Sunday, March 8, 2020
Quarks and Creation â⬠World Religion Essay
Quarks and Creation ââ¬â World Religion Essay Free Online Research Papers Quarks and Creation World Religion Essay This week we listened to John Polkinghorne speak about similarities that progressive science and theology share. Polkinghorne served as Professor of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge University, and is a Fellow of The Royal Society all before becoming an Anglican Priest at the age of forty-nine. Both the scientific world and the theological world are searching for truth. Polkinghorne has published many books and articles on this topic. He has found many connections between quantum physics and religion and does not believe that they are competing but rather they help to explain the other quite well. The quantum world is a complex world. Things on the surface are not always easy to believe or see. Reality is equally rich; it is full of many layers. However science is limited at times because it only looks at one layer at a time. Important things are learned this way but we also know that the humans experience is one that presents a great amount of complexity. Humans treat things in their wholeness much like a painter looks at a piece of art. A scientist might look at a painting and try to figure out the composition of the medium as apposed to just stepping back and enjoying the painting. Or stepping and enjoying the complexity that is found when all different elements are experienced at once. Beauty is an interesting thing and a word not often thought of when we are describing math. However, mathematical beauty is something that Polkinghorne finds when trying to understand the laws of nature. This is because the fundamental laws of nature are generally very mathematical based; concise but deep. These are simple equations that make up one line or two with a limited number of simples. If they are not beautiful equations then they generally not correct says Polkinghorne. So what appears to be simple is actually quite deep. Those who speak the language mathematics agree on what a beautiful equation is in the world of science. In the 18th century people starting to say science can explain everything but when questions were proposed that science could not answer the idea of the God of the Gaps came about. This is a God that does those things that science was yet to explain. But this is a pretty limited view of God because once science is able to explain a problem thought to be left up to God; God is no longer needed. Another fundamental flaw of this perspective of God is to say that if nature does it, we dont need. By 19th century scientists were arguing about such ideas as the fundamental composition of light. Is light a particle or a wave? The Quantum Field Theory was later discovered and allowed for the idea that if you propose a particle question about light you can get a particle answer and if you ask a wave like question you get a wave answer. Polkinghorne uses this example to better explain the dilemma of life of Jesus. He was both a man and so much more. This also helps to show that science is fully engaged in the idea of faith. Often times a scientist will know that something is true because the result is seen but it takes time to develop a way to actually witness the process. Polkinghorne says that Genesis 1 and 2 were clearly not written as scientific books. They were more like poems used to teach people about the awesome power of God. Genesis 1 for example does not have a correct sense time nor is the order of creation correct. For example stars come on the 4th day but the sun came on the first. You can not read poetry and believe it to be prose and in this way creationist are actually being disrespectful to scripture. It took 14 billion years to get where we are now. Certainly God is not in a hurry and is obvious to see that creation is an on going process. How arrogant to think that we are final product of God. God created something more interesting than a ready made world. We live in a world of true becoming. So if we live in a world of true becoming then God does not know the future because it has not happened yet. This is not an imperfection just a reality. God is not the puppet master of the universe nor can God can make 2 + 2 = 5 because someone chooses to pray for it. God operates under the laws of nature or the laws of God. Polkinghorne proposes that the laws of nature are simply the laws of God. The laws of God have a shadow side to them as well. For example we believe that having tectonic plates is important but sometimes they slip, when they slip they create earthquakes. The hard answer is that nature is allowed to be the way God made it. God doesnââ¬â¢t will the act of a murderer or the death by an earthquake but simply allows them to happen as they are the downside of free will. Suffering is built into freedom. How could a good God build a world that has so much suffering some ask? Our problems with suffering are actually just deep existential problems, ââ¬Å"why is this happening to me?â⬠The Christian God is not simply a stand off God, Christ suffered too. Perhaps this is part of the draw that Christianity offers. Jesus was nailed to a cross as a human and also felt the human emotion of being forsaken by his father. Research Papers on Quarks and Creation - World Religion EssayMind TravelThree Concepts of Psychodynamic19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionGenetic EngineeringHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Green Infrastructure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Green Infrastructure - Essay Example Green infrastructure integrates set up green spaces and new places and must string through and enclose the constructed ecology and connect the metropolitan area to its extensive rural surroundings. Thus, it required to be distributed to all spatial scales from sub-regional to local vicinities levels, accepting both available natural green places inside local societies; it must also accommodate larger sites in the metropolitan periphery and wider hinterland. Green infrastructure is specifically pertinent to the housing and economic development, and to the reproduction of metropolitan hinterlands. Here green infrastructure is about expanding going hand in hand with the conservation and improvement of the current ecological assets and the construction of new ones. It is about placing the ecology right at the middle of the planning procedure and creating a tactical and connected multifunctional system of places with benefits for people and the natural world. This includes making it plian t to the impact of climate change and facilitating local authorities to accomplish their role to protect biodiversity while observing the decree of Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act2006. On the other hand, green infrastructure pertains to the rural ecology. In the extensive landscape, green infrastructure is regularly seen at a wider scope, encompassing bigger national or regional parks; wider aspects such as river conduits, and flood fields, and the establishment of wide green channels and environmental systems.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Final EX Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Final EX - Assignment Example This situation calls for apt disaster recovery plans and strategies to ensure personal safety during the incidents and return to normalcy. In the case of business recovery, the businesses should embrace technological functions, which offer back up services through the Disaster Backup Recovery Site. This will enable quick and safe recovery of critical information that relates to the business functionality. On the other hand, for personal safety, the firms are required to embrace, the services of the Emergency Operations Center. Seeking refuge from this center does not only assures personal safety but also the firmsââ¬â¢ physical property that may be in a position of rescue. Physical security refers to the need to protect the physical assets of an organization. In some organizations, one senior officer is responsible for both physical and logical (workstation, network, system/application, and other domains) of security. In other organizations, physical and logical security are divided between at least two senior officers. (See http://www.csoonline.com/article/742317/the-emerging-turf-battle-between-information-and-physicalsecurity-pros?source=CSONLE_nlt_update_2013-10-31 for one take on the topic.) What do you see as the pros and cons of having an integrated organizational structure, responsible for both physical and logical security? (A paragraph plus bullets for pros and cons would be appropriate here.) An integrated security system of physical and logical security of a firm refers to the a system that protects the physical assets of an organization and the intangible assets, which is majorly the companyââ¬â¢s data and information. This system keeps watch of both aspects of the company. There is a big problem of the system to be compatible to the both physical and logical security and this leaves a security gap, which might cause great losses
Monday, January 27, 2020
Theories on early year curriculums
Theories on early year curriculums Only by listening to the questions (verbal and non-verbal) children ask we will be able to develop the perfect curriculum. Griffiths R. (1935).à This report has been set out to demonstrate a range of theories and their philosophy on four different curricular approaches, being; Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Steiner and Forest schools. As every child is unique, there are a number of factors that influence a childs learning. This report will discuss how these approaches have influenced current best practice, meeting every childs needs by having an effect on the curricular guidance in the UK. It will also make recommendations for development in the setting I work in, enabling effective learning and positive interaction, focusing on issues relating to inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice in order to provide them with equal opportunities that will create holistic development. As development occurs rapidly during the early years, every stage of development should control the learning they are offered, meeting each childs needs. Early years settings should focus on promoting care and learning opportunities for young children making it stimulating and rewarding. All the four approaches have taken into account that childrens brains thrive on stimulation and new experiences, and play can extend childrens development and learning. The findings of the EPPE project also suggest; that it is not enough to create a stimulating environment and simply let children play, as children learn best when staff actively teach them. This means modelling appropriate language and behaviour, sharing intelligent conversations, asking open-ended questions and using play to motivate and encourage them. The early years curriculum is based on key theories of how children learn and current early years practice has grown out of the work of early years educators. By incorporating their ideas into forming the curriculum, early years settings encourage learning through first-hand experience. We will look into the four approaches and see how they have been embedded into the Early Years Foundation Stage by setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994) was the educational thinker who guided and inspired the Reggio Emilia approach in the Reggio Romagna region of Northern Italy. The approach requires children to be seen as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative, inventive, and possess a desire to interact and communicate with others. Dr Loris Malaguzzi helped us understand that children shouldnt be expected to all have the same ways of expressing themselves, so he put forth the idea that there are 100 languages or ways of learning (paint, clay, music, drama, cooking, etc) in which expression and learning can take place. The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education has been adopted in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia and many other countries. The Reggio Emilia method is made possible through a carefully articulated and collaborative approach to the care and education of young children and has also influenced Te Wariki in New Zealand. Reggio is a way of thinking about how young children learn and is based on the philosophies of Dewey and Vygotsky that is a very large idea with many parts, not a curriculum that can be adopted and implemented. Malguzzi used this versatility of research and theory recognising the contributions to Reggios thinking by the great educators; Vygotsky, Piaget and Jerome Bruner and this concept is brought about in the Early Years Foundation Stage-Every Child Matters Framework. As stated by Bruner, (1995) We are researching children researching their world. Some of the key principles of Reggio are: Giving the child more autonomy. The Image of the Child. Education based on interaction and collaboration. The importance of time. The role of the environment. The role of the teacher. The role of parents, as it is all learning together. Some of the key features of Reggio Emilias early childhood programme are:- The environment is referred to as the third teacher. The aesthetic beauty is an important part of respecting the child and their learning environment. Childrens work and collections are displayed; at the childrens and adult eye level. The piazza and the atelier are at the heart of the preschool centre. Documenting and displaying are unique and is viewed as an important tool in the learning process. Learning and teaching are reciprocal processes. The teachers role is complex; as the teacher is seen as a reflective researcher and they stay with their class from the time they start to when they leave. The children are seen as capable and inquisitive adults. Programs in Reggio are family centred. Loriss vision of an education based on relationships supports childrens reciprocal relationships with other children, family, teachers, society, and the environment. Reggio approach is not a formal model with defined methods (such as Waldorf and Montessori), teacher certification standards and authorization. But, the educators in Reggio Emilia speak of their evolving experience and see themselves as a provocation and reference point, a way of engaging in dialogue starting from a strong and rich vision of the child. As cited by Brown,N (2004) According to the documentation produced in Reggio Emilia pre-schools it would appear that girls and boys tend to work in single-sex groups. Girls also prefer smaller groups than do boys, and girls tend to discuss and collaborate from the start rather than, as the boys do, work independently before working collaboratively. This suggests that there are differences between boys and girls which appears to start from the premise itself. There seems to be a view that these differences are rather accepted and nothing can be done about it except document them and accommodate the differences in future projects. This also gives an impression that Reggio educators view these differences as natural. Many who have reflected on gender issues in the Reggio approach have felt awkward about the lack of critical thought about observed gender differences. Practitioners should ponder on this difference and ensure that their provision supports gender equity. In a nutshell, the Reggio approach articulates children to acquire skills of critical thinking and collaboration. It is a prism, a crystal, for seeing all the things we have looked at: relationships with families, curriculum, time management, evaluation, etc. and it isnt something one can apply. It is an approach to thinking about programs for young children and accepting children from all walks of life; where children with special needs are given first preference, making it totally inclusive. The Bristol standard aims at promoting the concept of reflective practitioners where they can become part of a process that protects and celebrates the wonder of early childhood through well informed and reflective practice. All preschool operators ought to benchmark against the Reggio Emilia school. As children are developing physically, mentally and emotionally, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) believed that education should be designed to meet their changing needs, helping a child to accomplish their full potential in overall development and learning, as well as academic progress. His technique was systematic, and was based on his own wide experience as a tutor and on his study of spiritual science. Edmunds (1979), portrays Steiner Education with these inspiring words To educate youthà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ is to ennoble the mind, to fire the imagination, to fortify the will and to quicken initiative for life. Waldorf nurseries all around the world endeavour to meet the needs of each individual child with the utmost care, providing a harmonious home life which children should enjoy up to the age of five or six, working with Rudolf Steiners key points which are: Encouraging play, drawing, story telling, environment study and natural things up to the age of seven. Children younger than seven should not be taught to read. Teaching a child to write before teaching them to read. Allowing only one teacher to teach the same class for seven years. (This concept is taken from Reggio Emilia). Letting the child focus on one subject at a time. Find links between subjects like art and science. Connect with the child to make sure that they are keen about the material being taught. Showing the child good values but not enforcing a specific set of beliefs. Encouraging knowledge for its own sake and not just working towards exams. Allowing children to work at their own pace to ease their learning as each child has its own tempo and thrives best when this is allowed for. (Edmunds, F. 1979: p22). Rudolf Steiner made specific curriculum suggestions for all subjects including handwork, gymnastics, painting, music, shorthand and many others. A Teacher was given the freedom to build up the curriculum according to his own perspective. In a Steiner pre-school, no formal schooling takes place but there is an ordered life in the way children are received and engaged in activities. There is an extreme case of a general and widespread tendency today to intellectualize children without counting the costs. By robbing the life of children we are stultifying the life of adults. (Edmunds, F. 1979: p23) There is too much emphasis on getting small children to read and write at an early age which leaves them little or no time to play. This gives vent to frustration making them incapable human beings unable to solve problems and to make compromises as adults. Rudolf Steiner realised the fact that premature educational demands on the child, sap the life forces needed for further development later. He was also not in favour of sitting children in front of the television or a computer as there was much more to be learnt by doing things practically and get first hand experience. According to Steiner, creative, imaginative forces spring from a healthy life of will like flowers from a meadow; they are crippled by clever toys invented by clever adults. (Edmunds, F. 1979: p24). The objects of play in Steiner schools are simple so that the child can dress them with his or her own imagination as a child sees everything to be alive and real. Even today Steiner schools exist, and they are distinctly different from other schools. In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, United Kingdom and other parts of the world saw the formation of new Steiner Schools. Its founder was so self-motivated that everyone concerned knows that he would not have allowed his school to stay as it was, but would have found new and creative ways to meet the changing needs of present times. Nowadays it seems difficult for the people involved to know what course to take, without losing the essence of education that was brought to the world by Rudolf Steiner. Education must no longer be regarded only as a matter of teaching children, but as a social question of the highest importance, because it is the one question that concerns all mankind. (Montessori M, date unknown) Born in Italy in 1870, Maria Montessori moved to Rome with her parents in 1875 at the age of five. Maria Montessori is often referred to as ahead of her time. Throughout her life Maria Montessori had a particular interest in the development of children, especially those with special needs. She learned from the work of others, but evolved her own theories and believed that the child was a truly miraculous being and later on Steiner adopted this fact from Montessori. In 1906, Maria Montessori founded the first Childrens House. Montessori discovered how naturally young children adapted and enjoyed learning everyday tasks. The Montessori Method focuses on the individuality of each child in respect of their needs or talents as its goal is to help the child maintain their natural joy of learning. Some of the inventions of Maria Montessori are:- Sand paper alphabets and the Spinda boxes. Phonics; this has been taken up by the National Curriculum. Furniture and equipment scaled down to the childs size. Encourages independence and freedom with limits and responsibility. Practical life skills: domestic skills and manners are emphasized with the goal of increasing attention spans, hand-eye coordination, and tenacity. The structure of work and constructive activity gives the children a sense of self-worth that they have never experienced before. The Montessori approach does not emphasise play or the free flow of ideas, neither are the children allowed to undertake creative activities until they have worked through all the graded learning activities. Montessori believed in the natural unfolding of the childs intelligence that follows a specific path which must be aided by the adult by observing, as she did not believe in forced learning by children. When young children feel confident their energy for curiosity and exploration is considerableà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ If to the children the practitioner feels detached or remote- not like a secure base- then their energy and curiosity is very reduced or disappears. Elfer (1996). Montessori did not think there was a need for adult correction and little parental involvement was encouraged. This concept would go against the principles of Vygotsky, who identified the zone of proximal development emphasising on the role of adults to intervene and help children learn, moving into the zone of actual development as adults provide the intellectual scaffolding to help children learn and progress through the different stages of development. The Montessori Method does not see children as part of a community, but are made to work largely on their own in a peaceful environment of total concentration. Current mainstream practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework has not accepted this philosophy as it would not usually leave children to work through activities on their own. According to Lillard, P (1996) the Montessori theory is to adapt education for each developmental stage through materials especially designed for a childs exploration and self-discovery, encouraging children to be active rather than passive learners at all levels. This has been acknowledged by the recent curricular guidance and some Montessori materials and ideas are used, for example, graded sizes of particular shapes, such as small, medium, and large blocks. The Montessori theory allows children to acquire the skills to answer their own questions, learn to manage freedom with responsibility, and maintain a high level of intellectual curiosit y. Its teaching; aims for the fullest possible development of the whole child, ultimately preparing him for lifes many rich experiences. Maria Montessori realised that children pass through sensitive periods of development early in life, and said that education starts from birth. This is now recognised by the Early Years Foundation Stage. Dr. Montessori described the childs mind between the time of birth and six years of age as the absorbent mind and has written a book about it. It is during this stage that a child has a tremendous ability to learn and assimilate from the world around him, without conscious effort. During this time, children are particularly receptive to certain external stimuli. A Montessori teacher recognizes and takes advantage of these highly perceptive stages through the introduction of materials and activities which are specially designed to stimulate the intellect. If a person develops the ability to respect themselves, the people and the things around them, they will take an increased interest in the long-term effects of their actions on the environment and the people who live within it. (Director of Operations Archimedes) Forest Schools is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning. It is a concept originally developed in Denmark for pre-school children (under seven years). The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive experiences and participation in engaging and motivating achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, helping to develop personal, social and emotional skills which will lead to independence, self-discovery, confidence, communication skills and raised self-esteem. Each Forest School Site is unique, designed to meet the needs of the group making it inclusive. Children become comfortable with an outdoor approach to education and play in familiar surroundings. It allows a more child led outdoor curriculum with opportunities for projects to be taken back to the indoor setting to be continued. Forest Schools have demonstrated success with children of all ages through the following methods:- Learning takes place in the natural environment through play. Use of own initiative to handle risks and solve problems. Co-operate with others. Programmes are held throughout the year in all weathers. Children use full sized tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour; both physical and social, grow in confidence, self-esteem and motivation. Use of tools in the wood promotes trust and self-confidence; it develops motor skills and fine motor skills. As children need time to thoroughly explore their thoughts, feelings and relationships this method encourages them to understand the world, the environment and everything within it through use of their emotions, imagination and senses. This principle has been adopted from Reggio Emilia which considers the environment to being the third teacher. Malguzzi (1996) We place enormous value on the role of the environment as a motivating and animating force in creating spaces for relations, options and emotional and cognitive situations that produce a sense of well-being and security. This ethos was introduced to the UK during the 1990s and has proved to be an effective educational tool in a variety of settings. Children attending Forest Schools were arriving at school with strong social skills, the ability to work in groups effectively, and generally children had high self-esteem and confidence in their own capabilities that proved to be an effective foundation and raised academic achievements. Since its introduction Forest Schools have developed opportunities in an outdoor setting for children of all ages to develop a variety of life skills. Participants gain confidence in their own ability. Kinaesthetic learners (learning by doing) are particularly suited to learning in this woodland outdoor environment. It aims at meeting childrens basic needs before any higher learning can take place. Children feel safe both physically and emotionally as care is taken to ensure that children have proper clothing and footwear, healthy meals and plenty of hydrated water and hot drinks. The Forest School sites are usually away from main entrances requiring the group to walk long distances and terrain, but all this depends on the abilities of the group. A hard surface approach may be necessary for wheel chairs and buggies making it as inclusive as possible. Each time the children leave the woods they take something with them to encourage parental interest and communicative interaction. All sessions are designed around the needs of the group, ensuring that they are learner-led. Sessions are designed around a theme, such as Romans, butterflies, spies, fairies or nature investigators. Many areas of the National Curriculum are intrinsically covered in the Forest Schools Experience without the programmes needing to be curriculum led. The activities are set up involving the capabilities of every person within the group. Teamwork skills are developed through games and activities such as hide and seek, shelter building, tool skills, lighting fires or environmental art. Each activity develops intra and inter-personal skills as well as practical and intellectual skills. Activities are constantly evaluated and re-adjusted through out the day to meet each the groups requirements. The children may be asked to shout out, draw, act or play a game to review the day they have just experienced, reflecting about what they have done during the day. Individuals progress is observed/monitored and a thorough evaluation process is used to ensure that aims and objectives are being met. All the four approaches have in a way had an effect on forming the current curriculum, as all the approaches have one thing in common which is to meet the needs of the child. The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework has realised the need to provide the materials, opportunities, interactions and experiences that allow children to pursue their own interests and be creative. This is done by stimulating them through motivation but not overloading them with the things we want them to be interested in. The concept of supporting childrens development through their interest has been outlined in Tender care and Early Learning from High Scope and is currently used by Birth to Three Matters focussing on childrens strengths and interests. Reggio Emilia and Forest Schools provide models of excellence in developing high quality physical environment and this has been taken up by the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. The Living, Loving and Learning exhibition (1999) and the British Associat ion for Early Childhood Education explains the main principles and purpose of physical environment as it is essential in our work with young children that we consider the outdoors as a natural extension of our indoor learning environment, as very young children need to be offered the opportunity to move and think freely. This is vital for their physical growth and development of their minds. Advancing childrens physical and intellectual competence is the heart of much of the early childhood curriculum. Montessori and Steiner do not use display boards to celebrate childrens achievements and this would go against the principles of Reggio Emilia, who believe it to be an ideal way of communication with parents, who can view their childrens experiences and learning on wall panels in the form of annotated photographs and displayed work. It is an important documentation inviting parents to feel close to their childrens experiences in the setting. This approach has been considered by the setting and there are a number of display boards for different age groups.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
The Webââ¬â¢s Compass Essay -- Websites Internet Computers Technology Essa
The Webââ¬â¢s Compass When designing a web page, many features and characteristics must be considered. Three important features for navigational tools are text, icons, and photographs. The use of these elements must consider benefits to the user and navigation throughout the site. I will discuss text, icons, and photographs and why each feature can help or hinder the navigation of a site. Text When deciding whether to use text as a navigational button we must remember to effectively use color, type, and text to help readers maneuver within the site. When choosing to use text, consider ââ¬Å"production: arranging text and visuals on pages or screens, plus choosing type and colorâ⬠(Hilligoss and Howard 164). When using text as a navigational tool, use your text effectively. Killingsworth and Gilbertson Signs, Genres, and Communities in Technical Communication explain what happens when text is misused: ââ¬Å"Overuse fancy typographical features, thereby creating semiotic ââ¬Å"noiseâ⬠in the textââ¬âbothersome distractions to good readingâ⬠(44). If the text is not useful and informative for the reader then a different style tool should be used. The text navigational tool should help ââ¬Å"readers find their way around in a textâ⬠(Killingsworth and Gilbertson 49). Killingsworth and Gilbertson define effective text as that which ââ¬Å"draws atten tion to the object without re-determining its meaningâ⬠(48). An example of text used as a useful navigational tool is Texas A&M Universityââ¬â¢s homepage. The web page uses all text links to navigate within the site. All of the texts are one to two words specific to their links and all capitalized. This helps the reader easily find information. The links are set up in uniform columns so as not to be distracting, as Killing... ...r site an edge over other text-intensive pages. I find this topic personally relevant because I could be writing for the web one day. Knowing which navigational tools work best for my site is invaluable information. Understanding how to write efficiently on the web and design a user-friendly page gives me an extra edge when I enter the work force. Works Cited Faigley, Lester, Diana George, Anna Palchik, and Cynthia Selfe. Picturing Texts. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. Hilligoss, Susan and Tharon Howard. Visual Communication. New York: Longman Publishing Company, 2002. Killingsworth, M. Jimmie and Michael K. Gilbertson. "Representation in Document Design." In Signs, Genres, and Communities in Technical Communication. Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, Inc. 1992. Texas A&M University. 2002-04. 12 February 2004 <http://www.tamu.edu>
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Tasha’s Case Write Up
Case 1: Tashas, Franchising the Boutique Cafe Experience 1. Why did Natasha Sideris succeed with her first ââ¬Å"Tashasâ⬠cafe and with her initial expansion? I think the main reason behind her success is her passion for this job. She is clearly loving every moment of owning a restaurant. She was also able to communicate this passion to the customers as well as the staff. She was very focused on the service side of the business, and saw it as the main driver. The way she insists on customersââ¬â¢ not waiting more than 20 minutes for the food, which is cooked right after they ordered it. The location of the restaurant is another key driver of her success. Opening up a store in a very rich business districtââ¬â¢s shopping center is a very good investment. And finally access to financing was very important as well. The initial expansion was a success because she was able to differentiate the new store from the first one. The new store was designed to cater the needs of the customers of that specific area. . Evaluate Siderisââ¬â¢ expansion plans. What advice would you give her at the time of the case? I personally believe that having 15-20 stores in the same country is not a good idea. It may be a financially viable idea, as it seems from the case, but there is a great risk of diluting the brand. Taking into consideration the population of South Africa as well as the number of people who actually have enough money to go to cafes and restaurants, having 20 Tashas Cafes doesnââ¬â¢t seem reasonable to me. Coming from Turkey, which is showing similar economic trends with South Africa for the recent years and facing similar income distribution problems, I have been observing boutique cafes and restaurants expand to never more than 10 restaurants nationwide. Sideris offers high-end products at high-end locations and her customer base is not very big. I think she has to be more conservative about her approach to expanding, and she should look into decreasing the risk of cannibalizing and diluting the brand.
Friday, January 3, 2020
Klasies River Caves Middle Paleolithic South Africa
Klasies River is the collective name of several caves eroded into the sandstone bluff located along a 1.5 mile (2.5 kilometers) stretch of the Tsitsikamma coast of South Africa facing the Indian Ocean. Between 125,000 and 55,000 years ago, a handful of our Anatomically Modern Human (AMH) (Homo sapiens) ancestors lived in these caves at the very southern tip of Africa. What they left behind provides evidence of the behavior of Homo sapiens at our very earliest moments of existence, and a slightly uncomfortable peek into our distant past. The Klasies River main site is one of the most intensively occupied sites within this area, associated with abundant cultural and subsistence remains of Middle Stone Age (MSA) hunter-gatherer-fishers. The site includes two caves and two smaller rock shelters, tied together by a 69-foot (21-meter) thick shell midden that spills out of all four. Archaeological investigations have been conducted at Klasies River since the late 1960s, primarily at the main site. The Klasies River caves were first excavated by J. Wymer in 1967 to 1968, and then by H. Deacon between 1984 to 1995, and most recently by Sarah Wurz beginning in 2013. Klasies River Caves Fast Facts Name of Site: Klasies River or Klasies River MouthSpecies: Early Modern HumansStone Tool Traditions: Klasies River, Mossel Bay (convergent Levallois), Howiesons PoortPeriod: Middle Stone AgeDate of Occupation: 125,000ââ¬â55,000 years agoConfiguration: Five caves and two rock sheltersMedium: Naturally eroded into the sandstone cliffLocation: 1.5 mi (2.5 km) stretch of the Tsitsikamma coast of South Africa facing the Indian OceanOffbeat Fact: Evidence that our ancient human ancestors were cannibals Chronology Early modern Homo sapiens lived in the Klasies River caves during the Middle Stone Age, periods which are roughly equivalent to the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS 5). At Klasies, MSA I (MIS 5e/d), MSA I Lower (MIS 5c), and MSA I Upper (MIS 5b/a) were relatively intensive human occupations. The oldest AMH bone found in the cave dates to 115,000 (abbreviated 115 ka). The main layers of occupation and listed in the table below; the most substantial occupation debris is from the MSA II lower levels. MSA III MIS 3 (80ââ¬â60 ka)Howiesons Poort (MIS 5/a to MIS 4)MSA II upper (85 ka, MIS 5b/a)MSA II lower (MB 101ââ¬â90 ka, MIS 5c, 10 m thick)MSA I (KR technocomplex) 115ââ¬â108 ka, MIS 5e/d Artifacts and Features Artifacts found at the sites include stone and bone tools, animal bones and mussel shells, and over 40 bones or bone fragments of the human occupants of the cave. Hearths and artifact clusters within the shell midden indicate that the residents systematically exploited both land-based and marine resources. Animal bones found within the caves include bovids, baboon, otter, and leopard. The earliest stone tool tradition found in the caves is MSA I Klasies River techno-complex. Others include convergent Levallois tool types in MSA I known as Mossel Bay technocomplex; and the Howiesons Poort/Still Bay complex. Nearly 40 human fossil bones and bone fragments are in the catalogs from the excavations. Some of the bones look identical to modern Homo sapien morphologies, others show more archaic traits than recent human populations. Living in Klasies River Caves The people who lived in these caves were modern humans who lived by recognizably human methods, hunting game, and gathering plant foods. Evidence for our other hominid ancestors suggests that they primarily scavenged other animals kills; the Homo sapiens of Klasies River caves knew how to hunt. The Klasies River people dined on shellfish, antelope, seals, penguins, and some unidentified plant foods, roasting them in hearths built for the purpose. The caves were not permanent residences for the humans who inhabited them, as best as we can tell; they only stayed for a few weeks, then moved along to the next hunting stand. Stone tools and flakes made from beach cobbles were recovered from the earliest levels of the site. Klasies River and Howiesons Poort Apart from the debris of living, researchers have also found fragmentary evidence in these earliest levels of the earliest ritual behavior; cannibalism. Fossil human remains were found in several layers of the Klasies River occupations, fire-blackened fragments of skulls and other bones showing cut marks from deliberate butchery. While this alone would not convince researchers that cannibalism had taken place, the pieces were mixed with the rubble of kitchen debris, thrown out with the shells and bones of the remainder of the meal. These bones were unequivocally modern human; at a time when no other modern humans are known, only Neanderthals and early modern Homo existed outside of Africa. By 70,000 years ago, when the layers called by archaeologists Howiesons Poort were laid down, these same caves were used by people with a more sophisticated stone tool technology, backed tools from thin stone blades, and projectile points. The raw material from these tools came not from the beach, but from rough mines some 12 mi (20 km) away. The Middle Stone Age Howiesons Poort lithic technology is nearly unique for its time; similar tool types are not found anywhere else until the much later Late Stone Age assemblages. While archaeologists and paleontologists continue to debate whether modern humans are descended only from the Homo sapiens populations from Africa, or from a combination of Homo sapiens and Neanderthal, the Klasies River cave populations are still our ancestors and are still representatives of the earliest known modern humans on the planet. Sources Bartram, Laurence E.Jr., and Curtis W. Marean. Explaining the Klasies Pattern: Kua Ethnoarchaeology, the Die Kelders Middle Stone Age Archaeofauna, Long Bone Fragmentation and Carnivore Ravaging. Journal of Archaeological Science 26 (1999): 9ââ¬â29. Print.Churchill, S. E., et al. Morphological Affinities of the Proximal Ulna from Klasies River Main Site: Archaic or Modern? Journal of Human Evolution 31 (1996): 213ââ¬â37. Print.Deacon, H.J., and V. B. Geleisjsne. The Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of the Main Site Sequence, Klasies River, South Africa. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 43 (1988): 5ââ¬â14. Print.Grine, Frederick E., Sarah Wurz, and Curtis W. Marean. The Middle Stone Age Human Fossil Record from Klasies River Main Site. Journal of Human Evolution 103 (2017): 53ââ¬â78. Print.Hall, S., and J. Binneman. Later Stone Age Burial Variability in the Cape: A Social Interpretation. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 42 (1987): 140ââ¬â52. Print.N ami, Hugo G., et al. Palaeomagnetic Results and New Dates of Sedimentary Deposits from Klasies River Cave 1, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 112.11/12 (2016). Print.Nel, Turid Hillestad, Sarah Wurz, and Christopher Stuart Henshilwood. Small Mammals from Marine Isotope Stage 5 at Klasies River, South Africaââ¬âReconstructing the Local Palaeoenvironment. Quaternary International 471 (2018): 6ââ¬â20. Print.Voigt, Elizabeth. Stone Age Molluscan Utilization at Klasies River Mouth Caves. South African Journal of Science 69 (1973): 306ââ¬â09. Print.Wurz, Sarah. Variability in the Middle Stone Age Lithic Sequence, 115,000ââ¬â60,000 Years Ago at Klasies River, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science 29 (2002): 1001ââ¬â15. Print.Wurz, Sarah, et al. Connections, Culture and Environments around 100?000 Years Ago at Klasies River Main Site. Quaternary International (2018). Print.
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