Saturday, August 31, 2019

Beowulf and Christianity Essay

A Critical Response to Beowulf After reading the story Beowulf as translated by Burton Raffel, I saw two aspects of this story written in the Anglo-Saxon period. When reading the story you notice that there are multiple aspects of paganism and of Christianity included in the story. Many scholars have debated whether of not a monk might have written it during the paganism period or whether a second author might have added to the story later on in history. I believe that it might have been written by a monk who decided to add to t while he wrote the original. I also that even though pagan ideas were implemented into the story, the Christian ideas are more prominent. Firstly, there were many pagan ideas in the book. One of the non-Christian things that Beowulf and his men did was to drink at Herot. (19-20) The men there at Herot were drinking and some were drunk which is a sin in the Bible. Other pagan ideals include that of Beowulf being full in himself and wanting to be remembered rather than doing it out of the kindness of his heart. 9-20) During this part of the story, Beowulf talks about how many monsters he has slayed and how he will be remembered for killing Grendel. He also talks about this at the end of the story when Beowulf is dying. (37) He says, â€Å"†¦ The brave Geats build me a tomb, when the funeral flames have burned me, and build it Here, at the water’s edge, high on this spit of land, so sailors can see this tower, and remember my name†¦ † Secondly, in the story I believe that the Christian aspec ts of the story overpower the pagan beliefs. I think that the story of Beowulf closely resembles the story of Jesus in the Bible. In the Bible, you have the conflict of Jesus and Satan, and in the story you have the conflict of Beowulf and Grendel. It also presents the good vs. evil theme as well as the Bible. The story also refers to Grendel as being a descendent of Cain (14) from the very beginning. This comes from a story in the Bible. Taking this story another step further, you can parallel the death of Christ to the death of Beowulf. In the 14 ection, literally described as the â€Å"Final Battle† he takes on a dragon, (also a form of Satan) and ends up fighting and defeating the dragon. Beowulf defeats evil but pays a price in the end. Just as Jesus died on the cross to defeat evil for all of the world, Beowulf also gives his life while defeating â€Å"evil† to save the Geats. In conclusion, I believe that the Christian overtones of the story overpower the pagan beliefs. In the end, I think that a monk might have written this and incorporated the Christian beliefs into the story.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Religion and spirituality Essay

As Table 4 indicates, the members of admin body (100%) concur that the elderly engaged in religious activities and they did have their own personal devotions. All of them perceived this was a powerful means of coping for the elderly at this point of their life. According to them (67%), the elderly took pride in considering themselves to be religious, and 83% of them observed that prayer or spirituality was a source of strength and peace. The administrators report what the elderly had shared with them at different occasions: The devotion to Mary (the recitation of rosary in the chapel) keeps me busy the whole day†¦I hardly get time to think about the pain on my knees†¦and as pray for all of them†¦my children and grandchildren I know God will keep them safe. Even if I don’t to get to see them it is alright†¦let them be well and happy. I attend mass daily morning and evening†¦if I’m alright. It is there actually we get the strength. Even if I don’t feel alright I go to chapel and spend time there†¦it is so healing†¦after all, all of us (the elderly) have our own burden†¦of the past and the present. So it is a place to unburden all those. God is kind†¦He sees everything. Though life here is comfortable†¦everything is provided†¦we are alone†¦we have only God. Discussion Concept of Subjective Well-Being among the Institutionalized Aged: Administrators’ Viewpoint The findings suggest that the concept of subjective well being among the elderly as perceived by their administrators could be defined as the experience of being at home with their past, at ease with the present and at peace with the future including the inevitable death through a willing surrender to God. It goes with the definition of well-being adopted for the purpose of the present study. Accordingly, well-being is the pervasive sense that life has been and is good. It is an ongoing perception that this time in one’s life, or even life as a whole, is fulfilling, meaningful, and pleasant (Myers, 1993). These findings further ties up with Veenhoven’s (2000) contention that as happiness denotes an ‘overall’ evaluation of life and this appraisal of life can concern different periods in time: how life has been, how life is now, and how life will probably be in future. As perceived by administrators, the elderly at Gladys Spellman believe that when one has no regrets about the past and that they have lived a meaningful life, and having done one’s duties in life, they are at home with the past. This concept of well-being is supported by Butler et al. (1973; 1998), and Knight (1996) that the feeling that one has left undone those things which one ought to have done; and one has done those things which one ought not to have done could lead to sense of guilt, which would negatively affect the sense of well-being. Similarly, when they have satisfaction with the the present stage of life including the acceptance of the pain of growing old and physical decline or to put it differently, when they feel at ease with the present in the given situation, they expereince a sort of contentment and peace in their life. According to Knight (1996) and Butler et al. (1998), the elderly who go through life review and address the unresolved issues in the past (Erickson, 1963) like a righting of old wrongs, making up with enemies, coming to acceptance of mortal life, having a sense of serenity and quietitude, pride in accomplishments, and having a feeling of having done one’s best. And finally, when they are at ease with the future, they experience wellbeing. That is when they are not anxious about what is to come and not distressed about but reconciled with the final reality of death, which primarly comes from their willing surrender to God and absolute trust in Him. According to Westgate (1996), it is the spiritual dimension which is an innate component of human functioning that acts to integrate the other components, and relationship with God forms the foundation of their psychological well-being (Mackenzie et al. , 2000).

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that destroys nerve cells and causes disability. The nerve cells gradually break down and die. Muscle twitching, weakness in a limb, or slurred speech is how ALS typically starts. It eventually affects the muscles needed to move, speak, and breath.The disease is progressive, and currently there is no cure for ALS. It belongs to a larger group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are caused by gradual deterioration and death of motor neurons. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, and stop sending messages to the muscles. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from when the symptoms first appear. The majority of ALS cases are considered sporadic, which means the disease seems to occur at random with no clearly associated risk factors and no family history of the disease. Whereas around 5 to 10 percent of ALS cases are familial, which means that an individual inherits the disease from his or her parents. Signs and symptoms include: difficulty walking or doing ADLs; tripping and falling; weakness in the leg, feet, or ankles; hand weakness or clumsiness; slurred speech or trouble swallowing; muscle cramps and twitching in the arms, shoulders, and tongue; difficulty holding the head up or keeping good posture. ALS most often begins in the hands, feet, or limbs, and later spreads to other parts of the body. Muscles will progressively weaken as the disease advances. ALS doesn’t typically affect senses, thinking ability, or bowel or bladder control. In some ALS cases the disease is inherited, while the others remain with no known cause. Researchers are also looking into gene mutation, chemical imbalances, disorganized immune responses, and protein mishandling. Research is also being done into cellular defects, stem cells, family versus sporadic ALS, biomarkers, and new treatment options.Various risk factors include heredity, age, sex, and genetics. Environmental factors that may tri gger or affect risk of ALS include smoking, environmental toxin exposure, and military service. Complications that people with ALS may experience include breathing problems, speaking problems, eating problems, and dementia. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can be hard to diagnose early on because it mimics many other neurological diseases. Tests to rule out other conditions may include electromyogram (EMG), nerve conduction study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood and urine tests, spinal tap, or muscle biopsy. Treatment for ALS can slow the progression of symptoms, prevent complications, and make a person more comfortable. Two medications are currently approved for the treatment of ALS, Riluzole (Rilutek) and Edaravone (Radicava). A doctor may also prescribe medications to provide relief from symptoms including muscle cramps and spasms, spasticity, constipation, fatigue, excessive salivation, excessive phlegm, pain, depression, sleep problems, and uncontrolled outbursts of laughing or crying. Some therapies that people with ALS can do include breathing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutritional support, psychological and social support.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Amarna Letters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Amarna Letters - Essay Example The development of the website targets researchers so that they can be able to address several issues associated with the study of the archaeological documents. The evaluation of the different language use is depicted in the website through the use of the various sources to develop a comprehensive understanding of the clay tables associated with Amarna. The source offers a wide range of original documents in images form, thus vital secondary sources for research on issues associated with international relations and politics. Davies, Simon. "The Persian Gulf in the 1940s and the Question of an Anglo-American Middle East,." Journal of History, 2010: 64-88. The article by Simon Davies on the influence of the western world on the Anglo Middle East helps in understanding the Intergovernmental relationships that existed within the states, before the development of the international community policies leading to the creation of the United Nation. The Middle East and Egypt had a varied appro ach in dealing with the issues of governance, education and marriages. The marriages between states were used to create harmony while developing alliances for the sake of developing international security. Such development leads to the creation of harmony within the states thereby improving the quality of international relations. Despite the changes in leadership, several issues could be addressed between the courts of the different countries and the governments. The success of the governance can be evaluated in a sincere and illustrative approach. Davies addresses the current issues affecting international relations by comparing the current government set up to the traditional set up with kings and courts Introduction The letters of Amarna are viewed as the beginning of the international relation between countries and states. The letters addressed to several states have a different meaning and understanding because they present a challenge on the various fronts. The difficulty of u nderstanding the traditional letter is based on the understanding of the traditional practices in the society. The letters target a vast range of people and country. There are over 323 letters written on stone clay tablets1. The role of Amarna letters in the establishment of international relations is the main focus of the essay. Amarna letters illustrate the role of harmony and reduced aggression between countries in order to achieve success. The letters are written in the traditional set up that will require the understanding of the traditional roles of governments to understand Amarna approach to the situation. Cohen and Vestbrook offer insight on the nature of the relationship that existed between the Pharaohs of Egypt and the rest of the society through the use of various languages and actions2. Amarna diplomatic approach shows the role of communication and the preserving of the rights of the countries when dealing with international relations. To analyze Amarna letters, severa l challenges exist that are addressed by Cohen and Vestbrook3. These challenges include the analysis and the ability to understand the various reasons for the approach. To understand the letters perfectly, scholars have evaluated the role and effect of the letter, in the international community, both in the past and the current situation. For the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Culture and Technology-Sheila Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Culture and Technology-Sheila - Coursework Example The distributed teams are also affected by these two in different ways. This paper is going to discuss the influence of technology and culture on the performance of organizations. A general definition of culture is that it is a shared platform of characteristics, beliefs and interactions. What this definition implies is all members of a particular culture have same behaviors, beliefs and way of socializing with others. The people forming a particular culture can be those operating in the same working environment, or those that are from the same geographical region. Workers of an organization usually have a culture that guides their operation in the firm. Therefore, they became members of this organization’s culture. Since they are operating in the same culture, these workers have similar traits and ways of operation that are connected to the organizational culture (Daim, 2012). The culture in which a team or organization carries out its activities would always influence the performance of this team or firm. There are various ways through which the team performance can be affected by culture. Even though most of the effects are positive, some of them are negative effects. One way in which culture influences the performance of a team is by creating a specific code of conduct that would regulate the operations of team members or employees in an organization. The restriction on what people can do in the firm is very important when it comes to maintaining relevance among team members as they work. If members are always participating in relevant activities within the group, the performance of the team is expected to go up (Wai On, 2013). A good organizational culture is also responsible for teamwork and collaboration among team members and stuff in a business firm. A good culture will always advocate for members to work together towards achieving the goals of the team. Teamwork is one factor that contributes so much to the performance of the

Monday, August 26, 2019

The creation of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Essay - 1

The creation of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - Essay Example The commission ought to carry out educational campaigns across the various departments of the firm on the importance of safety practices.1 The members of the safety commission have to research continuously on safety measures and emerging health issues. The committee has to cooperate with a companys customers in order to obtain and act on complaints raised by consumers concerning the firms products. In order to do this, the commission tests the products on a random sample basis, analyze the results, and make inferences and deductions on the appropriateness of the product. Further, the commission develops alternatives and solutions in order to achieve consumer protection. The Consumer Product Safety Commission must develop a mission statement to give the commission a sense of direction. The commission draws and properly labels the groups organizational chart and clearly defines every members duties and responsibilities. The composition of the safety committee should have a representative from each department in the organization2. The board appoints a chairperson who will be responsible for presiding over meetings. The appointment of the secretary and vice-chair is similar to that of the chairperson. The chairperson as the head of the committee will discharge duties such as formulating the agendas of the meetings, to oversee orderly meetings, make follow-ups on recommendations and to link management to the commission3. The vice-chair will assume leadership in instances where the chairperson is absent during meetings. The secretary of the commission takes minutes of every meeting convened and disseminates information to every member appropriately4. The commission shall agree on the frequency of meetings whether quarterly, monthly or weekly as circumstances will deem it fit. The safety commission should draft a policy that will guide it in proper selection and recruitment of members.

Reading Responses of Long Day's Journey Into Night by O'neill, Essay

Reading Responses of Long Day's Journey Into Night by O'neill, Copyright 02 - Essay Example Most prominent in the book is the theme of addiction and drug abuse. The man of the family, James Tyron, is a worried man about his sons and wife. Mary, the wife is nursing morphine addiction as Edmund and Jamie struggle with alcohol addiction. In addition to these struggles, James has financial problems despite being a considerably wealthy man. All his wealth is tied up in assets. These tribulations befalling a man at the same time would make the strongest of men to crumble. Further, Tyron’s family is in chaos with itself. Everyone has problems and no one is willing to take responsibilities for anyone’s muddle. Act II begins as Jamie and Edmund taunt each other over stealing their father’s liquor. The two sons steal their father’s wine and top it up with water so that their father does not realize. Jamie is suspicious over everything. Edmund has an involving task of supervising his mother not to resume abusing morphine despite his addiction. He cares for his mother and is worried about her condition despite himself. Edmund is reluctant to take a test to ascertain his health condition for the fear of traumatizing his mother. He suffers but perseveres it for his mother’s sake. He says: promise not to worry yourself sick and to take care of yourself (ONeill, 23). O’Neill’s work is full of tension. James’s house is full of suspicion. In Act II, Edmund accuses his brother of being suspicious over everything. The characters in the play contribute to the dissonance. Jamie’s suspicion causes tension in the house. He complains that he had been put in the dark for 10 years about his mother’s addiction. He, therefore, trusts no one in the family. To him, everything that goes on is akin to a scheme. Moreover, the two sons are not sure of their mother’s morphine addiction state. When Mary left the main bedroom to go sleep in a spare bedroom due to her husband’s snore, Edmund suspected she was up

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Afro-American slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Afro-American slavery - Essay Example Slavery in America has been highly supported by the law. In 1686 the exchange of goods between blacks or between blacks and freemen was declared as not legal (Gikandi 244). In 1705 the House of Burgesses in Virginia promoted a series of laws aiming to ensure that slaves in the region would not be able to fight for their freedom in the future (Wood 11); also the above laws aimed to protect the interests of landowners in regard to their involvement in slavery (Wood 11). At the next level, in 1714, another law ‘prohibited blacks from planting their own corn, rice or peas’ (Gikandi 244). These laws aimed to control the efforts of slaves to improve their living conditions and to increase their autonomy. In practice, these laws were not fully applied, mostly because of the conflicts of interests developed in each particular region; for instance, in South Carolina masters preferred to allow a greater autonomy to slaves so that slavery is continued without problems, while in Vir ginia, a different attitude regarding the control over the slaves’ life was developed. This trend has led to the development of different systems of slaves’ control. In South Carolina the task system was promoted allowing to the slaves to use their free time as they wish; in Virginia the gang system was based on the close supervision of slaves almost all day prevented slaves from organizing their life. The cultivation of each section was assigned to a particular slave (Olwell 46), meaning that each slave had the total responsibility for the cultivation of the specific section.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

An individual report which debates a contemporary issue in E-Business Case Study

An individual report which debates a contemporary issue in E-Business - Case Study Example Moreover, the case studies that will be utilized will be that of the 2013 annual reports from Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft. By analyzing these recent annual reports, it is the hope of this particular student that the reader will be able to gain a level of inference concerning how security issues and legal issues are represented within these and serve to define the approach to the market that these companies are taking. Rather than these two particular issues serving as considerations for the way in which business is conducted within three of the largest tech companies within the United States, is the understanding of this particular analyst that these see concerns are so intrinsically important that they are not only represented as focus point for business development but serve as a fundamental definition for how these companies engage with the market and develop their current and existing, as well as future, strategies for continuing to remain profitable. As one of the most profitable and successful pioneers of the computer operating system, Microsoft has long placed a high emphasis on the importance of security and dedicated entire teams and departments towards ensuring that this particular goal is accomplished (Dvorak, 2012). However, as with many companies, the failures of Microsoft to ensure a completely and entirely secure experience for its users, and the lapses in overall security that have come to be tabloid sensations over the past several decades, has created a difficult situation for Microsoft as it seeks to transition towards a new dynamic for engaging profitability. As the annual report of 2013 for the Microsoft Corporation indicates, the company is deliberately shifting towards a more service oriented approach to the market (Foley, 2012). This does not indicate that Microsoft windows or other long time/profitable engagements will cease to exist; however, the means by which the user engages

Friday, August 23, 2019

Peer response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Peer response - Assignment Example The author vaguely states that,† I don’t believe that it will give you a bacon bowl â€Å"easily†.† He/she doesn’t state what grounds makes him/her believe so. Moreover, he/she doesn’t explain why he/she thinks the ad is ‘ridiculous’. The piece is well done. The author gives a detailed synopsis of the ad, the claims made and the methods used to convince people of the truth. Nevertheless, the author doesn’t state who is making these claim, which is an essential part of the assignment. The author should have elaborated how the system does slim the body fat. What is the science behind it? And is the method tested and proven to work? The author does make a few spelling mistakes e.g. he/she writes excerise instead of exercise and clincial instead of clinical. I also feel the author should have given his or her opinion on the claims made in the ad. He/she should make his/her stand known as to whether he/she thinks the claims are plausible or not and give reasons justifying the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Types of Literature Essay Example for Free

Types of Literature Essay 1) Novella A novella is the name given to a work that is longer than a short story, but too brief to be listed as a novel. Typically, most novellas can range from anywhere between 50 to 100 pages, though length can vary. Some literary critics characterize the maximum length of a novella to be 100,000 words. Today, the novella is rarely sold as an individual work. More frequently, several novellas are compiled into one book, or a novella will be grouped with a number of short stories by the same author. (Ex. John W. Campbell’s Who goes there? ) 2) Novel A novel is a fictional piece of prose usually written in a narrative style. Novels tell stories, which are typically defined as a series of events described in a sequence. The novel has been a part of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has risen to prominence and remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. (Ex.Moby Dick by Herman Melville) 3) Poetry art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. (Ex. How to change a frog into a Prince by Anna Denise) 4) Drama is a literary composition involving conflict, action crisis and atmosphere designed to be acted by players on a stage before an audience. This definition may be applied to motion picture drama as well as to the traditional stage. (Ex. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare) 5) Short Story are written works that are usually fiction. They are sometimes known as micro fiction or flash fiction, and they are exceptionally short pieces that tell a story in a brief amount of space and time. Most short short stories are shorter than 1500 words, and some are even as short as 500 words. It is exceptionally difficult to tell a complete story in such a short amount of space, so these types of stories can be quite a challenge for writers. Literary magazines and other websites or print publications will often print such stories to fill a small amount of space at press time. (Ex. The Clever Fox)

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Legal and ethical implications for classroom Essay Example for Free

Legal and ethical implications for classroom Essay There are many legal and ethical pitfalls for teachers when considering classroom management. Teachers face pressure from administrators, state agencies, parents, and students to have successful and effective classrooms. Over the years, the standard has moved and is constantly changing with initiatives such as Common Core and No Child Left Behind. Teachers need to be aware of the changing landscape of laws and what is acceptable by society. In this essay, I will look at four articles that examine classroom management and analyze them in respect to my future classroom management style and current societal norms. First Article LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM 2 The first article I looked at was Consideration for Gender-Friendly Classrooms. This article discussed the use of gender bias strategies. It highlighted the differences between general learning styles of boys and girls. The highlight of the article was that it recognized the societal gender norms not only impact students, but also teachers as well (Kommer, 2006). Kommer went on to build a case for a mixture strategies that would play on the strengths of both boys and girls. Depending on the culture, girls and boys are said to be the same. Kommer contends that the goal is not to make boys and girls the same, but to have equity in teaching styles (Kommer, 2006). Analysis and Application This article is driving me to make sure my classroom management policies are fair to both boys and girls. I need to make lesson plans that seek to teach the most students and not what I feel comfortable teaching. I have a tendency to relate to boys, well because I was once one. I was never strong in Language Arts, but had an affinity to Math and Social Studies. I was in the Honors Program in my high school for Math, yet in Language Arts, I was n average student. I  realize that I have to make a conscience effort use examples that relate to both genders. I cannot have all my examples and analogies be sports related, but I have need to find things that young lady would relate to, as well. Additionally, I need to make sure my discipline models are effective for both genders. I teach Sunday School for fourth graders. I have a large number of boys and they are rambunctious. I have to make sure that my discipline fits the child. Many of my boys would find 20 pushups and effective deterrent to misbehaving, while many of my girls would find separation from their friend a much worse punishment. Discipline can be a tricky area, as I would not want to be accused of showing favoritism. Teachers need to be cognizant of how they are administering discipline that it is perceived to be constructive and fair to all students. LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM 3 Second Article The second article is Classroom Management: A Critical Part of Educational Psychology, With Implications for Teacher Education. This article discusses the importance of a teachers competency in classroom management. Emmer and Stough contend that teachers need to have a minimal level of proficiency in order to be effective in other areas (Emmer Stough,2001). They also assert that the teachers emotions play a major part in how they perceive behavior (Emmer Stough, 2001). Analysis and Application This article compels me to make sure my classroom management style is buttoned up. If I expect my class to learn and succeed, I have to ensure that I am prepared to handle all situations that occur in my classroom. Good classroom management will prevent a large majority of misbehavior issues. Children internally desire structure and as the authority figure in the class in it imperative that, I bring the needed structure. When I was in high school, I had a Social Studies  teacher that had been rumored to be very hard. He had a reputation of being stricter than the other teachers. I had him for American Government my senior year. He had a very direct classroom management style. He would have leaned toward Morrishs theory. He set very strict ground rules. As the semester progressed, he became more lax in his rules and allowed us to have more freedom as a class. After the end of class, I realized that the teacher was not mean or cruel, but wanted his students to understand the material that he was teaching. I learned more about American History in that class, than all others combined. In addition to having proficiency in classroom management, I need to make sure my emotions are controlled. A teacher cannot allow their emotions to dictate how they address students. Dealing with children is naturally emotional. These people are relying on us as teachers LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM 4 to be the authority and example. For many of the children, the school is the only sense of normalcy that they will see. I read article all the time, where a teacher has made a horrible choice. Any teacher that would choose to have an inappropriate relationship with a student is not in control of their emotions. In order to remain ethically balanced, teachers need to remain under control at all times. When the emotions are high, they need to find a way to bring the balance back into classroom. I am not saying teachers cannot show emotions, but it needs to be tempered. Third Article The third article I read was Increasing Teachers Use of Evidence-based Classroom Management Strategies Through Consultation: Overview and Case Studies. This article argued that many education programs do not adequately prepare teacher to manage their classrooms effectively (MacSuga Simonsen, 2012). MacSuga and Simonsen went on to explain how using  evidence based classroom management can benefit teachers in managing their class. They did a case study of two teachers and found that the teachers were successful in controlling their classroom misbehaviors. Analysis and Application I enjoyed how the article discussed using measurable goals. As a teacher, many of the measures will be based upon standardized test and not what is truly going on in the classrooms. I think administrators and government agencies, force teachers in to a precarious position by telling them that they must have perfect classrooms and perfect test scores in order to be judged as an effective teacher. Having checklist and measurable goals for classroom management helps to protect the teacher. My current boss always says that the numbers tell a story. If as a teacher, I can show measured improvement for a struggling class, I am able to deflect criticisms. LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM 5 Additionally, having documentation allows teachers to analyze themselves and see areas of opportunity. Fourth Article The last article I read was The Good Student Game: Behavior Management for Diverse Classrooms. This article discussed The Good Student Game as a technique to help with classroom management (Babyak, Luze, Kamps, 2000). Babyak, Luze, and Kamps state that children can find satisfaction through their proposed method and that they will self-monitor. They admit that this method will not eliminate all misbehavior issues, but it can be seen as a tool. Analysis and Application I found that this article oversimplified classroom management. The authors said this method was most effective in a grade school setting. The authors contend that children will self-monitor. I believe this to be naive, I have taught children in a church environment for years and even the best of young kids will make bad choices when it comes to behavior when left to  their own devices. The philosophy hinges on providing tangible reward for completion of the game. Growing up I was a good kid, but if you put candy as the prize and I was allowed to monitor my own behavior, I believe I would have not always been honest about my assessment of my behavior. As teachers we need to set up our children for success and giving them treats every time they behave may set an incorrect assumption of how the world really works. Teachers ethically are bound to help train children to be productive citizens. In conclusion, these four articles all looked at different approaches on how to manage ac lass. I agreed with three of the four and was able to garner some wisdom for my future class. Teachers need to be diligent to stay trained on current trends and acceptable practices. Many teachers that I had in school would not be able to use the same methods today, as they used thirty LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM 6 years ago. Regardless of when the teacher is teaching, effective teachers learned to engage their students and help them see the benefit of proper behavior ethically and legally. LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM 7 References Babyak, A. E. , Luze, G. J.  , Kamps, D. M. (2000). The good student game: Behavior management for diverse classrooms. Intervention in School Clinic, 35(4), 216-223. Emmer, E. T. , Stough, L. M. (2001). Classroom Management: A Critical Part of Educational Psychology, With Implications for Teacher Education. Educational Psychologist, 36(2), 103-112. Kommer, D. (2006). Considerations for Gender-Friendly Classrooms. Middle School Journal, 38(2), 43-49. MacSuga, A. S. , Simonsen, B. (2012). Increasing Teachers’ Use of Evidence-based Classroom Management Strategies Through Consultation: Overview and Case Studies.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Company and market analysis for Uncle Tobys Company

Company and market analysis for Uncle Tobys Company The Uncle Tobys Company has a long and vibrant history, having gone through several name, location and ownership changes to get it to where it is today. The Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars is the ready to eat product suitable for people of all ages, their philosophy was that improved diet leads to improved health by balance and nutrition. The Uncle Tobys company was originally established as Parsons Bros, in Melbourne by Leonard and George Parsons when they arrived in Australia from England in 1861 and commenced manufacturing John Bull Oats. In 1893, The Uncle Tobys Oats product was introduced to the market by Clifford Love and Co in Sydney and entered the homes hearts and of Australian families, its the first shown as Uncle Tobys products in trade market. In the past hundred years, Uncle Tobys renamed a lot of times until 1989, the company was officially renamed as Uncle Tobys Company, and the stage was set for the birth of the brand we know and love today, Launch of Yoghurt Topps Muesli Ba rs. Uncle Tobys was one of sections of the Goodman Fielder food company, yet was separated by parent company Burns Philp in December 2005. In 2006, Swiss food giant Nestle purchased Uncle Tobys manufacturing facility and brands. SWOT Matrix 6 Marks Product: __Uncle Toby Muesli bars______ Strengths Products have required accreditations Right products, reliability and quality Better product life and durability Good customer loyalty differentiated products Creativity and imagination of staff Weaknesses Customer lists not tested Organisational infrastructure No direct marketing experience Dont have a detailed plan yet Lack of marketing expertise Limited budget Opportunities Local competitors have poor products Could extend to abroad Can surprise competitors Could expand the scale of supplier deals Threats Legislation could impact Taxation is introduced on product Fierce price competition Possible negative publicity Competition from other providers The 4Ps Analysis ¼Ã‚ Product, Price, Place and Promotion Products Several kinds of finest cereal bars as health product for balancing nutrition products. An instant breakfast catering all segments who want health and quick breakfast without preparation. A tasty snack for children and also it could be supplement for older adult to consume. Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars is the wholegrain product. Wholegrain content is important in peoples daily diet; its naturally nutrient can help maintain your familys wellbeing. The products contain wholegrain oats and wheat. These are intact grains, which mean they are slowly digested and contribute to products low glycemic index (GI)*. Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars contain on average 7% of the daily intake for sugar per bar. This means you can enjoy the goodness of wholegrain in a tasty snack as part of a balanced diet. And here are no artificial colours and flavours in the product and they are all source of fibre products. Many of the products in Uncle Tobys range are high in fibre, with an average serving delivering at least 3g of fibre towards your daily requirement of 30g. Some fibres, such as the whole grain wheat can also act as a prebiotic, nourishing your friendly bacteria and helping with digestive balance. The Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars got 3 different types of packages; they are Standard Packs (6 bars/120g), Value Packs (12bars/240g), Value Packs (18bars/360g, WOOLWORTH only). And it also got nut crumble, apricot, choc chips these 3 flavours on CRUNCHY, choc chip, forest fruits, apricot and white choc chip these 4 flavours on CHEWY, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, mango passionfruit and honeycomb these 5 flavours on YOGHURT TOPPS. These means Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars provide different products with different flavours to satisfy the different needs of customers. The variety of products makes the company different from other competitors. The business concentrates on changing the products since new variants or ingredient created that enhance ultimate multisensory food experience for making lots of kind product to satisfy different target markets and maintain original target market loyalty. Price Table 1 Brand Price (per 100g) Carmans AU $ 2.28 Uncle Tobys AU $ 2.16 Nature Valley AU $ 2.14 Cadbury AU $ 2.09 Be Nature AU $ 2.08 Coles AU $ 1.56 Table 1 demonstrates the price of different muesli bars products brand that can be found in COLES. The highest price of brand of muesli bars is Carmans which values AU $2.28 per 100g. The product of Uncle Tobys ranks second high price in COLES (AU $2.16 per 100g) that indicates its price strategy associates with non-price competition. By contrast, the brand of Coles which is the lowest price (AU $1.56 per 100g) stands for price competition. As can be seen from table 1, Uncle Tobys adopts non-price competition strategies. It emphasizes characteristic product features, quality, service, packaging, promotion or other factors to differentiate its product from competing brands rather than focusing on price. Although Uncle Tobys takes non-price competition strategy, the annual sales generates more than US $600 million in terms of retail sales that is not corresponsively in undesirable results (General Mills 2006). In 2001, Uncle Tobys has a yearly turnover of about US $900 million (ITP.net 2005). A little bit higher prices than competitors due to higher product quality, unusual product features and brand reputation but usually get price discount for products. (High price-High quality policy) Place/Distribution The types of marketing channels for Uncle Tobys product is a long-standing channel that producer conveys goods to a wholesalers, then to a retailer, and a retailer sell the product to the consumers. It is the most economical distribution channel for Uncle Tobys to be a long-standing channel as costs is lower than Uncle Tobys performs marketing their products. The product of Uncle Tobys, locates to intensive distribution allots products to customers by a range variable of outlets such as supermarkets and convenience stores. Efficient distribution of Uncle Tobys product is that produces products to Coles, WOLWORTH, 7-11 and other similar supermarkets and outlets. Customers purchase over three-quarters of all groceries in supermarkets. In terms of convenience stores, it extends opening hours and locates in a convenient place that people can purchase product frequently. Beside people can order products form Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars through internet which leads to cost reduction for consumer and supplier and make more convenient to purchase or even buy product directly from manufacture. Promotion Uncle Tobys were working together with the Royal Life Saving Society-Australia with the goal of preventing the drowning deaths of more than 50 children each year. Uncle Tobys invest half million dollars over three years to help teach Australian children how to swim and survive in the water in partnership with Royal Life Saving. As one of Australias top sports sponsors, Uncle Tobys has a solid history of Olympic team sponsorship. From 1988 to 2008 the company was official sponsor of the Australia Olympic Team. Below-the-line promotion: indirect expenditure on promotion refers to those methods of promoting products that do not use direct advertising such as free gift or getting stars to endorse products or news and magazine storles featuring the product. Uncle Tobys also doing the promotion in the supermarket like WOOLWORTH, Coles. They offer the fair price at anytime. Uncle Tobys brand which has developed a reputation for successful above-the-line advertising (TV, radio, poster), that makes Uncle Tobys became the 29th sales in Australia. Physical Evidence The Uncle Tobys name is synonymous with high-quality, great-tasting food the world over, so the promotion for their product always focus on delicious, tasty and high-price get high-quality. More recent years Uncle Tobys was one of the first in food industry to print Guideline Daily Amounts(GDAs) on the packs of product for showing the percentage of the recommended intake of calories, sugar, fat, saturates and salt for each portion of product clearly as Uncle Tobys is being a nutritionist. Hence the products from Uncle Tobys pay more attention on balance nutrition and health eating. Process The manufacturing system includes 3 parts in process: processing, packaging and storing. Packaging and storing- The cereal will be send to packaging area once they passed the quality check and place it into individual box and cases, then transport by conveyer belt to warehouse until they shipped to stores for retail sale. Conclusion The product variable in marketing mix emphasis health and quick cereal breakfast or snack without preparation which fit all ages, it means wide range of target market such as health claim are more popular for everyone, female are shape conscious and convenient food are common now, more price variable pays more attention on the target market who willing to pay a little bit more for higher quality product than competitors but sometime the customer will get reward for loyalty or price discount ( see promotion ).Also this business done well job at boost sales and brand value by using varied promotion methods since this business established, they try to make products available on hand everywhere as well. The buyer for Uncle Tobys Muesli Bar will be parents or older adult and cereal are purchase one of the fastest-moving product in supermarket, also research shows the most influencer are kids. Despite they pay more attention on target market for 8-11 years child, but Uncle Tobys Muesli Bar hard to make product diversify for growing different target markets for increasing profit, they wish their products not only for everybody but also can be consumed in any time, Uncle Tobys Muesli Bar contains comprehensive target markets for example health and instant breakfast for everyone, sweet snack for chide and adult, also supplement for older adult which Uncle Tobys Muesli Bar can be consumed all day in different ways. Successful business use all the tools at their disposal to stay at the top of their chosen market and Uncle Tobys Muesli Bar are able to use a number of business tools properly in order to successful in ready-to-eat cereal market by re-position the brand through the use of marketing mix, return the brand to grow, improve the frequent of purchase and introduce new customers to brand. This business is sound marketer to carefully segment and deliver an outstanding proposition for their customers. The vision and idea from founder Uncle Tobys which strong commitment to nutrition, health and quality driven improvement for their products and process to make Uncle Tobys business being a leader of cereal and snack producer in the world.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Face of Exploitation in Public Health Essay -- International Healt

The Face of Exploitation in Public Health International public health policies attempt to reform the social and political systems which influence the health and safety of all citizens of the world. In the past, these policies have been created through the strong reliance on and exploitation of socially constructed systems of classification such as gender, sexuality, nationality, and economic class. It has been a system of correlation between the behaviors which seem prevalent within social groupings and chances that those behaviors will lead to disease transmition or infestation. In January 2004, the World Health Organization announced a radical change in their policies surrounding public health study and prevention in the 2004 World Report on violence and health. Instead of focusing on larger global and national trends, the WHO called for an expansion of policies and increase of resources which focused more on the experiences and support of individuals rather than groups. This value of individual experience holds extreme pr omise in the expansion and effectiveness of public health initiatives as well has changes many societal systems of classifications. However, there may be detrimental effects of this change that exploit the very subjects that they attempt to help. It is a question of forcing the private experience of disease into a public domain. Where are the lines of public verses private drawn? Public health by its very definition emphasizes public classification over the individual body. Its basic goal is to establish effective general health services that meet the minimum health requirements for a majority of people. With this general goal in mind, there are two major assumptions made within the formation of public ... ...ing: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion." Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of "Sex." 121-156.New York: Routledge, 1993. Delany, Samuel. "Aversion/Perversion/Diversion." Longer Views: Extended Essays. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 1996 Foucault, Miachael. "We 'Other Victorians'" and "The Repressive Hypothesis."The History of Sexuality, Volume I: An Introduction.Trans. Robert Hurley. New York: Vintage, 1980. Hoole, Francis. Politic and Budgeting in the World Health Organization. 2 Indiana Unniverstity Press. 1997. Lakoff, George and Mark Johnson. Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought. 3-44.New York: Basic Books, 1999. Siddiqi, Javed. World Health and World Politics; the World Health Organization and the UN System. 194-195. University of South Carolina Press. 1995

Stock :: essays research papers

Reading Journal Week 7 â€Å"Soldier’s Home† The whole emphasis of this story lies in the life of a young solider who had served his purpose to his country and returned home only to find the closest place to his hart change dramatically before his eyes. The war has changed him and because of that change he has never completely recovered and event felt left out by everyone in the city except for his sister and his mom. His father was the man he feared and didn’t like as the story revels and when we find out that his father let him use the car for the â€Å"first time† we can see that as the attempt by the father to strengthen the bond †¦but it is too late, because now the solider feels like all this is just a pathetic attempt by his mother to make his father do something for him he’s own son. Week 9 â€Å"I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud† This paper explores the purpose and usage of flowers in poetry using William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" as an example. It focuses on Wordsworth's choice of words and also on the greater profound concept that he is trying to depict. The first part of the paper focuses on interpreting the poem. It shows how Wordsworth eloquently uses figurative language, imagery, and personification to describe a scenic display of daffodils. The second part of the paper offers an analysis of the poem. In particular, it examines the concept of the futility of the individual when compared to the collective good of society, as shown in the context of man versus nature. â€Å"Pied Beauty† Gerard’s belief in an omnipotent Creator enabled him to see an especial beauty in the world of Nature - the unpredictable, untamed patterns of the wilderness combining to form a whole far greater than the sum of its parts, glorious and 'true'. But what sets his verse apart from the hordes (I use the word advisedly) of Victorian nature poets was his ability to merge form and content to such a degree of utter perfection - his poetry _sounds_ right; his word-paintings leap off the printed page without traversing the intervening bridge of ordinary 'meaning'. Consider the structure of today's poem - there's a riot of assonance and alliteration, but it's combined with a an unusually high consonant-density; there's a strong underlying rhythm in the pattern of the stresses, but it's never plodding or weighty (indeed, the variations in the unstressed syllables ensure that the verse is kept flexible and 'clean'); the rhymes, though strictly enforced, are kept from becoming monotonous by an unusual rhyme scheme.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Shiloh Essay -- essays research papers

The Second Battle of Shiloh   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The switch to college life can definitely change people. In high school, one makes friends that will hopefully last a lifetime. Then comes senior year, and after all the college admissions letters have been received, one must face the realization that his/her best friends will not be by their side 24 hours a day / 7 days a week any longer. Still ecstatic by what this new life, college, holds for them, students enter into their chosen institute of higher learning. Do you remember that first break, or long weekend, that brings everyone back to the place where they grew up? Its a chance to look back and catch up on old times, even though you’ve only been separated for a month or two. Whether coming home from UGA, Tech, or even some out-of-state college, that drive home gives one time to reflect. Will my friends who I graduated with be the same friends who I know and love? Like I said, college alters people, and the first time you see old friends, you might realize that your best friends are not who they once were. Although painful, this is a process that is natural. Friends change, and friends move on with their lives, regardless of your presence. On a larger scale, this is the dilemma brought to the readers attention by Bobbie Ann Mason, author of â€Å"Shiloh†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Mason’s â€Å"Shiloh†, Leroy and Norma Jean Moffitt are a married couple living in Paducah, Kentucky. Leroy has spent the past 15 years driving a tractor-trailer across the country. Four months ago, Leroy was involved in a highway accident that required steel pins to be placed in his hip. He returned home to rest and rehabilitate his leg. He is confined to his house, something that he hasn’t seen for an extended period since he’s been on the road. Like a college student, this is Leroy’s long weekend. Leroy comes home to his wife, Norma Jean, hoping that she will be the same person he left many years before. Unfortunately for Leroy, Norma Jean has moved on with her life, much like friends who move on after high school graduation. Leroy would like for things to be the way they were, but Norma Jean has chosen a different course in her life that doesn’t involve Leroy. She works at the Rexall Drug Store, loves to play music, and is taking classes in composition at Paducah Community College. Bobbie A... ...se. Leroy knows that something has to be done to save his marriage. Mabel, Leroy’s mother-in-law, suggests they take a trip to Shiloh, a Civil War battleground. This is ready-made symbolism. A battling couple takes a trip to a famous battleground. Looking for a place to picnic, they sit down next to a cemetery for Union Soldiers, which symbolizes the death of their life together as husband and wife. She tells Leroy that she is leaving him and when she walks toward the bluff overlooking the Tennessee River, Leroy tries to follow. His good leg, however is asleep, and his bad leg still hurts him. This symbolizes that he will never catch her. She has her own life and he is stuck in the same place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I have personally experienced the loss of a friend after we both embarked on different paths. Although we were the best of friends in high school, when the time came on that long weekend to hang out, we didn’t even pick up the phone to see what the other was doing. Although its natural to move in different directions, it still hurts to no longer have that friend in your life any longer, just like it hurts Leroy not to have Norma Jean

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Modified Calendar Issue

Modifying a traditional school calendar essentially means that students attend school throughout the entire year with several mini-breaks rather than an extended summer break. There are both pros and cons involved in modifying the traditional school calendar. This essay will address the pros and provide rationale for selecting one calendar over another. Traditional School Calendar Growing up with a traditional school calendar, going to school from August until June and having the glorious three-month summer was something to look forward to as a child. According to Hsu’s article in the San Bernardino Sun, â€Å"Parents said a shorter summer would limit teens' chances to work and do internships, and that families would have to cancel planned vacations† (2007). Community involvement is essential for a child to nurture ownership of the community and feel a sense of belonging. The extended summer calendar worked in the past, traditionally, and it would seemingly work now, except that things have changed over the years and a modified school calendar meets some needs of a changing world. Things that were not evident in the past have become apparent and a modified school calendar creates opportunity to address some of those needs whereas a traditional calendar does not. Modified School Calendar Many parents struggle with an age-old problem of coordinating breaks and vacations with their children. Many times children have longer breaks from school than the parents do from work. Shorter breaks are more reasonable and true to life in the business world, preparing children for a coming future. Harold Vollkommer, an assistant superintendent said, â€Å"Longer spring and winter recesses would provide time for students who were behind in school to take short, intensive remedial courses† (2007). This type of opportunity also helps by preparing students for greater responsibilities. Additionally, children learn how to manage their time. Working in internships and volunteering for the community becomes a year-round thing rather than just a summer thing. Conclusion Having experienced both calendars, I am in favor of the modified calendar. Traditions are nice and should never be forgotten; but, as time changes and new advancements are discovered and made, so must we be willing to modify a traditional way of doing things to accommodate our growth and potential. References Hsu, C. (2007). Board rejects proposed school calendar changes. Retrieved January 24, 2007 from,

Friday, August 16, 2019

Justification for funding researches on Biotechnology and genetic engineering Essay

Biotechnology and genetic engineering are technologies that employ biological materials to generate or construct enhanced products. The technologies are extensively used in the field of agriculture for the generation of new plant hybrids which present commercially important traits such as size and sweetness and remove the commercially risky features including drought- and insecticide-resistance. In the field of biomedicine, microbial species are modified through genetic engineering and used as basis for the design and creation of new vaccines which will help the public from acquiring specific infectious diseases. It is of my opinion that these sciences be funded for purposes of food enhancements and vaccine improvements because these provide us with new methods of using modified versions of the basic biological materials. The modification of particular plant species may be helpful to us in terms of food and our daily consumption, and maintaining good health in the society. For example, rice may be genetically modified to grow to maturity in half the time the wild rice grows. This means that we will always have ample supply of rice because we do not have to wait for such a very long time. In term of vaccines, it is important the biotechnology and genetic engineering improve vaccines because the bacterial and viral pathogens that cause diseases are also constantly evolving. Viruses are continuously changing the proteins on their cell membrane so that the cells of their host will not recognize and destroy them based on the host’s current immunity. If we do not improve our vaccines, we will not be able to control emerging infections around the world, and this may result in multiple global outbreaks. Hence, it is important that these technological innovations be used to their maximum potential. References Patel R, Torres RJ and Rosset P (2005): Genetic engineering in agriculture and corporate engineering in public debate: Risk, public relations, and public debate over genetically modified crops. Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health 11:428-436.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

How to Write a Poem About Lacrosse Essay

The general purpose of this speech is to demonstrate. The specific purpose is to show how to shoot a lacrosse ball, catch a lacrosse ball and cradle the lacrosse ball. I am going to show you the proper way to shoot the ball, the right way to catch the ball and the correct way cradle the ball. Everyone chill-lax, i’m going to tell you about lax. I am the best person to give this speech because I have played lacrosse almost all my life and I am very good at it. This demonstration will be useful to you because if you ever want to try lacrosse, you will know some of the basics. The first part of lacrosse I am going to tell you about is how to shoot the ball. There are three main points on how to shoot the lax ball. The first is to keep your elbows and hands out and away because you can get more power on the ball. Also it helps you aim the ball more precisely and hit the corners of the goal. Second is to take a big drop step and twist your hips is to create more power on your shoot. Lastly you need to follow through your swing. It’s just like in basketball and how you need yo follow through on your shoot or in soccer and how you need to follow through on your kick. Another part important part of lax is how to catch the ball because if you can’t catch the ball you can’t really score. The most important part of catching the ball is keeping your hands in front of your body. If you do this you can catch the ball from almost anywhere. How you actually receive the ball is another crucial technique. When the ball is going into your stick, you need to bring the stick towards you so the ball won’t pop out. If you just keep your stick out there the ball will hit your mesh and fly out of your head. The last thing I am going to tell you about is how to cradle the ball. If you cannot cradle the ball, when you are trying to move down the field, you will get the ball knocked out and taking away. A way to not let that happen is to bring your stick up strongly and bring it down strongly.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Study on Infiltration and Soil Texture Under Banana and Maize Land Use Systems in Gatundu Catchment, Kiambu County, Kenya

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY STUDY ON INFILTRATION AND SOIL TEXTURE UNDER BANANA AND MAIZE LAND USE SYSTEMS IN GATUNDU CATCHMENT, KIAMBU COUNTY,KENYA KAKAIRE JOEL I56EA/20023/2012 ICEDUNA MARION I56EA/20021/2012 MWM714: FIELD MAPPING AND LABORATORY TECHQNIUES FIELD REPORT COURSE INSTRUCTOR: DR. MAKOKHA GEORGE TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGES 1. 0 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 1. Significance of the study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 1. 2 Objectives †¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 1. 2. 1 Specific Objectives †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 2. 0 METHODS AND MATERIALS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 2. INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. 2 Study area †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. 3 Research design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 2. 4 Data collection procedures and laboratory analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 2. 4. Soil Texture †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 2. 4. 2 Infiltration †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. 0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 3. 1 Soil Infiltration Measurements †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 5. 0 REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 APPENDIX †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Appendix 1: Data sheet for Infiltration for Banana and Maize Fields †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 17 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: I nfiltration Curve of Banana field †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 Figure 2: Cumulative Infiltration of Banana Field †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Figure 3: Infiltration curve of Maize Field †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 Figure 4: Cumulative infiltration of Maize Field†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Description of infiltration sites †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Table 2.Summary of the soil texture report from the test sites †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1: Infiltration in Banana and Maize field respectively †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 iv v 1. 0 Introduction Water is one of the most important factors limiting the growth of plants in all Agricultural systems. In this respect, good water management is necessary in order to solve water related problems such as irrigation and erosion control. Infiltration is the process by which water arriving at the soil surface enters the soil.This process affects surface runoff, soil erosion, and groundwater recharge (Gregory et al. , 2005). The rate at which it occurs is known as infiltration rate which mainly depends on the characteristics of the soil. ( Saxton, 1986) reported that, the major soil and water characteristics affecting infiltration rates are: the initial moisture content, condition of the surface, hydraulic conductivity of the soil profile, texture, porosity, degree of swelling of soil colloids, organic matter, vegetative cover and duration of irrigation or rainfall and of these, soil texture is predominant.Therefore the measurement of water infiltration into the soil is an important indication in regard to the efficiency of irrigation and drainage, optimizing the availability of water for plants, improving the yield of crops, minimizing erosion and describing the soil permeability. Land use and land cover changes among other factors have also been reported to infuluence the infiltration rate of soil. According to (Suresh, 2008), for a given soil, the land use pattern plays a vital role in determining i ts infiltration characteristics.Different land use practices affect infiltration rates in different ways. (Taylor et al, 2009), observed that intensified land use results primarily in a change in soil structure rather than soil compaction. When land is put to certain uses, there is an accompanying change in the properties of the soil and this alters the hydrological balance of the soil. According to (Osuji, 2010) infiltration rates in tropical forests under bush fallow were found to be high compared to arable crop land. In addition, Majaliwa et al. 2010) explains that the change from natural forest cover to tea and Eucalyptus induces changes in top soil properties like exchangeable Magnesium and Calcium, available Phosphorus, soil organic matter, soil pH, and soil structure of sub soil. Furthermore, Land use/type cover influences soil organic matter evolution which is a vital indicator of soil quality and it has implications on soil properties like aggregate stability/soil structure , infiltration and aeration rates, microbial activity and nutrient release (Boye and 1Albrect, 2001). Additionally a soil’s water retention characteristic, is affected by soil organic matter (SOM) content and porosity, which are significantly influenced by land use type (Zhou et al. , 2008). Gatundu catchment is one of the catchments in Kenya which have experienced soil degradation due to conversion of natural forest to crop land mainly banana, maize and Coffee. This has been fastened by the increasing population in the catchment leaving most of the natural forest cover cleared and replaced by crop land.The result has been massive soil degradation, through loss of plant nutrients and organic matter, soil erosion, river bank degradation; build up of salinity, and damage to soil structure (Bekunda et al. , 2010). Therefore this study aims to determine the degree of relationship between infiltration rates and the land use types in two selected sites under Banana and Maize croppi ng systems in Gatundu sub catchment. 1. 1 Significance of the study The knowledge of water retention capacity and land use effects is important for efficient soil and water management.Upon conversion of natural lands to cultivated fields, water retention capacity is strongly influenced (Schwartz et al. , 2000; Bormann and Klaassen, 2008; Zhou et al. , 2008). Thus, infiltration rate is an important factor in sustainable agriculture, effective watershed management, surface runoff, and retaining water and soil resources. Properly designed and constructed infiltration facilities can be one of the most effective flow control (and water quality treatment) storm water control practices, and should be encouraged where conditions are appropriate (Ecology, 2005) 1. Objectives The objective of the study is to determine the effect of banana and Maize land use practices on water infiltration into the soil in Gatundu catchment 1. 2. 1 Specific Objectives 2 1. 2. Describe how different soil types influence water flow through the soil Compare Water movements through the soil at two different sites (Banana and Maize fields) 3. To find out how soil texture influences water infiltration into the soil 2. 0 METHODS AND MATERIALS 2. INTRODUCTION This section covers the methods and materials used in the study which include description of the study area, experimental design, field data collection procedures for soil samples and data analysis procedures; laboratory and statistical data analysis using Microsoft office package. 2. 2 Study area Gatundu district is one of the districts located in central province of Kenya at 1 ° 1†² 0†³ South, 36 ° 56†² 0†³ East; covering an area of 481. 1 km2 and borders Thika district to the East and North and Kiambu East to the South and West (Figure 5).The population density varies from 370 persons per Km2 in Chania and Mangu divisions to 636 persons per Km2 in Gatundu division on the 2008 population projections. Gatundu divisi on is the most densely populated division with 636 persons per square Km. The population over the plan period is expected to increase marginally thereby increasing demand and competition for the available resources like water and land resources (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). 3 ` Figure 5: Map of Gatundu south Topography features of Gatundu district Gatundu district is located about 1520 m ASL at the lowest point and 2280 m ASL at the highest point.There are several permanent rivers and streams that traverse the landscape and these include Ndaruga, Thiririka, and Kahuga. All these rivers flow from the Aberdare ranges to the west and towards the southeast joining River Tana thus forming part of Tana and Athi river 4 drainage system. The train is conducive for gravity system of irrigation (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Terrain Gatundu district is characterized by a ragged terrain, which has had both the negative and positive impacts on the developmen t of the district.The steep slopes and valleys characteristic of the most part of the district, coupled with intensive crop cultivation render most of these areas susceptible to soil erosion making it necessary for farmers to practice terracing which is costly. The conducive environment in the district favour the cultivation of tea and coffee however, other crops like cereals, horticultural crops such as pineapple, mangoes, avocadoes and vegetables plus bananas (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Soils Gatundu district has soils that correspond entirely with typical Aberdare Humic Andosols and Nitosols.These Nitosols have great agricultural potential coupled with the relatively high rainfall regime in the region. Production of tea, coffee, tropical fruits and food crops such as maize, beans and potatoes are the most common sources of income to the households. The hilly terrain of the district has had profound effect on the soils, resulting into low and moderate fertilit y levels (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Climate The rainfall pattern is bi-modal with two distinct rainy seasons, long rains falling in March and May while short rains between October and November.The amount received varies with altitude ranging from 800 mm to 2000 mm with the highest rainfall being experienced in the tea zones. The mean temperature is 200 C with coldest months being June, July and August. The hottest months are February, March and April. Temperatures vary from 80C minimum to 300 C maximum during the year. (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012) 5 2. 3 Research design A completely randomized block design was used for the study. Two treatments were considered (Banana and Maize land uses) and the blocking was landscape position. For Each land use type, only one experiment was carried out because of time. . 4 Data collection procedures and laboratory analysis 2. 4. 1 Soil Texture Five (5) soil samples from both Banana and Maize land uses at di fferent landscape positions were collected. The sampling was done at depth of 0 -15 cm and were collected using a 50 mm diameter auger using a Random sampling Technique as explained by Haghighi et al. (2010) . The 0-15cm depth was considered because it’s the major agricultural layer and root zone for most of the crops. The five soil samples from each land use were thoroughly mixed to obtain composite soil samples which were taken to Makerere University Laboratory for Analysis.Soil texture was determined using the hydrometer method described by Bouyoucos (1962) and results presented in percentages of mineral proportions. The samples were passed through an electric shaker for 30 minutes and then the sample was treated with sodium hexametaphosphate to complex Ca++, Al3+, Fe3+, and other cations that bind clay and silt particles into aggregates. The density of the soil suspension was determined with a hydrometer which was calibrated to read in grams of solids per liter after the sand settled out and again after the silt settled. Corrections were made for the density and temperature of the dispersing solutions.The percentages of mineral fractions were calculated as below; Percent clay: % clay = corrected hydrometer reading at 6 hrs, 52 min. x 100/ wt. of sample Percent silt: % silt = corrected hydrometer reading at 40 sec. x 100/ wt. of sample – % clay Percent sand: 6 % sand = 100% – % silt – % clay Results were reported as percentages of the mineral fraction, % sand, % silt, and % clay. Soil texture was based on the USDA textural triangle. 2. 4. 2 Infiltration The infiltration rate was determined using double-ring infiltrometer as described by American Society for Testing and Materials (1994).It consists of two concentric metal rings. The rings were driven into the ground and filled with water. The outer ring helped to prevent divergent flow. The drop-in water level or volume in the inner ring was used to calculate the infiltration rate . Clock time was recorded when the test began and noted the water level on the ruler at different time intervals as seen in Appendix 1, recorded the drop in water level in the inner ring on the ruler and kept adding water to bring the level back to approximately the original level.The tests were conducted for a period of one to two hours, until the infiltration rate became constant. The infiltration rate was calculated from the rate of fall of the water level in the inner ring as seen in Appendix 1 in the tenth minutes in both the banana field and maize fields. The data was analyzed by drawing graphs of infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration. In both cases, curves were obtained. Plate 1: Infiltration in Banana and Maize field respectively 7 3. 0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 3. Soil Infiltration Measurements Soil infiltration measurements were made at 2 sites in Gatundu sub catchment (Plate 1 above). The two sites have the same soil characteristics, therefore they have been classif ied by the different land uses and land scape positions coupled by other field observations. Sites were selected based on land use, proximity to water source, site accessibility, and soil type. Table 1: Description of infiltration sites Site Location Banana Site Observed and use and field observations Site with Banana plantations, Has some mounds, some trees adjacent to the field, it’s on a higher elevation Maize Site Site with Maize, The site is close to a trench used for moving water, Its close to the road , It’s on a lower elevation Figure 1(Banana land use) and Figure 3(Maize land use) shows that the water infiltrates at a very high rate at the beginning with 1800 mm/hr and 720mm/hr respectively; because the hydraulic gradient is high and then keeps declining with time until it becomes fairly steady after the soils become saturated, which is termed as basic infiltration rate.This is also emphasized by Horton (1940) where he asserts that infiltration becomes constan t with time as the soil column reaches fully saturated conditions which occurred at 40th and 49th minute time intervals in Banana and Maize Land use Systems as seen in appendix 1. Rubin and Steinhardt (1963) also showed that the final infiltration rate reached under these conditions is equal to the vertical hydraulic conductivity of a saturated soil. 8 The steady state in Maize was attained earlier than in banana land use corresponding to 204mm/hr and 450mm/hr respectively.This can be associated to soil disturbances during ploughing and land preparation season after season for annual crops like maize compared to banana field (Perennial) which have less soil disturbances. The scenario under maize land use may lead to soil compaction as a result of continuous cultivation. This is emphasized by Pitt et al. , 2002 and 2008; Pitt et al. , (1999b) who found substantial reductions in infiltration rates due to soil compaction. The implication is that beyond the steady point (saturation poin t), if more water is applied to the soil, it results into surface water runoff.Infiltration depends upon physical and hydraulic properties of the soil moisture content, previous wetting history, structural changes in the layers and air entrapment. The basic infiltration rate of maize land use is lower than that of Banana land use system as seen in Appendix 1; this can be associated to a number of factors although not conclusive for the attained results; 1. The Initial moisture content; the study was carried out in a rainy season, therefore for saturated soils, the infiltration falls to the aturated hydraulic conductivity almost instantaneously. 2. Considering the type of land use in each of the sites; Soils under Perennials (Banana Land use) are subjected to less interferences in terms of land preparations compared to land under annuals (Maize Land use) which correlates with the obtained results of 450mm/hr and 204mm/hr respectively 3. The surrounding of the site; the Maize field is on a lower elevation and near a trench which collects water, therefore it’s possible that the soils could easily reach saturation 9 Infiltration rate mm/hr 000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Infiltration rate,mm/hr infiltration rate mm/hr Time(minutes) Figure 1: Infiltration Curve of Banana field Cummulative infiltration cummulative infiltration,mm 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Cummulative infiltration Time,hrs Figure 2: Cumulative Infiltration of Banana Field In Banana land use, Infiltration was recorded at time intervals of 1, 5 and 10 minutes and in Maize land use it was at 3, 6 and 10 minutes time intervals (Appendix 1) 10Infiltration rate/hr 800 Infiltration rate mm/hr 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Infiltration rate/hr Time,hrs Figure 3: Infiltration curve of Maize Field Cummulative infiltration Cummulative infiltration,mm 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cummu lative infiltration Time,hrs Figure 4: Cumulative infiltration of Maize Field 11 Table 2 below compares the infiltration rates of two sites, classified according to the texture of the soil profiles in Banana and Maize land use systems.In each set of measurements, the infiltration rate of the Banana field belonging to the sandy clay loam was much higher than Maize field belonging to clay loam because of the variation in the physical properties of the two textural classes. In the banana field, basic infiltration rate was attained at 450mm/hr which is higher than that of maize field, 204mm/hr and this explains the relationship between soil texture, structure and infiltration which was obtained in our results where the Banana field with sandy clay loams having larger pores allowed in more water to infiltrate compared to clay loam with relatively smaller pores.From our results, The banana field reached saturation earlier (40th minute) than the Maize field (49th minute) which deviates fro m the assumption that the field at lower elevation reaches saturation earlier than the other on the higher elevation, and this case the maize field was on a lower elevation. As it is not possible to vary soil texture independently of other characteristics it is not inferred that the infiltration rates are caused by texture.Table 2 Summary of the soil texture report from the test sites Sample Percentage % Sand Banana Field Maize Field 50 40 Silt 26 26 Clay 24 34 Sand clay loam Clay loam Textural Class 12 4. 0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Generally from the findings, the two sites registered high basic infiltration rates with banana and maize land use having 405mm/hr and 204mm/hr respectively. The two sites as well reached saturation easily because of the amount of water that was held within the soil because of the rainy season.Several factors influenced the test; measuring rapidly changing water levels was difficult especially for one minute time intervals and therefore subject to i naccuracy and the local site features, challenges in elevation and the soils being too soft which kept altering the position of the ruler and varying the depth thus may have affected individual test results. Therefore the study required more data collection and time to be able to sample many sites at different time intervals. For this study, tests were conducted during a rainy period in December, 2012, where the water table was expected to be above most soil layers.However, Infiltration is a key parameter in Watershed management therefore Properly designed and constructed infiltration facilities can be one of the most effective flow control (and water quality treatment) , and should be encouraged where conditions are appropriate (Ecology, 2005). Additionally infiltration separates water into two major components surface runoff and subsurface recharge, therefore assessment and Evaluation of runoff risk has assumed an increased importance because of concerns about associated pollution hazards in which pollutants are likely to be transferred from soil to rivers and lakes.The speed of irrigation of fields is based on infiltration tests and data; in surface irrigation, infiltration changes dramatically throughout the irrigation season. The water movements alter the surface structure and geometry which in turn affect infiltration rates; therefore accurate determination of infiltration rates is essential for reliable prediction of surface runoff. As environmental impact assessments are concerned with long-term effects, it is essential that the 13 infiltration data on which they are based should be reasonably stable. For planning purposes it is essential to know the stability of infiltration data. 4 5. 0 REFERENCES American Society for Testing and Materials, 1994, Standard test method for infiltration rate of soils in field using double-ring infiltrometer: ASTM Publication D-3385-94, 7 p. Bouyoucos, G. J. 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analy sis of soils. Agron. J. 54:464-465. Ecology (2005) Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington; Olympia, WA. Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program. Publication Numbers 05-10-029 through 05-10-033. http://www. ecy. wa. gov/pubs/0510029. pdf Gregory, J. H. , Dukes, M. D. , Miller, G. L. , and Jones P.H. (2005) Analysis of double-ring infiltration techniques and development of a simple automatic water delivery system. Applied Turfgrass Science. Haghighi. F. , & Gorjiz, M. & Shorafa M. (2010). Effects of Land Use Change on Important Soil Properties. Land Degrad. Develop. 21, 496–502. Horton, R. E. , 1940, An approach towards a physical interpretation of infiltration capacity: Soils Science Society of America Proceedings, v. 5, p. 399-417. Osuji, G. E,Okon M. A; Chukwuma and Nwaire (2010): Infiltration characteristics of soils under selected landuse practices in Oweri, Southern Nigeria.World journal of Agricultural Sciences 6(3): 322 – 326 Pit t, R. ; J. Lantrip; R. Harrison; C. Henry, and D. Hue (1999b) Infiltration through Disturbed Urban Soils and Compost-Amended Soil Effects on Runoff Quality and Quantity; EPA 600-R-00-016. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. National Risk Management Research Laboratory. Office of Research and Development. Cincinnati, OH: 231 pp. Pitt, R; Chen, S. -E; Clark, S. E (2002) Compacted Urban Soils Effects on Infiltration and Bioretention Stormwater Control Designs; Proc. , 9th Int. Conf. on Urban Drainage (9ICUD).Portland, Oregon. Pitt, R; Chen, S-E; Clark, S; Swenson, J. , and Ong, C. K (2008) Compaction’s Impacts on Urban Storm-Water Infiltration; J. Irrig. and Drain. Engrg. , 134(5), 652-658. Rubin, J. , and Steinhardt, R. , 1963, Soils water relations during rain infiltration; Part I–Theory: Soils Science Society of America Proceedings, v. 27, p. 246-251 Saxton, K. E. , W. L. Rawls, J. S. Rosenberger and R. I Papendick, 1986. Estimating generalized soil water characteri stics from texture. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. , 50: 1031-1036 15 Schwartz, R. C. , Unger, P. W. Evett S. R. , 2000. â€Å"Land use effects on soil hydraulicproperties. † Suresh, D. (2008). Land and Water Management Principles: New Delhi, Shansi Publishers Taylor, M. , M. Mulholland and D. Thornburrow,2009. Infiltration Characteristics of Soils Under forestry and Agriculture in the Upper Waikato Catchment. Report: TR/18 http:// www. ew. govt. nz/publications/ Technical-Reports/ TR-200918/ Zhou, X. , Lin, H. S. , White, E. A. , 2008. â€Å"Surface soil hydraulic properties in four soil series under different land uses and their temporal changes. † Catena. 73, 180-188. 16APPENDIX Appendix 1: Data sheet for Infiltration for Banana and Maize Fields Banana Field Time Reading clock on difference, Cumulative min time, min Infiltration Water Level, Infiltration, Infiltratio rate cm cm n, mm mm/min Infiltration rate mm/hr Cumulative infiltration, mm 12:32 12:33 12:34 12:35 12:36 1 2:37 12:42 12:47 12:52 12:57 13:02 13:07 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 10 1 2 3 4 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 12. 0 13. 5 13. 8 14. 0 14. 3 9. 4 12. 8 11. 0 12. 0 12. 7 9. 8 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 17. 0 17. 3 17. 3 17. 5 3. 0 1. 5 1. 2 1. 0 0. 7 5. 6 2. 2 4. 0 5. 0 4. 6 7. 5 17 30 15 12 10 7 56 22 40 50 46 75

Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Article Example His sentiments do not support a patriarchal system since he recognizes that God the creator created all men as equal. He supports a free Government that the people decide to elect. That is, if the people select women leaders, so be it the will of the people. Jefferson uses the parallel structure when outlining the grievances that they have against the British Government. To achieve this, there is a consistent use of the words ‘He has’. By so doing, he emphasizes on the importance of each grievance listed. The accusations on the frustration of the state governance and accent of laws are serious. However, the accusations of the British government starting a war against the American people can cause serious revolution. ‘A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This sentence comes, toward the end of the declaration, to summarize the accusations to the king and provide an opportunity to denounce his

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Evaluation of Theoretic Structure of Research Paper Term

Evaluation of Theoretic Structure of Research - Term Paper Example sideration of outcomes of the experiment conducted, the authors concluded that conducted imaginary interventions contributed significantly to the reduction of patients’ depression, anxiety, and stress, and improved their comfort. To confirm the statement it is enough to consider the quantity of psychiatric inpatients all over the world: according to the report ‘Mental Health Policy and Practice across Europe: The future direction of mental health care’, approximately 450 million of population undergoes various types of mental disorders at any point of time (Knapp, McDaid, Mossialos, and Thornicroft, 2007). It is not a rare situation when people with mood disorders need to repeat their treatment for several times and although hospitalization provides them with some kind of refuge, it also implies certain limitations on patients’ freedom. Moreover, hospitalization could also cause extra discomfort in addition to that, which is invoked by the illness itself. Taking into account that GI interventions might ease patients’ depression, anxiety and stress factors and improve their health, the method influences essentially on the whole success of mental disorders treatment (Shapiro, 2003). Implementation of nursing should be grounded on relevant theories and is aimed to provide psychiatric inpatients with the highest possible level of comfort in order to help them to be full-fledged members of society. Regarding the fact that Comfort Theory application relieves patients reduce their depression, anxiety, and stress and increase their comfort, the method is an important element of nursing process. The main purpose of the paper is to examine the effects of GI interventions recorded on compact discs (CDs) on psychiatric patients’ mental health and test the Null hypothesis, which states that people with mood disorders, who receive GI interventions, would perceive higher comfort level and lower stress and nervousness. Relief is defined as a state when certain

Monday, August 12, 2019

Give your own,, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Give your own,, - Essay Example For this purpose the steps will be as follows; Step-1: Some of the erstwhile support staff will accompany Bridget to her new home and if possible try spending couple of hours or a day together with her in her new home. This will not only make her comfortable in the new environment, but will also assure her about the availability of easy help when she requires it in future. Step-2: While revisiting Bridget on the third day, an effort would be made to take note of her experience in the new surroundings, some of the problems that she faced or what made her happy in the new environment. It is worthwhile here to mention that these elaborations must be elicited from her in an informal manner, without letting her be conscious about the feedback. The support plan in this case must take into account the history of Bridget, her preferences etc. Bridget has suffered quite a lot in the past and she has many more years ahead for her. Therefore, the support plan must take a long term perspective of the issues with her. While reservations have been expressed about her coming to terms with the alcoholic abuse problem, the fact that she is being allowed to move back to her flat is an indication enough of her becoming a reformed citizen. Key aspects for her support plan are; Often people make use of alcoholic to get rid of tension, isolation and depressing tendencies. A schedule of activities like routine exercises, visit to market, phone call to the social worker, visit to the hostel etc. must be planned out for Bridget. This will keep her busy enough to take recourse to liquor. Purpose of such a schedule is to make sure that Bridget doesn’t come across circumstances like mood swings, involving periods of excessive euphoria or bouts of intense depression. Efforts must also be planned out to locate the whereabouts of her two kids, so that she gets to lead a normal life in times to come.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Discuss the effects that the institution of slavery had on Atlantic Essay

Discuss the effects that the institution of slavery had on Atlantic Civilization - Essay Example The Europeans and American colonies were interested in Atlantic slavery because the location was easily accessible and secondly it was cheaper to get slaves. In order to prove the thesis of this paper that slave trade had great impacts on Atlantic, let’s zoom into what happened. The ancient Egyptian society is well much known for its unique pyramids. The construction of pyramids was done by slaves who worked for long hours under inhumane conditions. Young people especially from the Hebrew community were the ones who were building the pyramids. With the capital punishment of death, they would opt to endure the hardship as the best options. This can be attributed to the reign and era of Pharaoh. These slaves had no right to anything as they were constantly subjected to servitude. Therefore, the results of slavery led to construction of pyramids (Carney, Judith, and Richard, 21). There was also acquisitions, by African, of European good and commodities, in exchange of human cargo. This is to say that European slave trade terms and conditions demanded that, in exchange for their goods, like guns, cooking utensils, attire and alcoholic drinks, they required slaves rather that gold. As a result of this, merchants, who traded for Europeans, were encouraged to get slaves so that they can exchange with European commodities. Consequently, this desire to acquire European commodities led to slow economic growth in internal trade. This is because, demand for internal commodities went down. On the other hand, the acquisition of guns in both the Central and West Africa enabled establishment of military and political tribes in Africa (Green, 3). Besides trading human for European commodities, some European slave traders exchanged slaves for gold. As a result, there was accumulation of wealth within the European slave trade chatter. With availability of wealth, slave merc hants were not only able to facilitate industrial revolutions and capitalist production, but they

Saturday, August 10, 2019

IT management Practices in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT management Practices in Organisations - Essay Example The underdeveloped system saps the managers’ ability to make informed decisions while planning for the IT, and the plans most turn out to be impracticable. â€Å"Deficiency in executing the plan formulated has led to a disjoint mode of implementation of technology† (Misra, 2006, p. 49). The system and organizational culture in SMEs is in the nascent stage and is not strong enough to address the loopholes in the organization and integration of IT in the work setup. Organizations take time to develop. In the start, one individual may represent one whole department because of human resource constraints imposed to minimize the expenditures and make the business profitable. Strategies entrepreneurs commonly adopt to limit the expenditure include but are not limited to increased manual work to save the expenditure of purchasing machines, overloading of work on the employees, more working hours, and reduced benefits for the organizational personnel. SMEs that do invest in mach ines do not have an efficient repair and maintenance system in place to ensure that the machines are fully functional all the time. A small dysfunction may take days to be fixed, which not only distorts the process of communication and drawing of information using technology, but also serves as a disincentive for the organizational personnel to rely on the use of technology to accomplish their daily tasks. As a result, there occurs a shift from machine work to the manual work, that in effect lowers the efficiency of the system as well as increases the work-load upon the employees further. Like all employees down the line, leaders are no less affected by the lack of planning and organization. Although leaders are primarily responsible for decision making as well as the planning and organization of IT, yet they are not able to achieve their optimal potential in leadership because of the resource constraints imposed by the owners of SMEs. Involvement of the CEO and the external IT expe rtise has a major influence on the success of IT management in SMEs (Thong et al., 1997). Unfortunately, most of the entrepreneurs/owners of SMEs are just rich enough to establish a new firm, and may not necessarily be qualified enough to lead the companies themselves. Like all other areas of IT management, controlling of IT is no less complicated in SMEs because of the aforementioned reasons. However, it is not appropriate to conclude that IT management in SMEs is absolutely inexistent. Although management of IT in SMEs is not comparable to that in large enterprises, yet various studies have concluded that there has occurred immense improvement in management of human resources as well as IT over the years (Suraweera, Cragg, & Mills, 2010, p. 1). Q. 2: Answer Before identifying the important practices in each of the four areas of IT management, it is customary to briefly discuss the concept of IT management as it helps in understanding the role of different departments in addition t o the IT department in the IT management. IT management is a very broad topic that covers activities that include but are not limited to the management of IT resource as a weapon of attaining competitive advantage, management of the resources of IT like the technical infrastructure and the organizational personnel, and establishment and accurate functioning of the information systems (Luftman, 2004). In the