The Similarities Between Hotmail and Mozilla Essay

The Similarities Between Hotmail and Mozilla - Essay Example As far as the similarities between Hotmail and Mozilla Thunderbird are concerned, they are quite few in number as Hotmail leads Mozilla in the market for an email client. First, both Hotmail and Mozilla Thunderbird are supported by 36 languages. These are two of the very few email clients that are offered in so many languages. Also, both Hotmail and Mozilla Thunderbird have themes which give users the power to control the appearance of the respective accounts. Furthermore, both are supported on multiple operating systems and both support POP3 and IMAP4 protocol. When we contrast Hotmail and Mozilla Thunderbird, we find out that the number of Hotmail users is too many when compared to Mozilla Thunderbird. Part of the reason for this is the earlier launch of Hotmail. Furthermore, Hotmail has more features than Mozilla Thunderbird. Examples could include integration with different programs such as MSN Messenger. This is a service whereby users can see which of their friends are online w hile logged in to their Hotmail accounts. Furthermore, Hotmail also has an audio player to play audio files and it also includes a spell checker. One of the most exciting features about Thunderbird is the fact that it allows users to view email messages from other email clients such as Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail etc. POP stands for Post Office Protocol. The addition of the number 3 indicates the third version, which is also the latest. POP3 is a standard internet protocol that helps to retrieve an email message. On the other hand, IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. The number 4 in front of the symbol ‘IMAP’ indicates the fourth version.

Huber v. Wal-mart stores, Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Huber v. Wal-mart stores, Inc - Research Paper Example Also, the purpose of ADA is to ensure that disabled employees do not lose out on opportunities due to their disability. Disabled employees are to be treated at par with other employees of the organization and in no way be discriminated due to the disability (Moy, 2000). Therefore, ADA is not to be used to create an unfair advantage for an employee with disability. In the current context, Huber’s argument is creating an unfair advantage and violating the non-discrimination policy of Wal-Mart. If Huber is directly reassigned to the router position, then it would be unfair to other employees in the organization who are better suited for the job. Therefore, Wal-Mart was not required to directly reassign Huber to the router position but was required to give an opportunity to compete equally with other participants. Hence, Wal-Mart adopted objective criteria approach to fill in the position. All employees were given an equal opportunity as per their non-discrimination policy. As there was a more qualified employee who better suit the job than Huber, Huber was reassigned elsewhere. This action would fall under reasonable accommodation and in no way does injustice to Huber. Yes, this case represents a clear win for the employer. It is clearly established that ADA does not demand an employer to reassign an employee just on the basis of disability. It only demands an employer to treat an employee with disability equally and at par with other employees. It demands the employer to ensure that the employee with disability continues working for the employer in the best suited position. Therefore, it is a clear win for the employer in this case. An employer must ensure that under all circumstances, an employee with disability must be given reasonable accommodation and should be treated at par with other employees. There is no need to create special circumstances to accommodate the disabled employee but must accommodate the employee in the best possible

Parle G Becoming The Largest Selling Biscuit Brand Marketing Essay

Parle G Becoming The Largest Selling Biscuit Brand Marketing Essay FOR a change, the Mumbai-based makers of the largest selling brand of glucose biscuits, Parle Products, want to be in the limelight. The reason being that for the first time, the low-profile company wants to fulfil its consumers dreams through its Parle-G My Dream Come True contest its biggest promotion till date. Setting aside a budget of almost Rs 2.5 crore for this contest alone, more than enforcing sales, the Parle-G brand is reinforcing its leadership position in the biscuit market while giving contestants a chance to fulfil their dreams. States Pravin Kulkarni, Marketing Manager, Parle Products Pvt. Ltd, We want to give children a platform to fulfil their dreams. After all, dreaming is synonymous with the brand values of Parle-G, which brings about all-round development to achieve their dreams. The promotion is the largest of its kind and gives contestants the opportunity to win whatever they dream of in contrast to the traditional promos where prizes are fixed. This contest has only first prizes and these prizes are defined as per the childs dream. Launched in 1939, the more than 50-year-old brand of Parle-G is Indias first glucose biscuit to be introduced from the House of Parle. With a dominant volume share in the glucose biscuit market, Parle-G is pegged as the largest-selling biscuit brand in the world, making up almost 80 per cent of Parle Products turnover of Rs 1,300 crore. The family-run business operating out of the western suburb of Vile Parle in Mumbai has always adopted the philosophy of being low key with an endeavour to give value for money. This biscuit and confectionery major has in fact not bothered to raise the price of its flagship brand for the past six years and has always tried to provide its offerings at nearly 33 per cent discount to competitive brands. While the high profile Britannia Industries has been busy stretching its portfolio of brands with more premium offerings, Parle Products has never felt the need to be wary of competition. It has been enjoying a `far too comfortable position in the biscuit market, especially in the largest segment of glucose, with its Parle-G brand. Today it wants to stay primarily focussed on its oldest biscuit brands, Parle-G, Monaco and Krackjack, and is intentionally staying away from the premium end of the Rs 2.400-crore market. Considering Parle-G has already topped charts worldwide as revealed by the US-based Bakery Manufacturers Association, there seems to be no apparent need for concern. But there is, since Britannia has priced its offerings on par with Parle, especially with respect to the latters three main brands (Parle-G, Monaco and Krackjack). Closing the gap in market share is thus an imminent possibility. While Parle-G may be leading in the glucose category with a 65 per cent volume share, Tiger (Britannias Glucose brand) is trailing at 23 per cent volume share, as per ORG-MARG. The difference in share between Monaco and Snax is also substantial but Krackjack and 50:50 are on par both in terms of pricing as well as shares. Thus Parle is not really expected to sit still. Apart from becoming more visible and adding value to the imagery of its flagship brand through its recently launched all-India contest, it continues to look at all brands within its portfolio either with intentions of adding more SKUs and variants or even launching new offerings and pruning away some unfeasible brands. Thus, the focus is on consolidation of its biscuits and confectionery business in terms of adding more variants and SKUs to its heritage brands rather than looking into allied areas to get added growth. Besides, Parles internal research reveals that the biscuit market has graduated from the core glucose and Marie offerings to more value-added variants and that this applies to the rural markets as well. Another finding revealed that packaging played a crucial role in both biscuits and confectionery, with regard to the acceptance of any brand. Meanwhile, riding on properties such as chess championships and cricket trophies, the Parle-G brand has been sponsoring sports events in these areas propagating its values of mental and physical health. In the recent past, the brands positioning has moved to `tasty healthy food from nutrition and energy. It has also changed its packaging from the staid wax paper wrapper to a more plastic and contemporary cover for its glucose brand. Today Parle is exploring more variants for its flagship brand, especially popular flavours such as chocolate, with more price points and SKUs (it already has eight) ranging from its glucose biscuit brand between Re 1 for 25 gm and Rs 37 for one kg. For the company, it makes sense to stretch the franchise of its mass brand than that of premium brands such as Hide Seek. The limited volumes gathered from its premium range of Hide Seek have made Parle put its variants on hold. States Daphne Nair, Brand Manager, Parle Products, There are not many takers at the premium points, especially for niche variants like mint. We have thus decided to hold back the flavours of Hide Seek and limit it to a chocolate cookie. Launched in 1998, Hide Seek was Parles foray into the premium biscuit market with offerings in chocolate, orange, coffee and mint. Moving away from its earlier baseline, `Game with taste buds, its new message is `Best of both worlds. Today Parle believes in delivering both taste and health through its chocolate and biscuit offering through Hide Seek. Adds B. P. Aggarwal, Managing Director, Surya Foods, manufacturer of the Priya Gold brand of biscuits, Hide Seek has failed to make an impact. However, its glucose brand of Parle-G continues to rule the market. In fact, it is Britannia which is expected to have a greater value share among biscuits due to its premium offerings and continues to hold a dominant position in the Rs 35-crore, 2,000 tonnes per annum premium biscuit market while Parle reigns over the popular biscuit market with its flagship brand, Parle-G. Says Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, Both the companies rule the biscuit market. Between them one has a stronghold on the popular market and the other, on the premium. Once in a while they do tend to move into each others territories but on the whole they continue to mutually respect each other. Comparisons between brands can, however, be drawn directly between these two biscuit majors. For instance, its sweet and salty biscuit of Krackjack is comparable to Britannias 50:50 and comes as the second largest volume brand in Parles biscuits portfolio. It is followed by another of its heritage brands, its salty biscuit, Monaco, which has stretched to include flavours like cheese,  jeera, methi  and onion in the past and can be compared to Britannias Maska Chaska, a variant of 50:50, which has also come up with spicy herbal toppings. Meanwhile, there are certain changes happening within Parles portfolio. Its more salty offering of the Nimkin brand of biscuits, which is present in the East, is preparing for a national roll-out while its cream biscuit brand (Fun Centre) will add more flavours to the current chocolate, orange, pineapple and  elaichi  with more SKUs catering to family packs. Besides, there will be extensions among its  namkeen  offerings of cheeselings, Jeffs and Sixer to include more products to the portfolio. Within its confectionery portfolio, Parle has pegged its toffee brands such as Kismi, Lux, Dairy and Mayfair at the 25 paise price point. However, it expects the 50 paise price point to be more viable. It already has a host of hard-boiled confectionery brands operating in that segment including the likes of Mango Bite, Tangy and Pick n Pack. This segment is expected to be a focus area for the company. Explains Nair, Although the 25 paise segment is the biggest potential segment, most of the bigger companies cannot cover their overheads. The 50 paise segment is the most viable followed by the Re 1 price point. A new toffee brand of Cafechino has just been launched at Re 1 down South while it has stretched the franchise of its Mango Bite to a juicy centre-filled offering at the same price point. Confectionery brands in the rolls category include another heritage brand, Poppins, which was relaunched two years ago with new flavours and packaging while Rol.a.Cola is on the threshold of a similar exercise. However, confectionery is not really a thrust area for the company now and contributes only 15 per cent to the turnover, although the business is nearly as old as its biscuits, having been launched way back in 1929. While core brands in the glucose and Marie category comprise the bulk (65 per cent) of the biscuit market, the higher growth rates of 10-12 per cent seem to be coming from the non-core segments. Explains Nair, There is magnified value growth due to the higher margins in the non-core biscuit category. Pegging growth rate for the core biscuit market between seven and 10 per cent, the glucose biscuit category in India is now estimated at Rs 1,500 crore. There is no dislodging Parle-G in its segment. Industry observers mainly attribute it to its well-entrenched distribution (the company covers 12-15 lakh outlets across the country) which can beat any new player wanting to make an entry. In any case, the volumes are expected to come from this segment alone with the others (the non-core segments) such as the salty and cream biscuits commanding meagre volumes between three and four per cent of the entire biscuit category, according to the company. The Marie segment, however, seems to register higher volumes of 12-13 per cent while the sweet and salty category registers a nine per cent volume in the market. Considering India is supposed to be the worlds second largest biscuit industry (after China), in the past, several MNCs tried entering the biscuit segment but failed due to the existence of unorganised players in the popular segment of the market. According to the Federation of Biscuit Manufacturers, the per capita consumption in India is about 1.2 kg per annum, compared to 15 kg per annum in developed countries. Now there are more players preparing to set up shop including the likes of United Biscuits and Nestle (which has increased its stake in Excelsia Foods). But such players will have to tackle Britannia in the premium market. Competing with Parle will never be easy in the popular biscuit market in India, especially now that it has taken the onus of fulfilling its consumers dreams.

A Little Thinking Music :: Biology Essays Research Papers

A Little Thinking Music "Words are the pen of the heart, but music is the pen of the soul" said Shneur Zalman. "Ain't it funny how a melody brings back memories/takes you to another place and time/completely changes your state of mind" croons the old country ballad. "Give me the beat boys and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away" says the classic blues song. We are a species obsessed with these compositions of sound and rhythm. We call it the universal language and provide it the role of conveying our emotions without the restrictions of a linguistic system, we say that it has the ability to trigger memories and change moods. Why do our brains react so powerfully to music? How do we process it and what purpose does it serve? These are some of the questions I set out to answer in my little musical odyssey. When you hear a piece of music, the ear converts the sound waves into vibrations in specific parts of the inner and middle ear. These vibrations are then translated into action potentials that travel through the eighth cranial nerve to the brain stem, the thalamus, and the auditory cortex (1). It seems that the brain takes a song and translates it into it's own neurosymphony-sending electrical impulses to various parts of your brain. These varying patterns of impulses generate thoughts, feelings, and emotions (3) . It sounds almost as though we store various different patterns of these impulses in our brains and when the same pattern of sounds matches a pattern of impulses, it triggers a set of images. The interesting thing is that the same set of frequencies or pattern of impulses generates different images for different people. For instance, when I hear the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, I think of Mr. C, my fifth grade teacher, his old record player, and rock and roll Tuesdays. When m y roommate's brain registers the same pattern of impulses, it brings up the memory of her family's tan colored Volkswagen Rabbit. When I hear Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, I hear raindrops and soft footsteps, while another person might hear rays of light falling on water. We all have distinct visions of the same pattern of sounds. Neurobiologists, like Harvard's Mark Tramo, have yet to figure out exactly how this comes about (3) . Music is one thing that stimulates and utilizes most parts of the brain (2).

Balance of power: East African Region

The last half of the nineteenth century saw most of the African countries gaining political independence. However, their united voice in the fight against colonialists seemed to last only for as long as the colonial powers was still in charge of the continents political affairs. In East Africa, the three major partners: Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda adopted differing policies in terms of land, public investments strategies and political approaches. The policies symbolized the emergence of divergent post-independence national approaches.The result was each nation taking different paths aimed at promoting its strength regionally. However, not all the strategies were intended to result into taking of differing directions by the nations but rather some had unintended consequences. This paper will look at the East African region’s balance of power strategies and politics as from 1970’s to the modern day. The East Africa region emerging from years of war, civil strife and violen ce currently offers fresh grounds for interplay of power games and intrigues. Each country is increasingly seeking to assert its position as the regions strength.This is unlike other world regions where power intrigues have reached climax and relevant alliances formed against or for in a bid secure the relevant states positions. For instance, in the United States region the U. S has asserted its authority and countries in fear of it have had to positively align themselves and the resentful ones like Cuba have undertaken a negative alignment. However, the question as to who wields the power balance in their favor is no longer an issue. The same cannot be said of the East African region.The region is currently in a race for minerals exploration and policy formulation aimed at consolidating each nation’s position. Even as its nations head towards an economic integration, they cannot help but treat each other with caution and more so Kenya which is considered economically advanta ged. This makes it a rich ground for analysis of the power issues. The East African region has seen substantial and profoundly unmistakable changes in terms of strategic frameworks. These transformations dating back to the colonial days have had the effect of shaping up the power balance in the region.The most profound transformation aimed at balance of power was the fall of the East African Community in 1977. This was a result of each nation’s diverse approach to consolidate its positions of strength in the region. Kenya apparently based on its economic strength demanded to be awarded more seats in the regions decisions making organs, Idi Amin adopted dictatorship and expansionist ideas that threatened the regions stability and balance, while Tanzania undertook a more socialist approach unlike Kenya’s capitalist.Uganda’s Idi Amin was often viewed as militant as he not only ruled dictatorially, but also made attempts at expanding his regional power militantly. F or instance, is his 1978 attempt at annexing part of northern Tanzania formally Kagera. The result was constant tension between the states. Tanzania on the other hand often viewed Kenya as being an economic predatory nation more so regarding its material and human resources and hence embarked on policies aimed at locking out its population from taking over the countries investment opportunities and professional market.Generally, they embarked on protectionist policies against a nation they believed had the potential of sucking up its market and in one instance considered joining the Southern Economic Block. Kenya on the other hand, contrary to its neighbors disregarded the idealistic socialistic block then that would have had severe economic, social as well political consequences given its years of British linkage. In balancing its position, Kenya opted to adopt a wait and see policy in positioning itself on international issues.In general, Kenya opted to take non-aligned positions that would neither peach it alongside the west or the East’s rivalry at the time. Basically, the Kenyan policies aimed at protection of its integrity territorially, securing its economic as well as political structures but most importantly sustain its unique East African economic status. Kenya as a country has had to reckon with the challenges faced by its neighbors that have continuously threatened its economic stability in the region.The death of president, Kenyatta in 1978 came at a time when the Somalia- Ethiopian war was still on, Uganda was making attempts at annexing Kagera area of Tanzania. The then vice president, then took over powered and declared ‘Nyayoism’ often translated to mean following in the footsteps of the preceding president Kenyatta. Just like his predecessor, Moi adopted a neutral approach towards its neighbor’s conflicts and in stead focused on consolidating the countries position of power in the region. The re-emergence of the Eas t African Union saw Rwanda and Burundi join the bandwagon.While Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan are not part of the East African Union, they have often been considered as part of East Africa geographically. Consequently their activities have an effect on the political balance in the region. The race for a balance of power has thus increased in the recent past with Kenya dominance increasingly being threatened. Rwanda emerging from a gristly genocide has in the recent past embarked on policies that are attractive to the investors hence its recent ranking as having the best rate of project execution in East Africa and the leading regions investment destination.Its IT system is only rivaled by Kenya’s. Worth mentioning are also its new airports and radar systems bearing high sophistication. This advancement has often been cited as threatening to Kenya’s position as the economic hub in the region. Ethiopia’s infrastructural expansion has also been cited as meant to chal lenge Kenya’s position in the region. However, in reaction to this Kenya has currently embarked on a massive infrastructural expansion with roads being built more significantly in Nairobi and its environs.Kenya is also undertaking enormous expansion of its main airport while the Kisumu airport is undergoing upgrading to an international status. While Tanzania has been unable to do much with its mineral rich resources to strengthen its position of power in the region, the same cannot be said about Uganda which has re-emerged strongly from dictatorship under Idi Amin. Its recent striking of oil has seen Kenya vehemently embarking on the search of the same in a bid to ensure that it is not overtaken by Uganda.Additionally, Uganda has often been viewed as being militant and bearing expansionist ideals with its recent attempts being the attempts to acquire Migingo islands which allegedly belong to its neighbor, Kenya. Analysts have been quick to argue that this could be attempts b y Uganda to test Kenya’s ability to respond to external threat. However, Kenya’s diplomatic approach to issues still leaves its neighbors wondering its standing militarily though bearing in mind that it probably still holds the regions military as well as economic power.However, the recent striking of huge uranium deposits by Tanzania is likewise making the race for position of power in the region more complicated. The general summary of all these boils down to a race fro the regions economic leadership which is often accompanied by military leadership. Probably the realization of the common market has even catalyzed the race more as each country sees prospects of expanded markets for its produce. However, the milestone made by Kenya is still unrivalled and the expansion of the market would probably see professional services exportation from it.This is a position that all indications show that Kenya is not yet ready to relinquish as witnessed by its heavy investment in oil exploration as well as other minerals. Recent reports indicate that Kenya has struck uranium too and is likewise close to striking oil. In terms of policies, the East African countries have often treated each other with caution more especially the other countries viewing of Kenya which has often been cited as being at an economic point of advantage. This has seen various regions countries employing protectionist policies against Kenyans who are considered aggressive economically.Kenya has also embarked on key foreign relation aimed at securing its positions against the external threats from countries like Somalia which are constantly posing the threat by Al shaabab and piracy which has greatly affected the regions trade. Piracy has led to the Kenyan government having to review its policy on money laundering which could negatively affect the economy. This is due to the belief that the money collected in terms of Ransom is being laundered to the Kenyan market. This has arisen fro m the recent large unaccounted for balances announced by the Central Bank of Kenya.In conclusion it’s worth mentioning that despite Kenya’s dominance in the region, its position is increasingly being threatened as most of the regional players attempt to shift the balance of power in their favor. The region however, remains under siege more so regarding the increasing violence in Somalia, and Sudan. Some analysts have argued that the race for economic power in the region could live it far ahead of other regions in Africa in the near future. Paper break down This paper considers the East African geographical region in respect the period immediately after independence, early 1970’s to the modern period.Its appropriateness for study is based on the fact that it is currently re-emerging from a period of wars, civil strife and other forms of unrest that rocked it immediately after independence. These include the Uganda’s dictatorship under Idi Amin, Ethiopia an d Somali wars, civil strife in Sudan and most memorable Rwandan Genocide. Out of this has come the increased realization of the regions potential and hence a race for economic power position to outdo Kenya which has remained relatively calm save for the recent 2008 post-election violence.The region that has lot of current power plays to offer. The regions balance of power dynamics is depicted b the power balance plays as a result of the regions volatility and the diverse nature of policies outlined by individual states to consolidate their positions within the region. the countries in the region themselves face power shift dynamics either as a result of war or politics some thing that makes the region unique and possess two level of power balance dynamics namely; regional and national level dynamics.The proposed hypothesis then can revolve around whether or not power parity can be a recipe for peace in the region which more effort being shifted towards attaining power equilibrium ra ther that engagement in conflicts. However, the balance of power may be threatened by the interstate protectionist views held by the member states towards each other and more so those considered economically strong. The paper thus takes an overall look into the region as an emerging field for power play in search of economic superiority citing various statesmen and women who have had a role in the situation.Works Cited Aluanga, L. â€Å"The trouble with Kenyan Boarders† The East African Standard, 10/05/2009, 12 Onyango, C. O. Race to unseat Kenya from regions leadership, The East African 40(5) 2010:16, Oyugi, O. W. (2004) Politics and administration in East Africa, Nairobi; East African Educational Publishers, 2004, 313-319 Potholm, C. P. & Fredland, R. A. â€Å"Integration and disintegration in East Africa† Washington, D. C. : University Press of America, 1980 Segal, A. â€Å"The politics of land in East Africa,† Comparative Series, East African Journal, 1(287) 2007:1-22

Jean Piagets Theory Essay

Piaget’s theory is based on stages, whereby each stage represents a qualitatively different type of thinking. Children in stage one cannot think the same as children in stage 2, 3 or 4 etc. Transitions from one stage to another are generally very fast, and the stages always follow an invariant sequence. Another important characteristic of his stage theory is that they are universal; the stages will work for everyone in the world regardless of their differences (except their age, of course, which is what the stages are based on!) Piaget acknowledged that there is an interaction between a child and the environment, and this is a focal point for his theory. He believed a child cannot learn unless they are constantly interacting with their environment, making mistakes and then learning from them. He defined children as â€Å"lone scientists†; he did not identify any need for teachers or adults in cognitive development. Children have all the cognitive mechanisms to learn on their own, and the interaction with their environment allows them to do so. To put this in perspective, another theory by Lev Vygotsky suggested that the interaction is not important at all; the child will learn when encouraged to with an adult’s assistance. I will be explaining then contrasting Vygotsky’s theory to Piaget’s in my next post – so be sure to check back for that! With the background of his theory explained, let’s look at – The Key Concepts of Piaget’s theory: Before explaining the main part of Piaget’s theory (the four stages), it’s very important to look at some of the underlying principles behind it. Rather than write a stupidly long paragraph explaining it all, I will write the key terms in bold, then explain them in bullet points – just to keep things simple! †¢Schema (pl. Schemata, although some say â€Å"Schemas† for the plural) Possibly one of the most important concepts put forward by Piaget, Schemata help individuals understand the world they inhabit. They are cognitive structures that represent a certain aspect of the world, and can be seen as categories which have certain pre-conceived ideas in them. For example, my schema for Christmas includes: Christmas trees, presents, giving, money, green, red, gold, winter, Santa Claus etc. Someone else may have an entirely different schema, such as Jesus, birth, Church, holiday, Christianity etc. Of course, there are schemata for all kinds of things – yourself (self schemata), other people (people schemata), events/situations (event schemata) and roles/occupations (role schemata). With regards to Piaget’s theory, a child might have a pre-conceived schema for a dog. If the household has a small West Highland White Terrier as a dog, the schema might be â€Å"small, furry, four legs, white†. When the child interacts with a new dog – perhaps a Labrador, it will change to incorporate the new information, such as â€Å"big, golden, smooth etc.† This is known as: †¢Assimilation Simply the process of incorporating new information into a pre-existing schema. So with the â€Å"dog† example, the child assimilated the Labrador’s information into the old dog schema. Assimilation is essentially fitting new information into schemata we already have in place. Unfortunately, this can lead to stereotyping. For example, if an old lady sees a teenager mug another person, she might assimilate â€Å"violence† or â€Å"crime† into her teenage schema. Next time she sees a teenager, her schema will be applied to them – and although they may be a kind person, she will probably show prejudice. Assimilation is normally a simple process, as new information already fits the pre-exisiting categories. †¢Accommodation When coming across a new object for the first time, a child will attempt to apply an old schema to the object. For consistency, let’s use the dog example again. The child may have â€Å"four legs, furry† in their dog schema. When coming across another similar animal, such as a cat, they might say â€Å"Look, a dog!† – that’s assimilation. However, when told that it’s actually a cat – not a dog – they will accommodate the new information into another schema. They will now form a â€Å"cat† schema; â€Å"not all four legged furry animals are dogs – some are cats too!†. They have accommodated the new information. The process just mentioned – of assimilation then accommodation is known as – †¢Adaptation Assimilation and accommodation are the two parts of adaptation – which is simply what it says – adapting our schemata to make an accurate (enough) model of the world we live in. It is a form of learning, but an entirely different form to the kind you’d see in behaviourist psychology for example (such as operant/classical conditioning). †¢Equilibrium Piaget suggested that humans naturally strive to achieve a cognitive balance; there must be a balance between applying prior knowledge (assimilation) and changing schemata to account for new information (accommodation). Piaget suggested that when a child has a schema which doesn’t fit reality, there is tension in the mind. By balancing the use of assimilation and accommodation, this tension is reduced and we can proceed to higher levels of thought and learning (equilibration). QUICK SUMMARY: Children have schemata (cognitive structures that contain pre-existing ideas of the world), which are constantly changing. Schemata constantly undergo adaptation, through the processes of assimilation and accommodation. When seeing new objects there is a state of tension, and a child will attempt to assimilate the information to see if it fits into prior schemata. If this fails, the information must be accommodated by either adding new schemata or modifying the existing ones to accommodate the information. By balancing the use of assimilation and accommodation, an equilibrium is created, reducing cognitive tension (equilibration). Vygotsky’s theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition Vygotsky, 1978), as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of â€Å"making meaning.† Unlike Piaget’s notion that children’s’ development must necessarily precede their learning, Vygotsky argued, â€Å"learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function† (1978, p. 90). In other words, social learning tends to precede (i.e. come before) development. Vygotsky has developed a socio-cultural approach to cognitive development. He developed his theories at around the same time as Jean Piaget was starting to develop his theories (1920’s and 30’s), but he died at the age of 38 and so his theories are incomplete – although some of his writings are still being translated from Russian. No single principle (such as Pi aget’s equilibration) can account for development. Individual development cannot be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which it is embedded. Higher mental processes in the individual have their origin in social processes. Vygotsky’s theory differs from that of Piaget in a number of important ways: 1: Vygotsky places more emphasis on culture affecting/shaping cognitive development – this contradicts Piaget’s view of universal stages and content of development. (Vygotsky does not refer to stages in the way that Piaget does). 2: Vygotsky places considerably more emphasis on social factors contributing to cognitive development (Piaget is criticised for underestimating this). 3: Vygotsky places more (and different) emphasis on the role of language in cognitive development (again Piaget is criticised for lack of emphasis on this). Effects of Culture: – Tools of intellectual adaptation Like Piaget, Vygotsky claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development – Piaget focuses on motor reflexes and sensory abilities. Vygotsky refers to Elementary Mental Functions – o Attention o Sensation o Perception o Memory Eventually, through interaction within the socio-cultural environment, these are developed into more sophisticated and effective mental processes/strategies which he refers to as Higher Mental Functions. For example, memory in young children this is limited by biological factors. However, culture determines the type of memory strategy we develop. E.g., in our culture we learn note-taking to aid memory, but in pre-literate societies other strategies must be developed, such as tying knots in string to remember, or carrying pebbles, or repetition of the names of ancestors until large numbers can be repeated. Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation – these allow children to use the basic mental functions more effectively/adaptively, and these are culturally determined (e.g. memory mnemonics, mind maps). Vygotsky therefore sees cognitive functions, even those carried out alone, as affected by the beliefs, values and tools of intellectual adaptation of the culture in which a person develops and therefore socio-culturally determined. The tools of intellectual adaptation therefore vary from culture to culture – as in the memory example Social Influences on Cognitive Development Like Piaget, Vygotsky believes that young children are curious and actively involved in their own learning and the discovery and development of new understandings/schema. However, Vygotsky placed more emphasis on social contributions to the process of development, whereas Piaget emphasised self-initiated discovery. According to Vygotsky (1978), much important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a skillful tutor. The tutor may model behaviours and/or provide verbal instructions for the child. Vygotsky refers to this as co-operative or collaborative dialogue. The child seeks to understand the actions or instructions provided by the tutor (often the parent or teacher) then internalizes the information, using it to guide or regulate their own performance. Shaffer (1996) gives the example of a young girl who is given her first jigsaw. Alone, she performs poorly in attempting to solve the puzzle. The father then sits with her and describes or demonstrates some basic strategies, such as finding all the comer/edge pieces and provides a couple of pieces for the child to put together herself and offers encouragement when she does so. As the child becomes more competent, the father allows the child to work more independently. According to Vygotsky, this type of social interaction involving co-operative or collaborative dialogue promotes cognitive development. In order to gain an understanding of Vygotsky’s theories on cognitive development, one must understand two of the main principles of Vygotsky’s work: the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). More Knowledgeable Other The more knowledgeable other (MKO) is somewhat self-explanatory; it refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. Although the implication is that the MKO is a teacher or an older adult, this is not necessarily the case. Many times, a child’s peers or an adult’s children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience. For example, who is more likely to know more about the newest teen-age music groups, how to win at the most recent PlayStation game, or how to correctly perform the newest dance craze – a child or their parents? In fact, the MKO need not be a person at all. Some companies, to support employees in their learning process, are now using electronic performance support systems. Electronic tutors have also been used in educational settings to facilitate and guide students through the learning process. The key to MKOs is that they must have (or be programmed with) more knowledge about the topic being learned than the learner does. Zone of Proximal Development The concept of the More Knowledgeable Other is integrally related to the second important principle of Vygotsky’s work, the Zone of Proximal Development. This is an important concept that relates to the difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. For example, the child could not solve the jigsaw puzzle (in the example above) by itself and would have taken a long time to do so (if at all), but was able to solve it following interaction with the father, and has developed competence at this skill that will be applied to future jigsaws. Vygotsky (1978) sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given – allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their own – developing higher mental functions. Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. He suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children develop with help from more skillful peers – within the zone of proximal development.

Free Essays on Teen Preg

Teen Pregnancy Adolescent pregnancy has long been a societal concern, but in the past decade, this issue has become one of the most frequently cited examples of the perceived societal decay in the United States. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. (McCuen 16). Sorting out cause and effect would be easy if pregnant teens all lived in the same area with the same disadvantages or if these women chose to become mothers early in life. But such mothers are not randomly dotted across the social landscape. Increased rates of sexual activity, illegitimacy, and welfare receipt raise public concerns. Although the onset of pregnancy may occur in any teenager, some teens are at higher risk for unplanned pregnancy than others. Despite the recent decline in the teen birth rates, teen pregnancy remains a significant problem facing our nation. Social problems, a vast amount of emotional and psychological problems often contribute to teen pregnancy. Promiscuous is defined as careless, casual, or even aimless. Teens are being promiscuous more than ever before. Teenagers are participating in the new world of sexual freedom. Social behavior is no longer restricted to the higher class. Today, teens become sexually active not when they move out of the parental home and into a family of their own, but while they are still considered as children. Young women are just as likely as young men today to be sexually active before marriage. With more and more teens having casual sex, the risks of pregnancy goes up. They do not weigh their options and take into consideration the consequences of their behavior that could possibly change their entire life. They do not realize that it could happen to them. They only see it as something that happens to other people. They feel they are invincible. We should recognize that sexual behavior is a matter of c... Free Essays on Teen Preg Free Essays on Teen Preg Teen Pregnancy Adolescent pregnancy has long been a societal concern, but in the past decade, this issue has become one of the most frequently cited examples of the perceived societal decay in the United States. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. (McCuen 16). Sorting out cause and effect would be easy if pregnant teens all lived in the same area with the same disadvantages or if these women chose to become mothers early in life. But such mothers are not randomly dotted across the social landscape. Increased rates of sexual activity, illegitimacy, and welfare receipt raise public concerns. Although the onset of pregnancy may occur in any teenager, some teens are at higher risk for unplanned pregnancy than others. Despite the recent decline in the teen birth rates, teen pregnancy remains a significant problem facing our nation. Social problems, a vast amount of emotional and psychological problems often contribute to teen pregnancy. Promiscuous is defined as careless, casual, or even aimless. Teens are being promiscuous more than ever before. Teenagers are participating in the new world of sexual freedom. Social behavior is no longer restricted to the higher class. Today, teens become sexually active not when they move out of the parental home and into a family of their own, but while they are still considered as children. Young women are just as likely as young men today to be sexually active before marriage. With more and more teens having casual sex, the risks of pregnancy goes up. They do not weigh their options and take into consideration the consequences of their behavior that could possibly change their entire life. They do not realize that it could happen to them. They only see it as something that happens to other people. They feel they are invincible. We should recognize that sexual behavior is a matter of c...