The reasons for the failure of EBay to set its base in Japan Case Study

The reasons for the failure of EBay to set its base in Japan - Case Study Example The reasons for the failure of EBay to set its base in Japan Method: The information used while preparing the report was collected from the case study paper titled â€Å"EBay in Japan: strategic and cultural missteps† written by Indu Perepu and Sachin Govind in 2008. Findings: EBay, a powerful on line trading company for consumer merchandise, enters Japan in 2007 in a partnership with Yahoo to make easy the transnational bidding system. A Japanese website called Sekaiomon was also launched to facilitate shipping and clearance. Previously in 2000 EBay had entered the Japanese market in alliance with NEC Corporation to form EBay Japan. It failed to garner many takers (managed to get only 3% share of the total online market value in Japan) even after waiving off its online transaction fees, and was nowhere near the Yahoo auctions, the number one online bidding website in Japan at that time. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to better its position, eBay finally decided to close it portal in Japan on 31st 2002, and decided instead to concentrate on other Asian markets like, India, China, Philippines and Taiwan. In was only in 2006 after Yahoo shut down its auction websites in US and Canada, and went into an alliance with EBay in these 2 countries, did the latter come into an agreement with Yahoo to re-enter the Japanese market in 2007, though the analysts even then did not predict a bright future for EBay in Japan. Analysis/ Discussion: From the case study it is clear that there are two main reasons for the failure of EBay in Japan.

Petition for a Grade course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Petition for a Grade course - Essay Example I not only enrolled in the class, which entails paying the fee and working to complete the course, but I also put a lot of hard work in it, which resulted in me getting an A grade. I registered in the class because my professor, Dr. Dekmejain, led me to believe that the course was a grade course. When I received the transcript, much to my surprise, the class was listed as a Credit/Non Credit Course. By this time I had completed my research, and not only that, I was hoping to get a Cumulative GPA of 3.0 with the grade that I achieved in this class. Now, as it stands, not only is my GPA going to suffer, because the class is a Credit/Non Credit course, instead of a grade course, but because of the GPA being lower than 3.0 (it stands at 2.9 now), I cannot get the job that I was hoping to get, because I will not receive the MBA diploma I was hoping to, with a GPA of 2.9. I am desperately in need of this course to get a job, as without a GPA of 3.0 I will not be able to land the job that I so desperately need. My situation is made more serious by the fact that I have a parent to support who is completely reliant on me financially and for whom I am the only â€Å"bread winner†. I would reiterate here that I would be grateful if you consider my situation with sympathy and keeping all the facts in mind (how I was misled to believe that it was a grade class, how I did well in the class and received an A, how I was relying on this course to boost my Cumulative GPA to a 3.0 to receive the diploma, how I will not be able to get a job without this diploma, and, finally, how I have financial obligations towards my parent for which I need to land this job), covert the class from a Credit/Non Credit Course to a Grade Course. I will be extremely grateful to you if you do grant my request. Once again, it is a very serious matter to me and I would be extremely thankful if you did all that you can to help me solve this

The Current Marketing Strategies Of British Airways

The Current Marketing Strategies Of British Airways From the period 1990 to the current age, the aviation industry has been one of the most booming sectors. Worldwide increase in GDP created a wave in the economy. The demand to travel resulted in the growth of the airline industry. During the year 2000 the airline industry suffered one of its most tragic phases regarding to the growth of the industry. This happen mainly due to the problems faced by the world, for instance the terrorist attacks on the world trade centre and the deadly virus named SARS which claimed a lot of lives in south east Asia. Many travelers reduced their travel and preferred avoiding few critical places of the world. Due to this there was a major impact which led to the downfall of the airline industry. The crisis initially stared a slowdown in the demand for airlines and as the crisis evolved the demand started to decrease in a rapid manner. British airways completed 90 years of service on 25th August 2009. The origin of British airways could be traced back from the 19th century. Its first ever flight took off on 25th august 1919. Since then British Airways has seen a lot of changes and developments. The first flight operated from London to Paris and it carried only a single passenger and the cargo included newspapers, Devonshire cream and grouse. During the year 1924 many airlines emerged. Out of these four airlines joint hands and formed Imperial Airways limited. They basically provided services to Paris, Brussels, Basle, Cologne and Zurich. In the year 1930 handful of UK air transport companies joint hands to form British Airways Limited which emerged to become the biggest competitor for Imperial Airways. Due to nationalization by the UK government British Airways and Imperial Airways formed British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in the year 1939. Domestic and Continental flights were operated by another airline, British European Airways. In the year 1972 British airways Board which was established in the year 1960 merged BOAC and BEA which led to the formation of British Airways in the year 1974. Marketing Strategies of British Airways: Marketing is nothing but a mix of Place, Product, Price and promotion. British Airways have based their marketing strategies based on the marketing mix. They have a product strategy, pricing strategy, Promotion strategy. Product Strategy of British Airways: Introduction to product strategy: Product is the main and the key feature of any sector or a company. Place, price, promotion comes along with product. Without a product the other three marketing mixes, place, price, promotion cannot be considered. The main product of British Airways is providing air carriers (flights) to the customers who wish to travel. It provides various services which are intangible. These services become a part of the product which is sold by British Airways. British airways have different types of classes for travelling which are executive class, business class, club class and economy class. The product sold by British Airways has been divided into different product levels. The first being the core product what a customer is purchasing. In the case of British Airways its the flight tickets which are been purchased by a customer. He buys them basically to satisfy his need to travel from one place to the other. The second is the basic product. In the case of British Airways it is the flight. The customers here book the flights to their destinations on the basis of the schedule provided by British Airways. British airways has a very big network and it connects UK to all parts of the world.The British airways flies to 95 different cities in Europe and 60 other destinations throughout the world. It is rated as one of the busiest airline in the world. The third is the expected product by the customer. In the case of British Airways it would be the various products such as complimentary meals, drinks, allocated seats and onboard entertainment and other services. British Airways also provides extra services such as various executive classes. British airways provide gold class, silver class and the blue class. They have different kinds of services to fulfill different kinds of needs of their customers. Pricing strategy of British Airways: Pricing is nothing but a method by which the price or the value of the product is been calculated. Its the amount paid by a customer in order to enjoy the product or service. While setting the price the company needs to keep to basic things in mind. They are quality and the price. If the price is higher than the quality, the company would run under losses. And if the price and quality are balanced then the company would reach its profits soon. British Airways has three different strategies. They are; Premium price strategy: In this kind of strategy the people of higher class in the society are targeted as they can afford such kind of cost. The main customers for this strategy are executive and business class users. They have been given high quality services as they pay a high price. Medium price strategy: In this kind of pricing strategy the medium class of the society is been targeted. Here the quality of services provided is lower than the premium price .in every kind of strategy the quality keeps deteriorating but at a minimum level. This strategy is basically used in order to give competition to various other airlines which provide the same services. Low price strategy: This strategy is basically used to compete with low cost carriers like Raynair. British airways provide low cost fares along with added quality services and its name. People would obviously prefer British airways than the other low coast carriers as they are getting British airways at the same cost along with their name. Considering other competitors British airways revised its pricing policy. The factors determining them are; -Determining the pricing objectives -Acting according to the demand -Cost estimation -comparing competitors prices and costs -selection of a pricing method PROMOTION STRATEGY: British airways have provided various offers during festivals like Christmas. This ticket is generally known as British airways escape ticket. Rates have been slashed to a large extent and also people who travel in silver and gold class have been given free upgrades but only one way of the journey. Domestic flying rates have also been slashed. PROBLEMS FACED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS: -TERRORISM: The attacks on the World Trade Centre in the year 2001 created fear among the travelers and since then the airline industry at a whole faced a huge downfall. Despite all security measures taken in recent times people travelers are not able to regain their confidence. Due to this there is a slight decrease in travel. But in recent years terrorism has been controlled due to which airline industry has picked up in a rapid manner -Oil prices: Increase of crude oil prices created an economic downfall due to which the airline industry was badly hit. British airways being a part of it faced the problems dude to which they had to increase their fares. The increase in fares led to people choosing low cost carriers and thus British Airways lost a lot of business. Volcanic ash: The volcano which erupted in Iceland created lot of disruption in the airspace of UK due to which 4000 flights were cancelled on 15th April 2010. Thos went on for nearly 3 weeks due to which many airlines faced huge losses. British airways were one of them. Strikes: The crew of British airways seems to go on strikes for everything possible. In recent years crew members have resorted to strikes based on salaries and staffing issues. Die to this many flights were cancelled. Low cost carriers took advantage of this and British airways started losing its business and the respect of its brand. People started to prefer other airlines due to the strikes. British airways is losing business due to this. The issue is still not been resolved. Competitors: The different types of marketing strategies used by rival airlines are much more effective due to which British airways is losing its valuable customers. Various competitors like emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa are providing travelers with better services than British airways. These problems are general in-flight problems faced by the passengers who are travelling on British airways. These problems are based on the feedback and reviews of the customers -Passengers travelling have complained about the food which is been served to them during the journey -Passengers are complaining about the entertainment provided on the flight -passengers also have complained about the staff and they say that they dont seem to be caring and are only professional. SWOT analysis: Strengths: British airways have purchased a new fleet of aircrafts which are highly equipped with the latest technologies available. Its competitors are still on the way to get changing their inventory. British airways have its main strength in its name. The very name of it marks its respect. Weakness: The marketing strategies of BA arent as good as its competitors. The reason behind this is that BA is using simple and outdated strategies. Whereas its competitors are using intense marketing strategies which are developed by highly skilled market analysts. British airways suffer losses due to number of strikes every year. Opportunities: As British airways provide various services, it has got the potential to score customers in the global market. If they do so then globalization can be their strength instead of their weakness. Threats: the threats of British airways are internal as their decision making is poor. Due to this there is loss in business. British airways have its prime focus on local issues and national issues due to which it fails to see global. Thus globalization is been ignored.

Cyberculture Essay :: Internet Technology essays

Cyberculture Essay E-mail today is the medium of choice when it comes to formal or informal exchange of written information. It has changed the way we thought about writing and drastically changed the way we correspond through writing. E-mail has added a certain type of convenience and its own unique style, although impersonal at times, to the written form of today’s communication. James Sosnoski said it well when he wrote in 1995, â€Å"reading electronic texts on screens is likely to be the predominant mode of reading in the very near future† (Tribble and Turbek 400). If he had only known how right, he was. E-mail today, in short has made the act of simple written correspondence so easy and convenient for all to do. Just over ten years ago, I can imagine many could never have fathomed that they would be able to write to a friend halfway across the world and have them receive the message in a matter of minutes. Writing letters on paper has lost its novelty. It used to be, not long ago that receiving a written letter wasn’t very uncommon, whereas today, it’s simply a rarity. Now not only are you able to send a letter in a matter of minutes, but you can save yourself the pains of writing several of the same copy; you can foreword or carbon copy them to as many people on your address list as you like with a click of a button. The act of revision and attention to spelling and grammatical error has all but eliminated itself in the development of this modern marvel. Dennis Baron wrote, â€Å"It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t think of the words, but the physical effort of handwriting, crossing out, revising, †¦ now seemed to overwhelm and constrict me, and I longed for the flexibility of digitized text† (Tribble and Turbek 36). Perhaps, part of the appeal that E-mail withholds is its ease of use. What was once considered painstaking, the task of writing, revising, and rewriting has now become a thing of the past. Its digitized text can easily compose with the stroke of a key and cut one’s precious time in half. With ease and convenience comes a change of what you might call the formality of written correspondence.

Mid Term

Mid Term Essay Exam Section I: Literature through 1700 In both the poem â€Å"Contemplations† by Anne Bradstreet and William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, nature is a main subject. Both poems are interested in nature's role in people's (especially Christian's) lives, whether it be negative or positive. The question that comes to mind is nature a chaotic wilderness, the physical evidence of Satan's meddling, or is it the marvelous examples of the works of God? Bradford believed very firmly that is the former. â€Å"The traditional Puritan view of nature (which the Separatists shared as well) was very negative.Bradford did not view nature through a romantic lens, but rather he saw it as evidence of Satan at work in the world. † He believed that as Satan would â€Å"sow errours, heresies and wonderful dissensions amongst the professors themselves,† he was in fact the creator of confusion and disorder in the natural world. Bradford saw America as a forbidden was teland, a direct reflection of the spiritual chaos. In the poem â€Å"Of Plymouth Planation†, he wrote that the Pilgrims, after reaching the New World, found a â€Å"hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men. Bradford compared the arrival of the Pilgrims in the New World to Moses and the Israelites, but America, in being untamed, was not the Promise Land they had pictured. Instead it was a place of chaos and danger, â€Å"full of woods and thickets, [representing] a wild and savage hue. † In Bradford's mind, this new land became the wilderness the Israelites wandered in for forty years, but unlike Moses, the Pilgrims had no consolation, and neither could they, as it were, view this as a more goodly country.According to Bradford, this made nature a kind of spiritual trial at best, and a very hostile and demon like land. From Bradford's point of view nature was a fallen world. The lack of order and stability was both threatening and representativ e of the contamination of sin to all Creation. The â€Å"civil parts of the world† where nature had been conquered and tamed, paved over into cities or manicured gardens was the ideal. This is because both the Puritans and Pilgrims saw order as reflective of reason and a spiritual understanding. The Puritans had a great thought to control and understand.Even though both Bradford and Bradstreet looked at nature and saw something else beyond it, the spiritual world in her poem â€Å"Contemplations,† Bradstreet saw nature as being a pale reflection. Instead of nature being evidence of Satan's presence in a fallen world, it is an example of the power and glory of the God who created it. It is one of the few ways that humans can catch a glimpse of the Creator's omnipotence. Nature, from Bradstreet's view, is a beautiful, impressive, and while it remained a part of a larger, spiritual picture, it is a positive figure and representative of God.Bradstreet devoted much of †Å"Contemplations† to nature's awareness of aesthetic properties. She begins the poem by describing the trees in autumn, describing them as having an air of humble majesty, â€Å"Their leaves and fruits seemed painted, but was true of green, of red, of yellow mixed hue. † She admired the sun as it had control over night and day as well as the seasons. She also sees nature that praises God. She referred to grasshoppers and crickets, describing their seemingly harmonized song as â€Å"they kept one tune and played on the same string. Bradstreet makes it very clear that even though nature is beautiful, it cannot compare to the glories of God. She illustrated this with the long life of the oak tree, asking â€Å"hath hundred winters past since thou was born? / Or thousand since though breakest thy shell of horn? † before continuing to say that those numerous years mean nothing in the face of eternity. She continued to point this out later by describing the continual re-birth of the world as the seasons come and go, how â€Å"the earth (though old) still clad in green/†¦ insensible of time/Nor age nor wrinkle†¦ re seen,† whereas man lives for little more than a moment (and during that time suffers and grows old) in comparison to the ancientness of the earth. Bradstreet, in comparison to Bradford, see nature as not only evidence of God's glory rather than that the confusion and disorder of Satan and also she thinks of it almost as a living entity that is capable of praising and worshiping its creator as well. To her, nature is not a trial to be overcome and conquered, but rather an example of a learning tool that not only brings pleasure to the senses, but the soul as well.I think Anne Bradstreet was more effective in how you used her poem â€Å"Contemplations† in describing nature. In the third stanza she talks about her eye catching sight of the â€Å"stately Oak† and addressing the tree she asks â€Å"How long s ince thou wast in thine infancy? The answer might be a hundred or even a thousand years. In stanzas 4-7 she talks about the sun and declares that the sun is an amazing entity. â€Å"The more I looked, the more I grew amazed,† And softly said: â€Å"What glory’s like to thee? I think her amazement led her to understand how some civilizations considered the sun a god: â€Å"Soul of this world, this universe’s eye, No wonder some made thee a deity. † In stanzas 8-10 she looks at the sky and thinks about what song she could sing to offer glory to her maker, but feels dumbfounded at the prospect of adding glory to such a powerful spirit. In stanza 9, she hears the crickets and grasshoppers singing and writes: â€Å"Whilst I, s mute, can warble forth no higher lays? † In stanzas 21-33 she recalls sitting by the river and being reminded that the river is searching for and ever traveling toward the ocean.In stanzas 20-26 she thinks about the creatures of the sea, and how they look and how they fulfill their own destiny. http://www. associatedcontent. com/topic36271/anne-b. html Section II: Literature 1700 through 1820 Part 1: â€Å"But the old beliefs did not die easily, and as early as the 1730s conservative reaction against the worldview of the new science and psychology followed as some intellectuals, aware of the new though but intent on maintaining the final truth of revealed religion, resisted the religious implications of Enlightenment principles† (154).The Great Awakening was a watershed event in the life of the American people and before it was over, it had swept the colonies of the Eastern seaboard, transforming the social and religious life of land. The Great Awakening was actually several revivals in a variety of locations. Neither the Anglicans or Puritans were terribly successful in putting down roots. The problem was the settled parish system of England was difficult to transplant. Unlike communities of the old world, the small farms and plantations of the new spread out into the wilderness, making both communication and ecclesiastical discipline difficult.People often lived a great distances from a parish church, membership and participation suffered. Because the individual depended on himself for survival, authoritarian structure of any kind, either by government or ecclesiastical, was met with resistance. As a result, by the second and third generations, the vast majority of the population was outside the membership of the church. One person who was one of the principle figures in the Great Awakening was Jonathan Edwards. Edwards had received a bad press for his â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. In this sermon he pointed out that any moment, â€Å"our hold on life could break and we'd be plunged into fires of eternal and logically. † People listened to Edwards because he spoke about what people were interested in. The Puritan's were growing deeply concerned by what th ey perceived to be a striking decline in piety. The youth of the second and third generation had inherited the Puritan theocracy, but had begun to forget it, and the older generation was gravely concerned about this development. They had come to this country to found a biblical commonwealth, but their vision did not seem to be shared by community's youth. † Another problem weighing on Puritan consciences for a long time was election. The question that was raised why should anyone preach? The decision had been made before the foundation of the world according to Calvinist orthodoxy. â€Å"If preaching were simply for the edification of the Saints, then it was like preaching to the choir, in that you were preaching to the already converted. † As a result, worship attendance had declined.By surprise there was a great outpouring of response to the preaching of Edwards. This movement surprised people because it produced something that wasn't expected: people professing conve rsion. What Edwards said in these sermons was Calvinism. â€Å"You can't control salvation. † Puritans heard him say, â€Å"if you try. God will aid your salvation. † Edwards talked about â€Å"Pressing into the Kingdom†. â€Å"It was,† he said, â€Å"not a thing impossible. † By this Edwards referred to God's power to save whomever he pleases. The Puritans heard it as there was a chance they could achieve election.Another figure in the Awakening was George Whitefield. He offered a new quality to the prevailing view of how one gains citizenship in the Kingdom of God. According to Whitefield the key test of one's election was whether one had an emotional experience of conversion. This represented a reaction to the Enlightenment. In essence: Whitefield had reduced Christianity to it's lowest common denominator, those sinners who love Jesus will go to heaven. Denominational distinctives had been downplayed and this theme was picked by Samuel Davies, o ne of the leaders of the Awakening in Virginia.Whitefield mainly preached in terms of everyday experience. Whitefield attacked established ministers for leading their flocks into Hell by not demanding an experience salvation of people, a theme that would be picked up by Gilbert Tennant who preached on the dangers of an unconverted ministry. As a result, the established clergy attacked Whitefield and the unchecked enthusiasm of the revivals. One of the leaders in this counterattack was Charles Chauney who led the attack from the pulpit of First Christ, Boston. Chauney claimed anyone can have a good sermon.As a result, established preachers could not compete with these itinerant evangelists, and their preaching threatened to undermine loyalty of parishioners. They tended to view these evangelists as ignorant and filed with zeal. Others had carried the revival to extremes like James Davenport who burned books, and claimed to be able to distinguish the elect from the damned. The rising opposition to the Awakening had a major impact on the direction of American Christianity. â€Å"The old Puritan synthesis of head and heart—of a religion that appealed to both mind and spirit—broke apart†.The revivalists had moved in the direction of a greater rationalism in theology. The Awakening began in the North and tended to be an urban phenomenon where highly emotional preaching appeared in Puritan churches. The compromises of the Half-way covenant had been swept aside, and the notion of the church as a body of saints, was reclaimed. The standards of membership had been increased, and yet, membership still rose. In the South, the Great Awakening was more on the frontier phenomenon than was the case in the Middle Colonies or New England.In the areas that were nominally Anglican (the tidewater) it had very little impact. This was because the residents of the tidewater had just enough religion to inoculate them from catching the real thing, and the authoriti es were better able to enforce the established church. This was not the case in the piedmont and mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, as the revival had a wide open field. The main reason was the population had very few ties to the Anglican establishment. One of the main leaders of the Awakening in the South was Samuel Davies. The revival in Hanover began when Samuel Morris began to read sermons ofWhitefield and Luther to his neighbors. As a result, conversions were numerous, and special reading houses were built. When Davies arrived the Awakening surged and fought for the legal toleration of dissenters. Another leader in the Awakening was Shubal Stearns who brought the Separate Baptist movement to this region. The Methodists had gained a foothold in the South mainly through the preaching of an Anglican clergyman with Methodist sympathies of Devereux Jarratt. Both the Methodists and Baptists had an advantage over the Presbyterians and surpassed them in numbers.The main reason w as the Presbyterians insisted on an educated ministry and ordered worship. As a result, the Methodists and Baptists were better able to address the needs of frontier communities with lay preachers who could go where there was need, and who could be quickly deployed without waiting for them to complete their education. The Methodists and Baptists were also more open to the emotional and unrestrained nature of worship in the revivals, while Presbyterians were uncomfortable with what they viewed to be the excesses of the revivals.Some of the results of the Great Awakening to unify 4/5ths of Americans in a common understanding of the Christian faith and life, dissent and dissenters enjoyed greater respect than ever before, education was important, a greater sense of responsibility for Indians and Slaves from the revival of George Whitefield, and it served to revive a sense of religious mission. http://www. wfu. edu/-matthetl/perspectives/four. html Native Americans: Native Americans The Seneca orator known as Red Jacket (1757? 1830), for the red jacket the British awarded him for his services as a message runner during the Revolutionary War. Red Jacket may have had many names, although the only one we know is Sagoyewatha, which means â€Å"he keeps the awake. † After the War of 1812, he was involved in successful negotiations with the Americans to protect Seneca lands in western New York. Among many of his orations, his most famous speech was the reply he gave to the missionary Jacob Cram in 1805. Cram had been sent from Massachusetts to establish a mission station among the Seneca’s. He invited them to assemble at Buffalo Creek, New York.Through an interpreter, his address developed the assertion that, in Cram’s words, â€Å"There is but one religion, and but one way to serve God, and it you do not embrace the right way, you cannot be happy hereafter. † After appropriate consultation with others of the Seneca delegation, Red Jacket del ivered the speech outlining what has been called a â€Å"separatist† position-quite simply, the notion that while the ways of white Christians may be fine for them, they are not necessarily equally fine for non-white indigenous peoples who have their own religious beliefs.Present at Red Jacket’s speech was Erastus Granger, postmaster and Indian agent at Buffalo Creek and cousin to Gideon Granger, Thomas Jefferson’s postmaster. His immediate subordinate was Joseph Parish, who probably served as a translator, as he had done on other occasions. Whoever transcribed the translation of Red Jacket’s speech, it soon appeared in print, in the April 1809 issue of the Monthly Anthology, And was reprinted many times throughout the nineteenth century. In Red Jacket’s Speech to the U. S.Senate, he made valid points that were tragically true regarding the treatment of Native Americans by the Europeans. Through his words he is never belligerent or accusatory; inst ead he maintains a peaceful, respectful tone. Red Jacket is a magnificent orator with a strong sense for power of words. The reader is aware of the emotions and beliefs of the Native Americans. Red Jacket spoke to the Senate with a purpose, and by the end of his speech it is clear that he was successful. At the beginning of the speech, Red Jacket addresses his audience as â€Å"Friends and Brother† and repeated continually throughout the speech.I think Red Jacket is trying to create a peaceful atmosphere where his words will be heard. He informed the Senate that while they spoke, the Native Indians listened and requests the same respect in return. As the speech progresses, Red Jacket begins to make good points about the rude and greedy behavior that many of the white settlers relationships with the Native Indians. In the beginning, the Native Americans took pity on their new visitors, providing them with food, welcoming them, and treating them as friends.Over time, the number of settlers began to increase, as did the amount of land they seized from the Indians. In the speech Red Jacket says, â€Å"They wanted more land; they wanted our country. † When I read this line you can imagine him uttering this line in a powerful but elegant manner. Red Jacket was not there to concede defeat: he was standing up for his people. Even though the settlers had acquired the majority of the Native Americans land, they are still not happy, and this is way Red Jacket came before the Senate.The settlers craved more, desired to convert the Native Americans to Christians. In the eyes of the Europeans, If you do not embrace Christianity, you will not be happy. This to me sounds strange because many of the settlers who fled to the New World, arrived with the hope of enjoying their religion, and not being persecuted for practicing what they believe. Yet, after their arrival, they began to force their religion upon the Native Americans, informing them that what they belie ve is wrong. To me, this sounds like hypocritical behavior on behalf of the settlers.They came to the New World with the intention of freely practicing their religion, and now they are the ones forcing their religion on others. Continuing his speech, Red Jacket discusses more interesting information. One of the points I find fascinating, is when he questions if the religion of the settlers was meant for the Native Americans, why were they not given a book to study from as well. He continues by mentioning that all he knows of this religion is what the settlers tell him, â€Å"How shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by the white people? In concluding his argument, he poses another question, since all Christians read from the same book, why do they not all agree? He even mentions that the Native Americans also have a religion but they never feud about who is right or wrong. His final plea to the Senate is, â€Å"We do not wish to destroy your religion or take it fr om you. We only want to enjoy our own. † He is not demanding the settlers to return the land they wrongly claimed as their own, he is simply asking that they allow the Native Americans to practice the religion of their forefathers in peace.

My Philosophy of Education

I believe that we are all active learners, constantly absorbing new data from our environments, using our minds to merge the creative with the actual, and the fundamental with the ideal. Active learning is defined as learning by being physically and mentally engaged in activities. As the teacher, my goal is to actively teach the children while maintaining a positive yet helpful attitude, in a low pressure and respectful atmosphere. Personally, I think of the relationship between the teacher and the student as a bow and arrow, with the teacher [bow] gently steadying and providing the stable structure to guide the student [arrow] along on its path, gracefully arcing through the air. For my classroom, I would like to create a warm and educational environment that provides intellectual as well as emotional support for the child and their family, while demonstrating the sound skills absorbed in class. Ideally I would aim to balance the â€Å"old school† and the â€Å"new school† theories of education. To achieve this atmosphere, I would incorporate aspects of the High/Scope Method, Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development, Maslow’s Multiple Intelligences, and sensory materials prevalent in the Montessori School. Classroom Environment Geared towards the current stages of development of the child, my program would utilize the broad and realistic educational experiences that are designed to promote a constructive process of learning. Theme-related material will serve to peak their interest and establish the link between the core aspects of the lesson and real-life applications. A â€Å"center† based classroom set up encourages children to interact with others in developmentally appropriate play and inspires creativity. Maintaining a daily schedule allows for children to get accustomed to routine and also for teachers to correctly determine the children’s individual schedules and learning processes. Focusing on the child’s key experiences will serve to foster development of important skills and abilities. Incorporating work time, recall time and cleanup time further fosters the development of routine-based practices and will help teach the importance of self accountability. Acting out the routines of adults, the children will learn how to manage their time as well as take care of their surroundings. Interactions with classmates will provide the necessary social skills and establish methods of early conflict resolution practices. In order to properly engage the child’s mind, the classroom must be appropriate, safe, interactive, organized, and embracing to the different cultures and ethnicities present in today’s society. Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development According to Erik Erikson, â€Å"Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired. † Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development occurs in stages, and takes the child’s entire social interactions and life experiences into account. According to Erikson, our personality is shaped not only by our natural disposition, but more so by the society that we live in. Erikson’s theory centers around the concept of ego identity, the sense of ourselves that we develop based upon our social interactions, and the concept of ego strength or ego quality, which is the sense of mastery or inadequacy that we feel after a certain stage in our life. Each stage is like a series of mini-tests, and our ability to pass or fail these tests either strengthens our resolve and personal confidence, or forces us to withdraw and evaluate ourselves more intensely. Erikson believed each stage was tied to a certain part of our development, and conflicts encountered would serve as training to help us develop and hone our psychological quality. Preschoolers fall into Erikson’s third stage of development, â€Å"Initiative versus Guilt. † During this stage, children attempt to control their world through social play and other childhood games, asserting dominance and taking on leadership roles. It is during these early school years, children begin to feel pride and accomplishment, especially in peer-measured tasks. Parents who are involved with their child’s school activities and interested in their early academics help enforce these feelings of pride, and establish a bond based on encouragement and positive reinforcement. Conversely, children who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will instead doubt their ability to be successful. Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardener believed that people are smart in multiple ways, utilizing intelligences in eight specific areas. The eight areas are visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, math/logical, body/kinesthic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, interpersonal and naturalistic. Visual/spatial skills relate to the visual realm and how things are perceived or seen. I will focus on arts and crafts that appeal to the visual aspect of learning, and how the visual perception relates to the actual reality. Verbal/linguistic skills cover the languages, including speaking, writing and listening. My activities for enforcing these skills could be creative story writing, listening to foreign languages, reading story relating to concept material, doing word searches, crosswords, or practicing handwriting. Math/logical skills cover the problem solving and logical thought processes, so my planning will include activities such as board games, matching or card games, word or number puzzles, bingo and pattern associations. Body/kinesthic skills involve movement of the body, which I will enforce through exercise, dance or sports activities, as well as recess and certain games. Musical/rhythmic skills tie in nicely with body movement, so I will incorporate singing, dancing or playing an instrument. Intrapersonal skills are associated with our feelings, values and attitudes, both intrinsic and learned, and teachers can create activities where children can discuss differences in background, family structure and culture that may influence these skills. Interpersonal skills, how we use our feelings during interaction with others, can be honed with group activities like dramatic role play and class projects. Finally, to focus on naturalistic skills, the logical process of classification and hierarchy of things, my assignments will include tasks such as putting things in order by category, pattern identification or sorting objects with their type and purpose. Montessori’s Sensory Materials Founded on the ideas and practices of Maria Montessori, I would utilize the core principles of her methods in my daily routine. Keeping my promises and staying on schedule will help to create a respectful atmosphere, and keeping the lesson plans fresh and interactive will encourage learning through nvironment. The prepared and organized centers and related lesson activities will serve to support children in their self-education (a. k. a. auto-education) phase, and allow children freedom and choice of activity. By teaching skills related to everyday life, such as walking in an orderly fashion or carrying objects to the table, the children will be able to practice self care skills. I will provide s ensory materials that are designed to promote learning through the five senses, thus creating an awareness of the body and its ability to learn from real life. By encouraging role play, the children can prepare for adult occupation and construct their own version of the world around them. Furthermore, I will address the demands of diversity and disabiltilty in the classroom by using mixed age groups, promoting individual play within a supportive classroom, repetition of skills and acknowledging sensory perceptions and abilities. The Montessori influence will also be evident in my classroom setup, as I desire child-sized furniture with bright and coordinated colors to promote aesthetic awareness of the child’s environment. Identity of a Preschooler A preschooler is a most usually a child between the ages of three to five, and has not yet entered kindergarten. During this stage, children are egocentric, preoperational, and unable to properly manage their time or self regulatory skills. Most theorists stress the emphasis of play during this stage as the most effective method of implementing solid learning practices and skill awareness. According to Piaget, play promotes cognitive schemes and enhances cognitive development. By maintaining a daily schedule, the preschooler can adjust to the naturally occurring activities and still maintain their individual learning pace. Montessori believed that play was the equivalent of a child’s work and their preschool was equal to an adult’s place of work. Play provides for unintentional yet effective learning. Free play (a. k. a. informal play) helps broaden the child’s creative aspects, and allows for development of personal interests. Symbolic (pretend) and constructive play help children build and test theories, while functional and outdoor play enforce muscular activities. Children in this age group are open to learning, and are constantly questioning the elements of their surroundings. Assessments – Formal versus Informal My major concern with assessment methods is that the spectrum for what is acceptable seems to vary from state to state or center to center. My goal is to streamline the assessment process and incorporate both informal and formal methods. Since assessment goes hand in hand with observation, I will encourage the active participation of the child in their own education, incorporating my own version of evaluating the child. My daily planning of activities and structured curriculum will allow for careful and accurate observation of the child. In my experience with teaching preschool, children learn best when given a project or activity that reinforces the concepts learned that day. I would make every attempt to keep daily notes on each child’s behavior, attitude and progress in the classroom. By noting individual interests and preferences, I can identify the methods that best suit each child’s learning curve. As for formal assessments, standardized testing is one of the most relied upon methods for assessing a child and interpreting their skill levels to determine if the child is ready to proceed or be held back. Additionally, it is important for me to consider not only the regulated standards, but also each child’s individual background. I feel that this consideration for the child’s individual situation will allow for a more accurate assessment. Although I feel that portfolio assessment can sometimes be too broad and open to interpretation, I do think that keeping artistic evidence of the child’s skill achievements can serve not only to pinpoint the progress of the child, but also as a confidence and self-esteem builder for the child. Children are proud to show off their accomplishments and by displaying projects the child will learn to trust in their own natural abilities. Standards and Goals / Ideal Environment Appropriate goals that I would like each child to successfully master or at least become relatively proficient in are self-help skills, an awareness of healthy habits, a desire to learn, evident language and literacy development, and mostly a strong sense of character. I would like them to be able to express different areas of interest, including music and the arts, methods of learning, and interactive games. Children that are not able to grasp the major content areas will be assessed more in-depth, and a conference with the parent(s) will be scheduled. Ideally, I will create a healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging environment that also maintains the developmentally appropriate practices and incorporates all children into the classroom learning environment. I would like for the parents to be involved and aware of their children’s learning practices. I will assign occasional homework, both to emphasize content covered in class and also to provide parents the opportunity to help their children learn. I believe that parents who take an active role in their child’s education have a more positive and lasting impression on their child. Because of this, I will work to include the parents whenever possible, and keep them imformed of their child’s progress, no matter the speed of progression. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I desire to implement a program that is easy for parents to replicate within their home life, thus creating a unified method of child learning that can only serve to ease the learning process for the child. My Philosophy of Education I believe that we are all active learners, constantly absorbing new data from our environments, using our minds to merge the creative with the actual, and the fundamental with the ideal. Active learning is defined as learning by being physically and mentally engaged in activities. As the teacher, my goal is to actively teach the children while maintaining a positive yet helpful attitude, in a low pressure and respectful atmosphere. Personally, I think of the relationship between the teacher and the student as a bow and arrow, with the teacher [bow] gently steadying and providing the stable structure to guide the student [arrow] along on its path, gracefully arcing through the air. For my classroom, I would like to create a warm and educational environment that provides intellectual as well as emotional support for the child and their family, while demonstrating the sound skills absorbed in class. Ideally I would aim to balance the â€Å"old school† and the â€Å"new school† theories of education. To achieve this atmosphere, I would incorporate aspects of the High/Scope Method, Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development, Maslow’s Multiple Intelligences, and sensory materials prevalent in the Montessori School. Classroom Environment Geared towards the current stages of development of the child, my program would utilize the broad and realistic educational experiences that are designed to promote a constructive process of learning. Theme-related material will serve to peak their interest and establish the link between the core aspects of the lesson and real-life applications. A â€Å"center† based classroom set up encourages children to interact with others in developmentally appropriate play and inspires creativity. Maintaining a daily schedule allows for children to get accustomed to routine and also for teachers to correctly determine the children’s individual schedules and learning processes. Focusing on the child’s key experiences will serve to foster development of important skills and abilities. Incorporating work time, recall time and cleanup time further fosters the development of routine-based practices and will help teach the importance of self accountability. Acting out the routines of adults, the children will learn how to manage their time as well as take care of their surroundings. Interactions with classmates will provide the necessary social skills and establish methods of early conflict resolution practices. In order to properly engage the child’s mind, the classroom must be appropriate, safe, interactive, organized, and embracing to the different cultures and ethnicities present in today’s society. Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development According to Erik Erikson, â€Å"Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired. † Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development occurs in stages, and takes the child’s entire social interactions and life experiences into account. According to Erikson, our personality is shaped not only by our natural disposition, but more so by the society that we live in. Erikson’s theory centers around the concept of ego identity, the sense of ourselves that we develop based upon our social interactions, and the concept of ego strength or ego quality, which is the sense of mastery or inadequacy that we feel after a certain stage in our life. Each stage is like a series of mini-tests, and our ability to pass or fail these tests either strengthens our resolve and personal confidence, or forces us to withdraw and evaluate ourselves more intensely. Erikson believed each stage was tied to a certain part of our development, and conflicts encountered would serve as training to help us develop and hone our psychological quality. Preschoolers fall into Erikson’s third stage of development, â€Å"Initiative versus Guilt. † During this stage, children attempt to control their world through social play and other childhood games, asserting dominance and taking on leadership roles. It is during these early school years, children begin to feel pride and accomplishment, especially in peer-measured tasks. Parents who are involved with their child’s school activities and interested in their early academics help enforce these feelings of pride, and establish a bond based on encouragement and positive reinforcement. Conversely, children who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will instead doubt their ability to be successful. Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardener believed that people are smart in multiple ways, utilizing intelligences in eight specific areas. The eight areas are visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, math/logical, body/kinesthic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, interpersonal and naturalistic. Visual/spatial skills relate to the visual realm and how things are perceived or seen. I will focus on arts and crafts that appeal to the visual aspect of learning, and how the visual perception relates to the actual reality. Verbal/linguistic skills cover the languages, including speaking, writing and listening. My activities for enforcing these skills could be creative story writing, listening to foreign languages, reading story relating to concept material, doing word searches, crosswords, or practicing handwriting. Math/logical skills cover the problem solving and logical thought processes, so my planning will include activities such as board games, matching or card games, word or number puzzles, bingo and pattern associations. Body/kinesthic skills involve movement of the body, which I will enforce through exercise, dance or sports activities, as well as recess and certain games. Musical/rhythmic skills tie in nicely with body movement, so I will incorporate singing, dancing or playing an instrument. Intrapersonal skills are associated with our feelings, values and attitudes, both intrinsic and learned, and teachers can create activities where children can discuss differences in background, family structure and culture that may influence these skills. Interpersonal skills, how we use our feelings during interaction with others, can be honed with group activities like dramatic role play and class projects. Finally, to focus on naturalistic skills, the logical process of classification and hierarchy of things, my assignments will include tasks such as putting things in order by category, pattern identification or sorting objects with their type and purpose. Montessori’s Sensory Materials Founded on the ideas and practices of Maria Montessori, I would utilize the core principles of her methods in my daily routine. Keeping my promises and staying on schedule will help to create a respectful atmosphere, and keeping the lesson plans fresh and interactive will encourage learning through nvironment. The prepared and organized centers and related lesson activities will serve to support children in their self-education (a. k. a. auto-education) phase, and allow children freedom and choice of activity. By teaching skills related to everyday life, such as walking in an orderly fashion or carrying objects to the table, the children will be able to practice self care skills. I will provide s ensory materials that are designed to promote learning through the five senses, thus creating an awareness of the body and its ability to learn from real life. By encouraging role play, the children can prepare for adult occupation and construct their own version of the world around them. Furthermore, I will address the demands of diversity and disabiltilty in the classroom by using mixed age groups, promoting individual play within a supportive classroom, repetition of skills and acknowledging sensory perceptions and abilities. The Montessori influence will also be evident in my classroom setup, as I desire child-sized furniture with bright and coordinated colors to promote aesthetic awareness of the child’s environment. Identity of a Preschooler A preschooler is a most usually a child between the ages of three to five, and has not yet entered kindergarten. During this stage, children are egocentric, preoperational, and unable to properly manage their time or self regulatory skills. Most theorists stress the emphasis of play during this stage as the most effective method of implementing solid learning practices and skill awareness. According to Piaget, play promotes cognitive schemes and enhances cognitive development. By maintaining a daily schedule, the preschooler can adjust to the naturally occurring activities and still maintain their individual learning pace. Montessori believed that play was the equivalent of a child’s work and their preschool was equal to an adult’s place of work. Play provides for unintentional yet effective learning. Free play (a. k. a. informal play) helps broaden the child’s creative aspects, and allows for development of personal interests. Symbolic (pretend) and constructive play help children build and test theories, while functional and outdoor play enforce muscular activities. Children in this age group are open to learning, and are constantly questioning the elements of their surroundings. Assessments – Formal versus Informal My major concern with assessment methods is that the spectrum for what is acceptable seems to vary from state to state or center to center. My goal is to streamline the assessment process and incorporate both informal and formal methods. Since assessment goes hand in hand with observation, I will encourage the active participation of the child in their own education, incorporating my own version of evaluating the child. My daily planning of activities and structured curriculum will allow for careful and accurate observation of the child. In my experience with teaching preschool, children learn best when given a project or activity that reinforces the concepts learned that day. I would make every attempt to keep daily notes on each child’s behavior, attitude and progress in the classroom. By noting individual interests and preferences, I can identify the methods that best suit each child’s learning curve. As for formal assessments, standardized testing is one of the most relied upon methods for assessing a child and interpreting their skill levels to determine if the child is ready to proceed or be held back. Additionally, it is important for me to consider not only the regulated standards, but also each child’s individual background. I feel that this consideration for the child’s individual situation will allow for a more accurate assessment. Although I feel that portfolio assessment can sometimes be too broad and open to interpretation, I do think that keeping artistic evidence of the child’s skill achievements can serve not only to pinpoint the progress of the child, but also as a confidence and self-esteem builder for the child. Children are proud to show off their accomplishments and by displaying projects the child will learn to trust in their own natural abilities. Standards and Goals / Ideal Environment Appropriate goals that I would like each child to successfully master or at least become relatively proficient in are self-help skills, an awareness of healthy habits, a desire to learn, evident language and literacy development, and mostly a strong sense of character. I would like them to be able to express different areas of interest, including music and the arts, methods of learning, and interactive games. Children that are not able to grasp the major content areas will be assessed more in-depth, and a conference with the parent(s) will be scheduled. Ideally, I will create a healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging environment that also maintains the developmentally appropriate practices and incorporates all children into the classroom learning environment. I would like for the parents to be involved and aware of their children’s learning practices. I will assign occasional homework, both to emphasize content covered in class and also to provide parents the opportunity to help their children learn. I believe that parents who take an active role in their child’s education have a more positive and lasting impression on their child. Because of this, I will work to include the parents whenever possible, and keep them imformed of their child’s progress, no matter the speed of progression. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I desire to implement a program that is easy for parents to replicate within their home life, thus creating a unified method of child learning that can only serve to ease the learning process for the child.