Countrywide Financial Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Countrywide Financial - Assignment Example Role in the Subprime Mortgage Meltdown Countrywide’s original creation of the practice of service oriented architecture (SOA) was heralded as revolutionary and became an industry standard (Gruman, 2005). The company was the leader in loan origination with others in the industry following suit, however what is unclear and unknown is when the company’s internal operations began to deviate from sound business practices (Jacobs, 2009; Mokhiber & Weissman, 2007). Gearino (2011) uses the example of the chaos theory to describe the affect and the influence Countrywide had on the subsequent mortgage meltdown (p. 40). He summarizes the chaos theory as â€Å"small deviations from the original intent or purpose of something causing varying results† (2011, p. 40). Subsequently, Countrywide’s business practices were small deviations from the standard ways in which mortgages were created and sold as mortgage backed securities (Jacob, 2009, pp. 17-25). What began as a re volutionary way of originating, underwriting, funding, and packaging mortgage loans for sale became the uncertainty of the deviations as hypotheized by Gearino (2011, p. 40).

Creative Nonfiction Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Creative Nonfiction Film - Essay Example Prior to the actual Zaire fight, the two fighters proudly stated that each boxer will knock out the other opposing boxer (Denby 123). The film’s drama environment heightens as each boxer convinces the general public, especially the movie audiences, that the opposing boxer is no match for the other boxer. Just like the personal essay, the movie is filled with heated conversational element. Further, the film may contain themes of honesty, confession, and privacy. In the nonfiction film When We Were Kings, the film correctly centers on the theme of honesty (Lopate, Getting Personal: Selected Essays 197). Muhammad Ali originally keeps espousing that all Americans should be honest (Lopate 130). Muhammad Ali espoused that Americans should stand up for their beliefs. Muhammad Ali refused to join the Vietnam War. The boxer insisted that the United States should meddle with the internal affairs of another country, Vietnam. For refusing to be drafted into the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali w as convicted and jailed for five years. Muhammad Ali theorized that the Vietnam people should be entitled to their privacy from being intruded by the United States army. Likewise, Muhammad Ali confessed to the people that he is willing to be jailed for his political belief on the encroachment of the United States on Vietnam’s political issues. Furthermore, the film may include issues that contract or expand the self. Specifically, the film may focus on the behavior of the person of film protagonists and antagonists. In the nonfiction film When We Were Kings, the film rightfully shows that Muhammad Ali consistently espoused that he can easily knock out the crowd favorite. The crowd favorite is the defending world heavyweight champion, George Foreman. Muhammad Ali proves to his critics that he was right. In the Zaire fight, Muhammad Ali was able to knock out George Foreman. When Foreman fell to the canvass, the boxing referee counted out the defending champion, the seemingly unstoppable George Foreman (Gast 1). The film clip starting from 1:01:08 to 1:08:02 time lapse correctly shows the real life boxing match between the two boxing gladiators. The audience can see how George Foreman unloaded several punches onto Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali leaned on the ropes to prevent falling onto the boxing ring canvass. After Foreman slo wed down his boxing pace, Muhammad Ali pounced on the unsuspecting Foreman. As expected, Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman while keeping the movie audiences on their feet awaiting the final outcome. As expected, the film correctly shows Muhammad Ali exchanging pleasantries with a girl. The Film clips also show the time frame of the activities from the 40:02:00 movie scene to the 40:39:00 time lapse film scene. The film captivates to audience by making the films more realistic. Moreover, the film may include challenging the status quo. In the nonfiction film When We Were Kings, Muhammad Ali correctly fought hard and long against the status quo. The status quo requires all able-bodied United States citizens to join the Vietnam War. The United States law punishes any American citizen from rendering the required services within the United States army. Muhammad Ali insisted that his new religion, Islam, prohibits him from joining the United States

Darwinian Snails Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Darwinian Snails - Lab Report Example The paper tells that natural selection is a situation that occurs when nature selects those organisms that are well adapted to the environment for its reproductive mechanisms. It is evident that smaller snails are more susceptible to crabs, evident with blue snails in tank 2 for both trials. It was found that snails that were not damaged were found alive and had no shell chips. Snail death means a successful predation, as seen in tank 4 for trial 2. According to Seeley, â€Å"intense natural selection caused a rapid morphological transition in a living marine snail†. Natural selection by crabs is suggested to promote evolution of thicker shelled snails. Chemical defenses and behavioral avoidance mechanisms have no much effect on predation in marine environments as compared to morphological changes. The morphological changes such as shell wall thickness, shell length, shell height and the aperture area. Shell thickness contributes significantly to the environment that the snail s’ live. Shell thickness of the intertidal gastropods varies in comparison to the shores, which are intertidal and this will show the differential predation in relation to crabs. The varying shell thickness of the gastropods tends to be in parallel gradient to predation intensity and wave exposure. Another major factor that contributes to shell thickness is the predator-induced defenses, which usually suggest intertidal plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity refers to a situation where the predator will induce the formation of structures in the prey.

Social Media Benefits In Education English Language Essay

Social Media Benefits In Education English Language Essay In todays technological environment, it is important that teachers try their best to make use of this innovative technology. As explained by Thaker, this technology can be used to facilitate communication between the students and the teachers. However, this new form of communication can also help parents in getting involved in the learning of their children. One way of enhancing this communication is through the use of social media (Bienstock, 2012) (Thaker, 2011). There are a number of social networking sites that can be used. Facebook  [1]  , Twitter  [2]  , Edmodo  [3]  , LinkedIn  [4]  , Twiducate  [5]  , Classroom 2.0  [6]  and Google+  [7]  are just few of the existent social media that one can make use of in education. These media are being constantly used by almost everyone on everyday basis. The results obtained from Pingdom (2012) on the demographics of 24 different social media sites show that these media are being used by different persons in different age groups. In fact, the study shows that even teenagers are making use of such media (Pingdom, 2012). However, one might argue, should we use such media in education, even though we know of the problems and issues related to such media? However others might reason that we cannot just eliminate the use of such a valuable and easily accessible resource. Bienstock (2012) makes reference to the New York Times article in which Ms. Pust states I think that we would do more good keeping kids safe by teaching them how to use these tools and navigate this online world rather than locking it down and pretending that it is not in our realm. (Preston, 2011 in Bienstock, 2012) In the following sections, we will discuss the advantages that social media offers in the area of education. However, we are also going to point out the problems that these media might present and how to cope and manage them. Social Media Benefits in Education Students Develop communication skills students can gain social confidence from online interaction, which may help them feel more secure in new situations Increase skill in technology students become more familiar with new and emerging technologies, as well as increase their media literacy through exposure to many different types of online media Since many students already use these forms of technology, they may be more engaged in learning if they utilize it Online communities can be very diverse and expose students to many new view points, ideas, and opinions Social media can also be a source to increase talent to work on group projects Students can develop an optimistic image of themselves by putting best qualities out there Enhanced Collaboration acquiring information can be accomplished by students alone. But problem-solving skills are often better enhanced in a collaborative environment. Social media allow students to work together on projects beyond an individuals capability Teachers and Schools Increased access to resources since learning materials can be shared Collaboration amongst teachers and exchanging of lesson plans and information Can reach parents who are incapable to come to school in a cheap and effective way Can form partnerships with schools in other states or countries Enhanced Flipping Social media can be used to enhance the teacher-student relationship. Students view recorded lectures or read curricular material outside the classroom. Inside the classroom, students complete what usually qualifies as homework. Teachers act as tutors, helping students through problem areas in their work. Modernize Discussions through social media teacher can credit students for in-class participation. This requires teacher to monitor which students are speaking up when. Communicate Between Classes Teachers can send out announcements, share ideas or pose questions to pupils, especially when classes are spaced several days apart. How well are schools using social media? (Harrison, 2012) Successes Challenges Making safe communities some sites allow teachers to control online environments thus reducing dangers associated with social media Lack of knowledge a schools social media account should be managed by someone who understands social media Encouraging collaboration students can critique and comment on each others assignments. They can easily work in teams online and asking teachers questions or starting a discussion is easy Lack of features lack of engagement for students can make them feel as if the school doesnt care. Features should include one-on-one connection Invitation to produce content social media can invite students and schools to produce content for both enrolled and prospective students. This can show the schools personality More than a presence a social media profile requires daily maintenance and interaction with students The NCF (Ministry of Education, Employment and Family 2011) argues that literacy, numeracy and digital literacy are the foundations for further learning. Our students are digital natives whether we like it or not. For us as teachers we have to accept this and exploit it to deliver the subject content to our students. Students and Social Media Our students are continuously communicating through social media, in Malta the most popular one being Facebook. Can we stop this? No we can not as out students are equipped with laptops, tablets, iPads, smartphones all providing easier access to social networks. Introducing social media in education is not an easy step, as mentioned before students are continuously using it with most of them ignoring the possible consequences. When the topic is approached only on a theoretical level students think that it will never happen to them, for them there is nothing wrong uploading any kind of photos to appear cool with their friends. They can not perceive that once a photo is available on the Internet is available to anybody even though they select the Only Friends option. Social Media Problems and How to Minimise Them? The only way to deal with this problem is through educational videos that illustrate various situations which teenagers found themselves in because they didnt know it could happen to them. A teacher can start by showing these two videos http://viewpure.com/nOUu1fldBbI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5OeGeudBMfeature=channel and discuss a set of questions with the students to elicit important points from both videos; the uploading of photos, anyone can watch your photos without you being aware of it. Students need to be educated towards social media. They have a tool in their hands, they think of knowing how to use it but most of them dont. Teachers and parents have to understand we cannot stop the social media hype. We as teachers have to educate about this tool. What can go wrong? Many students ask the questions: What can go wrong? These are some of the answers that we as educators need to provide: Cyberbullying (CEOP, 2007):: By using technology like mobiles or the internet, this type of bullying can affect someone not just at school, but at home as well. Because it takes place in the virtual world, it has a 24/7 nature and can make someone feel upset or threatened in their own home. Students should be educated that this kind of bullying can be evidenced. With cyber bullying they can save text/emails/WebPages, print them and used as a proof to catch the bully. Sexting: Someone taking an indecent image of themselves, and sending it to their friends or boy/girlfriend via a mobile phone or some other form of technology is sometimes referred to as sexting. Once these images have been taken and sent to others, control is lost of them and they can end up anywhere.   They could be seen by friends and family, a future employer, or even, in some cases, end up in the possession an offender! This also puts that person who originally sent the images in a vulnerable position (CEOP, 2007):, as somebody they may or may not know now has these images and could use technology to bully, harass or even try to locate them as seen in the videos. Students have to be educated to think Do I want my schoolmates to see these photos, my family? Hacking: Students should always choose the Log Out option so their account can not be hacked. False Identity: People arent always honest with who they are, their age or what they look like. Students have to be share of whom they are confirming as a friend. It is very easy to lie on the Internet and there is no way of knowing if someone is telling the truth. Even if someone shows them a photo of themselves, this could be a picture of someone else or could be faked. This applies to webcam or video footage too; seeing a person in a video, does not mean it is them. Students have to be educated not to meet people they encountered over the Internet. Addiction: One has to be aware of the time and effort spent in establishing connections. It is very easy to become addicted, for some, these sites become one of the major concerns (CEOP, 2007). This can have adverse effects on a persons ability to work efficiently and affects ones health as well. Sometimes the best lesson to educate our students is not through theory but providing them with actual facts. For example this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2201064/Man-murders-girl-16-testify-raping-years-agolured-death-posing-teen-Facebook.html narrates the story of a girl killed by her rapist before she could testify against him. He posed as a teenage boy on Facebook and told Shania Gray (the victim) he had a crush on her and they agreed to meet. He took her to a secluded park and shot her (Pullman, 2012). Everyone has a Facebook account why shouldnt I? Our society, educators, parents cannot hide from the reality that social media are part of our culture. The future generation are approaching their lives differently as they integrate digital technologies- such as computers, the Internet, instant messaging, cell phones and e-mail throughout their daily activities. As educators we can propose the following simple but effective SMART Rules (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Keep your personal information like address, mobile number safe. Make students think this question If I meet a stranger on the street would I give him my mobile number? The same reasoning has to be applied to a stranger met on the Internet. Dont Meet Up. Social networks can be a place to encounter with new people. Students must always know who you are talking to. If an adult they do not know asks them to meet up, they have to be educated to say no. Accepting (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Educate students to think before they accept something from someone over the Internet as it might contain viruses with the sole purpose to steal information from someones computer used by a hacker to keep data on people perhaps engaged by paedophiles. If students do not know from whom it is and it has an attachment, they have to delete it. Reliable (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Not everyone online can be trusted. Older men tend to lie about their age and who they are to meet female adolescents. This is a point we as educators need to stress onto; students have to know who they are talking to. Tell (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Students should not be afraid of talking if someone is harassing or stalking them over the Internet. They have to talk with their parents, or a guidance teacher or any other trusted adult if someone makes them worried or uncomfortable online. Moreover if a student knows about a friend who has these kinds of problems he/she has to tell someone. It is not betraying him/her friends trust, it is helping and in some cases saving his/her friend. The Issue of No Physical Interaction Social media is a medium that enables communication between people from all over the world through the use of technology. Such interaction can be done from the comfort of your own home and this can facilitate the process tremendously. Some may argue that social media may present a challenge since the students are unable to socialise properly. This may be due to the fact that the interaction between peers is not presented in a physical manner. On the other hand, social media allows people to meet in ways that otherwise would have not been possible. Social media not only allows easier communication but eliminates the issue of geographical barriers. It allows students to form and (Tomaszewski, 2012) (Connolly, 2011) (Williams, 2011)maintain friendships, that otherwise would have been difficult or impossible. Such friendships allow students to learn and interact with other cultures other than their own. It allows wider knowledge sharing from people all over the world. Such interaction would not have been possible or would have been difficult and more costly if it had to be done physically. Therefore, when used with properly and with caution, social media allows not only learning to occur, but also friendships and knowledge sharing to take place. Avoid these when using Social Media We do not want more rules but as any other important tool Social Media should be used responsibly. We are in the day and age, were Social Media is used all the time by everyone and this is the main reason why we should be careful of what we do. We should educate our students how to use Social Media sites responsibly. These are a few rules, which if applied, help us appreciate the power of Social Media when used in the classroom. Post Illegal Activities Although your profile may be set to private there are other ways and means how this content can become public and be view by anyone on the web. Once public, it will be impossible to remove that content from the internet. Trash Your Teachers Bullying can also include interactions done on posts where teachers or school administration are mentioned. This can be a grave offence even if certain things may seem harmless to who posted them. Post Objectionable Content from School Computers or Networks Do not use the school computers to post objectionable information. Some school networks can track this activity. Post Confidential Information This is very important as already mentioned before everyone can see the information you post so be careful not to post any personal information where people can track you. Overly Specific Location Check-Ins Do not use Social Media to say that you are home alone or in a remote location this will help even persons who are not willing to help to find you. Lie/Cheat/Plagiarize If a lie is shared on Social Media it is most probably that everyone will get to know. There can also be investigations regarding cheating and plagiarism. Threaten Violence When a threat is posted online even if anonymous, there will be investigations by the police and eventually will trace the offender. Ignore School-Specific Policies Always abide by the policy of your school regarding Social Media. Unprofessional Public Profiles Students should be thoughtful of what to post online. Certain content might not be acceptable for an employer, who in the near future might go through ones profile. Do not say or put anything on your profile which you do not want a future employer to see. Never Rely on Privacy Settings 100% Students should never rely on privacy settings over good judgment,  [8]  says social media specialist, Andrew Moravick. Some Social Media networks have very good privacy settings but some are updated very often and not everyone can keep track. Post Emotionally Do not post anything on Social Media when feeling emotional about something. Thing may seem very different when analyzing the same scenario when feeling calm. As we can see, these are very simple rules students and everyone using Social Media can follow. We just have to keep in mind that anything posted irresponsibly on Social Media networks can have very negative effects. Conclusion So far experts remind us that there are clear dos and donts for integrating social media in the classroom. Social technologies are here to stay and it is import to help students learn how to used social media. Guide students in how to think deliberately about their use and consider the outcomes of proper and improper use of social media. This goal can be appropriately reached when teacher have received appropriate training on the use of social media. Full backing and support of the school administration is mandatory to fulfill this objective. Turning social media into an educational tool can be used to further a students education and enrich it.

The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on the Life and Health of the British People :: Free Essays

The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on the Life and Health of the British People Trade and industry changed dramatically during the Victorian period. The invention of new machines and the growth of factories affected the working lives of many people. The invention of steam power meant that many jobs could now be done by machines and steam powered machines meant that more goods could be made and much faster than before, when they were made by hand. When manufacturers realised this, they put their machines into huge factories so that all the work could be done in one place. Coal was needed to help make steam to power the machines. Many Victorian factories were built near coalmines to make it easier to get the coal to the factory. The coal mining industry grew. Many workers were needed to keep the new machines running in the factories and more workers were needed to work in the coalmines. Huge industrial towns grew around the factories as people moved to factory areas to look for work. In 1800, 75000 people lived in Manchester. By 1850, more than 300 000 people lived there. This made more goods for sale at home and abroad. The revolution had many impacts on Victorian life and many people benefited from industrialization but many people did not. For most people the Industrial Revolution was a good thing. Farm workers now had machines to help them and owners of the new factories and mills were making lots of money from the goods, made in their factories, being exported and sold. New inventions such as the telegraph and the typewriter created different kinds of jobs. However, for many people, life was made much more difficult. Factory workers had no rights and had to work long hours in dreadful conditions for a very low pay. The new machines were often not very safe and the workers' lives were at risk when they were running them. Factory owners exploited their workers, especially women and children. But people were desperate for work and those without jobs were not

What is Special Education? Essay -- Education Educating Teaching Essay

Before covering the main idea behind how technology can enhance learning of special students, it is important to discuss what qualifies a student as ?special?. Special Education is identified as, ?the education of children who deviate socially, mentally, or physically from the average to such an extent that they require major modifications of usual school practices,? (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2005, p.1). According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, ?students with disabilities include those with mental retardation, hearing impairments, speech or language impairments, visual impairments, serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities,? (Warger, 1999, p.1). Since there are so many different types of disabilities, each student needs to be assessed to determine the best type of learning environment for them (Ralabate, 2002, p. 13-14). This is a very important part of help ing special education students from the very beginning of their education. With the right leadership from teachers, and knowing what works best with teaching each unique student, they can reach their full potential in learning. Inclusion ?Children who learn together, learn to live together? (Renaissance Group, 1999, p.1). Resurfacing the issue of different teaching methods in Special Education, many schools educate students in an Inclusive environment. Inclusion refers to the placement and participation of students with special needs into a general education environment such as classrooms and extra curricular programs (Lewis & Doorlag, 1999, p.5). Many find the use of inclusion in schools very beneficial to both special and general education ... ....gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Thesaurus&_nfls=false This an online ERIC thesaurus defining assistive technology. ?Special education.? Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. 2005. This is an online encyclopedia definition of special education. Internet Resources Internet for Education. (2005). Retrieved on April 27, 2005 from http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/education?sid=4740639&op=preview&manifestid=82&itemid=7126 This site contains information on the ways the internet can enhance education. Renaissance Group. (1999, October, 14). Inclusive Education. Retrieved April 20, 2005 from http://www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/ . This site contains a lot of current information concerning the importance, philosophy, and future of education in an inclusive environment.

The Declaration of Independence

2_01Revolutionary_Ideas Alex Wasko 4-20-13 Mr. Walsh The Declaration of Independence|Use this panel to provide a paragraph overview of the purpose and structure of the Declaration of Independence. The Declariation of Independence is a statement adopted by the Contenial Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britan, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they now formed a new nation the United States of America. Popular sovereignty is the principle that the legitimacy of the government depends on the will or consent of its people. â€Å"When in the corse of human events it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature,s god entitle them ,a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel to the separation. The Declaration of Independence essentially stated that the social contract that the colony of America had with the government of Great Britain was no longer valid. And, this is in the very first sentence. The social contract that was reflected in the Declaration was as a sign of enforcing Democracy. |Natural rights are rights not contingent upon the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government, and therefore universal and inalienable rights.Individual rights are rights held by individual people; even if they are group-differentiated, what most rights are, they remain individual rights if the right-holders are the individuals themselves. |The only problem with the Declaration of Independence is the â€Å"all men are created equal† line. If they had meant â€Å"men† to be generic and apply to all people, it would be ok, but they clearly didn't. They didn't give women the right to vote or anything else. In fact, only male landowners were allowed to vote initially. | The Declaration of Independence 2_01Revolutionary_Ideas Alex Wasko 4-20-13 Mr. Walsh The Declaration of Independence|Use this panel to provide a paragraph overview of the purpose and structure of the Declaration of Independence. The Declariation of Independence is a statement adopted by the Contenial Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britan, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they now formed a new nation the United States of America. Popular sovereignty is the principle that the legitimacy of the government depends on the will or consent of its people. â€Å"When in the corse of human events it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature,s god entitle them ,a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel to the separation. The Declaration of Independence essentially stated that the social contract that the colony of America had with the government of Great Britain was no longer valid. And, this is in the very first sentence. The social contract that was reflected in the Declaration was as a sign of enforcing Democracy. |Natural rights are rights not contingent upon the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government, and therefore universal and inalienable rights.Individual rights are rights held by individual people; even if they are group-differentiated, what most rights are, they remain individual rights if the right-holders are the individuals themselves. |The only problem with the Declaration of Independence is the â€Å"all men are created equal† line. If they had meant â€Å"men† to be generic and apply to all people, it would be ok, but they clearly didn't. They didn't give women the right to vote or anything else. In fact, only male landowners were allowed to vote initially. |