School Uniform

School Uniforms Should Students in Public Schools Wear Uniforms? Abstract One of the most controversial issues in public school is the school uniforms. In 1996, the issue of school uniforms was bought to the forefront in President Clinton State of the Union address. People argue that uniforms can make schools safer and improve attendance and increase student’s achievement. People opposing school uniforms argue that it has not been proven to work with discipline, attendance or the student’s achievement. The purpose of this research is to find out if school uniforms will work in all elementary public schools. Do the students and their parents want a change in their school district attempting to control many aspects, attendance, academic achievement, self-esteem, safety and violence? Interested in positive changes in the students success and achievement may want to consider school uniform policy in their school district. School Uniforms Uniforms in public elementary schools can have an impact on the students and on the school system. The students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. There is no competition between peers to outdo each other when wearing uniforms. Some parents complain that uniforms are too costly for them, but uniforms are actually more affordable and there are fewer clothes to buy because everyone will be dressed in similar clothing. There are also ways to help low-income families with the cost. The school can set up funding for low income families to help pay for the uniforms for their children in the form of donations, clothing vouchers, and support from the business partners of the communities; this problem can be overcome. The thrift stores and uniform supply houses also reduce the cost for the clothing. These things combined can make it far less costly to purchase standard clothing than to meet the demand for designer clothing worn now. Many private schools have required uniforms for a number of years and now public schools are adopting the school uniform policy. With Long Beach, California being the first large urban school district to enforce uniforms to all students in Kindergarten through eighth grade in 1995. In 1999, New York City enforced uniforms in 70 percent of their schools. In 2000, Philadelphia enforced the uniforms district wide and 60 percent in Miami and 80 percent in Chicago (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Since then school uniforms in public schools are becoming increasingly popular across the nation. Several other states have already implemented uniform policies in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, Michigan, Florida, Utah, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, and District of Columbia. Many large public school systems including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis have schools with either voluntary or mandatory uniform policies, mostly in elementary and middle schools (Brunsma, 2006). Advocates believe that the uniform policies have great benefits. They believe that it eliminates conflict over expensive items of clothing and has a business-like atmosphere to the school (Darden, p. 36). They also think that the uniforms will make schools safer, improve attendance, and a higher education achievement. By wearing uniforms in school they will be able to identify trespassers and setting a good example for the students who are serious about school work and their studies, and also discourages the activities of gang members and the tensions that result from wearing gang clothing attire (Boutelle, 2008). Opponents feel there is not enough evidence to support the relationship between the uniforms and discipline or uniforms and students achievement. According to Brunsma (2006, p. 85), he suggest that uniform policies may only serve as a band-aid in dealing with the problems of schools and may only provide policymakers a way to avoid making the decisions necessary to reform public education. Now the question is, â€Å"Would Delaware public elementary schools benefit greatly if this policy were adopted? † Resistance is always a factor when trying to make changes. Some par ents and students may not want the school uniforms for a variety of reasons. If the parents and students realize that uniforms will benefit them in the long run they may change their minds. There are many advantages to school uniforms, including academic advantages, social outcomes, behavioral issues, safety and cost of uniforms. Research is needed because elementary schools will benefit more if they had a school uniform policy enforced. Literature Review School uniforms have been the cause of many jokes and harassment to those who wore them. In the past, public schools considered uniforms old and out dated trends, though recently many public schools are starting to implement and enforce a uniform policy. The implementation of a school uniform policy is important if we are still striving to improve our students. The arguments against them are fading while the positive reasons for promoting school uniforms are gaining ground. Some of the possible benefits are safety, cost, uniformity and violence in academics instead of fashions. According to Boutelle (2008), school uniforms in today’s society â€Å"promote school safety and enhance the learning environment, and diminish the clothing completion† (p. 3). School uniforms unify a school and help the blending of the school cultures, instead of separating the students. Along with school uniforms there is a boost in academic performance. With the United States dropping behind other developed nation ranking in at number 18 of 24 (Boutelle, 2007), this is low for a nation that is spending a lot on education every year. Students are losing focus on school and are competing for what the newest fashion or gadget rather than focusing on school these days. With the addition of school uniforms in American society, students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. With the addition of school uniforms in public schools students are bonding together helping each other feel like they are accepted and part of a much bigger picture than just them. Everyone wearing uniforms also makes it very easy to recognize people who are not supposed to be there or can make an intruder stand out in a crowd. The Department of Education gave out manuals to all of the nation’s 16,000 school districts with suggestions to make school uniforms mandatory and model programs that are in a few public schools (Brunsma, 119). Reasons for implementing uniforms included: reduce peer pressure, increase school pride, gear focus more to learning, assist in discipline problems, and create a more work-like atmosphere with less distractions and expense. Schools that have significant problems are mostly likely to have school uniforms. Having a good overlap of a zero-tolerance policies and school uniform policies do not need the security guards, metal detectors, sign-in policies, or the limited restroom time (Brunsma, p. 51). Many parents are faced with the dilemma of outfitting their children in the latest trends or putting money towards more important things like saving for their children’s college education. Some families are unable to afford the popular named brand clothing that their children desires, which make the children, feel inadequate in school when they are forced to wear lesser brand clothes. Granted, the cost may be a bit more substantial in the beginning, but the uniforms will last longer which means there is less out-of-pocket expense for replacement articles. With uniforms, the parents may only have to purchase two or three sets compared to several pairs of bottoms and tops. Uniforms are more durable and can be washed more frequently compared to regular clothes. This makes them the better option not only for lower income families, but all families in general. Parents claim that uniforms will cost the families more money in the long run because parents will be forced to buy the uniforms and regular clothing for their children to wear when they are not in school. The cost for parents may double that of just buying traditional school clothes. Although this is partly true that parents would be faced making additional purchases for their children, in reality, should still be spending less money. Since uniforms are more durable, the parents only need to buy a limited supply and since the children will only be wearing their regular clothes outside of school, parents will not have to buy as many outfits. Most children wear out their clothes while in school. Since this is not an issue with the uniforms because they are worn during school hours only the traditional street clothes will last longer, hence saving the parents money in the long run. Also without the constant competition in schools, children may not feel the need to have the latest brands and styles as they would if they were wearing the clothes to school on a daily basis around other social classes. There are some objections to having children wear uniforms in school. The most popular one is the price of the uniforms; sometimes they may cost a lot depending on the company from which they are purchased. If the school does not go through a certain company but just asks the parents to buy certain colored shirts and pants, with no form f a logo on them, this would help make the cost of the uniform a lot less. Also, if the parents financially could not afford to buy the uniforms, then the parents would have to show proof of this and file for help with school board, which could provide them with a small grant to be used on the uniforms. In California, parents from low-income families are entitled to financial help and are able to receive assistance in purchasing the u niforms (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Lake Forest School District in Delaware does not supplement the cost of the uniforms to low income families but if a child is in need they do go case by case. The school nurse keeps uniforms on stock and the local church also supplies the uniforms (Ms. Lands). Today’s style of uniforms is more relaxed than what they were before. The boys would wear dark slacks, white shirts and a tie and the girls wore a traditional blazer, white blouse and a plaid skirt. Now they can wear khaki pants or blue jeans with a white T-shirt, denim shirt or skirts. The largest manufacture French Toast has more than 4,000 school uniform items (Anderson, 2004). On the FrenchToast. com website short sleeve dress shirts with collar for boys cost $9. 98, pants $16. 8 and for girls the blouses and skirts are $9. 98 and pants are $14. 98. If parents could get them on sale they would defiantly save money. French Toast has a â€Å"Dollar in Uniform† fundraising event going on right now if the parents order from their website than the school they select will get a five percent cash back. Not only do mandatory uniform policies for public schools offer the pot ential for higher educational benefits and improved student discipline, school uniforms dissolve social boundaries between classmates. Students are no longer judged based off their appearance but by who they are on the inside. There is no more competition between social classes that these students may have otherwise felt and they work together as a team and share a common pride. All students will feel a sense of belonging. No longer will lower income children be labeled as poor based on their clothing. All children will appear as equals in the classroom and will be treated as such (Viadero, 2005). School violence can be greatly reduced by the use of school uniforms. With kids unable to noticeably tell or distinguish which kids belong to what gangs in school if any at all. Also, with uniforms it’s much harder to tell which kids come are wealthy and which kids come from needy families. This can relieve kids of the stress that social economic status can bring. With uniforms children blend, which helps kids see who the actual person is rather then who or where they came from or what their culture is or background. Stepping into any public school with a normal dress code during lunch is evidence of the different groups in a school including different educational and social statuses. Some school gangs separate themselves by their clothes. At any moment there could be a confrontation between any of these groups and instantly a conflict has started or worse school violence could happen between people. When something happens everything is stopped until the situation gets resolved whether it’s broken up by the school cop, teachers, or resolved between the people it happened between. Some of this can be stopped, as Bill Clinton said in his 1996 State of Union Address â€Å"I challenge all our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenager will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniform. In the first year of using school uniform Long Beach, California, the school officials found that suspensions dropped by 28 percent; assault and battery decreased 34 percent fighting decreased 56 percent; sex offenses decreased 74 percent; vandalism decreased 18 percent and school crime decreased 86 percent (Brunsma, p. 36). With less violence in the school, more students want to come to school. Therefore more students would be more interested in going to school (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). RESULTS The school uniforms maybe a means of improving our efforts to help students in becoming healthier, making them a better citizen in their community and being an interest in our society. Realizing that the success of this policy may depend on each individual school system and their needs, and knowing a school uniform policy is not good for every school is of utmost importance. The studies that have been done have lacked the evidence that supports the school uniforms. Some schools might benefit from a school uniform policy. When adopting a school uniform policy many schools also adopted other new programs at the same time. It was unclear as to what exactly created the successes that were notable in the studies. DISCUSSION School Uniforms affect schools in a better way, appears that only when the school and community have done research and done their homework. The successful schools first compiled reasons for wanting school uniforms and then decided if they were relevant or not. There were surveys taken of staff, parents and the community to find out what the level of support was for the administration if they had to enforce a school uniform policy. Several steps were conducting and it appeared to work for many school districts. It is important to listen to everyone concerning the adoption of a uniform policy (Brunsma, 2006, p. 116). Slowly moving to give the community time to think about the positives and negatives of their decision is must. When wanting to implement the uniforms the style and nature should be considered as well the school history (McBrayer, p. 126). The students should always be involved in the decision making and choices, but they may not make the final decision. Parents and schools need to decide what is safest and healthiest for all and not just the individual. There were other changes incorporated in the schools at the same time the school uniform policy was adopted. Some examples of the changes that took place with the uniform policy adoptions were; changes in the curriculum, new problems solving curriculums, more teachers in the hallways between classes, and new discipline procedures. Changes are continuous and therefore it is difficult to only rely on one at a time. It is a very difficult job for administrators to develop safe and healthy schools. However, there are times that an administrator may determine a factor in the success of the school’s dress code, no dress code, or uniform policy. Consistency is very important part of keeping the students safe. CONCLUSION For the support of school uniforms the research of evidence, or the lack thereof, it is recommended that each school districts review the information concerning school uniform policies. Probably what would be best is observing a school that already has uniforms. Members involved should observe a school similar to their own; rural, urban or suburban, size and community standards. Members should also recognize and consider steps taken by other schools when they first enforced the school uniforms. It is very important to learn as much as they can about mistakes that took place at the other schools and consider possible successful alternatives. When putting a school uniform policy into effect everyone involved should have a discussion with the community including the students. Parents, students, administrators, teachers, support staff, and board members are all part of the community and should have a decision in the final decision. In the decision making they need to also discuss the prices of the uniforms and if there is going to be help for the ones who cannot afford paying for them. The future of our society depends on confident, inclusive, and caring people focused on valuing the skills, abilities and talents of all the decision makers. I believe that all students deserve a safe learning environment. School uniforms might be the best solutions to the public elementary schools education needs to stop the competitiveness of clothes and create better learning environments in student’s achievements and positive social outcomes. Anderson, W. 2004, February). School dress codes and uniform policies. College of Education, University of Oregon. Eric Digest, 148. Boutelle, M. (2008, February). Uniforms: Are They a Good Fit? Education Digest, 73, 34-37. Brunsma, D. (2004). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Brunsma, D. ( 2006, Jan/Feb). School uniform policies in public school. Principal, 85, 50-53. Brunsma, D. (2006). Uniforms in public schools A decade of research and debate. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Darden, E. (2008, January). What Not to Wear. American School Board Journal, 195, 36-37. French Toast Official School Wear http://frenchtoast. com/jump. jsp? itemID=0&itemType=HOME_PAGE&cobrand=www. frenchtoast. com Konheim-Kalkstein, Y. (2006, August). A uniform look. American School Board Journal, 193, 25-27. McBrayer, S. (2007, September). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education: A Symbolic Crusade. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 11, 124-126. Viadero, D. (2005, January). Uniform effects? Schools cite benefits of student uniforms, but researchers see little evidence of effectiveness. Education Week, 24, 27-29. School Uniform School Uniforms Should Students in Public Schools Wear Uniforms? Abstract One of the most controversial issues in public school is the school uniforms. In 1996, the issue of school uniforms was bought to the forefront in President Clinton State of the Union address. People argue that uniforms can make schools safer and improve attendance and increase student’s achievement. People opposing school uniforms argue that it has not been proven to work with discipline, attendance or the student’s achievement. The purpose of this research is to find out if school uniforms will work in all elementary public schools. Do the students and their parents want a change in their school district attempting to control many aspects, attendance, academic achievement, self-esteem, safety and violence? Interested in positive changes in the students success and achievement may want to consider school uniform policy in their school district. School Uniforms Uniforms in public elementary schools can have an impact on the students and on the school system. The students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. There is no competition between peers to outdo each other when wearing uniforms. Some parents complain that uniforms are too costly for them, but uniforms are actually more affordable and there are fewer clothes to buy because everyone will be dressed in similar clothing. There are also ways to help low-income families with the cost. The school can set up funding for low income families to help pay for the uniforms for their children in the form of donations, clothing vouchers, and support from the business partners of the communities; this problem can be overcome. The thrift stores and uniform supply houses also reduce the cost for the clothing. These things combined can make it far less costly to purchase standard clothing than to meet the demand for designer clothing worn now. Many private schools have required uniforms for a number of years and now public schools are adopting the school uniform policy. With Long Beach, California being the first large urban school district to enforce uniforms to all students in Kindergarten through eighth grade in 1995. In 1999, New York City enforced uniforms in 70 percent of their schools. In 2000, Philadelphia enforced the uniforms district wide and 60 percent in Miami and 80 percent in Chicago (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Since then school uniforms in public schools are becoming increasingly popular across the nation. Several other states have already implemented uniform policies in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, Michigan, Florida, Utah, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, and District of Columbia. Many large public school systems including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis have schools with either voluntary or mandatory uniform policies, mostly in elementary and middle schools (Brunsma, 2006). Advocates believe that the uniform policies have great benefits. They believe that it eliminates conflict over expensive items of clothing and has a business-like atmosphere to the school (Darden, p. 36). They also think that the uniforms will make schools safer, improve attendance, and a higher education achievement. By wearing uniforms in school they will be able to identify trespassers and setting a good example for the students who are serious about school work and their studies, and also discourages the activities of gang members and the tensions that result from wearing gang clothing attire (Boutelle, 2008). Opponents feel there is not enough evidence to support the relationship between the uniforms and discipline or uniforms and students achievement. According to Brunsma (2006, p. 85), he suggest that uniform policies may only serve as a band-aid in dealing with the problems of schools and may only provide policymakers a way to avoid making the decisions necessary to reform public education. Now the question is, â€Å"Would Delaware public elementary schools benefit greatly if this policy were adopted? † Resistance is always a factor when trying to make changes. Some par ents and students may not want the school uniforms for a variety of reasons. If the parents and students realize that uniforms will benefit them in the long run they may change their minds. There are many advantages to school uniforms, including academic advantages, social outcomes, behavioral issues, safety and cost of uniforms. Research is needed because elementary schools will benefit more if they had a school uniform policy enforced. Literature Review School uniforms have been the cause of many jokes and harassment to those who wore them. In the past, public schools considered uniforms old and out dated trends, though recently many public schools are starting to implement and enforce a uniform policy. The implementation of a school uniform policy is important if we are still striving to improve our students. The arguments against them are fading while the positive reasons for promoting school uniforms are gaining ground. Some of the possible benefits are safety, cost, uniformity and violence in academics instead of fashions. According to Boutelle (2008), school uniforms in today’s society â€Å"promote school safety and enhance the learning environment, and diminish the clothing completion† (p. 3). School uniforms unify a school and help the blending of the school cultures, instead of separating the students. Along with school uniforms there is a boost in academic performance. With the United States dropping behind other developed nation ranking in at number 18 of 24 (Boutelle, 2007), this is low for a nation that is spending a lot on education every year. Students are losing focus on school and are competing for what the newest fashion or gadget rather than focusing on school these days. With the addition of school uniforms in American society, students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. With the addition of school uniforms in public schools students are bonding together helping each other feel like they are accepted and part of a much bigger picture than just them. Everyone wearing uniforms also makes it very easy to recognize people who are not supposed to be there or can make an intruder stand out in a crowd. The Department of Education gave out manuals to all of the nation’s 16,000 school districts with suggestions to make school uniforms mandatory and model programs that are in a few public schools (Brunsma, 119). Reasons for implementing uniforms included: reduce peer pressure, increase school pride, gear focus more to learning, assist in discipline problems, and create a more work-like atmosphere with less distractions and expense. Schools that have significant problems are mostly likely to have school uniforms. Having a good overlap of a zero-tolerance policies and school uniform policies do not need the security guards, metal detectors, sign-in policies, or the limited restroom time (Brunsma, p. 51). Many parents are faced with the dilemma of outfitting their children in the latest trends or putting money towards more important things like saving for their children’s college education. Some families are unable to afford the popular named brand clothing that their children desires, which make the children, feel inadequate in school when they are forced to wear lesser brand clothes. Granted, the cost may be a bit more substantial in the beginning, but the uniforms will last longer which means there is less out-of-pocket expense for replacement articles. With uniforms, the parents may only have to purchase two or three sets compared to several pairs of bottoms and tops. Uniforms are more durable and can be washed more frequently compared to regular clothes. This makes them the better option not only for lower income families, but all families in general. Parents claim that uniforms will cost the families more money in the long run because parents will be forced to buy the uniforms and regular clothing for their children to wear when they are not in school. The cost for parents may double that of just buying traditional school clothes. Although this is partly true that parents would be faced making additional purchases for their children, in reality, should still be spending less money. Since uniforms are more durable, the parents only need to buy a limited supply and since the children will only be wearing their regular clothes outside of school, parents will not have to buy as many outfits. Most children wear out their clothes while in school. Since this is not an issue with the uniforms because they are worn during school hours only the traditional street clothes will last longer, hence saving the parents money in the long run. Also without the constant competition in schools, children may not feel the need to have the latest brands and styles as they would if they were wearing the clothes to school on a daily basis around other social classes. There are some objections to having children wear uniforms in school. The most popular one is the price of the uniforms; sometimes they may cost a lot depending on the company from which they are purchased. If the school does not go through a certain company but just asks the parents to buy certain colored shirts and pants, with no form f a logo on them, this would help make the cost of the uniform a lot less. Also, if the parents financially could not afford to buy the uniforms, then the parents would have to show proof of this and file for help with school board, which could provide them with a small grant to be used on the uniforms. In California, parents from low-income families are entitled to financial help and are able to receive assistance in purchasing the u niforms (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Lake Forest School District in Delaware does not supplement the cost of the uniforms to low income families but if a child is in need they do go case by case. The school nurse keeps uniforms on stock and the local church also supplies the uniforms (Ms. Lands). Today’s style of uniforms is more relaxed than what they were before. The boys would wear dark slacks, white shirts and a tie and the girls wore a traditional blazer, white blouse and a plaid skirt. Now they can wear khaki pants or blue jeans with a white T-shirt, denim shirt or skirts. The largest manufacture French Toast has more than 4,000 school uniform items (Anderson, 2004). On the FrenchToast. com website short sleeve dress shirts with collar for boys cost $9. 98, pants $16. 8 and for girls the blouses and skirts are $9. 98 and pants are $14. 98. If parents could get them on sale they would defiantly save money. French Toast has a â€Å"Dollar in Uniform† fundraising event going on right now if the parents order from their website than the school they select will get a five percent cash back. Not only do mandatory uniform policies for public schools offer the pot ential for higher educational benefits and improved student discipline, school uniforms dissolve social boundaries between classmates. Students are no longer judged based off their appearance but by who they are on the inside. There is no more competition between social classes that these students may have otherwise felt and they work together as a team and share a common pride. All students will feel a sense of belonging. No longer will lower income children be labeled as poor based on their clothing. All children will appear as equals in the classroom and will be treated as such (Viadero, 2005). School violence can be greatly reduced by the use of school uniforms. With kids unable to noticeably tell or distinguish which kids belong to what gangs in school if any at all. Also, with uniforms it’s much harder to tell which kids come are wealthy and which kids come from needy families. This can relieve kids of the stress that social economic status can bring. With uniforms children blend, which helps kids see who the actual person is rather then who or where they came from or what their culture is or background. Stepping into any public school with a normal dress code during lunch is evidence of the different groups in a school including different educational and social statuses. Some school gangs separate themselves by their clothes. At any moment there could be a confrontation between any of these groups and instantly a conflict has started or worse school violence could happen between people. When something happens everything is stopped until the situation gets resolved whether it’s broken up by the school cop, teachers, or resolved between the people it happened between. Some of this can be stopped, as Bill Clinton said in his 1996 State of Union Address â€Å"I challenge all our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenager will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniform. In the first year of using school uniform Long Beach, California, the school officials found that suspensions dropped by 28 percent; assault and battery decreased 34 percent fighting decreased 56 percent; sex offenses decreased 74 percent; vandalism decreased 18 percent and school crime decreased 86 percent (Brunsma, p. 36). With less violence in the school, more students want to come to school. Therefore more students would be more interested in going to school (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). RESULTS The school uniforms maybe a means of improving our efforts to help students in becoming healthier, making them a better citizen in their community and being an interest in our society. Realizing that the success of this policy may depend on each individual school system and their needs, and knowing a school uniform policy is not good for every school is of utmost importance. The studies that have been done have lacked the evidence that supports the school uniforms. Some schools might benefit from a school uniform policy. When adopting a school uniform policy many schools also adopted other new programs at the same time. It was unclear as to what exactly created the successes that were notable in the studies. DISCUSSION School Uniforms affect schools in a better way, appears that only when the school and community have done research and done their homework. The successful schools first compiled reasons for wanting school uniforms and then decided if they were relevant or not. There were surveys taken of staff, parents and the community to find out what the level of support was for the administration if they had to enforce a school uniform policy. Several steps were conducting and it appeared to work for many school districts. It is important to listen to everyone concerning the adoption of a uniform policy (Brunsma, 2006, p. 116). Slowly moving to give the community time to think about the positives and negatives of their decision is must. When wanting to implement the uniforms the style and nature should be considered as well the school history (McBrayer, p. 126). The students should always be involved in the decision making and choices, but they may not make the final decision. Parents and schools need to decide what is safest and healthiest for all and not just the individual. There were other changes incorporated in the schools at the same time the school uniform policy was adopted. Some examples of the changes that took place with the uniform policy adoptions were; changes in the curriculum, new problems solving curriculums, more teachers in the hallways between classes, and new discipline procedures. Changes are continuous and therefore it is difficult to only rely on one at a time. It is a very difficult job for administrators to develop safe and healthy schools. However, there are times that an administrator may determine a factor in the success of the school’s dress code, no dress code, or uniform policy. Consistency is very important part of keeping the students safe. CONCLUSION For the support of school uniforms the research of evidence, or the lack thereof, it is recommended that each school districts review the information concerning school uniform policies. Probably what would be best is observing a school that already has uniforms. Members involved should observe a school similar to their own; rural, urban or suburban, size and community standards. Members should also recognize and consider steps taken by other schools when they first enforced the school uniforms. It is very important to learn as much as they can about mistakes that took place at the other schools and consider possible successful alternatives. When putting a school uniform policy into effect everyone involved should have a discussion with the community including the students. Parents, students, administrators, teachers, support staff, and board members are all part of the community and should have a decision in the final decision. In the decision making they need to also discuss the prices of the uniforms and if there is going to be help for the ones who cannot afford paying for them. The future of our society depends on confident, inclusive, and caring people focused on valuing the skills, abilities and talents of all the decision makers. I believe that all students deserve a safe learning environment. School uniforms might be the best solutions to the public elementary schools education needs to stop the competitiveness of clothes and create better learning environments in student’s achievements and positive social outcomes. Anderson, W. 2004, February). School dress codes and uniform policies. College of Education, University of Oregon. Eric Digest, 148. Boutelle, M. (2008, February). Uniforms: Are They a Good Fit? Education Digest, 73, 34-37. Brunsma, D. (2004). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Brunsma, D. ( 2006, Jan/Feb). School uniform policies in public school. Principal, 85, 50-53. Brunsma, D. (2006). Uniforms in public schools A decade of research and debate. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Darden, E. (2008, January). What Not to Wear. American School Board Journal, 195, 36-37. French Toast Official School Wear http://frenchtoast. com/jump. jsp? itemID=0&itemType=HOME_PAGE&cobrand=www. frenchtoast. com Konheim-Kalkstein, Y. (2006, August). A uniform look. American School Board Journal, 193, 25-27. McBrayer, S. (2007, September). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education: A Symbolic Crusade. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 11, 124-126. Viadero, D. (2005, January). Uniform effects? Schools cite benefits of student uniforms, but researchers see little evidence of effectiveness. Education Week, 24, 27-29.

Show

Variety show is about showing talents and skills using creative minds. It is a way of entertaining people and getting socialize to other persons that are new and close to you. It is also a way in improving a person’s self –confidence and to help a person in getting socialize and interact with other people. When we start practicing for our variety, we encounter so many problems like misunderstanding and lack of cooperation but it didn’t affect our performance . Instead we do our best to have a wonderful and creative show. We prepare so many things to entertain our audience like we have fire dance, band, modeling and other things.When we started to performed in front of so many people we feel nervous and happy because all of our efforts and talents are can be share and shown to other people. All of classmates are cheering to each one of us to give strength and to help boost each of one’s self-confidence. At the end of our show you can see from their faces th at they are truly happy with what they done for the variety show, you can see to each one of us the laughter and the tears in getting flat one grade in our variety show. For me our show was totally great and worth remembering for although we had so many mistakes in our performance.I realize so many things after our variety show that we need to arrive early to have much time in preparing for our variety show and when you are performing in front, you must focus on audience faces . The audience should be the central focus of everything you do. Don't go over their heads unless it's the only thing keeping you upright. Make eye contact, smile at them, and feed of that energy . I enjoyed very much our first variety show in college and I would really treasure it for the rest of my life. Submitted by: Leedee Liane S. Carbonilla

Biology of STDs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biology of STDs - Essay Example Let us first examine an STD that remains a frightening epidemic and is usually a slow death sentence: "It is estimated that 14 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, and there were 2.5 million documented AIDS cases in early 1993" (Nye 1). "HIV attacks the type of lymphocyte known as helper T cells." (Mader 908) HIV (human immuno deficiency syndrome) is a member of the retrovirus family. It is called a retrovirus because it is in a class of viruses which literally imbed themselves into host DNA. It is important to note that any virus that alters DNA can also cause cancer. The altering of host DNA is done when the viral RNA undergoes a process which is almost inverse to DNA and RNA transcription in normal cell division. This reverse process works when an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes is used by the viral RNA to produce a DNA strand. It is this strand that ultimately becomes part of host DNA. When that host DNA is then transcribed into viral proteins from mRNA , the virus essentially is then a part of the host DNA. Once this takes place, the virus begins affecting the host's immune system. The HIV virus binds to markers on immune system cells called CD4 markers. Once an individual is infected with HIV, their immune system is progressively annihilated by the virus. The paradox of HIV is that while the immune system cells effectively destroy virus particles, the virus continues to reproduce itself such that more viral particles are produced. In addition, the immune system continues to destroy cells infected by the virus but more cells are then produced as replacements. This continues until the patient does not regenerate as many immune system cells such as T cells. Eventually, the patient becomes infected with something as simple as the common cold or flu and does not have the immune system capabilities to fight it off. This often results in death. There are in fact three stages to AIDS. They are referred to as categories A-C. From the time of infection through year 1 is represented as category A. This is a time of little to no symptoms, but the spreading the disease through sexual activity to others is likely. Category B is characterized by flu like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and herpes-like outbreaks. This period lasts about 8 years. It is during category C that patients are considered to have "full blown AIDS" and typically fall victim to infections that become lethal. There are new drugs on the market that AIDS patients can take to prolong their life span to some degree. Not all sexually transmitted diseases are as aggressive and life threatening as HIV and AIDS but can still cause irreparable damage to the patient. An example of this is Herpes. This virus remains in the body indefinitely. There are two types of Herpes. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and Herpes Simplex Virus 2. The fist kind of herpes is usually responsible for cold sores while the type 2 form causes genital lesions or genital herpes. Type 2 herpes is more sever and also less common. Type one herpes is spread through mucous membranes when infected partners engage in oral sex. The herpes virus usually takes between 4 and 10 days to incubate. In occurrences of breakouts, lesions form which fill with fluid. This fluid's content is cells which have been infected with the virus as well as inflammatory cells. The fluid

American History Progression by 1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American History Progression by 1865 - Essay Example American Independence followed this in 1776. Before the reconstruction era, the Americans focused on Slave trade and thus set up certain trade patterns. However, the reconstruction era ended the slavery. The reconstruction era led to reunion of the state that had broken up from the union (Oslon 72-76). The election of Thomas Jefferson is often viewed as the start of a revolution which lasted from 1775-1783. It after this that order was established in America. His administration focused in establishing union in America for progressive growth. After the war, the American founders focused on enhancing growth. In 1789, George Washington affected the bill of rights and a stable national government was established. During Washington reign, the Bank of Unite States was established and it shaped the American Financial system. Moreover, a tax system and federalist party were established (Oslon, 165-169, 211-206). Another important happening in the history of America is the civil war in 1861. This war was important since it followed the Confederation of States of

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 21

Psychology - Essay Example The potential of machines were thought to be able to eventually encompass â€Å"an inductive and creative mind, capable of taking initiative, to which human beings could confide all their problems and obtain instant solutions in return† (Ifrah, 1997: 1679). This misconception in the early days of the computer has carried over even to today. This discussion examines the functions of the human brain in addition to the meaning of knowledge and the limitations of machines as compared to the human mind. Mechanical computers, unlike the functions of the computer-like brain do not have the capability to determine right from wrong nor can they make judgments, have no feelings and cannot think on their own. Computers cannot reason, imagine, invent, create, express thoughts, manage ideas, make judgments or possess the ability to adapt to differing situations and therefore cannot solve problems that are new to them. Unlike the human brain, computers aren’t conscious of their own being, have no concept of the world around them and cannot execute voluntary activities (Ifrah, 1997: 1616). Because machines are only able to follow directives, they do not possess the capability to be self-aware. If it is accepted that computers do not and will never become aware of their own being, then it is reasonable to ask what enables the human’s biological machine to attain consciousness while the silicon-based computerized ‘brain’ cannot. Possibly, the answer to this question is the fact that the structure of the human brain is self-organizing. It responds to the individual characteristics and the independent nature of interactions between itself and the particular environment. However other natural, biological systems such as many types of simple ‘animals’ and all plant life encompass a multifaceted, self-organizing interrelationship within its inner mechanism yet are also not aware of themselves. This indicates that though

The Painted Monasteries in the Southern Bucovina Essay

The Painted Monasteries in the Southern Bucovina - Essay Example The giddying, scope and detail of the Voronet Monastery fills every reasonable square centimetre of the external Western wall. â€Å"These walls have been roundly declared as the most interesting and marvellous Bucovine fresco. Just like any of the existing Monastery paintings in Romania, the Voronet Monastery painting is something of a miracle† (Vorhees, 19). Voronet Monastery painting pigment is only 2 millimetres thick, making the lasting sturdiness of the frescos easier said than done to explain. With the exemption of the Voronet’s northern wall, which has absorbed the impact of centuries of Romania’s elements, the external frescos remain unbelievably vibrant. The northern wall represents Genesis. The southern walls comprise a tree of Jesse with the lineage of biblical personalities. The photograph was taken using a much-digitalized camera that makes it clear and more balanced. The most important part of photography is to be sensitive to natural light. Lookin g at the picture below, you will realize that a brilliant sun found a hole in the clouds and lighted the monetary from the side hence making the entire picture glow. The colour in the picture creates a sense of history, place and emotion about Romania tourism sector. Additionally, the photography used Adobe Camera Raw, comprised of Photoshop CSA and Photoshop element that ensures that the image is high quality. The Monastery paintings are a true reflection of ethical art. The monastery paintings are framed as western frames and it is used religiously hence they have both symbolic and religious significance.

Developing Professional Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Developing Professional Practice - Essay Example The new large scale retailers took three forms: department stores, co-operative societies and multiple chains (Jenkins, Johnson and Watson, 1997, p.1). It is estimated to boost in size by 15% in the next five years. UK retail industry contributes towards the 8% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which involves mounting success of UK retailers overseas and the growth of e-commerce which accomplishes far beyond borders of United Kingdom. It also accounted for 4.5 million part-time and full-time equivalent jobs (Hillingdon, 2012, p.1). Hypermarkets like Asda and Tesco are proficient to capture wide customer base due to their diversified offerings. Along with Asda and Tesco, Morrison and Sainsbury’s also accounted for a market share of more than 80% of retail food sales in the United Kingdom. Travis Perkins Plc operates as a builder’s merchant and home improvement retailer in the United Kingdom. It is a leading company in the builders’ merchant and home improvement markets and is the largest supplier of building materials in the United Kingdom. ... This report will focus on the core structural elements of the retail industry and the main challenges currently facing by the retail industry in the United Kingdom. Core Structural Elements The core structural element of the Retail industry in the United Kingdom comprises of the key players who have captured a broad customer base because of their diversified offerings. To name a few, these were Tesco, Asda, Travis Perkins plc, J Sainsbury plc, Co-operative Group Ltd, Marks & Spencer Group plc and HMV Group plc. There are also recent developments experienced in the retail industry and because of such developments the UK retailers are considered to be the largest retailers in the world. Key Stakeholders In United Kingdom, the key players in the retail sector were Tesco plc, Asda, Travis Perkins plc, J Sainsbury plc, Co-operative Group Ltd, Marks & Spencer Group plc and HMV Group plc. Tesco plc is an international supermarket chain based in United Kingdom. It has acquired first position in UK retail market. The core purpose of the company is to create value for the customers in order to receive their lifetime loyalty. It is the largest British retailer by both domestic market share and global sales. The main product of the company includes financial services, groceries, life insurance and telecom. Their strategies involve looking after employees of the company so that they can serve the customers in a better way. It accounts for 42.8 billion pounds in terms of revenue and 2,480 million pound in terms of trading profit (Annual Report, 2012, p.1). Travis Perkins plc operates as a builder’s merchant and home improvement retailer in the United Kingdom. The purpose for the existence of Travis Perkins is to create wealth for the

Inter Organizational Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inter Organizational Systems - Essay Example ers has grown tremendously since the initial startup by the United States department of Defense in 1969, growth in Internet has expanded creating new ways in which people interact and do business. There is a lot of information obtainable on the internet; the information available on websites is used to serve different audiences, some of it may be helpful for research while other is mere opinions. Therefore, it is upon the viewer to determine how useful the materials they are seeking on the web are to them. Human beings have a natural liking for beautiful objects; in the virtual world the developers of websites realize this inherent human weakness or strength, they utilize it develop a usable and an attractive website. This website http://www.ladpss.org/ is going to be used in evaluating the attractiveness and user-friendliness of a website. An attractive website is one that has a proper layout; it is free from unnecessary advertisements, offers multilingual pages, offering alternative versions of study in formats such as frames or texts amongst other features (Buchanan, 2004). The conventional evaluation technique for attractiveness include the following, First, astute use of color, this should be reflected in color balancing, whereby, pastel colors should have low saturation levels. Secondly, symmetry and style this implies use of curved shapes which attracts more than rectangles. Third, structure, consistent layout and usage of deepening field -layers this stimulates interest in the user, in addition, background image with low saturated color gives depth to the foreground. Choice of media to attracts attention whereby audio and video gives an exciting sensation and increase alertness. Finally, using design of unusual or abstract arouses the users’ imagination (Sutcliffe, 2002). A user-friendly website is defined on user interaction concerning the ease of finding the website through usage of search engines, the time the user takes to find the information

Comparing Leadership in Military and civil work Place Essay

Comparing Leadership in Military and civil work Place - Essay Example It also discusses the leadership styles and how the followers can accept them as a leader, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the two kinds of leadership opportunities. Leadership in the Military Vs Leadership in the Civil Service Bureaucracy According to Laver & Mathews (2008), military leadership involves persuading others to achieve the mission through provision of purpose, course and inspiration. Military leaders lawfully exercise authority over the subordinates based on grade or position in the organizational structure. They have a responsibility of ensuring that the mission is accomplished and that the welfare of the subordinates is maintained. The organizational structure of the military leads to bureaucratic leadership whereby significant procedures guide the military operations. There is a hierarchical structure from the top where the senior most staff is positioned to the bottom where junior officers are found. In other words, the structure represents a chain of command, which is a significant and most fundamental strategy for the accomplishment of organizational goals (McLaughlin & Osborne 2002). In bureaucracy, authority is distributed through statutes, bureaucratic systems as well as the positions of people in the hierarchy, which are defined by the particular office that the person holds. There are usually rules that govern the conduct of individuals at all levels, which are important in enhancing harmonious relations in the workplace and the maintenance of justice and equality not considering a person’s background. Lynn (1998) observes that consistency is maintained while on the other hand it is possible to avoid and deal with potential risks. People are safe guarded against injustices. However, bureaucracy in the contemporary civil workplace is slowly being displaced by the concept of new public management which focuses on the quality and effectiveness of service delivery rather than organizational structure. Military leaders may find difficulties in adapting to the new public management (Owen, 2003). Leadership Communication Leadership communication is significant for the accomplishment of the goals of leadership. It involves eloquence in expressing the ideas of the leader to the subordinates. In a military organization, effective leadership communication determines the relationship between the leader and the subordinates (Hersey et al. 2007). Helps the leader to effectively persuade his/her subordinates to adopt new ideas for the accomplishment of tasks. Efficient communication in the military enhances interactions between leaders and the subordinates, which is significant in the identification of problems and finding viable solutions especially due to the risky tasks involved in the military. Military leaders communicate the needs of their subordinates to those in higher ranks thereby generating confidence amongst the subordinates especially with the realization that their needs have been put in to co nsideration. A leader who effectively communicates with the officers in the lower cadres generates loyalty and enthusiasm in the force. Loyalty is fundamental in the success of the military (Laver & Mathews 2008). Similarly, effective leadership communication in the civil service is significant in maintaining credibility and ability to generate positive perception amongst workers. The leader is capable of establishing useful links with important stakeholders, which is necessary for building strong collaboration for

Advise the Board of Directors of Choc Delux of their liability to Assignment

Advise the Board of Directors of Choc Delux of their liability to Kylie under the tort of negligence - Assignment Example The inclusion of a new ingredient was not communicated to customers. However, it can be argued that nuts are edible and are mostly used alongside cocoa. In this regard, Choc-Deluxe did not foresee any harm. According to tort law, harm should be foreseeable for a firm to be accused of negligence, thus, liability can be exempted. Consequently, the relationship between a firm and its customers is a bother. For a firm to be held responsible, there must be proof that it understands the customers situation, thereby proving negligence of the duty of care (Caparo Industries Plc v Dickman [1990] 1 All Er 568) The complications that arose from consumption of the product caused Kylie a huge economic loss. However, there is a weak link between the company’s products and the economic losses of Kylie. Choc-Deluxe cannot be accused of negligence since they had no information about the chain of events that would lead to the loss. Thus, the duty of care cannot apply in such instance (Hedley Byrne V Heller [1963] Ac 465). In Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850, a defendant cannot be deemed negligent if the damage caused by the actions were not foreseeable. In the case of Coke deluxe, the damages to the plaintiff could not be foreseen as her condition was not known to the company, thus, the company is not responsible for the violation of torts. Consequently, there was no established link between nuts and injury among many consumers, thus making Kylie’s a unique case. The extent of economic and health damage caused by consuming chocolate laden with nuts can be attributed to lack of proximity in the relationship between the firm and the customer. Irregardless of the fact that Choc-Deluxe needed to communicate to the customers about the changes, a tort could not be admitted since the company did not have the details of her special circumstances and if knowing her circumstances would have made an impact on the

The Hobbit Questions Essay Example for Free

The Hobbit Questions Essay 1. The first three chapters reveal Bilbo’s â€Å"ordinary world†, how he is comfortable and relaxed with his same old life, then the â€Å"call to adventure†, when Gandalf shows up and asks Bilbo for his help and Bilbo’s â€Å"refusal of the call†, and â€Å"meeting with the mentor† was when all the dwarves and Gandalf took over Bilbo’s house, then the morning after the â€Å"crossing the first threshold† is revealed when Bilbo leaves his house and town accompanying the dwarves into the new mysterious world. 2. The Hero – Bilbo Baggins, he is the main character, â€Å"The Hobbit†. Mentor – Gandalf, he is very wise, he guides and helps Bilbo. 3. Bilbo’s â€Å"ordinary world† is his house and town, and Bilbo crossing the threshold is when he enters the unknown world, which is when he accompanies the dwarves without proper preparation and encounters his first enemies, the trolls. 4. Smaug, â€Å"The Shodow†, is introduced in the dwarves’ story as the dragon that drove all the dwarves out of their mountain and claiming their treasure. Smaug’s flaming breath can scorch a city, his huge wings can carry him great distances, and his armor-like hide is almost impenetrable. Smaug can also speak and possesses a dark, ironic sense of humor. 5. At Chapter one, in Bilbo’s â€Å"Ordinary World† food wasn’t the issue at all, Bilbo’s little party had lots of food and everyone ate. At Chapter 2 food was very limited and was hard to find. Chapter 5 1. I believe that Gollum is the â€Å"Shapeshifter†, he might not change his look but he is two-faced, as if there are 2 people in his little body, which disrupts Bilbo from his adventure. 2. In Chapter 5 Bilbo is alone without Gandalf or the dwarves to assist him and he has to deal with Gollum all by himself. This helps Bilbo transform and grow into a smarter, more courageous and confident little â€Å"Hero† by making his own decisions the â€Å"right† decisions, for example he could’ve killed Gollum but he felt bad and let him live. 3. The Hobbit is a children’s story and since Chapter 5 seems to be a dark scary place Tolkien had to use something to enlighten the mood and he used riddles and he made Gollum have almost like 2 sides, a â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† side. Up to Chapter 14 1. Bilbo had to overcome trolls in the forest, goblins in the misty mountains cavern, Gollum in the tunnels bellow, the goblins’ Wargs chasing the group down, giant spiders in Mirkwood, being then captured by the wood elves, dealing with Smaug in his lair. 2. In the beginning Bilbo Baggins is very home-sick, he wanted to be back in his â€Å"ordinary world†, but the Took in him made him want to continue with the journey. After every challenge, enemy or problem Bilbo overcame he became smarter, making better decisions, confident and courageous, making him less scared to move forward and fair, being caring towards all. 3. Bilbo was hired to be a â€Å"burglar† and most of the crew thought of him being useless although he ended up being far more than that, he saved his crew countless number of times from their enemy, he also was doubting himself a whole bunch in the beginning, he then overcame one problem at a time, building his inner confidence, and without Bilbo and his perks (the ring, his fairness and decision making skills) his crew would’ve gone nowhere.

Typical Family

Typical Family As society has evolved, so has the idea of the typical family.  Historically, the idea of family  consisted of one father (the King of the Castle, so to speak), one mother (often the family matriarch) and a child or children, all of whom are biologically related. The image painted around the All American Family  is one that includes a beautiful house with blue window panes and a white picket fence, set right in the middle of middle-class, suburban America. While families that do fit this stereotype continue to exist, many of todays typical American families have the roles of the parental units filled by not just one mother or one father. Parental roles are being filled by grandparents, aunts, uncles, elder siblings, adoptive parents, single parents, co-parents and/or step-parents. The children in these families may or may not be biologically related to the parents or caregivers; if the children are not biologically related they are usually adopted children, foster children, or step-children. Families such as these are often referred to as blended families . The term co-parenting  is sometimes used when two parents of a child are not married to each other. The same term is also used when referring to a family that has two lesbian mothers and/or two gay fathers. Although there is open opposition to gays and/or lesbians being parents or wanting to be parents (whether biologically, foster or adoptive), studies show that people around the world support and acknowledge these types of families. According to Gary Gates at the Urban Institute, as of May 30, 2003, the amount of lesbian mothers has grown to between one (1) and five (5) million; the amount of gay fathers has grown to between one (1) and three (3) million; and there are eight (8) to ten (10) million children who have one or more gay or lesbian parent.1 Mr. Gates further states that, 96% of all U.S. Countries have at least one same-sex couple with children under the age of 18  in their household.2 If one were to compare these numbers to the numbers that would be presented of tr aditional families, these numbers seem quite minimal; however, in the fight for gay and lesbian rights, these numbers are encouraging. Because the numbers continue to increase each day, they are also a testament to the desire of gay and lesbian parents to be seen as equivalent members within their communities, Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transsexual (LGBT ) community or otherwise. Societys general outlook on gay and lesbian parenting is also changing. According to a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal (1999), one-third of poll takers endorsed same-sex marriage and unions. These same people would most likely endorse same-sex parenting. Though there is acceptance and welcome for people in the LGBT community to openly parent and raise children, gay and lesbian couples and individuals still face many challenges from others who are not so open minded. Some people have argued that homosexuality is a mental disorder, therefore are of the opinion that members of the LGBT community should not be able to marry or have children. The American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality is NOT a mental illness [emphasis added] in 1973.3 The American Psychological Association adopted the same measure in 1975. As psychology was one of the first disciplines to study homosexuality in depth, psychologists have discovered that the fear of being gay (or homophobia ) has played a key role in anti-gay attitudes and behaviors of those who disagree with the gay lifestyle. Though this finding has helped people better understand the reasons certain people are uncomfortable or against the LGBT lifestyle, it has not completely neu tralized the unfounded fears that some people have. There have been some arguments that gay or lesbian parents will molest their children, biological or otherwise. The Child Welfare League of America studied and concluded that, the likelihood of homosexual adopters molesting children placed with them is no greater than it is for the general population. 4 Roland Summit, M.D. concludes that, the vast majority of offenders are heterosexual men. Male offenders who abuse young boys maintain adult heterosexual relationships. The habitual molester of boys is rarely attracted to adult males.5 The premise that ones sexual orientation defines that person as a pedophile has been proven false time and time again. This particular fear has propounded multiple studies, most, if not all, with the same generalized conclusion. The American Psychological Associations policy statement regarding placing prospective adoptive and foster children within gay or lesbian homes reads, in pertinent part: The picture that emerges from research is one of general engagement in social life with peers, parents, family members, and friends. Fears about children of lesbian or gay parents being sexually abused by adults, ostracized by peers, or isolated in single-sex lesbian or gay communities have received no scientific support. Overall, results of research suggest that the development, adjustment, and well-being of children with lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly from that of children with heterosexual parents.6 This policy has generously helped LGBT parents to fulfill their dream of having a family through the adoption process.

Four Functions Of Management At Fedex

Four Functions Of Management At Fedex Originally FedEx Corporation is recognized as FDX Corporation. It is a well-known logistics services company. The company was founded in the United States in 1971. FedEx furnishes customers and businesses all over the world with an all-inclusive portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services (About FedEx, 2010). The company offer incorporated business applications through functioning companies competing conjointly and managed collaboratively, under the well-thought-of FedEx brand. FedEx had attained significant position among the worlds most accepted and committed employers. It operates with more than 275,000 employees and contractors. It motivates all its employees and contractors to remain perfectly, positively concentrated on safety, the highest ethical and practised measures and the demands of their customers and communities. The company operates all over the world with its following segments: FedEx Express: This segment of the company offers numerous shipping services for the deliverance of packages and freight. FedEx Ground: This segment of the company offers business and residential ground package delivery services. FedEx Freight: This segment extends less-than-truckload freight services, as well as shipment carrier services. FedEx Services: This segment of the company offers sales, marketing, information technology support, customer service support, document solutions and business services and many other advanced services (FedEx Corporation, 2010). The significant functions of management that managers at all the levels of FedEx perform in order to achieve its organizational objectives, are as follows: Planning: This function of management is the conscious determination of future course of action. This involves why an action, what action, how to take action and when to take action. Thus, planning includes determination of specific objectives, determining projects and programs, setting policies and strategies, setting rules and procedures and preparing budgets. Organizing: Another significant function of FedEx management is organizing. Organizing is the process of dividing work into convenient tasks or duties, grouping such duties in the form of positions, grouping of various positions into departments and sections, assigning duties to individual positions, and delegating authority to each position so that the work is carried out as planned (Montana Charnov, 2000). Leading: The nest crucial function of management is leading. In this function of management a proper direction is determined by the company managers that help the employees in the proper understanding of their role to attain the goals and targets effectively. Leading is the process of influencing the behaviour of others to work willingly and enthusiastically for achieving predetermined goals. Controlling: The last significant function of management is controlling. This function involves identification of actual results, comparison of actual results with expected results as set by planning process, identification of deviation between the two, if any, and taking of corrective action so that actual results match with expected results (Harris Hartman, 2001). It brings to light all bottlenecks in work performance and fulfils the needs of the situation. Globalisations and its Impact on FedEx four Functions of Management Globalization is a procedure of interaction and compounding among the people, companies and governments of diverse nations. It is a procedure determined by international trade and investment and assisted by international technology. This procedure has its consequences on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity and as well as on the human physical well-being in associations all around the world (FedEx and Key Industry Drivers, n.d.). This external factor is making a prominent impact on the operations and functions of management of FedEx. Increasing globalization of its business had make a prominent impact on its planning function of FedEx management as now it had become more complex and requires more crucial analysis of international markets. In addition to this the function of organizing and leading business operations and all resources is also become difficult as now the company involves a diverse workforce and diverse customer base with different needs and demands. The last function of management controlling is also evolved as a difficult task due to the involvement of different type of international risks. Technology and its Impact on FedExs Four Functions of Management Technology is the employment and cognition of tools, proficiencies and crafts. It had made life of human beings more easier as it involves advanced know-hows in the form of tools and techniques. At FedEx emerging technology is playing an increasing role in offering critical information at any point in time about the location of a customers product and the time of delivery (FedEx and Key Industry Drivers, n.d.). With the increasing effect of technology the four functions of FedExs management is significantly affected. With the use of advanced technology, the companys planning and organizing function had been affected greatly as now its planning is done by making use of advanced technology and IT tools. For organizing all its operations and resources the company make use of up-to-date tools and techniques like for giving training to its employees now it make use of electronic sources (Huff, Maher Munro, 2004). Increasing use of technology and electronic means of communication also make a significant impact on companys leading and controlling function of management. With advanced tools and techniques both of these functions of FedExs management had become more easy and effective. E-Business and its Impact on FedExs four Functions of Management E-business is a term that can be used to delineate businesses run on the Internet, or employing Internet technologies to ameliorate the productivity or profitability of a business. In a more universal sense, the term could be used to explain any form of electronic business (Sharif, Ching, Bakri Zakaria, 2005). In present more and more companies are adopting this practice of doing business and similar is the situation with FedEx that is also making use of electronic sources and internet for communicating with its client and doing business. This e-business practice of the company had made tremendous impact on its four functions of management as now company does not have to indulge in complex planning as now it performs all its functions with the help of web, which makes everything simple and speedy (FedEx and Key Industry Drivers, n.d.). The organizing and leading function of management are also affected with this practice of e-business as now company can track performance of its employees and operations through web rather indulging in more formal procedures. The use of web had made everything very easy and quick and now the controlling of business operations had also become very easy. Conclusion With the detailed discussion of company operations and functions of management, it could be said, that the management of all these functions is essential as otherwise it could not direct the company towards its pre-determined goals. With the discussion of globalization, technology and e-business it could be conferred that these entire factors make a prominent impact on companys four functions of management because as time had changed this functions of company management is also changed. The impact of globalization, technology and e-business had advanced these functions in a significant manner, which in turn facilitates FedEx in managing its business.

An Analysis of Oedipus the King :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

An Analysis of Oedipus the King Here is a story where Oedipus the King, who has accomplished great things in his life, discovers that the gods were only playing with him. He has everything a man of that time could want; he is king of Thebes, he has a wonderful wife and children, and great fame through out the lands. He has lived a good life, but in the end everything is taken from him. The priests of Thebes have come to Oedipus to stop the plague that is killing the people of Thebes. They revere him for his knowledge, since he solved the riddle of the Sphix many years before and became the king. As the reader is introduced to Oedipus, they are given many facts about his life so that they become familiar with this man who has done great things. But Oedipus learns from his brother-in-law, Creon who he had sent to Delphi, that Apollo has placed this plague upon Thebes until they "Drive the corruption from the land, don't harbor it any longer, past all cure, don't nurse it in your soil - root it out!" Â ¹ Oedipus swears an oath before the priests and the chorus (which represents all people of Thebes) that the murderer would be found and driven from the land. Oedipus at the time does not realize that he has just condemned himself. By a strange twist of fate, Oedipus who was discarded by his great father at birth and was raised in a foreign land, comes back to his home land and kills his father, Laius, and marries his own mother, Jocasta. All of this is unknown by Oedipus making him "the tragic hero conscious or unconscious of his intentional tragic act?"Â ² Poor Oedipus discovers that he had killed his father and married his mother at the climax of the play when the Shepard is questioned. He states "I stand revealed at last - cursed in my birth, cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands!"Â ³ He then finds his mother after she has committed suicide and proceeds to gouge out his own eyes with her brooches. Here in lie's the real tragedy of this play. Oedipus was ignorant of the fact that his father had discarded him at birth because of another prophet's predictions, but the twist of fate reveals all, condemning him to loose all things dear to him and to be pitied by the his loyal followers and the audience.

Comparing Daystar and Those Winter Sundays Essay -- comparison compare

The two poems I have chosen to analyze are Daystar by Rita Dove and Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden. The poem Daystar struck me from my first reading of it because I do the same thing this woman did sometimes. The apartment I share with my husband has a balcony where I have planted some flowers, and sometimes when the whether is nice I drag a rocking chair out there into the sun and just sit and let my thoughts wander. This poem reminds me of those moments. The author uses imagery in the poem to make the experience of this one woman stand out vividly. The first lines of the poem say "she saw diapers steaming on the line / a doll slumped behind the door." The phrase "steaming on the line" is especially strong, making me able to feel the balmy heat of the day and the bright warm sunshine on my skin. Also, the diapers and doll may serve as symbols in this poem for all the cares that the woman carries in looking after her children. Right now she wants to put all that behind her, and doesn't want any reminders of it. She wants to escape into a place where there are no demands. Another visual image in this poem occurs when the woman is looking around her backyard, and she sees "the pinched armor of a vanished cricket, / a floating maple leaf." These are little things that catch your attention for a second, not things to sit an contemplate about. I think the point is that the woman doesn't really want to think about anything, she just wants to be. Sometimes she doesn't even want to look at anything, but instead close her eyes and see only "her own vivid blood." This image of the woman looking at her own blood makes it seem like this time alone reminds her that she is very "alive" -- that she has a free will and can... ...ut something the mother is doing for herself, while the second poem is all about the sacrifices the father made for his son. Comparing them shows the mother to be the more "selfish" of the two, in that her child and husband are distractions from her revelry, and they are somewhat burdensome to her. But the father is totally self-sacrificing -- getting up in the "blueblack cold," making a fire with "cracked hands that ached." He takes no thought for his own comfort, except, possibly, when he gets angry. This makes me think if the father had spent some time relaxing like the mother, maybe he wouldn't have gotten as angry. Maybe thinking of yourself every once in awhile is a good thing, I don't know, but it is interesting to note the contrast. I think mother in the first poem is person we can relate to, but the father in the second poem is a person we admire.

Criteria for Performance Evaluation Essay -- Human Resource Management

Introduction Human resource policies and procedures are the most important aspects of developing acceptable organizational behavior in an organization. This is because mutual well-being, confidence, trust, and intelligence of all members of the organization determines the success of the organization hence the need to pay critical attention to it. The mid-sized manufacturing plant’s engineer hired for the modification of the plant had positive job performance credentials but poor interpersonal relations and tidiness at work place. This situation put the plant manager in a difficult position when it came to developing a well outline assessment of the engineer. Criteria for Performance Evaluation The three sets of performance evaluation mechanisms that brought concerns for the manager and the employee in the current evaluation structure included poor relationships with co-workers, personal characteristics, and behavior. These points of concern were particularly causing friction between the manager since the employee maintained that his performance was above reproach and produced results. However, despite the engineer’s concerns, the three most commonly used assessment criteria are behavior, performance standards, and skills and competency (Mayhew, 2010). Skills and competency refer to the solid technical knowledge an employee applies in accomplishing tasks. The ability to perform tasks for which one was hired and to meet organizational objectives set for him is fundamental in performance evaluation. Performance standards refer to what an employee must do to meet the manager’s expectations and normally include how proactive an employee is in handling his wo rk (Mayhew, 2010). The behavior of an employee is crucial bec... ...the use of external mechanisms on specific roles played by different employees. External evaluators minimize the impact of biases; promote strict professionalism and promotion of assessment by members of a similar profession, as well as the promotion of employee confidence in the organizations intentions. Works Cited Anonymous. (2009). Performance Appraisal Biases. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Management Study Guide: http://managementstudyguide.com/performance-appraisal-bias.htm Kelchner, L., & Media, D. (2011). Three Common Performance Evaluation Methods. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-common-performance-evaluation-methods-23608.html Mayhew, R. (2010). Job Performance Evaluation Criteria. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from e-How Money: http://www.ehow.com/info_8083608_job-performance-evaluation-criteria.html Criteria for Performance Evaluation Essay -- Human Resource Management Introduction Human resource policies and procedures are the most important aspects of developing acceptable organizational behavior in an organization. This is because mutual well-being, confidence, trust, and intelligence of all members of the organization determines the success of the organization hence the need to pay critical attention to it. The mid-sized manufacturing plant’s engineer hired for the modification of the plant had positive job performance credentials but poor interpersonal relations and tidiness at work place. This situation put the plant manager in a difficult position when it came to developing a well outline assessment of the engineer. Criteria for Performance Evaluation The three sets of performance evaluation mechanisms that brought concerns for the manager and the employee in the current evaluation structure included poor relationships with co-workers, personal characteristics, and behavior. These points of concern were particularly causing friction between the manager since the employee maintained that his performance was above reproach and produced results. However, despite the engineer’s concerns, the three most commonly used assessment criteria are behavior, performance standards, and skills and competency (Mayhew, 2010). Skills and competency refer to the solid technical knowledge an employee applies in accomplishing tasks. The ability to perform tasks for which one was hired and to meet organizational objectives set for him is fundamental in performance evaluation. Performance standards refer to what an employee must do to meet the manager’s expectations and normally include how proactive an employee is in handling his wo rk (Mayhew, 2010). The behavior of an employee is crucial bec... ...the use of external mechanisms on specific roles played by different employees. External evaluators minimize the impact of biases; promote strict professionalism and promotion of assessment by members of a similar profession, as well as the promotion of employee confidence in the organizations intentions. Works Cited Anonymous. (2009). Performance Appraisal Biases. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Management Study Guide: http://managementstudyguide.com/performance-appraisal-bias.htm Kelchner, L., & Media, D. (2011). Three Common Performance Evaluation Methods. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-common-performance-evaluation-methods-23608.html Mayhew, R. (2010). Job Performance Evaluation Criteria. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from e-How Money: http://www.ehow.com/info_8083608_job-performance-evaluation-criteria.html

Web Design Report

| Coursework 1 Website Report | Diarmuid Bogner / B00614798| | Dr Hui Wang Dr Hui Wang Contents Page Introduction____________________________________________________________ pages 3 -4 Analysis_______________________________________________________________ pages 5 – 6 System Design_________________________________________________________ pages 7 – 11 Implementation_______________________________________________________ pages 12 – 16 Conclusion___________________________________________________________ pages 17 – 21 Appendices______________________________________________________________ page 21Introduction Purpose The purpose of this website was for a web development based company showcase the web sites they have created, the services they offer, help and support for new and old clients and to display contact information. Another purpose for creating this website was to help increase the amount of clients that the web development company was getting. Creat ing this website also allowed me as a beginner web developer to further develop the skills that I have already acquired such as XHTML and CSS. Organisation and Function of the Website The website I created is organized into several pages.Each page was named with an appropriate name to correspond with the information that was viewed on that page. For example the contact page was named â€Å"contatct. html†. This easily allows me to identify which page I was currently working on and would help if I had to make any changes or updates in the future. The website is made up with 15 different pages. In my website directory there is also a CSS file called style. css. This file contains all the style information on my website for example the background colour or the text font, size and colour. Naming the . ss file â€Å"style† again would help me or anyone else having to edit the file knows what the purpose of the file is. The website layout follows the standard top to bottom o rganization. The website has a logo at the top, and then below is the navigation which is easy located by visitor so they can easily navigate around the website. The function of the navigation bar is to create links between different pages of the website. For example clicking on the â€Å"About† link will bring you to the about page. There are also links on the links page which bring the user to external pages on other websites.Outline of Information to Be Included In the Report This report will contain quite a large amount of information. Below I will briefly outline the information included in the report: Introduction – In the introduction section of the report I will explain the purpose of the website I created, the organisation and the function of the website which basically means how the website works. Analysis – In the analysis section of this report I explain what the target users are and what they require from my website.The report will also contain a da ta collection which is where I sourced all my information to create the website. System Design – The system design will contain an outline design of each page that will be created for the website and the rationale. Also this area will contain all the links of the pages and the type of information that has to be included on each of these pages. Implementation – In this section the report there will be screen dumps of each page and I will explain the main features of each page. Also I will have a description of how my main features where added to the website.Conclusion – the conclusion section of the report will contain a complete evaluation of the website, and if I feel that my finished website has meet all the user requirements and how I have met them. I will review what went well and what didn’t go as well as expected when designing and implementing my website. Also I will include some ideas that I think my make an improvement to my website. Appendices à ¢â‚¬â€œ The appendices section will contain any references that were used throughout the report, design and implementation of the website. Analysis Target Users and their RequirementsThe target users for my website can be anyone. But the main focus is for users that are interested in obtaining a website for their personal use or for a business. The website has requirements that I need to insure that I meet them all. Requirements * Clear layout website for easy browsing – The website must be made up with a simple, effective a clear layout and not seem confusing. * Easy functionality – Users on the website must be able to use the functions of the website with ease. * Appealing colour scheme/template – The colour scheme and the template/layout need to be appealing using bright colours and nice imagery. Corresponding information – The information on the website needs to be relevant to the website, for example information about football would not be relevant t o a web development organisation. * Follow the HCI guidelines – The website needs to strictly follow the Human Computer Interaction guidelines. For example I need to take into consideration that some visitors on my website maybe colour blind so using colours that users can see clearly wither colour blind or not. * Easy to update and maintain – The website needs to allow easy maintain and update when needed.To achieve this using proper indenting and comments on the code will help me to find areas of the code that need updated. * User friendly – I need to make sure that the website is user friendly and that the users browsing my website can easily navigate around the site and can read the information that my website displays. * Compatible – Making the website compatible with all browsers is a requirement. This is because if one user is viewing the page using Mozilla Firefox another user using internet explorer may see the website differently and this could affect the users overall experience of the website.Data Collection All of the information I used for my website was written by me, I did however use the internet for some information such as my images, icons and links. For my icons and images I used a website called http://www. iconfinder. com/ and I also used Google image search. For some of the definitions on my â€Å"Links† page I searched Google, and at the top of the search results page a definition appeared. Throughout writing my CSS code I used http://www. w3schools. com/ as a reference for certain CSS techniques such as creating my website background. Outline of Page DesignsI found that using text boxes in Microsoft Word was a great way for me to design the layout of each page on my website. You can see below how I achieved this. Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Homepage Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Developmen t Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view.Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view. Button used for users to request quote Button used for users to request quote Links to pages on website Links to pages on website â€Å"Get quote† â€Å"Get quote† Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop About Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web DevelopmentHome | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s About Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view. About Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view. Relevant image for page. Relevant image for page. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’sLogo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Services Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Services Services Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a serviceIcons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Portfolio Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’sPortfolio Portfolio Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Thumbnail ima ge of previous designed website. Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop ContactNavigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Image of Office Image of Office Contact Contact Content Area Contact form, and information such as the address and telephone number will be shown. Content Area Contact form, and information such as the address and telephone number will be shown. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Google Map of Office Google Map of Office Footer Navigation BarFoot er Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Links Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Links Links Link description Link description Link Icon Link Icon Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Link descriptionLink description Link Icon Link Icon Link description Link description Link Icon Link Icon Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s FAQ’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s FAQ’s FAQ’s Content AreaFrequent questions and answers to them will be viewable on this area. Content Area Frequent questions and answers to them will be viewable on this area. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Links of the Pages (Site Map) This is the logo I created using Adobe Photoshop and various techniques for the desired effect. This is the logo I created using Adobe Photoshop and various techniques for the desired effect. ImplementationNavigation links, when the mouse cursor is over the top of the link it changes to a lighter shade of grey. Navigation links, when the mouse cursor is over the top of the link it changes to a lighter shade of grey. Home Footer navigation, again with the use of rollover links. Footer navigation, again with the use of rollover links. Background image, which I found on Google images. Background image, which I found on Google images. Rollover â€Å"Get Quote† button which becomes a lighter shade of grey when mouse is over it. Rollover â€Å"Get Quote† button which becomes a lighter shade of grey when mouse is over it.Form created with HTML to allow user to send an email for a quotation. Form created with HTML to allow user to send an email for a quotation. Quote Reset Button resets the data that has been inputted into the form. Reset Button resets the data that has been inputted into the form. Submit button sends the form. Submit button sends the form. About The text on this page has been formatted into bullet points to make it more user friendly and easy to read. The text on this page ha s been formatted into bullet points to make it more user friendly and easy to read.Image added to page to make it more appealing. Image added to page to make it more appealing. Icons to represent services that the company offer. This makes this page look a lot more appealing. Icons to represent services that the company offer. This makes this page look a lot more appealing. Services Thumbnails of web designs to add a gallery effect to the portfolio page. Thumbnails of web designs to add a gallery effect to the portfolio page. PortfolioLarge Image shown so users can clearly view the previous work. Large Image shown so users can clearly view the previous work.Portfolio Image Example Back button to return the user to the previous page. Back button to return the user to the previous page. After clicking on any of the previous design images will load a larger scale of the image with the exact same layout and format as the screenshot above. After clicking on any of the previous design ima ges will load a larger scale of the image with the exact same layout and format as the screenshot above. Image of office added to page to give users an insight to what our offices is like. Image of office added to page to give users an insight to what our offices is like.Contact Contact information and a form added for users to complete and submit to website admin email. Contact information and a form added for users to complete and submit to website admin email. Google maps embedded to show users where the office is located on Google maps. Google maps embedded to show users where the office is located on Google maps. Links Information about each link. Information about each link. Icons added to represent the links, the icons are also clickable which brings you the new external link. E. g. clicking the YouTube icon brings user to youtube. om Icons added to represent the links, the icons are also clickable which brings you the new external link. E. g. clicking the YouTube icon brings user to youtube. com Questions and answers clearly formatted for easy reading, this is proof of following HCI guidelines. Questions and answers clearly formatted for easy reading, this is proof of following HCI guidelines. FAQ’s Button to bring user to continued support page. Button to bring user to continued support page. Help & Support Form to request future help & support.Again this form is emailed to the website administrator. Form to request future help & support. Again this form is emailed to the website administrator. Conclusion Evaluation of Website I feel that my website has met all the user’s requirements. You can see evidence of each of the users requirements from the screenshots above. Below are all the requirments and how I felt that I have met them. * Clear layout website for easy browsing – My website has been made using a simple layout which only contains a header, navigation, content area and a footer navigation.The website is also easy to brow se as I asked members of my family and friends to try and navigate around and they could do this with ease and no confusion. * Easy functionality – All of the functions that my website uses are all easy to use. For example the forms which the users complete to contact the website administrator are all very self-explanatory and users have no problem completing the form. * Appealing colour scheme/template – The colour scheme and the template that I have created is very appealing. Again I have got friends and family to try to use the website and they have all commented that it is very olourful. You can see evidence of this with the use of the background image and icons on different pages of the website. * Corresponding information – All of the information on the website corresponds to the type of the website that I created. * Follow the HCI guidelines – I have followed the HCI guidelines very strictly when creating this website. An example of this would be t hat the website does not use any colours that colour blind users may find difficulty viewing. * Easy to update and maintain – The layout created allows for easy updating and maintenance.For example if I wanted to add a new page to the website all that must be done is a copy of the page, delete the information that was copied, add new information to the page and add the page into the navigation bar. * User friendly – I find that my website is quite user friendly. The website is easy to use and the information is clear and users would have no problem reading and understanding the information. * Compatible – I have fully tested the website with a few of the most popular web browsers. You can see evidence of this below: Chrome Internet Explorer Mozilla FirefoxAs you can see from the above screenshots that the website displays correctly in all browsers so I have met the compatibility requirement. Review of Successes and Problems I found that my design was very succes sful. Creating the plan of the design was crucial in creating a fully functional website. I found that making a clear and an easy to follow plan allowed me to implement my website with very few issues and it gave me an insight to what the website would look like when completed and what look I was aiming for. Meeting the user requirements I thought would be a hard obstacle to overcome.I did a module in a computing course which solely focused on Human Computer Interaction This gave me the knowledge of HCI guidelines and ideas on how to follow them and how to stop barriers. Along with my knowledge and a full plan I was able to meet all the user requirements whilst overcoming HCI difficulties. The only thing that didn’t go to plan was the CSS code for my background. When attempting to add the background using CSS I could not get the desired look. The image kept stretching and as I added more content to the page the image repeated. After researching some more CSS online using W3sc hools. om I came up with the idea that the background should stay fixed and the rest of the page should scroll. This fix completely fixed this issue. The code I used is as follows: Ideas on Improvement & Further Development After reviewing my website I have came up with areas that I could improve on and areas of the website that could be further developed. I found in my portfolio gallery when clicking on the image instead of having a text button â€Å"[Back to previous page]† I could have used a rollover button which users would have a lot less difficulty trying to find and also it would make the page more interactive for the user.Instead of having a text button on this page I could have either added a button or better added a support link on the navigation bar. This improvement also gave me an idea where I could further develop my â€Å"Continued Support† area by using a PHP help desk script which allowed users to register and they could write issues on tickets that a re then viewed by administrators and support is given.Also adding a help chat room where clients can speak live with support staff. An example of this type of software that could be integrated is â€Å"oS Ticket† which is an open source software. http://osticket. com/ References: www. google. com/images www. w3schools. com http://www. iconfinder. com/ http://stackoverflow. com/questions/1150163/stretch-and-scale-a-css-image-in-the-background-with-css-only