Dams Are Very Important For Any Country Environmental Sciences Essay

Dams are really of import for any state. First they produce hydroelectricity which is the most cost effectual power in the universe. Second, hydroelectricity production used H2O as a resource which is a renewable resource. Dams are besides utile for irrigation intents. Water can be stored in them and so distributed in Fieldss as required. Dams besides help in halting inundations as it store the extra H2O. Constructing a dike requires a batch of stuff and labour input. This boosts up the industry in the state and creates employment chances. The Kalabagh Dam Project was designed in 1984. The United Nations Development Program ( UNDP ) assisted this undertaking. It was supervised by World Bank. This undertaking was started by the Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan ( WAPDA ) . The undertaking Planning Report was submitted to the federal authorities for blessing. In the average clip detailed design and contract paperss were to be made by the people heading the Kalabagh undertaking. This undertaking was completed in the following two and a half old ages and building was to be started in mid 1987. It was estimated to be US $ 3.46 Billion at June 1987 degree and was to be completed in six old ages, with first bring forthing unit to be commissioned in April 1993. Kalabagh dike was proposed to be situated on River Indus in Kalabagh, Mianwali territory in Punjab state surrounding the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto ‘s government ( 1972-1976 ) Tarbela dike was constructed which was a immense undertaking. The Kalabagh dike design had already crossed the pulling board phase at that clip. Due to tremendous stuff and fiscal resources already committed for Tarbela dike, there did non originate the inquiry of start building Kalabagh dike. The political parties of Sindh and NWFP state were against the undertaking and argued that during the storage of H2O in Kalabagh dam the flow of River Indus in the Sindh country and peculiarly at the delta near the metropolis of Haiderabad would be well reduced endangering the ecology of the country and support of a big figure of people depending on piscaries. Similarly the political leaders of the North West Frontier Province ( now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ) had reserves of another sort. One of their concerns was that 100s of estates of utile land would be covered in the reservoir country striping the state of agricultural usage of that la nd. They farther thought that some populated metropoliss would besides be threatened with inundations from clip to clip besides the hazard that any inadvertent breach of a little part of the dike will rinse off several little towns of the state doing tremendous loss of life and belongings. The federal authorities tried to convey about a consensus amongst all the states and no authorities felt itself strong and safe plenty to travel in front with the undertaking in malice of the reserves expressed by the oppositions of the construct of Kalabagh dike. General Zia-Ul-Haq ruled from 1976 to 1985 but he was ever at cold war with the Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP ) holding a strong clasp in the Sindh state and opposed to the Kalabagh dike. It did non accommodate the general ‘s power political relations to take caput on confrontation with PPP on this issue and there was no inquiry of any rapprochement between the two. There was a glance of hope during the military regulation of genera l Musharaf ( 1998-2007 ) when he flatly announced his committedness to build the dike. However he did non turn up true to his words and there is small public cognition about what made him bury his committedness and non much was heard about Kalabagh dike during the 2nd half of his regulation.Literature reappraisal:Features of Kalabagh Dam:Kalabagh Dam ‘s salient characteristics include catchments country of 110,500 sq. stat mis. Average one-year flow would be 91.4 MAF. It has gross and unrecorded storage capacities of 7.9 MAF and 6.1 MAF, severally. Its upper limit and minimal keeping degrees are 915 pess 825 pess above mean sea degree. Dam ‘s type zone embankment is filled with clay nucleus. Its maximal height above river bed is 260 pess and entire length is 11,000 pess whereas the entire fill volume is 60 million three-dimensional paces. Dam ‘s flood and wasteweir capacities are 1,070,000 pests and 980,000 pests, severally. Unit size at Kalabagh Dam would be 300 M W. Turbines would be Francis type. Turbine design caput would be 170 pess. Power houses designed are indoor types. The initial installed capacity of the dike would be 2400 MW whereas the ultimate capacity would be 3600 MW. The estimated entire investing in June 1997 for the undertaking was Rs. 250 Billion. ( Alvi, 1997 )Political and provincial issues:One of the leaders that have been seen giving importance and statements demoing his enthusiasm in edifice Kalabagh Dam is General Parvez Musharaf. On December 31 2005 he addressed The News stating that all the major dikes including Kalabagh, Bhasha and Akhori will be built till 2016 to get the better of H2O deficit in the state. ( News, 2005 ) One of the chief grounds why Kalabagh Dam does non be today is that there was no political consensus on the issue as stated by Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday, August, 10, 2010 in Multan. He besides stated that the deceases and devastation caused by the inundation could hold been averted if Kalabagh Dam would hold been built. ( Daily Times, August 10, 2010 ) . Everyone has a right to talk up on the Kalabagh Dam issue because everyone in this state will be affected by it. Even if person does non hold a proficient know-how on the issue he/she can still talk up and give his/her sentiment about it. It is non a proficient instead, a political issue. ( Ghazanfar ) Punjab Sindh contention: Sindh blames Punjab for â€Å" H2O robbery † . Water is a important affair for Sindh for the past three old ages. They believe that Kalabagh Dam would profit lone Punjab and all the H2O and grosss will be stolen from Sindh through the Dam. Sindhis, their support and agribusiness are being negatively affected by deficit of H2O and they blame it all on Punjab. ( Eckholm, 2003 ) Sindh and North West Frontier Province ( NWFP ) had serious apprehensivenesss sing the possible negative effects of Kalabagh Dam. Apprehensions of NWFP: Chief Minister of NWFP, Akram Khan Durrani said that the authorities of NWFP did non authorise President General Pervez Musharraf to build new dikes in the state. ( News, NWFP non authorizes President to build new dikes: Durrani, 2005 ) The Frontier Province put forward their ailments stating that 182,000 estates of their productive land will be lost under the reservoir, 34,000 people will be displaced and that Nowshera, a ample metropolis of NWFP, will be threatened with H2O logging. ( Kazi, 2003 ) . The political parties of NWFP besides said that Drainages of environing country of Mardan, Pabbi and Swabi fields would be adversely affected by the reservoir therefore making water-logging and salt. They were besides afraid that their traditionally cultural land would be submerged into the Dam. ( Kazi, 2003 ) Answers to apprehensivenesss of NWFP by Alvi: Equally far as the drowning of Nowshera was concerned, in the modified design of the undertaking the reservoir preservation degree has been lowered by 10 pess from 925 pess to 915 pess above mean sea degree ( MSL ) therefore the demand for building of any protective butch near Nowshera was eliminated. At maximal preservation degree of 915 pess, the back-water consequence of Kalabagh lake would stop about 10 stat mis downriver of Nowshera. A state-of-art computing machine based survey, backed by physical mold in Pakistan has assured that a inundation every bit black as the inundation of 1929 would non impact the H2O degree at Nowshera even after 100 old ages of deposit in reservoir. As for Mardan, Pabbi and Swabi countries their lowest land degrees are 970,962 and 1000 pess above MSL severally whereas the maximal preservation degree at Kalabagh Dam is 915 pess above MSL so it will non be a menace. Displaced people would be resettled and provided with surrogate irrigated land and other installations ( Alvi, 1997 ) Apprehensions of Sindh: Sindhi political parties said that there would be no H2O to make full Kalabagh Dam ‘s reservoir, cultivation will be effected adversely in Sailaba country, Rhizophora mangles would be threatened, and imbibing H2O and fish production bellow Kotri would be negatively affected. ( Kazi, 2003 ) Answers to apprehensivenesss of Sindh by Alvi: Dams are built for the intent of hive awaying H2O in the inundation season and doing it available on harvest demand for the remainder of the dry season. They are non built to devour H2O. If any state wants to construct, its portion of H2O would be purely governed by WAA 1991. Flood extremums above 300,000 cusecs would still be coming after Kalabagh, while big inundations would be efficaciously controlled. Out of the entire 1.53 million estates ( MA ) tidally inundated historic Indus Delta, Mangrove forest screen an country of about 0.32 MA In this wood, 95 % of the population now consist of a salt tolerant assortment. In order to resuscitate the Rhizophora mangles, existent demand is for replanting salt tolerant assortments, this possibility would be enhanced by constructing Kalabagh Dam. Fish production has been invariably increasing as shown by the statistical informations and there is no grounds that in Kotri it has been diminishing. ( Alvi, 1997 )Importance of Kalabagh Dam:If Kalabagh Dam is non built, there will be a 25 % shortage in nutrient and agribusiness in Pakistan by the twelvemonth 2000. ( Alvi, 1997 ) . Construction of the Kalabagh dike will assist salvage 20 million barrels of oil a twelvemonth needed to bring forth thermic power or Rs.33.2 Billion. This is said by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( LCCI ) President Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry. ( Tribune, 2010 ) . It will supply inexpensive hydroelectricity to the National Grid with its installed capacity of 2400 MW ( ultimate 3600 MW ) . In an mean twelvemonth, 11413 million kW hours ( MKWh ‘s ) of electricity would be generated. It will cut down the menaces and inclinations of inundations in Indus River. Dam would salvage around Rs. 25 billion per annum. Thus the investing cost of undertaking would be repaid within a really short period of 9-10 old ages. ( Alvi, 1997 )Disadvantages of Kalabagh Dam:There is no H2O in Indus River to make full Kalabagh Dam. Provincial assemblies of three states nem con rejected the Kalabagh undertaking. They must hold done so on some pure groundss. Indus River System Authority, IRSA, rejected the Kalabagh Dam on October 22, 1996 on the footing that the Dam will be silted rapidly ; it has a short life of approximately 22 to 30 old ages ; its public presentation will be instead hapless ; it has a relatively lower electric coevals capableness. All this would ensue in immense losingss to the state ‘s treasury. The Dam is economically impracticable. The dwellers of Sawan, Kabul and Tui will hold to be rehabilitated which will be really expensive. The dike will displace a big figure of people which amounts up to 48500 – 44000 in Punjab and 4500 in the NWFP ( figure taken from ( Ghazanfar ) ) and inundate fertile lands in NWFP and Punjab which is 24500 estates out of which merely 2900 ( figure taken from ( Ghazanfar ) ) acres is irrigated land. Nowshera will endure terrible H2O logging. Infrastructure will be submerged by Kalabagh Dam including including the Attock-Talagang route on river Sawan, the Kohat-Rawalpindi route and the Peshawar-Rawalpindi route on river Indus besides some railroad paths. The Sui gas line between Peshawar-Rawalpindi and Rawalpindi-Kohat will besides drop in the dike. The Mardan and Swabi SCARP undertakings will be affected and there will be a possible backwater effects on the Ghazi-Barotha undertaking. Earthquakes can damage the Dam as it sits on the mistake country. Kalabagh would hold hurtful impact on environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, home ground, wetlands and undersoil aquifers. ( Narejo, 2005 )Positions of Water And Development Authority ( WAPDA ) :Chairman WAPDA Tariq Hameed said that the building of Kalabagh Dam will neither do loss to Sindh nor to NWFP. Seismic survey has already been conducted and temblors will non be a danger to the Dam. 35.2 million acre pess H2O has flowed in the sea since the building of Tarbela dike so at that place will decidedly be H2O available for the Dam. Sindh would acquire 37 per cent ( 2.4 million acre pess ) extra H2O after the Dam is constructed. ( News, 2005 ) . WAPDA has been pull stringsing the figures it shows to public. In 1987 WAPDA put the eastern river flow at 2 MAF but in 1994 it all of a sudden raised it to 4.00 MAF, demoing it as â€Å" flow generated within Pakistan † . WAPDA has given a little figure of 2.0 MAF for the future Indian claim on the western rivers, which in fact, could be every bit high as 4.8 MAF. System losingss have been shown as 10 MAF which could really make up till 18.7 MAF. WAPDA has been increasing the influx figures and diminishing the outflows figures. ( Ghazanfar ) .Cultural and other issues:The Washington based World Sindhi Institute ( WSI ) is a human rights organisation. After hearing the intelligence of blessing of Kalabagh dike by the Nawaz Sharif regime it proposed that it will set together a place paper on Kalabagh dike, foregrounding the negative political, environmental, proficient, and societal impacts of the dike. It will inquire the other Sindhi corporation to collaborate with it. It wil l form protests, seminars, workshops, publish articles, interacts with media and inquire sindhi people to collaborate with it. It targeted the Sindhi husbandmans and made the cultural depletion an issue to elicit them. There were other bureaus as good which cooperated with WSI and farther told Sindhis and people of NWFP about the negative impacts of Kalabagh Dam, concealing the positive points. They created green-eyed monster towards Punjab and the authorities stating that they will utilize the land of NWFP and steel H2O from Sindh to develop grosss for Punjab. They targeted the landlords as good and made them against the undertaking. The husbandmans were brainwashed that their traditional ways of farming would be depleted. ( Dc, 1998 )Discussion:Kalabagh Dam is a really controversial issue. In the survey of this issue I have come to detect that even the experts in different Fieldss who have been related to this issue or have been someway interested to analyze and compose about it b esides seem to hold conflicting positions sing this undertaking. In the earlier portion of this paper I have written about different positions from different experts and it is apparent that Kalabagh Dam undertaking has seen many contentions on political, cultural, international and proficient evidences. Mr. Alvi said that if Kalabagh Dam is non built, there will be a 25 % shortage in nutrient and agribusiness in Pakistan by the twelvemonth 2000. ( Alvi, 1997 ) . This statement is based on statistical survey or female horse premise I can non state because the existent statistics province the antonym. The quantum index figure of major agricultural harvests states that there has been an existent addition in overall production of major agricultural harvests of Pakistan. These statistics have been taken from the Federal Bureau of Statistics.Crops2005-62006-72007-8All harvests101117126Food harvests107115108Rice108105108Wheat10111199Barley747974Jowar698177Bajra142153196Maize188187218Gram8514884Fiber harvests116114104Cotton116114104Other harvests96118138Sugarcane96118138Rape seed and mustard749276Sesamum998693Tobacco10596100Due to non constructing Kalabagh Dam the nutrient and harvest production in Pakistan did non diminish as Mr. Alvi had predicted but if Kalabagh would hold been built, th e production could hold been boosted up even more. It would hold helped Pakistan in increasing its exports as Pakistan ‘s major exports are its harvests. From an economic sciences position, it would hold helped the Pakistani economic system to turn to a great extent. The husbandmans would hold benefited, the people would hold benefited by acquiring cheaper harvests to eat and lesser of their income would hold had to be spent on indispensable points, which means they could hold saved more for superior goods. The consequence: an overall addition in the criterion of life of people in Pakistan. Other than the disbursement factor as Kalabagh Dam is a large undertaking it would hold boosted the whole economic system due to an addition in investing in many different countries of economic system. It would hold had a multiplier consequence. The natural stuffs required in constructing it such as cement would hold boosted the cement industry. Labor demand would hold been high. Peoples would really hold been employed. Unemployment rate in Pakistan would hold been reduced. Skilled and unskilled workers, both were required in this large undertaking. The machinery required in edifice it would hold boosted up the steel industry. And there are many other factors as good which would hold straight resulted in an addition in production in the whole economic system. It would hold had a great multiplier impact and the economic system would hold been boosted up. Peoples would hold earned incomes and the criterion of life in Pakistan would hold increased at a singular gait. This is the effects such large investing undertakings have on the economic system. Kalabagh Dam would hold helped the economic system to hike up in a short period of clip. A large undertaking it would hold been, lending to the lower monetary values and lower electricity measures. Statisticss have shown that it could hold produced 11413 million kW hours ( MKWh ‘s ) of electricity. It would hold provided inexpensive electricity to the people and might hold helped in diminishing the job of burden shading and high electricity measures that we are confronting today. It will cut down the menaces and inclinations of inundations in Indus River. Dam would salvage around Rs. 25 billion per annum. Thus the investing cost of undertaking would be repaid within a really short period of 9-10 old ages. ( Alvi, 1997 ) . Construction of the Kalabagh dike will assist salvage 20 million barrels of oil a twelvemonth needed to bring forth thermic power or Rs.33.2 Billion. This is said by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( LCCI ) President Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry. ( Tribune, 2010 ) . Even our leaders, though they are conflicting amongst themselves on the issue of Kalabagh Dam, are cognizant of the advantages they have lost due to non constructing kalabagh dike. â€Å" One of the chief grounds why Kalabagh Dam does non be today is that there was no political consensus on the issue as stated by Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday, August, 10, 2010 in Multan. He besides stated that the deceases and devastation caused by the inundation could hold been averted if Kalabagh Dam would hold been built. † ( Daily Times, August 10, 2010 ) . Kalabagh dike had many advantages for the state. The state on the whole would hold benefited a batch from the undertaking. It should hold been built.DecisionSo, if I were to give an sentiment I must state that Kalabagh dike should hold been built. It would hold had so many benefits to the economic system of Pakistan. It would hold boosted the economic system to a great extent. From harvest production to cement industry to employment sector, everything would hold benefited from Kalabagh dike. Pakistan ‘s authorities is excessively controversial in itself and the civilization is so backward that people do non hold exposure to the new engineering and hence its benefits. They stick to their conventional agencies of irrigation and are afraid of any large alterations. These contentions are the basic grounds in my position that Kalabagh does non be today and I must state that Pakistan has lost something which it does non cognize could hold done admirations to its economic system and p eople. The burden shadowing we all complain about could hold been controlled and reduced to a great extent if Kalabagh was built because the demand for electricity has outrun its supply. Due to Kalabagh, the supply of electricity would hold increased and it could hold come to equilibrium with the demand. The deficit of electricity would hold been managed by constructing Kalabagh dike. Sindh and NWFP had some apprehensivenesss sing the undertaking but the experts answered them in a satisfactory mode. The design of Kalabagh Dam was changed in order to foster fulfill them. Kalabagh dike would hold decreased the inundation menaces for the state. It would hold increased the harvests production. This in return would hold increased the exports of Pakistan and benefited its balance of payments account. The currency of Pakistan would hold become a small stronger. Overall, Kalabagh Dam undertaking was so a large investing undertaking which would hold benefited the whole state and its people. Everyone would hold benefited from it. By non constructing it, we have lost a large beginning of income for the people every bit good as the authorities.Mention subdivision:

Brunelleschi’s Dome

Filippo Brunelleschi was in many senses a modern day entrepreneur in the Middle Ages. He is the architect and innovator responsible for building the Santa Maria del Fiore, arguably the greatest dome ever built. In the years leading up to and during the construction of the dome, his life was surrounded by managerial aspects. There were several critical success factors for the construction of the dome including access to financial resources, raw materials, and product equipment. The building of the Santa Maria del Fiore was not something that could be done overnight, in fact it took the better of two centuries until it was complete. Probably his greatest competitive advantage, Brunelleschi was able to separate himself from his competitors by using technology to create new products and come up with innovative solutions to problems. Seeing as the creation of the dome was the first project of its kind, certain product equipment was required but not available. Brunelleschi himself invented and created much of the equipment needed, such as the ox driven hoist and the pulley. With the Opera del Duomo constantly bidding out the different projects involved with the construction of the Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi was able to create far more innovative designs than his competitors to win these bids. Another factor that played into Brunelleschi’s competitive advantage was the fact that there wasn’t much work in the city of Florence. Laborers worked for a cheap rate and did not hold any power. When they went on strike, Brunelleschi simply fired them and found a replacement which was in need of work. Filippo Brunelleschi basically held a monopoly on the labor market. The organizational behavior was one that that the capomaestros, or managers, did not have to motivate the workers one bit. The fact that the workers held employment in a city where jobs were in desperate shortage was enough motivation. Something very important to any project’s completion is time management. Entrepreneurs must master time management skills in order to get your product to the market within your budgeted time. When dealing with a new product, time frames are difficult to estimate because of delays and nforeseen circumstances, but Brunelleschi was able to manage his time and reach deadlines productively. When he had to come up with a way to hoist the marble up to the top of the dome, he did it quickly and effectively. When there was an unexpected crack in the wall after it was completed and he needed to come up with a way to fix it without delaying the overall completion of the dome, he was able t o. He did not only manage his time productively with the building of the dome but with other projects as well. Like any good entrepreneur, Brunelleschi did not put all of his time and effort into one project such as the dome, but instead took on many side projects. These little projects were not only a source of income or a way to get more recognition, but most importantly they allowed him to test his techniques and skills intended for use on the dome. He gained much respect and notoriety for his skills and successes on projects other than that of the dome. In a sense, these side projects were a way of marketing for himself, showing his precise skills and abilities through these successful projects. Although he seemed to be very well rounded, Brunelleschi did not excel in the area of communication. He was paranoid, constantly worrying about his designs or plans being stolen which is why he kept to himself. He felt as if his competitors believed the saying, â€Å"instinct tells us to watch what our competitors are doing and simply try to do the same thing better. † During a project, communication is key- the managers and workers need to be on the same page and communicate directions and progress. This is something that was never present during the building of the dome. In a business, knowledge must be shared within all units of the organization, but Brunelleschi did not believe this. If Brunelleschi had known the importance of communication, he could have received feedback from his workers and possibly avoided setbacks such as the cracks in the nave of the church. In addition to his lack of communication, another setback of Brunelleschi’s technique was the poor working environment. The culture of the business created during the building of the dome was not a worker friendly one, with no benefits or accommodations given to the workers. There was no set of directions but rather, workers ‘went with the flow’ as Brunelleschi gave directions on the fly. This was a disadvantage to his progress because things may be forgotten without realizing their importance and crucial role to the project. With his big fear of plagiarism, it’s no surprise the very first patent was issued to Brunelleschi for his boat that was to be used as a transporter known as Il Badalone. Ironically, this was Brunelleschi’s most unsuccessful invention but he felt the need to protect it. Nonetheless, it can be seen that patents are a necessity for entrepreneurs. Brunelleschi was in constant fear of his competitors stealing his ideas and designs and this stands true in today’s society as well. Entrepreneurs need to protect their ideas from their competitors because everyone is looking to get ahead and come up with a new and better idea. Brunelleschi often followed his prime instinct, trusting it would work and that it was the best idea. This stood true for many of his projects and inventions. When he decided to lay the transverse bricks to prevent the dome from collapsing, there was no past documentation stating that this would work but he felt that it was the best way to go about it. Often times, entrepreneurs have to make final decisions based on gut instincts and Brunelleschi was what we may call a master of this. Being a very confident man, Brunelleschi often refused advice or help from other sources. He very rarely collaborated with others on designs or projects, but rather did it all himself. It may be argued that he may not have had the success he did if he teamed up with others. It may also be argued that if he did take advice from others, some of his unsuccessful inventions might have had a different and more successful outcome, such as Il Badalone. Filippo Brunelleschi is one of the most influential architects in history, with success in many areas due to his innovative ideas. He had access to plentiful financial resources and was able to take advantage of a labor force that worked for minimal fees. His ingenuity provided him with the capability to create unique product equipment that could not be found anywhere else. Brunelleschi was a proud and confident man, his confidence helping him in many ways. When his theories were questioned, he simply followed through and proved why his designs were going to work. When problems arose on the job, he trusted his intuition and was able to fix the problems. Although he showed many characteristics of an entrepreneur, Filippo Brunelleschi is not known as one of the greatest managers in history. In order to be successful in today’s world, he would have needed to brush up on a few things, such as his poor communication skills due to his fear of plagiarism of his designs and ideas. Communication is a must when talking about being an effective manager, but this was not all he would have to alter. He was a selfish man, refusing to work with others on projects or reluctantly working on a project with others. Effective managers need to be able to collaborate and work with numerous people at once. Brunelleschi was always more worried about his reputation and image rather than the overall well being of the project. A manager needs to put the overall success of the business first before their own ego and pride.

Australian Great Recession Survival

In the year 2008, the major Europe experiences the Global Financial Crisis recession by the name the Great Recession. Most countries with large economies were affected. The recession hit the members of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) like USA and France. Economies in Europe shrank and currencies weakened. The preferred economic interventions failed to work in most economies instead the worse happened. Funnily enough, Australia was never affected by the recession (Bailey and Turok 2016). It remained the single country with advanced International Monetary Fund not affected by the crisis (Bosworth and Rich 2013). Instead, its economy remained stable and vigorous to accommodate its domestic and international demands. The paper aims at evaluating the magic behind the performance of Australian economy during the global crisis.   It discusses the country's intervention policy through the Reserve Bank and the fiscal policy intervention by Federal government tha t maneuvered ways for its stability. It is also objectively looking at the role played by China as a trading partner. China played a role in foreign trade category to ensure the success of the economy.   The paper then draws a conclusion from the results of the discussion to justify the two questions: Did the success of the economy purely dependable on fiscal policy by Federal government, foreign trade and the role of Reserve Bank? Why the three factors did adequately sustain the economy? The study aims to draw conclusions on the roles played by Federal Government, Reserve Bank, and Foreign trade to maintain Australian economic growth at the crisis point. In macroeconomics, the business cycle considered as fluctuations in the production or any other business. It involves expansionary, and contractionary behaviors of an economy. The best determination of a business cycle is GDP. The components of the cycle are; trough, expansion, peak, and contraction. The definition of a recession is a conceptual reasoning pegged on the level and extent of a crisis. The different intensity levels are used portraying the different scope of impact on an economy (Courvisanos et al. 2016). However, a recession is an economic slowdown contributed to reduce spending. It hampers economic growth by introducing inflation, unemployment, and reduced Gross Domestic Product. The recession creates financial hurdles in an economy by negatively affecting all economic sectors.   During a recess, countries take intervention measures to curb the impacts. Among the responses preferred are fiscal policies to increase the spending by reducing tax rate or through monetary policies. Although, there is no guarantee on the effectiveness of measures against the crisis. The government of Australia did a timely intervention to monitor the crisis that had the most terrorizing effects on G7 economies. Before the GFC the country economy was operating at annual GDP of around $1 trillion at the market exchange rate. The GDP level demonstrated the economy as the 14th largest economy in the world. The first intervention policy done by the country focused on the crisis was advocated by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) (Bosworth and Rich 2013. The bold step was taken in around October when the country through RBA announced the cutting of interest rates by 100 basis points. In the same month, the government decided to react proactively by guaranteeing all the bank deposits a wholesale fund at a fee (Doran and Fingleton 2016).   The geared step aimed towards the achievement of a stable financial institution. The government intended to empower the banks through which they could sustain stability hence help secure the country's flow of income (Martin 2012). The intervention placed the banks in a competitive mode, an action that threatened the survival of small-scale banks. The stability in financial sectors eased consumers and business worries on the finances and economic issues. The Federal took the initiative of a private sector risk to reduce the tempo of the economy. The second policy taken by the government was the fiscal policy measure. The system directed the package to the weak sectors of the economy (Foster 2016). The areas covered were the household spending and consumption. The coverage represented a population of around 60%. Thus more people were kept safe by the program (Henry 2014). The housing policy advocated for the grant to first home buyers. The spending level of citizens increased and the GDP rose (Bosworth and Rich 2013. The consumption package had quick bonuses to seniors, and the pensioners. It also valued the low-income earners (Pulla 2013). The high propensity level of the households improved hitting the common target. Apart from risen expenditure, the society had cash to carry out activities. The policy attained the average GDP of average consumers in the economy. At June 2009, the country enjoyed a continuous growth with the fiscal, China trade factor and RBA combined. According to various scholars, the economic growth would not have been hit high without fiscal policy intervention.   The economic status had a loose monetary policy, low exchange rate, and china's trade contribution. In 2009 when the effect of GFC increased on the economies, the government released another discretionary policy. The government meant to develop a program on infrastructure and also improve consumption (Drew 2016). The program covered the projects on the fast constructed infrastructural base to prepare the country for a long term crisis. The retail trade by 2009 brought a turnover of around 5% something that devastated the US and other significant economies. Their retail trade brought a turnover of around 2% and 3%. The outcome variance came due to the stimulus preference by the countries. Australia preferred a stimulus package for consumption and spending that stabilizes spending and consumption in the market. The low-income household got financial supports to meet their purchasing nature (Capon and Reid 2016). Also, the country had better financial regulations fertile for the fiscal policy effected by the government. The good status of its financial system accommodated the measures advocated for on economic activities. The country's cash rates were higher compared to other trading partners, a factor that enabled the stronger economy (Roos 2014). The existed healthier systems blocked the need to outsource for the financial instruments which could have contributed negatively.   In the absence of fiscal policy, the country would have undergone the worst recess in the history.   The countries like the USA that effected monetary policy minus economic policy has been struggling with the crisis impact to date. The GFC collapsed economies of the Australia trading partners. Germany, USA, and France got affected. The country before the GFC had good trade ties with Asia. The large Asia depended on the country's exports such as gold and coal. The USA was also a major importer of Australian exports (Battisti et al. 2013). However, recession left the country with no choice but to trade Asia. The government of China in response to the crisis ordered its banks to borrow and spend. The reaction led to the growth of China economy by around 75% in the year 2009. China's economy grew with expansion in its import demand. Australia began to export its commodities to China and Japan. China being the major importer, increased the Australian export capacity by 10% within five months. The prices attained stability. The export to Asia became more instrumental to the economic growth of the country. The Chinese government created a fertile grounds for Australian trading activities to flourish. The existed high demand on the china's economy on valuable commodities provided the growth gap to the Australian economy. The country had the attentive financial system ready to accommodate and implement changes. The first phase of rectifying the suggesting crisis situations came from the policy of an RBA. The RBA through its first Board meeting GFC proposed the implementation of the cut on the interest rates by 100 basis points.   The cut is a 6% reduction. The RBA followed with the different monetary policy that ensured a fall in the cash rate to 3%.   The rate indicated a decline of 425 points. The reduced interest rates encouraged borrowing among the population (Reed 2016). The effect translated to increased disposable income. Low-income earners got the opportunity to maintain their spending ability consequently improving economy's expenditure on commodities. Reduction of the interest rate created a movement in the AUD dollar. The reduced dollar helped to lessen the impact of lowered global market price on the country's exports. It improved the level of competition of the country's produce and service exports (Buckley et al. 2014). The reduced exchange rate lasted for a short period, though the exchange rate hit 88 US dollars by 2009. The increase demonstrated an appreciation trend. The policy guidelines portrayed by RBA helped the healthy financial sector resist to collapse. Banks and other financial institutions survived the volatility of the financial situations in the global market. Regardless of the challenges, they still made profits (Tang 2015). The Australian market had no toxic assets that killed the world market in most of the Europe countries. The RBA kept reducing the cash rate in early 2009 to cope with the deteriorating economic conditions. The measure aimed at recovering stabilizing financial systems to help improve the functions of the credit market. The country monetary system performed a massive role by ensuring availability of funds in the banks. Australia had enough cash in its financial institutions, with mortgages for emergencies ((Bailey and Turok 2016). Therefore, the policy by the RBA had a motivating reception for implementation. The banks had low arrears and defaulted a factor that hindered exposure to toxic assets in the global financial market. Regardless of the risks associated with accepting wholesale funding, their confidence enhanced the initiative (Tonts et al. 2014). Through evaluation of alternatives, the RBA noticed the importance of using domestic financial institutions instead of looking for borrowings from the foreign institution. Australia survived the great recess getting out developed due to national and international factors. The major contributor to its success relies upon timely and objectively implemented fiscal policy. The stabilization of financial market came with trade advantages in the exchange market. The monetary policy by RBA bettered the sustainability of the stable economy. The discussion on the fortune and other magic factors never contributed to the economic growth of Australia. The country cultivated from its ready policy and proactive strategies. It stole the chances created by the fast-growing economy provide supply to its large demand market. However, the main reason behind the country's success pegged on the fiscal policy that improved spending ability of low-income earners. From the study, it is appropriate for economies to have robust financial institutions that are sound and dynamic. Countries should be ready to challenge emergencies through the use of their strategies without depending on a similar problem-approach style. Bailey, D. and Turok, I., 2016. Editorial: resilience revisited. Regional Studies, 50(4), pp.557-560. Battisti, M., Deakins, D. and Perry, M., 2013. The sustainability of small businesses in recessionary times: Evidence from the strategies of urban and rural small businesses in New Zealand. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 19(1), pp.72-96. Bosworth, E. and Rich, T., 2013. From optimisation to resilience: The changing nature of the risk reward conversation as seen through Westpac's capital and liquidity management policies. Journal of Risk Management in Financial Institutions, 6(2), pp.160-166. Buckley, R.P., Weber, R.H. and Dowell-Jones, M., 2014. A Swiss finish for Australia? Approaches to enhancing the resilience of systemically important banks. Capital Markets Law Journal, p.kmu030. Capon, S.J. and Reid, M.A., 2016. Vegetation resilience to mega?drought along a typical floodplain gradient of the southern Murray?Darling Basin, Australia. Journal of Vegetation Science, 27(5), pp.926-937. Courvisanos, J., Jain, A. and K. Mardaneh, K., 2016. Economic resilience of regions under crises: a study of the Australian economy. Regional Studies, 50(4), pp.629-643. Doran, J. and Fingleton, B., 2016. Employment resilience in Europe and the 2008 economic crisis: insights from micro-level data. Regional Studies, 50(4), pp.644-656. Drew, J., 2016. A Tale of Two Jurisdictions: A Focus on the Effect of Regulatory Constraints on Municipal Resilience in Australia. Building governmental financial resilience under austerity–an international perspective. Foster, J., 2016. The Australian growth miracle: an evolutionary macroeconomic explanation. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 40(3), pp.871-894. Graziano, A., Cirillo, N., Pallotti, S., Cricenti, L., Romano, F. and Aimetti, M., 2014. Unexpected resilience to experimental gingivitis of subepithelial connective tissue grafts in gingival recession defects: a clinical–molecular evaluation. Journal of periodontal research, 49(4), pp.527-535. Henry, K., 2014. Public policy resilience and the reform narrative. Public Policy, p.16. Martin, R., 2012. Regional economic resilience, hysteresis and recessionary shocks. Journal of economic geography, 12(1), pp.1-32. Pulla, V., 2013. Contours of Coping and Resilience: the front story. Perspectives on Coping and Resilience, pp.1-21. Reed, D., 2016. Resilience is the name of the game. Architecture Australia, 105(3), p.86. Roos, P.B., 2014, January. Design with nature: a proposed model for coastal settlements in Australia adapting to climate change and extreme weather events. In UHPH 2014: Landscapes and ecologies of urban and planning history: Proceedings of the 12th Australasian Urban History Planning History Conference (pp. 649-664). Australasian Urban History/Planning History Group and Victoria University of Wellington. Tang, S.H.K., 2015. Does Research and Development Intensity Enhance Industrial Growth Performance during Economic Downturns? Inter?Industry Evidence from Australia. Australian Economic Review, 48(3), pp.243-257. Tonts, M., Plummer, P. and Argent, N., 2014. Path dependence, resilience and the evolution of new rural economies: Perspectives from rural Western Australia. Journal of Rural Studies, 36, pp.362-375.

Are juvenile transfer laws effective and does it deter recidivism Research Paper

Are juvenile transfer laws effective and does it deter recidivism - Research Paper Example Recently many of the states have established many laws to that expands the scope and purview of the transfer laws under which the juvenile offenders may be directly prosecuted within the realms of an adult court. It was during the 1980s that many legal reforms were framed to bring in stringent measures as regards juvenile crime. One such reform of great significance was the amendment of transfer laws that led to an increase in their jurisdiction (Griffin, 2003). These changes allowed the inclusion of more offense types, and resulted in an increase in the number of young offenders becoming eligible for transfer from juvenile courts to the adult courts. These amendments elevated the total number of offenses that were regarded as being transfer-eligible offenses, lowered the necessary minimum age limit for allowing transfer eligibility, broadened discretionary powers of the prosecution, while decreasing the discretionary powers of the judiciary in taking decision related to transfer cas es (Fagan and Zimring, 2000). A look at the amendments made in the state transfer laws show us that, in 1979 14 US States had transfer laws that allowed certain juvenile criminals to be prosecuted like adult criminals. However by 1995, we find there were 21 States with transfer laws in place, and in 2003, the number rose even further, where 31 States had transfer laws (Steiner and Hemmens, 2003). Furthermore the minimum age for end of juvenile court jurisdiction in 13 states were decreased to 15-16 years (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006, 64-70). In the face of these amendments, the number of juvenile offenders tried in adult criminal courts and later imprisoned in adult prison... The paper tells that evidences from the study of the general deterrent effects of juvenile transfer laws are rather inconclusive and one cannot arrive to any derivations from these studies. The majority of the studies however tend to show that there is very little, or almost zero general deterrent effect, as regards deterring recidivism in the context of juvenile crimes, which are serious in nature. More research work is necessary for exploring the actual deterrent effects of transfer laws, under the appropriate conditions, on the juvenile offenders. On examining the issue of specific deterrence effects of transfers laws, it was found that were primarily six major published studies. These six studies suggested that juvenile offenders tried under adult criminal court laws tend to exhibit increased rates of recidivism after completing their prison term, than the young offenders tried under the juvenile laws. The scholars however do not clarify whether the transfer laws influence recidi vism for property related crimes (non-violent types) and drug offenses. The six large-scale studies conducted on particular deterrent effects used large size of sample population (ranging from 494 to 5,476), varying research methodologies, examined various recidivism measures, and covered five States (Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Florida) each exhibiting varying sets of transfer laws (prosecutorial, automatic, or judicial types).

Accounting (CASH FLOWS IN BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS) Coursework

Accounting (CASH FLOWS IN BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS) - Coursework Example Comparatively, net cash flow is defined as the difference between the amount of cash that come in and go out of a company within a period. To begin with, to understand the underlying factor causing the difference in these two major accounting items, it is important to recapture the fact that the estimation of a company’s net profit is guided by some rules provided by the GAAP. Unlike net profit, cash flow determination is not affected by any rules established by GAAP (Robbins 2014, par. 1-11). Second, it is important to note that net profit is determined by subtracting the operating expenses incurred in the process of producing goods from revenues generated by the sales proceeds of those goods and services. On the other hand, cash inflows or outflows of a business are not generated from the sales of goods and services. Instead, cash inflows come from sources such as loans and gifts whereas cash outflows arise due to activities such loan repayment. Therefore, a company can make losses but have a positive net cash flow, balance due to a substantial amount of borrowed money. Below is a hypothetical illustration of the difference. With reference to the provisions of the international accounting standards 7 (IAS 7), the indirect method of cash flow preparation involves commencement with the net income, which is adjusted for other transactions in order to obtain the net cash flow. Whereas, the direct method simply outlines cash inflows and outflows that form part of the operating activities of a company. In the latter, the difference between the negative figures (outflows) and the positive figures (inflows) gives the net cash flow. Illustrations are provided under appendix A and B (Gowthorpe 2005, pp. 212). Operating activities: appendix 2 and 3 contains a copy of the two companies cash flow statement. In the year 2011 and 2012, the following transpired as shown in the cash flow

Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Ethics - Coursework Example The ethical dilemma I have encountered in the clinical setting is deciding between quality and quantity of life. Some therapy subjected to a patient may affect the quality of life of the patient. The quality of life addresses how good the life of the patient will be, and quantity is how long the person will live. Step 1: Before making any decision, the objective must be identified. Decide whether the therapies will prolong the patient’s life. Step 2 Look into different available choices apart from the therapy that can improve the Patient’s condition. His/her quality and quantity of life (Gastmans, 2012). Step3: Identify the values at stake. If the patient is aware of the possible side effects of the therapy, he/she may choose not to undergo these. Choosing to hide the possible side effects may lead to mistrust by the patient. Step 4: Check whether the decision you are about to make is viable, it must not be a decision that will waste patients time, energy and money without producing good results. Step 5: Give the decision importance and enough time before execution. Wreckless decisions have led to the loss of life and resources (Gastmans, 2012). Step 6: Choose the best decision-making strategy that will guide you in making a better decision.

Reflective testimonial Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective testimonial - Personal Statement Example There are a number of skills that I feel I learnt in this module. One of the skills I acquired is organization. A career in human resource management requires an individual to be logical, systematic, and tidy (Janet 68). Since this career involves a lot of documentation and filing, the ability to keep the office tidy will come in handy. Subsequently, organization also encompasses effective time management skills. This skill will help me in future to plan my activities in a systematic manner. The extensive coursework has also enabled me to acquire multitasking skills. Multitasking means being able to handle different thing or issues simultaneously (Janet 68). A human resource manager has a lot duties and s/he may also be under pressure to finish a number of projects or reports under a specific and constrained timeframe. Being able to multitask will therefore come in handy in such situations as I will be able to finish my tasks in time. It would be important to elucidate the fact that this module involved a lot of discussions or debates. In other words, I liked how the lecturers and the guest speakers involved students in the discussions. In fact, a lecture could not end without each and every student contributing to the issues under discussion. This helped me acquire effective communication skills. Being an effective communicator will help me in my future career socialize and engage other employees in my endeavors (Janet 68). A human resource manager acts as a supervisor and recruiter. Therefore, s/he is present during interviews. Conducting an interview effectively requires one to have effective communication skills. Through this module, I was able to learn how to manage conflicts in the workplace. In addition, one of the topics in this course covered ethical issues in the workplace. My skills in conflict management will help me as a human resource manager to resolve disagreements among employees, and also between the employees and the employer. Learning

Lesson plan #1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lesson plan #1 - Assignment Example It therefore acts as guideline through which teachers and students must adhere to. The sample of the lesson plan given can be compared to the ones found on most webs. The major quality this sample has is that it is simple to understand given the choice of Wayne Thiebaud’s paintings for elaboration. The desserts by Wayne Thiebaud meet the national standards for visual art link because of the way he presents his paintings to demonstrate and reflect on ideas and emotions. In his paintings, he uses objects commonly known to students and has colored them as if they were real. Learners are able to easily understand and perhaps draw similar objects and even describe them using various adjectives especially if such children are not physically challenged. The National Standards for Visual Art Link include trying to show relationships between visual arts and other related disciplines, selecting and doing evaluation of symbols and ideas and applying knowledge of structures and functions in teaching (Jody 206). For a kindergarten student, it is advisable to draft a lesson plan that is simple to comprehend and use. The primary aim should be to enable them differentiate various desserts used and use adjectives in their descriptions. Colors used should be obvious. Such colors range from the ones which the children are familiar with to those that are complex. In order to make the lesson more interesting, the teacher should use interesting pictorials for demonstration. This includes drawing pictures of appetizing materials like ice cream. Kindergarten children should be left to color the drawing of the ice cream alone but with some support from the teacher. One reason why items like ice creams are used is because children always like them. They taste nice. The sample of the lesson plan given is a perfect example of what every art teacher should stick to. The cookies provided are convenient for kindergarten students given their

Does the way in which accounting represents the world facilitate the Essay - 1

Does the way in which accounting represents the world facilitate the control of organizations - Essay Example They way in which accounting represents the world does not always facilitate the control of organizations. Representation versus control Not every nation has adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) delivered in 2001 by the IASB. Because of this, there are independent and corporate investors that have identified opportunistic tax havens across the world. The ability to utilize foreign business accounting practices as a means to shelter resources continues to cause problems with how other businesses internationally perform their strategic management functions. For instance, Singapore has amended its tax laws as it had not, until 2009, adopted global accounting standards (google.com, 2009). Previously, businesses operating in Singapore maintained the ability to act as corporate and private investor tax havens as financial reporting from businesses in this country were able to manipulate data in a methodology that would be considered illegal in countries using the IFRS. Cost accounting not measured against IFRS, internally, eliminated the need for external auditing consultants, provided opportunity for less fiscal transparency, and allowed for strategic policy formation where allocation of costs was not standardized. What this speaks to is a lack of corporate governance in countries that are not yet fully standardized in the accounting function. Especially in terms of fiscal transparency and auditing practices, the businesses required less control and managers or executives with access to costs had the ability to shuffle currency or provide tax havens for investors with clever allocation of resources. â€Å"Culture is often considered to be one of the most powerful environmental factors affecting the accounting system of a country† (Tsui & Windsor, 2001, p.144). These authors consider accounting to be a â€Å"socio-technical† activity that involves human-based resources and financial resources in a way that is inseparable (Tsui & Windsor, p.145). In collectivist cultures, there is a mentality related to tradition and group affiliation where values are consistent with securing the needs of the group. These values are common in countries like Singapore and India. Thus, there is a resistance to change regarding adoption of international accounting standards that change the scope and policy formation related to resource utilization and fiscal transparency to the rest of the world. â€Å"Differences in accounting practices are manifestations of nationally different cultural systems† (Askary, Pounder & Yazdifar, 2008, p.145). Thus, businesses operating in one collectivist nation might have more focus on expansion whilst an individualistic country such as the United Kingdom might have more focus on developing more cost control by building a culture of lean production philosophy. In this situation, the method of accounting would differ, as would most assuredly those management systems in place in terms of c ontrol. In the individualistic culture that has adopted international standards, the implementation of new technologies to facilitate cost control and inventory control might be organisation-wide, such as new enterprise resource

A Comparative Analysis of Dell's and HP's products and services from Essay

A Comparative Analysis of Dell's and HP's products and services from the Perspective of the Firm and Customer - Essay Example These models have been employed in this paper for checking the status of two popular firms, HP and Dell, in terms of the quality of their products and services. HP is more focused on quality while Dell seems to emphasize on the market performance of their products. However, both firms have made important initiatives to ensure the high quality of their products and services. The effectiveness of their efforts are presented and analysed below using appropriate literature. Table of contents Executive Summary 2 Table of contents 3 1. Introduction 4 2. HP and Dell 7 2a. Analysis of HP’s products and services from the perspective of the firm and customer 7 2b. Analysis of Dell’s products and services from the perspective of the firm and customer 10 2c. Comparative analysis of HP and Dell in regard to their products and services 12 3. Conclusions 15 4. Recommendations 17 References 18 Appendix 19 1. Introduction The development of organizations in the international market is u sually promoted through specific strategies. Competition seems to be of key importance for strategy makers in most firms. Moreover, it has been proved that competing rivals can be a challenging effort, especially during periods of economic instability. On the other hand, firms that are already well established in the global market are more efficient in developing competitive advantage. The potential role of a specific framework, of Total Quality Management (TQM), in the growth of business activities is reviewed in this paper. The products and services of two, well-known, organizations, Hewlett-Packard and Dell, have been reviewed in order to check whether TQM can help modern firms to improve their market position and increase their customer base. The above firms have been chosen on the basis of the following criteria: a) their activation in the same industry, b) their presence in the global market and c) their efforts in regard to the promotion of TQM, as analytically explained in s ection 2 of this study. It should be noted that the involvement of TQM in the design of these firm’s products/ services is reviewed from two different perspectives: the perspective of the firm and the perspective of the customer. Quality is an element of organizational success. Indeed, firms with products/ services of high quality are expected to compete effectively their rivals even in adverse market conditions. Quality, as an element of organizational environment, has appeared after the end of WWII and has been related to ‘the ideas of Edwards Deming’ (Daft and Marcic 2010, p.33). In practice, quality became part of organizational activities due to the initiatives of Japanese firms that first emphasized on the need for ‘the involvement of employees in identifying quality problems across the organization’ (Daft and Marcic 2010, p.33). Different approaches have been used for the promotion of quality in organizations of different structure and culture . One of the most known systems for ensuring quality is the just-in-time system (see Figure 1, Appendix), which was first developed by Toyota. The specific system focuses on the elimination, as possible, of waste, emphasizing on the production only of those products that are necessary and of the amount and quality set by the customer (Ho 1999). It should be noted that the promotion of quality in the organizational environment had appeared quite early, many decades before the introduction of the just-in-time system in Toyota. In fact, it was about 1924 that the first statistical tool for quality control appeared

21st Century Technologies and Their Relationship to Student Achievement Essay Example for Free

21st Century Technologies and Their Relationship to Student Achievement Essay The Holy Grail in education today is to link an educational strategy, program, initiative or technology to student achievement. There are numerous organizations advocating for Technology Literacy, Information Literacy, 21st Century Learning Skills, and any number of other titles for literacy in a modern context. In all sectors of human society, the technology of the 21st Century has revolutionized and enhanced our way of life. From medicine to the military and from business to the arts, the technologies of today have made our lives better. It is not surprising then, that the public expects technology to have a similar revolutionary effect on education. After all, the biggest advancements of the last 20 years have been in the realm of information and the tools of human knowledge; this is Education’s back-yard. Yet, when people look at our schools they see many classrooms that seem to have been immune to these advances. There are obstacles that education faces in implementing a 21st Century approach to education not the least of which is finding a definition and a clear picture of what it really looks like and whether it will be more effective for students. Costs to implement technology-rich programs quickly seem prohibitive when scaling to an entire school system, particularly so in a state that lags the nation in educational funding. Teachers are our biggest asset and are known to be the single largest influence on student achievement the district can provide, so professional development is crucial and fundamental. The measure of success, the CSAP, is a paper and pencil test which will be unable to measure all the positive effects technology can have for student learning. Indeed, a 20th Century test method will be unable to properly assess (and may even inhibit) the skills development of a 21st Century learner. And then, are we just about the content and helping students master it, or is education about something more as well? Therefore, making the case that investment in technology will increase student achievement can be fraught with pitfalls and obstacles. To attempt to tackle this issue, the authors of this paper will review quality research and commentary in an array of areas where technology-related tools and strategies have been implemented with positive effects for students. A strict filter of studies that produce higher test results will not be used because of the limitations current paper and pencil tests have in assessment of 21st Century skills. In addition to improved assessment performances, the reader is encouraged to consider the context of a global workplace and education’s duty to prepare students to thrive in a highly digital, interactive knowledge workforce. Research that shows increased student achievement on assessments, studies that point to ways education can successfully prepare students for a modern workforce and our own experiences in Littleton Public Schools shall all be considered positive correlations between technology and student achievement in this paper. The Challenge Inherent in Determining the Effectiveness of Technologies via Research The following is an excerpt that addresses a gestalt view of technology and its correlation to student achievement: When we try to determine the effectiveness of educational technologies, we are confronted by a number of methodological and practical issues. First, we need to remember that technology is only one component of an instructional activity. Assessments of the impact of technology are really assessments of instruction enabled by technology, and the outcomes are highly dependent on the quality of the implementation of the instructional design. According to Roy Pea, director of SRI Center for Technology in Learning in Menlo Park, California, the social contexts of how technology is used are crucial to understanding how technology might influence teaching and learning. Educational technologies cannot be effective by themselves. The social contexts are all-important. This means more attention should be paid to the teaching strategies used both in the software and around it in the classroom, and to the classroom environment itself. It is a recurrent finding that the effects of the best software can be neutralized through improper use, and that even poorly designed software can be creatively extended to serve important learning goals. There are also a host of methodological issues to confront. First, standardized achievement tests might not measure the types of changes in students that educational technology reformers are looking for. New measures, some of which are currently under development, would assess areas, such as higher order thinking skills, that many believe can be particularly affected by using new technologies. There is also a need to include outcome measures that go beyond student achievement, because student achievement might be affected by students attitudes about themselves, their schools, the types of interactions that go on in schools, and the very idea of learning. Another consideration is pointed out by the U. S. Office of Technology Assessments Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection: Technological changes are likely to be nonlinear, and might show effects not only on student learning, but also on the curriculum, the nature of instruction, the school culture, and the fundamental ways that teachers do their jobs. Coley, 1997). Instant Response Systems Data-driven decision making is an educational approach that requires educators to decide on instructional strategies and activities based on what they know about how well students have grasped a concept. Whereas before, this might be done with mini quizzes, homework or performances at the chalk board, today’s technologies provide another avenue. Using handheld devices in Modesto City Schools classrooms, teachers can pose questions to students who use wireless remotes for real-time responses. Such engagement enables the teachers to immediately determine if students are grasping concepts and decide whether more time is needed on a topic or whether the group can move on. Item banks of standards-aligned questions make teacher’s jobs easier in developing such review materials (Hines, 2005). Another similar technology is the graphing calculator which can be used in math and science classrooms to enable every student to participate and have the power of a modern computing tool. Classrooms that make use of the graphing calculator exhibit better questioning and feedback behaviors; goal-oriented instruction becomes more attainable and more common; activities result in better student engagement and students tend to demonstrate more collaborative learning behaviors (Whitehurst, 2003). In Littleton Public Schools, a definitive interest is rising for these technologies as several classroom sets are deployed in schools across the district. Results are largely anecdotal and preliminary, but math coordinators are seeing the Texas Instruments graphing calculator as a valuable tool that will reach beyond just math class. Technology Education Littleton Public Schools has a strong tradition in the realm of technology education. Our Middle and High Schools are all equipped with curricula that introduce a wide array of technologies to students. LPS technology education students and teachers have won national recognition for their work. A relatively small amount of research has been done on students’ understandings of design and technology concepts, or technical knowledge. This limited research sometimes makes it difficult to capitalize on such an ever evolving subject as Technology Education. The findings from the Australian study state that an increasing awareness of students’ understandings of design and technology concepts can have an impact on the teaching and learning of design and technology in elementary schools similar to that experienced in elementary science education (Davis, Ginns, McRobbie, 2002). Called Career and Technical Education in Virginia, CTE correlations to curricular areas have been documented on a state web site (http://www. valinkages. net/) and are considered a key component to preparing students for End-Of-Course tests. A study was conducted in 2002–2003 on Illustration and Design Technology coursework, an example of CTE student performance on Standards of Learning (SOL), the Virginia equivalent of CSAP tests. The results showed that 78 percent of CTE students passed the mathematics SOL test while only 72 percent of non-CTE enrolled students pass the test (Dyer, Reed, Berry, 2006). Authors on the subject advocate for providing students with opportunities to synthesize their learning in other subjects in technology-related programs. The opportunity to apply and reinforce learning from content areas in technology programs is essential if learning is to be meaningful to students (Lewis, 1999). In our own experiences in LPS, we find that the Technology Education courses generate excitement and interest for learning among both male and female students which must have an impact on their learning. Recent research has shown that Technology Education courses appeal to both genders equally (McCarthy Moss, 1994). Although girls appeared to enjoy required technology education courses, they were less likely to continue taking such courses as electives(Silverman Pritchard, 1996). Certainly motivation and application of knowledge help to improve student achievement. And while recent results do not conclusively prove that these courses impact student achievement at a higher level than other programs we implement in schools, it would be imprudent to think that these programs do not have a very positive effect. This is one of the limitations of research on students: it is almost impossible to create a true control group. When asked, students currently enrolled in LPS Technology Education courses reported their thoughts of technology to include: computers, iPods, video games, music media, email, and tools in general. Recent legislation supports the concept that education’s technology initiatives need to go beyond thinking about computers. Rather, Technology Education is about teaching innovation; providing opportunity for practical application of knowledge gained in school; mastery of abstraction and problem solving. Technology Education programs at LPS include a broad scope of tools that human beings use to master their environment including manufacturing, construction, power and energy, communication, transportation, and biotechnology. While research that clearly correlates higher student achievement on standardized tests is lacking, the skills that students learn in such courses clearly match what employers, from engineering firms to manufacturing companies, indicate they seek in their applicant pools. Simulations and Video Games â€Å"Dad, did you know that a Prefect in ancient Rome was both a firefighter AND a policeman? † was a question that arose from the back of my (Dan Maas) car during a long road trip with my son, Calvin. He described, in quite accurate detail, the pantheon of Roman gods, the basic elements of Roman society and then abruptly ended the question and answer period that arose from his initial question so he could fend off the Carthaginians. How did he know they were Carthaginians? â€Å"Hannibal always attacks with elephants† was his reply. The boy had learned all this about Rome playing a video game at age five. Video games have long been the bane of the parent and teacher’s existence, but there’s something here that may be of some use to us. Some have picked up on the possibilities. A multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) is a kind of video game. Schools like Harvard University are creating MUVEs that are patterned after video games with a few critical differences. Video games typically have goals like collecting points, defeating enemies or gathering gold. On the other hand, MUVEs have the goal of learning. By creating virtual environments, problems can be posed, research can be collected, theories tested and outcomes achieved. One MUVE example begins with an outbreak of a disease in a small town that players must investigate, determine the pathogens involved, develop theories on how o treat the illness and test methods to resolve the crisis. The simulation is highly visual, interactive, and highly engaging to the students. See   Studies show that children whose teachers use technology for simulations and application of knowledge tend to develop higher order thinking skills and tend to score higher on tests like the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Conversely, technology use that focuses on drill-and-practice tends to correlate to lower performance (Archer, 1998). In another pilot, students who participated in computer-assisted literacy instruction earned higher scores on a Stanford Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory and on a Test of Written Spelling (Bottege, Daley, Goin, Hasselbring, Taylor, 1997). In a 2005 study on a gaming system called an Intelligent Tutoring System, results showed increased educational interest and motivation among students. Students showed statistically significant gains educationally, but of particular note was the very significant effect on students who had performed poorly previous to the pilot (Virvou, Katsionis, Manos, 2005). When one thinks about games, it seems as if there is a clear opportunity for using this tool for advancing educational skills. Students solve problems, learn languages and master virtual world rules while playing video games for entertainment. This pattern was examined in a Newark, New Jersey study using Lightspan educational video games where 47 pre-school age children played 40 minutes per day for 11 weeks and demonstrated significant gains over the control group on the Wide Range Achievement Test R-3. The scores for spelling and decoding were significantly improved for the experimental group over the control while no significant difference was detected in math (Calao Din, 2001). The Pokemon video game is also interesting to consider. By the time the first draft of this document is completed for the Board of Education, the country will celebrate Dr. Suess’ birthday. His children’s books help young people to learn to read by creating simple, repetitive language constructs that reveal patterns to students and help them improve their decoding and phonic awareness. He even made up nonsense words to press the student’s phonetic ability. Pokemon has many similar traits. Text on the handheld game appears in small, five word chunks that only proceed when the reader is done. The reading is meaningful in that comprehension is required to solve the puzzles of the game. And the story line is filled with imaginary creatures with made-up names†¦ each phonetically accurate. Did the makers of Pokemon intend to create a game that might help children learn to read or did the creators use phonics to create the English language equivalents of their native Japanese? Who knows, but perhaps this game, or something like it, could be helpful. In speaking informally at several buildings in LPS, students at the middle level indicated that they would check out educational video games to play on their home gaming systems. Could video games, tuned to education by eliminating violence and other objectionable themes, become a new tool educators can use to engage students both during and after school? More research is certainly warranted but the existing results and intuitive logic leads one to think that there is promise here. At-Risk/Intervention An ever present emphasis in education is how to intervene for students with at-risk characteristics. We see educational and economic gaps forming for students at-risk and our public system is always focused on closing gaps and providing bridges for students. Can technology-integrated interventions be part of the answer? In a recent study published by North Carolina State University’s Meridian, journal on middle school technology, students repeating eighth grade were isolated into a focused 27-week program that used hypermedia, online resources and Power Point as integrated technologies. Students demonstrated statistically significant gains (29 percentile points) in reading and language arts. Additionally students demonstrated marked improvements (23 percentile points) in writing performances (Little, 2006). Within LPS, the Center for Online Studies is a partnership with Arapahoe Community College (ACC). Students come to ACC to take online coursework supplied by Class. com and supervised by a certified teacher. The students enrolled have had difficulty succeeding in their traditional high schools and reported to the Board of Education in January, 2007 that the program has made a difference in their academic pursuits. The principles in use here that are making this first year program a success are having a quality content source, a certified teacher and a supportive learning environment. 1:1 Initiatives One-to-one computing is an industry term of one computing device allocated to one person. This essentially is an initiative to end shared computing resources based on the idea that such learning tools are so essential that every student needs one all the time. This view is something akin to the status that textbooks have enjoyed for some time. When the public hears about classroom textbooks, meaning students can’t take their own book home, there is usually concern or even outcry to increase the resource. Proponents of 1:1 computing believe that the 21st Century represents a time when that status held by textbooks transfers to the computer. Indeed, if we are to shift from paper-based learning materials to electronic sources, a 1:1 initiative of some sort of computing device will be a pre-requisite. Some school districts and even states have begun to explore this concept. In Maine, a state-wide initiative began nine years ago to provide every seventh grade student with a laptop. The program is called the Main Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) and it is having an impact on teaching and learning in their public schools. After five years, researchers reported that teachers were more effective at helping students meet state standards. Also students were more motivated, learned more, and mastered concepts to deeper levels. Finally, students appeared to be learning new skills for the 21st Century (Lane, 2003). Further research into the MLTI project showed that students who had used laptops in 7th and 8th grade, but no longer had school supplied laptops in 9th grade reported that the quantity and quality of their school work had dropped since losing access to school-provided laptops (Pitler, Flynn, Gaddy, 2004). A 1:1 project is the initiative in Henrico County, Virginia which began in 2001. Prior to the project, 78 percent of the district schools were accredited based on the student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning test. By the end of the school year in 2003, all schools had earned accreditation meaning that a satisfactory percentage of students passed the state test (Pitler, Flynn, Gaddy, 2004). In Canada, a 1:1 effort entitled the Wireless Writing Project begun in 2002 started in Peace River North with 6th and 7th grade students. In pre and post-test results on writing assessments, researchers found that the percentage of students who met or exceeded the performance standards of the test increased from 70 percent to 92 percent (Pitler, Flynn, Gaddy, 2004). Another 1:1 initiative is underway in New Hampshire where initial results reflect other studies of similar efforts. Students and teachers are demonstrating increased technology use across the curricular areas. Student engagement and motivation is improving and student-teacher interactions are on the rise. Initial reports of teacher judgment of student achievement (that is, basing achievement on grades rather than standardized tests) indicate that students are doing better than before (Bebell, 2004). In our own experiences in LPS, we see classrooms with laptop access achieving a 1:1 ratio for the class period exhibiting much improved academic behaviors. Working in this manner, students demonstrate a tendency to return to previous homework and revise, edit and reuse to far greater degrees than the classroom teacher was accustomed to seeing. Students more often compare their writing samples with peers and seem more likely to collaborate. Using blogs, wikis and other online tools, students expand on the usefulness of word processors by working collaboratively and ubiquitously. Collaboration through Technology A strong theme through the research and observations in this paper is how technologies are used to improve student achievement and general practices. This section is dedicated to the art of collaboration and how various tools allow people to reach across distances and through time like never before. iPods and other MP3 playing devices have opened up a very convenient and powerful pathway for information to be produced, accessed and archived. San Diego State University is leveraging this technology in science teacher preparation. Podcasting is a method of recording digital audio and video files and posting them online for others to access. This method can be used to bring distant experts to students, provide opportunities to review material at leisure, grant unprecedented access to students to research material and extend the learning opportunities for students well beyond the classroom. Surveys of pre-service science teachers who used iPods and podcasting in their preparation reported time savings, increased interest in subject matter, and declared that they would use podcasting in their own teaching methods in the future (Yerrick, 2006). The presence of global networks, the affordability of a wide array of information technology and the reality that connected people create an integrated whole have drastically impacted how we work, and learn today. Learning theories of the previous century including behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism were developed, prior to the current way our lives are organized, as a result of technology. Siemens proposes a new theory of learning based on the new human condition: Connectivism. In this view, knowledge resides in people and on devices. Learning and knowing rest on diverse opinions from a wide array of sources. Learning becomes a process of connecting nodes of information. Continual learning is maintained by nurturing connections. Learners find connections between different ideas, fields of study, and basic concepts. Being current is of paramount importance. And decision-making is actually a learning process, meaning choosing what to learn and being able to deal with the shifting nature of information. Learners must become comfortable with the reality that what is considered correct today might be proven wrong tomorrow. This theory of learning represents a massive shift in thinking: that learning is not an individual pursuit, but is a collaborative, dynamic and never-ending activity (Siemens, 2005). In LPS, the blog and the wiki has become a fascinating collaborative learning tool. In a Language Arts classroom, students no longer just check out a book, write some sticky-note annotations, and have one-at-a-time discussions prompted by the teacher. Rather, students copy Macbeth from a web resource into a word processor and annotate electronically, keeping their work on personally owned USB memory keys. While some students discuss a scene with the teacher, others are free to blog commentary on the topic of verbal discussion or other interests in the subject-matter at hand. Suddenly, a dozen conversation threads are happening all at once and the teacher only has control of one. The participation rate of students has risen and students return to the blog after school to continue their dialog. Students report that the conversation via blog makes them more reflective and yet more confident because of the lack of a public speaking component to the classroom discussion. In one discussion, the number of postings became so frequent over a short period of time that the free blogging service shut down the account because the activity resembled a malicious electronic attack on the blog server. A wiki supporting another Language Arts class is being used to connect students to young people in other countries like South Korea. Students reading Arabian Nights have opportunities to share their insights with others from around the United States and even in foreign countries. Other opportunities include the use of SKYPE for toll-free calls around the globe to other connected classrooms and instant messages allowing free-form, high speed conversation on topics of study. And in a Foreign Language classroom, chat and Voice Over IP systems allow students to practice their second language acquisition with their teacher, with each other, and even with students outside the classroom. The lesson is that the art of collaboration has no boundaries today. Time and space are no longer the limiters they once were and the list of technologies in this section only scratches the surface of what is available. And like the learning theory of Connectivism points out, this too will change. Education must take note and prepare students to succeed in an environment that thrives on collaboration while constantly changing and improving the tools that support it. Word Processing and Writing For decades now, research has been conducted on the effect word processing has on writing skills for students. In a 1997 study, Owston and Wideman cite a considerable body of work on this topic as part of their research project that studied 3rd grade students using word processors for writing. They concluded in their own study that use of word processors that were readily available to students and were an integrated part of their daily activities resulted in considerably higher quality and quantity of writing as compared to a similar student group without access and support for such tools (1997). In a more recent qualitative study, the use of word processors with seven 3rd grade students over a six week period led to significantly more creative, more comprehensive and improved style. This study of five girls and two boys also reported higher motivation to work with the writing process as compared to paper and pencil methods (Beck Fetherston, 2003). In LPS, Anne Smith reports that students are more engaged when using classroom laptops. The students take advantage of the ease of use to manipulate text to show various sentence structures. While these studies definitely point to improved writing volume and quality from young students, research also suggests that young students need to be exposed to handwritten learning as well, which has been a point of discussion for some time. An article by Balajthy et al points out that students need a diverse writing experience and that word processors should be part of the experience rather than replacing handwritten work (Balajthy, McKeveny, Lacitignola, 1986). At this developmental level, the various tools for writing are most effective for learners when they are used in an integrated approach with the overall instructional program rather than taught separately (MacArthur, 1988). There are studies that show little or no impact of word processors on the quality of student writing, however, a meta-analysis in 1993 showed that these studies tend to have a number of limitations not the least of which is the use of text-based word processors rather than the Graphical User Interface (GUI) systems in use today. Additionally, the analysis revealed that such studies often involve students who have sporadic access to the technology and were not accomplished with the tool (Bangert-Drowns, 1993). The process of mastering writing is very important and there is research that shows how emphasis on writing skills positively improves student achievement across the curriculum. Writing Across the Curriculum initiatives have over twenty years of professional practice and anecdotal evidence to support this claim. Strong research has been hard to come by, however, to truly evidence the effects. One of the biggest obstacles is the ability to truly have a strong control group for any study as such would require a population of students who did not use writing as part of their learning process (Railsback, 2004). Some studies have been able to document positive effects. In a 1992 study, Van Allen was able to conclude that school-wide efforts in Writing Across the Curriculum in five middle schools over a five year period resulted in better writing and better overall student achievement on assessments (1991). What we have found essential in LPS is to have students write frequently and in a variety of forms including wikis and blogs as well as word processors. We wish to note here that we must be careful about using research that is old, even though some of it is unavoidable. The technology tools of today are very different than when computers first entered schools. As an example, the word processing research from the 1980s may not be completely irrelevant, but the software of today bears so little resemblance to the software of the late 1980s. In addition, increased student (and teacher) familiarity with these tools will also have an effect on the impact these tools have on achievement. A key question is How do we measure the impact of tools that change so quickly that by the time you measure their impact, the tools have changed? In other words, by the time most research is done (and published in reputable sources), the technology has changed so much that the research loses at least some of its relevance. This will be a significant hurdle to overcome. In a comprehensive peer-reviewed report, Bangert-Drowns conducted another meta-analysis with Hurley and Wilkinson on the impact of writing across the curriculum in 2004. This analysis, which reviewed 48 studies, produced three major findings. First, writing for learning produced positive effects on school achievement in the studies reviewed. The second finding was that grade levels, minutes per task, and writing prompts had significant impact on results. The study found that programs implemented in Grades 6–8 actually had reduced performances, possibly due to the loss of time on the more differentiated content covered at the secondary level. Longer tasks also depressed results perhaps for similar time constraint issues and motivational issues among students. The use of writing prompts concerning students’ current understandings and confusion were very effective while prompts for personal writing showed no effect. The third finding concerned the length of treatment. The analysis revealed the intuitive conclusion that students who have longer exposure to writing for learning strategies experience a cumulative effect that is very positive (2004). The research continues today and can be seen in an article published in Education Week on February 14, 2007, where the National Assessment of Educational Progress has been piloting a computerized test for assessing writing. This move recognizes the research that is showing how students write more often, of better quality, and with more consistency (between both genders) when using these writing tools. And preliminary results are showing that students tend to write better on the tests when using the word processor (Cavanagh, 2007). What can be drawn from these studies is that writing, being an active learning process, has been shown to positively impact student achievement in all subject areas. It can also be stated that students who have ample access to word processing in conjunction with skillful instruction in a school that is emphasizing Writing Across the Curriculum can be reasonably expected to produce higher achievement results. Streaming Video In four Los Angeles public schools, a study was conducted on the effectiveness of United Streaming video in supporting 6th through 8th grade mathematics achievement. Students were pre and post-tested to provide the source data for the study which revealed that the experimental group using streaming video outperformed the control group by 4. 7 percent among sixth grade students. This differential was shown to be statistically significant. Eighth grade students showed a more modest 2. 2 percent advantage which still registered as significant (Boster et al. , 2004). In LPS, the same United Streaming resources were secured for all schools at the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year. Additional digital projection and speaker equipment was provided to schools along with a concerted orientation effort to help teachers access and use the material. Prior to the introduction of United Streaming video, the Internet connection for the district was peaking at 26 megabits of demand. Within two months of the introduction of United Streaming, the peak demand had reached 100 megabits which represented the maximum throughput the connection was able to sustain. This 400 percent increase in Internet demand was traced directly to streaming video services requested by the schools demonstrating the value teachers immediately saw in this technology. Today, LPS is deploying a locally hosted server to present the streaming video to meet the growing demand for both quantity and quality of the content. Laptops for Teachers The following is an observation of technology use at Lenski Elementary School by Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Boni Hamilton. As part of the Technology Grants from Plan for Social Excellence (www. pfse. org). schools provided laptops for teachers in the first year of the three year grants. PFSE didnt collect hard data about the impact, but at Lenski Elementary School, I saw firsthand the effects on teachers and instruction. Some observations: 1. Teachers who had been least confident about their technology skills increased their confidence and competence with technology skills to equal that of the more tech-savvy staff members within four months. While the classroom teachers had regular access to technology skills when they co-taught in the lab and so were fairly confident with technology skills, the non-classroom staff such as specialists received training only when it was scheduled for the staff. This was too infrequent to give them the level of competence they needed. The portability of the laptops allowed the specialists to get help from peers, family members, and friends. A couple of teachers even signed up for computer classes outside the school because they finally had computers they could take home and practice on. One teacher who had been only moderately comfortable with technology learned how to make tables in MSWord and began showing everyone on staff she became the staff expert. 2. Teachers improved in their trouble-shooting skills. Trouble-shooting is difficult to teach because problems happen at inconvenient times and are hard to reproduce during a training session. However, when teachers were carting their laptops home and had problems, they had to solve the problems themselves. They either used family members to help or they fooled around until it did what they wanted. Because they knew the computers could be restored, they no longer worried about what would happen if they took a risk and pushed a button. 3. Teachers grew more relaxed about problems. Before laptops, teachers often got stressed when some technology failed. As they learned to problem-solve laptop problems, they had less tendency to get up-tight when something went wrong. They were then able to think about problem-solving strategies, consult a peer, or cart the laptop to a computer coach for help. 4. Teachers increased the level of student use of technology. As teachers gained confidence, they became more willing to risk using computers in the classroom. It wasnt as scary to let kids try projects on classroom computers because they trusted that either they or their students could solve problems. 5. The demand for student computers in classrooms has increased dramatically annually. Even though teachers felt their classrooms were too small to handle clusters of computers, six months after they received laptops, they made room for computer clusters because they began to depend on computers to enable students to continue projects, collaborate on learning, and practice skills. The number of desktop computers in classrooms went from an average of three per room to an average of five to six per room. Lenski also bought two 15-computer laptop carts, but demand was so heavy that the school added two more carts in the following year. Then the librarys demand for computers increased so dramatically that the school had to buy a fifth cart. In the third year of having laptop carts, teachers are now complaining that there are too few carts available for the library and 16 classrooms (Grades 2-5). 6. After three years of having laptops, most teachers opted to return to desktop computers. There seemed to be several causes for this: 1) They purchased home computers and found they could use USB drives to cart files; 2) The school had enough wireless laptops for student use that teachers could get on a laptop; or even borrow one overnight, if they needed; 3) They preferred larger screens, faster processors, and standard mice. Based on these observations, I advocate strongly for giving teachers experience with laptops before buying laptops for students. Concluding Remarks The following is a summative commentary from Karl Fisch, Edublog Nominee and Finalist for the Best Blog of 2006: Were not going to find a whole lot of really good research to support this at this time. I can summarize what the research generally says. The use of technology in appropriate ways has a small, positive effect on student achievement. It also has a larger, but still small, positive effect on student and teacher motivation, engagement and satisfaction. Thats about it. But I would strongly argue that to a certain extent this is missing the point. I would also suggest that many of our current practices are in direct contradiction to what the research says we should do, but we do them anyway because its convenient for the adults. How come nobody is demanding to see the research to support those practices? But I digress. ) I do not think that if we infuse technology into our schools, even putting in a 1:1 program at the high schools, that we will see student achievement as we currently measure it skyrocket. I think we may see a small positive effect, with possibly a slightly larger effect among those students who typically have not done very well in our schools. But the basic problem with looking for research that supports growth in student achievement is that by necessity research has to look at fixed, testable content to try to determine growth. Now Im not saying that content knowledge isnt valuable, it is. But I think the skills and abilities and habits of mind that ubiquitous access to technology would help us develop in our students are ones that are really hard to measure. How do you measure creativity? Or the ability to collaborate with others, both in the same room or across the planet (or beyond)? Or the ability to take in information from an almost inexhaustible supply, synthesizes it, remix it, and then produce something that is of value to others? How do you measure imagination? How do you measure the ability to function in a flat, globally interconnected, technology-enabled, rapidly changing world? How do we measure the ability to learn how to learn? To know how to adapt, to reinvent yourself over and over again to meet the needs of a world that is changing at an exponential pace. How do you measure the ability to function in a world where all of human factual knowledge will be available practically instantaneously? Knowledge is good. Having content knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, to be successful in the 21st century. The research at best is only going to tell us about content knowledge. The power of the technology is to transform teaching and learning as we know it. To make it more student-centered, more individualized (yet also more community-based), more relevant, more meaningful. It allows each student to connect to each other, to the world, to knowledge, to learning, in the way(s) that works best for that student. I guess I fear we are asking the wrong questions . . . Where does all this leave us? And what use does this document provide? Clearly, more research is needed, but our efforts can no longer await the coming of comprehensive research studies. Not having solid research behind us will not be an adequate excuse for failing to prepare our students for the 21st Century. Therefore, we must be on the constant look-out for research that will help us light the way while we move ahead in the modernization of our public schools and our methods. We must become students of our own society and allow our own observations and action-research to influence our decisions. We must model for our students the creativity and risk-taking that will be defining characteristics of the next age. In short, educators must come out of the comfort zone, release some control and join the wave of seemingly chaotic global empowerment. Daniel Pink describes the next age of society which might give us some clues. He defines an age by the type of worker that is most commonly found among the population. During the Agricultural Age, the common person was some sort of farmer. During the Industrial Age, it was the factory worker. And during the Information Age, which he describes as beginning in the 1960’s, it was the Knowledge Worker. But the end of each age is preceded by an out-sourcing and off-shoring of the common worker prompting the rise of the next age. So what does Daniel Pink suggest is next? The Conceptual Age. This economy maintains the necessity of strong left-brain skills (reading, writing, math and science) while adding the right brain skills (aesthetics, intuition, value and play). Daniel Pink would advise us to continue our left-brain pursuits, but introduce the richness of meaning and value. It is no longer sufficient to create a well engineered product; now the product must be appealing as well (2005). References: http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/PDF/NH1to1_2004.pdf