More Than Just One Weird Trick Alex Mayor, Publicist

More Than Just One Weird Trick Alex Mayor, Publicist More Than Just 'One Weird Trick' - Alex Mayor, Publicist â€Å"When I raise the issue of marketing a book with a lot of authors, you sort of see the three lemons come up for them - â€Å"Why aren’t I doing that? Why didn’t I think of doing this?† - and for others they look moderately terrified!†Traditional publishers have tried to embrace the new media tech menagerie plenty of times over the last decade, at least. And yet every effort has faded away with time, lost like tears in the rain. Whether it’s book trailers or staid, conservatively hashtagged tweets from a corporate account, it feels a little like watching a toddler trying to walk: graceless, but at least sort of fascinating to watch them fall down as they learn from their mistakes.Or, if we can reach for another simile, traditional publishers trying to innovate are like 20th century passenger liners trying to slalom around icebergs - innovation requires a manoeuvrability that, in 99% of cases, is at odds with the size of the company trying to inn ovate.This is, however, another coup for indie authors. As Ben Galley explained in his interview with us, indies aren’t shackled the way traditionally published authors are. The room for experimentation is there.This is where people like Alex Mayor come in. Alex is the founder / inventor of Papercasting, a Hackney-based agency helping authors find interesting and unheard of ways to bring their books to an audience, whether that’s through audio, video, or even real-world theatrical productions. The best way to explain it is to let Alex himself talk you through it in our interview below, but you can listen to a Papercast for ‘London Bridge in America’ right here!REEDSYHow long have you guys existed for?   How did you get started? How many of you are there?ALEX MAYORAt the moment it’s me and two part-time creative guys that I work with. Because of the friends I have, I’ve ended up knowing quite a few authors. They would come to me saying †Å"The book’s finally done, it’s coming out, but I’m not sure how it’s going to do. I know what the publisher is going to do: they’re going to spring for drinks for a launch party; they might put some promotional postcards together but they probably won’t; and then, after they’ve sent out the review copies, if nothing happens in that first month that’s kind of it.†So what I’ve been doing so far is basically helping out friends. Now I’m trying to move beyond the friendship circles. The idea has been to find authors who are prepared to do something a bit more interesting in terms of how they promote themselves.I’ve also had some support from the Arts Council, who were very interested in the idea. They see that creatives within what we might call ‘the literary world’ writ large suffer to a large degree from being not necessarily the most internet-savvy, the most marketing-savvy - writing by i ts nature is a solipsistic undertaking. Also, traditional publishing, assailed as it is by modernity, is spending less on promo simply because of the sheer number of places they’re trying to reach.Last year we did a few examples of work. Now we’re trying to ramp it up, to find authors with some sort of social footprint, and create pieces of digital work that will help promote them. An author phoned me up last week: â€Å"I’ve suddenly thought this is perfect radio material. This story is quite Carver-esque, it would work really well. Can we make a ten-minute version of this as a radio play?† And I said â€Å"Of course we can, I can find the actors, we can do it all fairly cheaply,† and the author can then use that as a calling card to media organisations, put it online for streaming, and use it to build interest in the books.I’m getting a lot of interest from a certain kind of author - authors who think â€Å"I’ve made something, and I want people to pay interest in it and engage with what I’m doing,† rather than just seeing it as â€Å"A book has been printed with my words in it, my work here is done.† When I raise the issue with a lot of authors, you sort of see the three lemons come up for them - â€Å"Why aren’t I doing that? Why didn’t I think of doing this?† - and for others they look moderately terrified!My background is in media, in publishing; I’ve written music for television, I’ve produced records†¦ I view everything as just ‘stuff.’ It’s stuff that has an audience, somehow, and I’m fairly open-minded about how you reach the audience. In book-publishing, traditionally you have the agent, the publisher who’s kept at one remove†¦ everyone is in their own box. There isn’t a lot of moving around, and publishers don’t tend to want to upset that situation too much. But authors may well know thei r audience *better* than a big corporate publisher. It’s just a fact that if an author is good at writing books about Norwegian circus acts of the 18th century, it may be that they know the most important people who will help sell that book.REEDSYSo what is paper casting? Is it a verb, a noun†¦?ALEX MAYORIt’s both! I wanted a word that would help authors understand the idea that they could be broadcasting. What is being on Twitter but a form of broadcasting? Making a radio play, putting a video together, they’re all kinds of broadcasting. I believe when you’ve got a book you’ve created something that can be expressed in a multitude of ways. You’ve already done the hard bit in finding a way to bring that idea off the page in a way that gets people excited. But because authors are traditionally left out of the equation by publishers, they haven’t been too entrepreneurial in that regard.It’s a business and an experiment. Iâ⠂¬â„¢m trying to find out if there are enough authors who want to do this. I think it’s going to be younger authors probably, or authors who are very good on social media, but within five to ten years there will be an entire generation of writers who have always had a Facebook account, who have always shared their top-of-the-mind thoughts on some network tool or another. This model is waiting to happen, even if it hasn’t yet happened.REEDSYI remember a few years ago this craze for book trailers†¦ALEX MAYORYes! And they were all awful! They were all mind-bogglingly bad. I’ve trawled through loads of these. I noticed that, once YouTube was a fairly embedded prospect in people’s minds, you’d hear people asking â€Å"Do we do video?† This idea that ‘doing some video’ would add value to something, that if you didn’t have an active YouTube account you weren’t really a player.That thinking was evident in pretty much every book trailer I’ve ever seen, particularly ones paid for by publishing companies - where they’ve done a Ken Burns slow-pan over the front cover, they’ve brought a rent-a-quote up, there’s a piece of out-of-copyright classical music playing in the background, it’s two minutes long, and nobody will ever look at it. They’ve not been terribly interesting by and large. That, or - fair enough - a film of the author reading a bit of it, which is at least a step in the right direction.I think it’s been something publishers did badly, and to some degree consider an experiment they don’t really want to repeat. The question is still outstanding because the way we consume literature is changing under our feet all the time. It’s not changing totally, and there’ll be an element of the market, like vinyl, that will always buy the physical book. But how we consume what we call books is changing all the time. Technology compa nies are the ones charging forward and providing those experiences, not publishers.REEDSYIt feels like that even amongst the best of those efforts, there’s rarely much of a tie to the book being promoted. Even my favourite example of a book trailer, while a great little clip, doesn’t connect directly to the book in question.ALEX MAYORI think when you mentioned that 2011/2012 moment, the concomitant line of thinking in marketing departments across the land was â€Å"Can we do something viral?† as if they’d discovered the idea of disease for the first time and were embracing it wholeheartedly. I think the danger of some of those things is that they can be cool, but you see so much cool stuff every day I think there’s a burnout you get to.My feeling is there is, particularly in non-fiction publishing, an enormous number of perfectly good books where it will always be a tricky prospect for a publishing house to find a lot of marketing muscle and budget to push it. Unless your name is Malcolm Gladwell, how many of these are you going to shift? There are all these books that are perfectly interesting, but they’re not as immediate. They’re not things that it would be so easy to make a viral or funny trailer for, but they’ve got something in them that will make you stop in your tracks. And I think the process is find the core of the book - the elevator pitch, the one surprising thing that you’d hear from the author at a cocktail party and repeat to your friends.Say you had an Oliver Sacks neuro-psychological ramble with interesting case-studies. OK, so you get two actors in, find some dialogue that’s interesting, maybe make a two minute radio play out of it, and at the end you’ve got your buy-link - you’ve tee’d up the experience of the book. Where those trailers went wrong is that there were a) uninteresting, and b) they weren’t thinking about the content of the book. Th ey were thinking about the object: â€Å"Here is a book.† Well, yeah, we get it, here’s a book. There are lots of books. Why do we want to read it?I’m still trying to find more authors who have a little bit more of a social footprint who are prepared to be more Gonzo with me. As a premise, I think it’s not expensive to make this kind of media - it’s just about having the willpower to do it.REEDSYIt seems like what you’re doing requires more than just money thrown at it - it also needs creativity, an idea.ALEX MAYORMy ambition for 2015 is to find more of these authors and ramp it up to the point where what we have is a form of entertainment in its own right. If you could image a channel of this stuff, and you were flipping through it, these would be interesting ways of hearing about interesting new books. Maybe some people would listen to them and get whatever they get out of it, but there would be people who click through and buy the book. I t’s a case of taking what’s already a very well considered piece of media, a book manuscript, and creating something slightly smaller in a different format out of the book for not a lot of money. It’s not difficult stuff to do. For me it’s about editorial and production, and finding that killer idea that’s at the heart of the thing. There will be something - you can’t write a book and have no point.REEDSYHow do you produce one of these things? How does your agency work?ALEX MAYORWe have a little studio in Hackney - BBC quality microphones and all of that jazz. Mostly what will happen is I’ll sit down with the author and get them to pitch the book back to me. I’ll obviously go read the manuscript. I’ll come back with suggestions of ways we could bring it off the page. The author has to feel comfortable with what we’re envisioning. It may be that they’re going to be reading, or that they’re not going t o be reading and someone else will be found†¦ It’s very tailored to the person. At its core it’s about understanding the central strengths of the book.People have been asking â€Å"Oh, so we’d be making a video?† I always say â€Å"We might be, but we might not be.† Video is hard to do without a degree of cost because to do justice to the written word in film is notoriously hard. It’s very hard to do without immediately becoming boring, in my opinion. I think audio is a better choice, by and large, because you can maintain the reader’s own interactivity - that way they’re assembling the words in their head and seeing whatever world you’re bringing them into.In terms of capturing what it is that’s interesting you have to be media-neutral at the outset, and also be somewhat sensitive to the person’s own personality and what they’ll feel comfortable with, and also budget - radio’s the cheape st, video is hard to make†¦REEDSYHow do you get the material in front of people?ALEX MAYORAt the moment I’m just using Soundcloud. It’s more about the social footprint of the author, their agent, and any publicity people they have on side. This is simultaneously the massive potential upside and the massive potential downside. Good use of social media is thin on the ground - most people struggle with it. Authors are either total oversharers, or haven’t done much of it before. The model definitely requires that you have a fairly active social media following. It all lives and dies at that point.One author has just engaged me to do this for him. Initially I said â€Å"It will only work if you’re calm about it.† So I’ve been trying to build a voice for him on Twitter. I’ve set writing challenges like â€Å"How about sharing all the titles of things you’ve never written?† Trying to get the author to think of it as a writ ing challenge, not a self-promotion challenge.There was a famous observation by Momus the electronic singer - â€Å"In the internet age everyone is famous for fifteen people.† I’ve always thought that hangs over lots of technology. You could potentially do billions of things and reach zillions of people, but the core of it is still the slogging, and it kind of always was. You’ve just got to keep beavering away at getting a footprint with people and building a personality with people.REEDSYThanks for your time Alex.

Short Story and True Selves Essay Example

Short Story and True Selves Essay Example Short Story and True Selves Essay Short Story and True Selves Essay Authors use certain characters to attract and persuade certain audiences. The two short stories, The Prospector’s Trail by Cathy Jewison and Bluffing by Gail Helgason are easily comparable by the use of characterization. Both stories consist of two main characters, as couples, as it is affected by another individual. Also, throughout the stories, both couples face challenges in which reveal their true selves. Lastly, the author used one dynamic character while the other remained a static character. The Prospector’s Trail and Bluffing consisted of two main characters as it was affected by another individual. Norman and Jennifer from, The Prospector’s Trail, were happily married, until both their relationship and their financial funds started going downhill. Norman came to Yellowknife with his ambitious wife to make something of himself and Roy helped him do so. Jennifer doesn’t think much of Ray, and wasn’t fond of him or the way he dressed. â€Å"Unless I catch you wearing a red plaid flannel shirt, in which case I’ll leave you on the spot. † From this passage, it is clear that Jennifer was stereotyping Roy from not wanting Norman to become like him for the reason that he was wearing a red plaid flannel shirt during that time. That being said, while prospecting with Roy, Norman found a barely ripped red plaid shirt and  he instantly wore it, knowing that it would tick Jennifer off. As a result, Jennifer left Norman without even saying a word. In Bluffing, Gabriella and Liam went on a hike as they came across a bear in which showed how much they truly were uncommitted to one another. Liam ran off when he should’ve done something on the spot to keep Gabriella same from getting hurt from the bear. This occurrence completely changed the way Gabriella felt about Liam. Thus, these were how the two main characters were affected by another individual. Throughout the stories, both couples faced challenges in which revealed their true selves. In Prospector’s Trail, before going into Yellowknife, Norman lost his job and confidence from the formality and high expectations of his boss. He became clumsy where his reputation spread and could no longer work. In the following passage: Jennifer halfheartedly agreed to let Norman pursue his dream of opening and interpretive centre, on the condition that he did t far away from anyone they knew. We realize that Jennifer was ashamed and blinded by her pride, which ended up with her treating Norman wrongly. In Bluffing, when Liam ran away from both Gabriella and the bear, it shows that Liam was a coward and he didnt necessarily care about her. Furthermore, by the end of the story, Gabriella seems to also not care so much anymore. This is proven by the following passage: When the last bandage is removed, she pulls her chair closer to the bed and stretches her lips into a smile. She knows in her bones that she can manage this way, for the rest of the afternoon, at least. She still has that much bluffing in her. From this, it was clear that she was lying when she held his hand as the bandage was being taken off. It was obvious that she’d plan on leaving him due to the fact of him leaving her with the bear. Hence, these were how both couples faced challenges in which reveal their true selves. Lastly, the authors in both, The Prospector’s Trail and Bluffing used a dynamic character while the other remained a static character. Jennifer was portrayed as a selfish, inconsiderate, nagging wife who simply nagged about making Norman the best he could possibly be while Liam was portrayed as an unpredictable and a difficult person to understand. From beginning to end, Jennifer and Liam remained the same making them static characters. While on the other hand, Norman from the Prospectors Trail was portrayed as a young, confused, clumsy nerd but as time passed, he changed into a more open-minded, free man who  just wanted to start a new life in Yellowknife. This is proven by the following passage: You’re little lady’s not going to like it. She’s more upscale than my Elsie. â€Å"You’re right. She won’t see the potential. But like I said – this is the end of the road for me. † This shows that Norman wanted to be free from the stress Jennifer caused him, even if he were to be left behind. It was just Jennifer’s presence that was dragging him down to get to where he really wanted to be. In Bluffing, Gabriella changed from being committed and wanting to continue living with Liam to just simply leaving him and lying about how she felt about what had happened. Both Norman and Gabriella changed throughout the story, which made them dynamic characters while Jennifer and Liam remained the same, as a result of being static characters. By the use of characterization, the two stories are easily comparable. Both stories consisted of two main characters, as it was affected by another individual Also, throughout the stories, both couples faced challenges in which reveal their true selves. Lastly, the author used one dynamic character while the other remained a static character. Thus, these are the reasons why the characters from The Prospector’s Trail and Bluffing are very much similar.

Composition 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Composition 2 - Essay Example Rather, they are only examples which can be used to see how different authors approach their writing. The Joy of Reading shares about the reasons why the author loves to read. There are a number of benefits of reading that is enumerated which make up the bulk of the article. The International Bridge on the other hand speaks about what the internet provides for the user. It presents a personal inventory of the advantages of the internet. Preventing a Worldwide Disaster is about air pollution. It is a persuasive essay that aims to encourage readers to do something about a worldwide problem which is caused by numerous human activities. Some examples of such actions or operations are enumerated in order to clarify the points the author is trying to make. Lastly, Napoleon’s Fall from Power talks about the reasons why Napoleon Bonaparte failed in his latter conquests and in his ultimate goal of reigning as king over France and her colonies. Although the four aforementioned articles have different subject matters, they have a number of similarities. One very evident semblance is the length of the writings. They are all short, composed of only a few paragraphs. As a result, they were all written as concise as they can be. They are direct to the point and make good use of every word and sentence to express the thoughts as clearly as possible. In order to expound on the ideas presented by the four articles, they all used enumeration. For instance, the first story used words such as â€Å"one reason†, â€Å"another reason† and â€Å"the main reason† while the other three used chronological ordering by using the terms â€Å"first†, â€Å"second† or â€Å"next† and â€Å"the most important†, â€Å"another† or â€Å"finally†. In addition, they also used examples to further explain their topics. All of the four articles also used the pyramid style of writing, discus sing first

Reflective writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Reflective writing - Essay Example In this paper, I have reflected upon my experience of participating in two group exercises with given situations and time frames; the cave rescue activity, and the recruitment exercise activity. I have also discussed how the activities helped me develop as a group member. Background of the report I was involved in two group exercises; in the first exercise that was a cave rescue exercise, there were six group members in total whereas in the second exercise, which was a recruitment exercise activity, there were seven group members. For both exercises, we were given certain characters and certain situations and the exercises were supposed to be executed in a limited time frame. The group members were given a chance to take notes after the completion of each exercise, using which, they would write the reflective accounts later. Theories John Burton’s Human Needs Model John Burton argues that denial of the fundamental needs of security, equal participation, identity, and recogniti on of an individual in a group makes the protracted conflict inevitable. Resolution of such conflicts necessitates the identification of the needs that are not being addressed and restructuring of the roles of the group members in such a way that needs of all are met (Dixit, 2004). Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory Tuckman proposed a model that recognizes the fact that groups are not functional or fully-formed when they form. The groups propagate through a set of defined stages namely forming, storming, norming, and performing, and gradually become task-focused. The following graph illustrates Tuckman’s teamwork theory by showing the link between task focus and group relationships. In any group activity, the optimal productivity is reached after development of the relationships among the group members. â€Å"The 4 Phases of Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory† (The Happy Manager, 2012a). STAR Team Model The STAR team model suggests that in order to optimize the groupâ€⠄¢s productivity, the group leader should place equal emphasis on the development of the group members’ strengths and the development of good relationships among them. The STAR team model provides content and substance to the situation, conditions, and stages of teamwork as shown in the figure below: STAR Team Model (The Happy Manager, 2012b). Analysis One thing that I learnt from the exercises was that there were more conflicts happening in the start than near the end of the exercises. The fundamental reason behind this was that the group members had started to understand one another’s personalities and behaviors and their adaptability had increased. â€Å"Research in human team performance suggests that experienced teams develop a shared understanding or shared mental model utilized to coordinate behaviors by anticipating and predicting each others needs and adapting to task demands† (Sycara and Sukthankar, 2006, p. 2). All models discussed in this paper inclu ding John Burton’s Human Needs Model, Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory, and the STAR Team Model commonly emphasize on the development of relationships among the group members as a pre-requisite of achieving optimal productivity in the group exercises, though the development of group members’ skills as well as their relationships requires time. â€Å"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success† (Henry Ford cited in Zuck, 1997, p. 375). Teamwork helps people understand one another in the best way. By the team we were done with both the exercises, we had not only finished our tasks but had also known one another much better than we did before. A very useful learning that I gained in this exercise was how to resolve conflicts. I have learnt that it is primarily one’s preferences that determine the extent to which one would be able to execute

Assessment and Learners Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Learners Essay Introduction The aim of this report is to identify my roles and responsibilities as a teacher delivering the Level 2 Certificate in Youth Work Practice (City and Guilds). The course is attended by trainee youth workers aged 18 and over and consists of 20 taught sessions and a work-based placement. The qualification is assessment based, with all Learners producing a portfolio of evidence to support their learning. The portfolios are assessed, checked by an Internal Verifier and samples of the portfolios are checked by an External Verifier to agree the standards of assessment. Responsibilities The role of teacher holds many responsibilities. Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) defines two teaching roles: 1. Associate Teacher, Learning and Skills (ATLS) which is a supportive role 2. Qualified Teacher, Learning and Skills (QTLS) which is a full teaching role To become a QTLS the Institute for Learning (IfL) states: â€Å"As a new entrant to teaching in the Learning and Skills Sector, you will have to complete the PTLLS award. It must be completed within one year of initial employment. † (March, S, 2010: 4) It is my responsibility as a teacher to complete this qualification and continuously develop my skills as a professional. As a teacher some of my responsibilities include having knowledge and understanding of the subject, curriculum development and delivery and appropriate initial, formative an summative assessment methods. As a teacher within the Level 2 Certificate in Youth Work Practice I am responsible for the development and delivery of a suitable curriculum to enable Learners to complete the qualification by demonstrating and evidencing their learning. This also includes carrying out initial assessments for all Learners and identifying any needs of the individual or the group. During the development of the curriculum I plan and prepare sessions to meet the learning outcomes of the course, sourcing and developing appropriate resources then delivering sessions and supporting Learners where necessary. Suitable assessment methods and evaluation processes will also be structured into the curriculum to ensure continuous development of the course, the Learners and the teachers. Other responsibilities within my role include: * Appropriate record keeping. This may include Learners details, registration forms, Initial Assessments, registers, portfolio files, results and assessment records, placement details and session plans alongside schemes of work. These records are kept to ensure all Learners’ needs are met and progress is appropriately recorded on Individual Learning Plans which are necessary for certification. Work placement details and Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks also need to be kept to ensure safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures are followed correctly. Records must be kept in accordance to legislation and also as a matter of best practice and for auditing purposes. * Suitable evaluation. Evaluation of the Learners’ progress is essential to their learning to identify areas for improvement. It is important to evaluate the curriculum, sessions and my own development to ensure my practice is reflective, professional and continuously developing. * Respect. Paramount to my role as a teacher is respect for the Learners and my colleagues, including professional boundaries. This includes maintaining a degree of formality and understanding of the limits of my relationship with the Learners, ensuring these are made clear, preventing the crossing of boundaries. This also includes an awareness of my own limitations within my role and knowing how and where to signpost Learners for further support. Legislation There are many policies and procedures to follow within my own organisation and the qualification awarding body, governing many aspects of my role as teacher. Some of these relate to legislation such as: * The Equality Act (2010) This act promotes equality of opportunity. My practice must be inclusive and take into consideration this legislation to prevent discrimination as guided by mu organisations Equal Opportunities Policy. * The Data Protection Act (1998) This act regulates the processing and storing of information about individuals. My organisation follows appropriate policies and procedures in accordance with this act including storing all Learners’ files in a lockable file in a suitable environment only accessed by authorised staff. * The Copyright Licensing Act (CLA) (1988) Organisations must have a license to copy parts of books and documents. It is vital to ensure this is followed when copying any material to ensure it is done within the limits of the organisation’s licence. * Health and Safety at Work etc Act (1974) This is the main piece of legislation covering health and safety in the work place including anyone entering and using the premises. * Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) This Legislation requires all  employers carry out appropriate risk assessments, implement necessary measures, appoint competent staff and arrange suitable information and training around health and safety. My organisation also follows appropriate policies and procedures to ensure both this and the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) are complied with. This includes risk assessments, record keeping, first aid training, incident reporting and safeguarding policies and procedures. As well as legislation and organisation policies and procedures there is a code of practice to be followed by teachers, produced by The Institute for Learning (IfL). This outlines the standards of professional behaviour expected of members working in further education and includes: * Professional integrity regarding all interactions with Learners, colleagues and other professionals. * Show respect to all Learners and colleagues and recognise and value diversity and engage in anti-oppressive practices. * Ensure reasonable care regarding the safety and wellbeing of others where possible and within legislation. * Provide evidence of your own professional development. * Notify the IfL as soon as possible after cautioning or conviction for a criminal offence. * Provide appropriate support during any investigation by the IfL. My own practice also requires me to work within the National Youth Agency code of practice too. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion As a teacher it is essential that my practice ensures the fair treatment of all Learners and that they are allowed equal opportunities to participate and gain the qualification. This may involve adapting sessions including timings, resources, assessment methods and providing additional support where necessary. The Equality Act (2010) bans unfair treatment and aims to achieve equal opportunities within the work place and wider society. The act replaces previous anti-discrimination laws to make legislation simpler and remove inconsistencies and covers nine protected characteristics which cannot be used as a reason to treat people unfairly. The protected characteristics are: 1. Age 2. Disability 3. Gender reassignment (choosing to live as a gender other than that assigned to you at birth, with or without surgery. ) 4. Marriage and civil partnership 5. Pregnancy and maternity 6. Race 7. Religion or belief 8. Gender 9. Sexual orientation The Equality Act identifies ways in which it is unlawful to treat people including: * Direct and indirect discrimination * Harassment * Victimisation * Failing to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities My organisation operates within an equal opportunities policy influenced by this Act which must be followed by all staff and Learners. As well as a commitment to equality within my practise it is important to recognise and value individual differences and the different cultural backgrounds of Learners, colleagues and the wider community. My practice must promote diversity through my behaviour, use of language and appropriate challenging of others to reflect this. Inclusion within teaching ensures that all Learners are able to participate and feel included, removing any barriers to their learning experience. This should include all teaching and learning processes from the planning and delivery stages to evaluation and further planning. Appropriate information should be collected at the Initial Assessment stage to allow necessary adaptations to the teaching programme. This may include providing additional support for Functional Skills or allowing time and space for prayers. Recommendations for professional practice Throughout my teaching practice I will continuously update my skills through training, supervision and self-evaluation to ensure a high standard of professional practice. I will also review all necessary policies and practices to work within legislation and promote best practice. It is also important to maintain suitable contact with governing bodies to stay updates with codes of conduct and changes to legislation. Bibliography Cohen, L, Manion, L and Morrison, K. (2004) A Guide to Teaching Practice, 5th Edition, Suffolk: Routledge Great Britain. Equality Act 2010, London: HMSO March, S. (2010) Preparing to Teach – the first steps: Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Developing Wireless Communications to Space Essay example -- Science O

A big potential problem in the future is developing a wireless communications network in outer space. In this paper we will discuss the problems presented with this and the potential solutions to these problems using existing and some futuristic technology. We have broke this into two main parts, one being earth to satellite to planet and back, and the other being planetary ground transmission to and from astronauts to rovers to space stations. The solution has already started being implemented and will continue rapidly into the near future. It is called the Interplanetary Internet. As of now it is an array of floating 'nodes' or satellites scattered around in space that can communicate with each other. In the future a backbone of satellites is envisioned with their own high speed protocols. There will also be large antennas on earth and possible other planets hundreds of feet high, amplifiers scattered throughout space, photovoltaic powered satellites, and high precision equipment on multiple planet surfaces. The architectural concept to this is deceivingly simple. The first part is developing Internet protocols to form local networks in quiet environments with little delay. This could be done with free flying spacecraft here on earth or another planet. The second part is to develop a deep space structure of satellites interconnecting LANs. This includes multiple space based data relay satellites. The third part is implementing a new overlay a new protocol concept called bundling to tie together the Internets. This is based on a routing concept in which multiple messages will be bundled and sent through a series of Internets. The problem with this is not the same as here on earth. Here it is billi... ...face devices completed the elements of the hardware setup. (NASA Takes..) In conclusion the improvements to the current inter-planet system of communication involves increasing the number of nodes in space, development of peer to peer hardware nodes and improvement of protocols to deal with long delays and interference. Works Cited NASA Takes the Internet into Space. 13 Dec 2003. TechNewsWorld. 10 April 2007. . Mars Wants Wi-Fi!. 15 Jan 2004. Wi-Fi Planet. 10 April 2007. . NASA tests WiFi mesh networks. 22 March 2004. GCN. 10 April 2007. . NMSU researchers helping NASA develop systems to transmit data from Mars. 14 Oct 2004. SpaceRef. 10 April 2007. .

Lenovo’s Promotional Information Essay

To create a brand is a difficult and expensive task but to build a brand with worldwide influence is even more difficult and is often associated with huge risks. Research shows that only 25% of new products/brands generate more than $7.5 million in sales in their first few years and even fewer are able to generate enough revenue to keep them on market for long. Lenovo continues to build brand awareness through aggressive marketing and new product promotions. Lenovo uses this promotional mix to strategically penetrate new markets worldwide as well as to sustain its position as a global leader and to continue growth over the long term. Investment in brand awareness through Lenovo’s recent â€Å"For Those Who Do† promotional campaign has proven fruitful, helping the company establish a foothold in the U.S. market among the top five PC vendors. Lenovo is investing aggressively in new products such as Ultrabooks and all-in-one PCs, allowing it to rapidly adapt to changes in the marketplace and to consistently meet the ever-changing demands of its customer base. Promotion and IMC Promotion is an important and integral part of marketing process. To be successful, a producer must not only offer a good product at a reasonable price but also inform potential customers about the product and where they can buy it. The overall range of tactics available to a producer is known as the ‘promotional mix’ and comprises of advertising, sales promotion, publicity, sponsorship, direct marketing, internet marketing and personal selling. In addition to these key promotional tools, its marketing team also relies on other techniques, such as exhibitions and product placement in movies, songs or video games, which have gained in popularity in recent years. The promotional mix used by Lenovo is aligned with the decisions made with regard to product, pricing and distribution and different promotional methods that handle different parts of the job. Determining to blend these together is a strategy decision that should be kept consistent to communicate its beneï ¬ ts to a target market. Lenovo’s uses a variety of techniques to effectively communicate its products to its target market. Their promotions come in the form of coupons, instant savings, and online rebates. Lenovo is informing, persuading and reminding customers of their products and educating them in deciding on their available choices. Lenovo continues to build consumer interest which helps build favorable impressions of the company and its products. Theme and Positioning Statement The positioning theme of Lenovo is â€Å"We are for those who do.† Lenovo’s mission is to bring affordable innovative products for its customers. Lenovo’s vision clearly states â€Å"We are now one company with one goal: To build the best, most innovative products in the world. To use world-class economies to put new and better technology in the hands of more people, by innovating on cost the same way we innovate on technology. To focus our energy and our commitment on the success and trust of our customers.† Though a lot has changed in the recent years, however, Lenovo has always remained true to its mission statement. Promotion Blend Lenovo is increasing its brand awareness by campaigning, including social media, design, branded content, retail experience, event and strategic engagement and partnerships. The company sponsored the annual HopSotch independent music fest, and was a tech partner with â€Å"Transformers 3† and even showed up at Fashion Week in New York with designer partnerships and the Lenovo Lounge. In the U.S., the campaign kicked off with a 60-second TV spot that laid out their â€Å"do† theme, while smaller, subsequent campaigns focused on specifics such as its rapid boot technology. In one advertisement, Lenovo throws a PC out of an airplane and it must â€Å"save itself† by booting up quickly and deploying a parachute. Salespeople In today’s fast paced world, where the electronic and print media are having huge influence on everybody’s life, a product or service cannot survive without proper promotion. Personal selling is an extremely important part of this promotional mix. Sales are divided into three main tasks: order-getting, order-taking and supporting. Depending upon the situation a salesman can performs all these duties. A good salesperson should be knowledgeable about the products and its competitive environment. In many situations salesman can also answer questions about what promotion should be directed toward the final consumer. Lenovo’s salespeople handle most of the important communication with wholesalers and retailers. Additionally, Lenovo uses sale promotions not only to focus on best profit potential but also to give itself a competitive advantage in the market. A good customer service not only builds brand loyalty but also acts as a promotion because often satisfied customers share their experience with their friends and family. Therefore, building a long term relationship and trust with its customer base is very important part of product selling. Sales Promotions for Channel Members/Customers/Employees Promotions are important part for any marketing campaign, as it directly influences customers. In order to be effective a promotion should be able to persuade, inform and remind its customer base of the benefits of its marketed product. Lenovo uses promotions to motivate employees to provide better customer service or achieve higher sales. Lenovo has a special birthday rewards program and each employee is emailed on the 1st day of the month prior to their birthday thanking them for their contribution to the success of the business and asking them to log onto Lenovo’s branded website using their unique user name and password to order their gift online. Recently, Lenovo also shared a $3 million bonus that they received of increasing success with its junior-level employees. Lenovo awarded CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading supply chain companies its Innovation and Operations Excellence award for the second year in a row in North America. This award recognized CEVA’s efforts around freight consolidating and optimizing transportation resulting in substantial cost savings. Lenovo also has year around online promotions available for its customers. Push and Pull Strategy Lenovo distributes with push strategy that involves selling into channel intermediaries like large retailers, wholesalers and it is also reliant on personal selling and trade promotions. Its promotional efforts like personal selling, advertising and sales promotion helps sell the whole marketing mix to its channel members. Lenovo also distributes using a pull strategy which relies on customer demands that pulls the product through the channel. Lenovo’s uses both push and pull strategy in combination to promote its products to large business customers as well as to individual final consumers. Lenovo’s highly aggressive promotion to final consumers using coupons or samples, builds consumer interest and help them achieve higher sales of their products. Its informative and interactive website includes customer reviews and video demonstrations that help customers build favorable impressions of the company and its products. Recent Positive Publicity Lenovo continues to excel in the PC market and its products has achieved highest recognition among both its peers and customers. Recently Lenovo received 16 awards and honors highlighting its brand innovation, design and versatility in the PC industry at Top Industry Awards at 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. Additionally, Lenovo relies extensively on fundraising to enter into new markets and market new products. Eedoo Technology, the video gaming unit that is associated with Lenovo Group has raised tens of millions of dollars. Their gaming product, Ebox comes with 30 games built in and a set-top camera that can detect a player’s movements, according to the article. With this joint venture with a Chinese company, Lenovo not only hope to tap into Eedoo existing network within China but also hope that by including the games in the system they can cut down on the rampant piracy that is prevalent in the video game business in China. Interactive Media In order to be successful in towards highly competitive environment latest marketing trends and methods of communications are key to successful promotion strategies. Recently, Lenovo implemented a YouTube strategy, they created a competition called ‘Seize The Night,’ asking 15 finalists to create an alternative ending to the following video with the winner determined by most views. One of the contestants, Joshua, organized and filmed a massive cycle ride in London using a Lenovo laptop. Featuring hundreds of cyclists, the video has quickly taken off, going viral and spreading the Lenovo brand for free. This campaign has been very successful to Lenovo as it gained hundreds and thousands of YouTube views and followers without doing any marketing on its own. In addition, it is comparatively cheap and gains a much higher return on investment. Their YouTube campaign was extremely successful and has now become a must read case for all business people. Here is the link to the videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_119513&feature=iv&src_vid=xGtBPlPqIFQ&v=OoXr6sQlaRk and the responding video by the contestant Joshua is following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGtBPlPqIFQ&feature=player_embedded#! References Lenovo Reveals ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Shakes Up Ultrabook Market Lenovo Reveals ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Shakes Up Ultrabook Market http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZNUxPiwMs http://wraltechwire.com/business/tech_wire/news/story/11335630/ http://www.cevalogistics.com/en-AU/aboutus/newsmedia/mediareleases/Pages/release_19_july_2012.aspx http://www.partnerinfo.lenovo.com/partners/br/pt/entitled/LENOVO%20COOKBOOK_V1.5_FINAL.pdf http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1557 http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120113005747/en/Lenovo-Receives-Top-Industry-Awards-2012-International http://www.lenovo.com/social_responsibility/us/en/Lenovo_CSR_Fast_Facts.pdf

Library vs. Internet

COMPUTERIZED LIBRARY SYSTEM: Foreign Study Chapter I Project Overview Introduction Nowadays, in a highly technological society, human productivity is made more efficient through the development of electronic gadgets. Now, with the advent of such modernization in education, one way to globalize the process of research is to realize that technology is advancing at an incredibly fast pace. Computers are not confined to being used for entertainment but its role in education is also vast. Library is derived from the old French term â€Å"librairie† which means â€Å"a collection of books. † Reading materials in school are stored in libraries.Library is a place in which books and related materials are kept for use but not for sale. It is also organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution or a private individual. In addition, it is a place in which we get information in any format and from many sources. The librarian has to keep the room neat so that it is conducive for learning. The librarian is also the person who is liable for monitoring all the books that are borrowed and returned by the borrowers. http://www. studymode. com/essays/Computerized-Library-System-427957. html Local Studies About Library System- A Sample ThesisLibrary systems, comparisons and contrasts. For the children of today, going to the library,  searching  through the card catalogue to look for books on topics they need to research on is quite archaic! However, many of us still remember how time consuming this was. The kids of today certainly have it easy. Imagine getting all the information you need with one-click of your mouse!?! An  integrated library system  (ILS), also known as a  library management system  (LMS), is an  enterprise resource planning  system for a  library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed.An ILS usually comprises a  relational database, software to interact with that datab ase, and two  graphical user interfaces  (one for patrons, one for staff). Most ILSes separate software functions into discrete programs called modules, each of them integrated with a unified interface. Examples  of modules might include:  §Ã‚  Ã‚  acquisitions (ordering, receiving, and  invoicing  materials)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  cataloging  (classifying and indexing materials)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  circulation (lending materials to patrons and receiving them back)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  serials  (tracking  magazine and  newspaper  holdings)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  the  OPAC  (public interface for users)Each patron and item has a unique ID in the database that allows the ILS to track its activity. Larger libraries use an ILS to order and acquire, receive and invoice, catalog, circulate, track and shelve materials. Smaller libraries, such as those in private homes or  non-profit organizations  (like churches or synagogues, for instance), often forgo the expense and maintenance required to run an ILS, and instead use a library computer system. (Wikipedia) Automation of the catalog saves the labor involved in re-sorting the card catalog, keeping it up-to-date with respect to the collection, etc.Other tasks which are now automated include checking-out and checking-in books, generating statistics and reports, acquisitions and subscriptions, indexing journal articles and linking to them, as well as  tracking  interlibrary loans. Since the late 1980s,  windowing systems  and multi-tasking have allowed the integration of business functions. Instead of having to open up separate applications, library staff could now use a single application with multiple functional modules.As the  Internet  grew, ILS vendors offered more functionality related to computer networks. As of 2009  major ILS systems offer web-based portals where library users can log in to view their account, renew their books, and authenticate themselves for access to  online databases. (Wikipedia) In r ecent years some libraries have turned to major open source ILSs such as  Koha  and  Evergreen. Common reasons noted were to avoid vendor lock in, avoid license fees, and participate in software development. Librarytechnology. rg does an annual survey of over 1,500 libraries and noted in 2008 2%[3]  of those surveyed used open source ILS, in 2009 the number increased to 8%[4]  and in 2010(most recent year available) 12%[5]  of the libraries polled had adopted open source ILSs. (Wikipedia) Read more:  http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2011/06/local-studies-about-library-system-a-sample-thesis. html#ixzz2DsPW4UYZ http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2011/06/local-studies-about-library-system-a-sample-thesis. html Library: foreign literatureThe network libraries now have autonomous library systems (TINLIB version 280 of IME) with reciprocal access to each others catalogs via the PHnet. Training on site and in UK has been provided by IME to the s taff of the network. Staff expertise on the use of all the modules of TINLIB running on UNIX has been brought to a level where the staff can now confidently train others and maintain the system. Online support via the Internet is also provided by IME upon request. The choice of a common library system was decided by the technical committee of the network libraries to have a uniform platform, training programs, import profiles, etc. cross the network and for ease in establishing a user group/systems administration group. TINLIB was chosen because it met the systems specifications prepared by the technical working group, and had favorable references from users. Additional features which gave it an edge over other systems is its utilization of hypertext techniques, client-server architecture, and ability to import and export data from any of the databases existing in the network libraries. The library directors and heads are under tremendous pressure to continue and expand the networke d services.Four of the services which need to be implemented immediately are:          1) the creation of a union catalog for books, audio-visual, serials and Filipiniana articles and researches;          2) access to CD-ROM abstracts and indexes and full text journals and references from any site on the network, subject to copyright and licensing agreement with suppliers and publishers;          3) development of networking navigation tools and training programs; and          4) building of sufficient monetary resources and/or commitment of university officials to allocating sufficient funds for the maintenance of the network. ) transforming the College of Science library into a National Science Library and Information Center to widen the scope of its services http://www. studymode. com/essays/Library-Foreign-Literature-906068. html

Social Construction of Gender essays

Social Construction of Gender essays Women have always been over shadowed by what it is believe to be the dominant sex (male). It is like is not enough with what women have to go through with the birth process, it is like been born with a disability, an inequality that the society have put on the shoulders of women. It is not a surprise to see a woman perform the same duties on the same job position of a man but at a much lower paid rate, the same apply to a female that goes in to the army or marine. They may get paid the same wage nowadays but with some limitation, you dont see a women commanding a platoon or been part of a special force team. and in the time of the world wars (1 and 2) the only roll women play was as a nurse or entertainer for the soldiers, and more shockingly as in the reading said they were latterly force to be feminine by making the ladies or female soldier to wear makeup, lipstick and eye shadow, they even attended classes in makeup, hair care, poise, and etiquette even though many female soldiers were tomboys. Thing that wasnt necessary in the battle field, they did it just to make the gender differences obvious. It is also interesting to see that when a women passes as a man it will get more recognition and increase her income, also men to women transsexuals tend to earn less after surgery if they change occupations. It is even worse if the woman is from a different social class, such as African American where not only women will have to deal with the machismo and gender preferences, but also with racism and other obstacles. ...

Enthalpy of Atomization Definition (Chemistry)

Enthalpy of Atomization Definition (Chemistry) Enthalpy of atomization is the amount of enthalpy change when a compounds bonds are broken and the component elements are reduced to individual atoms. Enthalpy of atomization is always a positive value and never a negative number.Enthalpy of atomization is denoted by the symbol ΔHa. How Enthalpy of Atomization Is Calculated If pressure is held constant, enthalpy change equals the change in the internal energy of a system. So, enthalpy of atomization equals the sum of the enthalpies of fusion and vaporization. For example, for the diatomic molecule chlorine gas (Cl2), the enthalpy of atomization under standard conditions is simply the bond energy of Cl2. All that is needed to atomize the substance is to break the bonds between gaseous molecules. For sodium (Na) metal at standard conditions, atomization requires separating atoms joined by metallic bonds. The enthalpy of atomization is the sum of the enthalpy of fusion and the enthalpy of vaporization of sodium. For any elemental solid, the enthalpy of atomization is the same as the enthalpy of sublimation. Related Term Standard enthalpy of atomization is the enthalpy change that occurs when one mole of a sample is dissociated into its atoms under standard conditions of 298.15 K temperature and 1 bar of pressure.

Benetton Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Benetton - Speech or Presentation Example Their usage of technology and the media is the greatest, bearing in mind that Benetton’s main tool of advertisement is the media; it will be easy to sell the Group’s products to them. In order to maintain Benetton’s competitive edge, the company has to make important strategic positioning changes. Europe is Benetton’s biggest market, however, the cost of running business in Europe is quite high, and the profit margins are minimal. Thus, it would be wise to cut the expenses in Europe. The Asian market provides Benetton with a large population to which it can sell its products. In spite of the Asian countries providing varying characteristics and regulations, the market shows expansive development in the retail sector that Benetton can take advantage of and sell more of its products. (Suh & Howard, 2013). The developing aspect of the Asian market presents a favourable offering that Benetton can occupy with the help of the funds it saves from the spending reduction in Europe. Moreover, the competition in Asian markets is not as harsh as that in Europe where Benetton’s competitors have established themselves. The Benetton Group has to improve its standing with more utilisation of the green strategy. One thing for sure is that it has to develop products that are environmental friendly and show dedication to the green strategy. Thus, it has to remodel the strategy around its products by signing with recognised labels. These labels have to show the company’s eco-friendliness. As noted by Garcia (2015) there number of eco-labels globally stands at 437. Using recognised labels like Energy Star in the U.S. will help Benetton to improve believability to its advertisements especially the benefits its products have on the environment. Especially at such a time when people are more aware of the importance of the environment in their lives with the effects of global warming and climate change. With the continued digitalisation of nearly every aspect of day-to-day

Financial Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Financial Management Principles - Essay Example New plants and equipment will also be needed to supplement the increased sales. Some of the increase in the assets will be financed by spontaneous increase in accounts payable and any shortfall will be financed by external resources such as debt, stocks or a combination of both. The amount of funds needed can be raised using the means depending the â€Å"..current capital structure, conditions in debt and equity market and the restrictions imposed by existing debt agreements (Brigham. 2005)†. The amount of additional funds raised increases the interest payments and/or dividend payments whatever was forecasted earlier. Additional interest payments or dividends are calculated and adjustments are made in the previously forecasted income statement. This adjustment lowers the earnings that were forecasted in the previous statement. Then a second pass of balance sheet is made and again a new change in interest and dividend payment comes up before managers. Then again adjustments are done in income statements. So in the end it becomes a hit and trial like method to come up with forecasted financial statements which are approximately accurate. â€Å"A capital expenditure is and outlay of cash for a project that is expected to produce a cash inflow over a period of time exceeding one year (netmba, 2007)†. Capital Budgeting is a process that requires decisions regarding the investments in financial assets while forecasting of financial statements involves approximation of future financial statements. Hence capital budgeting is a whole p[process of analyzing the projects their cash inflows and outflows and deciding which one is to included in the capital budget and which one is to be rejected. Financial forecasting gives the assessment of how much of assets will be required to carry out operations in future. It also gives an idea of how much of those assets will be