Hewlett-Packard Case Study Essay Example for Free

Hewlett-Packard Case Study Essay Carly Fiorina was hired in Hewlett-Packard as Chairwoman, CEO and President of Hewlett-Packard in 1999 but before that, she earned recognition being one of the most powerful women in America.   Her career in H-P was a combination of ups and down leaving the company with a lot more controversy. Carly Fiorina’s performance at HP caught the attentions of the people in America and the world. Was CEO Carly Fiorina an example of internal or external succession at H-P and why? Carly Fiorina’s appointment in Hewlett-Packard is an example of external succession because she was not a former H-P employee or member of the board; her expertise and renowned popularity made the H-P Board to hire her service.   Specifically, her achievements at Lucent and ATT impressed the executives of H-P, which at that time was at a point of â€Å"downslide† (Boldman Deal, p. 111), who thought that Fiorina could bring â€Å"drastic action and new leadership to shake things up† (ibid). Describe the changes made at Hewlett-Packard under CEO Fiorina. Carly Fiorina obviously was really smart and an innovator as evident in her achievements in her former companies.   However, her true ability was tested in Hewlett-Packard that left her torn-apart caused by the consequences of the massive scale she imposed on H-P.   She succeeded in some ways and failed in some aspects. Nevertheless, Fiorina made three changes in HP in her six-year term that greatly affected the HP culture according to Craig (2008).   First, she redirected the spending of the company from â€Å"nurturing employees to financial performance† (Craig) that resulted to growth in earnings and revenues during her term.   Secondly, she changed the reward system given to employees from profit-sharing to an incentive program.   The last change she made was restructuring the whole company by merging similar units to one resulting to having only four units from the original 84 units.   Reduction of smaller independent businesses of HP resulted to job losses of many employees but improved the communication and internal transaction of the company. Likewise, the merging of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq caused Fiorina’s strategy brought more negative consequences than positive ones.   Though she got what she expected, but the fact that people were hurt by her aggressive action they all retaliated against her.   Unbelievably, only during her term that HP experienced so many job losses and employee apprehensions. These changes damaged the company as employee dissatisfaction grew further until 2005 and the stock reduced by half while its competitors such as Dell and IBM continued soaring high. What is your opinion of what ultimately happened to her at HP, as illustrated by the second article? Fiorina lost her credibility at HP which was contrary to her previous achievements she made prior to her appointment at HP.   I think she was overwhelmed by the shining glory of her achievements during that time that she promoted herself rather than the company’s future.   She failed to understand what the company really needed; instead she went on her way without fully analyzing what correct actions to take. Basically, she relied to herself totally that she never noticed the cultural forces that raged against her.   She lost her focus as many turned into opposition to her plans; in the first place, she never got to the heart of the problem of HP that she misunderstood many of the remarks and words of expectation she received at the time she was appointed at HP. How would you describe the most recent succession that occurred at H-P? External succession with Fiorina was the first attempt made by the company and I think that experience gave them a great lesson to ponder on because the succession brought chaos to the company, which was opposite to what they expected.   HP was quite stable though some downslides occurred already when Fiorina was hired in 1999.   Fiorina was appointed as chairwoman in order to enhance further its competitiveness in the market but her leadership style did not meet the expected changes that she promised to them. In the first place, HP became irrational by associating the success of Fiorina at ATT and Lucent to Hewlett-Packard.   It failed to see competent and able leaders within the company who could replace the parting person.   Getting the right person for a very sensitive position must be done with care. Monk and Wagner suggested that in line with succession, it is important that a company create a succession plan that â€Å"incorporates every level of the organization† (2008, p. 174). The succession plan will guide the company in cases like Fiorina. Conclusion In the case of Carly Fiorina in HP, it is appropriate to assume that succession must be according to the plan and besides the company must set a ruling regarding succession.   Fiorina could be the right person in HP but the lack of clear vision and orientation of the culture and expectation of the company; she developed her own approaches that only harmed the people in the company.

A Christian Music Guide

A Christian Music Guide Music forms an integral part of all communities and religions. Christian music is no exception to that. Christian music primarily consists of the music played and sung in churches for the purpose of worshipping and praising the Lord. Christian music has different forms and has a different name for each form. However, Christian music also conforms to the music outside the regular church service. The various forms of Christian music include anthem, antiphon, cantata, chant, chorale, hymn, mass, motet, plainsong, carol and oratorio. An anthem is a song sung with a religious or political significance having a meaning itself. An anthem can be sung in church or any other place with or without any other companions. By Christian terminology it often denotes a song sung for praising loyalty. An antiphon is sung after the narration of a psalm or canticle in response to it. A cantata is performed primarily by a group of people who sing in the church and are known as the choir. However, a cantata can also comprise of solo performances accompanied by musical instruments. A chant is a repeated utterance of short and simple words or syllables sung in the same tone and melody. A chorale is a German hymn known to be much more simpler than the English ones. They came into existence to replace the plainsongs in order to be sung to announce the congregation participation in the liturgy. A hymn is sung as note of thanksgiving, devotion and praise towards the lord almighty. A mass is sung to celebrate public celebrations mostly in the Roman Catholic Churches and a few Protestant Churches. A motet comprises of the sacred text, mostly from the Bible, and is usually sung alone without any companion. Any Christian song sung without the restrictions of meter are known as plainsong. Often plainsong is also sung alone. A carol usually celebrates joy and celebration such as the Christmas carols. They are accompanied with dancing and loud singing in groups. An oratorio is a musical composition accompanied with orchestra and chorus depicting a sacred tale without any kind of stage enactments. The Christian music has evolved over the years keeping in tact its tradition and customs and yet, giving way for the contemporary Christian music, largely influenced by the secular music. The music from the different gospels along with the Christian Country Music is the most popular forms of music in the US. Christian Pop Music Pop music is considered to be the short form of popular music. Pop music generally appeals to the teenage and young section of the listeners. It is mostly accompanied by electronic musical equipments and is characterized by a heavy rhythmic pattern. The themes may include personal or loud group emotions, although the most common and popular themes are derived from emotional or physical love themes. Christian pop music found its existence in the term Contemporary Christian Music in the year 1970, which was based on Christian Faith. The music derived its root from the hippie Jesus Movement, from which the genre of Jesus Music began. In the early days, Christian pop music consisted of folk pop songs depicting the artists belief and faith in Jesus. Soon, Christian pop music became quite popular and began being aired on various radio stations and sold in local stores. Popular artists like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith made the Christian pop music a flourishing Industry by 1980 when millions of their records started getting sold. The early Christian pop music was divided into four main groups known as the separatist, purist, spiritually reflective and incidental positions. Each group prophesied their own view in deciding the motive and themes of the pop music and composed music accordingly. Eventually, this separate genre of music was opposed by some of the other artists who deviated from this genre to form other Christian music genres such as hip hop, punk, alternative, metal etc. Some of these artists include Lost Dogs, Joy Electric etc. In the present scenario however, Christian pop music has found its place beside all the other existing genres of Christian music. The contemporary pop music is a combination of inspirational, sacred, gospels and emotions strains. Over the years, quite a number of artists have made Christian pop music durable and popular among the young generations. Christian Music Charts Music charts usually functions as an overall rating report of the contemporary songs based on their popularity and music quality. Like every other genre of music, songs belonging to the Christian music also find its way up and down the music charts decided by the various criterions. An overall survey is done through various means of communications such as Internet polls, sms and of course letters and online public forums. Based on this survey a song would enter the hit chart and find its position on the top slot. These positions may vary from one week to another as new songs and albums keep entering the music charts. As a result, the song or album, which was on the top slot a week before, can lose its position and come down the rating charts. The way of airing and popularizing a song or an album, are the various radio stations and innumerable television channels. These radio stations and television channels help in making these songs and albums popular, which in turn help them enter the music charts. However, these music charts are not always the best way to judge the quality of a song or an album. Often, it might be possible that a really good song has not been able to enter the music charts because it is not a part of a very high budget project. In that case song does not appear on air or television channels and thus is not a part of the top music charts of a country or state. Usually Christian music charts are divided according to the different genres of Christian music such as Contemporary, Rock, Adult Contemporary, Inspirational, Pop to name a few. However, they can also show an overall rating combining all the genres and types of music prevalent. The songs and albums are often listed starting with the most popular ones on top and the count going up with the following numbers. Christian music charts can be found in the various online websites, and are transmitted through multiple radio and television channels regularly. Christian Karaoke Music The word Karaoke derives its meaning from the combination of two Japanese terms. Kara in Japanese means empty or void and oke means orchestra. Together they formed Karaoke to establish a different genre of Christian music. Karaoke music is a live performance by the artist accompanied by a pre-recorded orchestra. It is very popular in a lot of places, including stage performances. The pre-recorded orchestra and video displays act as a guide to the singer whose microphone volume is usually kept low. The singer merely lips the songs, which are already played in the background. Christian Karaoke music shows usually take place in open areas such as parks, fairs and other public get-togethers, which provides a platform for all those who are not so confident about their singing alone. The pre-recorded voice helps them to sing along and yet participate in the shows. This also serves as another way of spreading the word of God providing the flexibility of local gatherings instead of going to the church. Christian Karaoke music often consists of hymns and other popular genres of Christian music which, when played and participated by the general people help in making them popular. Although, usual Karaoke music is popular in bars and nightclubs Christian Karaoke Music do not associate itself with such places and is mostly comprised of gospels, carols and other religious streams. Singing along with the Karaoke has become a popular profession and various websites have come up to train the singer about the ways off singing in a Christian Karaoke. Christian Karaoke Music lists are available on most online music shopping websites with the latest and most popular artists and albums in store. However, it is advisable to compare and check the different sites and price rates offered by them before buying a certain album. Prices may vary depending on the popularity and music chart ratings of an album.

An analysis of the Depreciation Methods in GAAP in the UK

An analysis of the Depreciation Methods in GAAP in the UK Depreciation is the allocation of the cost of a plant asset to expense over its useful (service) life in a rational and systematic manner (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003:416). There are three factors affect the calculation of depreciation, which are asset cost, useful life and salvage value (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Accountant in different companies will use various methods to compute the depreciation. There are straight-line method, reducing balance method (double declining balance, sum of digits, reducing percentage), annuity method, and unit of production method (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). And in most companies, especially in the large corporations, they will use the straight-line method, because it is the easiest one to compute the depreciation. This essay will illustrate some method that usually used in the companies and contract with each method to find out which one is the most useful. At the beginning, the essay will illustrate the straight-line method, the se cond one is reducing balance method, the third method is sum of digits, and the last one is the unit of production method. Below each method, the essay will give an example, which is calculated by me. Under the straight-line method, the annual depreciation expense is the same over the assets estimated useful life every year. The annual depreciation expense is determined by depreciation cost divided by the useful life of the asset or multiplied by the annual rate of depreciation (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Example 1 An asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years. Depreciable cost = ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000- ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000 = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000 Annual depreciation expense = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000/5years= ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 OR Annual rate of depreciation =100%à ·5years=20% Annual depreciation expense = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000*20%= ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 Year 1 Cost  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 2 Net book value 9,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 3 Net book value 7,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 4 Net book value 5,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 5 Net book value 3,000 Depreciation 2,000 Net book value 1,000 The straight-line method is the simplest way among all the methods; it suitable for the use of asset is unvarying during the useful life; it is popular used by large corporation, such as Campbell Soup, Marriott Corporation and General Mills. However, the reducing balance method has a falling depreciation amount every year during the useful life of the asset. The changing depreciation is depended on the book value (cost less accumulated depreciation). It is calculated to multiply the book value at the beginning of the year and the reducing balance depreciation rate (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Example 2 An asset costs (book value at the beginning of year)  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years. Reducing balance depreciation rate = 100%à ·5years=20%* Calculation of  ¿Ã‚ ¡901.12( ¿Ã‚ ¡4505.6ÃÆ'-20%) is adjusted to  ¿Ã‚ ¡3505.6 in order to make the book value equal salvage value (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Sum of digits is another kind of reducing balance method, which has the closest connection with useful life and salvage value of the asset. The depreciation cost is multiply depreciation cost (asset cost less salvage value) by digits of each year (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). Example 3 An asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years The digits add up is 1+2+3+4+5=15 Depreciation cost = ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000- ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000= ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000 Year 1 Cost  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000 Depreciation (5/15ÃÆ'- ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000) 3,333 Year 2 Net book value 7,667 Depreciation (4/15ÃÆ'- ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000) 2,667 Year 3 Net book value 5,000 Depreciation (3/15ÃÆ'- ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000) 2,000 Year 4 Net book value 3,000 Depreciation (2/15ÃÆ'- ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000) 1,333 Year 5 Net book value 1,667 Depreciation (1/15ÃÆ'- ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000) 667 Net book value 1,000 The double declining balance method is very similar to the educing balance method. It just doubles the reducing balance depreciation rate and has the same way to compute the depreciation. Reducing percentage is a method alike to Sum of digits. It gives a fix amount of the asset in advance to write off each year. When company use the reducing balance method, it can combine the depreciation expense to the maintaining cost and run the asset (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). The depreciation charges will large in the early years and become smaller and smaller later. Rather than the time period, the unit of production method write off the asset by expressing the total of units of production. Because it links to the machines usage and output closely, it is used in extractive corporations popularly (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). This method is used by some large corporation, such as ChevronTexaco Corp. and Boise Cascade Corporation (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). The depreciation expense in this method is determined by depreciation cost per unit multiply by units of activity during the year. The depreciation cost per unit is computed by depreciation cost divide by total units of activity. Example 4 Asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000. The manufacture will produce 20,000 produces in the first year, 15,000 produces in the second year, 30,000 produces in the third year, 10,000 produces in the forth year and 25,000 produces in the fifth year. Depreciation cost = ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000- ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000= ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000 Depreciation cost per unit= ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000à ·100,000units= ¿Ã‚ ¡0.1 To compare the three main methods, we find that each method will have the same book value in the last year, but the depreciation expense is different during the useful life. The straight-line method keeps same; the reducing balance method is large in the early years and decreases in the later years, and the unit of production method is fluctuant bases on the unit it produces. In the SSAP 12, it allows company to decide which depreciation method to use by them. But the company must consider if the method they choose is suitable for the companies asset, and the depreciation allocated is fairly to the best of their abilities  to benefit form the use of the asset (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994:541, paragraph 8 in the explanatory note section of SSAP12). The purpose of all the depreciation methods is the return of the money invested in the asset finally, but different methods have its rate of recovering (Robert, Helen and David, 1978). Companies considerate when their money invest will receive and the net income. Obviously, the methods talked above can be divided into two categories. One is based on useful life, which is straight-line method and reducing balance method. The other one is base on the number of the production; it is unit of production method. So which method is useful will first depend on the way it estimate in the depreciation. Between the straight line method and the reducing balance method. The benefit of the straight-line method is easy to calculate and the depreciation expense will not change every year. While the reducing balance method has a high depreciation in the early years, this will save the income tax during these years because depreciation cost reduce the income reported for tax purpose (Robert, Helen and David, 1978). For many company, the money is better to receive as soon as quickly. The fall in the tax means there is more money can be used. Also, Robert, Helen and David (1978:313) compared the different depreciation methods on a present value discounted from the depreciation expense (see the table blow). They assumed that the money will earn 8% for the company and found the reducing balance method have more present value than the straight-line method. As it mentions above, for a business, if it is based on use for the depreciation, the most useful depreciation method should be unit of production method. And if the company is based on the useful life for the depreciation, the most useful one may be the reducing balance method even though the straight-line method is easy to compute.

The History of Colonial Rule of Puerto Rico by United States :: Historical Colonization spanish Essays

The History of Colonial Rule of Puerto Rico by United States On July 25, 1898 the United States arrived in Puerto Rico. The U.S. defeated the Spanish and gained possession of the island. Despite the intimidation the Americans inflicted on the Puerto Ricans, the Puerto Ricans remained hopeful. The Americans were the representatives of the free world. They had written the Constitution and provided a Bill of Rights for their inhabitants. The Americans were the advocates of democracy, and the Puerto Ricans hoped the Americans would show the pathway to freedom. Unfortunately, the wishes of the Puerto Ricans were never fulfilled. The United States established a military government. The Americans arrived with racist, arrogant attitudes. They deemed the the Puerto Ricans ill equipped for self government, as as the descendants, or pupils of the inferior Spanish. The Americans believed only they could establish Puerto Rico as a respectable nation, because the United States possessed an arrogance rarely seen. As a result, they claimed Puerto Rico as their possession, to do with what they seemed appropriate. What resulted was an adverse effect on Puerto Rico brought upon by Americans, from an economical, political and social standpoint. The rule of the United States over Puerto Rico also further obscured the definition of Puerto Rican identity. The impact of early U.S. Colonial rule had an adverse economic effect on Puerto Rico. Before the arrival of the U.S. in 1898, coffee was the premier enterprise in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican coffee was highly regarded in Europe for the quality of its flavor and had a price in the markets of Cuba, France, Spain and Germany. After U.S. possession, Spain considered Puerto Rico a foreign country, and raised its import tax on Puerto Rican coffee, while Cuba quadrupled its tariff on the Puerto Rican product.

Godfather Moral Downfall Essay example -- essays research papers

Critics agree that in The Godfather, the protagonist, Michael Corleone (Mikey) changes from a person with moral principles and a legitimate role in society to a cold-blooded mobster. In the beginning of the movie, Mikey shows his reluctance to involve himself in the Mafia when he tells his girlfriend, Kaye, about his father’s (Vito Corleone) business methods of coercion and says he will never be like his family. However, as Mikey’s involvement with the family business increases his violent tendencies become more apparent as he volunteers to murder a rival thug and a corrupt police officer. In the final scene, Mikey kills his brother-in-law, and when confronted by Kaye, he looks her in the eyes and claims no role in the murder. At this point, he completely transforms from a military hero and legitimate citizen, to a Mafia don capable of lies and murder. While Mikey’s transformation is quite obvious, the reason for this change in moral behavior is a more complex i ssue. The change in ethical behavior is a result of Mikey’s decision to become more involved with his family, consequently putting him in an environment that promotes immoral behavior. Michael Corleone’s problem is an internal conflict between loyalty to family and moral principle. After an assassination attempt on Mikey's father, Mikey decides to return to the family and assume leadership, even though he disapproves of Mafia business practices. The strength of family ties, ingrained in Mikey as a youth, influenced his choice. Decisions in choosing between right and wrong should not be confined to just a matter of the individual, but a response influenced by the family. Psychologists feel that the rearing of a child during early years plays a particularly important role in influencing behavior throughout a child's life. So, certain choices simply will not be made due to values established at an early age, since cognitive moral development restricts "free will" to some degree. Obviously, growing up in a Mafia family would put Mikey in an environment where he experiences a tainted view of right and wrong. Also, in the family situation, pressures from the group (the family) often influence the individual's behavior making the individual's decisions more difficult. Therefore, someone not taught independence will have trouble standing up against the family. For example, Mikey holds a notion o... ...uot;no regrets." Mikey only nods in agreement showing his acceptance of his new position. Mikey’s moral downfall is most likely a result of genetic influences, coupled with his current situation in a Mafia environment. His genetic makeup prohibits him from withstanding the pressures and influences of Mafia life. His violent behavior in the killings coincide with the Corleone notion of loyalty, and family business practices. Possible inherited defects in the Corleone family, such as those found in the five generations of Dutch men stated previously, fit well with Mafia methods of coercion and getting rid of competition. Also, the fact that Mikey feels responsible in helping with the protection of his father, and his expected role in the matter, affect his decision about involvement in the family business. Since the viewer only sees a short span of Mikey’s life, it is difficult to predict if Mikey will ever deviate from his current unethical practices. Theory suggests that he will change because altering personalities permanently is nearly impossible. However, only by viewing subsequent parts of Mikey’s life can we know for sure if he will return to moral standards of living.

Existentialism in “Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald's fiction presents not only the magic of the Jazz Age but also its immorality, materialism, and degradation of the human spirit. While Fitzgerald was probably not trying to specifically present existentialism in his works, Finkelstein describes Fitzgerald's work as having an existential theme: â€Å"F. Scott Fitzgerald was of this milieu, and at the same time critically detached from it. He expressed its hard-boiled, disillusioned attitude through the deliberate use of alienated imagery† (171).He manages to present the existential theme of alienation along with other existential issues; the characters in his fiction characterize the existential ideas of the absurdity of life, the absolute freedom of choice, and living with the consequence of one's choices. In â€Å"Babylon Revisited,† the freedom of choice leads the characters to exploit wealth and freedom and, eventually, to regret past actions and try to make up for the abuse of this freedom. In â €Å"Babylon Revisited† the reader can see the absurdity of life through the rise, fall and rebuilding of Charlie Wales.He chooses to drink and spend all his money. He loses everything in the stock market crash but attempts to rebuild his life. Charlie is distraught over the tragic loss of his wife but realizes that he must suffer the consequences of his prior actions.Regaining custody of his daughter Honoria serves as a symbol that Charlie has regained control of his life. This paper presents the ideas of existentialism as they apply to â€Å"Babylon Revisited†. The greatest tenet of existentialism in â€Å"Babylon Revisited† is that life is absurd because there is no true meaning.Individuals must create meaning; therefore they are constantly searching for themselves. Charlie Wales was searching for his true meaning and made some choices that led to bad consequences. The ultimate absurdity in this story is that Charlie makes the right decision to turn his life a round, but because he must live with his consequences, he fails to regain custody of his daughter. Although Charlie believes he has moved beyond his previous profligate behavior, his sister-in law does not, and she makes the decision to keep his daughter from him.The most absurd part is that Charlie is better suited now to take care of his daughter but Marion manages to remain in control of the situation. He works hard to build his life back up but one incident (that reflects his past life) turns everything upside down.Charlie Wales made some choices that led to bad consequences. The ultimate absurdity in this story is that even though Charlie has made the right decision to turn his life around, he must live with the consequences of his previous decisions and fails to regain custody of his daughter.The absurdity here deals with the fact that Charlie's experiences run contrary to expectations. If he has indeed changed his life, he should be rewarded for his redemption; unfortunately, he is not. He works hard to build his life back up but one incident (that reflects his past life) turns everything upside down.Although Charlie is now strong, his sister-in-law Marion is not, and she makes the decision to keep his daughter from him. Charlie may be better suited now to take care of his daughter, but Marion manages to remain in control of the situation.Charlie makes the choice to go back to the bar where he had spent much time in the past, and he makes the absurdly innocuous choice to give the bartender the Peters' address, which leads to the incident of Duncan and Lorraine's visit to the Peters' apartment that destroys the entire effort to get his daughter back.The reader, therefore, can never truly know how big of a role Charlie plays in his own downfall. He lives, as we all do, in an absurd world and this absurdity magnifies the impact of even the smallest decision. The existential idea of free will is important in â€Å"Babylon Revisited.† Sartre postulate s a concept of being-in-itself that corresponds to one phenomenal world, and it does not lie within the power of the individual to choose it. Individuals exist by virtue of personal choice. He believes â€Å"there is no universal a priori structure of consciousness, no common human nature, no native set of desires shared by all men that dispose us to project one kind of values to the exclusion of others or to give being-in-itself one kind of meaning rather than another† (Olson 133). Each individual is absolutely free.Charlie Wales exercised his free will prior to Helen's death in a series of wasteful actions that Fitzgerald presents as having a connection to the biblical idea of â€Å"Babylon. † The writings of the â€Å"Fathers of the Church describe Babylon as the ancient center of luxury and wickedness† (Baker 270).Fitzgerald develops the Babylon motif by presenting Charlie's actions as â€Å"catering to vice and waste† (215). Here, Fitzgerald's work c an be seen as assimilating Nietzsche's idea that God is dead and each individual must be the god of himself in a world without a God (Lavine 325).Since the existentialist mentality has as its basis the concept that an individual is free to make choices for the life he or she lives, he or she is absolutely responsible for the world in which he or she lives. The concept of being-in-itself did not cause Charlie to choose this life.If, therefore, he made a bad choice, he cannot hold anyone else responsible. Not until after the stock market crash does Charlie realize the consequences of his actions and feel the guilt of those consequences. He realizes that, like all individuals, he is responsible for everything he does (Toor 157).Charlie is held responsible for his actions in that he loses both his wife and daughter. He cannot reclaim his daughter until he accepts the consequences of his past. Charlie Wales pays the penance for his choice to drink and live the life of Babylon (Eble 42).H e realizes that he must pay the price: It [money] had been given, even the most wildly squandered sum, as an offering to destiny that he might not remember the things most worth remembering, the things that now he would always remember – his child taken from his control, his wife escaped to a grave in Vermont (Fitzgerald 216).For Charlie, the suddenness of the Depression creates a sense of dislocation, a feeling that he is living in two worlds at once. He is committed to the idea of recovery and the new way of life he has created, but he still clings partially to many of the habits he formed during the boom (Way 91).Charlie Wales makes the existential choice to live the â€Å"Babylonian† concept of â€Å"vice and waste. † He now, however, feels the stress of his actions, and he makes the choice to try to reconcile his former failings. The recovery is the important change that Charlie makes.His main purpose is to regain custody of Honoria. Charlie feels as if he has paid the price for his past choices and has sufficiently recovered enough to look after Honoria himself. He tells Marion and Lincoln that he is anxious to have a home and anxious to have Honoria in it.He states that â€Å"things have changed radically† with him (Fitzgerald 220). The memory of Helen drives Charlie to work hard and make himself a better person. He is working to get Honoria not only for his own sake, but for the sake of his dead wife.Fitzgerald is showing the sort of strength in Charlie that the reader does not see in Marion. Charlie has learned to control his drinking. When Marion finds out he had been in a bar before coming to her apartment, she chides him. He responds, â€Å"I take one drink every afternoon and I've had that† (213).He is trying to prove that he can control his drinking habits. He has one drink to enjoy the idea and taste of alcohol but will not allow himself to drink in excess. This is his idea of control, â€Å"I take that drink deliberately so that the idea of alcohol won't get too big in my imagination† (Fitzgerald 221).He knows it will be difficult to persuade Marion to let Honoria go, but he is confident that if he accepts her recriminations patiently and convinces her of his newly acquired steadiness of character, he will ultimately be successful. Another element of Charlie's recovery that Fitzgerald addresses is his renewed relationship with his daughter.Fitzgerald makes it obvious in the beginning of the novel that Honoria was not the first thing on the mind of her parents during their Babylon days. When the barman asks why he is in town and Charlie responds that he is in Paris to see his daughter, the barman replies questioningly, â€Å"Oh-h!You have a little girl? † (211). Someone who knew Charlie fairly well during his drinking days did not even know that he had a daughter. Fitzgerald contrasts this idea of having no relationship with his daughter by showing with tenderness and affect ion the scenes in which Charlie tentatively establishes contact with Honoria.He buys her toys and takes her to the circus, creating once again the atmosphere of love between them. Although he may be buying the love of his daughter, Marion grudgingly admits that Charlie has earned the right to his child (Way 91). Fitzgerald also shows the intense love that the child has for her father.She wants to go with him to Prague and asks when she will get to be with him (217). Charlie has recovered to the point that he wants to be with his child and she wants to be with him. Ultimately, when Marion denies him the child, he again shows strength of character (Way 109).He remains lonely but self-confident, â€Å"He would come back some day; they couldn't make him pay forever† (Fitzgerald 230). Sartre believes that â€Å"there are moments of anguish when life loses its meaning: when the objects that formerly drew our attention fade into oblivion and the desires that had previously guided o ur conduct seem vain or petty† (Olson 131).This creates an ugliness in the world to which people must react. These â€Å"moments of anguish† in â€Å"Babylon Revisited† occur when Charlie's friends manage to show up at the most inopportune times: â€Å"Sudden ghosts out of the past: Duncan Schaeffer, a friend from college.Lorraine Quarries; one of a crowd who had helped them make months into days in the lavish times of three years ago† (Fitzgerald 217). In a foreshadowing of the more crucial intrusion that Duncan and Lorraine will make later in the story, the first encounter with the duo is when they intrude on Charlie's luncheon with Honoria.They invite him to come sit in the bar with them and also invite him to dinner. They cannot accept the change in Charlie. Their intrusion is an unwanted product of Charlie's past, and they are outside forces that affect his life that he cannot control (Cooper 52). Later in the story, Lorraine invites him to dinner, re minding him of their drunken exploits. As a temptress, she has lost her charm for Charlie. He instead goes to meet with the Peters and his daughter (Baker 272). Just as Charlie has regained permission to take his child, the final, and most detrimental, intrusion occurs.Lorraine and Duncan crash the apartment, unmistakably drunk. They loudly and brutishly encourage him to join them for dinner. He tries feverishly to get them out of the apartment, but they are the reminders of his old life that Marion needs to change her mind. Lorraine will not let Charlie forget about his mistakes, â€Å"All right we'll go. But I remember once when you hammered on my door at 4 a. m. I was enough of a sport to give you a drink† (Fitzgerald 227). Charlie knows that he has lost Honoria because of these outside forces that try to make him weaker.Fitzgerald shows that Charlie is stronger because of his life change. Charlie dealt with the encounters by choosing to be strong, â€Å"Somehow an unwelc ome encounter. His old friends liked him because he was functioning, because he was serious; they wanted to see him, because he was stronger than they were now because they wanted to draw a certain sustenance from his strength† (218). This strength has led to Charlie's feeling of isolation. He goes to the Ritz bar in search of Duncan and Lorraine with the idea of finding them and letting them know that they possibly ruined his life.They had done their sorry work and vanished from his life (Baker 273). Existential philosophy includes alienation from the world, from one's fellows, from oneself (Finkelstein), and Charlie suffers this type of alienation. He has lost his family and his life. When he eventually fails to regain custody of Honoria, he questions why life dealt him this hand: â€Å"He wanted his child, and nothing was much good now, beside that fact. He wasn't young any more, with a lot of nice thoughts and dreams to have himself. He was absolutely sure Helen wouldn't have wanted him to be so alone† (Fitzgerald 230).â€Å"Babylon Revisited† opens in the Ritz bar, a symbolic prison for those trapped in Charlie's lifestyle. Charlie spent many nights in the â€Å"prison† of the Ritz bar, when he was in his prime party era. Charlie drinks himself into a sanitarium before he begins to come out of the prison of alcoholism.The story then ends again in the Ritz bar. Charlie has come full circle since the beginning of the story. He found happiness in knowing that he would take Honoria home, and then his past of loneliness finds him. The intrusions lead to his ultimate loneliness again (Griffith 237).He is sitting in the Ritz bar when he finds out that Marion has refused to let Honoria go. He realizes that his loneliness will not end because of the mistakes that he has made: â€Å"Again the memory of those days swept over him like a nightmare†¦ the men who locked their wives out in the snow, because the snow of twenty-nine wasn't real snow.If you didn't want it to be snow, you just paid some money† (229). The prosperity that he once had is now imprisoning him in a life of solitude and loneliness. The sentence that he must pay in this prison is six more months of loneliness before he can try to get custody of Honoria again (Baker 274).LeVot, in his discussion of Fitzgerald's life, notes that this story marks the end of an era. This is the foreclosure of the almost divine privileges Americans had enjoyed before the Depression. â€Å"Charlie Wales feels like a king stripped of his kingdom, his past, his illusions† (256).Ten years after he wrote the story, Fitzgerald stated that the story was his farewell to youth. Just as Fitzgerald is fearful that his own irresponsibility will pass to his daughter, Charlie tries to wipe out the past so it will not affect Honoria. LeVot states, â€Å"A great wave of protectiveness went over him. He thought he knew what to do for her.He believed in character, he wa nted to jump back a whole generation and trust in character again as the eternally valuable element† (256). He wants to revive an earlier virtue, for the sake of Honoria. This revival will help to alleviate the loneliness he feels without his daughter.Fitzgerald felt the loneliness brought about by his addiction to alcohol (LeVot â€Å"Fitzgerald in Paris† 51). Bruccoli states that when Charlie remembers his Paris nights that these were probably Fitzgerald's own memories, â€Å"When Fitzgerald went pub-crawling by himself, it was sometimes hard to terminate his revels† (239).His talent and charm often rescued him from the social morasses he created. Bruccoli shares an incident when Fitzgerald showed up drunk at the Paris Tribune and ripped up copy. He sang and insisted that the other reporters join in. When several friends tried to take him home, he insisted that they tour the bars.He finally passed out, but when they delivered him to his apartment he refused to go in. They eventually had to carry Fitzgerald into to his apartment, kicking and screaming. This account was forgiven, as were most of his other escapades (239).Charlie Wales, unlike Fitzgerald, has not been forgiven and remains separated from his wife and daughter due to alcoholism. He had to work hard to regain his life. The existential absurdity is that he was unable to get custody of Honoria, although he paid the penance for his past sins.Charlie chose to live the life of â€Å"Babylon† and lost everything. After doing everything right to change his life, the outside forces of Duncan and Lorraine ruined his plans to make a home with Honoria. These outside forces are the consequences of the past life that Charlie chose to live.Existentialists not only believe in free will but also living with the consequences of past decisions. Charlie's past decisions led to his ultimate loneliness and alienation. Sartre makes the point that alienation is one of the greatest tenets of ex istentialism.Although Fitzgerald is not an existentialist, his characters in â€Å"Babylon Revisited† are good examples of the ideas of the existentialist movement and how those ideas affect and shape a person's existence.Works Cited Baker, Carlos. â€Å"When the Story Ends, ‘Babylon Revisited. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: New Approaches in Criticism. Madison, Wisconsin: U of Wisconsin P, 1982. 269-277.Bruccoli, Matthew J. Some Sort of Epic Grandeur. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.Finkelstein, Sidney. Existentialism and Alienation in American Literature. New York: International Publishers, 1965.Fitzgerald, F. Scott. â€Å"Babylon Revisited† and Other Stories. New York: Macmillan Scribner Classic, 1988. 210-230.Griffith, Richard R. â€Å"A Note on Fitzgerald's ‘Babylon Revisited. ‘ † American Literature 35 (May 1963): 236-239.Lavine, T. Z. From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest. New York: Bantam, 1984.LeVot, Andr e. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Biography. New York: Doubleday, 1983.LeVot, Andre. â€Å"Fitzgerald in Paris. † Fitzgerald/Hemingway Annual 5 (1973): 49-68.Olson, Robert G. A Short Introduction to Philosophy. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1967.Toor, David. â€Å"Guilt and Retribution in ‘Babylon Revisited. ‘† Fitzgerald/Hemingway Annual 5 (1973): 155-64.Way, Brian. F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Art of Social Fiction. New York: St. Martin's, 1980.

Aligning Elementary School to Middle School Curriculum Essay

There has been an upsurge in curriculum alignment actions among educational institutions in an attempt to reinforce the efficiency and effectiveness of instructions and assessment programs (Marsh & Willis, 2003). The need to eliminate the differences in both learning and teaching has compelled leaders in educational settings to examine the concepts and skills taught in educational institutions (Marsh & Willis, 2003). Also, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program of 2002 justifies the significance of curriculum alignment activities (Clarke, Kayona, Ruebling & Stow, 2006). In curriculum development, there are three essential areas that need great considerations. One, the curriculum document needs to â€Å"give direction, focus, and accountability in the learning environment. (Clarke, Kayona, Ruebling & Stow, 2006). Two, the curriculum document should be revised on a regular basis by at least two educational leaders and three; student outcomes that recognize what the learners acquire prior to graduation should align with the standards set by the state. According to Clarke, Kayona, Ruebling & Stow, (2006) many educational institutions have not yet integrated successfully the essentials standards within their curriculum nor maintained a written document to guide instruction. Again, the important role of leaders in educational setting to develop and implement curriculum is evident with the alignment of taught, written and tested curriculum. Clarke, Kayona, Ruebling & Stow, 2006) also affirms that the lack of curriculum alignment can result to lower achievement where educators teach contents that is not part of the curriculum document and nor is it part of assessment material. This dissertation will analyze the curriculum articulation and alignment between elementary school and middle school social studies, specifically, fourth and seventh grade. Inclusive of this dissertation will be a plan to improve curriculum articulation and alignment between elementary school and middle school social studies as well as improve the academic progression of student and the consistency of the curriculum. Summary of Original Analysis The curriculum for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is a standards-based design that lays emphasis on the student’s ability. The curriculum is divided by subject, grade level and standard. It explains the core contents for each subject with proficiency descriptors. The curriculum document is relevant to the mission of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction as well as the objectives for the subjects. The Social Studies curriculum document for North Dakota Department of Public Instruction has five major themes for both elementary school and middle school as well as benchmark expectations in each category. The main ideas and academic expectations are the same for both schools. The design of subject matter for adjoining educational stages includes concepts, skills, understandings, and the core content useful in assessment. The curriculum documents of North Dakota Department of Public Instruction for the elementary and middle school comprise vertical alignment between the adjoining educational levels. The concepts, skills and understandings become more complicated amid the two educational levels. Therefore, learners should understand the concepts and skills of the elementary school before learning the concepts and skills of middle school. The concentration of the elementary school is narrower than that of middle school. The curriculum documents of both elementary and middle school do not exhibit horizontal alignment. Improvement of curriculum alignment, student progression and curriculum consistency Curriculum alignment is necessary to guarantee harmony between the curriculum’s intentions and the instruction of the curriculum by testing what is taught. In effect, there is little or no space left for differences in curriculum implementation. The educational leaders thereafter, assess educators by the degree in which the learners meet the set standards through standardized examination (Marsh & Willis, 2003). The vertical alignment links subjects that express a relationship and a particular order and then match the curriculum to the particular order. In this, students will gain vital knowledge prior to the next subject. The alignment aids in material reinforcement and offers teachers knowledge in relation to students’ ability. In addition, Melvin (2007 notes that vertical alignment enhances learning for students as well as communication between teachers at various educational levels. Horizontal alignment transversely brings together curriculum objectives between subjects. Horizontal alignment benefits learners in that learning transmits to new situation where students realize the significance of the knowledge gained (Wraga, 1999). The social studies curriculum within the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction between elementary and middle school, puts emphasis on standards and outlines objectives needed by students to learn. So as to improve curriculum alignment, it is necessary for curriculum at adjoining educational levels to lay emphasis on these objectives at every appropriate occurrence but not only within a particular grade. Glatthorns (1999) suggests it is important that the curriculum contain objectives for constant development, which can center on learning as well as testing when probable. Again, the curriculum should include enhancement units for all learners. Educators can then assess the standards and align the taught, written and tested curriculum. By gathering the acknowledged state standards and applying resourcefulness, tutors can develop unit which, will be interesting to the students. Teachers’ flexibility can also be put in play where the curriculum can be adjusted to meet the requirements and capability of the learners. In this strategy, educators align the written curriculum with the tested curriculum and the taught curriculum with the written one. As they implement the curriculum, In addition, teachers can include objectives for ongoing development and enhancement units. This process will allow learners to achieve high grades on tests while the ongoing students will have units of study that are comprehensive and thus will get their interest (Glatthorn, 1999). The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction maintains a standards-based curriculum that contains list of fundamental details and abilities at the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy, with no intention for connecting the fundamental details into more important outcomes of learning. Marsh and Willis (2003) contends that the progression that has been mandated by state would then be trussed by practical and fundamental knowledge with minimal consideration of lasting learning competency that is necessary to life as well as other areas of learning. A curriculum that lays out the necessity to address all students and concentrates on cognition development at a higher-level whilst keeping the standards-based curriculum is the most suitable to put into practice for the two adjoining educational stages (Wraga, 1999). A combined curriculum that is integrated, inclusive and student centered with holistic and multicultural aspects will enhance curriculum alignment both horizontally and vertically. In addition, this kind of curriculum will enhance learners’ academic progression and assist in curriculum consistency. Wraga (1999) admits that the standards-based curriculum must contain curriculum alignment of a larger curriculum that ensures lifelong learning. A curriculum that contains intrapersonal improvement encourages the learners to discuss learning and associate in relation to the learners’ life. Teaching and nurturing social skills through the curriculum allows cooperation of learners with other individuals, builds conflict resolution skills, and assists in team building. The curriculum within the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction shall integrate multicultural aspect so as to align the curriculum with the today’s society. Learners will get to value diverse culture and as a result develop communication among cultures. An all grade inclusive curriculum which is also adaptive is valuable to all learners; it will offer equal learning opportunities to students with disabilities as well as allow all students to embrace diversity among individuals. A student-centered curriculum focuses on the learners but not the curriculum materials, content to be covered or written goals. When there is implementation of a standards-based curriculum in association with a combined curriculum and high-stakes testing, students are assured of quality education. Layton & Lock (2007) asserts that student assessments are vital and in an effort to assist in academic progression of student educators should build tests that assess student learning correctly and adjust tests for the at-risk learners. Educators can unearth better ways of evaluating test results so as to identify learning needs of students and revise instruction. In addition this plan integrates authentic assessment. Authentic assessment demands the relevance and integration of skills vital to solve complicated problems and allows enhanced substantiation of the students’ ability to prosper in all situations. Learners have a chance to explain themselves allowing teachers to better understand the learning process and get instant feedback for learners. Furthermore, the application of authentic assessment sets up teacher collaboration and collegiality as well as expands the reflection and inquiry by the teacher. Conclusion Curriculum alignment involves matching a curriculum’s content to the use of tests so as to assess the learning of student (Marsh & Willis, 2003). Curriculum alignment calls for educational institutions to ensure consistence in the objectives, guides, textbooks, and tests that make up the curriculum (Marsh & Willis, 2003). Leaders in educational settings determine academic achievement through standard testing as a means to find out what happens in schools. Institutions of education emphasize effectiveness through increasing academic achievement where they term decline in academic achievement as a problem in the quality of the curriculum. Thus, aligning the intended curriculum with the taught curriculum seems to resolve this problem (Marsh & Willis, 2003). By integrating the previous aspects into the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction curriculum, a more significant learning experience can be achieved by both educators and students. Lastly, curriculum alignment will be seen, student academic progression as well as curriculum consistency will improve (Marsh & Willis, 2003). References Alexson, R. G. & Kemnitz, C. P. (2004): Curriculum articulation and transitioning student success: Where are we going wrong and what lessons have we learned? Educational Research Quarterly, Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals database. Accessed on September 26, 2007 Biessman, J. B. (2006): An examination of curriculum articulation in Wisconsin high school and post-secondary introductory biology courses. Retrieved from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. Accessed on September 25, 2007. Carnoy, M. (2005): Have state accountability and high-stakes test influenced student progression rates in high school? Educational Measurement, Issues and Practice, 24. Retrieved from ProQuest database. Accessed on September 26, 2007. Clarke, N. A. , Kayona, F. , Stow, S. , Ruebling (2006): Developing standards-based curricula and assessments: Lessons learned from the field. Retrieved from EBSCO host database. Accessed on September 26, 2007, Cumming, J. J. & Maxwell, G. S. (1999): Contextualizing authentic assessment. Assessment in Education, 6. Retrieved from ProQuest database. Accessed on September 26, 2007 Hodgkinson, H. (2000). Educational demographics: What teachers should know. Educational Leadership. John, B. (2003): Curriculum audits: achieving alignment for student success. Education Today. Retrieved from CBCA Complete database. Accessed on September 26, 2007. Odden, A. (2000): The costs of sustaining educational change through comprehensive school reform. Ornstein, A. C. & Levine, D. U. (1990): School effectiveness and reform: Guidelines for action. Porter, A. C. (2005): Getting the Content of Instruction Right. Retrieved from CBCA Complete database. Accessed on September 25, 2007 Layton, C. A. & Lock, R. H. (2007): Use authentic assessment techniques to fulfill the promise of no child left behind. Intervention in School and Clinic. Retrieved from ProQuest database. Accessed on September 25, 2007 Marsh, C. J. , & Willis, G. (2003): Curriculum: Alternative approaches, ongoing issues, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Wraga, W. G. (1999). The educational and political implications of curriculum alignment and standards-based reform. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision. Retrieved from ProQuest database. Accessed on September 25, 2007 Young, M. L. (2004): High-stakes assessment and school accountability: A multicase study describing and comparing the best practices of five K–6 elementary schools that have demonstrated significant increases in student achievement as measured by the norm-referenced SAT-9 assessment and the Academic Performance Index of California. Retrieved from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. Accessed on September 25, 2007