Organizational Behaviour Team Assessment EssayReport Essay

Organizational Behaviour Team Assessment EssayReport - Essay Example Effective teams need to work together and take collective responsibility to complete significant tasks (Campion, Medsker and Higgs, 1993). So teams are formed around a specific purpose. It provides the team a meaningful purpose which decides the direction, momentum and commitment of the team members. This purpose is a vision and broader than specific goals. In my college, I am one of the team members working to shift and rearrange our library. Setting an objectives and purposes motivates members and increase sense of responsibility and ownership over the work and it make the work more interesting to perform. In my team, the main purpose of the team is to shift the library and arrange the books according to subject index, so that it could be available to each student as soon as possible and it's become easier to search the books immediately. We are the team of 15 self motivated enthusiastic students having zeal to perform the job. This self managed work team is capable of performing highly related or interdependent jobs and ready to take many of the responsibilities. Our team is ready to take the planning and scheduling of work, assigning task to members, collective control over the pace of work making operating decision, taking action on problems. Being the fully self managed team, we have the autonomy to select our team members and ev aluate each other performances objectively. Due to these specific characteristics, team leader position within the team decreases and it is almost vanished. We as a team have liberty to express our views and could set our schedules, which has been decided collectively. We have the choice of selecting new members, and disciplines members who creates problems. As a result our response to job assigned to our team has increased and implementation process becomes fast. Once we selected our team members we have different kind of person's having different abilities. In our team we have four members with technical expertise in library sciences. Another four members are from the computer sciences department who are capable of computerizing the library so that book could be found more easily and be issued to students without any problem. Apart from these members of technical expertise our team has 2 members having excellent problems solving skills. These problems solvers and decision makers a ctually been able to identify problems, generates alternatives, evaluates those alternatives and can make competent choices. The remaining 5 members are from management stream in which one member is form supply and logistic management stream. Apart from being in different streams and backgrounds all the members are good listeners as well as are able to provide objective feedbacks and have the ability of conflict resolution; all the members of my team have good interpersonal skills (Stevens and Campion, 1994). But having members with specific skills also require proper mixture of all the qualities. My team has higher mean levels of conscientiousness. The whole team always tries to maintain higher level of conscientiousness because if a single team members who lacks minimal level of say agreeableness, can negatively affect the whole team's performance so we all members of the team always try to motivate each other and try to create an informal atmosphere within the team. We have a job in our hand i.e., to shift the

Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage Essay Example for Free

Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage Essay Managerial Finance Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage If a firm utilizes debt financing, an X% decline in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) will result in a decline in earnings per share that is larger than X. True b. False 2) Firm A has a higher degree of business risk than Firm B. Firm A can offset this by using less financial leverage. Therefore, the variability of both firms expected EBITs could actually be identical. 3) It is possible that two firms could have identical financial and operating leverage, yet ave different degrees of risk as measured by the variability of EPS. ) Which of the following events is likely to encourage a company to raise its target debt ratio, other things held constant? An increase in the corporate tax rate. An increase in the personal tax rate. An increase in the companys operating leverage. d. The Federal Reserve tightens interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. e. The companys stock price hits a new high. 5) The firms target capital structure should be consistent with which of the following statements? Maximize the earnings per share (EPS). Minimize the cost of debt (rd). Obtain the highest possible bond rating. Minimize the cost of equity (rs). Minimize the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). 6) Which of the following statements isAs a firm increases the operating leverage used to produce a given quantity of output, this will normally lead to an increase in its fixed assets turnover ratio. b. normally lead toa decrease in its business risk. normally lead to a decrease in the standard deviation of its expected EBIT. d. ormally lead to a decrease in the variability of its expected EPS. e. ormally lead to a reduction in its fixed assets turnover ratio. 7) Reynolds Resorts is currently 100% equity financed. The CFO is considering a recapitalization plan under which the firm would issue long-term debt with a yield of 9% and use the proceeds to repurchase common stock. The recapitalization would not change the companys total assets, nor would it affect the firms basic earning power, which is currently 15%. The CFO believes that this recapitalization w ould ikely to occur if the company goes ahead with the recapitalization plan?

The Macro and micro environment Analysis

The Macro and micro environment Analysis Business can be influenced by many different external stimuli, for example, recession in economy would put a direct effect on any business, moreover, national economy downfall, inflation rates would put and adverse effect on the business too. Besides, what turned out to be an adverse effect for many companies, it became a beneficial point for Dominos pizza, becoming one of the leading and dominant pizza service on earth. As stated by CEO of Dominos Pizza that results have shown the enough proof that in time of recession our prices and our company remained stable. The trend had totally changed, people who used to eat out were deceased in numbers which shown that people are not willing to make expenditures or maybe they dont have enough to spend. The CEO of Dominos Pizza was committed to make planning which included a process of obtaining funds which they couldnt get in the past which has been invested on Alternative investment market. Share price of this this company also went up to the top since the company has been established in 1999 and this large group now possess more than 500 sites only in United Kingdom and Ireland, which more plans to open in the future. By bringing new ideas into work, Dominos sales had gone up by introducing new pizzas for example Meatero. Second one to mention would be Rugby theme Scrummy, alongside the new ways in which orders are made. Orders are not only taken via phones but also online, cell phone texts. This type of ordering has gone up in a significant way. Environment of outside is very dynamic and is rapidly changing, everything which is outside the boundary of the business would be counted as an external source. Dominos continue to succeed, even in the current harsh economic conditions, because of dominos unrelenting focus on the quality of dominos pizzas, intense devotion to service and by marketing to dominos customers when and where they want to order. It is this passion that has delivered profit growth of 27.8% to  £29.9m (2008:  £23.4m) and that will continue to drive dominos business in years to come. PEST ( Political, Economic, Social and Technological) i. POLITICAL ISSUES: Political issues include regulatory frame work operating in judicial system which may affect the business in different ways. There are not many political factors in UK affecting Dominos business. Factors such as laws on business employment, pollution and taxation apply on the organization which it has to follow regarding the rules. ii. ECONOMIC FACTORS: If the countys economy is better so the GDP of the country will be good, this is a green signal for the business as the per capita income of the people will be increased and they will spend more money. In dominos survey dominos came to know that most of the people in the beginning of the months spend more and they visit Dominos very often. When the inflation rate increases the cost of raw material also increases and this leads towards high prices of the products and vice versa. iii. SOCIAL FACTORS: Dominos is a multinational and it is basically originated from America so the organization is overwhelmed by dominos western culture. There are social forms of society which consist of Upper class, middle class, middle upper class, lower class. Every country has cultural norms, values, beliefs and religion which can affect the organization. iv. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Now a days technology is improving so as baking and heating ovens will be of new and efficient technology and will provide efficient service. Due to new technology there are new ways of marketing like internet; telemarketing and the organization can advertise their products with much more faster pace. Computer based customer data that is MIS (managing information system) helps in collecting customer data, daily transactions, future forecasting and decision making. New vehicles will make their service more efficient. Briefly discuss the industry of sector The food industry is a complicated and one of the diverse business which operates alongside and provide food to consumers around the world. People who are not considered inside the scope of this industry are those farmers who grow on their land for themselves and survive on it. The food industry includes: Laws: which include All laws applicable which govern the food industry whether local, regional, national or international regulations. Education: This includes academic, vocational and consultancy Research and development: It would be done with the help of food technology Financial services insurance, credit Manufacturing: this would include agrichemicals, seed, farm machinery and supplies, agricultural construction, etc. Agriculture: raising of crops and livestock, seafood Food processing: preparation of fresh products for market, manufacture of prepared food products Marketing: promotion of generic products (e.g. milk board), new products, public opinion, through advertising, packaging, public relations, etc. Wholesale and distribution: warehousing, transportation, logistics High level technologies outline prevailing food production. In this many areas are included. Agricultural machinery, human labour has been almost practically eliminated by use of tractor in the field. Biotechnologies are bringing change, in such areas as agrochemicals, plant breeding and food processing. Many other areas of technology are also involved, to the point where it is hard to find an area that does not have a direct impact on the food industry. Computer technology is also a central force, with computer networks and specialized software providing the support infrastructure to allow global movement of the myriad components involved. Key success factors The critical success factors are related to dominos broad areas, customers preference for pizza as a food item. Its ability to prepare a pizza within a short time, to deliver it within 30 minutes of recording the order, and the store location. Since Dominos business model is based on home delivery, the speed of preparing the pizza and delivering it are the critical success factors. International strategies (Competitive analysis) SWOT Analysis: Every organization has its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. So, the SWOT analysis for Dominos is as under: Strengths: Dominos is the market leader in providing different products of pizzas as there are no competitors in this sector. There good image makes the organization more strong. Dominos is providing good taste, quality products with qualified staff, good atmosphere and hygienic environment. They are specialized in pizzas. Motivation level of staff is very high which make the organization more prosperous. They are ISO (International Standard Organization) certified. They have enough resources for operating different activities of the organization. They are providing free home delivery service. They have created monopoly in this sector. Another big Strength and even a Competitive Advantageos the fact that they have a full service restaurant as well as delivery services. Most of dominos competitors do not have restaurants. Because of the restaurant, Dominos can market too many different segments that other pizza chains cannot. For example, Dominos can market to families much easier than Dominos o r Little Caesars. Dominos weaknesses: The fact that Dominos does have a restaurant to run is also a weakness. Dominos has higher overhead costs, due to the restaurant that other competitors dont have to deal with. Another result of higher overhead costs is higher prices Dominos must charge. Obviously, Dominos is not the low cost producer. They rely on their quality pizza and good service to account for their higher prices. They are providing less range of products comparatively with high prices. They are more focused on western taste instead of Eastern. Very few outlets have dine-in facilities The menu is limited and pricey, and there are very few budget items on the menu. Opportunities: New markets can be explored and new opportunities they can gain. Dominos can come up with the new products considering the Eastern taste of the people as like McDonalds. Diversification of new products can increase their market share. They can reduce their prices because of more Dominos. Threats: Dominos number one threats are from their competitors. Currently, Their closest competitor is pizza hut who is working to open their Branch rapidly. Dominos main competitive advantage over Pizza hut is their lower price. Evaluate dominos company strategies with other different companies: Dominos has succeeded in expanding over continents and observed spectacular achievements, but in efforts to develop globally it has not been able to manage the domestic market with full efficiency and as a result, is losing grounds in the domestic market. Dominos has raised the standards of pizza industry to great heights, but in current economic situation, rising commodity prices and decrease in peoples purchasing power, it is struggling to balance between profitability and maintaining its standards. The increasing competition in the fast food industry adds to its array of challenges. A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been a menu that has constantly evolved and expanded to cater to the changing needs and specific preferences of customers in different parts of the world. In having understood the pulse of the customers, Pizza Hut has clearly established itself as a brand with a Britain heart and Dominos need to learn that. Benchmarking: The status of Dominos has been as a private company, After making benchmarks with competitors, it has been observed that the level of sales for many years has been the same, which is a big achievement and is financial indicator that the organisation is towards growth and success in the retail business. It seems like good news for company. Speaking of bad news, the growth at which the competitors were going it was faster as compared to that of Dominos. It was actually giving up market share. At the same time, Dominos were celebrating internal celebrations of the fact that against our own internal matrix Dominos were doing well. Dominos did not only have to consider the past achievements and results in benchmarking but also it needed to take a look around at competitors, and on many occasions, Dominos require to realize what their outcomes are and initiate to grip ourselves responsible for that particular level of functioning. Dominos accept unevenness since dominos can choose a lot of people around us who are just as mediocre as dominos are. I want to find the very, very best, and I want to benchmark against them, and I want to get as good or better. I think if I lead that expectation and I get my team and my organization to embrace it, thats how dominos were going to become world-class performers. Takeaways Upon successful establishment of a business, masses think that there is no room of improvement any more, but things change either towards betterment or worseness. The minute companies become satisfied and pathetic in a minute when they go down. when To have a high-performance organization, you must foster a culture of continuous improvement. Dont accept mediocrity. Instead, look to your competitors, and benchmark yourself against them to achieve world-class performance. Organisation business plan: A businesss plan is the way of decisions and conducts made by the business to accomplish its goals. A business has a diversity of goals and objectives. In order to achieve business goals businesses should make sure that they organize their business in most efficient and effective manner; in achieving those objectives different plans are made. In the same way, Dominos has laid down many objectives which will help achieve the targets. Internal and external changes in the environment have made Dominos to reconsider the past strategies. The PEST and SWOT analysis illustrate the changes in environment. After rethinking all the factors Dominos has taken decision upon establishment of business plan, called functional plans These plans have been designed to make improvement in the operation efficiency of a business. All business organizations take on plans at practical level as once the practical objectives are accomplished; business objectives turn out to be easy. In order to make the practical strategy well organized, Dominos has made coordination among all its department. Porters Five Forces analysis of market structure The competitiveness of any company can be evaluated using famous five Porter`s forces. Porters Five Forces make an effort to analyse the charm of any industry by looking five forces in the market. Porter suggests that the probability of commencement of profits in a given industry will be depended on five factors. 1. The probability of new entrants, for example more the barriers for entry of new entrants are places more the chances of present market capturing firm to make high profits. The chances of entering a market would be hard if: Heavy capital spending is required which would constitute to big entry cost. Firms which are already equipped with past experience and knowledge of marketing would be advantageous. Another new entry barrier could be a Government policy, which blocks entry or makes it uneasy; for example, imposition of tax on imports which would make a barrier for foreign firm to get entry in the local market. The current brands are more reliable and have a high level of trust on their name The reaction of established firms could be hard hitting towards new comers in pricing The established entities could be in much more domination over supplies, for example, more proportion of the market is under influence of companies as De Beers. 2. The power of buyers. The stronger the power of buyers in an industry the more likely it is that they will be able to force down prices and reduce the profits of firms that provide the product. Buyer authority will be more if: Market does not have many big buyers, so established ones would be of particular importance to the firm. To gain the trust of buyer, it is very essential to bear in mind that provision of services should be of high standard at a reasonable price. As buyers could have strong bargaining power and could actually take possession of the firm, this warning could lead to better provision of services. 3. The power of suppliers. If suppliers are in a position in a particular market that their dominance is very strong that new entrants have fewer chances to make profits out of that sector because market is influences by those established suppliers which gives them power to decide how the business should operate in that sector. Suppliers will be more dominant if: They are in small numbers (leaving fewer choices). To go from one supplier to another would not be easy or could be very costly. The bargaining power of supplier can give them enough control to take hold of existing firms. 4. The extent of competition This estimates the degree of rivalry among those operating firm. Higher competition would make lesser chances for operating firms to make higher earnings. Competition will be complex if: There is greater proportion of parallel firms in terms of their masses and all going for a tough competition to capture consumers in the same market. The ultimate result for industry leavers could be threatening, because their funds are invested. This means the established firms will not take it easy and will fight hard in order to keep their resources intact. In a situation where there is higher level of capacity utilisation then prevailing firms will put an effort to win the sales to increase their own demand. There will be a fight in a crunching market when volumes of sales will be getting lower. If there is not much reliability then consumers are most likely to switch. 5. Additional threat. This measures the extent to which buyer can change its taste and move on to other products of the same industry e.g. travel in public busses rather than private cars. By looking at Porters analysis, we see that firms are more likely to get higher rewards if the business: Is complex to pass in Has not much competition Has to deal with small buyers Has to deal with small suppliers Have no other alternatives. Whereas, rewards are more likely to be lower if: Entrants can pass in easily There is high level of competition within the industry The Buyers are powerful The Suppliers are powerful There are other options available For top management it is crucial that they understand and acknowledge the consequences of Porters five factors before making a decision of industry to operate into. Ways to make favourable outcome should be sorted by trying to bring change in these five factors For example: One solution could be the mergers between rivals, there are such examples in the past in automobiles industry, pharmaceuticals and banking industries when rivals merged together to remove competition. If distributors could be bought up by firms then more influence of buyers can be achieved. If firms can stand out themselves among their rivals by unique selling proposition then this could good achieve positive results for the firm, the example of such marketing practitioner would be Coca Cola if they respond energetically to a firm that enters its market this may deter potential entrants in the future These five forces tend to change accordingly conditions of the market. For instance, customers have access to wide range of information these days to compare their options and prices; this makes consumer a powerful individual. The exposure of world markets (for example through the efforts of the WTO to increase the effect of safeguarding trade limits has led to much more competition in markets in past few years. In North America, It has been seen that in automobile industry leader Toyota is declining where as General Motors has risen in terms of sales recently just because consumers have now more options. At the same time, World Wide Web has even made easier for producers to enter in the markets because people have access to the internet all over the globe and online shopping trend is increasing day by day. The world of business is dynamic and environment surrounding particular industry is unpredictable and will keep changing. International market approach: Dominos concept is focused on outstanding people on a task to become the greatest pizza delivery company on earth. The commitment is to bring joy, energy and value to customers by making a delivery of pizza on time. Because the aim of the company is not only to provide services on their outlets in fact reaching out to customers on single call and by way of quickest delivery be at their door step. Customer should have many options to choose from the menu. Variety of different combination would give an edge. Customer should have the feeling that he is getting the finest offer whereas company making sure that it is earning to its extra potentials. Menu cards show that different types of pizzas have different prices on them; family size pizza can be one example of this. The extreme profit is made in meat items which is again with different combinations and verities is combined together to make an individual pizza. As soon as customer is on the table or an order has been made from outside, not only reasonable price is charged but also on some occasions discount coupons are provided to customers so that not only they can have their delicious food in a fine environment but also have some inducement to buy from Dominos. Hence, consumers are compelled to uphold trust towards Dominos. Endurance, shaping relationships and making use of change in condition Over long period of time, Dominos has grown and brought a wide range of products to the table which gave Dominos an additive advantage over its competitors, which included internationally famous pizzas for instance, Italian pizza, pan pizza and stuffed crust. In the menu offers the option of a complete meal. Besides, Dominos are nowhere behind their competitor Pizza Hut in bringing in home tradition. Dominos have a firm belief in their slogan that Think global act local. How the firm should make an entry into the market: Dominos Pizza could manage to cover the market by providing Pizza with a quick home delivery system. Dominos not only captures walking customers but also makes advertising on various media to capture wider areas so that more market is covered. Progress plan: Pizza hut is defined generally as a family deal. The reason behind it is they dont approach their customers in a direct way. They focus entire proportion at the other hand their rivals focus a certain demographical area. However pizza hut aims at a wide range of population. By successfully doing this, they achieve their targets in a profitable manner. They are faced by many rivals in the industry due to which they have to do almost everything to stay in the market because their competitors are on every high street. Pizza hut not only makes a commitment to provide best food but also considers the prize to which it should be delivered, making it as reasonable as possible. They try to give something extra in their commitment, i.e. in their food they give unique variety of stuff crust which brings customers to their doors every now and then. Their menus also have vegetarian pizzas with salad and past bar which is not offered by many restaurants. This is one of those ideas which could attract more customers. Likely development in next 10 to 20 years: Top management level of Dominos is unable to grasp the key idea which could bring change growth and innovation. They couldn`t get the whole process from which an organisation goes through which starts from birth and taken to a level of growth and maturity eventually reaching at a level of decline. This process is simply unavoidable. In the initial stage of growth, capital expenditures are made with very little or no return. Its only through crunching operational incompetence and ineffectiveness, obtaining and or inclining market share that companies regain their initial capital expenditures Dominos stayed at position of S-Curve where maximum return are being gained without taking account of the fact that decline of profits are probable. Only time can tell whether they have team and leadership development which will finally decide whether they will incline or decline. Reasonable suggestions for enhancement and advancement in overall scenario. †¢Bring new things in the way Pizzas are made. †¢Concentrate on areas where the outlets are situated. †¢Take the quality of pizza the upper level. †¢Maintain good environment in outlets. †¢Should concentrate more on marketing itself confidently. Conclusion: Dominos Pizza regularly innovates the way its product goes with the likings of its customers and in feedback getting customers satisfaction. The slogan of this company which illustrates its aim is that Think Global and act local. Hence, every now and again Dominos Pizza has been suiting its products with delicious touch for consumers. Moreover, giving quality food at reasonable price has been one of the earliest mottos. Steps have been taken such as Fun Meal and Pizza Mania to popularize it more among consumers.

Sleeping Beautys Castle Essay -- Compare Contrast Castles Architectur

Sleeping Beauty's Castle The past has a great influence on present culture. However ideas and themes of the past can change with time. This is true with the ideas associated with the medieval castle. These castles, which once served as a military fortress as well as a residence, are now often associated with the fantastical, popular images people can have of the middle ages. Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland is a good example because it represents an idea to many people of what a medieval castle may have looked like. However the Disney castle is not an exact representation of a medieval castle. The differences in style and architecture between the Sleeping Beauty Castle and a medieval castle reflect each castle's varying functions and result in different impressions associated with each castle. Sleeping Beauty's castle is located at the Disneyland amusement park in Anaheim, California. The castle was opened in April 1957, roughly two years after Disneyland itself opened. Since its opening, the castle has become a major attraction at the park. It is often shown in advertisements for Disneyland and appears on its movie logo. The castle stands in the center of the park, at the end of Disneyland's Main Street. It is also directly aligned with the front entrance of the park. The exterior of the castle is the main emphasis of the attraction. It represents the medieval castle where Sleeping Beauty was born. The numerous towers and walkways that make up the castle are inaccessible. They are only part of the castle's decoration. Visitors to the castle will find that they cannot ascend into any of these towers and can only walk straight through the castle. The walkway through castle displays a diorama of Sleeping Beauty's life... ...types. The more knowledge that is known about medieval castle, the more apparent it is that his castle is an exaggerated version that is aimed more at expressing the magical and fantastical qualities that modern society associates with the middle ages than at giving a true historical representation of a medieval castle. Works Cited: 1. Hughes, James. Military Architecture. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1974 2. Levron, Jacques. The Royal Chateaux of the Ile de France. New York: Rand McNally & Company, 1965. 3. Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York: Prentice Hall, inc., and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 1995. 4. "Architecture." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1986. 5. "Castles." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1986. 6. "Middle Ages." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1986.

Reflection on Theorists/Theories Essay

Maria Montessori bought us the theory of observation of children to open the door to a way of teaching. Arnold Gesell, who bought us the developmental milestones of children. Refer to as the norms, should be consider a starting point to measure development. Both still inspiring early educators of today. It is impressive that Maria Montessori is the first female physician in Italy. This endeavor was a major feat to achieve in her time. She provided great contributions to the cognitive-development theory. Not only did she achieve this accomplishment, she used her skills to aid the children of poverty and disabilities. This to me is a very courageous and endearing act. During her work with impoverished communities, she observed that the environment had no stimulation or structure for children to learn. This led her to embark on another adventure, she opened a preschool named Casa di Bambini in 1907. Maria Montessori formed her beliefs by observing children. One of Montessori’s beliefs, â€Å"In reality, the children are the teachers†. The adults were to create an environment conducive to learning. Once this environment is created the children would venture out and learn through play. This belief is still practiced in childcare facilities today. There are safety guidelines that each facility must abide by for the protection of all children. Complying with the safety regulations and ensuring children can be active and play without danger, in turn gives children a wondrous world to investigate. In her observations, she formed many other beliefs. One being education of children starts at birth and continues on in the early years of childhood. She called these years the â€Å"sensitive periods† (Gordon and Browne 14). The Daily Montessori web site writes, â€Å"Within Maria Montessori’s framework due to her studies with children, she has observed the occurrence of sensitive periods. In other pedagogies it can get called developmental milestones or windows of opportunities. It is these periods in the child’s life when certain ability manifests itself strongly. During these periods, the child has an especially strong sensitivity towards a particular piece of knowledge or skill. The sensitivity lasts for a certain period and does not reoccur†. Sensitive Period for Order (age 18 months to 2 years) Sensitive Period for Language (birth to 6 years) Sensitive Period for Movement (birth to 4 years) Sensitive Period for Refinement of the Senses (birth to 5 years) Sensitive Period for Weaning (5 to 6 months) Sensitive Period for Numbers (4 to 5. 5 years) Sensitive Period for Manners and Courtesies (2 to 6 years) (Retrieved February 06, 2011, from http://www. dailymontessori. com/sensitive-periods/montessori-sensitive-periods/) This belief is very much alive still today in our society. In centers of, today infants are not just left to lie in their crib. We have areas that infants can crawl, touch, and discover new things. Another belief that Montessori implemented within her preschool was to make items assessable to the child. This meant having furniture that was suitable for the children size. Insuring the environment was safely brought down to a child’s level, so the child could take part in activities. Our current classrooms are set up in the same manner. You can see in the classrooms of today small tables and chairs, carpet areas where children can gather, and lower shelves, so that children can retrieve items simply. This change in the environment has also lead to the belief that children should have the freedom to choose what they want to learn about. We still demonstrate this today in choice time. Children make their choice of which interest center they will play in, by doing this a child can develop their skills, while developing confidence in themselves to my choices. This is a way of accommodating the child’s needs, and not forcing regimented education upon a child. Montessori also had the belief of training the senses on practical life (Gordon and Browne 14). We see this in interest centers.

Islam Definition Essay

For the past few months I have been overseas working in the wonderful country of India. I’ve observed many different things; many unusual things about this country. India has a wide variety of cultures and religions. The holiday I have learned about is called Hajj. Hajj means ‘to set out for a place’. Hajj is the pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah or also called Mecca , Saudi Arabia, and is one of the five basic requirements of Islam. It is a religious high point of a Muslim’s life and is an event that every Muslim dreams of being part of. Hajj is a religious obligation to be fulfilled at least once in the course of the life of each Muslim law grants, and is a series of detailed rituals. It is a Muslims obligation to be mindful of their friends and family and to all humans whatsoever. Islamic followers believe that every nation should have a unity so they can all worship God. They believe that through culture people will come together as a whole to praise God, and learn each other’s difficulties. All official duties are suppose to be completed between the ninth and thirteenth day of Hajj. There are three main pillars that are to be performed during Hajj. The first pillar is to get into a state of â€Å"Ihram† and intend to perform the pilgrimage. The second pillar is to stay at the field of â€Å"Arafat† on the ninth day of Hajj. If the person cannot complete the pilgrimage then he/she will have to try to complete it the following year. The third pillar is additional circling of the â€Å"Ka’ba† which is done after the first pillar and is performed from the tenth day of Hajj till the end of the month. These past couple months in India have been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot of new things, which has been something different for me. I would love to come back and visit all of the people that I have met, because everyone was so nice. Learning about the Hajj was very interesting to me, and I will go back and share all of my experiences with everyone back home.