the victim making losses. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 420 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: All persons who have stolen the account information as well as those who have misused it. Scenario 2: All persons who have stolen the account information as well as those who have misused it. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain Scenario 2: Revenge, jealousy, hatred Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect would install keyloggers in public computers (such as cyber cafes, airport lounges etc) or the computers of the victim. Unsuspecting victims would use these infected computers to login to their online banking and share trading accounts. The passwords and other information of the victim would be emailed to the suspect. Scenario 2: Same as scenario 1. – 136  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 3. 5 Tax Evasion and Money Laundering Many unscrupulous businessmen and money launderers (havala operators) are using virtual as well as physical storage media for hiding information and records of their illicit business. The scenario Scenario 1: The suspect uses physical storage media for hiding the information e. g. hard drives, floppies, USB drives, mobile phone memory cards, digital camera memory ca rds, CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, iPods etc. Scenario 2: The suspect uses virtual storage media for hiding the information e. g. mail accounts, online briefcases, FTP sites, Gspace etc. The law Scenario 1: Depending upon the case, provisions of the Income Tax Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act will apply. Scenario 2: Depending upon the case, provisions of the Income Tax Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act will apply. Who is liable? Scenario 1: information. The person who hides the Scenario 2: The person who hides the information. If the operators of the virtual storage facility do not cooperate in the investigation, then they also become liable. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect would purchase small storage devices with large data storage capacities. Scenario 2: The suspect would open free or paid accounts with online storage providers.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 137 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 6 Source Code Theft Computer source code is the most important asset of software companies. Simply put, source code is the programming instructions that are compiled into the executable files that are sold by software development companies. As is expected, most source code thefts take place in software companies. Some cases are also reported in banks, manufacturing companies and other organisations who get original software developed for their use. The scenario Scenario 1: The suspect (usually an employee of the victim) steals the source code and sells it to a business rival of the victim. Scenario 2: The suspect (usually an employee of the victim) steals the source code and uses it as a base to make and sell his own version of the software. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43, 65 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of the Copyright Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43, 65 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of the Copyright Act. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The persons who steal the source code as well as the persons who purchase the stolen source code. Scenario 2: The persons who steal the source code. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: If the suspect is an employee of the victim, he would usually have direct or indirect access to the source code. He would steal a copy of the source code and hide it using a virtual or physical storage device. – 138 – 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective If the suspect is not an employee of the victim, he would hack into the victim’s servers to steal the source code. Or he would use social engineering to get unauthorised access to the code. He would then contact potential buyers to make the sale. Scenario 2: If the suspe ct is an employee of the victim, he would usually have direct or indirect access to the source code. He would steal a copy of the source code and hide it using a virtual or physical storage device. If the suspect is not an employee of the victim, e would hack into the victim’s servers to steal the source code. Or he would use social engineering to get unauthorised access to the code. He would then modify the source code (either himself or in association with other programmers) and launch his own software.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 139 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 7 Theft of Confidential Information Most business organisations store their sensitive information in computer systems. This information is targeted by rivals, criminals and sometimes disgruntled employees. The scenario Scenario 1: A business rival obtains the information (e. g. tender quotations, business plans etc) using hacking or social engineering. He then uses the information for the benefit of his own business (e. g. quoting lower rates for the tender). Scenario 2: A criminal obtains the information by hacking or social engineering and threatens to make the information public unless the victim pays him some money. Scenario 3: A disgruntled employee steals the information and mass mails it to the victim’s rivals and also posts it to numerous websites and newsgroups. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 384 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 3: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The persons who steal the information as well as the persons who misuse the stolen information. Scenario 2: The persons who steal the information as well as the persons who threaten the victim and extort money. Scenario 3: The disgruntled employee as well as the persons who help him in stealing and distributing the information. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Scenario3: Revenge. – 140  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect could hire a skilled hacker to break into the victim systems. The hacker could also use social engineering techniques. Illustration: A very good looking woman went to meet the system administrator (sysadmin) of a large company. She interviewed the sysadmin for a â€Å"magazine article†. During the interview she flirted a lot with the sysadmin and while leaving she â€Å"accidentally† left her pen drive at the sysadmin’s room. The sysadmin accessed the pen drive and saw that it contained many photographs of the lady. He did not realize that the photographs were Trojanized! Once the Trojan was in place, a lot of sensitive information was stolen very easily. Illustration: The sysadmin of a large manufacturing company received a beautifully packed CD ROM containing â€Å"security updates† from the company that developed the operating system that ran his company’s servers. He installed the â€Å"updates† which in reality were Trojanized software. For 3 years after that a lot of confidential information was stolen from the company’s systems! Scenario 2: Same as scenario 1. Scenario 3: The disgruntled employee would usually have direct or indirect access to the information. He can use his personal computer or a cyber cafe to spread the information.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 141 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 8 Software Piracy Many people do not consider software piracy to be theft. They would never steal a rupee from someone but would not think twice before using pirated software. There is a common perception amongst normal computer users to not consider software as â€Å"property†. This has led to software piracy becoming a flourishing business. The scenario Scenario 1: The software pirate sells the pirated software in physical media (usually CD ROMs) through a close network of dealers. Scenario 2: The software pirate sells the pirated software through electronic downloads through websites, bulletin boards, newsgroups, spam emails etc. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The software pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. Scenario 2: The software pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect uses high speed CD duplication equipment to create multiple copies of the pirated software. This software is sold through a network of computer hardware and software vendors. Scenario 2: The suspect registers a domain name using a fictitious name and then hosts his website using a service provider that is based in a country that does not have cyber laws. Such service providers do not divulge client information to law enforcement officials of other countries. – 142  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 9 Music Piracy Many people do not consider music piracy to be theft. They would never steal a rupee from someone but would not think twice before buying or using pirated music. There is a common perception amongst people users to not consider music as â€Å"property†. There is a huge business in music piracy. Thousands of unscrupulous businessmen sell pirated music at throw away prices. The scenario Scenario 1: The music pirate sells the pirated music in physical media (usually CD ROMs) through a close network of dealers. Scenario 2: The music pirate sells the pirated music through electronic downloads through websites, bulletin boards, newsgroups, spam emails etc. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The music pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. Scenario 2: The music pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect uses high speed CD duplication equipment to create multiple copies of the pirated music. This music is sold through a network of dealers. Scenario 2: The suspect registers a domain name using a fictitious name and then hosts his website using a service provider that is based in a country that does not have cyber laws. Such service providers do not divulge client information to law enforcement officials of other countries.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 143 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 10 Email Scams Emails are fast emerging as one of the most common methods of communication in the modern world. As can be expected, criminals are also using emails extensively for their illicit activities. The scenario In the first step, the suspect convinces the victim that the victim is going to get a lot of money (by way of winning a lottery or from a corrupt African bureaucrat who wants to transfer his ill gotten gains out of his home country). In order to convince the victim, the suspect sends emails (some having official looking documents as attachments). Once the victim believes this story, the suspect asks for a small fee to cover legal expenses or courier charges. If the victim pays up the money, the suspect stops all contact. The law Section 420 of Indian Penal Code Who is liable? The sender of the email. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect creates email accounts in fictitious names and sends out millions of fraudulent emails using powerful spam software. – 144 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 11 Phishing With the tremendous increase in the use of online banking, online share trading and ecommerce, there has been a corresponding growth in the ncidents of phishing being used to carry out financial frauds. Phishing involves fraudulently acquiring sensitive information (e. g. passwords, credit card details etc) by masquerading as a trusted entity. The scenario Scenario 1: The victim receives an email that appears to have been sent from his bank. The email urges the victim to click on the link in the email. When the victim does so, he is taken to â€Å"a secure page on the bank’s website†. The victim believes the web page to be authentic and he enters his username, password and other information. In reality, the website is a fake and the victim’s information is stolen and misused. The law Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and sections 419, 420 and 468 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? All persons involved in creating and sending the fraudulent emails and creating and maintaining the fake website. The persons who misuse the stolen or â€Å"phished† information are also liable. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect registers a domain name using fictitious details. The domain name is usually such that can be misused for spoofing e. g. Noodle Bank has its website at www. oodle. com The suspects can target Noodle customers using a domain name like www. noodle-bank-customerlogin. com The suspect then sends spoofed emails to the victims. e. g. the emails may appear to come from [email  protected] com The fake website is designed to look exactly like the original website.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 1 45 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 12 Cyber Pornography Cyber pornography is believed to be one of the largest businesses on the Internet today. The millions of pornographic websites that flourish on the Internet are testimony to this. While pornography per se is not illegal in many countries, child pornography is strictly illegal in most nations today. Cyber pornography includes pornographic websites, pornographic magazines produced using computers (to publish and print the material) and the Internet (to download and transmit pornographic pictures, photos, writings etc). The scenario The suspect accepts online payments and allows paying customers to view / download pornographic pictures, videos etc from his website. The law Section 67 of Information Technology Act. Who is liable? The persons who create and maintain the pornographic websites are liable. In some cases cyber cafe owners and managers may also be liable in case they knowingly allow their customers to access the pornographic websites. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect registers a domain name using fictitious details and hosts a website on a server located in a country where cyber pornography is not illegal. The suspect accepts online payments and allows paying customers to view / download pornographic pictures, videos etc from his website. – 146 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 3 Online Sale of Illegal Articles It is becoming increasingly common to find cases where sale of narcotics drugs, weapons, wildlife etc. is being facilitated by the Internet. Information about the availability of the products for sale is being posted on auction websites, bulletin boards etc. The scenario The suspect posts information about the illegal sale that he seeks to make. P otential customers can contact the seller using the email IDs provided. If the buyer and seller trust each other after their email and / or telephonic conversation, the actual transaction can be concluded. In most such cases the buyer and seller will meet face to face at the time of the final transaction. Illustration: In March 2007, the Pune rural police cracked down on an illegal rave party and arrested hundreds of illegal drug users. The social networking site, Orkut. com, is believed to be one of the modes of communication for gathering people for the illegal â€Å"drug† party. The law Depending upon the illegal items being transacted in, provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Arms Act, Indian Penal Code, Wildlife related laws etc may apply. Who is liable? The persons who buy and sell these items. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect creates an email ID using fictitious details. He then posts messages, about the illegal products, in various chat rooms, bulletin boards, newsgroups etc. Potential customers can contact the seller using the email IDs provided. If the buyer and seller trust each other after their email and / or telephonic conversation, the actual transaction can be concluded. In most such cases the buyer and seller will meet face to face at the time of the final transaction.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. 147 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 14 Use of Internet and Computers by Terrorists Many terrorists are using virtual as well as physical storage media for hiding information and records of their illicit business. They also use emails and chat rooms to communicate with their counterparts around the globe. The scenario The suspects carry laptops w herein information relating to their activities is stored in encrypted and password protected form. They also create email accounts using fictitious details. In many cases, one email account is shared by many people. E. g. one terrorist composes an email and saves it in the draft folder. Another terrorist logs into the same account from another city / country and reads the saved email. He then composes his reply and saves it in the draft folder. The emails are not actually sent. This makes email tracking and tracing almost impossible. Terrorists also use physical storage media for hiding the information e. g. hard drives, floppies, USB drives, mobile phone memory cards, digital camera memory cards, CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, iPods etc. They also use virtual storage media for hiding the information e. g. mail accounts, online briefcases, FTP sites, Gspace etc. The law Terrorists are covered by conventional laws such as Indian Penal Code and special legislation relating to terrorism. Who is liable? Terrorists as well as those who help them to protect their information are liable. If email service providers do not assist the law enforcement personnel in the investigation then they are also legally liable. T he motive Keeping terrorism related information confidential. Secure communication amongst terrorist group members. Modus Operandi The terrorists purchase small storage devices with large data storage capacities. They also purchase and use encryption software. The terrorists may also use free or paid accounts with online storage providers. – 148  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 15 Virus Attacks Computer viruses are malicious programs that destroy electronic information. As the world is increasingly becoming networked, the threat and damage caused by viruses is growing by leaps and bounds. The scenario Scenario 1: The virus is a general â€Å"in the wild† virus. This means that it is spreading all over the world and is not targeted at any specific organisation. Scenario 2: The virus targets a particular organisation. This type of a virus is not known to anti-virus companies as it is a new virus created specifically to target a particular organisation. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The creator of the virus. Scenario 2: The creator of the virus as well as the buyer who purchases the virus (usually to target his business rivals). The motive Scenario 1: Thrill and a perverse pleasure in destroying data belonging to strangers. Scenario 2: Illegal business rivalry. financial gain, revenge, Modus Operandi Scenario 1: A highly skilled programmer creates a new type or strain of virus and releases it on the Internet so that it can spread all over the world. Being a new virus, it goes undetected by many anti-virus software and hence is able to spread all over the world and cause a lot of damage. Anti-virus companies are usually able to find a solution within 8 to 48 hours.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. 149 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective Scenario 2: A highly skilled programmer creates a new type or strain of virus. He does not release it on the Internet. Instead he sells it for a huge amount of money. The buyer uses the virus to target his rival company. Being a new virus, it may be undetected by the victim company’s anti-virus software and hence would be able to cause a lot of damage. Anti-virus companies may never get to know about the existence of the virus. – 150 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 3. 16 Web Defacement Website defacement is usually the substitution of the original home page of a website with another page (usually pornographic or defamatory in nature) by a hacker. Religious and government sites are regularly targeted by hackers in order to display political or religious beliefs. Disturbing images and offensive phrases might be displayed in the process, as well as a signature of sorts, to show who was responsible for the defacement. Websites are not only defaced for political reasons, many defacers do it just for the thrill. The scenario The homepage of a website is replaced with a pornographic or defamatory page. In case of Government websites, this is most commonly done on symbolic days (e. g. the Independence day of the country). The law Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act [In some cases section 67 and 70 may also apply]. Who is liable? The person who defaces the website. The motive Thrill or a perverse pleasure in inciting communal disharmony. Modus Operandi The defacer may exploit the vulnerabilities of the operating system or applications used to host the website. This will allow him to hack into the web server and change the home page and other pages. Alternatively he may launch a brute force or dictionary attack to obtain the administrator passwords for the website. He can then connect to the web server and change the webpages.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 151 – www. asianlaws. org Head Office 6th Floor, Pride Senate, Behind Indiabulls Mega Store, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune – 411016. India Contact Numbers +91-20-25667148 +91-20-40033365 +91-20-64000000 +91-20-64006464 Email: [email  protected] org URL: www. asianlaws. org

Improving Math and Science Scores in Middle School Essay

Math and Science are two subjects which most students at any level approach with trepidation and intense dislike, however, both subjects are integral to cognitive thinking. Not only will these subjects provide skills that will help students think more clearly, but students will be academically successful throughout their school career, enjoy wider career choices and earn more money after graduation. Therefore, establishing a strong foundation in these subjects is integral to future academic and career success. However, studying these subjects in middle school is even more difficult. Studies have shown that the transition for a student from elementary school to middle school is academically and psychologically difficult. According to Maurice Elias in an article entitled, â€Å"Middle School Transition: It’s Harder Than You Think†, many former elementary school students are not well prepared for the demands of middle school. They need explicit instruction, coaching, and support with regard to organizing time and resources for homework; responding to work that is more challenging and requires more effort; understanding and addressing the varying expectations of teachers in different subject areas; and accomplishing such basic tasks as taking notes and taking tests (Elias, 2001). Unfortunately, this same sentiment resonates today with the New York City Public School system, specifically, middle schools located in low income areas. The New York City Public School System is struggling with mathematics achievement in the grades beyond elementary school. Over 30% of the city’s elementary and middle school students score at the lowest level of the state mathematics test and only 34% of all students pass that test. The mathematics â€Å"problem† seems connected to the third major trend in the data, the low performance of middle and junior high schools in the city. In both Mathematics and English Language Arts, the city’s middle and junior high schools seem to be the weakest link in the system (Domanico, 2002). Recently, the math state scores were released further underscoring the middle school â€Å"math problem† that exists. Results showed that while 75. 3% of students at the elementary level passed successfully only 38. 9% of grade eight students passed (Andreatta, 2006, 11). As such, the intent of this study, based on the aforementioned information, is to evaluate and make recommendations with regard to middle school students in a particular school who have been struggling with both subjects. This study will focus on a middle school, IS 166- George Gershwin School—located in East New York. The decision to choose IS 166 was dependent on a few factors among which included the fact that the district within which it is located is considered a â€Å"virtual educational dead zone† by a Civic Report drafted by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (Domanico, 2002). Additionally, after reviewing the New York City Department of Education’s website—which provides an overwhelming amount of information on every public school in the city as well as their progress over recent years in the core subjects—it was found that of the schools within the 19th School District—primarily East New York, IS 166 is one of the worst performing schools. The school’s poor academic performance is further exacerbated by the outstanding grades displayed by another school in the 19th School District such as IS 409—East New York Family Academy and outside of the district another school MS 114, located in District 2 (Manhattan), whose grades superseded the city’s level as well as the state’s level. The graphs below illustrate how IS 166 performed poorly in the last 2 years on the state Math and Science exams comparatively to other schools, specifically IS 409 in the same district as well other schools in other districts. The last two graphs will show the difference with a higher performing school such as IS 409 and therefore will confirm why this study is going to be conducted. IS 166- George Gershwin School Math and Science Grades Source: New York Department of Education (Division of Assessment and Accountability—School Report Cards 2005). Definition of the Levels on which the scores for both subjects are based: Level 4—These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination. Level 3—These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination. Level 2—These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination. Level 1—These students have serious academic deficiencies. Source: New York Department of Education (Division of Assessment and Accountability—School Report Cards 2005). The aforementioned graphs showed how poorly IS 166 has performed in the last two years in both Math and Science. In Math, the number of students performing at Levels 3 and 4 has decreased from 22. 2% in 2004 and 17. 5% in 2005. The number of students tested for Level 3 was only 60 and for Level 4 only 3 of 361 total students. The remaining students, as displayed on the right hand side of the graph, are still at a Level 1 which as noted by the above definition means that they are in grave need of assistance. Therefore, for the purposes of the study, the target population will be defined as â€Å"in need† students. Although there has been a slight increase in Science, the results are still less than desirable when compared with other schools in the district and the City. As seen in the graph, only 14% of the students passed at Levels 3 and 4 in 2004 and by 2005, only 18% were able to pass at the same levels. Therefore, if IS 166 continues on this trajectory, it will continue to be labeled an underperforming school that graduates below average students incapable of performing the basic tasks in both subjects. The goal of the evaluation study is to thoroughly review the problems that exist and hopefully get the school to achieve grades similar to IS 409-East New York Family Academy sometime in the near future as is reflected in the following graphs. IS 409- East New York Family Academy Math and Science Grades Source: New York Department of Education (Division of Assessment and Accountability—School Report Cards 2005). As noted in the above graphs, IS 409 is performing extremely well at Levels 3 and 4 and has outperformed schools in both math and science in the district (which is truly exceptional given the neighborhood and its history) as well as other City schools. Very few students if any are far below the standard in both subjects. Moreover, as noted before, other schools such as MS 114 and IS 289 located in District 2 have maintained exceptional scores over the two year period. For 2004 and 2005, MS 114 scored 88% and 81% consecutively in Math and 97% and 91% in Science. IS 289 also scored high grades-for both years in Math, the school displayed 83% and 73% when compared to other schools in the district and city and in Science, they scored 87% and 82%. Other schools in other districts from Queens and Staten Island have also demonstrated solid scores. This makes designing a program even more of a priority in light of the above referenced comparisons. The study will not focus on the students at all levels in the middle schools but specifically, the eighth grade students destined for high school who have yet to grasp the necessary skills needed to succeed and have been the center of test score analysis over the years. These eighth grade students will be approximately 14 years old but depending on factors such as repeating a grade or special needs, the age may vary from 14-16 years old. As noted before, they will be identified as â€Å"in need† students and the study will attempt to identify the worst performing students by looking not only at grades but possibly contributing factors such as income, special needs, and possible crime involvement. The improvement of Math and Science scores is a gargantuan task which requires a major overall of the school at all levels, however, to begin the following services are needed and they are but not limited to: ?Offering training sessions for the math and science teachers. The difference between not only IS 409 and other schools in District 2 is that the teachers have more experience, education, and are less likely to be absent more than average. The training sessions will be implemented on weekends or after-school whichever is more convenient for the teachers and will be done prior to establishing an after-school program for the students. The training sessions will allow teachers from higher performing schools an opportunity to impart their techniques for achieving higher grades. ?Offering a separate informative session for the Principal, Maria Ortega, so that she is more knowledgeable on what is needed to succeed in both areas. In most cases, the principal of a school has a general idea of what is needed in most subject areas, however, if the principal is more involved, informed, and fully comprehends the nuances of the subject matter, then she will be able to make better choices in hiring and understanding the teaching of the curriculum. This is an idea which originated out of reading the case of MS 114 in District 2 which showcases a principal that has not only taught but has written Math books for children. Also, in IS 289, the principal knows each student individually and is fully acquainted with their needs. ?Offering additional services for children that may range from an after-school program to extending class hours to offering classes on the weekend. One of the schools in District 2 actually has classes that last at least 50 minutes giving students a better opportunity to absorb the material thereby performing better in exams. ?Offering programs that will incorporate the parents as well. Perhaps this will be in conjunction with the after-school program. As noted, most of the students in this district are from low income families and perhaps some of the parents are in low paying jobs or living on welfare. The parents can take advantage of the program by refreshing themselves with the basic concepts of each subject so that they may assist their children and perhaps help themselves. PROGRAM THEORY In order to address the dire academic situation at IS 166-George Gershwin School, and before implementing an after-school program, it is important to address the issue at the higher levels which means analyzing teaching techniques and more importantly, principal participation. At the Center for Civic Innovation Luncheon featuring Chancellor Joel Klein held on Thursday, October 5th at the Harvard Club, Chancellor Klein began his speech with an analogy of the leaky roof and the squeaky floor. He stated that there was a school located in uptown Harlem that had a leaky roof and a squeaky floor. One day a repair man came to repair the floor and the custodian stated that the floor cannot be fixed prior to the roof being fixed to which the repairman replied â€Å"That’s not my concern, I am just here for the floor†. The Chancellor began his speech with that story to underscore the problems with the NYC Education system. He believes that everyone wants to fix the underlying problems without addressing the issues at the surface. The Chancellor’s story may be applied to the case of IS 166 and any other school in need of improvement. Many observers and parents are often led to believe that their children are primarily the problem in achieving higher scores and possibly that their children lack the intellect to truly analyze or process the information given to them. However, it is just as important for the heads of the respective schools to be cognizant of what is needed to improve these scores and the principal is just the person to ensure this. Therefore, before implementing a program, we have recommended that Principal Maria Ortega participate in a briefing session lasting approximately one month in the summer—right after the end of the school year and before the hiring season begins—for at least 4 hours a day, three days a week. According to reports of comprehensive school reforms in Chicago and Louisiana, the schools’ academic success was primarily attributed to the principals in charge and the contributions they made throughout the reforms. In one report, it stated that â€Å"highly effective schools communicated expectations for teachers. The principal was active in working to improve teacher skills; ineffective teachers were let go. † Moreover, the principals played an important role in four areas a) selection and replacement of teachers; b) classroom monitoring and feedback; c) support for improvement of individual teachers; and d) allocating and protecting academic time (Good et al, 2005, 2207). Therefore, implementing a program or briefing session solely for Principal Ortega would help her improve in all these areas. Principals, under Chancellor Klein’s tenure, have been given more empowerment opportunities and have more responsibilities to ensure the success of their schools. IS 166 has been categorized as a Title I School In Need of Improvement (SINI) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and as such, Principal Ortega has to work harder than ever to improve the english, math, and science scores—subjects that are integral to a student’s academic success. The program we have suggested will illustrate to Principal Ortega that math, in particular, cannot be taught in the traditional manner, that is, using rote. In fact, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) advocates the development of an inquiry-based mathematics tradition. Students taught using this tradition are encouraged to explore, develop conjectures, prove, and problem solve (Manswell Butty, 2001, 20). Students are best able to absorb the material in not only math and science but other subjects if the teachers are able to present it in an interesting manner that entails connections to the outside world. Principal Ortega should also be familiarized with the requirements for the exams and then know exactly how the staff should approach student preparation. She should also ensure that with respect to math, she adheres to the recommendations Lyle V. Jones reiterated in his article entitled â€Å"Achievement Trends in Math and Science† in which it was stated: ? Only teachers who like mathematics should teach mathematics ? The chief objective of school mathematics should be to instill confidence ? Mathematics teaching must be based on both contemporary mathematics and modern pedagogy (Jones, 1988, 333). After completion of this program, and hopefully with a better understanding of what is needed to improve the scores at IS 166, the next step would be to address the teaching staff. As noted, the methodology used is integral to ensuring that the students comprehend, absorb, and analyze the information being disseminated. If they fail to process the information then they will ultimately perform poorly in the state exams and possibly continue to do so throughout high school. We recommend prior to the beginning of the academic year, and the implementation of the after-school program, that teachers, specifically, the math teachers enroll in a summer institute similar to one reported in an article entitled, â€Å"Toward a Constructivist Perspective: The Impact of a Math Teacher InService Program on Students†. The reason being is that the teaching of math more so than science requires certain techniques that are far from the traditional methods that most teachers employ. The summer institute in the report offered participating teachers intensive two-week summer institutes and weekly classroom follow-up during one academic year. Moreover, they received an opportunity to reexamine their ideas about the teaching and learning of mathematics. During the summer institutes, these teachers experienced mathematics classes in which they were encouraged to construct solutions and ideas and to communicate them to a group. They analyzed student understandings as revealed in interviews and they planned lessons which reflected their evolving ideas about mathematics learning and teaching (Simon and Schifter, 1993, 331). Teachers need to plan their lessons in such a manner as to engage the students so that they may effectively communicate their thoughts or problems with a particular issue. In fact, after completion of the summer institute, and after the teachers began using their newfound techniques, the results were noteworthy and ranged from students stating that â€Å"it’s fun to work math problems† to â€Å"I’d rather do math than any other kind of homework† to â€Å"I like to explain how I solved a problem†(Simon and Schifter, 1993, 333). Therefore, using the above referenced example, the summer institute that we propose for the math teachers will last approximately three weeks in the summer and it would begin approximately mid-August prior to the beginning of the academic year. This program would be mandated by the principal and would include veteran staff members as well new ones brought on board. Another factor that teachers have to take into consideration is the population they cater to during the academic year. IS 166 consists of predominantly black and Hispanic students residing in East New York and its surrounding environs, thereby, making them not only an â€Å"in need† group in terms of grades but an â€Å"at risk† group in terms of their backgrounds and predisposition to engage in illicit activities. Many believe teaching techniques are generic and if they are employed in one school then they may be applicable in another. However, studies have shown that minority children in low income neighborhoods require a different set of techniques employed. According to Manswell Butty, African-American children have further been identified as favoring four learning styles a) person-centered, b) affective, c) expressive, and movement oriented (Butty, 2001, 23). Therefore, teachers need to use laboratory or group exercises, discussion sessions, or instructional uses of music and the visual and dramatic arts, especially when those pedagogical techniques promote Black students’ greater academic involvement, interest, and performances (Butty, 2001, 23). However, this is not a generalization implying that all minority children respond to this technique but most will probably respond positively. Therefore, teachers must be made aware of the group of children that they are dealing with and ensure that they employ the above referenced techniques to garner success. In fact, there are Learning through Teaching in an After-School Pedagogical Laboratories (L-TAPL) in California and New Jersey, which not only offer a program for elementary students but also serves as a practice-rich professional development for urban teachers. The program aims to improve the achievement of urban students and the competence of their teachers (Foster et al, 2005, 28). According to the Foster article, numerous studies, policies, and programs have addressed the persistent problem of underachievement among poor urban students and its array of possible causes. The NCLB links teacher quality to improved student achievement, especially among low-income urban children of color. Consequently, improving teacher quality has become one of the hallmarks of current reform efforts (Foster et al, 2005, 28). These laboratories groom future urban teachers to deal with students similar to the target population at IS 166. And as such, as an alternative to our summer institute, the teachers are free to enroll in the program offered by this lab in New Jersey. Therefore, taking into account the above referenced studies, improving teacher quality is of utmost importance when taking into consideration the improvement of math and science scores. All of the above has brought us to the most important element of the study establishing an after-school program. Establishing an After-school Program-Resources Funding Under the NCLB Act, Title I schools, such as IS 166 that are listed as Schools In Need of Improvement, have failed to reach student achievement targets that have been set for every school. This means the school has failed to meet state proficiency level for all students in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and/or high schools graduation rate. Schools falling in the above referenced category may be eligible for Supplemental Educational Services (SES). SES include free after-school/weekend remedial help or tutoring services. The SES provision offers providers an opportunity to offer low-income children, who may be struggling in school, extra academic help and individual instruction. Through SES, innovative leaders and educators can start a new tutoring program or expand an existing one to serve more students (New York City Department of Education). However, instead of using an SES provider—which in some cases the DOE will offer contracts of over a million dollars to provide services to various schools—we will request additional funding that would have been used to acquire an SES provider to establish the after-school program by ourselves with the assistance of The After-school Corporation (TASC). TASC is renowned for establishing successful after-school programs and have no contract with the DOE and thus, are not labeled SES Providers. In addition to wanting to establish a program using solely school staff, it is important to note, that there have been several complaints about SES providers and most are being investigated either by the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District or the Office of Special Investigation and in the best interest of the target population, we have decided to forego those providers. Therefore, the funding used from SES will be used to offer per session rates for the teachers participating in the program as well as pay for the consultant from TASC. The funding will also be used to acquire additional supplies such as the KidzMath program which is highly popular and is used around the country to get students interested in math and to improve scores. Funding will also be used to secure additional bus transportation from the Office of Pupil Transportation as well as food and refreshments for the children. Staffing and Facilities The program will be housed in the school recreation room and so there will be no need to rent a facility to do so. The program will be supervised by the TASC consultant who will preferably be someone from the community who is familiar with the target population and can easily relate to their situation. The principal and assistant principal will take turns observing the classes and ensuring that the teachers and participants are abiding by the rules. The teachers will be eighth grade math and science teachers who deal with the target population on a daily basis and who are familiar with the problems they are experiencing. Additionally, the teachers will be assisted by high school students who are well versed in the subject areas, who have been recruited from neighboring high schools and would like to add an after-school tutoring activity to their resume. Therefore, these students will not be paid but will use the after-school program as a learning experience. Participants The students participating in the program will be chosen based on their past academic performance in grades six and seven and failure to show any signs of improvement. To reiterate, this program is geared specifically for eighth grade students, ages 14-16 years old, and will begin a month into the beginning of the academic year towards the end of September early October after the students and teachers have settled in the new semester. Letters will be sent to the parents at the beginning of the academic year notifying them of their child’s progress and advising them that the program is mandatory if they are to improve and move on to high school (the letters will be followed up by phone calls). While the school has no recourse if a student fails to attend even though it has been marked mandatory, offering a voluntary program usually encourages those that are really not in need of it to participate and those that do need it usually don’t. The parents will be informed of the structure of the program and the fact that transportation will be provided so that their children will be taken home safely after the program. In fact, parents who may not be working full time or at all will be encouraged to observe or participate in another session that will help them to understand what their child needs to improve. The session, which will last as long as the tutoring session, will more than likely be conducted by the assistant principal or a math/science staff member and will give the parent an opportunity to be truly acquainted with the activities being conducted. This program may also be helpful to them as well as some of these parents lack the basic educational skills that are necessary to obtain a job. Activities and Schedule Based on successful programs in Arkansas, the after-school program we will establish will mirror these successful programs and therefore, the program will entail classes of one and a half hours each day, Monday through Thursday between the hours of 3pm and 4:30pm. Mondays and Wednesdays will be dedicated to math and Tuesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to science. The sessions will be divided into 40 minute periods during which the first period will be dedicated to the teacher illustrating the subject material and the second period will be dedicated to the students participating in groups and working together to complete the work presented in the first period. The students will get a ten-minute break during which they will receive refreshments. In the Camden School District in Arkansas, school officials credited the success of the after-school programs to the schools being released from the â€Å"Adequate Yearly Progress† (AYP) status under the NCLB Act (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families, 2006). Throughout the course of the program, teachers will be encouraged not to utilize the same material or techniques used on a daily basis. The teachers will be reminded that the program is geared towards individuals who have a negative attitude toward the subjects which may be as a result of not only failure to comprehend the material but also the teacher’s emphasis on traditional methods. Therefore, the program will forego any emphasis on memorization, computation, and equation and will focus on modeling and real world problem solving. Engaging in group work, especially in math, has proven to be successful and will be the focus of the program. According to Jones, group work differs from cooperative learning in its lesser emphasis on the teacher as instructor and its greater dependence on students teaching other students. Moreover, cooperative learning procedures as dependent first on instruction by the teacher, then on practice engaged in actively by members of an established student team (often of four team members), has evidence that supports the efficacy of the approach to elevate not only achievement but also self-esteem, interpersonal effectiveness and interracial harmony (Jones, 1988, 328). Therefore, the students will work together in groups over the period of the academic year and will be exposed to hands-on experiences, games, and projects. KidzMath should really be a good stimulant and with the assistance of the teachers, the students should be motivated. Teachers will also be encouraged to maintain a weekly progress report which will ultimately be used to assess the program’s progress. Another aspect of the program would entail having the Principal establishing stronger ties with the community and getting more community leaders involved by dropping by the after-school program to give advice and encouragement to the students. Students are not only stimulated by various activities that are outside of the norm of the regular classroom but are also stimulated by role models or individuals they deem to be successful from their part of the neighborhood. According to a report done on the Chicago School Reform, the schools that experienced major changes and improvements were led by principals who were strong veteran leaders with good relationships with their local school councils and the community (Hess, Jr. , 1999, 79). Additionally, incentives can also be offered for the students in the program which will encourage their continued participation and potential success and can range from visits to museums or amusement parks if they have showed slight improvements. While these children who performed poorly are from low income families, and a reduction in poverty rates might have a salutary effect on measured school achievement, according to Lyle V. Jones, the influence of poverty on educational achievement may be ameliorated by introducing school-parent programs to improve academic conditions in the home. After reviewing nearly 3,000 investigations of productive factors in learning concludes that such programs have an outstanding record of success in promoting achievement (Jones, 1988, 327). Explanation of Logic Model. Inputs: consist of the fundamental resources—human and capital—that the program needs in order for it to achieve its goals. These resources consist of funding for per session rates for the teachers, payment for the TASC Consultant, supplies such as KidzMath, transportation, and refreshments. The most important resources needed are the children to whom the program is directed. Activities: Once the fundamental resources are in place, the schedule has been established and the techniques for teaching have been agreed upon, then the after-school program will proceed as planned throughout the academic year. The sessions will be conducted four days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, for math and Tuesdays and Thursdays for science lasting 1. 5 hrs each period. The sessions will entail a great deal of group work and collaboration along with potential visits from community leaders and role models. Outputs: Upon implementation of the program, it is important to ascertain if the program is reaching its target population, if the services provided are being done in the manner discussed and if the population are benefiting or if they have any concerns those will be noted throughout the assessment. This will be done by conducting site visits, performing observations and conducting surveys. Outcomes: If the program is successful in achieving its goals, then the immediate goals will see the students passing their in-class tests and ultimately the state exams—which has been the focal issue with the school and the reason for the Title I status under the NCLB Act. The long-term goals include the participants of the program actually going on to high school and possibly even college. From that point onward, if students succeed in college, they may even pursue challenging careers thereby improving their socio-economic status. The reason the logic diagram is done in a cyclical manner is to demonstrate that if the program is successful and the students do improve significantly, then the school may be eligible for the same amount or a higher amount of funding which they can use to increase their resources for the input phase for the upcoming academic year. PROGRAM PROCESS Once the program has been implemented, it is important to ascertain if the services are in fact being delivered as planned and if the participants are learning with the teachers employing the new techniques as discussed. In order to do this, we will conduct an observational study as fashioned from the TASC’s site visit procedures in addition to teacher and parental surveys to see if they have noted any differences in the children participating in the program. This assessment will be done halfway throughout the semester at approximately the end of January which will also coincide with the first set of state exams (students also take these exams towards the end of the academic year-approximately June). The assessment will begin with a two-person team (my colleague and I) visiting the after-school’s program for two days a week, for a total of two weeks—one day for math and the other for science. The visit will include an interview with the principal and assistant principal (who, as noted before, would have taken turns monitoring the program).