Assistive Technology

Assistive technology device According to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), assistive technology (AT) device is â€Å"any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability† (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1997).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Assistive Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Assistive technology service Assistive technology service refers â€Å"any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device† (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1997). Discuss the role that the IDEA has had on the application of AT IDEA concerns itself with the need of serving children with disabilities in an environment of least restriction. IDEA wants inclusion in education, in each State. It also looks into individual students with any form of disability have an individual education plan (IEP). IEP is a program of a particular student with a disability. IDEA has statements that make references to AT services and devices, which the IEP must take into account when developing a program for the benefit of a student with disabilities. The IEP team must establish whether the AT will allow the student to achieve set goals in the education system, which the student cannot achieve due to disability. They also must establish whether the learner will need AT device while in and outside the school. Likewise, IEP must also if the AT will help the student participate widely in educational programs, and augment their communication abilities. Any positive establishment of the issues under evaluation results into satisfying the needs of the student by providing the necessary AT services or devices, which help the student achieve his or her educational needs. Discuss the definitional ambiguity of assistive technology There exists ambiguity with the reference to the definition of AT as Golden notes. The US federal law recognizes the term as â€Å"any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability† (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1997).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Golden notes that this definition can be specific with reference certain elements such as the purpose of AT. For instance, it covers assistance in education, accessibility of the environment, competition, promotion of independence, and improvement of quality of life (Golden, 1998). Lewis also notes that AT has two main functions. It can enhan ce a student’s ability to counteract effects of disabilities, and AT also offers alternative methods of doing tasks such that AT compensates what the learner with a disability lacks (Lewis, 1998). Thus, assistive technology presents diverse meanings to different people based on their views, use and specific requirements. Lewis notes â€Å"in the area of rehabilitation, the term refers to technologies, such as mobility devices, environmental controls and adapted equipment† (Lewis, 1998). Professionals working in â€Å"the areas of physiotherapy and occupational therapy focus on technologies that support access, and quality of life issues when referring to AT† (Lewis, 1998). These individuals also use the terms â€Å"adaptive technology or rehabilitation technology in reference to AT† (Lewis, 1998). In the teaching area, â€Å"AT means the inclusions and adjustments given to a student’s learning program† (Lewis, 1998). The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) defines AT with this view as â€Å"the software and technology which helps people with disabilities and special needs to overcome the additional challenges they face in communication and learning† (Becta, 2003). Becta also uses others terms such as â€Å"instructional technology or information technology, special education technology† (Becta, 2003). The usage of the term is dynamic and changing. For instance, â€Å"the term inclusive technology is popular in the business world† (Becta, 2003). Some critics have suggested that the name should be e-inclusion rather than assistive technology. This is because AT focus gives priority to technology over education. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Assistive Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They argue that e-inclusion is appropriate because of the social justice and inclusion debates. At the sa me time, e-inclusion shows the use of technology to enhance learning and other inclusive activities for students with disabilities and learning problems. Thus, e-inclusion would be appropriate because it covers technologies, learners, and activities. Thus, AT provides different meaning to different professionals. For instance, to a physiotherapist it may mean a physical tool that aid movement, while to a teacher it may mean a software program that helps students read and write. These many meanings can lead to confusions among â€Å"professionals in identification, consideration, allocation and implementation of assistive technology† (Becta, 2003). This ambiguity in the definition of AT requires collaborations among these professionals. Assistive Technology can provide students with a tool system that can improve their functional capabilities at school, in the home, and in the community and workplace. Discuss the following: What are the indicators that would suggest an evaluat ion is warranted? There are situations where the student has self awareness of the various factors of his or her disability and has recognized the need for inclusion in learning. Thus, this is the primary indicator for any need for evaluation. There are also cases of self-advocacy where the student needs to disclose his or her disability status in order to get inclusion programs as stipulated in the federal and state laws. There are cases where the student seeks confidentiality regarding his or her documentation, handling of grievances, and evaluation of learning progress. These may indicate that there is a need for AT evaluation to provide useful information for inclusion and learning. Students may also engage the faculty in the provision of AT and inclusion to allow them be independent and access learning aids and curricula. In this respect, a student may conduct a self-evaluation concerning his or her dependent on AT and propose the necessary AT, justification for the new AT devi ces and how to get the new AT devices. A student may also decide to choose a suitable AT for his or her disability and decide on long-term AT devices and how to acquire them. At the same time, he or she may also identify issues with his or her existing AT devices and seek appropriate support and service from faculties or service providers. Describe both a formal and informal evaluation Both formal and informal evaluation strategies are suitable in the evaluation of learners with disabilities. Formal evaluation applies standardized systems or certain standards of instruments, which are academically suitable for learners with disabilities. There are standardized referenced tests, which compare a student’s performance to previously established standards rather than using performances of other students. Standardized referenced tests use standardized data for scoring such as age, ethnic group, or gender.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Informal evaluation methods employ the use of non-standardized items like as teachers’ feedback, observations, developmental ratings, performance results, checklists, interviews, which are academically suitable for learners with disabilities. Informal evaluation methods depend on the knowledge, evaluation experience and judgment of the person who carries out the evaluation. We must note that some of the evaluation items may fall under both informal and formal items. For instance, we have standardized and structured observation procedures consisting of instruments. On the other hand, we may also have informal observation techniques with formal and professional evaluation. In some case, the evaluation process may use formal rating scale and use professional observation in assessing the learner’s behavior, motivation, strength, and weaknesses during an evaluation procedure. Describe the Principles of Universal Design (CAST) and how it has impacted the application of compu ter based assistive technology for individuals with disabilities The idea of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) emanated from Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). UDL strives to achieve universal ranges of product design built for the widest ranges of disabilities. This is necessary instead of resorting to other items, which are difficult to adapt, costly, and inconvenient. Therefore, UDL focuses on the following agendas. First, UDL seeks to have several means of representation. This enables learners with disabilities to have multiple channels of acquiring information and knowledge. Second, UDL looks at a number of possible ways of expression. This enables learners to demonstrate their knowledge in a number of ways. Third, there are also ways of engagements. This focuses on capturing learners’ interests, providing motivation, giving challenges, and implementing different AT measures. Thus, the purpose is to assist learners with disabilities achieve their academic g oals, and help teachers in delivering curriculum content that students can master, meaningful, understandable, and engaging. Discuss the role and importance of assistive technology in the lives of individuals with disabilities AT has several roles in the lives of people with disabilities, and there are wide ranges of devices to cater for different forms of disabilities. AT devices allow people with disabilities to access, manipulate and control their environments. These devices include certain keyboards, mice, switches, and remote controls. There are also devices that help such people move from a point to another such as automatic door openers, ramps, and Braille signs. These devices also assist in daily life experiences. There are devices for eating, walking, dressing, and even brushing teeth. These devices include adapted toilets, special utensils, mugs, shower stalls among others. There are also listening devices to assist deaf or people with hearing problems. Such devices includ e amplifiers, hearing aids, typing telephones, and captions on TV. Communication or augmentative devices allow people with disabilities hear or communicate effectively with others. Such devices include voice output devices, computers, picture boards, and computer software. There are also computer-based instructions that help people to read, learn mathematics, write and learn other subjects too. People with disabilities also have mobility devices to assist them with their movements safely and independently in their environments. These devices include wheelchairs, adapted vehicles and walkers. There are also devices that can position people to retain good postures or avoid exhaustion. Such devices include the adapted chairs, standers, and tables among others. People who have visual difficulties in accessing information may use magnifiers, books on tapes, large-text prints, and talking computer programs. Describe how computer based assistive technology has impacted the areas of reading and writing for students with disabilities. Include in your response the potential barriers and solutions offered by AT from a multi-disability perspective Computer-based AT can address many challenges in reading and writing among learners with disabilities. There are recognition networks, which allow the student to identify and recognize patterns in the learning environment, such as letters, voices, colors, pictures, words, and among other complex patterns and give meaning to them. Learners have different recognition abilities. For instance, a learner who has a talent for English may have an aptitude for recognizing changes in sentence lengths while reading. Likewise, a learner with visual difficulties may use tactile and optical character recognition (OCR) as a means of recognition. Strategic networks â€Å"give the learner instructions on performing tasks by monitoring and carrying out actions† (Rose and Meyer, 2000). For instance, strategic networks enable learners to d evelop their writing, listening, and problem solving skills. Learners with disabilities can achieve and enhance skills and thinking abilities using experience, practice, and reinforcement. However, learners are unique and have different learning characteristics which affect the learning outcomes. Affective networks consider what is essential and offer learners the motivation for learning. Learners have several diverse motivating factors, which depend on individual differences in emotional state, culture, interests, level of difficulty, and performances outcomes among others. These are computer-aided AT that support learning i.e. writing and reading. However, learners’ abilities and their applications of these technologies in learning environments vary considerably. Meyer and Rose note â€Å"UDL approaches to instruction and curriculum development provide flexibility in the presentation of information, multiple ways for students to demonstrate knowledge, and diversity and cho ice in the content of lessons and assignments to support students’ diverse interests and learning styles† (Rose and Meyer, 2000). Thus, traditional forms of assessment, materials, and instructions like lectures, text materials, and written tests may present challenges to a number of learners. This is because educators develop such materials with broad needs of students. This means that merging AT and traditional methods of learning present serious challenges to instructors. We must recognize that â€Å"flexibility in classroom management, curriculum, teaching strategies, and evaluation is an essential part in realizing that learning opportunities are accessible to all learners† (Lewis, 1998). UDL aims to eliminate â€Å"learning barriers and the need to for an inclusion of individual students with disabilities by incorporating the needs of the largest range of learners in the design of lessons and curricular contents† (Lewis, 1998). Instructors can suppor t recognition networks by providing several and flexible formats for learners to get information and reinforce key concepts. These formats may include video, oral presentations, highlighting, digitized text, graphic organizers and give useful information about background of the study. We can support strategic networks through providing a number of means of expressing knowledge. These include written, oral, group presentation, PowerPoint, and so on. Likewise, we can also provide chances for practice and give immediate feedback to allow learners monitor their progress. Instructors can support â€Å"affective networks by offering learners with multiple choices of contents and tools, giving challenging tasks, providing varieties of recognition and rewards† (Rose and Meyer, 2000). For instance, learners may choose to work independently or as a part of a group. Teachers must ensure a balance and challenging contents with suitable supports for AT to enhance learners’ engageme nt. AT developments have their foundations on flexibility that support diverse learning techniques within these learning networks. Majorities of traditional teaching methods and curricular contents do not focus on the range of learners diversities that exist in a learning environment today under inclusion programs. AT approaches offer instructors chances of exploring innovative techniques to meet the diverse needs of different of learners. Consider Anna’s needs for AT and accommodations in the areas of reading and writing. Please consider no tech, low tech and high tech solutions as part of your assistive technology plan. Please include a rationale or justification for the assistive technology selected Some of Anna’s condition regarding reading and writing may require no technology device to resolve. For instance, Anna can choose to read as a part of group with other learners, take parts in role plays and presentations. When we consider low technology devices, Anna may use readily available solutions such PowerPoint, highlighting texts, books on tapes, videos, and so on. This is because Anna has an IQ that is above average. It means she encounters minimal difficulties in the learning process. Anna’s need for high technology solutions may be more elaborate than the two previous cases of no technology and low technology. These may be specific AT devices and services. In Anna’s case of recommending a solution for her reading and writing, we need specific tools. Anna has a problem of small, fine motor movements making her have difficulties in writing. Thus, she needs high technology devices of specialized software or hardware. Suitable AT devices for Anna include a larger keyboard that gives her hand movements to type, and computer-developed voices such as the synthesized speech. These tools will enable Anna to keep on track with her writings. Anna also needs abbreviation expander to enable her create, store, and re-use abbreviations f or frequently-used words or phrases. â€Å"This can save Anna hand movements and keystrokes, and ensure proper spelling of words and phrases she has coded as abbreviations† (Rose and Meyer, 2000).. Anna needs AT devices for writing text because she has such significant spelling problems that her teachers lack suggestions of what they are. She also has illegible handwriting that she cannot use for note-taking in class. AT devices, which can assist Anna write are word prediction, and a large electronic keyboard. These AT devices will support Anna in writing notes, which match and cover for the areas of difficulty and allow her write at level that matches her ability. Anna still needs AT devices, which can help revise the notes she has written even if she can avoid poor handwriting. She can use text-to-speech device to review and read the notes on the screen. She also has her key words or all notes highlighted as she reads them back. This enables her visually follow them as she reads aloud. Text-to-speech will enable Anna detect errors she makes while writing. With this support, Anna has the ability of becoming independent in revision of her writings and other notes. Anna can also use audio books and publications for a possible case of dyslexia. Recorded books will give Anna opportunities to listen and understand the text. â€Å"Recorded books are available in different formats like audiocassettes, MP3 downloads and CDs† (Rose and Meyer, 2000). References Becta. (2003). What the research says about ICT supporting special educational needs (SEN) and inclusion. Coventry: Becta. Golden, D. (1998). Assistive Technology in Special Education: Policy Practice. Reston, VA: CASE/TAM. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (1997). Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments of 1997. Boston: United States Department of Education. Lewis, R. (1998). Assistive technology and learning disabilities: Today’s realities and tomorrow’s promises. J ournal of Learning Disabilities, 31(1) , 15-16. Rose, D. H. and Meyer, A. (2000). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Appendix You are part of a CSE team that has just classified Anna. It has been determined that Anna has a learning disability. As a member of the CSE team you now need to begin considering Anna’s needs for assistive technology. Anna’s profile is listed below: Anna is a child in fourth grade and has a learning disability. Her teachers have difficulty deciphering her written output, because of both poor spelling and poor handwriting. They have difficulties with how long it takes Anna to write a response. She has difficulties with small fine motor movements, so writing is daunting. Anna also has difficulties in reading textbooks; Anna could possibly be dyslexic but has yet to be diagnosed. Anna has above average IQ, enjoys being in school, and love s interacting with her peers. This essay on Assistive Technology was written and submitted by user Ricky Mckenzie to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Cold Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders

The Cold Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders On April 11, 1981, 36-year-old Glenna Sue Sharp, her 15-year-old son John, and his 17-year-old friend Dana Wingate were murdered in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort, in Keddie, California. It was discovered later that 12-year-old Tina Sharp was missing. Her remains surfaced years later. Before the Murders Sue Sharp and her five children- John, 15, Sheila, 14, Tina, 12, Ricky, 10, and Greg, 5- moved from Quincy to Keddie and rented Cabin 28 five months before the murders. On the evening of April 11, 1981, Sue had given the okay for Ricky and Greg to have their friend, 12-year-old Justin Eason, over to spend the night. Justin was also relatively new to Keddie. He had been living in Montana with his father, but moved in with his mother and stepfather, Marilyn and Martin Smartt, in November 1980. The Smartts lived in Cabin 26, which was just a short distance from the Sharps cabin. Letting Justin spend the night would not be a problem, but if it became one, Sue knew she could always send him home. Plus the house was fairly empty. Sheila had plans to go to a sleepover at a friends house. John and his friend, 17-year-old Dana Wingate, were going to Quincy that night, then coming back to hang out in Johns bedroom in the basement. Tina was over in Cabin 27 watching television, but came home around 10 p.m. The Discovery The following morning Sheila Sharp returned home at around 7:45 a.m. As she opened the door, she immediately noticed an offensive odor that seemed to engulf the room. When she stepped into the living room, it took her mind a moment to comprehend what her eyes were seeing. Her brother John appeared to be bound and lying on his back on the living room floor. There was blood caked around his neck and face. Next to John was a boy, bound and lying face down. It appeared that the boy and John were tied together at their feet. Her eyes then landed on a yellow blanket that was covering what looked like a body. Gripped by fear, Sheila ran to the neighbors while screaming for help. The investigation into the murders was initially handled by the Plumas County Sheriffs Office. From the start, the investigation was riddled with errors and oversights. To begin with, the crime scene was never properly secured. Even more astounding was the amount of time that it took for the police to realize that Tina Sharp was missing. When the first police officers arrived at the scene, Justin Eason tried to tell them that Tina was missing, but they ignored what the boy was saying. It wasnt until hours later that everyone realized that the 12-year-old daughter of the murdered woman was gone. The Murders Inside Cabin 28, investigators found two kitchen knives, one that had been used with such force that the blade was severely bent. Also found was a hammer, a pellet gun, and a pellet on the living room floor, which led investigators to believe that the pellet gun was also used in the attacks. Each victim had been bound with several feet of medical tape and electrical appliance wires removed from appliances in the home and extension cords. There was no medical tape at home before the murders, indicating that one of the attackers brought it in to help bind the victims. An examination of the victims was conducted. Sue Sharps lifeless body was found under the yellow blanket. She was wearing a robe, and her underwear had been removed and forced into her mouth. Also in her mouth was a ball of tape.   The underwear and tape were held in place with an extension cord that was also tied around her legs and ankles. Both Sue and John Sharp had been beaten with a claw hammer and stabbed multiple times in their bodies and throat. Dana Wingate was also beaten, but with a different hammer. He had been strangled to death. There was considerable blood on the living room floor, and drops of blood on Tinas bed. The investigation pointed to rape as the motivation behind kidnapping Tina, instead of murdering her in the home with the others. More evidence found included a bloody footprint that was discovered in the yard and knife marks in some of the walls of the home. The Investigation While the brutal attacks inside Cabin 28 were going on, Sues sons Ricky and Greg and their friend Justin Eason were sleeping undisturbed in the boys bedroom. The boys were found unharmed in the room the following morning after the murders.   A woman and her boyfriend, who were in the cabin next door to the Sharps cabin, were woken up at around 1:30 a.m. by what they described as  muffled  screams. The sound was so disturbing that the couple got up and looked around. When they were unable to determine where the screams were coming from, they went back to bed. It seems impossible that screams woke the neighbors, but did not disturb the boys that were in the same house where the screams originated. Also perplexing is why the killers chose not to harm the boys when any one of them could have been pretending to be asleep and later identified the perpetrators. A Possible Break in the Case The Plumas County Sheriffs Office questioned anyone who could have heard or witnessed something that could help solve the case. Among those that they interviewed were the Sharps neighbor, Justin Easons stepfather, Martin Smartt. What he told investigators made him a prime suspect in the crime. According to Smartt, on the night of the murders, a friend of his by the name of Severin John â€Å"Bo† Boubede was staying with the Smartts on a temporary basis. He said he and Boubede first met a few weeks earlier at the Veterans Administration Hospital, where they were both receiving treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Smartt claimed to suffer from PTSD as a result of his time spent fighting in Vietnam. He went on to say that earlier in the evening of April 11, he, his wife, Marilyn and Boubede, decided to go to the Backdoor Bar for a few drinks.   Smartt worked as a chef at the Backdoor Bar, but it was his night off. On the way to the bar, the group stopped in on Sue Sharp and asked her if she wanted to join them for drinks. Sue told them no, so they left for the bar. At the bar, Smartt complained angrily to the manager about the music that was playing. They left shortly afterward and went back to the Smartts cabin. Marilyn watched television, then went to bed. Smartt, still angry about the music, called the manager and complained again. He and Boubede then went back to bar for more drinks. Thinking that they now had a prime suspect, the Plumas County sheriff contacted the Department of Justice in Sacramento. Two DOJ investigators, Harry Bradley and P.A. Crim, conducted additional interviews on Martin and Marilyn Smartt and Boubede. During the interview with Marilyn, she told the investigators that she and Martin separated the day after the murders. She said that he was short-tempered, violent, and abusive. After the interviews with the Smartts and Boubede were completed and Martin was polygraphed, the DOJ investigators decided that none of them were involved with the murders. Marilyn Smartt was interviewed again at a later date. She told investigators that Martin Smartt hated John Sharp. She also admitted that early in the morning of April 12, she saw Martin burning something in the fireplace. Back to Justin Eason As time went on, Justin Eason began to change his story. He had told the investigators that he was asleep during the murders, as were the other two boys, and that he did not hear anything.   In a later interview, he described in detail a dream that he had where he was on a boat and saw John Sharp and Dana fighting with a man with long black hair, a mustache, and black glasses, who was carrying a hammer. The man threw John overboard, and then Dana, who he said was very drunk.   He went on to describe seeing a body that was covered in a sheet lying on the bow. He looked under the sheet and saw Sue, who had a knife cut in her chest. He tried to help her by patching the wound with a rag, which he ended up throwing into the water. In reality, Sue Sharp did have a knife wound in her chest. Another time, while being polygraphed, Eason told the polygrapher that he thought that he saw the murders. He said that a noise woke him up and that got up and looked through the door into the living room. He said he saw Sue Sharp laying on the sofa and that there were two men standing in the middle of the room. He described the men, one with black and dark glasses, the other with brown hair and wearing army boots. John Sharp and Dana came into the room and began arguing with the two men. A fight broke out, and Dana tried to escape out through the kitchen, but the man with the brown hair hit him with a hammer. John was being attacked by the man with the black hair, and Sue tried to help John. Justin said that this point, he hid behind the door. He then saw the men tying up John and Dana. He also claimed that he saw Tina come into the living room holding a blanket and asking what was going on. The two men grabbed her and took her out the back door as Tina tried to call for help. He said the man with the black hair used a pocket knife to cut Sue in the middle of her chest. Justin worked with a sketch artist and came up with composites of the two men. A Former Neighbor On June 4, 1981, investigators Bradley and Crim interviewed a man who lived in Cabin 28, but moved two weeks before the murders. He said he did not know the Sharps, but that three weeks before the murders he heard Sue Sharp and an unknown man yelling at each other. They continued to fight for another 30 minutes, screaming obscenities back and forth at each other. DOJ Investigators Get a Slap From the Locals When details of the interviews that Bradley and Crim had conducted with Martin Smartt and Boubede came to light, the Plumas County authorities were livid. Bradley and Crim were accused of sloppy work and failing to fact check or to pursue clarification for obvious discrepancies made by Smartt and Boubede. During the initial interview with Crim, BouBede said that he had worked as a Chicago police officer for 18 years, but retired after being shot while in the line of duty. This was an obvious lie which could have quickly been spotted had Crim paid attention to Boubedes date of birth.  Boubede lied about how long he had lived in Kiddie by adding two weeks to the time.  He said Marilyn was his niece, which was a lie. He claimed Marilyn was awake when he and Smartt came home after their second trip to the bar. Had anyone been paying attention, they would have caught that it contradicted what Marilyn said, which was that she was asleep when the two men came home. BouBede said he never met Sue Sharp, which contradicted what Marilyn said about the three of them stopping at the Sharp house and inviting her for a drink. Bradley and Crim showed a similar lack of energy when interviewing Martin Smartt. In one interview, Smartt said that his stepson Justin Eason might have seen something on the night of the murders, adding, without me detecting him at the end of the sentence. The investigators either missed the implications in Smartts slip up, or they werent listening. Smartt talked to the investigators about the hammers that used in the murder, adding that he had recently lost is own hammer. There were no follow-up interviews with Smartt or BouBede, since the investigators believed that the pair had no involvement in the murders. No longer a prime suspect, Martin Smartt moved to Klamath, California. Boubede returned to Chicago where he scammed several police officers out of money, was caught and almost did prison time, but died before being incarcerated. Tinas Remains In 1984, the cranium part of a skull was found about 30 miles from Keddie. Several months later an anonymous caller told the Butte County Sheriffs office that the skull belonged to Tina Sharp. Another search of the area was made, and a jawbone and several other bones were found. Testing confirmed that the bones belonged to Tina Sharp. The Butte County Sheriffs office gave the original and the backup copy of the recording from the anonymous caller to someone in law enforcement. Since then, both the original and the backup copies have disappeared. A Dead Mans Confession and New Evidence Martin Smartt died in 2000, and not long after his death, his therapist told the Plumas County Sheriffs Office that Smartt had confessed to him that he killed Sue Sharp because she was trying to convince Marilyn to leave him. Smartt never mentioned who killed John, Dana, or Tina. He also told the therapist that it was easy to beat the polygraph, that he and Plumas County Sheriff Doug Thomas were friends, and one time he let Thomas move in with him. On March 24, 2016, a hammer was found that that matches the description of the hammer that Marty Smartt claimed was missing two days after the murders. According to Plumas County Sheriff Hagwood, the location it was found... It would have been intentionally put there. It would not have been accidentally misplaced.

Analyzing essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Analyzing - Essay Example In this article, its author claims that grade inflation is a serious problem; despite this, it is not paid enough attention and almost is not discussed. Therefore, the author chooses to present the overview of both the consequences and causes of grade inflation with the aim to start the discussion of the issue. At first, the author deals with the consequences of grade inflation at different stages of education and presents them in the form of a list. Uva states that even within elementary and high school, the negative influence of this process is visible because putting incorrect marks results in improper placement of students in groups. Consequently, for many of them it is difficult to cope with pressure and they give up learning. If placed in a group they suit, they could achieve better results. In other words, the author’s point is that the roots of grade inflation should be looked for at schools where its negative influence is seen even at elementary level. Also, the author analyses the consequences of inflated grades for colleges, labour market as well as for students themselves. More specifically, Uva traces the progression of inflation as it starts at school and develops up to student’s graduation and job search. The author bases his argument on the statistical data fr om his region where almost a half of seniors graduate with excellent marks, and this makes the colleges increase heir quotas. As a result of exaggerating marks, more deserving students can be rejected. By this, Uva once again highlights the idea that the problem of grade inflation takes it rise from schools. The second main point of the article under consideration is the causes of grade inflation. In particular, Uva analyzes the influence of parents, schools as educational institutions, and teachers and professors as the major catalysts of the development of grade inflation in the country. The author claims

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 17

Marketing - Essay Example WD Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd. was built in 1999, locating in Cixi City, Zhejiang Province, which is called the hometown of small household appliances. It is a company of manufacturing small household appliances integrating R&D, production and marketing. The main products are electric kettles, coffee pots and electric steamers, with the annual output of 2 million units of small appliances. WD owns its self-operation export and import rights and the products passed GS/CE Authenticate of TUV and were exported to countries and districts such as Europe, Middle East and Australia. The company covers 8,500 square meters and over 170 employees, including 55 managers. It manufactures as per the order and mainly as the OEM. The annual production value and sales in 2002 was USD 3.47 million, about CNY 28.73 million. The entry barrier for the electric kettle is rather low because the universal production equipment (injection model) can be widely applied in producing kinds of household appliances with injection molding. It can be switched easily with low cost. The mold manufacturing is the main restriction. The cost of a set of mold of the kettle is about CNY 0.8 – 2 million, which is not too much for investors; the economical efficiency of scale is not obvious and can be operated on small scale; with low technique and fewer components, the technical difficulty is mainly achieving the appropriate temperature controller and connecting pieces design according to the aesthetic appeal; customers are particularly sensible to the style and quality, so if the manufacturer can design a popular style, it is not difficult for them to receive orders and marketing channels by means of product development and exhibition. Therefore, the channel is not the problem. As the competition enters a new stage, price competition is not the only

A Personal Reflection On The ITM Information Technology Essay

A Personal Reflection On The ITM Information Technology Essay I have been in information technology industry for quite some time. I have first-hand information technology experience especially in government, utility, consulting, software and manufacturing industries. I wanted to contribute with my industry experience during ITM 700 and ITM 800 courses. Other team members did not have a similar background or experience thus had different points of view most of the time. I particularly had experience with Ministry of Environment, Government of Ontario, particularly with their RFS and RFP processes. I wanted to utilize my past experience with Ontario government in making a better RFI. I knew our professor had also Ontario government experience. I proposed what needs to be done to make our projects more successful based on my practical industry experience, in consideration of professors past experience with the industry, especially her experience with the government, what she would be looking for in a RFI. Other team members responded positively at times, mostly did not agree with what I proposed. But regardless of differences of opinions, I complied with the majority and delivered reports. Most of the time, feedbacks from professor were in favour of what I proposed earlier. In most cases I received little or no feedback on my parts of the deliverables. They understood what I had as industry experience was genuine and was really in line with what these courses are trying to achieve. I felt that my past experience in the industry contributed to my learning, and my education here at Ryerson was in line with what I learned in the industry, giving me confidence that I was receiving an education that would actually be put to good use and would at the end help achieve my future career goals. It was not only theoretical but also applicable to todays and future business environments. Other team members also realized that these courses were not far from real business life realities. Good thing about this experience was that it was not always what we felt like was true; it was what client wanted and what profitability and sustainable competitive advantage principles dictated. Bad thing was we realized we had a lot more to learn and gain much more experience, we were just at the beginning of a long journey and the road ahead was full of challenges, was long and needed a constant concentration and energy to keep up with the pace and to keep at it. I learned that technology, tools, their fit for purpose and their alignment with corporate strategy were very important for survivability of a company. This made it clear to me that we need to educate ourselves constantly about technology trends. We need to know how emerging new technologies can change how we do business. We need to be in a position to identify if they can be acquired by competitors. If they were acquired by competitors, what could this mean? What would be the future threat if competitors were to adapt these technologies much earlier? We also need to be able to understand if these new technologies are just a fashion statement and will disappear like never happened or existed, or will they form an important part of how we do business. When we look back, will we say I cant imagine how we made business without these technologies. Take, for example, 20 years ago, how did companies communicate with their customers without internet, how did multinational and geographically dispersed corporations communicated internally, what was the speed at which they could arrive to a decision about a particular subject with collaboration of geographically dispersed team members? How did they reach to international costumers? What was the means of delivery of information regarding their products and services before internet did not exist? Impact of technology on many different areas of businesses is becoming more evident with each day. How would companies have shortened design to market cycles without use of information technology as they do today? What could we have achieved with a certain amount of budget 20 years ago in comparison with what we can now with the same budget? Would the business benefit the same? Considering how far the computing capacity increased in the last 20 years, it is a challenge to imagine what future business environment and culture will look like. We need to be prepared and ready for such changes in the near future which most likely will happen in a not too long of a time span. I learned how to approach a team environment that has many leaders, with difference of opinions. I gained experience in how to handle conflicts of priorities. It was a remarkable opportunity for me to increase my experience on how to tackle tight schedule timelines. I learned how to juggle what we need for our project versus what the client wants from the same project. It was a unique opportunity for all of us to learn how to handle challenges due to lack of interest on the clients part in providing important financial information for our deliverables. My strategy with our client was to extract reasonable amount of information, if at all possible, for our deliverables while keeping clients interest in the project intact. I based my actions on satisfying clients needs as well as providing enough information for our deliverables for our course. Striking a balance between what client wants and what we need for a successful report for our course was the key. Experience that I had with well known consulting companies such as Deloitte Touche, Cap Gemini and IBM helped me a lot in gathering requirements and preparing reports. My knowledge and experience regarding technology, enterprise resource planning systems, business application development and maintenance helped a lot during the course of both ITM 700 and ITM 800. It is important to understand the needs of the client and articulating them. Keeping dependable records of communications with the client, getting clarity on the requirements, good understanding of their near and future business growth are important elements in a successful project. I understood that to better manage and deliver projects in the future, it is important to understand clients business, what is important for them, what the critical elements are in sustaining their competitive advantage and thus how our project can help improve them. It is also important to have a better understanding of technology trends that are applicable to clients business. Better articulation of tasks, deliverables, timelines, lead times and resources needed are also important. Demonstrated and continued executive leadership is an important aspect in a similar project. This allows reasonably fast decision-making during the project, reducing risk of delays in delivery of the project. It makes it clear to the team members and other stakeholders that the organization is supporting the project and that they will receive the project deliverables and results they are expecting. Adequate funding and resources dedicated to the project is also important. Without this, quality of the deliverables may suffer, project may be delayed, team may be more likely to cut corners on the project, or take more risks and thus jeopardize the quality of outcomes of the project. Clear governance, roles and responsibilities is another important aspect of a successful project delivery. Without clear governance, roles and responsibilities, key milestones and delivery dates can be missed. Due to the project not being given the importance warranted by senior executives, resources may be moved from the project, critical decisions may be deferred or removed from agendas and the project may lose credibility as a result. Another important success factor for a project is complete and clear requirements. This eliminates significant changes in scope throughout projects lifecycle, likely resulting in the project being on-budget, and being on time. A comprehensive, well-thought out plan helps to have a clear picture of what is going to be delivered and when. This will allow enough lead time to obtain vital resources needed towards the latter parts the project, for example testers, technical writers, trainers, and business users to validate and accept the deliverables. Greater consideration for people and organizational change management increases chances of acceptance of the project deliverables by the client by making its business environment ready to accommodate and support these deliverables. It is important that the deliverables are embraced by business users otherwise the project may not be seen as a success even if everything is delivered as agreed. Multi-stakeholder communications is also important on a project because without regular communications client may lose confidence in our ability to manage the project, may not have a clear picture of what is going to be delivered, and when, may not be aware of issues occurring on the project, whereas issues may have occurred with an impact on delivery dates, quality and scope of deliverables or may believe there are significant issues occurring on the project when there are none. It is also important to have a better understanding of economy in Ontario and Canada as it relates to industry that our client is operating in. We need to better understanding legal implications and law in Ontario and Canada that affects business of our client. With the help of all these critical success factors, we can end up with a better managed project, better client satisfaction, and bigger benefits realized. We also can decrease amount of time to gain back the investment made on the project. Better alignment of technology with company strategies that feeds and sustains competitive advantage of the client will also be an important outcome. We can get more training to improve ourselves. We should increase amount of interaction with team environments and get more opportunities to practice good communication skills such as presentations, public talking and other means of improving verbal communication. This can also further be nurtured by performing more client facing tasks as much as possible. Overall I was very pleased and satisfied with my experience with ITM 700 and ITM 800 at Ryerson. There was never a dull moment during the course of study in the last eight months. Ryerson provides its students unparalleled opportunities to equip themselves with relevant, current and industry aligned skills and experience in a changing and highly competitive global economy. As a Ryerson graduate I will feel much more confident and ready for challenges that future business life will bring.

Infertility Essay -- Health, Reproduction, Sperm Hyperactivation

Infertility is a significant and common problem; approximately 9% of couples throughout the world are infertile with 56% of couples needing treatment (Boivin et al, 2007). Study by Mike Hull demonstrated that sperm dysfunction is the single most common cause of male infertility (Hull, 1985). This observation has been confirmed by other studies with report that dysfunctional sperm may exist against entirely normal semen analysis and conversely normal sperm function with very poor samples (oligozoospermia) (3-4 in Cris paper). Without a clear understanding at cellular and molecular level of sperm dysfunction, the only effective treatment for these cases is assisted reproductive technology (ART). It is generally accepted that diagnostic and predictive value of conventional semen analysis is very poor in predicting sperm fertilising potential of infertile couples. As result of this, numerous studies on assessing the cells’ functional competence and diagnose sperm dysfunctions have been developed over the last few years in an attempt to assess the predictive value of these tests for the outcome of in-vitro fertilisation. One of the most important parameters of sperm function is hyperactivation. For fertilisation to occur, spermatozoa must undergo capacitation either in vivo (in the female reproductive tract) or in vitro (in conditioned culture medium), which involves a sequence of membrane and metabolic changes, including transition of progressive motility to a highly irregular movement (hyperactivation). Hyperactivated motility is displayed by sperm swimming in the oviduct and has several physiological advantages, which could certainly help sperm to move effectively through different obstacles in the female reproductive tract e.g.... ...rtilisation rate was studied in prepared sperm samples that were surplus following treatment, to eliminate inter ejaculate-variation. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the incidence of Ca2+ store failure among sub fertile patients and its clinical significance in male infertility; (2) the relationship between % hyperactivation and intracellular Ca2+ level in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents; (3) if intracellular Ca2+ and HA are related to IVF success; (4) if hyperactivation in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents is biomarker to differentiate between men with normozoospermic samples and patients with severe male factor infertility; and (5) if impaired store mobilisation is stable problem in these patients or vary between ejaculates, this is achieved by recalling sub fertile patients with store malfunction to be examined further. Infertility Essay -- Health, Reproduction, Sperm Hyperactivation Infertility is a significant and common problem; approximately 9% of couples throughout the world are infertile with 56% of couples needing treatment (Boivin et al, 2007). Study by Mike Hull demonstrated that sperm dysfunction is the single most common cause of male infertility (Hull, 1985). This observation has been confirmed by other studies with report that dysfunctional sperm may exist against entirely normal semen analysis and conversely normal sperm function with very poor samples (oligozoospermia) (3-4 in Cris paper). Without a clear understanding at cellular and molecular level of sperm dysfunction, the only effective treatment for these cases is assisted reproductive technology (ART). It is generally accepted that diagnostic and predictive value of conventional semen analysis is very poor in predicting sperm fertilising potential of infertile couples. As result of this, numerous studies on assessing the cells’ functional competence and diagnose sperm dysfunctions have been developed over the last few years in an attempt to assess the predictive value of these tests for the outcome of in-vitro fertilisation. One of the most important parameters of sperm function is hyperactivation. For fertilisation to occur, spermatozoa must undergo capacitation either in vivo (in the female reproductive tract) or in vitro (in conditioned culture medium), which involves a sequence of membrane and metabolic changes, including transition of progressive motility to a highly irregular movement (hyperactivation). Hyperactivated motility is displayed by sperm swimming in the oviduct and has several physiological advantages, which could certainly help sperm to move effectively through different obstacles in the female reproductive tract e.g.... ...rtilisation rate was studied in prepared sperm samples that were surplus following treatment, to eliminate inter ejaculate-variation. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the incidence of Ca2+ store failure among sub fertile patients and its clinical significance in male infertility; (2) the relationship between % hyperactivation and intracellular Ca2+ level in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents; (3) if intracellular Ca2+ and HA are related to IVF success; (4) if hyperactivation in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents is biomarker to differentiate between men with normozoospermic samples and patients with severe male factor infertility; and (5) if impaired store mobilisation is stable problem in these patients or vary between ejaculates, this is achieved by recalling sub fertile patients with store malfunction to be examined further.

Wine Making

The differences between red and white wines include the kinds of grapes used, the fermentation and aging process, and the character and flavor of the wine. White wines are almost always made from white grapes, although they can be made from black grapes, since the juice in most black grapes is clear. When white wine is made, the skins of the grapes are separated from the juice when they are put into a crushing machine. After filtering etc, the wine is aged by storing it in stainless steel or occasionally oak containers and bottled after a few months. White wines, then, are made without skins or seeds and are essentially fermented grape juice. They have a light character and have crisp fruit flavors and aromas. They can be sweet or dry or somewhere in between Red wine is usually made from red or black grapes, although all the kinds of grapes usually have a clear juice. The process of making red wine is different from the one of making white wine. After the grapes have been in the crushing machine, the red grapes with their skins and everything sit in a fermentation vat for a period of time, typically about one to two weeks. . The skins tend to rise to the surface of the mixture and form a layer on top. The winemaker frequently mixes this layer back into the fermenting juice (which is called must). After fermentation is over, the new wine is taken from the vat. A little â€Å"free run† juice is allowed to pour and the rest of the must is squeezed into â€Å"press wine†. The wine is clarified and then is stored, usually in oak containers, for several months until it is ready to be bottled. The oak containers add additional wood tannins and flavors to the wine which help to intensify it and add richness to it. The result of this process is that red wines exhibit a set of rich flavors with spicy, herby, and even meaty characteristics. Late harvest ice wines are the exceptions in both hemispheres. The grapes are typically left on the vine to increase the sugar content and may be harvested up to a few months after the traditional harvest. An indigenous yeast fermentations starts by itself when wild yeast strains – originating in the vineyard – start fermenting. Wild yeast can take up to a week to begin the fermentation because their initial populations are small compared to an inoculated fermentation. But there is strenuous debate as to whether the wild yeast come in from the vineyard or are already present in the cellar on winemaking equipment.