Saturday, August 31, 2019
A Synopsis of the Movie: The Social Network
The document is a movie. It is a comedy drama produced by David Fincher. The title is The Social Network. This film was produced on 2010 and last 2 hours. By the title, we may assume that this movie talks about Network in our generation. Indeed, this film relates about the creation of Facebook which is the most famous social network. Facebook allows all people to have their own account to publish their information. So this document shows the improvement of new technologies. The main character is Mark Zuckerberg. He is a student at the University of Havard and he is also the one who invent the system of Facebook. Im my opinion, I think the character of Mark Zuckerberg in the movie looks like him. By this film, we may assume that Mark is geek since he spends a lot of time with his computer. Nevertheless ,it is difficult to say that he is a geek, even though he is always with his computer during the film. Because he would like to be a brilliant computer scientist. During the film, the scene take place the most of the time at the University of Havard. Indeed, Havard is an private American university situated at Cambridge in Massachusetts. Mark who is a student at this university, was accused to break with volunteers the security, the right of the reproduction and the respect of the private life. In reality, after his breaking with his girlfriend, he decides to create a blog which allows the student in his university to vote the most beautiful girl. Then this system has had a big success and becomes the most well-known social network from all around the world : Facebook. Actually the director criticizes the geek who spend their time with the social network in order to learn about the private life of someone else. So, it's an illegal act. Thus Facebook symbolizes the influence of the media in our society. It makes me ask myself if I should or shouldn't involve in the social network. And I also wonder how strong the impact of new technologies. Can new technologies break our private life. I'm very sorry that I send you this email so late because I had some problem with Internet in country. Indeed, I can access to the Inthernet only at night that's why I can send only now. I hope that you don't mind with this issu. Thank advance.
Leadership plan
The Leadership Plan Project has caused me to carefully access my Leadership. I have observed my areas of weakness and strength in detail. In whatever we are doing whether it is leading a ministry or business the concept of servant leadership works best. It is not a strategy but a type of heart that Christ has formed in believers. Servant Leadership Constructs Agape Love: ââ¬Å"This love leads to serve the best interest of others, Illuminating the corporate culture, and freeing the leader from self-doubt, self-criticism and self-imposed limitations (Patterson p. 2003). In terms of committing my time to those under my Influence I have done well, however I would say that sometimes I have an element of self -doubt, self-criticism, self-imposed limitation. I am learning that the more you focus on others the less time you have beating up yourself. Any time I attend to the needs of others; I am free in my mind and can believe God for anything. Humility: ââ¬Å"Servant Leaders are not arrog ant, they see things from another's perspective and show appreciation and respect for leadership within the organization.The servant leader Is not Interested In their mage or in being exalted, they are more concerned about being accountableâ⬠(Patterson p. 6, 2003). In ministry it was a process learning how to be accountable. As a young adult minister we had meetings where team members would state corrections I needed to make. Through this process I discovered that leader should be the most humble on the team. Humility also gives you peace with yourself. Altruism: Altruism Is strong concern for the welfare of others. As an employee I have been on the receiving side where companies only concern is getting the work done.Very little concerned was shown to employees. However this experience taught me how to behave when I become a business owner. As a manager I must first care about the wellbeing of my employees before I approach the situation of getting the work done. Vision: Patte rson (2003) states that the servant leaders focus on the future state of the individual members of the organization. I am a strong visionary, I always Like to see where we plan on going before we take a step and move. I love seeing the big picture. There were times where I would share my Sino with my team members and it seemed that they were not entertaining of the vision.Followers usually want to know where they fit in the vision. Are they being uplifted in the vision? Those are self-reflecting questions I had to ask myself. Trust: This construct under the servant leadership concept is somewhat heartfelt to me. To know that Christ trusted me with his Son even when I felt I was Incapable of doing well has given me a deeper meaning of the word trust. I use to think that If I trust this person how I will be sure they wont fail. I have come to the complete revelation that o one is immune to failing. The human race is an imperfect race so why should I expect perfection.Empowerment: is e ntrusting power to others; actually it is giving it away' (Patterson, p. 8, 2003). I believe that this is the art of uplift others, making them see their significance. I once heard a statement saying: ââ¬Å"followers are your assetsâ⬠. I have taken It further to see followers as leaders under your care. Service: short staffed or someone needs help, the manager would put on her scrubs and get right to work. My pastor always makes a statement that there are no supervisors in he God's kingdom but only servants. That is the type of leader I aspire to be.I basically see it as what I expect from my leaders I should first expect from myself. Motivation Gifts Test and LIP Assessment Based on the responses you provided, we have computed the following scores for you (on a scale to 100 percent): The Perceiver: 40 % The server: The Teacher: The Encourager: 60 % The Giver: The Ruler: 75% Showing Mercy: 52% How the tests relate to me as a Leader The results about my motivational gifts confi rmed to me what I have been learning about myself. According to the results I possessed a gift strong in the area off ruler.I did not want to accept this because I saw this gift as road to arrogance. When I read the description I realized that a ruler is servant gift like all the others. The ruler is a visionary, organizer, administrator, and a gift that moves everyone towards the same goal. All of these describe the way I see situations. I was not pleased to see that I score fair on the serving gift. My plan is to develop myself in that area. The same feeling go for the mercy gift. The LIP explained a lot, on an average I score well. My interest is in my ability to develop cooperate relationships in the organization.As I make steps to start my own business I notice that the line between working and relationships is very thin. I scored an average 7 on this aspect. It is interesting because the servant leader constructs are pathways to healthy relationships in the work place. Strengt h I see my strength as being able to see the end point of projects and goals, my ability to commit to others and see the big picture. When I believe in a cause, I put all my energy and time into that purpose. I have openness to new things and thirst for adventure. Weakness I would not consider myself not to strong in the area of writing.It is sometimes difficult for me to adaptation to transitions that happened spontaneously. I also tend to over analyze situations people and circumstances. A man of God once told me that if you are moved by individuals' criticism you also be moved by their praise. Be dead to both! Balancing Work and Family 1 Timothy 5:8- ââ¬Å"But if any one does not provide for his own and his household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbelieverâ⬠. In the area of work and family, the scripture teaches us that the wellbeing of your family is a picture of Christianity.Also 1 Timothy 3:5 states ââ¬Å"If a man cannot manage his household how can he t ake care of the family of Godâ⬠This means that family comes first. Even though I am minister, I am no less a son, a brother, a friend. According to scripture my work should not interfere to the point of losing my family. My Role in the Global Society I see my role in the society as a light shining in the darkness. My role is to use to provide a source of income to families. My role in the global community is to express Christ principals in the area of administration.My role is also to encourage others and help them see who God created them to be and be free from all self- imposed limitation. Personal Action Steps within the Scope of God's plan. Jeremiah 29:11 ââ¬Å"For I know the thoughts and plans I have towards you, they are thoughts/plans of good and not of evil; to give hope and an expected destinationâ⬠1 . All plans come from God and I believe God places his plan in our heart in the form of ideas. My first step is to identify with the ideas I have in my mind. 2. Wr ite the ideas/ plans on paper. It is important for record keeping.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Hartwell Genetics Ch. 13 Study Guide
Chapter 13ââ¬âChromosomal Rearrangements and Changes in Chromosome Number Reshape Eukaryote Genomes Fill in the Blank |1. |Events that reshape genomes by reorganizing the DNA sequences within one or more chromosomes are known as ____________________. | |Ans: |rearrangements | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |2. |____________________, duplications, inversions, translocations, and movements of transposable elements are all types of | | |rearrangements of chromosomal material. |Ans: |Deletions | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |3. |Very large deletions are visible at the relatively low resolution of a __________________, showing up as the loss of one or more| | |bands from a chromosome. | |Ans: |karyotype | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |4. |Changes in gene ____________________, the number of times a given gene is present in the cell nucleus, can create a genetic | | |imbalance. |Ans: |dosage | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |5. |An unpaired bulge of one member of a homologous pair of chromosomes durin g prophase of meiosis I is known as a | | |____________________. | |Ans: |deletion loop | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | 6. |A recessive mutation in the mouse that prevents homozygous animals from walking in a straight line is known as the | | |____________________ gene. | |Ans: |shaker-1 | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |7. |When repeats of a region lie adjacent to each other they are called ____________________ duplications. |Ans: |tandem | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |8. |Inversions that include the centromere are termed ____________________. | |Ans: |pericentric | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | 9. |Inversions that exclude the centromere are termed ____________________. | |Ans: |paracentric | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |10. |A crossover product that lacks a centromere is known as a(n) ____________________fragment. | |Ans: acentric | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |11. |The type of large-scale mutation in which parts of two different chromosomes trade places is a ____________________ | | |transloc ation. | |Ans: |reciprocal | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |12. |____________________ is the enzyme that catalyzes transposition. |Ans: |Transposase | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |13. |Organisms with four copies of a particular chromosome (2n+2) are ________________. | |Ans: |tetrasomic | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |14. |Down syndrome is also known as ____________________. |Ans: |trisomy 21 | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |15. |If a tetraploid derives all of its chromosome sets from the same species, we call this kind of polyploid a(n) | | |____________________. | |Ans: |autopolyploid | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | Multiple Choice |16. |Which of the following are considered chromosomal rearrangements? |A) |inversions | |B) |duplications | |C) |deletions | |D) |translocations | |E) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à E | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |17. |Which of the following removes material from the genome? |A) |inversions | |B) |duplications | |C) |deletions | |D) |translocations | |E) |n one of the above | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |18. |Which of the following adds material to the genome? |A) |inversions | |B) |duplications | |C) |deletions | |D) |translocations | |E) |none of the above | | |Ans:à à B | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |19. The type of chromosomal rearrangement which reorganizes the DNA sequence within one chromosome is known as a(n): | |A) |inversion | |B) |duplication | |C) |deletion | |D) |translocation | |E) |none of the above | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |20. |In general, which of the following usually has a greater chance of lethality than the others? |A) |inversion | |B) |duplication | |C) |deletion | |D) |translocation | |E) |all have an equal chance | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |21. |Sometimes a piece of one chromosome attaches to another chromosome.This is known as a(n): | |A) |inversion | |B) |duplication | |C) |deletion | |D) |translocation | |E) |none of the above | | |Ans: à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |22. |Sometimes a part of the genome moves from chromosome to chromosome.This is known generally as a(n): | |A) |inversion | |B) |duplication | |C) |deletion | |D) |translocation | |E) |transposable element | | |Ans:à à E | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |23. |Rearrangements and changes in chromosome number may affect gene activity or gene transmission by altering the | | |________________________ of certain genes in a cell. |A) |position | |B) |order | |C) |number | |D) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |24. |Karyotypes generally remain constant within a species because: | |A) |rearrangements occur frequently. | |B) |changes in chromosome number occur infrequently. | |C) |genetic instabilities produced by genomic changes usually are at a selective disadvantage. | |D) |genetic imbalances are often at a selective advantage. | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |25. |Despite selection against chromoso mal variations: | |A) |related species almost always have the same karyotype. | |B) |related species almost always have a different karyotype. | |C) |closely related species diverge by many chromosomal rearrangements. | |D) |distantly related species diverge by only a few chromosomal rearrangements. | | |Ans:à à B | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |26. In higher organisms, using genetic analysis is usually difficult to distinguish small deletions in one gene from: | |A) |heterozygotes. | |B) |small duplications. | |C) |monosomies. | |D) |point mutations. | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |27. |For an organism to survive a deletion of more than a few genes, it must carry a nondeleted homolog of the deleted chromosome. | | |This is known as: | |A) |a deletion heterozygote. | |B) |a deletion homozygote. | |C) |dosage compensation. | |D) |a triplolethal chromosome. | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |28. |Individuals born heterozygotes for certain deletions have a greatly increased risk of losing both copies of certain genes and | | |developing cancer. One such disease is: | |A) |triplolethal. | |B) |scarlet eyes. | |C) |retinoblastoma. | |D) |cataracts. | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |29. |During the pairing of homologs in prophase of meiosis I, the region of a normal, nondeleted chromosome that has nothing with | | |which to recombine forms a so-called: | |A) |inversion loop. | |B) |deletion heterozygote. | |C) |crossover suppressor. | |D) |deletion loop. | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |30. Using Drosophila polytene chromosomes and small deletions, geneticists have been able to: | |A) |map the shaker-1 gene in Drosophila. | |B) |assign genes to regions of one or two polytene chromosome bands. | |C) |assign genes to regions of 100kb or less of DNA. | |D) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |31. |Which of the following molecular techniques could a scientist use to help locate gene s on cloned fragments of DNA with deletion | | |mutants? |A) | In situ hybridization | |B) |Crossover analysis | |C) |Southern blot analysis | |D) |all of the above | |E) |both a and c | | |Ans:à à E | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |32. |Duplications arise by: | |A) |chromosomal breakage and faulty repair. | |B) |unequal crossing over. | |C) |errors in replication. |D) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |33. |During the pairing of homologs in prophase of meiosis I, the region of a chromosome bearing extra copies of a particular | | |chromosomal region that has nothing with which to recombine forms a so-called: | |A) |inversion loop. | |B) |deletion heterozygote. | |C) |duplication loop. | |D) |deletion loop. | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |34. An inversion may result from: | |A) |a half-circle rotation of a chromosomal region following two double-strand breaks in a chromosome's DNA. | |B) |the action of a transposable element. | | C) |a crossover between DNA sequences present in two positions on the same chromosome in inverted orientation. | |D) |all of the above | |E) |none of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |35. Inversions may be hard to detect because they: | |A) |never visibly change chromosome banding patterns. | |B) |increase recombination in heterozygotes. | |C) |do not usually cause an abnormal phenotype. | |D) |normally are removed immediately in natural populations. | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |36. |Which of the following does not happen when an intragenic inversion occurs? |A) |One part of the gene is relocated to a distant region of the chromosome. | |B) |One part of the gene stays at its original site. | |C) |Homozygotes for the inversion do not survive. | |D) |The gene's function is not disrupted. | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |37. |When a crossover occurs within the inversion loop of a pericentric inversion each recombinant chromat id will have: | |A) |a single centromere. | |B) |a duplication of one region. | |C) |a deletion different from the one of duplication. |D) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |38. |Robertsonian translocations result from which of the following? | |A) |Breaks at or near the centromeres of two acrocentric chromosomes followed by the reciprocal exchange of broken parts. | |B) |A part of one chromosome becomes attached to a non-homologous chromosome. | |C) |Unequal crossing over during meiosis. | |D) |The fusion of two small chromosomes end-to-end such that a double centromere occurs. | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |39. |Which of the following does not usually show a problem during meiosis? |A) |translocation heterozygotes | |B) |translocation homozygotes | |C) |paracentric inversion | |D) |pericentric inversion | | |Ans:à à B | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |40. |Of the following segregation patterns, which one is most likely to result in a normal zygote? |A) |alternate | |B) |adjacent-1 | |C) |adjacent-2 | |D) |nondisjunction | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |41. |The condition of semisterility is most closely associated with: | |A) |chromosomal duplications. | |B) |pericentric inversions. | |C) |translocation heterozygotes. | |D) |translocation homozygotes. | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |42. |Translocations can help: | |A) |determine linkage groups. | |B) |aid in the diagnosis and treatment of certain cancers. | |C) |map important genes. | |D) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |43. Down Syndrome can result from: | |A) |three copies of chromosome 21. | |B) |a translocation of a part of chromosome 21. | |C) |a reciprocal translocation between any two autosomes. | |D) |a and b | |E) |a, b, and c | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |44. |Which of the following do translocations and inversions not have in common? |A) |don't alter the amount of DNA in the genome | |B) |ability to alter gene function | |C) |use of inversion loops during crossing over | |D) |catalysts of speciation | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |45. |A transposition is considered a cytologically invisible sequence rearrangement. With which of the following does it share this | | |property? |A) |small deletion | |B) |large duplication | |C) |inversion | |D) |translocation | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |46. |Barbara McClintock is most closely associated with which of the following? | |A) |The initial discovery of genetic transposition. | |B) |The discovery of transposable elements in corn. | |C) |The mutation rate in translocation heterozygotes. | |D) |The demonstration of the presence of transposable elements in polytene chromosomes. | | |Ans:à à B | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |47. |Transposable elements have many things in common.Which of the following is not a usual characteristic of them? | |A) |Typically small er than 50 bp. | |B) |May be present in a genome from one to thousands of times. | |C) |Are found only in a select group of organisms. | |D) |Need not be sequences that do something for the organism. | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |48. |Retroposons and retro-viruses have structural parallels. Which of the following also shares structural parallels with them? |A) |tRNA | |B) |DS-DNA | |C) |rRNA | |D) |mRNA | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |49. |Which of the following is a possible effect that a transposable element may have on a gene? | |A) |Shift the reading frame. | |B) |Diminish the efficiency of splicing. | |C) |Provide a transcription stop signal. | |D) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |50. Which of the following is not an aneuploidy? | |A) |monosomy | |B) |tetraploid | |C) |trisomy | |D) |tetrasomy | | |Ans:à à B | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |51. |The most common human aneuploidy is trisomy 21, Down syndrome .All of the effects listed below may be seen in this syndrome | | |except: | |A) |death always by age 25. | |B) |mental retardation. | |C) |skeletal abnormalities. | |D) |heart defects. | |E) |increased susceptibility to infection. | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |52. |Which of the following sex chromosome aneuploidies is not usually seen in live births? | |A) |XO |B) |XXY | |C) |YO | |D) |XXX | |E) |None of the above | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |53. |Turner syndrome, XO, is a sex chromosome aneuploidy. Of the effects listed below, which one is not usually seen in this | | |syndrome? |A) |unusually short stature | |B) |infertility | |C) |skeletal abnormalities | |D) |unusually long limbs | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |54. |In Drosophila, a gynandromorph, which is composed of equal parts male and female tissue, results from: | |A) |an XX female losing one X chromosome during the first mitotic division after fertilization. | |B ) |an egg carrying an X chromosome fertilized by a Y-carrying sperm. | |C) |a normal egg fertilized by both an X-carrying sperm and a Y-carrying sperm. | |D) |the fusion of a female embryo with a male embryo. | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |55. |Which of the following is not an example of a euploid condition? | |A) |triploidy | |B) |diploidy | |C) |Down syndrome | |D) |tetraploidy | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |56. Triploid organisms usually result from: | |A) |the union of haploid and diploid gametes. | |B) |unequal disjunction during embryogenesis. | |C) |propagation of fused cell lines. | |D) |fusion of three gametes simultaneously. | | |Ans:à à A | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |57. |During mitosis, if the chromosomes in a diploid tissue fail to separate after replication, the resulting daughter cells will be:| |A) |monoploid. | |B) |tetrasomic. |C) |triploid. | |D) |tetraploid. | | |Ans:à à D | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |58. |Hybrids in whi ch the chromosome sets come from two distinct, though related, species are known as: | |A) |autopolyploids. | |B) |allopolyploids. | |C) |amphiploids. | |D) |bivalents. | | |Ans:à à B | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |59. |The genus Triticale is a new genus of the various allopolyploid hybrids between wheat and rye.Some of the members of this genus| | |show agricultural promise because: | |A) |wheat has a high yield. | |B) |rye adapts well to unfavorable environments. | |C) |wheat has a high level of protein. | |D) |rye has a high level of lysine. | |E) |all of the above | | |Ans:à à E | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |60. |Which of the following rarely, if ever, results in a positive force for evolution? |A) |polyploidy | |B) |allopolyploidy | |C) |trisomy | |D) |amphidiploidy | | |Ans:à à C | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | Matching | |Match the following descriptions with the terms below a. inversion b. duplication c. deletion d. translocation e. transposable element |61. |A pi ece of genetic material that moves from place to place in the genome. | |Ans: |e | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |62. |A change in the genome whereby new material is added to the genome. | |Ans: |b | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |63. |A change in the genetic material where a DNA sequence changes direction. |Ans: |a | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |64. |A decrease of genetic material in the genome. | |Ans: |c | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |65. |A piece of chromosome attaches to another chromosome. | |Ans: |d | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | | | Match the following descriptions with the terms below a. retroposon b. transposon c. transposable element d. transposase |66. |Any DNA segment that moves about in the genome. |Ans: |c | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |67. |Moves in the genome with the aid of an RNA intermediate. | |Ans: |a | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |68. |Moves DNA directly. | |Ans: |b | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |69. |An enzyme that catalyzes a transposition event. | |Ans: |d | | |Difficu lty:à à 1 | True or False |70. |When comparing mouse and human Giemsa-stained karyotypes, we see no conservation of banding patterns. | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |71. |Karyotypes generally remain constant within a species because rearrangements and changes in chromosome number occur | | |infrequently. | | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |72. |Changes in chromosome number include aneuploidy, monoploidy, polyploidy, and duplications. | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |73. |Deletion may arise from errors in replication, from faulty meiotic or mitotic recombination, and from exposure to X-rays. | | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |74. |Homozygosity for a deletion is often, but not always, lethal. | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |75. |Recessive mutations can often be covered by deletions in heterozygotes. | | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |76. |Most duplications have no obvious phenotypic consequences and can be detected only by cytological or molecular means. | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |77. |Duplication of chromosomal segments rarely has an effect on the evolution of genomes. | | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |78. |Crossing-over within an inversion loop produces aberrant recombinant chromatids. | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |79. |Reciprocal translocations are usually phenotypically abnormal because they have neither lost nor gained genetic material. | | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |80. |A hallmark of transposons is that their ends are inverted repeats of each other. | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 3 | |81. |The mouse genome has high synteny with the human genome since about 170 DNA blocks are simply rearranged between the two | | |genomes. | | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |82. |Euploid cells contain only incomplete sets of chromosomes. | | Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |83. |Down syndrome is an example of triploidy. | | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 2 | |84. |Genetic imbalance results from polyploidy. | |Ans:à à False | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | |85. |An acentric fragment is an inversion cross-over product lacking a centromere. | | |Ans:à à True | | |Difficulty:à à 1 | Short Answer |86. |Explain how data from the linkage groups of the mouse can be used as a resource for assessing human linkage groups. |Ans: |Because virtually all genes cloned from the mouse genome are conserved in the human genome and vice versa, it is | | |possible to construct linkage maps for the two genomes from the same set of markers. Comparisons of the mouse and human| | |linkage groups allow one to see a picture somewhere between complete correspondence and unrelatedness. Genes closely | | |linked in the mouse tend to be closely linked in humans, but genes that are less tightly linked in one spe cies tend not| | |to be linked at all in the other. This shows that even though mice and humans diverged about 65 million years ago, the | | |DNA sequences in many regions are very similar. | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |87. |Explain the differences between chromosomal rearrangements and changes in chromosome number. Cite at least one example of each. | |Ans: |Chromosomal rearrangements reorganize the DNA sequences within one or more chromosomes. Changes in chromosome number | | |involve losses or gains of entire chromosomes or sets of chromosomes. (Student may cite as an example of | | |rearrangements: deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation, and transposable elements. For changes in chromosome | | |number student may cite an aneuploidy such as a monosomy or trisomy, monoploidy, or polyploidy. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |88. |Describe how an inversion heterozygote can reduce the number of recombinant progeny. | |Ans: |When inversion heterozygotes have chromosomes pair up duri ng meiosis, an inversion loop is formed to allow the tightest| | |possible alignment of homologous regions. This always produces aberrant recombinant chromatids. Two inversion cases are| | |possible ââ¬â pericentric and paracentric. In a pericentric crossover within the inversion loop each recombinant will | | |carry a duplication of one region and a deletion of another.This abnormal dosage of some genes will result in abnormal| | |gametes and if they fertilize normal gametes, zygotes may die because of genetic imbalance. In a paracentric crossover | | |within the inversion loop the recombinant chromatids will be unbalanced in both gene dosage and centromere number. | | |(Student may then explain how centromere number can result in genetically unbalanced gametes such as what acentric and | | |dicentric chromatids would produce. ) | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |89. Discuss the several effects that translocations and inversions have in common. | |Ans: |Both translocations and inver sions change genomic position without affecting the total amount of DNA. If a breakpoint | | |of either one is within a gene, the gene function may be altered or lost. Both types may produce genetically imbalanced| | |gametes that may negatively affect a zygote or developing embryo. (Student may explain at this point the differences | | |between how the imbalanced gametes are produced. ) Because both reduce viable progeny and heterozygotes, they may play a| | |role in speciation and evolution. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |90. Explain the possible effects that a transposable element may have on a gene. | |Ans: |Insertion of a transposable element near or within a gene can affect gene expression and alter phenotype. For example, | | |a B type hemophilia occurs after insertion of Alu into the gene encoding clotting factor IX. Secondly, the effect of | | |insertion depends on what the element is and where the insertion point is. If insertion is into a protein-coding exon, | | |the readi ng frame may shift or a stop codon may be introduced. Insertion into an intron may lower the efficiency of | | |splicing, which may result in removal from the transcript that could lower production of a normal polypeptide.A stop | | |signal could also affect genes downstream. Upstream insertion into a regulatory gene could affect gene function in | | |various ways also. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |91. |Explain the mechanism by which aneuploidy occurs. | |Ans: |Aneuploidy occurs because of meiotic nondisjunction either in meiosis I or meiosis II. In meiosis I if homologs do not | | |separate all gametes produced will contain an error. Two of the gametes will contain both homologs and two will contain| | |neither.When fertilization of a normal gamete occurs by either of these abnormal gametes, aneuploidy results. Half of | | |the zygotes will be trisomic and half will be monosomic. Meiotic nondisjunction during meiosis II will produce two | | |normal and two abnormal gametes. If fer tilization occurs with either of the abnormal gametes, aneuploid zygotes are | | |produced. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |92. |Discuss why triploid organisms are almost always sterile. | |Ans: |(Student may explain how triploids occur. ) Triploids are almost always sterile because meiosis produces mostly | | |unbalanced gametes.During the first meiotic division in a triploid germ cell, three sets of chromosomes must segregate| | |into two daughter cells. Most likely one daughter will end up with two chromosomes and the other will have only one of | | |any one set of homologs. Some cells will have two of some chromosomes and the normal one of others. Many combinations | | |of incorrect number of chromosomes will occur with very little chance of the normal amount. Most gametes will be | | |aberrant and will have a reduced chance of producing viable offspring. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |93. |Discuss how deletions and duplications may contribute to evolution. |Ans: |General examples of how chromosomal rearrangements might contribute to evolution: | | |Deletions ââ¬â a small deletion that moves a coding sequence of one gene next to a promoter or other regulatory element of| | |an adjacent gene may, rarely, allow expression of a protein at a novel time in development or in a novel tissue. If the| | |new time or place of expression is advantageous to the organism, it might become established in the genome. | | |Duplications ââ¬â a duplication will provide at least two copies of a gene. If one copy maintains the original function, | | |the other could conceivably acquire a new function that would probably be related to the original function.Many | | |examples can be seen in higher plants and animals. (Students may also write about the evolutionary contributions of the| | |other chromosomal rearrangements and might even mention the role of changes in chromosome number. ) | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |94. |Why do inversions act as cross-over suppressors? | |Ans: |Inversions act as cross-over suppressors because only progeny that do not recombine within an inversion loop will | | |survive. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |95. |What is a balancer chromosome? |Ans: |A balancer chromosome is a special chromosome often created by the use of X-rays for the purpose of genetic | | |manipulation; these chromosomes often carry multiple, overlapping inversions that enable researchers to follow them | | |through crosses, and a recessive lethal mutation that prevents the survival of homozygotes. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |96. |What is the difference between alternate and an adjacent-1 segregation or an adjacent-2 segregation pattern? | |Ans: |An alternate segregation pattern results in balanced chromosomes while adjacent 1or 2 patterns yield chromosomes that | | |are unbalanced. | |Difficulty:à à 4 | Experimental Design and Interpretation of Data |97. |We now know that several organisms have a high degree of synteny at the genomic level. You wish to test the hypothesis that the| | |laboratory mouse and human share genomic similarities. What tests would you complete and given that we now know that the mouse | | |and human genomes are highly syntenic, what results would you expect? | |Ans: |Karyotype analysis can be used to test the hypothesis of genomic similarities however, only animals that have high | | |homology will show similar banding patterns.Therefore, FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) would be a more | | |useful technique to determine synteny. The mouse and human genomes are similar in that approximately 170 similar | | |fragments an average length of about 18 Mb are simply rearranged (this is not visible in a karyotype). | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |98. |You are mapping traits in your favorite organism but unbeknownst to you, your laboratory model organism contains a rare | | |deletion. How will your mapping results be affected? |Ans: |The mapping distance will appear smaller than the actual physical distanc e in the wild-type organism. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |99. |You have discovered an altered phenotype and cloned the gene responsible. However, the gene you cloned appears to have an | | |unusual sequence in it. In order to determine the chromosomal location of your new gene, you perform FISH, using only the | | |unusual sequence, on several animals. To your surprise, the FISH results suggest that each animal contains the gene on a | | |different chromosome. How would you interpret your results. |Ans: |The unusual sequence is a transposon and your ââ¬Å"newâ⬠phenotype arose via the disruption of its gene by the transposon. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 | |100. |You are a master gardener and your favorite tomato plant is very sensitive to a pesticide called DEADBUG. You wish to make your| | |special tomato plants resistant to the pesticide which you spray on other bushes in your garden. Using microbial techniques | | |give sufficient and complete details of how you would do this (include ploidy status). | |Ans: |Haploid pollen grains are cold treated and plated on agar plates.The resulting embryoids are treated with hormone in | | |liquid culture and eventually grown as a monoploid plant. The plant is treated with a mutagen to induce mutations that | | |can result in insensitivity to the pesticide. Somatic cells are removed from the treated plant and plated on agar | | |containing DEADBUG. Only cells resistant to DEADBUG will grow. Again the embryoid is hormone treated and grown into a| | |resistant monoploid plant. Treatment with colchicine will allow duplication of chromosomes without separation | | |resulting in a normal diploid plant. | | |Difficulty:à à 4 |
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Multinational Car Manufacturing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Multinational Car Manufacturing - Assignment Example Due to the company started manufacturing motorcycles. One of its models R32 is also known for its speed during 1930's. Though not allowed to produce aircraft the BMW company entered automobile business by taking over Eisenach vehicle factory. Later it went on developing large touring cars and sports cars one of the model 328 sports car which was highly successful. The ending of World War II also witnessed the dismantling the company by the Allied forces. Though the company was dismantled it recouped and started making automobiles, and again came to the marked in 1950's it rose to success after it begun manufacturing sports seadens and turning cars. It was giving a tough competition to mercedez benz in luxury segment. The other two competitors like Toyota and Nissan gave tough competition and sales started steeply falling. Collapse of Berlin wall led B.M.W to outsold Mercedez Benz in Europe for the first time. An establishment in any country whether an industry or a Car manufacturing unit or for that matter any other plant shall give innumerable benefits that may be enjoyed by the countrymen as well as by the Government. There may be employment potentiality for the skilled and unskilled people which being the direct employment. People's standard of living and the lifestyle would grow above for the pleasant environment and the economical growth. The government would also derive financial and economical benefits out of the revenue they get by the way of taxes. Indirectly as a result the subsidiary industries will boom and the production units also would start producing more number of product items. There are still some bottlenecks, which may hamper the very growth as the Iceland country is having less population and because of the prevailing weather climate dipping to Sub 0 level it is just about difficult to live a normal life. So the citizens may prefer to shift to other places with the effect. Hence it may give adverse effects related to absence of the manpower and the productivity may hinder. A company or a manufacturing unit intending to set up its own plant in any country has to look up, analyze and study the respective location then plan to take up the initiative. It has to take into consideration - all the aspects related to starting a unit, develop it and to see it turn into a successful, lucrative unit, in its own terms. When the matter concerns to a car-manufacturing unit there arise two kinds of firms vying for the plant to set up. 1. Domestic Firms 2. Foreign firms. 1. Domestic Firms: Domestic firms have good foothold on the area, climatic conditions, contact ability, without any language barriers, they have access at a much more faster rate than expected. Even then domestic firms also have a sort of impulsive effect on a few problems with regards to setting up of the unit as well as benefits. The firm has to incur a heavy capital at the initial stages like acquisition of land or lease /purchase of land. It has to take steps to tie up with the countries, government and its states. Capital is the most important factor and is to be kept aside apart from other things more than what is actually expected. Man Power, recruitment, talents and skills is where the ultimate spice of the life lies. As the perfect personnel managing all the departments with utmost dedication
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Usability Testing and Implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2
Usability Testing and Implementation - Essay Example e you only need to click home at the bottom of the current page instead of using back arrow on the top left side of the display screen (Barnum, 2010, p. 09). Such kind of pictures is immoral being that the family could find it difficult to discuss the information on the page together. With the intention to display private parts of human beings the web developer hinted that the information on the page best suites adults. However, this is contrary to the information on the page which contains both educative and informative information that would best fit the whole family (Barnum, 2010, p. 17). Considering the number /instances of such vulgar or weirder information that would create a rift between the discussion groups ion family, the number of informative information is above average hence such information that are irrelevant for the page should be removed from the site so that both parents and children could have un- education forum (Jacko, 2009, p. 43). Through the study of the web site (http://www.useit.com/jakob), I realized that most of the information in the site history is vulgar meaning that before a user uploads information they go through the available information to realize the trend so that they follow suit (Jacko, 2009, p. 15). However, the web developer should create some codes to restrict use of vulgar words unless you log in. Another option of solving this through creating user accounts so that private information could information. The good idea with the photo is that by clicking on it you could enlarge it to a wider view unlike the picture in the other two sites which could not be altered at all. Considering the web site (http://www.useit.com/jakob/, users) could be withdrawn from accessing information being that the web page is not designed in a welcoming manner, the font style and color shows unconcern hence users may tend to think that this is an up communing page while it entails a lot of information that would be of importance to
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Constitution and Bill of Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Constitution and Bill of Rights - Essay Example What may be less obvious is that this same system of governance was also put in place so that the people were given the power to rule themselves in a distinctly indirect manner. Representative government based on elected officials have their place in the American system of government both as a rejection of the status quo of the patently unfair system of monarchical rule based on primogeniture and as a rejection of direct involvement of the majority of the citizenry. In essence, Americaââ¬â¢s form of democratic principles carries within it the promise of a rejection of the potential for a mad king such as George III to attain power simply through birthright as well as the admittance that the bulk of the electorate are equally unprepared for the grave responsibilities of directly controlling the business of running the country. In addition, the framers of the Constitution also quite deliberately place obstacles in the path of minority opinion always mandating rule (McKay 52). By creating a system of checks and balances involving endowing the three branches of government with their own specific powers and lack thereof, the government of the United States po ssesses both the advantage of not putting too much power in the hands of a single individual, but it also has the effect of often grinding down the process of instituting change to a near-halt. Article I of the United Constitution provides for the basic design of the legislative branch of the US Government, the Congress. The Constitution clearly delineates in no vague terms that the Congress has the power to spend and tax so as to ââ¬Å"provide for the common defense and general welfareâ⬠of the country. In addition, Article I of the Constitution also endow the Congress the power to born money, regulate commerce with foreign nations and amongst states, as well as the sole power to declare war and support the
Monday, August 26, 2019
Discussion Board 7-1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Discussion Board 7-1 - Research Paper Example Test administrators began by ensuring that test takers who were ostensibly adolescents understood the purpose of the measurements. In addition, test administrators informed the students about their rights throughout the test process. The measurement process used scales, including Morally Debatable Behaviors Scale-Revised (MDBS-R) for rating attitudes, emotions and other behaviors (Cohen, Swerdlik & Sturman, 2013). The psychological measurement session also employed the use of the Likert scale that enabled critical understanding of specific behaviors. The assessment was generally correct and successful bearing that approved individuals later demonstrated the detected characteristics. The psychological measurements conducted in the educational context to determine appropriateness of students to high school disclosed many insights about tools of measurement. One of the insight is that the interview is a very crucial assessment tool that may not miss in a psychometric. Actually, interview forms the basis of every assessment as test administrators have to interview to gather basic and vital information from clients (Cohen, Swerdlik & Sturman, 2013). Another insight is that case history data is an important source of data about test takers considering that it carries true and accurate information. During the assessment of students to join high school, medical reports, recommendation letter by elementary teachers concerning conducts and abilities of the students and academic reports acted as sources of case history data. Further insight is that Likert scale is an efficient means of measurement as it enables test takers to make quick and usually correct ranking of thei r abilities. In future when involved in psychological measurement of clients, one should consider interviewing and case history data as basic assessment tools. For quicker and inclusive assessment, an individual should consider using
Sunday, August 25, 2019
1.Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring Essay
1.Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring transformed market, productive and financial performance - Essay Example However it should also be noted that the excessively managed organization of the company was another reason that can be attributed to this chronic stage which led to the complete restructuring process (Denis and Kruse, 2000; Baek, Kang and Park, 2004; Bae, Kang and Kim, 2002). Given the fact that Caterpillar Inc realized consistent profits over the course of its operation, the internal issues that escalated within the organization itself were overlooked and the company started lagging behind in terms of gathering information regarding he external environment. Following this, Caterpillar Inc became completely out of touch from the market realities. Thereafter when the international economy came under recession, the flawed structure of the company was not able to mitigate the challenges of the external environment and consequently became an attractive target for many of its competitors. The arguments mentioned above will be set forth throughout the essay according to the following stru cture: In the beginning the insinuation of the market maturity for the company (Caterpillar Inc) will be determined through the Product Life Cycle theoretical framework. Thereafter, Michael Porterââ¬â¢s five forces analysis will be done in order to assess the level of competition that the company faces which might provide the researcher with a valuable insight about the forces that compelled the company to go through a complete restructuring phase. Following that an in-depth analysis of the companyââ¬â¢s original structure will be conducted in order to develop an understanding of the internal problems that weakened the companyââ¬â¢s opportunities to prosper. The restructuring process of the company will thereafter be studied in order to understand the impact of the process on the companyââ¬â¢s performance in terms of market, production, finance and efficiency. Finally a generalized conclusion will be provided
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Celebration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Celebration - Essay Example The paper discusses that there are two traditional festivals attributed to the Islamic faith, which includes Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, both of which are observed according to the lunar Islamic months or sighting of the moon. The term Eid simply means festivity, happiness or joy; consequently, both the Eids are considered to be synonymous with happiness. The Muslims in Saudi Arabia begin the 1st day of Shawwal with Fajr prayer, one of the five daily obligatory prayers. The houses are especially cleansed and decorated all over the country to welcome the festival. After it, some sweet dish is taken, which has already been cooked for Eid day by women. The Saudis wear new clothes, which are specially prepared for this day, and start gathering for another prayer, called Eid prayer, which is generally offered in some vast ground, field or spacious mosque (Cartright~Jones, 2001:5). Before offering the prayer, the Saudis pay fit ran or charity to the deserving and needy people, from all family members, which is obligatory for every Muslim. To conclude, it becomes evident that both the Eids contain meaning and message in their nature and scope. Celebrating the festivals reflect the true spirit of the faith that all humans are equal in the eyes of the Creator, and only the pious and sacrificing enjoys superior status according to the noble teachings of the faith. Since Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha serve as the two sole religious-cultural festivals of the country, the Saudis take very active part to celebrate them in an exciting and thrilling manner.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Manufacturing Technologies - Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Manufacturing Technologies - 1 - Assignment Example 382). In the present technologically changing environment, the manufacturers of goods and services need to improve on their current products to survive. Hence demand forecasting is crucial for the companies to make their product satisfy the needs of the consumer. Hence the concept of Product life cycle is very important. It is a tool through which we can analyse the demand within an industry. Through this PLC, it is possible to identify when a product needs to be replaced to make way for another product so that the manufacturer can make decision of introducing another new product replacing the existing one so that the manufacturer can earn profit (Gillies, 1996, p. 127). According to PLC theory a firm in any industry can predict the shift of product from one stage to another and hence will be able to adopt proper marketing-mix polices like when to replace a product with newer improved version to meet the expectations of the consumers. In 2004, the replacement purchases accounted for 55% of the digital camera sales, 63% of cell phones sales and 82% of computer sales. Product Life Cycle A product life cycle shows the sales pattern a product over a period of time. The time span begins with the period of introduction and ends with replacement of the product. Basic Stages in the Product Life Cycle Figure 1: Product Life Cycle Introduction / Development stage. Growth Stage Maturity Stage Decline Stage Here we will concentrate mainly on the Maturity Stage. It is here where the manufacturer has to get rid of old products and come out with strategies to rebrand the old products or manufacture and altogether new products in their portfolio of products. In the Maturity stage the product faces lot of market competitors and hence the profit declines as percentage of the sales (Grieves, 2006, p. 23). Hence companies when facing this has to come up with strategies to preserve their customer base and achieve profitability. Automobile Industry Figure 2: PLC of Car Industry In a utomobile industry the car manufacturers needs to replace their old cars with new cars to meet the demand and needs of the customers. Automobile industry faces extraordinary level of competition, which make the carmakers produce cars with a higher degree of differentiation (Kumar and Krob, 2006, p. 114). This makes the demand more elastic in nature and hence the carmakers are face with making new cars. In the 1970s most of the western car makers were in the saturation stages. Like in USA and Europe there was a demand of high motorization rate i.e. more car per person and hence the car manufactures had to make new products. The consumerââ¬â¢s decision to purchase a new car is based primarily on the search for a better car with more innovative solutions than ever before (Jones and Mathew, 2008, p. 384). Hence to retain the old customers and get new ones, the carmakers must offer new or better products to the customers at any time the customers decide. Car makers know that any delay in the product ââ¬â innovation across the product life cycle will result in potential loss of consumer base. Whenever a car manufacturer comes out with newer car model, large manufacturers have economies of scale so that they can easily make the use of their resources and manufacture the new cars at a much reduced cost. Sometimes re launching of new car is not the only option. Car manufacturers sometimes decide to rebrand their
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Explain the potential of Diaspora groups to contribute to the process Essay
Explain the potential of Diaspora groups to contribute to the process of conflict resolution in at least TWO case studies of you - Essay Example The reasons for leaving home include war, famine and seeking economic benefit. For the last twenty years, various researchers have carried out numerous studies to evaluate the ways in which Diasporas groups may impact both their home societies and host societies, but most of these studies fail to notice the potential of Diaspora groups to contribute to peace-building.2 There is a basis for reinforcing the inclusion of Diasporas groups in foreign policies and business policies to advance trade relations, however, safety for political development is a prevailing issue both in the public and expert circles.3 However, recent research has indicated that Diaspora groups can actively take part in the process of peace building and reconstruction in countries affected by conflict.4 Therefore, it should be noted that Diaspora groups have a greater potential to contribute towards the process of conflict resolution on conflicts affecting their home countries. This paper uses two case studies to analyses the capacity of Diaspora groups to play a role in the process of peace building. The two case studies are the Cyprus Conflict and the Ethiopian Conflict. In the Cyprus Conflict, analysis and evaluation of the role played by the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots Diaspora groups in resolving conflict issues at their homeland has been done, while the role of Ethiopian Diaspora groups based in European countries and in the United States of America, in promoting a peaceful of the political crisis in their home country has been evaluated. This paper also discusses the various ways, through which the Diaspora groups from the aforementioned countries influenced the process of peace building. How Diasporas Contribute to the Process of Conflict Resolution Diasporas can contribute to conflict resolution by lobbying host land governments and international organisations, as well as aiding processes of transition to achieve political cooperation and non-violent resolution of political crises in their home country.5 Diaspora groups can also apply pressure to homeland governments and rebels to enhance non-violence conflict resolution, as well as, domestic development. For instance, Diaspora organisations, through host land governments, pressure war parties in the homeland to refrain from violence6. Instead they urge them to embrace non-violence interaction modes by discovering and drawing attention to their human rights abuses. Diaspora groups also influence the political realm in their home country by challenging their homeland government through support to the government or the opposition.7 This is done by offering funds and other forms of assistance to political parties, civil society organisations and social movements.8 Also, Diaspora groups with the right to vote can participate in the voting process, which can resolve a conflict within their homeland and promote peace building. The power of Diaspora groups to frame homeland conflict in various ways contribute s to peaceful resolution of conflict. For instance, some of the activities of Diaspora groups strengthen some confrontational, homeland leaders and organisations, while other homeland leaders and organisations are undermined. This forces undermined organisations and leaders to seek compromise, and this resolves a conflict peacefully, avoiding violence.9 A prime example is that of the Ethiopian Diaspora
Interactive video behavioral intervention Essay Example for Free
Interactive video behavioral intervention Essay Risk behaviors on youth are issues that the sociologists and psychologists regard as big deals. The youth comprises the major work force of the future yet the trends and the activities they do sometimes put them to the verge of having complications and diseases that are transmitted through having sexual intercourses. Their every day activities may lead them to something that can really matter especially with their health and their spirituality. Modernism and liberalism are issues that are usually faced by the youth today by which values that are regarded to be sacred before are now called passe and often treated as something for the centuries, not for the modern age. One of the issues mentioned are women engaging to pre-marital sex at a young age, and worse cases to multiple partners. Downs, Murray, et. al (2004) formulated a study that dealt with the behavior of females who are likely to commit to sexual activities involving oral and anal sex, together with the sexual intercourse itself. Their study aimed to determine some controlling factors with the behavior of women regarding sex. It provided different ways of informing the women of the possible consequences of having sexual intercourse with the opposite sex. Having a number of reviews of articles, they gathered 300 sexually active females (6 months before the study started) from different places in Pittsburgh are that are still subdivided from hospitals, clinics and a teaching hospital. The authors of the study first surveyed for the participants who are willing to be tested and undergo the study. Parents were also asked if they are willing to let their daughters below 18 years become the participants of the study. According from the article, parents were more than willing to let their daughters be part of the team or the respondents. Questions that asked the motives of having sex were asked during the interview. It will help the evaluators to assess the usual situations before the actual intercourse happens. The study also has its way of letting the participants choose a way that they will be best informed. In this way, they will have an idea of how they are going to control their sexual drives. The modes of the study are: interactive video clip, a book that offers the same content as the video and brochures that offer the same topic. One video clip from www. WhatCouldYouDo. org was shown to them that portrayed a girl and a boy that depended on the concept of ââ¬Å"condomâ⬠love that is often pictured as something satisfying other than the act of abstinence. Their knowledge about STD was also measured trough the 40 questions posted in the study, and they have a percentage of 65. 5% correct concepts about the matter. On the other hand, 67. 7% of them has the right knowledge about specific STD issues. Controls without the interventions were more likely to still engage in the activity while those who have had the chance to be included in the team with video intervention through randomization were reported to have self control over the next few months. However, the study showed that knowledge of the participant regarding sexual and STD issues did not increased. It was stated in the reports that it could have been better if the control for the study did not receive any intervention to clearly see the effect of the programs in controlling the risk behavior of youth, specifically with the females. The study may be leading to situations by which female will not be choosing the option to have sex with their partners to express their feelings. Moreover, the intention of preventing STD in youth through some information integrated seminars and trainings are good ways in drawing down the lines in the limitations of the actions of the females, and the youth. Reference Julie S. Downs, Pamela J. Murray, Wandi Bruine de Bruin, Joyce Penrose, Claire Palmgren and Baruch Fischhoff. Interactive video behavioral intervention to reduce adolescent femalesââ¬â¢ STD risk: a randomized controlled trial Social Science Medicine, Volume 59, Issue 8, October 2004, Pages 1561-1572
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Debate on Auditor Independence
Debate on Auditor Independence Abstract Recently of corporate collapse in the US, Australia, and elsewhere, regulatory attention has been drawn to the published of auditor provided non-audit services (NAS) and audit client relationship. This assignment aims to debate on auditor independence by providing evidence regarding the relationship between non audit services and provide consulting services at a lower cost for their audit clients. In tracking the development and identify the key stages and the changes that took place in approaches to external auditing. The two listed companies selected for arguments are Enron Corporation versus Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. Enron Corporation (former NYSE ticker symbol ENE) was an American energy company based in Huston, Texas. It was one of the worlds leading electricity, nature gas, paper and communications companies.1 Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd (Chartered) is one of the worlds top dedicated semiconductor foundries in Singapore. It provides comprehensive wafer fabrication services and technologies to semiconductor supplier and system companies. They are taken a reference for the arguments that influenced by the changes which have reported and analyses the effect. Research on non audit service provision impairs auditor independence, differential incentives drive auditor behavior. Introduction Auditor independence is a cornerstone of the auditing profession, a crucial element in the statutory corporate reporting process and a key prerequisite for the adding of value to an audited financial statement (Mautz and Sharaf, 1961). However, recent account scandals, involving corporations such as Enron in the US, HIH Insurance in Australia have cast doubt over the independence of auditors and overall value of auditing. These legislative interventions however have occurred despite limited and mixed empirical evidence of these proposed threats to auditor independence. Furthermore, some basic questions underlying this debate remain unresolved. For example, à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
â What factors influence a companys decision to purchase NAS from its incumbent auditor?2 The provision of NAS reduces investors judgments of auditor independence, audit quality and the attractiveness of the firm investment but not their auditor knowledge or financial statement reliability judgment. This assignment have consider two areas of literature which relating the theories and model of auditor independence. It also relevance on NAS found in current professional, regulatory frameworks, reviewed and summarized original theoretical and empirical studies but have excluded commentaries and opinion. The Big Five audit firms (Ernst Young, Arthur Anderson, Deloitte Touche, PricewaterhouseCoppers and KPMG) charger higher audit fees for initial engagement. It has prediction that where audit fees are disclosed publicly. The audit firms lower their audit fees to accept new clients when they also provide more lucrative non audit services. It is no actual loss of audit independence despite the loss of perceived independence of the Big 5 firms. The provision of NAS by audit firms for their audit clients are popular in the current market and continuous debate over auditor independence. NAS may include consulting service such as systems design, compliance-related service, taxation, book-keeping or other services relating to the accounting records or financial statement of the audit client; financial information systems design and implementation; actuarial service; internal audit outsourcing service; management functions or human resources; dealer and investment advisor The emerged from the Enron collapse has been the extent to which audit firms are providing NAS to their audit clients. The fees generated by NAS have been rising more rapidly than audit fees. This has led to widespread beliefs that provision of NAS can cause the auditors to compromise their independence. There are two main concerns which auditors may not stand up to management because they wish to retain the additional income from NAS which is in managements gift. Second provision of service to management may lead the auditor to indentify too closely with management and lose skepticism. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: à ¯ÃâÃÅ" Contains the background and literature review à ¯ÃâÃÅ" Develops the hypotheses and research questions, à ¯ÃâÃÅ" Contains the conclusions. Background and Literature Review Auditor must maintain independence in mental attitude in all matter relating to the assignment which stated by Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). Independence auditors furnish critical assurance that the financial statement have been examined by à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
âan objective, impartial and skilled professionalà ¢Ã¢â ¬? (SEC 2000,p.2). It look as a risk continue rather than an absolute and judgment about the seriousness of the threat to independence are balance against the effectiveness of the safeguards available. Independence maintained through external constraints (e.g, legislation and regulation) or through the profession itself which maintain the independence to preserve its market value (Kinney 1999). It appears uncertain of auditor ability to accept client pressure and emphasizing the effect of the economic interest. Its calls that consulting services as à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
âthe tail that wags the dogà ¢Ã¢â ¬? in the accounting industry (Investment New Article, Nov 20, 2000). The SEC announce the new rule that the auditor independence required to disclosure the audit fee in their proxy statement, the total fees billed for services rendered by the principal accountant (the external audit firm) disaggregated into three categories as audit services, information technology services and all other services. It reveals that nearly all firm purchase non audit services from their audit firm to their audit client. Although the big 5 auditing firm continue to maintain their independence is not impaired by these services , recently problems at Enron, WorldCom and other public firm brought accounting and auditing concerns to the attention of Congress and the public. Newly passed legislation prohibits NAS, including financial information services and internal auditing services (Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002). Non audit services (NAS) are defined as all services provided by an auditor that are not considered as an audit. The Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) reduce the number of non audit services that an auditor are required pre-approval by the audit committee of such extended engagement (Rouse, 2005). Most banned services related to consulting or advisory services that might create conflict of interests for independent auditors (Banham, 2003). The banned non audit services include: 1. Book-keeping or other services related to the accounting records or financial statements of the audit client. The auditor is considered not independent when he provides book-keeping services for audit client. It involves with an inherent conflict of interest, and auditor should examine accounting records or financial statements prepared appropriate. 2. Internal audit outsourcing services à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬Å" under generally accepted auditing standards, the auditor is required to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control system over financial reporting, to create another example of conflict of interest. For example, Arthur Anderson provided the internal control function for Enron, before it was banned by 2000 SEC rule, and was blamed for not improving Enrons ineffective control system. 3. Expert services unrelated to audit à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬Å" providing an expert opinion or other expert service for audit client to advocating an audit client interests in litigation, regulatory, administrative proceeding and investigation. 4. Design and implementation of accounting information systems à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬Å" its creating inherent conflict of interest as an auditor is required to evaluate the effectiveness of accounting system in designed or implemented. Installing a computerized accounting system for client was immensely popular consulting services in many big accounting firms. 5. Management functions acting temporarily or permanently, as director, officer, employee of an audit client in performing any decision making, supervisory or ongoing monitoring function for audit client. These services can provide by the incumbent audit firm or external audit firm. This research on auditor independence under these conditions identifies the following issues. The provision NAS likely lead to a lack of actual independence and therefore lead to audit failure. Hypotheses and Research One of the major public concerns which emerged from the Enron collapse has been the extent to which audit firms are providing non audit services (NAS) to their audit clients. In 1997, Enron engaged Arthur Andersen as its External Auditor. Subsequently, Enron appointed Arthur Anderson as consultant also. Enron paid Andersen $52 million in 2000 in both auditing and consulting services including development of computerized financial system for conducting Enrons internal audit, but majority for consulting services. There have been many criticize about the potential conflict of interest faced by audit firms who received large consultancy fees from their audit client (e.g. Financial time 2001a). Its expressed about how auditor with a statutory responsibility to company shareholders can handle a commercial relationship with the companys management and remain impartial (e.g. financial Times, 2001b). Andersen leaders responded by pushing partners to become salesman, its to upsetting the delicate balancing act any auditor must perform between a client and looking out for the public investor. Peoples have forgotten their significant responsibility not only to clients but also to investor, creditors and the public, etc. These issues by attacking the à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã
âspecific symptoms of the audit breakdown that occurred in the Enron Caseà ¢Ã¢â ¬? (Gavious, 2007,pg458), Arthur Anderson whose Enron client found to have encouraged clients to use accounting techniques to mislead and deceive the market (Gavious,2007). Enron select to use a method of fair value accounting that misleading, overstated profits in the current period. These accounting techniques were employed by Enron on the advice of Arthur Anderson and it was the employment of these techniques that ultimately led to the organisations collapse (Benston, 2006) . Due to IT and other frauds which investors lost confidence in market (Crasewell, 1999). Its beliefs that provision of NAS cause the auditors to compromise their independence. Andersen has been severely criticised for significant economic and its independence has been questioned form two point of view à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬Å" significant economic dependence on Enron due to the party designing accounting and tax structures, and therefore it could not express an objective view on Enrons results. The two main concerns are auditor may not stand up to management because they wish to retain the additional income from NAS which is in management gift, and second the provision of a range of services to management may lead the auditor to identify too closely with management and lose skepticism. Thus, auditor independence is fundamental to public confidence in the audit process and reliability of auditor report. However, the problem facing the auditing profession is not a lack of actual independence and objectivity rather it is the lack of confidence in financial statements. Public confidence in a companys financial statements will only be achieved by companies remaining completely separate to their audit firms (Ronen and Cherny,2002). Thereby increasing the auditors perceived independence. While Chartered engagement of KPMG as its external auditor to perform non audit services which management must consider the actual, perceived and potential impact upon the independence of external audit prior to engaging external audit to undertake any non audit services. Chartered have established the Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board (Audit Committee.) to oversight of Companys financial position. Its responsible to supervising the operation of the internal risk management and control system, codes of conduct, compliance with recommendation and observation of internal and external auditor. In contrast, audit committee of Chartered have to consider whether the provision of such non audit services is compatible with maintaining the external auditors independence, by obtaining assurance and confirmation that the additional services provided by external auditor are not in conflict with the audit process. The audit committee has authority in independent audit are to be-approved with information sufficient to enable Audit Committee to know as follows: the precisely what services it is being asked to pre-approved, know that any non audit service to be performed is a permissible non audit service made a well-reasoned assessment of the impact of the proposed service on the auditor independence. The external auditors are prohibited from providing specified non audit service contemporaneously with providing audit services to Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, including:- bookkeeping or services related to accounting records or financial statements financial information system design and implementation internal audit outsourcing services legal services an expert service unrelated to the audit Audit committee has clarified and added further prohibited activities for the external auditor. By focus of the importance of Audit Committee in control and supervise the activities of the external auditors. This section, Audit Committee is the plans to strengthen the independence accountants are truly independence thus and will give greater credibility to audits. In this research, Enron should have formed an audit committee to oversight the company and prevent any fraud which collapse to bankruptcy which compare with Chartered, although the audit firm provide non audit services, but they have a stronger and capability audit committee to oversight the company financial position. Conclusion In the debate on auditor independence, the first matter that is usually raised is the provision of non audit services to audit client. To be able to perform their task of providing independence and objective assurance to shareholders, auditor must act independently. It is argued that by providing non-audit services to the audit client, the auditors independence and objectivity is impaired. In term of codes of ethics all over the world, it is not only necessary for auditors to be independence, but there is also a need for auditors to be seen to be independent, and even a perception of a conflict can compromise his or her position. It behooves the auditor therefore never to get into such a situation. If one examines the research, there is little empirical evidence that proves that the provision of non audit services actually impairs independence, but one must concede that it is difficult to prove. Recent corporate failures have brought this issue very much under the spotlight again. As a profession, we should not underestimate the public feeling and the strong view held by governments on this issue. The rule of fundamentally change the way auditing profession does its business as following: Fundamental shift in regulating accounting industry à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬Å" from the primarily self-regulated environment to public regulation approach. A new set of independence rules and regulations affects the accounting profession directly in performing audit engagement. A new independent public oversight board now has the direct authority to police audit process, auditing standards, and disciplinary measure on auditors, including registering public accounting firms that issue audit report for publicly(trade companies), establishing auditing, quality control, ethics, independence, and other standards relating to the preparation of audit reports conducting inspections of registered public accounting firms conducting investigations and disciplinary proceeding and imposing appropriate sanctions on audit firms and auditors. An independent oversight board (IOB) set up by Andersen in the US , after the Enron problems emerged but before the firm collapsed, recommended that some consulting services provided by the firm should be separated into partnerships managed independently form audit partners and without financial independence to audit clients. Recommendation was strengthen of internal quality control over auditing thought out the firm. Beside this its create an independent regulatory oversight agency for accounting industry. Now no truly independent agency with the authority, power or will to enforce penalties against illegal. While the Public Oversight Board was a nominally independent private body that set standards for the industrys self-regulatory schemes, it was never truly independent. The finding comes from the America Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Thus, in summary I conclude that since such evidence as there is indicates that there is no correlation between levels of non-audit fee and audit failure, comprehensive safeguards are already applied, and rigorous separation of non-audit services seems likely to increase the cost and reduce the quality of the audit, the suggestion should not be pursued. Assuming no undue overall economic dependence results from the auditor/client relationship and adequate safeguards can be implemented, we believe that companies themselves should determine whether they use auditors for non audit services, in consultation with the professions guidelines. References 1. Enron profile Available at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron 2. Ashbaugh, H.,R.LaFond,and B.Mayhew.2003. Do non-auidt services compromise auditor independence? Further evidence. The Accounting Review 78: 611-639.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Early Childhood Mathematics Teaching
Early Childhood Mathematics Teaching Mathematics is one subject that unleashes deep-seated memories for many people. Most of these memories include the learning of mathematical concepts and skills. Such learning may either be fulfilling or frustrating for learners, as Math covers a wide variety of degrees of difficulty. That is why an effective Math teacher can have so much influence over students in learning and even loving the subject. An effective Math teacher should be able to model to her students her enthusiasm for the discipline that she takes teaching it seriously while according due respect to her learners who may not exhibit the same level of competencies for the subject. Preschool is a time when children may first encounter mathematical lessons, however, much recent research has indicated that preschool children have the ability to understand a variety of mathematical concepts even prior to entering kindergarten (Klein, Stakey, Clements, Sarama, Lyer, 2008; Clement Sarama, 2007). That is why early childhood programs are increasingly required to implement mathematics instruction in classrooms because of young childrens early mathematical knowledge. Development of early math skills provides the foundation for later learning (Clements Sarama, 2008; NAEYC NCTM, 2008; Lee Ginsburg, 2008). According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the quality of mathematical education in early childhood plays an important part in the childs understanding of possibly difficult math concepts (Loop, 2009). Although there had been many studies pertaining to patterns of mathematical teaching in preschool, there is a lack of research on how teachers of Math perceive how young children learn Math and even what to teach in accordance to the developmental level of their learners. This current study draws much inspiration and idea from the work of Platas (2008) entitled Measuring Teachers Knowledge of Early Mathematical Development and their Beliefs about Mathematics Teaching and Learning in the Preschool Classroom. Platas was able to measure the knowledge of early mathematical development and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning in the preschool classroom of preschool teachers using developed and validated survey instruments and statistical analysis (2008). There was a significant variation in the knowledge and beliefs of early childhood teachers on age-appropriateness of math instruction, classroom locus of generation of mathematical knowledge, math versus socio-emotional development and the comfort level in providing the instruction. The instrument used in the research has been found to be helpful for the preparation of prospective Math teachers as well as for the professional development of current Math educators. Platas work has raised many issues and beliefs regarding the developmental knowledge of preschoolers. Such issues include age-appropriateness of mathematical instruction used by teachers in preschools, the extent of learning of such mathematical concepts taught, the purpose of teaching math concepts in preschool and the comfort level of teachers when they introduce such math concepts to preschool children (Clement Sarama, 2007; Ginsburg Golbeck, 2004; Platas, 2008). DEFINITION OF TERMS: Belief covers all the matters of which we have no sure knowledge and yetà which we are sufficiently confident of to act upon and also the matters that weà now accept as certainly true, as knowledge, but which nevertheless may beà questioned in the future (Dewey, 1933, p. 6). early mathematical development the increasingly complex mathematical constructions and goals that young children develop and pursue in their activities (Platas, 2008, p.3). In-service preschool teachers teachers who are currently teaching in theà preschool level of education. Pre-service preschool teachers aspiring teachers of early childhood educationà who are qualified to teach but have not yet gained any teaching experience. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Many national and state organizations have provided teachers with guidelines to help improve mathematics instruction for young children. Forty-six states have comprehensive learning standards for preschool children (Barett et al., 2008). Furthermore, national organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) have developed specific recommendations related to high quality mathematics instruction in the early childhood classroom (NAEYC NCTM, 2006). As the NCTM and NAEYC proclaimed, importance in the learning and development of mathematical skills and knowledge is important in building the foundation of mathematical development of preschool children. However, some early learning programs do not focus on high quality mathematics instruction despite research supporting early mathematics experiences influencing mathematical outcomes later in school and promoting school readiness skills in mathe matics (Lopez, Gallimore, Garnier, Reese, 2007; Slaby, Loucks, Stelwagon, 2005). Other remarkable studies showed that there are many activities involved in teaching mathematics to young children and this would involve knowledge about the subject matter, pedagogical content knowledge, lecturing, introduction of symbolism, and connecting everyday experience to abstract ideas (Ginsburg Amit, 2008). This would imply the need to effectively train teachers of early mathematics. There are many significant studies in line with early childhood education but little information is revealed about the teaching of early mathematics (Ginsburg Amit, 2008). This gap in research in mathematics education calls for the need to be filled especially in the area of teachers knowledge development and beliefs in teaching math in preschool. The only remarkable research in the area of teachers knowledge on preschool mathematical development is that of Platas (2008). Platas suggested in her recommendations, further study is still needed in the area taking into consideration a larger sample size and other necessary adjustments (2008). The need for preschool children to be provided with high quality early childhood programs calls for competent educators in general. Specific to this study, competent math teachers concerned with the development of mathematical ability of preschoolers are the qualifications demanded. It is in this regard that early childhood educators in mathematics should create the basic foundation required in the education system. This can significantly create meaningful understanding on how pre-service teachers and in-service teachers in early childhood education for mathematics should handle and evaluate their teaching abilities and methods. However, it remains uncertain whether pre-service teachers and in-service teachers in early childhood education for mathematics have significantly the same knowledge of mathematical development and belief. Thus, it is important to evaluate their knowledge of development and belief about it so as to come up with a clear justification if there is a need to align their level of skills, knowledge and beliefs if necessary. Even though Platas (2008) was able to compare early childhood teachers based on their knowledge of early mathematical development and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning in the preschool classroom, there was no comparison done between pre-service and in-service preschool teachers in this regard. The researcher believes that this research gap needs to be filled since future and current teachers knowledge and beliefs will inevitably create an impact in young childrens mathematical knowledge development. It would be interesting to determine if experience in teaching of in-service teachers have affected their knowledge and beliefs on mathematical knowledge development and beliefs or if they remain the same as their pre-service counterparts. Hence this study will analyze and review in-service teachers and pre-service preschool teachers understanding on mathematical knowledge development and beliefs PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the mathematical development and beliefs in preschool learning between in-service preschool teachers and pre-service preschool teachers. The comparison will gauge the need to enhance the teachers knowledge of mathematical development and beliefs in early childhood education. Further development of these teachers adeptness in mathematical knowledge as well as fine tuning their beliefs will be done in the backdrop of the literature in preschool math development. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The researcher will compare and evaluate in-service teachers and pre-service preschool teachers knowledge and beliefs of mathematical development and teaching. In order to find significant results for this, the researcher will try to answer the main research question at of the study: To what extent, if any, is there a difference between In-service teachers and pre- service preschool teachers with regard to their knowledge and beliefs of how to teach mathematics to preschool children? Specifically, the following sub-questions will be answered at the end of the study: What do the teachers think are the necessary concepts and skills preschoolersà need to learn in the area of math? What teaching methods do the teachers think are effective in teaching these mathematical concepts and skills? What are their beliefs regarding teaching math? HYPOTHESIS It is hypothesized that there are significant differences between the beliefs of in-service and pre-service preschool teachers on the basis of experience. Those who have experiences in the teaching mathematics will have a different perspective basing from their own experiences compared to those who have limited or no experience in teaching mathematics to preschool children. It is also hypothesized that there are significant differences in the knowledge of mathematical development between in-service and pre-service preschool teachers. REVIEW OF LITERATURE What Preschool Math Entails The study of Math incorporates the processes of questioning, reflecting, reasoning and proof. It is a powerful tool for solving familiar and unfamiliar problems both within and beyond mathematics. As such, it is integral to scientific and technological advances in many fields of endeavor (Brewer, 2001). The inclusion of Mathematics in the curriculum is aimed at developing students mathematical thinking, understanding, competence and confidence in the application of mathematics, their own creativity, enjoyment and appreciation of the subject and their engagement in lifelong learning (Board of Studies New South Wales, 2002) Apart from the skills developed from the study of Math, values and attitudes are likewise emphasized. Students get to appreciate mathematics as an essential and relevant part of life. They show interest and enjoyment in inquiry and the pursuit of mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding. Children demonstrate confidence in applying mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding to everyday situations and the solution of everyday problems. Math also aims to develop and demonstrate perseverance in undertaking mathematical challenges. Students recognise that mathematics has been developed in many cultures in response to human needs (Board of Studies New South Wales, 2002). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) identified high quality mathematics programs for early childhood as having the following characteristics: (Brewer, 2001, pp. 319-320) They build upon and extend childrens intuitive and informal mathematics knowledge They are grounded in knowledge of child development They provide environments that encourage children to be active learners, eager for new challenges They develop a strong conceptual framework that provides the foundation for skills acquisition They nurture and develop childrens inclination to solve problems. Math Teaching Strategies in Preschool Children learn much on their own. However, the question of whether certain math concepts should be deliberately taught by the teacher or just be freely learned by children through play is another issue in math learning (Clement Sarama, 2007; Ginsburg Golbeck, 2004; Platas, 2008). Shaftel, Pass and Schnabel (2005) agree that children are more motivated to learn even difficult lessons in Math or other subjects through instructional games and simulations rather than traditional classroom instruction. Games have been found to result in improved content retention over time, possibly because of the opportunity for more participation. Math games improved on-task behavior and achievement even for students with mild intellectual disabilities (Beattie Algozzine, 1982). What motivates children with math games is that it allows them many opportunities to reinforce current knowledge and to try out other strategies or techniques without fear of getting the wrong answer. Trial and error is always encouraged, making them more confident in taking risks (Shaftel, Pass and Schnabel, 2005). Math games provide students with an environment for experiencing incorrect answers not as mistakes but as necessary steps towards connecting pieces of knowledge together (Holton et al, 2001; Quinn et al, 1992). Practical games such as those involving knowledge about money should be tied to real-life experiences if mathematical learning is to be optimized. Simulations develop metacognitive skills for analyzing and organizing data, checking responses, justifying solutions to problems and applying mathematical knowledge to daily activities (Hopkins and Dorsey, 1992). Issues of Teachers Teaching Math in Preschool This study is also concerned about the commitment of teachers in teaching math to young children (OConnor, 2010).. It is essential to investigate if they know the value of teaching math concepts to preschoolers at a very young age, which math concepts to teach and if it is worth teaching such concepts. It would also be interesting to know how comfortable these teachers are in teaching Mathematics and what are their attitudes and insights towards it. Teachers derive their behaviors, attitudes and ethics from their own personal and professional philosophies on teaching. Gore (1997) analyzes how such a philosophy leads to ones development of a pedagogical approach. A school having its own philosophy should have their teachers who hold the same beliefs. Alignment of their philosophy is essential for harmony. Gore (1997) claims that systematic and disciplined observations of pedagogy are necessary in order to clarify and perhaps compromise on the philosophy everyone must believe in and live by. This implies that a teachers perception of teaching a particular subject such as Math reflects her own and the schools philosophy regarding the subject. Many researchers have been intensively studying young childrens mathematical development and have come to understand the developmental progression of childrens mathematical understanding (Baroody, A. J., Lai, M.-L., Mix, K.S, 2006; Clement Sarama 2007; Seo Ginsburg, 2004). In order to support early mathematical development in young children, researchers recommend that teachers (a) develop a deep understanding of the mathematical content and concepts (Baroody, et al., 2006); (b) develop an understanding of young childrens mathematical development, including the ability to take into consideration the prior knowledge of the child (Baroody et al., 2006; Clement, 2001 Clement Sarama 2007); and (c) be fluent in the classroom pedagogy that supports and fosters such development including a knowledge of useful representations and strategies and common misconceptions and errors (Baroody, et al., 2006; Seo Ginsburg, 2004). By increasing teachers knowledge and understanding of mathematical knowledge development, it is expected that children will also learn better and a more productive classroom atmosphere is will be created. Therefore, it is important for teachers to know how to support childrens mathematical development in the preschool classroom in order to develop effective and appropriate classroom instruction. Teachers also need to understand how children learn mathematical knowledge as well as assessing their understanding, and monitoring their progress. Apart from the information yielded by Platas (2008) work, the literature point out that preschool teachers need to have a specific level of competency in their teaching which can be measured through their knowledge and beliefs. It was found that kindergarten teachers different training experiences and school contexts have significant impacts on childrens readiness for school (Lin, Lawrence, Gorrell, 2008). This implies that the level of knowledge and beliefs of preschool teachers have been significantly influenced by their training experiences and level of education received. Preschool teachers have different views on early childhood education with some of them thinking the programs in their schools may either be too advanced or too basic. Teachers preparation for cultural diversity in preschool is important prior to creating a welcoming learning environment (Hughes, Kwok, 2007). Skills and knowledge of teachers are important considerations especially on the basic education level. Teachers gestures and utterances were found to have a significant role in childrens learning (Klerfelt, 2007, Valenzeno, Alibali, Klatzky, 2003). In preschool education, high quality teacher-child relationships are expected. Knowing how to establish such good relationships with young children implies that the preschool teacher must have substantial knowledge on relationship building in early childhood education programs (OConnor, 2010). This also suggests that the teacher is effective and knows how to infuse fun in learning. Preschool teachers must have adequate knowledge and strong beliefs in a particular subject area they are tasked to teach. They should have knowledge of useful representations and strategies and common misconception errors when it comes to mathematical development in young children in particular (Broody et al., 2006). A Development model that coincides with theory and research is needed to create the building blocks for early childhood mathematics (Sarama, Clements, 2004). On the other hand, a teachers belief is hard to measure but it proves a reliable measure of teachers experiences and actions (Muis, Bendixen, Haerle, 2006). For example, a teacher may believe that young children are capable of understanding quantities because she herself has been successful in teaching a preschooler the concept of quantities, of which set has more objects and which set has less. Thus, knowledge and beliefs of teachers are requirements for mathematical development in early childhood education. Education and specialized training of preschool teachers are associated with young childrens learning and development (Barnett, 2004). Evaluation of the impact of Early Childhood Education teacher preparation programs and professional development conclude that benefits of high-quality preschool education can only be achieved if teachers are professionally prepared and well-compensated (Barnett, 2004). Research shows that a well-prepared early childhood education teacher brings a warm, safe and conducive environment for learning (NAEYC, 2006). Perceptions of teacher on student-teacher quality and of childrens academic abilities proved to influence academic competence among students (Hughes, Gleason, Zhang, 2005). In addition, it is important to focus on quality of room practices, child characteristics, teachers perceptions of school-related climates and teachers perceptions of workload stress (Mantzicopoulos, 2005). It was found that the amount of teachers math-related teaching was highly associated to childrens mathematical knowledge (Klibanoff, Levine, Huttenlocher, Vasilyeva, Hedges, 2006). The attitudes of preschool teachers on early m athematics do not change as they acquired knowledge of preschool teachers (Alinsinanoglu, Guven, Kesicioglu, 2009). Teachers elementary education credentials, years of education and years of experience have complex impact to childrens learning (Connor, Son, Hundman, Morrison, 2005). All of these issues can essentially be addressed by studying further within the context, knowledge and ability of early educators for early childhood education. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This study takes on Platas suggestion that more research should be done in terms of investigating preschool teachers knowledge and beliefs regarding the developmental mathematical knowledge of preschool children. In compliance with the standards of NCTM for high quality math programs, evaluation of teachers competencies should be done to ensure the quality of teaching in early childhood programs. This studys significance lies in ensuring that teachers are adequately skilled and emotionally ready to teach mathematical concepts in the preschool level. In addition, this study is a contribution to the growing body of knowledge of early childhood education. Furthermore, new information may be derived from concerned participants in this research such as fresh ideas coming from the perspective of in-service and pre-service teachers that could be helpful in improving ones performance in their jobs. Thus, the importance of pursuing this trend of thinking will highly benefit teachers in early childhood education. In particular, there is a need to publish studies such this in order to provide support and enhancement of skills to new teachers in the field. It is important to study perceptions of early childhood educators because they play a significant role in young childrens learning and development of knowledge and skills (Chien, Hui, 2010). This study will help not only teachers to better understand the learning process involved in order to maximize mathematical knowledge development of young children. It is also helpful in building a better mathematical foundation for young children. OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY Instruments to be used for this study are the instruments developed by Platas (2008) namely the Knowledge of Mathematical Development (KMD) Survey and the Beliefs survey. A demographic questionnaire gathering information about the respondents will also be distributed. The Knowledge of Mathematical Development Survey (Platas) is a set of 20 multiple-choice questions that tests teachers knowledge and development in the area of verbal counting sequence, counting, ordinal number of words, addition/subtraction, divisions of sets, written number symbols and words. In each number, the teacher-respondents are to choose which of two math skills children are likely to learn first. If the respondents think that both choices are easily learned by a child, then the choice of same may be picked. However if the respondent does not know which skill is easier for a child to learn, he or she can choose the option do not know. The Beliefs Survey is a set of 40 beliefs about Math teaching and learning. It has a 5-pt. Likert scale with responses that range from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. The belief survey will evaluate the teachers perspective about 4 areas: (1) age appropriateness of mathematics instruction in the early childhood classroom, (2) locus of Generation of Mathematical Knowledge, (3) Social and Emotional vs. Mathematical Development as Primary Goal of Preschool and (4) Teacher comfort in mathematics instruction. The participants involved in the study will be comprised of 200 in-service teachers and 100 pre-service teachers that will be chosen in random. Results will be analyzed using ANOVA as well as correlation analysis. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study will be limited to exploring the knowledge development and beliefs of pre-service and in-service preschool teachers regarding math. It will not evaluate on any other subject area. It is important to note that in terms of experience, the pre-service teachers will have no teaching experience whereas with the in-service teachers experience may range from a few months to about 20 years, depending on the sample gathered. Also, the number of in-service participants is much higher than the pre-service participants. These factors may affect the results due to this unbalance and must be taken into account when data is analyzed. Summary of Chapter 1 Mathematical learning now comes at an earlier age. Preschoolers surprisingly manifest basic mathematical knowledge even before they start school. This realization that young children can already do Math has encouraged professional organizations such as NAEYC and NCTM have come up with guidelines that Math teachers should consult and comply to in their teaching of mathematical concepts and skills. Teachers of young children have the power to influence their preschool students. Teachers should basically possess adequate knowledge and skills as well as appropriate beliefs if quality teaching is to be expected. The work of Platas (2008) entitled Measuring Teachers Knowledge of Early Mathematical Development and their Beliefs about Mathematics Teaching and Learning in the Preschool Classroom has been a monumental inspiration for this current study. However, this study goes beyond exploring teachers knowledge development and beliefs about Math by comparing knowledge development and beliefs of in-service preschool teachers and pre-service preschool teachers. It is presumed that the element of experience will play a significant role in either strengthening or modifying teachers knowledge and beliefs about Math in early childhood education.
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