Personal Development Plan

Personal Development Plan Introduction A Personal Development Plan (PDP) is cited in literature as a key step in defining and exploring one’s goals, and mapping out ways of turning the same goals into reality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Development Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Keynote Project (2002, p. 1) for example observes that students can use PDP to articulate the skills they are developing in the present and match the same to â€Å"opportunities in the future†. Cassidy (2012, p. 1) provides a more succinct definition of PDP by terming it a â€Å"form of self-managed learning that is owned by the individual and enables a strategic approach to setting learning and development goals†. In an educational setup, it would be expected that PDPs will enable students to receive feedback that will assist them in their personal and professional development, and benefit them with the feedback provided by their tutors. In this writer’s case, PDP will be used as a tool for managing own development. Additionally, the PDP as articulated hereunder will provide this writer with an opportunity to expand on own personal, academic and professional horizons. In other words, this exercise provides this writer with an opportunity to take stock of own position; set goals; and use the unique skills and competencies in the academic as well as the professional setup now and in the future. Additionally, the writer will identify areas that need more effort, and as such, will intentionally pay more effort in such areas in future in order to become effective in present or future roles.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overall, it has been suggested that PDP is important for people who need (or are forced by circumstances) to take responsibility of â€Å"their own development and follow-through† with the same (Cassidy 2012, p. 1). Interpreted, the aforementioned means that every learner needs to use PDP not only because higher learning requires a degree of independent learner-directed learning, but also because it helps the students to identify what their learning needs are, and thus work towards fulfilling the same. Acculturation Acculturation has been has defined as â€Å"a dual process affecting members of two or more cultural groups as each adapts to the presence of the other† (Barjesteh Vaseghi 2012, p. 579). In higher learning, acculturation has become a commonplace thing as students from different cultures meet in the college environment each in the pursuit of an education. Foreign (international) students interact with students from the host country and the first-hand contact between the two groups of students eventually means that the original cultures of either side are affected. Notably, acculturation is important in group or te am dynamics since members need not only get a task done, but also need to work well together as suggested by Tidd, Bessant and Pavitt (2005, p.1). Without students understanding and respecting each other’s cultural differences, chances are that team work would not be successful. Barjesteh and Vaseghi (2012, p. 580) name language shock and culture shock as main factors that contribute to psychological distance among international students.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Development Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Language is especially important for such students because as Schumann (1986, p. 385) notes, verbal interactions enable communication and negotiations among people from different cultures. Trawinski (2005, p. 14) further notes that the ability of a learner to benefit from academic input depends on their ability to understand and convert materials taught in class (most likely in a secon d acquired language) into meaningful information. For such students to benefit from course materials, Trawnski (2005, p. 18) argues that the communicative, integrative and expressive functions of language have to be efficient from both sides of the message divide (i.e. the message sender and the message recipient). This writer went through the full course of â€Å"the process of acculturation† as defined by Brown (1980 cited by Barjesteh Vaseghi 2012, p. 580). Specifically, the writer underwent the euphoria stage where excitement took precedence owing to the newness of the college environment. Next was the culture shock stage where the writer felt a sense of intrusion as the reality of the new surroundings, cultural differences and the loss of familiar signs and social symbols as suggested by Yue and Le (2012, p.134) started becoming a reality. Cultural stress then took over and during this phase, the writer started a gradual recovery of self-identity also understanding, acc epting and being accepted by others. By the time of this exercise, this writer has attained full recovery as suggested by Barjesteh Vaseghi (2012, p. 580) whereby, the writer has adopted, assimilated and accepted the new culture. Additionally, this writer has developed a new identity, which arguably fits well into the college environment.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The full recovery stage is especially essential in learning since this writer can now comprehend different types of communication in the host culture; however, the writer is still working on his verbal communication skills as indicated in the Skills Audit Report in Appendix A. The verbal communication skills are especially important in teamwork since they affect the writer’s ability to take up leadership position, his presentation skills, and his ability to communicate effectively with the team members. True to Lakey (2003, p. 111), people from diverse cultures â€Å"successfully acculturate themselves to the degree that they learn to code and decode messages in a way that they will be recognised, accepted, and responded to by an individual or group which they interact†; and while this writer can confidently state that he has been successful in decoding messages communicated to him, coding his messages in a manner that enables effective communication to his colleagues is still something that he is working towards. Team work and presentation skills Based on the Belbin’ Team roles personal inventory as illustrated in Appendix B, this writer scored highest in IM (Company worker/implementer) by acquiring 14 points, and in PL (Plant) by acquiring 9 points. Following Belbin’s (1993) roles on the corresponding individual types, it is thus apparent that the writer’s positive abilities include self-discipline, hard-work, practical commonsense, and the ability to organise. The corresponding allowable weaknesses indicate that the writer lacks flexibility, and is unresponsive to â€Å"new or unproven ideas† (Belbin 1993, n.pag). The high score in PL (Plant) are further indicative that the writer has additional positive qualities that include knowledge, intellect and imagination. The corresponding allowable weaknesses as indicated by Belbin include an inclination to pay no or little attention to practical details and/or protocol. A s indicated in the Skills Audit Report (Appendix A), this writer’s main weaknesses are in leadership, presentation skills, and in verbal communication. In the writer’s own perspective, the three weaknesses as interrelated owing to the fact that the inability to communicate effectively affects his presentation skills, and this invariably dents his confidence towards being a capable leader. As indicated in Appendix A however, the writer seeks to improve his verbal communication skills, and this will directly affect the presentation and leadership skills as well. Reports and Academic Journal Comparisons Despite the weaknesses noted above, and the indication that this writer is best suited as a company worker/implementer and plant position, it is common knowledge that finding a â€Å"perfect† person is impossible in real life. As such, the writers’ strengths and weaknesses although creating the impression of an imperfect learner/job applicant, also indicate t hat this writer’s qualities of being organised, knowledgeable and meticulous make him an ideal candidate for a team where all the nine skills as indicated in the Belbin model are necessary. Team-based management systems are increasingly considered necessary for enhancing the productivity and effectiveness in organisation as indicated by Gà ¼ndà ¼z (2008, p. 460), Partington and Harris (1993, p. 694) and Katzenbach and Smith (1993, p. 111). Similarly, and upon entering the postgraduate programs, and on proceeding further to the professional environment, this writer expects to be part of bigger teams as working alone in the current team-based workplace environments is to some extent, outdated. A team is defined as the â€Å"small group of people who make contributions to the common goal, who perform in accordance with the goals, who depend on each other with the mutual feeling of responsibility and who have complementary skills† (Gà ¼ndà ¼z 2008, p. 461). In other wo rds, this writer’s skills would need to compliment those of his team mates for purposes of attaining a common goal. The team roles of the writer as indicated in Appendix B â€Å"describes how suitable the member is for the team† as indicated by Belbin (2010, p.120). On their part, Fisher, Hunter and Macrosson (1998, p. 284) observe that team roles as stipulated in the Belbin Model should be used universally (even outside management teams). Notably however, Aritzeta, Swailes and Senior (2005, p. 20) observe that â€Å"Belbin did not report the theoretical foundations of his theory†, and as such, the theory has a limitation. Some critics like Broucek and Randel (1996, p. 403) further argue that the Belbin model is based on an anecdote. Despite the omission of not basing his model on any theoretical ground, Aritzeta et al. (2005, p. 21) observes that the empirical formulation of Belbin’s work can still be linked to established theories. Among authors who sup port the Belbin Model are Fisher et al. (1998, p. 284) who observe that although there are dominant team roles for each individual, it does not mean that he/she cannot play other team roles. The major factors that determine the roles that a person can play in a team include their intelligence, extroversion or introversion, stability or anxiety, and dominance or lack thereof (Fisher et al., 1998, p.285). The aforementioned factors affect how teams interact, and their level of productivity, while team roles obtain the balance needed for team members to work harmoniously and productively. Notably, and as indicated in the Skills Audit Report, this writer still needs to work on his verbal communication skills, his leadership skills, and his presentation skills if his contributions to a team will be realized. Without the finding a solution to the three weak areas, this writer acknowledges that the team roles of being an implementer or a plant that generates ideas through imagination or in novation, cannot be realized without the appropriate communication skills. Personal Planning and Action Plan The requirement of this writer’s role as a team player In the global environment where this writer (and others) lives in, it would be expected that working in teams would expose one to people from different cultures. In the management field therefore, it is essential for this writer to concentrate on finding solutions to the three weak areas identified in the Skills Audit Report (Appendix A), and finding ways to overcome the threats identified in the SWOT analysis report (Appendix C). In the latter, this writer identified homesickness and the global competition in the workplace as the main threats. To overcome them, this writer will therefore need to gain skills and knowledge that will give him a competitive edge over others (i.e. in case of the global competition), and will also need to find ways of overcoming the homesickness (e.g. by calling friends and families) of ten. This writer will also need to find solutions to the major weaknesses facing him and intends to do the following in order of sequence: Become a better communicator Become better in presenting ideas and innovations Become a leader As indicated in the Skills Audit Report (Appendix A), this writer’s main strengths include time management skills, self-motivation, and the ability to work well in teams. The writer’s strengths are further evident in the Skills, Knowledge and Attitude (SKA Analysis) (Appendix D), where time management, office skills, decision-making skills, and flexibility are his skills strong point. Additionally, this writer is knowledgeable in researching and has experience working in his specialty. Attitude-wise, this writer is a realist and as shown in Appendix E (Learning Style Questionnaire), the writer has three dominant learning styles namely activist, reflector and theorist. On self-evaluation though, this writer is more convinced that the refl ector and theorist learning styles are more applicable in his case. A SMART action plan Specific goal: To be a better communicator, presenter of ideas and innovations, and a leader in the next two years. Measurable: To communicate eloquently in the English language; to make presentations to my peers in college and colleagues in the workplace; and to assume emergent leadership positions in college and/or in the workplace. Attainable: Practice my communication skills more alone or with the help of a privately acquired tutor; practice my presentation skills with a friend with the view of perfecting them in readiness for a bigger audience; and vie for leadership positions in college and/or in the workplace. Relevance: The goals are meant to counter the weaknesses identified in the Skills Audit Report indicated in appendix A. Time-Bound: Activity Time Length Measurable Milestones Enabling factors Improve verbal communication skills 6 months Ability to communicate eloquently A budget to acquire a private tutor to help with the verbal communication skills; time; and motivation to learn Enhance presentation skills 6 -12 months Ability to make informative and attention-capturing presentations; eliciting audience response thus indicating effective communication A willing colleague/friend to act as an audience, and one who will be willing to comment and criticise where necessary. Become a leader 12 months Vying for leadership positions and getting support for the same as a sign of people’s confidence in this writer’s leadership abilities The availability of leadership positions; writer’s leadership potential and its appeal to other people in the college or organisational setup. Conclusions and Reflection As inferred in the above sections, this writer is not only studying in a culture that is different from his own, but is also likely to continue with the same working in the global environment where people from different cultures mee t to work for same organisations. As such, as one who intends to obtain a leadership position in future, this writer realises the need not only to understand what is communicated to him, but also to communicate efficiently to others. It is for such reasons that this writer identifies the inadequate verbal communications skills, the inadequate presentation skills, and the lack of leadership skills as the three main weaknesses that he needs to improve on. Notably, and as indicated elsewhere in this PDP, an improvement in one (i.e. verbal communication) will probably have an undeniable effect on the other two, since this writer has the knowledge in his area of specialty, with his main hindrance being in his inability to communicate effectively. As a realist, this writer acknowledges that the vision to become a leader can only be attained after successfully becoming a better communicator and an adept presenter of ideas and innovations. After all, leadership is earned, and such can only happen if one is clearly understood and supported by others. Additionally, leaders commune the mission and vision to their followers, something that would not happen if one is not able to communicate effectively. References Aritzeta, A, Swailes, S Senior, B 2005, ‘Team roles: psychometric evidence, construct validity and team building’, Research Memorandum- Centre for Management and Organizational Learning, Business School, University of Hull, no. 51, pp. 1-39. Web. Barjesteh, H Vaseghi, R 2012, ‘Acculturation model for L2 acquisition: review and evaluation’, Advances in Asian Social Science (AASS), vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 579-584. Belbin, R. M 1993, Team roles at work, Elsevier, London. Belbin, R. M 2010, The management of teams- Why they succeed or fail, Routledge, London; New York. Broucek, W. G Randell, G 1996, ‘An assessment of construct validity of the Belbin self-perception inventory and observer’s assessment from the perspective of the fi ve-factor model’, Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, vol. 69, pp. 389-405. Cassidy, C 2012, ‘(b) Personal development Plan’, Appendix_3b. Web. Fisher, S, Hunter, T Mackrosson, W 1998, ‘The structure of Belbin’s team roles’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, vol. 71, pp. 283-288. Gà ¼ndà ¼z, H. B (2008), ‘An evaluation on Belbin’s team roles theory (the case of Sakarya Anatolian profession High School, Profession High School and Vocational High School for Industry)’, World Applied Sciences Journal, vol.4, no. 3, pp. 460-469. Katzenbach, J. R Smith, K 1993, ‘The discipline of teams’, Harvard Business Review, March-April, pp. 11-120. Lakey, P. N 2003, ‘Acculturation: a review of the literature’, Intercultural Communication Studies, Vol. XII, No. 2, PP. 103-118. Partington, D Harris, H 1999, ‘Team role balance and team performance: an empirical studyà ¢â‚¬â„¢, Journal of Management Development, vol. 18, no.8, pp. 694-705. Schumann, J. H 1986, Research on acculturation model for L2 acquisition, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol.7, pp. 379-397. The Keynote Project 2002, ‘Personal development planning guide’, The Nottingham Trent University. Web. Tidd, J, Bessant, J Pavitt, K 2005, ‘managing innovation- team building tools’. Web. Trawinski, M 2005, An outline of second language acquisition theories, Academic Pedagogic, Krakow. Yue, Y Le, Q 2012, ‘From â€Å"cultural shock† to â€Å"ABC framework†: Development of intercultural contact theory’, International Journal of Innovative Interdisciplinary Research, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 133-141. Appendices Appendix A: Skills Audit Report (.pdf file) Appendix B: Team Roles Personal Inventory (.pdf file) Appendix C: SWOT analysis Strengths: Good in time management Strong teamwork skills Orderly and good in plannin g Weaknesses: Very shy Problem with speech Irascible Opportunities: Study in Britain Unmarried Large family Threats: Competitive job opportunities Homesickness Appendix D: S.K.A analysis Skills : Time management Office skills Decision maker Flexible Knowledge : Experience in my specialty. Ability to do research. Readers interested in my specialty. Attitude: Optimistic Realistic Appendix E: Learning Style Questionnaire (.pdf file)

The Neuter Gender in Spanish

The Neuter Gender in Spanish Él and ella. Nosotros and nosotras. El and la. Un and una. El profesor and la profesora. In Spanish, everything is either masculine or feminine, right? Not quite. True, Spanish isnt like German, where in terms of gender nouns fall into three classifications (masculine, feminine, and neuter). Indeed, in Spanish, nouns are either masculine or feminine. But Spanish does have use for the neuter form, which can come in handy when referring to concepts or ideas. The thing to keep in mind about Spanishs neuter form is that it is never used to refer to known objects or people, and there are no neuter nouns or descriptive adjectives. Here, then, are the cases where youll see the neuter used: Lo as the Neuter Definite Article Chances are that youre familiar with el and la, which usually are translated as the in English. Those words are known as definite articles because they refer to definite things or people (el libro, for example, refers to a specific book). Spanish also has a neuter definite article, lo, but you cant use it before a noun like you do el or la because there are no neuter nouns. Instead, lo is used before singular adjectives (and sometimes possessive pronouns) when they function as nouns, usually referring to a concept or category, not to a single concrete object or a person. If youre translating into English, there is no one way in which lo is always translated; youll usually need to supply a noun, the choice of which depends on the context. In most cases, what is is a possible translation for lo. A sample sentence should help make this easier to understand: Lo importante es amar. Here importante is the adjective (generally in the masculine singular when used with lo) functioning as a noun. You could use a variety of English translations: The important thing is to love. What is important is to love. The important aspect is to love. Here are some other sample sentences with possible translations: Lo mejor es el baà ±o. (The best part is the bathroom. The best thing is the bathroom.)Lo nuevo es que estudia. (Whats new is that hes studying. The new thing is that he studies.)Me gusta lo francà ©s. (I like French things. I like what is French.)Le di lo inà ºtil a mi hermana. (I gave the useless stuff to my sister. I gave the useless items to my sister. I gave what was useless to my sister. Note that you couldnt use lo à ºtil for a specific object that has a name. If were referring to a useless spoon, for example, you could say la inà ºtil  because the word for spoon, cuchara, is feminine.  )Puedes pintar lo tuyo. (You can paint whats yours. You can paint your things.) It is also possible to use lo in this way with some adverbs, but this usage isnt as common as the cases above: Me enojà ³ lo tarde que salià ³. (It angered me how late he left. The lateness of his leaving angered me.) Lo as a Neuter Direct Object Lo is used to represent an idea or concept when it is the direct object of a verb. (This may not look like a neuter use, because lo can also be used as a masculine pronoun.) In such usages, lo is usually translated as it. No lo creo. (I dont believe it.)Lo sà ©. (I know it.)No lo comprendo. (I dont understand it.)No puedo creerlo. (I cant believe it.) In these cases, lo/it doesnt refer to an object, but to a statement that has been made earlier or that is understood. Neuter Demonstrative Pronouns Usually, demonstrative pronouns are used to point at an object: à ©ste (this one), à ©se (that one), and aquà ©l (that one over there). The neuter equivalents (esto, eso, and aquello) are all unaccented, end in -o, and have roughly the same meanings, but as is the case with the direct object lo, they usually refer to an idea or concept rather than an object or person. They can also refer to an unknown object. Here are some examples of its use: No olvides esto. (Dont forget this.)No creo eso. (I dont believe that.0 ¿Quà © es aquello? (What is that over there?) ¿Te gustà ³ eso? (Did you like that?)No me importa esto. (This isnt important to me.) Note that the final two sentences must refer to an event, situation, or process rather than an object with a name. For example, if youre walking in a dark jungle and get a creepy feeling about something that might happen, no me gusta esto would be appropriate. But if youre sampling a hamburger and dont care for it, no me gusta à ©sta would be appropriate (à ©sta is used because the word for hamburger, hamburguesa, is feminine). Ello Ello is the neuter equivalent of à ©l and ella. Its use these days is unusual, and only in literature are you likely to find it used as the subject of a sentence. It usually is translated as it or this. Note that in these examples, ello refers to an unnamed situation rather than a specified thing. Hemos aprendido a vivir con ello. (We have learned to live with it.)Por ello no pudo encontrar la trascendencia que hubiera deseado. (Because of it, he couldnt find the transcendence he had wanted.)

Homelessness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Homelessness - Essay Example Governments as well as organizations have tried in combating the issue of homelessness but the fight is yet to be won. The state of homelessness is not pleasant. According to worldwide survey conducted in 2005, it was apparent that there were more than one hundred million people without permanent dwellings across the world; it is almost obvious that this figure has grown with time considering the exponentially advancing capitalism economy across the world. The worst hit is countries in Africa and some parts of Asia, the situation in the United States and Europe is better. According to a survey by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there was a minimal reduction in the state of homelessness in America between 2009 and 2011; this reduction was by a margin of one percent (Coalition of the Homeless of Central Florida 1). The reduction was attributed to several advancements in the side of the Federal government as well as the state governments. A major breakthrough has been courtesy of an innovative program launched in 2010 by the federal government dubbed Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program ( Coalition of the Homeless of Central Florida 1). Various causes are accompanied by homelessness all across the world. It appears that the driving forces are the same, poverty. United States is one of the countries that enjoy low rates of homelessness courtesy of the well-established economy. Countries that are struggling in keeping up with economic instabilities are worst hit, some parts of Africa have reported up to millions of people living in muddy houses and makeshift houses if not tents. However, there are policies in development by individual countries to counter the menace. Enactment of workable policies and growing the economy seems to the lasting solution, the realization of these will be a contribution of all the relevant stakeholders. In order to prevent homelessness all individuals must take an active

Alan Greenspan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alan Greenspan - Essay Example Both had different ideologies as Greenspan advocated for the deregulation of the financial markets and born propagated for the government regulation. The main source of conflict arose as a result of the Over the counter OTC derivatives that were private contracts between major players on the Wall Street on particular bets. Born cited a high likelihood of fraud taking place. But based on Greenspan he believed that the market would identify the frauds and corrects itself. These sentiments were in line with his core principles of a free market. The assumptions of a free market commonly no government intervention, free flow of information of information, the actions of an individual have no effect on the market and finally, there are no barriers to entry and exit the market. This was the principles that Greenspan stood by up to his retirement but later confessed that the philosophy had major drawbacks. The hedge fund long-term capital management was characterized by large banks secretly investing large amounts of money on the over the counter derivatives at the Wall Street. The hedge fund was additionally invested by a majority of the in the know investors. These dealings were shrouded in secrecy and the government didn’t have any clue about them. They were as a result of the wall stock brokers setting complex mathematical formula that guaranteed the investors of a significant return on their investment. Finally, there was a meltdown as the Wall Street brokers were unable to handle the situation causing a collapse.

Mobile Phones Essay Example for Free

Mobile Phones Essay A mobile operating system, also referred to as mobile OS, is the operating system that operates a smartphone, tablet, PDA, or other digital mobile devices. Modern mobile operating systems combine the features of a personal computer operating system with touchscreen, cellular, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS mobile navigation, camera, video camera,speech recognition, voice recorder, music player, Near field communication, personal digital assistant (PDA), and other features. History Main article: Smartphone Mobile operating system milestones mirror the development of mobile phones and smartphones: ââ€" ª 1979–1992 Mobile phones have embedded systems to control operation. ââ€" ª 1993 The first smartphone, the IBM Simon, had a touchscreen, email, and PDA features. ââ€" ª 1996 Palm Pilot 1000 personal digital assistant is introduced with the Palm OS mobile operating system. ââ€" ª 1996 First Windows CE Handheld PC devices are introduced. ââ€" ª 1999 Nokia S40 OS was officially introduced with the launch of the Nokia 7110 ââ€" ª 2000 Symbian became the first modern mobile OS on a smartphone with the launch of the Ericsson R380. ââ€" ª 2001 The Kyocera 6035 is the first smartphone with Palm OS. ââ€" ª 2002 Microsofts first Windows CE (Pocket PC) smartphones are introduced. ââ€" ª 2002 BlackBerry releases its first smartphone. ââ€" ª 2005 Nokia introduced Maemo OS on the first internet tablet N770. ââ€" ª 2007 Apple iPhone with iOS introduced as an iPhone, mobile phone and internet communicator.[1] ââ€" ª 2007 Open Handset Alliance (OHA) formed by Google, HTC, Sony, Dell, Intel, Motorola, Samsung, LG, etc.[2] ââ€" ª 2008 OHA releases Android 1.0 with the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) as the first Android phone. ââ€" ª 2009 Palm introduced webOS with the Palm Pre. By 2012 webOS devices were no longer sold. ââ€" ª 2009 Samsung announces the Bada OS with the introduction of the Samsung S8500. ââ€" ª 2010 Windows Phone OS phones are released but are not compatible with the previous Windows Mobile OS. ââ€" ª 2011 The MeeGo the first mobile Linux, combined Maemo and Moblin, was introduced with Nokia N9 in effect of cooperation of Nokia, Intel and Linux Foundation ââ€" ª In September 2011 Samsung, Intel and the Linux Foundation announced that their efforts will shift from Bada, MeeGo to Tizen during 2011 and 2012. ââ€" ª In October 2011 the Mer project was announced, centered around an ultra-portable Linux + HTML5/QML/JS Core for building products with, derived from the MeeGo codebase. ââ€" ª 2012 The Lenovo K800 will be the first Intel powered smartphone (Android OS).[3] ââ€" ª Common software platforms ââ€" ª See also: Comparison of Android devices, List of BlackBerry products, List of iOS devices, Comparison of Symbian devices, and List of Windows Phone devices ââ€" ª The most common mobile operating systems are: ââ€" ª Android from Google Inc.[4] (free and open source)[5] ââ€" ª The Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.0.1 ââ€" ª Android was developed by a small startup company that was purchased by Google Inc. in 2005, and Google continues to update the software. Android is a Linux-derived OS backed by Google, along with major hardware and software developers (such as Intel, HTC, ARM, Samsung, Motorola and eBay, to name a few), that form the Open Handset Alliance.[6] Released on November 5th 2007, the OS received praise from a number of developers upon its introduction.[7] Android releases prior to 2.0 (1.0, 1.5, 1.6) were used exclusively on mobile phones. Most Android phones, and some Android tablets, now use a 2.x release. Android 3.0 was a tablet-oriented release and does not officially run on mobile phones. The current Android version is 4.1. Android releases are nicknamed after sweets or dessert items like Cupcake (1.5), Frozen Yogurt (2.2), Honeycomb (3.0), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) and Jelly Bean (4.1). Most major mobile service providers carry an Android device. Since the HTC Dream was introduced, there has been an explosion in the number of devices that carry Android OS. From Q2 of 2009 to the second quarter of 2010, Androids worldwide market share rose 850% from 1.8% to 17.2%. On 15 November 2011, Android reached 52.5% of the global smartphone market share.[8] ââ€" ª The Apple iPad tablet computer uses a version of iOS. ââ€" ª bada from Samsung Electronics (closed source, proprietary) ââ€" ª This is a mobile operating system being developed by Samsung Electronics. Samsung claims that bada will rapidly replace its proprietary feature phone platform, converting feature phones to smartphones.The name bada is derived from ë °â€Ã«â€¹ ¤, the Korean word for ocean or sea. The first device to run bada is called Wave and was unveiled to the public at Mobile World Congress 2010. The Wave is a fully touchscreen running the new mobile operating system. With the phone, Samsung also released an app store, called Samsung Apps, to the public. It has close to 3000[9] mobile applications. ââ€" ª Samsung has said that they dont see Bada as a smartphone operating system, but as an OS with a kernel configurable architecture, which allows the use of either a proprietary real-time operating system, or the Linux kernel. Though Samsung plans to install bada on many phones, the company still has a large lineup of Android phones. ââ€" ª BlackBerry OS from RIM (closed source, proprietary) ââ€" ª This OS is focused on easy operation and was originally designed for business. Recently it has seen a surge in third-party applications and has been improved to offer full multimedia support. Currently Blackberrys App World has over 50,000 downloadable applications. RIMs future strategy will focus on the newly acquired QNX, having already launched the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet running a version of QNX and expecting the first QNX smartphones in early 2012.[10] ââ€" ª iOS from Apple Inc.[4] (closed source, proprietary, on top of open source Darwin core OS) ââ€" ª The Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and second-generation Apple TV all use an operating system called iOS, which is derived fromMac OS X. Native third party applications were not officially supported until the release of iOS 2.0 on July 11th 2008. Before this, jailbreaking allowed third party applications to be installed, and this method is still available. Currently all iOS devices are developed by Apple and manufactured by Foxconn or another of Apples partners. ââ€" ª S40 (Series40) from Nokia (closed source, proprietary) ââ€" ª Nokia uses S40 OS in their low end phones (aka feature phones). Over the years over 150 phone models have been developed running S40 OS.[11] Since the introduction of S40 OS it has evolved from monochrome low resolution UI to full touch 256k color UI. ââ€" ª Symbian OS from Nokia and Accenture[4] (open public license) ââ€" ª Symbian has the largest smartphone share in most markets worldwide, but lags behind other companies in the relatively small but highly visible North American market.[12] This matches the success of Nokia in all markets except Japan. In Japan Symbian is strong due to a relationship with NTT DoCoMo, with only one of the 44 Symbian handsets released in Japan coming from Nokia.[13] It has been used by many major handset manufacturers, including BenQ, Fujitsu, LG, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sharp, andSony Ericsson. Current Symbian-based devices are being made by Fujitsu, Nokia, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony Ericsson. Prior to 2009 Symbian supported multiple user interfaces, i.e. UIQ from UIQ Technologies, S60 from Nokia, and MOAP from NTT DOCOMO. As part of the formation of the Symbian OS in 2009 these three UIs were merged into a single OS which is now fully open source. Recently, though shipments of Symbian devices have increased, the operating systems worldwide market share has declined from over 50% to just over 40% from 2009 to 2010. Nokia handed the development of Symbian to Accenture, which will continue to support the OS until 2016.[14] ââ€" ª The Palm Pre running HP (formerly Palm)webOS. HP purchased Palm in 2010. ââ€" ª Windows Phone from Microsoft (closed source, proprietary) ââ€" ª On February 15th, 2010, Microsoft unveiled its next-generation mobile OS, Windows Phone. The new mobile OS includes a completely new over-hauled UI inspired by Microsofts Metro Design Language. It includes full integration of Microsoft services such as Windows Live, Zune, Xbox Live and Bing, but also integrates with many other non-Microsoft services such as Facebook andGoogle accounts. The new software platform has received some positive reception from the technology press.

The Effects of the Internet on the Future Essay example -- Technology

The Effects of the Internet on the Future If every action has an opposite and equal reaction, then a huge branch-like system connecting information and people scattered into an abyss of nothing encompassed in a piece of desktop hardware and Glorified as "the Web", would actually be the opposite and equal reaction to the brain that sits and stares into it. Artificial Intelligence the demise of our own consumption, Why not? I definitely wouldn't call it a being of the lesser species either. Sure the Internet's soul purpose is to feed us but it feeds us whatever we want. Never again will we have to doubt our selves, instead of saying "I'll bet on it" you can say "hold on a sec." And pull out your pocket device to reference the Great Web. Freedom of information, or just the right amount to help control the masses, you decide. Dormant in the real time world, this artificial opposite yet equal being is very much alive within both the conscious and subconscious mind of the user. It changed the world and like all great tragedies a well delayed after shock has started taking place. October 30th 1938, Orsen Welles, who was 23 at the time, creates mass hysteria over the eastern coast during a radio broadcast on his Mercury Theater of the Air. Despite the disclaimer at the end of the broadcast over a million listeners panicked and fled into the streets. Some headlines include; -Many flee homes to escape gas raids from Mars. -Confusion caused by radio dramatization "War of the Worlds" was evidence radio needs "control by the Government". Senator Herring. The Senator then prepared a bill that would give the Federal Communications Commission permission to pass on every radi... ...er an entire generation of people living inside a world of electronic and neural connections. No more time wasted on the ever so slow method of physical interactions to achieve communications. A world where rumors are made in split second decisions. Like the Oklahoma City bombing being connected to the Waco tragedy and Ruby Ridge. Some of these conspiracy theories have even been acknowledged within the white house. This artificial life we've created might not be the robot many imagined back in the fifty's, but there is definitely signs of life within this infinite tree of brain matter and optical cables. Whether it be a nuclear attack or gas from Mars information will always cause a reaction to every action. I believe that the future has yet to take place and nothing is foretold, therefore anything is possible. The Effects of the Internet on the Future Essay example -- Technology The Effects of the Internet on the Future If every action has an opposite and equal reaction, then a huge branch-like system connecting information and people scattered into an abyss of nothing encompassed in a piece of desktop hardware and Glorified as "the Web", would actually be the opposite and equal reaction to the brain that sits and stares into it. Artificial Intelligence the demise of our own consumption, Why not? I definitely wouldn't call it a being of the lesser species either. Sure the Internet's soul purpose is to feed us but it feeds us whatever we want. Never again will we have to doubt our selves, instead of saying "I'll bet on it" you can say "hold on a sec." And pull out your pocket device to reference the Great Web. Freedom of information, or just the right amount to help control the masses, you decide. Dormant in the real time world, this artificial opposite yet equal being is very much alive within both the conscious and subconscious mind of the user. It changed the world and like all great tragedies a well delayed after shock has started taking place. October 30th 1938, Orsen Welles, who was 23 at the time, creates mass hysteria over the eastern coast during a radio broadcast on his Mercury Theater of the Air. Despite the disclaimer at the end of the broadcast over a million listeners panicked and fled into the streets. Some headlines include; -Many flee homes to escape gas raids from Mars. -Confusion caused by radio dramatization "War of the Worlds" was evidence radio needs "control by the Government". Senator Herring. The Senator then prepared a bill that would give the Federal Communications Commission permission to pass on every radi... ...er an entire generation of people living inside a world of electronic and neural connections. No more time wasted on the ever so slow method of physical interactions to achieve communications. A world where rumors are made in split second decisions. Like the Oklahoma City bombing being connected to the Waco tragedy and Ruby Ridge. Some of these conspiracy theories have even been acknowledged within the white house. This artificial life we've created might not be the robot many imagined back in the fifty's, but there is definitely signs of life within this infinite tree of brain matter and optical cables. Whether it be a nuclear attack or gas from Mars information will always cause a reaction to every action. I believe that the future has yet to take place and nothing is foretold, therefore anything is possible.

Assignment: The Welfare Reform Act Essay

The Welfare Reform Act is better known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, this was created by former President Clinton. Clinton vowed to stop welfare, he wanted it to be someone’s right not just a privilege to receive aid. Clinton wanted to help the needy people who actually needed help, but many people were angry with the changes that it made. Clinton did not think that people’s reactions would be so negative, but they were. Medicaid did not change the way that they it provides coverage to members, but it changed how many people it covered. Clinton did not want to continue seeing his country become dependent on the assistance, he wanted to increase the employment rate. There were too many children that were living in poverty and Clinton seen a cycle that he knew he had to break. The Welfare Reform Act did not cause too many of the beneficiaries to lose their necessary coverage, they were still able to receive the coverage if they qualified. The law stated that if you were poor enough you could still receive the health insurance. It is good because people can still work and get the health insurance if they do not make too much, because a lot of times jobs do not offer private insurance to their employees. The law did affect immigrants, the immigrants that were here illegally were no longer to receive health insurance and those that came to the United States legally had to wait five years before they could qualify for insurance if they were poor enough at the time. There were many providers that were affected in a negative way because many of them treated Medicaid patients at the time of the Welfare Reform Act. Providers like hospitals and clinics had to face the fact they would lose many patients and have more people who would try and receive free services. There were certain states that had more immigrants than others who had to choose between helping those patients and turning them away when they no longer could receive any health insurance, unless they got other help from the state (Ku, & Coughlin, 2010). The Act did cut the percent of people who received Medicaid, like the illegal immigrants and those that no longer qualified, but if you were needy it is more than likely that you still qualified for insurance. It varies from each state; there are some states that may be able to help more than others because they have more state funds. According to ( Ku, & Coughlin, 2010), â€Å"A larger category of people,  immigrants entering the United States after August 1996, will no longer be eligible for full Medicaid coverage, although they remain entitled to emergency care coverage†. Most people who qualify still could receive assistance if they were needy. The Welfare Reform Act has decreased the amount of fraud and has also increased the amount of people who are working. Many people were forced to go to job programs, to ensure that they had the necessary tools to get back on their own feet. If you wanted to receive TANF this was a requirement. Before this act was in place there were many people out there that were taking advantage of the system, people were getting to use to the money and other assistance that was easy to get. The new law was made to put a stop to the way that things were headed to. The new generation has a better chance at succeeding in life because there is more help out there. You can still get health insurance, cash aid, and food stamps; you just have to actually be in need. The law only requires that you do what you can to be able to do it all on your own and they will help along the way. There are many people that probably wish that things were the same as they were before this law was put in place, but things are still continuing to get better. According to research, â€Å"Some 2.9 million fewer children live in poverty today than in 1995† (Rector, & Fagan, 2003), that is a very large amount. The percent of children that were living in hunger went down and the amount of people who were having children out of wedlock has also gone down (Rector, & Fagan, 2003). The new act makes sure that the adults who are asking for the assistance go to a job program that helps you to get on your feet and be able to take care of your family without any assistance. All of these things have turned out to be more positive than negative, so it is good that our former President Clinton brought a change to America. References: Ku, L., Coughlin, T. A. (2010). How the New Welfare Reform Law Affects Medicaid. Urban Institute, p.1 Retrieved October 3, 2010 from http://www.urban.org/publications/307037.html Rector, R., & Fagan, P. Ph. D. (2003). The continuing good news about welfare reform. The Heritage Foundation, p.1. Retrieved October 3, 2010 from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2003/02/the-continuing-good-news