Global Business Strategy United Parcel Services

Global Business Strategy United Parcel Services Introduction Globalisation has resulted to an increase in international trade; despite the collapse of Doha negotiations in 2008, trade among countries is increasing. Countries trade through economic policies of absolute and comparative advantage. For effectiveness and efficiency in the trade, transport and communication are important. There are international companies which have invested in global logistic service provision.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Global Business Strategy: United Parcel Services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More United Parcel Service is an international logistic company which has been in the business for over a century. To venture in international market and remain competitive, there are strategic management decisions made by the company (Joshi, 2005). This paper looks into the company’s global business strategy, it will undertake a PESTLE analysis, use Michael Porters Five Forces an d Three Generic Strategies to evaluate the current strategies of the company. Aim of the report The report aims at using management tools to evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies adopted by United Parcel Services Company. It will evaluate internal and external conditions facing the company. Brief history of UPS UPS was founded as a messenger company in United States of America in 1907. Initially, it only targeted local markets. However the company has grown to a multi-billion company facilitating trade across the globe. Currently it enjoys a strong brand name with presence in all continents. It is respected for its efficiency. It focuses on two services; packaging and logistics services. Daily, the company is able to facilitate businesses in over 200 destinations daily. It uses the e-Commerce, supply chain management and frontiers of logistics to facilitate the transfer of technology, goods and funds (UPS corporate Website, 2010). Depending with the type of goods/services the company is transacting, it chooses the mode of transport to adopt. It ranges from sea, road, electronic transfer and air transport.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The name UPS was rebranded in 2003 with the aim of showing the world its intentions to be the world largest and most efficient supply logistic service provider in the world. Currently the company employs approximately 4,606 employees distributed in different countries. According to a report by Zemanta on July 26th, 2008, Ups is facing systematic problems. This causes unreasonable delay in delivery of services which lead to un-satisfied customers. The failure has been occasioned by system failures resulting to un-updated system. With such a system, there have been times that goods were thought to have been un-transported from their country/destination of origin but after a thorough check, they are f ound in UPS warehouses in the intended destination or other destinations. This has caused unreasonable delay and customers lose confidence with the company. The company maintains alliances with companies situated in different parts of the world where parcels can be dropped or collected by a customer. There are some dropping points which results to loss to the company because of their low flow of customers. Despite this, the company have maintained the outlets. The company has also been facing situations of lost packages. This may be from theft, or ignorance from the staffs (UPS corporate Website, 2010). UPS PESTEL analysis PESTEL is the stands of Political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal analysis. It is a management tool that is used to analyse the external environment that a company is operation in. UPS is operating as an international company and thus its external environment goes further than an analysis of a single countries external environment. The wo rld is facing a rapid increase in international trade. This has been facilitated by globalisation and interdependency that countries have developed. When one part of the world having an absolute /comparative advantage over another, there is a tendency to concentrate on production of such goods and importing those goods and services which it cannot produce efficiently.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Global Business Strategy: United Parcel Services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An increase in international trade is an increase in business for UPS as it facilitated the flow of goods and services (Kermally, 2003). Political factors The world is recovering from world economic crisis which started in 2007. It is believed that the crisis started in United States of America after a collapse of financial institutions. It is in the same country that UPS has a strong market. The effects of the crisis are reduced internati onal trade where countries have placed trade barrier, tariffs and non tariffs, to protect their economies from effects of the crisis. This has resulted to reduced business in UPS. World countries were specifically more careful when trading with United States and this affected the company sales. In 2008, there was the collapse of Doha negotiations which were aimed at facilitating international trade without trade barriers (free trade). This could have been a good political decision to the company as it would have seen an increase in trade and thus a demand for supply logistic services from the company (Kotler Lane, 2009). Economic factors The world is recovering from world financial crisis. The crisis had affected international business negatively as trade among countries reduced. This acted to the disadvantage of UPS. One of the ways that the world has used to recover from the crisis is increasing consumer consumption preferences. This is through reducing lending rate of interests. UPS has benefited in such policies and is using the low cost loans to invest in different countries. For example in 2003, UPS acquired Purchasing Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, a company that increased the company’s capacity in air cargo handling. The next year, 2005, the company acquired Overnite company to increase the company’s access in Northern America. During the period, the company also made other acquisition in United Kingdom and Poland. These acquisitions were made possible by deteriorated businesses in these companies which lead to their disposal and availability of affordable capital financing loans. The trend in international business thus has negative effects on UPS but comes with opportunities that the company has utilized for its benefit (Nersesian, 2000)Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Technological factors The world is facing an increased technology improvement. There are new systems developed to facilitate international trade among countries. Other than trade facilitation, there have an increase in technological transfer where UPS services are contracted. To align its services with the new trend, the company have also adopted technology. For example it has introduced cargo tracking systems where it can trace the direction of its tracks or other modes of transport. Technological development has also posed some challenges to the company. This is mostly in electronic money transfer, mobile money transfer and internet fund transfers. This has resulted to reduced business. For example, Safaricom, a Kenyan mobile service provider invented mobile transfer service via phone, in April 2010, the services were exported to United Kingdom and are proving to be more efficient than UPS fund transfer services. UPS has embarked on technological improvement. It has gained a numbe r of awards as the best in technology. For example in 2009, it was given a present by InformationWeek in 500 Most Innovative Business Technology Organizations. The company has a centralised information and technology department. The chief execute officer of IS/IT department is called David Barnes Social factors The world is increasing in population and literacy level. Increased population has lead to demand for better ways of resource management which is facilitated by international trade. From thing angle the company is benefiting as it transport goods and services across borders. There are campaigns urging people , governments and international bodies to respect human rights. With such advocacy, people are moving from one country to another for education, settlement and leisure. This has facilitated the need for service and goods transfers across borders. For example there have been an increased number of students from Africa studying in Australia. This number has created an incre ase in transfer of funds from home country to Australia and forth. With such changes in social trends business in the country have increased (Neumann, Ringbeck Schwegmann, 2000) Environmental factors There is an increase in environmental conservation campaigns all over the world. Different countries are taking different measures to ensure that they protect their environment. International bodies are also playing an important part in ensuring that the different countries adopt different policies aimed at conserving the environment. on 11 December 1997, 37 industrialised countries and the European Union, signed the Kyoto protocol in Japan. The protocol was target to have been fully implemented by 16 February 2005. It was developed by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The main aim of the protocol was to ensure that emission of green house gasses was reduced by 5% below their level in 1990 by the end of 2010. The protocol targeted the major greenhouse emitters and developed measures to be implemented. The protocol has though not been fully honoured but has offered some guidelines on how governments should reduce green house emission. Of late in 2010, there were talks in Copenhagen aimed at devising measures to protect the environment. The talks failed as countries took strong stands against the recommended ways of conservation (Roberts, 2008). UPS does not ignore environmental conservations. It protects the environment by adopting technological measures that reduces pollution. Right from its incorporation it has continuously improved its process. In 1930s, the company was depending on electric vehicles to transport products in new York, at the time, this was a high environmental friendly means of transport instead of using vehicles which used fossil fuel. The company’s vehicles commonly known as â€Å"brown cars† are well serviced to ensure that there is minimal emission from them. The company enjoys as the world’s larges t company with vehicles operating under compressed natural gas (CNG). These vehicles are highly fuel efficient and emit minimal green house gasses to the environment. The company whether in United States or abroad recognises the need to conserve the environment. It is a signatory of responsible business models which gives a mechanism that a company should adopt when undertaking its business (UPS corporate Website, 2010). Legal factors Different countries have different business laws which it requires followed in their country. When UPS gets into a company, it seeks legal advice from legal experts in the country to ensure that it abides by the laws of the country. Where there are international laws, then it abides to them accordingly. UPS Current strategy To evaluate the company’s current strategy, this report will take use porters five forces and three genetic strategies. Porters five forces Porter in 1985, came up with five forces that can be used in analysis current positio n in a company. They are; Suppliers power The company’s suppliers have an influence on the market share that a company is likely to enjoy. If an industry has limited suppliers but a high demand of supplies, then goods are likely to be expensive. To have product differentiation, a company need to have reliable suppliers. UPS being in the service industry has its inputs more skewed to services. Customers requesting for services from the company are seen as the suppliers of to the company. There other supporting materials like packaging bags, vehicles and airplanes. The company has attained a differentiation of its vehicles by their colour. Customers, in this case doubles as suppliers, they supply the company with parcels, cash, and goods of various nature to transport. Companies doing the same business include FedEx, DHL and United States Postal Service. Barriers to entry Companies in an industry place certain barriers to entry in the market. These barriers include economies of scales, low production cost and input access strategy. UPS has been favoured by its strong brand name in the world. It is able to venture into a market and through the strength of its brand able to successfully launch and enter in that country. Access to raw materials is not a problem since the main materials are from customers which the company has entertained through its strong brand name. Because of its size, it enjoys economies of scale and this is can venture into a country and produce at a reduced cost. One of the main strategies that UPS uses to venture in international markets is acquisitions. In 2001, when it wanted to venture in retail mail delivery service business, it acquired Mail Boxes Etc. The company has tapped into the fast growing Asian market and it deepened it service in 2005 when it started a direct route of transfer between U.S. and Guangzhou, China. Threats of substitutes The company is threatened by companies in the same industries and technology. The major companies which threaten the company are FedEx and DHL. They are doing the same business and have a wide customer base. Mobile and internet use has created a threat to the company. This is because the number of letters that were previously sent through the company has been largely replaced by telephone and email communication. Mobile and internet fund transfer has offered a different route to customers to transfer money across borders, this was a business that UPS had invested in. Such seems include PayPal, wire transfer and Mpesa. Buyer power The company targets customers placed in different parts of the world. It offers services that a customer contracts form the company using the internet, sales offices and authorised dealers. The industry is highly competitive and these customers have a choice among similar providers to use. The choice of a company to the other is dependent on how reliable a company is. UPS benefits from a strong brand name and its reliability. This has made the company enjoy increased customer royalty. Rivalry International supply logistic business is highly competitive. to maintain competitive in such an industry, the company require offering consumer oriented services. It should be offer reliable services and aims at developing customer royalty (Hitt, Hoskisson Ireland, 2003). Three Generic Strategies Differentiation UPS has two kind of service that it offers; packaging services and transporting services. To serve its customer right, the company ensures that it makes it packages affordable and available to all classes of people. Those people who are using freight have their special package and those parcels on road have a different rate. Those using water has their package, small and large scale customers are incorporated. To remain competitive the company aims at improving its service to attain more customer satisfaction and loyalty. Lately it invented computer cargo tracking system which is one such development (Hitt, Hoskisson Irel and, 2003). Overall cost leadership The company’s prices are dictated by the bulkiness and the weight that a customer products has. This ensure that there is equality and those customers who are transporting small portions of goods are charged proportionately to these products. The payment system which is electronic facilitate for quick payment for service given. Focus The company has concentrated in one area and dominated. The company has physical station is some countries however in those countries that it does not have offices there are brokers or the website assists customers to get services from the company. When venturing other countries, it tends to follow the trend in the market. Where there are increased business is where the company is investing (Harris, Dennis, 2008). Urgent issues in UPS that need to be addressed Modern service industry is drastically changing. There is a move to a more customer focuses services. customers on the other hand have learnt and unders tood their rights. UPS has evolved over time and its offering consumer satisfactory services however there has been incidences where some cargo already transported or those which have arrived in UPS offices are not recorded. This is ignorance which should be addressed by the management. Where there is ignorance, there is customer dissatisfaction. Thus the company should invest in its human resources management. If there are inadequate staffs, then they should recruit and put on effective motivational measures. System failures are also other issues of urgency in the company. The company should ensure that its computers are working well so as they can serve their customers well. If a customer want to know how far his cargo is, the system should be able to tell (Dann Dann, 2004). Recommendations to improve the services of UPS UPS can be applauded for adopting an E-marketing strategy but more need to be done to ensure that it remains competitive in the changing logistics industry. Some of the areas that it needs to improve are in online businesses. UPS’s website has limited information this discouraging since customer has to wait for a long period of time before he gets a response from customer care desk. The reason for this is that the call centres are only in the head office. What the company need to do is to decentralize this service and make it available to its brokers and local offices. This improve customer’s satisfaction and increasing loyalty. Computers are not always reliable and sometimes they have failed the company. This is when servers are down or under repair. This has hindered the delivery of services by the company. An upgraded technology should be adopted to ensure that there is a backup when a case of system failure occurs (Bocij, 2005). There is a customer care service method that DHL has adopted but UPS has not attained it yet; this is door to door delivery. The company’s service mostly ends up at warehouses or at the port of destination. To ensure more customer satisfaction, there is need to adopt a door to door strategy where it can deliver products right to the consumers. This will assist the company command a more customer base and be the preferred choice of Logistics’ Company. Although it has adopted a cargo tracking system, the system has taken long to mature. It is faced with technological failure and is inefficient to certain countries. The system is monitored from the head office and faces challenges of adequate monitoring. It should be decentralized and customers assured that they will get information about their cargo with precision. Today’s marketing strategy has taken a different approach, this is where alongside computerized marketing, customer-company relation are developed to ensure that it benefits from repeat customers. Although the company has a strong brand name, strategies to retain customers should be put in place (Champy Wang, 2000) Conclusion UPS is an internati onally recognised logistic company with its headquarters in United States. It has been in logistic and supply chain management business for more than a century and enjoys a strong brand name. UPS Business is affected by the environment it’s operating in. There has been a reduced business resulting from global financial crisis, technological innovations and globalisation. To remain competitive in the changing global market, the company has invested in giving its customer good services although it is failed sometimes by computer systems and ignorance of employees and products handlers. References Bocij, Ch.et al. 2005. Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management for the E-business. Harlow. Prentice Hall. Champy, J. Wang, A. 2000 Accelerated Logistics: Streamlining the Armys Supply Chain. Santa Monica. CA. Dann, S. Dann, S. 2004. â€Å"Strategic Internet Marketing 2.0†. New York. John Wiley Sons. Harris, L. Dennis, C. 2008. â€Å"Marketing th e e-Business†, 2nd edition. New York. Routledge. Hitt, M, Hoskisson, R Ireland. 2003. Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. South Western. Thomson Learning. Joshi, R. 2005. International Marketing. New delhi. Oxford University Press. Kermally, S. 2003. Gurus on Marketing. London. Thorogood. Kotler, P Lane K.2009. A Framework for Marketing Management (4th ed.). New Jersey. Pearson Prentice Hall. Nersesian, R. 2000. Trends and Tools for Operations Management: An Updated Guide for Executives and Managers. Westport. Quorum Books. Neumann, C, Ringbeck, J Schwegmann, V.2000. â€Å"Best Practice in Logistics†, The McKinsey Quarterly, p. 19. Roberts, M.L. 2008. Internet Marketing: Integrating online and offline strategies. Melbourne. Thomson. UPS corporate Website.2010. Web. Zemanta, Z. 2008. â€Å"Does UPS have Deep Systematic Problem?†Web.

Why the project fails Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why the project fails - Essay Example A common factor in all projects is the presence of employees assigned to the project. Most projects are led by a project manager or team leader. The success of a project is dependent on a variety of factors. A lot of times projects fail and companies pay the consequences in terms of monetary and time losses. The purpose of this report is to analyze the different reasons projects fail. The report will also include an analysis of the Smithers case study. One of the most important aspects of working in a team is to have good communication among the team members. The members of a team must communicate well in order for a project to be successful. A lack of communication can lead to undesirable behaviors such as friction, arguments, and a lack of cohesiveness among the employees. â€Å"Effective communication occurs when the intended meaning of the source and the perceived meaning are virtually the same† (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003, pg. 339). A lack of communication can lead to misunderstandings between the workers. A way to improve communication between people working on a project is by the members becoming active listeners. Active listening can improve productivity and it enhances the ability of people to communicate, persuade, and negotiate (Mindtools, 2013). A second major obstacle that diminishes the ability of a company to achieve success in its projects is a lack of teamwork. Teamwork has become a critical success factor in the 21st century. Individualism is an undesirable trait among members of a team working on a project. Teamwork occurs when the members of a group work together in ways that utilize their skills well to accomplish a purpose (Schermerhorn, et al, 2003). A project is doom to fail if the members of the team do not work together as a cohesive unit. Companies can enhance the teamwork skills of its employees by offering training and development. â€Å"Problems in project management teams begin when not everyone feels involved or som e are doing a lion's share of the work while others are perceived as doing very little† (Zaphyr, 2013). An employee that plays a critical role in the success of a project is the project manager. This person is responsible for providing leadership for the team. Project managers that do not have good leadership skills are a liability for a company. The presence of strong leadership is needed to guide the efforts of the members of a team working on a project. Without leadership the people working on a project lack the direction and guidance needed for them to perform at a high level. Leadership is important because it enables a person to influence the work behavior of the people working on a project. Three effective leadership styles are transactional, charismatic, and transformational leadership. Without strong leadership the chances of project failure increases dramatically. A factor that is critical towards the success of a team is having adequate resources. A lack of resource s is a constraint that can lead to project failure. Some of the important resources that projects must have are financial, human labor, and machinery and equipment. Sometimes companies undertake a project that they can not fully finance. A shortage of cash can lead to disastrous results for a project such as complete stoppage of work or bankruptcy. A labor force with inadequate skills and capabilities can lead to the demise of a project. Old obsolete machinery and equipment hurts the ability of success of a project. Another factor that is important for the success of a project is the implementation of technology. Analysis Smithers Case Study The Smithers case study discusses the role John Smithers had on a change management initiative of implementing a project to improve the quality control of the company Sigtek. There were

Female representation in computer games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Female representation in computer games - Essay Example The essay "Female representation in computer games" discovers the Images of Women in Computer Based Gaming. The game World of Warcraft allows the player to create their own representation, but most of the females and males have sexualized representations that engage the user in very real objectification of the human form. In a discussion of the theories proposed by John Berger, the nature of the consumer to art can be seen through the examination of the art and imagery that has been developed in the gaming world. The nature of gaming is such that it creates an alternative space in which female and male objectification is engaged so that not only is the concept of the human shifted into a different space, the actions that are taken as representations of heroic are placed within the sexual fantasy space. Images that are used for gaming are representations of contemporary art, created through different mediums used for different purposes. Most of it is created through computer generatio n, but there is a great deal of art that is done through the traditional medium of canvas and brush with either oils or acrylics. These pieces are used for promotional value, although computer generation of images has advanced to the point where artistically rendered work is very similar to that which used to require canvas and paint. As an example, Fig.1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are a female and male characters from World of Warcraft, rendered artistically as an emotive piece which is intended. to engage the consumer by creating envy. Berger discusses the role of envy in glamour, the nature of plying the consumer with attributes of a representational figure that can never be achieved, thus maintaining an envious connection which is never transferred to the consumer. La Grange paraphrases Berger and states that â€Å"The imagine themselves transformed by buying the product and envy this transformed self. In effect, the publicity image has lowered the spectators’ self-esteem and of fers it back if they buy the product† (8). Gaming literally offers the experience of becoming the enviable figure, the consumer able to manipulate the actions of the character, achieving goals and setting a course through that image. Berger discusses the way in which the identity and the self are interlaced with the concept of ownership and envy. In owning a thing, the desired effect is to have become the representation of how that thing creates the identity of the self. In owning something, there is never a pay-off of real happiness, but a movement towards acquiring the next thing. La Grange states that Berger proposed that â€Å"The individual is trapped between what he is and what he would like to be† (9). In choosing what to buy, the individual seeks to find happiness, but because happiness cannot be achieved by the acquisition, the individual is essentially powerless. In some ways, gaming fills this gap as the manipulation of the image that has been chosen becomes an extension of the self, the individual placed within the space of the game as that image and acquiring through the choices that are made about the actions of the image. La Grange explains the relationships of the ownership of art as it is relevant to the identity. She states that through Berger, it can be seen that â€Å"oil painting celebrated private property; it expressed the idea that you are what you have†

Walls Icecream Parlor Essay Example for Free

Walls Icecream Parlor Essay Wall’s came to Pakistan in 1995 establishing the Wall’s factory on Multan Road in Lahore. Fully equipped with state of the art machinery, the Wall’s factory is a standard of hygiene and technology in the region and has become synonymous with quality. In 1998 Wall’s acquired Polka, a local ice cream manufacturer. Some of the most popular brands loved by the masses were linked to Wall’s making an irresistible combination that few could refuse. Key facts about Wall’s Pakistan: * Wall’s is the market leader of the Pakistani Ice cream market. * All Wall’s products are Halal and are made with Halal ingredients in a Halal compliant manner Ice cream is made from milk, fat and sugar. These are cooled as they are mixed, then whipped to create a light, airy texture. Flavourings, fruit or chocolate are added then the whole mixture is frozen again before packaging. IDEA: The idea is to open an ice-cream parlor under the brand name walls. Ice Cream parlor is a unique opportunity.walls is a very well established brand in Pakistan and will surely have its name in ice-cream parlour. The ice cream parlour will not only give products but also excellent services. The features would be quality, quantity, a lot of flavours plus an additional flavour and sugar free ice creams. They would be at low price compared to competitors. The future plan will be to start a van service in twin cities for consumer’s convenience. Our goal would be to penetrate the market and make good customer relationships by providing great quality and taste. Potential: As already said hat walls is a established and well known brand having many loyal customers so definitely it will be successful as there are so many loyal people to this brand they would love to come and enjoy ice-cream at walls parlor having different kind of atmosphere as well as different types of ice-cream.

Black Panther Party Essay -- Black Panther Movement Radical

What comes to your mind when you think of the mission of the Black Panther Party? Do you even know who the Black Panthers truly were? Well, the fact is that many people do not the answers to either of these questions. It may be due to the fact that the history text book failed to go into the Black Panther Party in detail as they did in many other great historic revolutionist and revolutionary events. In the following essay I will be discussing the journey of Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the founders of the Black Panther Party, showing the events that took place in their lives. I will also be discussing what the mission of the Black Panther Party was in their stand to make the government accept the responsibility poverty in urban communities in the United States and abroad. By the end of this paper you will surely know what history text books failed to discuss about the Black Panther Party. The date is February 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana; this is the time and place where a future revolutionary is born. His name is Huey P. Newton. He was born the last of seven children to Walter Newton and Armelia Johnson. When Huey was three years old his family picked up and moved to Oakland, California. It was in Oakland where Huey would grow up and learn from many life changing situations. As acknowledged in Revolutionary Suicide, written by Huey P. Newton, he grew up on the East Side of Oakland in a below-standard neighborhood where he got into countless fights and built up a temper that he would carry throughout his life. (27) In the eighth grade Huey P. Newton attended Woodrow Wilson junior high school where he first learned how to fight not only to protect himself but also to protect his dignity. When Huey P. N... ...n the Bay Area would crack down on and the Black Panther Party would be over quicker than it was started. Huey P. Newton knew the law from studying it the entire time he spent in college and in jail. He also knew that all the cops would have to have is for the Black Panther Party members break one tiny law to take them down so they had to be smart with it if they wanted break the law. The cops began to stop the Black Panther’s vehicles on the street and look for and violations. Huey P. and Bobby Seale made sure that all the vehicles were clean, hence, the cops never found any violation. (H,P Newton 122) During the routine traffic stops the cops were usually met by Panthers who were willing to comply in the search. Unless they pulled over Huey P and Bobby Seale who continually pulled their guns on the cops after the cops pulled them out on them. (H.P Newton 123)

Foundations of Online Learning Essay

We are in an age where electronic devices have consumed our lives. You can’t even think of leaving your home or office without some kind of electronic gizmo. Think of how these electronic devices and technology have changed the way we think, computers and portable devices are doing all the thinking for us. Students today rely on these gizmos and have forgotten about the core fundamentals of learning and are not learning the basic skills. As you read through this research paper I will cover electronics in today’s schooling, lack of penmanship, social bearers, and online schooling. Walk into any school classroom today and they are filled with laptops, projectors, smart boards, and other electronic gizmos. Schools are relying more and more on technology to teach our students. There is nothing wrong with technology, but have strayed a way of teaching the basic fundamentals of spelling and writing. Computers today have embraced our classrooms with kids becoming accustomed to them in everyday life. Between September 1984 and September 1997 alone, the number of computers in America’s K-12 schools increased to more than 8 million units. By 2014 it is expected there will be over one billion computers available to students worldwide. In 1994 only 3% of schools had internet access, by 2005 that number had reached 94% and the ratio of students to instructional computers with Internet access in public schools was 3.8 to 1. Even with all these high tech gadgets, children still having to go to computer labs or the back of classrooms (Budig 2010). Books are starting to become a thing of the past as schools look to laptops, tablet, and eBook computers. Tablet computers allow a student to digitally write and erase their work, while allowing a student to also use it as a computer to do word processing, view books and search internet. A laptop just allows a student to do word processing, view books and the internet. Over the last couple of years a new device called an eBook has taken over. It is allowing schools to replace classroom books with one device, the average eBook can store over 160 books saving schools millions of dollars. California spends over 350 million annually on schools books and is looking to eBooks which cost only 300.00 (Tran 2009). Today kids are turning in their pencils for keyboards. Penmanship is starting to become a lost art as schools teach less writing and focus more on computer keyboarding. In 1995 adults were resorting to printing instead of cursive to make their correspondence understood. As of 2002 only a quarter of 12th grade students could write a decent essay. Even worse only 2 percent wrote really well (Brush 2011). In Canada children in first grade are expected to compose and edit simple text documents. By the third grade they are expected to type an email. â€Å"If it’s keyboarding vs. penmanship, I think penmanship loses out, just because of the packed curriculum. It’s something that you need time to do,† says Susan Whelehan, an elementary school teacher in Toronto (Schmidt, 2005). Students are relying more on computers today to do the work for them and practicing penmanship less. Social media and video games have taken over our lives and kids are interacting less with each other. Fifteen years ago kids would play outside and use their imaginations, today they sit in front of a TV or computer. On average 2-5 year old spend 32 hours a week in front of TV while 6-11 years old spend 28 hours (Boyse, 2010). According to the â€Å"Kaiser Family Foundation that for more than 7 1/2 hours a day, American children ages 8 to 18 are tethered to computers, plugged into MP3 players, watching TV or playing video, computer or handheld games — and for much of that time, doing several at once† (Healy, 2010). With all that time kids are also turning to sites like Facebook and MySpace. These sites are causing kids to stay in front of a computer which they are losing interaction with children and causing social barriers. Online learning has taken over the classroom with its flexibility to teach students. Schools have come a long way from the slide shows and reel-reel video, today they have turned to Computer Based Training (CBT) and Multi Media. In 2004 it was estimated that 37 percent of school districts had students taking technology-supported distance education courses. Today over a million high school students are enrolled in some kind of distant learning. CBT training has become a standard in training students from reading to math and has been very effective. CBTs give a student a fun way to learn without them knowing it. Flexibility is the key with CBTs. If students are having trouble in one area the program can focus more, if a student is excelling it can push the student harder. CBTs have become a great assessment tool for teachers and allows them more flexibility. Another great tool in the classroom has been slide shows and smart boards. Years ago teachers would print material out on transparencies and project them on screens. Today teachers can build slideshows which provide more detail and flexibility. When you incorporate a smart board this allows the ability of interaction with the slideshow. Over the past 20 years our learning environment has seen a complete over all. We demand information at our fingertips and on a moment’s notice. Electronic devices fill our daily lives from social media, information at our fingertips, and having them do simple tasks. We have become a nation that wants things easy. Our lives are disrupted if we can’t check Facebook every minute of the day. With that technology has done great things for our schools but has hindered some also. Students are relying on computers to do everything for them and we are losing key elements of learning. Penmanship, spelling, and grammar have been lost to word-processing. Teachers are being replaced to Computer Based Training, but with new technology changing everyday you never know what maybe robot teachers is next! References Schmidt, S. (2005, January 22). Keyboard threatens writing skills: For next generation. The art of cursive writing may be a dying one. The Gazette. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=8422&sr=lni%284F9K-YHB0-TWD3-Y248%29 Budig, G. A. (2010, March 31). Technology an integral part of today’s education system. Retrieved from http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/mar/31/technology-integral-part-todays- education-system/ Tran, M. (2009, June 09). Arnold Schwarzenegger to scrap school textbooks in favour of ebooks. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/09/arnold-schwarzenegger-school-textbooks-ebooks Brush, D. C. (2011, September 06). Penmanship becoming a lost art. Retrieved from http://crossville-chronicle.com/opinion/x601175799/RANDOM-THOUGHTS-Penmanship-becoming-a-lost-art Boyse, K. C. (2010, August). Television and Children. Retrieved from http://crossville- chronicle.com/opinion/x601175799/RANDOM-THOUGHTS-Penmanship-becoming-a-lost-art Healy, M. (2010, August). Teenage social media butterflies may not be such a bad idea. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/18/science/la-sci-socially-connected-kids-20100518

Peeta Vs Gale Comparison - 1588 Words

Peeta vs. Gale Comparison Essay â€Å"What I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred, I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad out losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that.† - Katniss Everdeen, Mockingjay The truth of this statement is exemplified throughout the entire series of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The narrator and main character is rebel leader Katniss Everdeen, who finds herself in the middle of two men who both mean a lot to her: Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne. Gale Hawthorne is a tall, handsome, strong young man who†¦show more content†¦Gale is a strong-willed, stubborn, short-tempered boy. Peeta is a sweet, sensitive, yet strong and able-bodied young man. The two have very little in common, besides the fact that they both have strong feelings for Katniss. However, their differences definitely outweigh their similarities. The three main differences are their personalities, the way they care for Katniss, and their relationship with Katniss. The first reason Gale and Peeta are different is their contrasting personalities. Gale is risk-taker, a hard worker, and a sense of security for Katniss. He is a very strong-willed character who has a raging hatred f or the Capitol and the games. Gale has always had a stubborn streak and gets jealous very easily. Ever since Katniss went to the games with Peeta, Gale was somewhat jealous and hostile towards Peeta. However, he had to make sure that keeping Katniss’s family alive when she was away was his main priority. Peeta, on the other hand, is a little bit softer at times, but he is still extremely strong in a physical and mental sense. He proved this while training for the first games by throwing a 100-pound sack of flour right over his head. He showed emotional strength by recovering from the worst kind of brainwashing imaginable. Peeta is also remarkably caring and sacrificial. Ever since the beginning, he was willing to do anything for Katniss, whatever the cost. All Peeta cared about was keeping Katniss safeShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games And Catching Fire1900 Words   |  8 Pagesand Catching Fire on the issue of poverty? In Americas modern society we have bountiful resources to help those living below the Federal poverty level and the poverty threshold used by the Census Bureau (Federal poverty level; based on cash income vs the total wealth, is used by the US government to define those living in poverty, while the Census Bureau calculates total wealth, is for statistical purposes and count towards help from social security, workman’s compensation, veterans payments and