My own communication and interpersonal skills Essay Example for Free

My own communication and interpersonal skills Essay I will be assessing my own communication and interpersonal skills in relation to each interaction. Verbal Communication My placement is at a pre-school, I have good verbal communication as I interact well with the children when I am speaking to them I listen to what their saying when they are speaking to me, I keep an open mind and concentrate on the main direction of the children’s message to me, I avoid distractions to make sure I am effectively listening to them at all times, usually the children speak to me about the toys they are playing with and they tell me about the activities they are doing. For example the in my last one to one interaction I was talking a girl in the nursery about her pets at home and if she looks after them, even though I don’t have any pets I listened to the girl and gave her appropriate feedback and questions. I make sure I am in a comfortable environment so I can hear the children effectively so it’s not noisy; I am always prepared to listen to everything the children say to me. In a one to one interaction I find it easier to communicate verbally as I’m only speaking to one child so I can stay focused on that particular child and what they’re saying to me to make sure I am actively listening to the child, this is an area I communicate well with and many skills in this area improve every time I go. Whereas in group interaction I find verbal communication harder so I need to improve on this, I find it hard to speak to more than one child at a time because they are children they are all speaking at the same time so I am getting a lot of information at the same time I try my best to effectively listen to them but with a lot of information being told to me it’s hard to process the information, I need to improve on this by making sure the children are taking turns so I can listen to them without getting bored. For example in my last group interaction I was making a puzzle with the three children and they were all asking me questions at the same time to I found it hard to listen to all the questions. I also need to improve on the questions I ask the children to make a conversation with them; I ask them questions but then I run out of questions to ask them so then the conversation stops, I should ask more questions that interest the children so my communication skills improve. In a group interaction I am better, so I am good at asking questions as there are more children with more questions to ask me so the  conversation run more better and information is shared quicker and more effectively, compared to a one to one interaction I run out of questions to ask the child as I do not obtain information well. I need to improve on this skill to I can communicate better with a single child to give them more involvement in the conversation. I can respond to questions more effectively as I find it easier to understand the question they have asked me because they are children and the questions are quite simple. I let the children tell me what they want to say to me so I can clarify my info rmation. Reflective speaking I think this skill is something I need to improve on; I do try my best to give the best feedback to the children in both types of interactions. In a one to one interaction I find it easier to communicate as I can understand the child’s message clearly and I am able to give feedback as the how the message is received, however sometimes I struggle to speak back to them if I haven’t understood what they are saying, this skill is vital and I need to improve on it every time I go to placement. In a group I interaction it’s the same with the listening as lots of children are speaking to me at the same time I need more time to process and give feedback but as they are children they get impatient waiting for me, I do have an interest in what the children are saying it’s just a matter of finding balance in my communication and interpersonal skills. Even though I am good at speaking to them effectively but I can’t give them feedback or start a conversation if I struggle to make a conversation but I can speak to the children and make sure they understand what I am saying to them. For example I was speaking to a child about her family and what jobs her mum and dad does but I couldn’t think of what to respond back to her so she got confused even though I did try my best. Non-verbal communication skills My non-verbal communication skills could do with some improvement, when I am communicating one to one my body movements can sometimes show to the child that I am not enjoying a conversation with them I try and show as much interest in possible but sometimes things like my posture if I am slumped while talking to a child it can communicate to them that I have a negative attitude to the conversation. In both types of interaction I struggle to  make eye contact it’s something I need to improve on I often don’t look at the children, in a group interaction I can’t keep eye contact with every child but I try my best to make them realise that I am going to talk to them and to let them know when it is their turn to speak to me, in a one to one I only have one child to focus one so I find this easier to do, however I am still nervous and this is why I struggle to keep eye contact , I think with more confidence I will be able to keep eye contact with the children when I am speaking to them. My closeness towards the children is a thing that I am doing well I make sure I give the appropriate space for the children to feel relaxed and for me to also to feel relaxed to effectively communicate with them. I thing I think I am good at in both type of interactions is my facial expression I always make sure i am smiling at the children to make it seem like I am interested in what they are saying to me so it then makes them realise that I am interested in what they have to say to me it makes sure that my communication with the children is effective. I am also good at gestures I do gestures a lot to express to the children what I am feelings, if I am speaking to them about something exciting I use my hand gestures to show them that I am interested in what they are saying to me. In my one to one to interactions I can focus more on what a child Is saying to me so my hand gestures express to them how I am feelings about what they or saying or what I am saying to them, this is the same with group interactions as I am able to use gestures to what all the children or saying as they are often talking about near enough the same things. However, I need to improve on negotiating with the children, a s they often argue with each other and I find it hard to stop the argument and reach an agreement. I need to make sure a negotiation is best for themselves, this is in a one to one interaction I do not need to negotiate but in a group I need to find common interests so they don’t argue. I need to improve on ending the conversation as I often don’t end the conversation so then the children might still have something they want to say to me, I should tell the children that I am going to go elsewhere so that they know the conversation is over or make it aware by body language or my facial expressions. One of the main things I need to improve on is my communication with the staff; I don’t communicate with the staff much. When they ask me to do something like helping the children wash their hands, I listen effectively and give appropriate feedback this is  something I can do well. But I need to speak to them more if I am unsure of things, but it is the children who I communicate with every time I go, the staffs are busy doing other things and they communicate with me when it is needed. I don’t really need to improve on this but I can talk to the staff and communicate with them if I need to for the benefit of the children. Overall I have more things I need to improve on for my communication and interpersonal skills. I find it easier to communicate in a one to one interaction as it is only one child and I can speak to them better as I am able to process my information faster and give the correct feedback to the child in order for them to understand. In a group interaction there is more than one children speaking to me and sometimes too much information is given to me at once and I can then not give feedback to the children, this is something I need to improve on and this can be done through effective turn taking so the children understand that they need to take turns in communication this will then make my skills better so I will be able to communicate more effective. I am able to stay calm and stay focused when communicating with both the staff and the children this is my main skill that I can do well, but my main skill that I need to improve on is my non-verbal communication skills as this is where I often find myself communicating that I am bored to the children because they can go on for a while and I do get bored of what they are saying so I can fold my arms and yawn portraying bad body language , this is why I need to make sure I am listening to what they are saying, I could ask different questions to change the subject of the conversation to something that I understand better. Good communication and interpersonal skills are vital when I am in my placement setting as I need to communicate well with service user to develop a good relationship with them so they understand what I am saying and for me to give them feedback to them. As I now know the things I need to improve on every time I go to placement I can improve my communication skills with the children and adults in order for my communication and interpersonal skills to be effective. I am going to be evaluating factors that influenced the effectiveness of both the one to one and group interaction. (D1) Effective Factors in one to one interactions Having good confidence– In my one to one interactions I have more confidence  as I am only talking to one child, I felt like I had more control over the conversation as I only had to deliver information to and from the person. Only talking to one child made me less anxious and nervous and I was speaking clearly and calmly as my nerves weren’t making me stumble on my words so this meant that the child could understand what I was saying so she was able to give me good feedback and I was able to respond without feeling anxious that I was going to mess up. My good confidence influenced my communication to make it better because I felt like I was enjoying the conversation instead of it being all over the place this enabled the conversation to run more smoothly and fun. Only having one child to speak to doesn’t overwhelm me with information so as I said earlier I had more control over what I was saying to the child and what I would respond so it made me feel better a bout the communication I was saying so I could then think of more questions to ask so the conversation between me and the child would last longer. It also helped that the child I was speaking to had good confidence she’s outgoing and she always has something to say to me so this influenced the effectiveness of the interactions because she wasn’t quiet and this helped me to speak to her so it didn’t effect my nerves as she kept asking me questions so it made the conversation more enjoyable. Knowing the child well– In my one to one interactions I speak to a child I know best, a child that I feel more comfortable speaking to because I speak to them a lot compared to the other children. It helps me because if I know the child then I have more things that I know about them e.g. favourite singers or their favourite foods, so I can then speak to them about a specific thing that they like to talk about then that child speaks to me a lot about that, so I am then able to respond better as I already know things about the child from previous conversations. The conversation is influenced by this as my confidence is better when I speaking to them because I know them better and I know how they interact with me so this then enables me to be more engaged with that child. As I know more things about them I can ask them questions related to something they like so they feel happier speaking to me about it as it excites them to tell me more about it so I more information is given and the conversations runs more effectively. When I child knows me better it helps as they then feel more comfortable speaking me as they know who I am so when I’m having a conversation with the child like in my last one to one  interactions we are happier speaking to each other so we are more likely to find common interests and make the communication more effective as we can listen better to each other and respond better. Environmental factors good amount of space- In my one to one interactions I have more space a around me as I am only talking to one child compared to several in a group interaction. Having more space around me made me more relaxed and comfortable to talk to the child as I don’t feel like I am consumed to one area, this makes me more less nervous when I’m speaking to a child as I know that I have more space around me to express how I’m feeling in a conversations through gestures and this can make a conversation more funnier. Having personal space around me means I can move around while I’m speaking to a child and I can do some actions to get the child more involved. Space influenced the effectiveness in my one to one interactions as when I have a good amount of personal space around me I can think my thoughts through better without getting paranoid that I don’t have enough space this enables me to deliver my information clearly and effectively so the child understand what I am saying to them. The amount of space I have is always at a reasonable amount as there is only one child, so this means I can effectively respond to what the child’s saying to me without getting panicked and I can then think of more questions to ask so this means that the communication is effective. Also this meant that the child had space to talk to me effectively so she didn’t get panicked that she didn’t have enough space to move around like through her gestures, so we were able to speak to each other clearly and all these reasons enabled me to communicate effectively with the child. Environmental, Good noise level When I’m having my one to one interaction with a child the room has some background noise but its fairly quiet and it makes sure I am able to concentrate on the children without getting distracted by other noises that the staff or children could be making, I can listen to them effectively to them as the noise is at a respectable level, as I am listening to them effectively the conversation runs faster and more smoothly. Being able to hear everything the child is saying helped them to understand what I was saying to them therefore I gave them appropriate feedback. It also allowed me not to misunderstand anything the child said to me so I didn’t make mistakes in what I said back to them so this influenced the effectiveness of my  communication between the child as it helped me to have full concentration on everything the child was saying, as the room was at a good noise level and the information to be delivered effectively and me and the child was able to carry on the conversation without the noise level being to loud, as it was just one child I could understand what she was saying to me as she was close to me so the noise levels were good so I was relaxed and so was the child so it made our communication effective as we were ab le to talk more freely. Group interactions Questions being planned out – In my group interaction there was four children in the group and all of them were confident and they each had lots of questions to ask me and each other. On child asked a question to me and I was able to answer it effectively as the questions were straightforward and every child on the table understood them so they were able to effectively listen to the question and they all responded well, this allowed the conversation to run smoothly without any arguments happening as the children all agreed on the questions and they were interested in them so it made the conversation more enjoyable so it was effective as all children participated because they were interested in the questions being asked or explained. Having the questions being planed out before hand allowed me to have some kind of structure to what I was going to ask so I had a basic idea of how the children would respond and how I would respond to them, I looked at what children was in the gro up and what type of questions they would enjoy answering to help the communication be effective, this then made sure no-one was left not knowing what to say as I always had a back up question. Once one child asked a question all the rest of the children thought of a question to ask as it related to the first question, so they all took turns and asked their questions it influenced the effectiveness of the interaction as questions were being asked so more information was being shared and the communication was effectively being listened and responded to. I had some good questions to ask the children and they were all interested in them so they listened to what I was saying and if a child got stuck on a question I aided them along. Having good and relatable question effectively helped the conversation as the more information was being responded to, as the children understood and were interested in what was being asked the listen nicely to  other children’s answers, I was listening to the children and giving good feedback and the overall conversation was enjoyable and fun and all the children were interacting well with me and each other from the questions said. Me bein g the group leader – As I was talking to a small group I was in charge of the conversation as I was the oldest and the most responsible in the group. Having a group leader helped me to have control of the conversation as I was able to help the children if they were struggling with the activity I was doing to I guided them through step by step so they understood what they had to do. When we had a group discussion I guided the group and made sure that everyone was having a turn so it was a fair conversation and it gave chance for other children to think of something to say. I had control over the conversation so when the children started disagreeing with each other I can stop them from arguing so this made sure that the conversation was running smoothly and calmly without arguments. I made sure that the if a child wasn’t speaking much I prompted them to speak so everything was fair and in order, and when the children went of topic I could ask a question to that was related to what we were previously speaking to, me being their made sure that the communication was effective as it could make sure that the children were listenin g to each other and responding to each effectively so I could make the group function better without the children getting frustrated. For example, I was making sparkles with my group and I talked them through step by step and made sure that they were sharing out the equipment fairly without them arguing with each other so I could effectively communicate and that they could listen and respond with each other, all these reasons helped me to effectively guide the group conversation so the communication was effective, so I was effectively interacting, listening and speaking to them as a group leader and that they were effectively listening and speaking to me. As a group leader me smiling and being open armed encouraged the children to participate with me as I was the group leader so they were looking up to me. Having a good amount of time to speak – In my group interactions I have a good amount of time to listen to what the children are saying to me, having a good amount of time to listen to the children allows to think through what I am saying and what I will say to them without being rushed by other things tha t are happening. I also allows the children to have enough time to listen to what I am saying  so they didn’t misunderstand what I was saying to them, this influenced the effectiveness of the conversation as having time to communicate made things not rushed so I was more relaxed when speaking to the children. I could then speak to the group of children without feeling that I had to rush things with them so I was speaking clearly, as it was a group and there was more then one person having an effective time to communicate helped me to speak to all of the children and it made sure everyone had a turn so there was no arguing. I was able to clarify my information so it was correct and it helped me and the children as I wasn’t anxious about what I was saying, my body language showed that I was relaxed and I was interacting well with the children, having enough time to do the discussion/activity with the children helped me to not rush things and it influenced the communication as it was pla nned out well and everyone was listening and responding well to each other. Having common interests – In my group interaction, picked a group of children that were all doing the same activity which was playing with the dinosaurs, I then went over and started to talk to the children and asked them questions like ‘what is your favourite dinosaurs’ and ‘what shall we call this dinosaur’, this influenced the communication as they were all doing the same thing so all the children were interested in what I was asking them, so this helped the conversation to flow better as more information was being delivered from each child. As I was interested in what they were playing with so I listened well to the children and then I responded well to them to keep the interested, having common interests helped the effectiveness of my group interaction as everyone was interested in the topic of the conversation so it made me and the children more relaxed. My good confidence, knowing the child well, having a good amount of space and it not being noisy influenced the effectiveness of my one to one interactions they each helped in different ways and they allowed me to have good listening and speaking skills as well as portraying good non-verbal communication skills. They helped me to understand the child better and to give good feedback to him/her. Questions, common interests, having enough time and me being a group leader all influenced the effectiveness of my interactions with four children in different ways, having more children to speak and listen helped me in some ways compared to my one to one interactions, but all these factors helped me to communicate  better with the children and for them to communicate with me. References Sheet given in class on what to do for the tasks (Accessed 08/12/14) PowerPoint on learning box – ‘Barriers to effective communication’ (Accessed 08/12/14)

Effects Of Moderate Hyperhydration On Blood Pressure Biology Essay

Effects Of Moderate Hyperhydration On Blood Pressure Biology Essay Introduction The heart is an efficient machine that supplies the body with oxygenated blood and recycles unoxygenated blood (Weedman, 2009). Unoxygenated blood comes into the heart, is pumped to the lungs, oxygenated, and then returned to the heart to be pumped to the rest of the body (Weedman, 2009). Blood pressure (BP) can be found by measuring systolic over diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the pressure in the blood vessels while the hearts beats while diastolic pressure is measured by the pressure after the heart beat (Weedman, 2009). Diastolic pressure is also called the filling stage because it occurs when the heart is in a state of relaxation and the semi-lunar valve is closed (Weedman, 2009). In opposition, systolic pressure transpires during contraction where the tricuspid and bicuspid valves are closed (Weedman, 2009). Heart Rate (HR or also referred to as pulse rate (PR)), read by taking a pulse either on neck, upper arm (most precise measurement) or wrist, uses arterial pressure to calculate the rate that blood is flowing through the arteries (Weedman, 2009). It differs from blood pressure and is the number of times the heart beats in one minute (Weedman, 2009). Heart rate and blood pressure are great points of interest in the human population because of the importance of the heart in human anatomy. The heart muscle is pertinent to survival and therefore been tested and experimented on habitually. Many tests have been done on the heart by many well established doctors. One of these studies tests the effect of respiratory ailments and stress on heart rate (Weber, 1985). The results show that heart rate and blood pressure are directly correlated with stress, meaning that when someone is stressed the harder their heart pumps and the more pressure is put on the muscle(Weber, 1985). Nevertheless, there are many other factors that affect heart rate and blood pressure. Most of the factors discussed share a direct correlation with heart rate. There are also some lifetime diseases that stem from vascular problems that were before thought to have little to no affect (Skoog, 1996). For instance, a study conducted about Dementia revealed that most victims also consistently had high BP. There is more hypothesized evidence that supports this claim, but it has yet to be proven. Despite the ambiguity of the correlation of BP and Dementia, there are many health related concerns that surrounds BP and HR. This is pertinent to the experiment conducted because it questions what health hazards surround dehydration. As the research of BP and HR becomes more involved, so do the experiments concerning them. In the experiment conducted in LIFE103, a biology class at Colorado State University, 27 subjects tested the affects of hydration on BP and HR/PR. It is hypothesized that there will be a significant change in both BP and HR this is relevant because previous studies showed that a change occurred in similar experiments (Mountain and Edward, 1992). Its predicted that BP and HR will decrease after the addition of water into the body. Materials and Methods All variables were kept as similar as the environment would allow and subjects didnt consumer water for two hours before experimentation was started. There was an uneven mixture of male and female and all students were of different weights, but roughly fell into a broad spectrum of normal weight. Three basal readings were taken from the 27 participants. The participants measured themselves using a sphygmomanometer and recorded both heart rate and blood pressure. These were then averaged and if the average was off, additional measurements were taken. Heart rate and blood pressure served as the independent variables, while the dependent variables were the water and the environmental factors. After basal measurements were completed students drank 2 cups of water. Water temperatures varied from room temperature to cold and data was separated according what temperature water subject drank. The subjects were given five minutes to consume the water. A reading was taken directly after the water was completely consumed. Readings of BP and PR were taken in increments of three minutes since the initial reading until the time struck twelve minutes. There were five total readings. Information from all of the subjects was gathered and charted. Data was analyzed by comparing data to previous tests, earlier hypothesized values, and T tested. Probabilities were found and then information was compiled into a list of results. Excel was used to assemble the results and create graphs and tables. Results The experiment took approximately twelve minutes after water was consumed. The 27 subjects did not drink anything for at least two hours prior, dehydration levels; however were minimal because students were told to keep at a comfortable hydration level (and two hours isnt sufficient to dehydrate a body completely). Hydration levels after drinking approximately two ounces of water were also minimal because of the small amount drunk. Differences between heart rate and pulse rate are not obvious before and after consumption of water. The pulse rate (or heart rate) had a more visible change. Comparing averages of final PR (twelve minutes after water was drunk) to the basal reading yielded a change, but it was within a hundredth of a decimal point. The change in blood pressure was also nonexistent. Though, if compared the values of diastolic and systolic pressure change more significantly than the values of the PR. The data is summarized below in a mixture of charts and written description. This simply surmises that the average PR basal reading is less than the average post PR at twelve minutes. However, the data is inconsistent because the basal reading is a collection of three different measurements and there could be unknown outliers. Doing a T test, the information is shown to be probable (P PR T Test PR vs PR PR1 Basal vs PR 12 min PR2 Basal vs PR12 min PR3 Basal vs PR12 min PR0 min vs PR12 min PR3 min vs PR12 min PR6 min vs PR12 min T Test .00028 .00028 .00079 .772211 .979664 .413052 T test scores based on excel calculations concerning an experiment performed in class. (P Table 1 The results were inconclusive, the changes were so minimal that (when averaged) the difference between the beginning pulse rate and the final pulse rate were within hundredths of a decimal of each other. Blood pressure had little change. Systolic pressure decreased slightly as did diastolic, but it was too such a degree that the change could be accounted by many variables. Drawing these conclusions, earlier hypothesis and prediction cannot be supported (this conclusion supported by T-test). The chart below shows the change of pulse rate after the water was consumed. There is no significant change as the time progresses. Average of PR taken at times 0,3,6,9 and 12 were used compared to the time that the experiment progressed over. Figure 2 Comparatively, blood pressure had similar results. On a time scale, blood pressure had no distinctive change. Figure 3 is the change in systolic pressure over time while Figure 4 is the change of diastolic pressure over the time stretch that the experiment was done in. It shows that nothing can be conclusively found about either pressure because the unpredictable nature of the line. Discussion As earlier hypothesized blood pressure will change and so will heart rate, however they will not be affected heavily because of the small amount of change that is being inflicted upon the subjects. It was predicted that after an amount of time without drinking any water the subjects heart rate will speed and after water has been added, heart rate will slow down. Alternatively, the experiment could have been improved with more control. There were many variables that were not accounted for. Water temperature, amount of water drunk, amount of exercise allowed to be exerted by the subjects, sex of subjects, size of subjects and normal heart rate and blood pressure of subjects were not consolidated in the experiment. This could contribute to experimental error, for the hypothesis and predictions are supported according to many experiments done by professional, scientists. These experiments have slightly different variables and test for slightly different results, but their results are conclusive to what should have been found in the experiment conducted in class (this experiment was also performed more professionally with greater differences in the control group and tested group). In opposition to hydration, dehydration has a lasting effect on heart rate as well (Montain and Edward, 1992). Understanding how dehydration affects heart rate is pertinent to understanding how hydration affects it (Montain and Edward, 1992). Expectations would be that they are complementary of each other and this study titled Influence of graded dehydration on hyperthermia and cardiovascular drift during excursive focuses on the dehydration aspect on the body and how the heart rate and blood pressure react (Montain and Edward, 1992). Hyperthermia is another aspect of this experiment, but seeing as it does not pertain to the experiment conducted in class, it will be overlooked (Montain and Edward, 1992). Directly pulling information from the Montian experiment, there were a certain number of cyclists that took part in the experiment, but they all fell into the same category: capable, normally low heart rate people (1992). Though there was no difference in the amount of sweat that the cyclists produced, there was a significant difference in their heart rates based on what amount of liquid that they consumed (there were four different groups, each assigned to a different amount of water) (Montain and Edward, 1992). The study shows that the level of dehydration directly correlates with HR (Montain and Edward, 1992). The amount of water in the blood indirectly correlates with Heart Rate meaning that the less water there is the harder the heart has to beat in order to get the stagnant blood through the veins and arteries and into the entire body (Montain and Edward, 1992). The x-axis is time (out of 110), this shows that heart rate. The heart rate increases with the smaller amount of fluid. An experiment performed by Nadel et al. similarly tests the effects of hyperhydration and hypohydration on the heart rate and the circulatory system, however, the investigation compares and contrasts the two different conditions other than going into depth in one over the other (1980). Maximal arm blood flow was taken for both of the experiments and when in a hypohydration condition, the blood flow was reduced by almost 50% (Nadel et al. 1980). Though there was a difference in the amount of blood when hyperhydration conditions were met (subject drank 2 liters of water), the difference was not significant enough to make a large impact on the subjects heart rate (Nadel et al. 1980). However, when the subject then exercises the heart rate is abnormally slow compared to normal and hypohydration conditions (Nadel et al. 1980). A sufficient amount of water also helps maintain a constant internal temperature (Nadel et al. 1980). Temperature is actually a very good way to measure the blood p ressure and as seen in the figure 7 blood flow can be measured against temperature to find that the less water a person has, the higher the temperature is (Nadel et al. 1980). Measures blood flow versus temperature (rectum or esophageal temperature is always used in cases like this). An earlier experiment performed in the early 1940s noted in Effect of hydration state on circulatory and thermal regulations studied the same topic, but in a different manor (Nadel et al. 1980). Their findings were conclusive that even when hypohydration conditions are achieved, when water is given to the subject in large quantities, hyperhydration conditions are easily established and a quick rebound of water replacement in the body takes place (Nadel et al. 1980). In fact, the body reaches a steady condition in much less time than it takes the body to get into a critical condition. This illustrates the fast effects of water retake in the heart rate and body (Nadel et al. 1980). These detailed experiments are crucial in helping to understand why the classroom experiment had differed results. The study size, though it certainly inflicted the value of the data, was not the problem, but the quality of the subjects. They were all of different athletic potential and did not have similar heart rates or blood pressure rates. The collection procedure itself could also have some error. Subjects measured their own pressures and rates and did not exactly time it between each three minute intervals. There was also not enough time to collect sufficient data (hours of dedication were needed, not minuet minutes). However, this cannot completely dismiss the experiment, but seeing further evidence from the studies illustrated earlier, it is clear that the classroom results do not correlate with any of this previous research. Even though the experiments were exactly the same, similar results should have been expected because the basic outlines for both of the experiments were the same (Mountain vs. classroom experiment). Therefore, even if both experiments were testing for something different they should have experienced comparable outcomes. Data and conclusions drawn from this experiment are skewed and cannot accurately portray what happens when a sudden increase in hydration happens in the body. Therefore the null hypothesis has failed to be rejected. Sources Cited Weber KT, Janicki JS. 1985. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing for evaluation of chronic cardiac failure. The American journal of cardiology 55: Issue 2. Weedman and Sokoloski. 2009. Biology of Organisms: A Laboratory Manual for LIFE103. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. p 173 184. Skoog MD, L. Nilsson MD, G. Persson MD, B. Lernfelt MD, S. Landahl MD, B. Palmertz MD, L-A. Andreasson MD, A. Odà ©n PhD and A. Svanborg MD. 1996. 15-year longitudinal study of blood pressure and dementia. The Lancet 347: 1141 1145. Montian J and Coyle F. 1992. Influence of graded dehydration on hyperthermia and cardiovascular drift during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 73: Issue 4. Nadel E R, Fortney M S, Wenger C B. 1980. Effect of hydration state of circulatory and thermal regulations. Journal of Applied Physiology 49: Issue 4.

ISTE NETS Standards for Teachers

ISTE NETS Standards for Teachers Module 1: Assessing Strengths and Improvement Opportunities Comparison to NETS-T Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity I believe I do a fairly good job of engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital media and tools (NETS-T 1b). For example, most of my international ELLs are majoring in international trade. Therefore, I have my business English students do a business plan proposal and presentation. In small groups, students use the Internet to research opportunities and possibilities for starting their own business. They also have to create a business plan indicating their product or service, cost structure, and projected profits or losses for the first, second, third, and fifth years, among other things. They then organize this information into a PowerPoint presentation and present their proposals to the class. Students then vote for the proposal that is the most realistic and plausible and has the best chance of success. Many aspects of this multi-faceted assignment deal with real-world issues and authentic problems and use digital tools and resource s to address them. I am, however, relatively weak on NETS-T 1c, promoting student reflection. Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments I believe the business plan example discussed above is also decent example of a Digital-Age Learning Experience that adapt[s] relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (NETS-T 2a). Students learn to do Internet research and use common office productivity software while acquiring and learning to communicate in business English. During the term, students also have to send me several business-related emails such as asking for more information, placing an order, checking an orders status, complaining as a customer, and handling complaints from customers. We do similar topics as phone calls as well. These sorts of activities provide me with formative and summative assessment data (NETS-T 2d). Lawton (2014) says that 21st century assessments must move beyond simple right and wrong answers. PowerPoints, presentations, emails, and phone calls go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning I do very little with digital communication or collaboration with students or colleagues beyond email and WeChat (a Chinese real-time messaging and social media app similar to WhatsApp). There are three primary reasons for this: culture, government restrictions, and my own ignorance. Culturally, everyone in China uses WeChat for both personal and professional communications. I, however, find it inadequate for professional or academic correspondence or collaboration. WeChat is so pervasive, in fact, that while most Chinese have email accounts, they rarely use them or even check them. It is common for me to send an email then use WeChat to inform the recipient that an email has been sent. Chinas Great Firewall (i.e. government restriction) is another barrier. The Chinese government blocks many Western websites and web-based services such Google (including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Classroom, Google Translate, Google Scholar, and YouTube, etc.), Twitter, and Facebook. VPNs to get aroun d such blocks are available, but they are often expensive, unreliable, and the government does its best to ban and block them as well. Finally, my own ignorance is a barrier. I simply have not taken the time to research and explore the options that may be available to me in China. Part of the reason is time, part of it is complacency. I simply have not had the motivation to investigate. Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility This standard is also quite difficult to meet in my current environment. China has a reputation for weak protection of intellectual property (IP) rights. While Chinas written IP laws are comparable to those of more developed nations, they were written only relatively recently, the courts have little experience with IP cases, and enforcement is inconsistent (Ang, Yingmei, Chaopeng, 2014). For example, from firsthand experience, Beijing is filled with DVD stores that cater to foreigners. Every Western DVD is bootlegged and pirated. Likewise, counterfeit bags, shoes, and clothing are easily available even though the government has shut down many of the offending shops in recent years. They just reopen elsewhere. Similarly, it is very common for university students to purchase photocopies of required textbooks. Any copy center in Beijing is happy to copy a textbook, even the ones on campus. In fact, two years ago I attempted to require my students to buy authentic copies of my class req uired text but I was swiftly reprimanded by my superiors. No, no, no, no, no! my supervisor said. Authentic books are far too expensive. Our students cannot afford them, I was told. Photocopies are better! The universities are owned, operated, and controlled by the same government that writes and enforces IP laws. It is little wonder that foreigners have the impression that copyright laws and intellectual property rights do not exist in China in any meaningful way. Having said that, one thing I am able to do-and I do it zealously-is insist upon proper documentation and citation of sources. I do my best to investigate, verify, and prove suspected plagiarism but it is difficult to do so when Yahoo is the only tool at my disposal. I would like to invest in a service such as Turnitin to catch, or better yet, prevent plagiarism. Standard 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership Rogers (2003, cited in Oncu, Delialioglu, Brown, 2008, p. 21) identified five types of people with regard to technology adoption: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. My level of resistance seems to be increasing as I age. I know I am not the innovator I once was; at this point I might classify myself as mid-majority had Rogers included that type in his scheme. I think part of professional growth and leadership with regards to technology is to approach technology with a more critical eye than is typical. While there are many undeniable benefits to using technology in the classroom, there are also potential dangers, drawbacks, and disadvantages that appear to be overlooked, ignored, or dismissed out of hand (Langford, Narayan, Von Glahn, 2016). For example, concerns have been raised that overreliance on technology can cause declines in critical thinking and analytical skills (Porter, 2014; Greenfield, 2009, cited in Langford, Narayan, Von Glahn, 2016) and that overdependence on the Internet hampers peoples ability to think, understand, retain, and analyze information (Carr, 2010; Ciarcia, 2012; Friedman Heafner, 2012, cited in Langford, Narayan, Von Glahn, 2016). Finally, Bauerlein (2008) believes that the digital age has generated access to immense information at the expense of making us dumber. He worries that the younger generation is increasingly disconnected from culture, history, politics and context contributing to ignorance and apathy (cited in Langford, Narayan, Von Glahn, 2016, p. 4). I think it behooves teachers and educators to acknowledge both sides of the debate and not automatically assume that any and all technology is beneficial or even harmless. Our students often embrace new technology cavalierly. Therefore, as teachers, educators, and leaders, it is incumbent upon us to evaluate the use and potential consequences of technology before adopting it rather than blindly follow the pervasive culture. In oth er words, if overuse of technology is part of the problem, as some believe, is more technology really the answer? As leaders we must ask hard questions and be willing to defy the status quo (Bennis, 1989, cited in Shoup, 2016). Conclusion I believe I have done a fairly good job of meeting some of the indictors of the ISTE NETS standards for teachers. On the other hand, some of the standards and their indicators will be difficult to meet in my Chinese university teaching and learning context. Even so, there are two things I believe I can do to further develop the skills I need to meet the NETS-T standards and indicators. My first goal is to research age-appropriate online collaborative tools available and accessible in China. Such tools will help my business English students further develop their English reading and writing proficiency as well as prepare them for their future careers where such collaboration is commonplace. Secondly, I want to develop my professional growth and leadership by researching and understanding the potential problems and pitfalls presented by technology beyond the three most commonly associated with youth-predators, plagiarism, and porn-and how to mitigate them. Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) Below is a Technology Integration Matrix reflecting my business English class for my international university students. I chose this class because I believe it is the most technology-integrated class I currently teach. My TOEFL and IELTS workshops are far less technology-dependent. In fact, I felt it necessary to create and add a new Level of Technology Integration to the Matrix: Non‑Integration. There are several reasons why a teacher may not integrate certain aspects of technology with his or her instruction including, but not limited to, unawareness that such technology exists, ignorance regarding its use, a lack of resources or access, or a rationale where such use is deemed inappropriate (Kayalar, 2016). For example, I myself am unaware of age-appropriate online resources for goal-directed learning that are available and accessible in China. Levels of Technology Integration into the Curriculum Non-Integration Entry Adoption Adaptation Infusion Transformation Learning Environment Characteristics Active Students use technology seamlessly (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, the Internet) as they create business plans, proposals, and presentations as a means to develop English language proficiency. Collaborative Students primarily work alone or in pairs or small groups when researching and creating their business plans and proposals. Most if not all collaboration is done in person. Constructive Students select and use appropriate technology tools and resources to create and present a complete business plan and proposal in English. Authentic Students select and use appropriate technology tools and resources to create and present a complete business plan and proposal in English. Goal-Directed Students do not use technology in this manner. Goal 1 I would like my business English international students and myself to research and explore age-appropriate goal-directed online resources available and accessible in China that will aid their English-language acquisition and use. This might effectively move us from Goal‑Oriented / Non-Integration to Goal-Oriented / Entry. Researching English-language educational tools in English will itself help build students English-language vocabulary and reading comprehension skills as they try to discover online tools and ways they can be used to facilitate other aspects of their language acquisition and use. Goal 2 I would like to move my business English international students from Collaborative / Entry to Collaborative / Adoption. In China, WeChat is the preferred means of real-time messaging and communication. However, email is more common in other parts of the world, especially in professional business environments. I would like to extend email (or other collaborative tools) use into the arena of real-world collaboration as opposed to the merely academic exercise it is currently. Conclusion While many benefits of integrating technology across the curriculum are strong and undeniable, several barriers remain. These barriers might be categorized as external (relative to the teacher) or internal. External barriers largely involve the availability and accessibility of age-appropriate technological tools and resources, and are largely outside the teachers control. Student social-economic status, school or district funding, or government policy and regulation are all examples of external barriers that may make it difficult to fully integrate technology inside the classroom. Internal barriers to technological integration pertain to teacher willingness, knowledge, and skill, and their legitimate concerns regarding student welfare as well as founded or unfounded prejudices and biases against technology. I would like to echo Langford, Narayan, and Von Glahns (2016) caution against using technology for technologys sake and instead thoughtfully and critically adopt only those techn ologies and methods proven to enhance the student educational experience, in my case, the acquisition and use of the English language at the university level. References Ang, J. S., Yingmei, C., Chaopeng, W. (2014). Does enforcement of intellectual property rights matter in china? Evidence from financing and investment choices in the high-tech industry. Review of Economics Statistics, 96(2), 332-348. Kayalar, F. (2016). Cross-cultural comparison of teachers views upon integration and use of technology in classroom. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 15(2), 11-19. Langford, S., Narayan, A., Von Glahn, N. (2016). Revisiting the technology and student learning debates: Critical issues and multiple perspectives. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching Learning Journal, 9(2), 1-15. Lawton, D. (2014). Beyond bubble sheets and number two pencils: Assessment in the digital age. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 81(1), 53-58. Oncu, S., Delialioglu, O., Brown, C. A. (2008). Critical components for technology integration: How do instructors make decisions? The Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 27(1), 19-46. Shoup, J. R. (2016). Leadership, organizational, and institutional studies: Reconciling and teaching competing perspectives. Journal of Leadership Education, 15(4), 167-182.

Cultural Anthropology Book Report Essay -- essays research papers

Classical Readings on Cultural Anthropology What do we have to learn through the study of different cultures? I was hoping for some wonderful revelation in the collection of writings. I may have found one. This book was a difficult read for me. I am not sure whether it’s my age or my inexperience with classical readings. I also found it difficult to formulate a report on a collection of readings, the last report I did was on Laura Ingall’s Little House on the Prairie. This reading was a little more challenging. The main point that seemed to jump out at me is that perceptions change, our theory of reality changes with every viewpoint. Every culture can seem primitive, self destructive, nonsensical, immoral or just wrong, depending on who is doing the observation and what perspective they are observing from. In the first reading, Narcirema, points very clearly to the fact that our own culture could seem very odd, irrational, and ritualistic to an outsider. But aren’t we all outsiders to everyone else? Don’t we see ourselves as â€Å"normal† and everyone else as â€Å"abnormal†? I think it is human nature more than ethnocentrism. My daily rituals would seem very irrational to another woman of my age in different circumstances. That’s where the saying comes from that you don’t really know a person till you walk a mile in their shoes. The second reading of â€Å"Queer Customs† gets right to my point that culture is an abstraction; therefore each person doing the viewing views it differently. Culture is pointed out as being a â€Å"way of thinking, feeling, and believing† and since I have never met anyone who thought exactly the way I did about everything, one would have to conclude that we each have our own culture and our own views of other cultures. I wasn’t really sure that the next reading really fit in with the others in the book. Rapport-talk versus Report-talk seemed insignificant to the other passages. It is a well-known fact, in all walks of life that men and women of any race, creed, or culture are different and that we have different and sometimes contrasting ways of communicating with each other. I was surprised to find this seemingly simple theory in this book. Yet again back to my question; am I getting the intended message from the author? The Christmas Ox story made so much more sense to me and had great importance when I read the passage on Potlach.... ...tely cause the demise of the entire culture. Sharp’s and Bodley’s detailed description of simple â€Å"helpful† actions that have generational, historical implications are dramatic and still, and maybe even more so, relevant to modern cultural diffusion. We don’t often think critically about our efforts to â€Å"help† others. We just dive in and â€Å"fix things†, this seems to come with the thinking that â€Å"we know better than they do†. This is a common problem in today’s governments around the world. This is the result of ethnocentrism. This book has certainly taught me one thing. American culture is very ethnocentric. Ours is one that is a â€Å"nightmare† to navigate the good and the bad because there are so many double standards. I think this speaks to the very core of contention among Americans these days. Very few of our leaders do what is right, and each of us has our own definition of right. Maybe if more people could really walk outside of their own daily rituals, beliefs, habits and commandments, and truly look at human kind without a superiority gauge, then the world would be a better place with less war, less suffering, less judgment and more peace, happiness, success, and creativity.

Television Commercials Designed for the Female Audience Essay -- Explo

Television Commercials Designed for the Female Audience The television commercial is perhaps the most effective means of product marketing and advertisement. Television is present in 99% of American households, and it stays turned on an average of seven hours per day. (http://www.envirolink.com/) The television audience is a varied, widespread audience, ensuring manufacturers that their products' advertisements are reaching all possible customers. Obviously, not all products are produced for all consumers. Market analysts and advertisers must find advertising techniques that can be used in commercials for certain target customers and use those commercials to directly affect the ideal customer for the product. Gender, social, and cultural ideologies are often used to influence the audience. The vast array of possible studies on commercials includes gender differences and influences on the development of children, demographic stereotypes and the effects on society, even the use of dialogue and its importance to the advertisement; however, I 've focused on a slightly more narrow path of research and observation. I have narrowed down the comparisons of gender differences to focus only on the female's place in the commercial world and how television advertisements change their approach for different age groups. By observing five basic parts of the commercial-- the camera work, the product advertised, the sound, the actors, and the action- I was able to focus on the advertiser's ideas of the female child, teenager, adult, and elder, and sort similarities, differences, and correlations between the commercials of the different age groups. The subject of my research was approximately 190 commercials, recorded over a period of one ... ... as energetic fun-seekers- are influential or not will be determined by the consumer and his or her pocketbook and the advertiser's continued ability to hit that target. RESOURCES TV Facts from http://www.envirolink.org/issues/system/media/tv_facts.html Paper format after Jacquelyn Bradway http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/~mccarney/acad/bradway.html VCR Recordings from NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX Other Ideas and Information from The Marketing Concept http://ctl.augie.edu/dept/coth/coth380/advert/WHEEL.HTML Gender Differences in Communication http://cpsr.org/cpsr/gender/mulvaney.txt TV Programs Have Underlying Economic Purposes http://www.widmeyer.com/tv/viewing/link11.htm Content Analysis of Gender Differences in Children's Advertising http://www.aber.ac.uk/~ednwww/Resdeg/merris07.html A Definition of Advertising http://www.wsu.edu/

Effects of Maternal Employment on Infant Development Essay -- essays r

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic of this paper is the debate of whether or not maternal employment has any effect on infant development. Research on this described topic has recently become popular due to the rise of working mothers over the past several decades. Their increasing numbers in the workplace and decreasing numbers as stay at home moms are creating a number of different issues to be studied. The effects of maternal employment are determined by a number of factors that include, the mother’s job satisfaction and drive, amount of work, and the mother’s opinion of quality versus quantity time with children. The main concept at hand here is the importance of an attachment in the first few years as being vital to a child’s later development. One side of the argument backs up this fact saying that it is important for a child to have their mother home with them during this period of development. The other side argues that they are finding that it may be more be neficial for the child to be placed in some form of nontraditional care environment. This paper will examine these different effects on infant development whether they are positive or negative. There are two sides to this argument as expected for any issue in debate. I will discuss these two sides by using the arguments of researchers that have studied this topic and written articles on their opposing feelings on maternal employment. I will summarize separately these two researchers’ different views along with their findings. After I have summarized some of their findings I will be presenting my own personal view on this topic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The authors arguing the yes side of this debate are, Jay Belsky and David Eggebeen. Their purpose in writing on this issue was to touch upon some of the issues involved in what has become known as the infant day care controversy. They reviewed previous studies of maternal employment and of the infants involved receiving various type s of non-parental care and found that the children that received the type of non-parental care available in the United States for 20 or more hours a week during their first year of life are at a higher risk of developing insecure attachments to their mothers and have been known to misbehave with adults and act more aggressively toward their peers as 3 to 8 year olds. It was also found that the children that ha... ...nced skills when in school. It has been discussed that children that were not placed in non-traditional care and stayed at home with their mothers for their first three years do not take long to catch up academically with the kids that had been placed in different care environments. Children that have been able to stay at home with their mothers have also been found to be more compliance and less behavioral problems when placed into school. I think that the one-on-one relationship that they got to have with their mother right from the beginning help a great deal in creating these types of good behaviors. The children who have been placed in the care of others all their lives would not know this feeling because they have always been surrounded by other children receiving care from the same few center workers. I really feel that the best thing a mother can do for her children to ensure good development and a happy childhood is be a loving mother at home for at least the first three years of life. Once they have had this experience, and they are closer to 4 years old they will probably be ready for some kind of pre-school program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Marketing Principles Assignment Essay

Introduction For this coursework assignment I will demonstrate that I required a good knowledge and understanding of the concepts and process of marketing by carrying out the task given. This will be showed with examples of theory applicable to a company of my choosing. For this task examples will be related to Apple Inc. organization. Incorporated in January 1977 as Apple Computer, Inc. todays Apple Inc. designs, produces and markets media and mobile communication devices, personal computers, portable media players and sells a variety of related software. Apple’s products and services include the iPad tablet computer, iPhone handset, Mac computer and iPod music mp3 player, the iOS and OS X operating systems. The company also sells and delivers music, movies, books and applications using the iTunes Store and Mac App Store. The company headquarters are located in Cupertino, California, USA. Worldwide there are 390 Apple retail stores with reported revenue in 2012 of $36.0 billion. Marketing wise the company is been voted many times as the winner of CMO Survey Award for Marketing Excellence. Apple’s three points marketing philosophy namely Empathy, Focus and Impute have made it possible for the company to become one of the world’s most valuable brands. Task 1 Task 1a. According to the American Marketing Association (October 2007) marketing is defined as â€Å" the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The CMA – Canadian Marketing Association defines marketing as â€Å" a set of business practices designed to plan for and present an organization’s products or services in ways that build effective customer relationships.† The Chartered Institute of Marketing defines marketing as â€Å" the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably† â€Å"Broadly defined, marketing is asocial and managerial process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return† (Hasell, 2012) These definitions show the importance of management in marketing and how important is for a business to know the consumers needs and wants. These definitions also show the importance of communicating a message to create the awareness that would create monetary value in return. The management process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying the consumers’ needs and wants it’s called a marketing process. This process is made of four steps: 1. Analyze the company situation 2. Develop a marketing strategy 3. Make decisions in terms of marketing mix 4. And how to implement and control the marketing strategy. Examples of Apple Inc. marketing process: -Apple is using SWOT and PEST models to analyze the company situation. -Apple is targeting more the middle upper income professionals. -Apple builds up anticipation before launching a product. -Apple included a customer service phone number in the iPhone phone book for customer direct contact with Apple in case of technical problems. Task 1b. There are a few marketing concepts that an organizations can adapt. Each one of these concepts has advantages and disadvantages. These marketing concepts are: Product related – is when a company could focus on perfecting a product  and its quality. The disadvantage for being product orientated is that a company can lose site of what consumer may want and need when focusing on creating one perfect product. Production related – a company could focus on the mass production of a product. The advantage for being production-orientated is that a production line in place could bring more profit because of the low cost on producing the same product. Although low costs are possible because customers have different needs, changing the line for a different product it’s costly. Sales related – a company could try to focus on selling what it produces. The disadvantage is that the company does not know what the customers’ needs are. Market related – a company could focus on customer needs before developing a product. The disadvantage is that information could be obtained from customers who do not know what they need. With so much interest on what the customer needs, the product development can be overlooked. Societal related – a company could focus on the natural and social environment and the customer needs The disadvantage of being societal orientated is that it is rarely possible to satisfy all customers’ needs and stakeholders. The first three marketing concepts, product, production and sales, are focusing on the product. The last two concepts, market and sales, focus on the consumer. Although they all are focus differentiated, all five concepts have one single goal in common and that is to make profit. Market orientation is about collecting and dissemination of information from customers. Apple Inc. has adopted the market concept together with product orientation. Having adopted both orientation with emphasis on quality and future customers needs it allowed the organization to anticipate the need for a new product, set higher prices and make more profit. But being marketing orientated it is costly. A company has to invest in the development of the product, market research, in surveys, databases, analysts and product changes. Although it is costly to be marketing orientated there are benefits for adopting this concept. For example: – The Apple’s iPhone is at his fifth generation. Introduced in 2007, it was a product of innovation and market research. The development of the product took three years and with the collaboration between Apple and Cingular Wireless is  estimated to have cost $150 millions. According to Forbes magazine (08/2012) â€Å"†¦something that didn’t exist five years ago, has higher sales than everything Microsoft has to offer. More than Windows, Office, Xbox, Bing, Windows Phone, and every other product that Microsoft has created since 1975. In the quarter ended March 31, 2012, iPhone had sales of $22.7 billion; Microsoft Corporation, $17.4 billion.† Task 2 Task 2a. A business organization marketing decisions are influenced by macro and the micro environmental factors. Businesses can cover the inside factors with a SWOT model analysis and the external factors can be assessed by doing a PEST model analysis. The advantage of doing these analyses is the identification of opportunities and knowing where the organization is at that moment. Apple Inc. 2013 SWOT analysis: – Strengths: brand reputation and own retail stores. Combined with a strong financial performance and innovative capabilities Apple can be first on the market satisfying new customer’s needs. – Weaknesses. Apple products have higher prices. Conscious people my find them to expensive and competitors can take advantage of this factor. Recent changes in management could lead to misunderstandings between Apple In. departments and could slow down the process of making marketing mix decisions for the 4 Ps (product, price, place and promotion). – Opportunities. High demand for the iPhone 5 and the iPad products and the growth of tablet and smartphone markets. Competition mistakes like the Microsoft introduction of Vista software. Apple took full advantages of how bad was the Vista program having PC users downgrading back to XP and migrating to Apple. This can best be seen in the â€Å"I am a Mac I am a PC† ads (2006-2008). – Threats. New competitors like the Huawei in the UK phone market. Strong dollar will affect exports. Apple Inc. macro environment is analyzed using the PEST model (political, economical, social and technological). These are factors that the organization has little or no control over them and can either support or  hinder Apple’s marketing decisions. For example, in the case of the political factors a tax increase usually means a price increase. This will reduce the purchasing power of the consumer and subsequently reduce profits. Recession is an economical factor. The consumer buying confidence is usually low and high priced Apple products are seen more as a commodity than a necessity. Task 2b. Satisfying customers by treating them alike is rarely possible because they have different needs. Segmentation is about understanding and satisfying these needs by separating consumers in groups with the same needs. One of the advantages of segmentation is that the organization can position the product better within a chosen segment. Poorly done segmentation can group customers in the wrong segment. The bases for segmentation are demographic, geographic, psychographic, behavioristic and geo-demographic. Some of the characteristics for demographic segmentation are sex, age, income, and education. Geographic segmentation is based on the location of potential customers. Psychographic is based on customers’ personality and lifestyles. Behavioral segmentation is based on the consumers’ actions. Geo-demographic is a combination of the geographical and demographical segments. There are three types of targeting methods and these are: Undifferentiated – for all publics Concentrated – focus on a specific group Differentiated – for different group types To recommend segmentation criteria and targeting methods for two different products I chose Apple’s iPod and the iPhone. For both products Apple Inc. should pursue the demographic and psychographic segmentation criteria. This will allow the organization to separate and target consumers based on the amount of money they have to spend and on what they would like to spend. – For the iPod (mp3 music player) Apple should pursue the concentrated method. This will allow them to focus on those customers who like to listen to music  on the go, organize songs and ultimately buy music for the iPod with the help of additional music platform like the iTunes. – For the iPhone, Apple should pursue the undifferentiated method. With so many different features the iPhone can be used by anyone for personal and business use. Task 2c. Buyer behavior affects how organizations market their products. Cultural, Social, Personal and Psychological are the four major factors influencing buyers’ behavior. To appeal consumers’ preferences, marketing mix strategies are developed by the organizations for the target market. Positioning is a strategy with what an organization can influence the buyer behavior. The strategy could include product use, product user, price, quality, product features, product class, competitors, benefits and cultural symbol. Apple Inc. products are perceived as high priced products with some buyers’ perception of them as over priced products. To counteract this perception Apple should reposition the iPod and the iPhone products using a strategy emphasizing products use, quality, performance and features. Task 3 Task 3a. To have sustainable competitive advantages Apple Inc. products development start with generating ideas. For example, the development of the iPhone product started with the idea of interacting with a computer without a keyboard. Usually a company can have many ideas for a product and screening them is necessary. Apple Inc. screens them through evaluations on the bases like the market needs, costs and resources. Apple market research concluded that the iPhone will have no competition for its features and the benefit will out way the cost of development. The next step of the product development was the physical transformation of the concept. Testing of the Apple products is done within the company using the employees. Normally companies test their new products with consumers but Apple prefers this type of testing because of the need of keeping the product features a secret from the competitors. After the evaluation of new ideas from the employees the iPhone was produced for the market. Task 3b. To make products available to the consumers Apple Inc. has three choices of distributions: 1) Selling directly to consumers. This channel of distribution is advantageous and a preference for Apple In. for the opportunities arising from interacting directly with the customer. Apple has their own retail stores with knowledgeable sales people who can make it very convenient for a customer to buy Apple products. Another way is selling directly through their website. Both options can be advantageously used for market research for better anticipation of new customer needs. 2) The second channel of distribution is selling the products through retailers. The advantage this channel provides is the promotion getting through retail advertisements. Many retail stores will place Apple products separately from the competitors in plain view for a customer to see it first and also use Apple products more for store advertisements. 3) This channel is selling through the wholesalers and retailers and is the least advantageous. For the last two channels (2 and 3) the disadvantage for Apple is that in both cases if the chain is disrupted, Apple products will not reach the customers. Task 3c. One of the most important elements of the marketing mix is Pricing. Pricing generates turnover for the organizations. The other 3P’s elements in the marketing mix are costs for the organizations. A number of pricing strategies can be adopted by an organization. For this task I have chosen to discuss three of them for their advantages and disadvantages. 1. Cost based price strategy is when a company sets prices based on the cost of the other 3P’s. The advantage of choosing this strategy is that because it’s the most realistic and the mark up its easier to set before the final pricing decision.. The disadvantage is that in a volatile industry where costs are always changing no set price can be set and the mark up is the final pricing decision. 2. Competition based price strategy is where a company can set a lower, the same or a higher price in comparison with competitors. The advantage is that a competitive lower price can be set to attract potential  customers. This strategy disadvantage is that it is unknown the production cost of the competitors and the company may operate at a loss. 3. Customer based pricing strategy is used when a company determines the price based on what is believed consumers are prepared to pay. The advantage of this strategy is that the price satisfies the customer price preference. The disadvantages with this strategy are that customers might give false impressions and the cost of production is knot known by them hence the company might run at a loss. Customer based pricing strategies are: Penetration Pricing – launching a low price product to increase market share Price Skimming – charging a higher price to maximize profits Loss leaders – a price set low to attract and encourage customers purchasing other products Predatory Pricing – setting a low price deliberately to restrict or prevent competition (in UK this type of price setting is illegal) Psychological Pricing – making the product believed to be cheaper than it really is. (Instead of  £1.00 it set at  £0.99) Apple Inc. uses the price skimming strategy. This strategy works for them because the company segments and target customers more effectively. The advantages with price skimming are that it creates the impression of prestige around Apple products and also in case of setting the price to high it could be lower easily. It also offers an insight on what the customers are willing to pay. Although this strategy has its advantages, in the computing and smartphone industry Apple has many competitors now and price skimming might be risky with the next product introduction. Consumers have many choices now and price preference is lower. Because of changes in consumers price preferences Apple Inc. should pursue the use of penetration pricing strategy in to attract new customers and increase the market share. Although the market share will increase the risk is that it is possible to still make lower profits. Task 3d. Promotion is one of the 4P’s and comprises of sales promotions, advertising, direct marketing, personal selling and public relations. These five elements make the promotion mix and are also known as the marketing communication elements. The usage of all five elements at one time is known as Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). To achieve and maintain long-term customer relationships Apple uses components from the IMC and the AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action) concepts. Advertisements and promotions are used to capture the consumer attention, his interest and desire to own an Apple product. Public relation is used to deal directly with customers about product issues. Apple uses direct marketing by emailing marketing messages on Valentines Day or Christmas to registered customers. Personal selling is used in Apple retail stores. Personnel can also inform customers about the products they inquiring about. One of the Apple sales promotions is â€Å" Buy a Mac and get a free iPod Touch†. Apple Inc. interest is to maximize the company impact on the consumer for maximum profits and the IMC concept is a very important tool in the company marketing strategy. Task 4 Task 4a. Known as the Four P’s, the traditional marketing mix basic elements are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. The mix of these four elements done right will result in meeting its marketing objectives for a company and satisfy its customers. Factors like marketing is far more customers orientated now and in developed countries the service sector dominates the economic activity have contributed to the addition of new Ps to the traditional marketing mix. The additional three Ps are Physical Evidence, Process and People and together with the four basic elements make the 7Ps of the Extended Marketing Mix. To understand the relevance of the extended marketing mix to service marketing first one must understand the characteristics of service. There are five characteristics of service marketing and these are: 1. Intangibility – services cannot be seen, taste and feel before they are bought. 2. Inseparability – a service is produced and consumed at the same time. 3. Perishability – a product can be stored for future use whereas a service cannot. 4. Variability – service standard  will vary because of people. 5. Ownership – in comparison with a product a service can only be used and not owned. In service marketing the service is the Product and is intangible. Marketing Price, like product is also invisible. Place is where the service is consumed and unlike a product where it is found in retail stores, a service is found in accommodation places such as the hotels, restaurants, airplanes. Service Promotions can be an extension of the original service. For example a hotel may offer an extra night stay, discount prices for other services found within the hotel or outside but the original price offer is still the same. What is seen during the consumption of service is referred to as the Physical Evidence. Consumers expect a good standard and presentation of the environment where the service is consumed and businesses will focus on the quality layout presentation. How the service is carried out or delivered is the Process. In many cases process is associated with customer service. In the transport industry often carriers do lack on the quality of it because of delays that may or may not have to do with the employees. The employees are the People and final element in the extended marketing mix and are the ones delivering the service. The extended marketing mix its relevant to all businesses that give priority in meeting the needs of customers and its more particular relevant to the service industry. Task 4b. The seven marketing mix variables are highlighted above. The traditional 4Ps are for product marketing and all 7Ps are for service marketing. Two segments of interest for this task are the hotels in hospitality industry for their lodging services and the airlines in the industry of transport for their transport services. In the hotel industry, in terms of process and physical evidence, a regular room is provided for customer accommodation and the customer may have to pay extra for other services like a massage or a drink at the hotel bar. In terms of process apart from regular room cleaning sheets and towels and concierge services a customer will not get much else for his money. In comparison the business customer will experience something totally different. A Business may reserve the entire hotel or the best room with the best view, 24-hour room service, free access to the spa and other things considered luxurious. Although the product sold is the same for both C and B, because of additional services and a differentiated process, it differs and the price is usually the first one to tell which one is which. In the airline industry, businesses provide transportation in the economy class and the business class. In the economy class in terms of physical layout, after the journey some customers wished they left their legs at home and kids never existed. Whereas in the business class, a customer can park his car, watch his favorite movie while drinking champagne. Again the product has not changed because customers in the economy and business class are moved from point A to point B with the same airplane in the same amount of time. The understanding is that businesses can afford to pay more when it comes to buying services and airlines will charge more for extra. Task 4c. Globalization and Unions between different countries around the world have made it possible for national businesses to enter international markets. When entering the international markets businesses could find many opportunities but the challenges are different and on a higher scale than the ones faced in a domestic market. Domestic marketing is the production, promotion, distribution and sale of goods and services nationally while international marketing is the same but for customers needs in a global market. In the last quarter of 2012, domestically, Apple Inc. revenue accounted for 40 per cent with 60 per cent revenue from the international markets (Niu, 2013). 40 per cent revenue for Apple means that it dominates in the domestic market. This is possible for Apple because the company has to deal with only one set of customers on which it can concentrate more effectively. Other factors contributing to this positive revenue are that Apple uses of the same policies and strategies and requires lesser financial resources. The other sixty per cent revenue for Apple, thinking in term of global it is small revenue for the company. This has to do with the fact that international marketing is more complex and more risky. It requires more financial resources than domestic marketing. Internationally, Apple  Inc. has to deal with different markets, different languages and different types of consumers with different tastes. In countries with laws and regulations of their own, for Apple it is more challenging and requires more commitment from the company in applying the marketing principles. Conclusion In this coursework assignment I tried to my best abilities to demonstrate that I acquired a good knowledge and understanding of marketing principles by applying the theory to Apple Inc. by carrying out the tasks given for the assignment. Overall my understanding now is that marketing is with us every day, next to us and even in us people. Consciously or subconsciously we are marketing ourselves as individuals every day to others. Marketing has an impact on everything and it cannot be avoided. For businesses, marketing is a strategic war plan for getting peoples attention to maximize profits. In this war business tend to aim at peoples emotions. Marketing is a discipline and is defined by social participation. But the most important thing learned I believe is that consumers’ needs and wants are always changing and marketing needs to change accordingly. References American Marketing Association. (2007). Definition of Marketing. Available: http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/DefinitionofMarketing.aspx. Last accessed 16th May 2013. Apple. (2013). Apple Info. Available: http://www.apple.com/about/. Last accessed 12th Jul 2013. Apple Press. (2012). Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results. Available: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/10/25Apple-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-Results.html. Last accessed 12th Jul 2013 Campbell, M. (2012). Apple to open up to 35 new retail stores in 2013. Available: http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/10/31/up-to-35-new-apple-stores-set-to-open-in-2013. Last accessed 11 Jul 2013. Canadian Marketing Association. (n/a). Definition of Marketing. Available: