To Grade Or Not To Grade, That Is The Problem Essays (1786 words)

To Grade or Not to Grade, That is the Problem - What's your GPA (Grade Point Average)? - Have you taken this course before? What did you get? In his essay The Farce Called "Grading", Arthur E. Lean questions the use of asking these kinds of questions. Grades have become part of our lives as students. People need a grading system and "seem to assume it to be necessary and intrinsic to the process of formal education"(Lean 131). He refers to the grade as "a symbol purporting to express a measurement of academic achievement-an evaluation of the quality and quantity of learning"(Lean 132). There are two main arguments Lean has suggested. First, there is an inconsistency from the graders. Second, he sees the grading system as being unfair and even harmful for students' attitudes toward education. He points out that grading system should be eliminated. To backup the fact that many people are challenging the necessity of the grading system, Lean provides two examples: "A sustained effort should be made to throw out false inducements to learning. In one way or another most of these refer to our obsession with grades?. As a system for evaluating attainment of broad educational aims, it remains a failure. Few teachers have any systematic idea of how to grade fairly. Grading is also the chief villain behind the scandal of college cheating," said Louis T. Benezet (Lean 130). "I have long ago reached the conclusion that the marking system itself is damaging in its impact on the education of our children and youth, and that it should go the way of the hickory stick and dunce caps. It should be abandoned at all levels of education," said Ernest O. Melby (Lean 130). I agree with Lean to some extent that there are some inconsistencies from the graders and perhaps some unfairness occurred to many students. On the other hand, I am not sure that the system is totally harmful for students' attitudes toward education. Also, given the fact that the grading system is a very useful instrument for both motivating and measuring students' academic abilities, the system is still essential to be kept. There is an inconsistency between markers for grading term papers or open questions that I agree with Lean. On his example of several teachers marking the same paper, "invariably the assigned grades on the same theme ranged all the way from A (excellent) to E (failure)" (Lean 132). Although many professors might say that point of view would not be graded while they try not to be biasing, there is no guarantee that a professor would not give a lower mark to a paper because s/he may disagree with some parts of the essay. As a former English class student in grade 12, I notice that my teacher tended to be prejudicing on non-native English writers' papers. The reason I said that was because there is a big grade difference if our papers were marked by another who had not met the writers before. A professional marker who was hired by the English department graded one of our term papers every term. Generally, the non-native English writers received significantly higher marks than th! ey do when our class teacher is marking. The average differential marks for non-native English are about ten percent. As for native English writer, the differential marks are not very much. It is true that the grading system can hardly be absolutely fair. Actually, "most teachers try to be fair and accurate in their estimate" (Lean 133). One teacher who grades a work accurately doesn't suggest that the other teachers would do the same. However Lean claims that "all the time they know--at least, those who are honest with themselves know-that they are attempting the impossible. No self-respecting teacher ever rests peacefully the night after turning in a set of grades, for he knows that the "system" has made a charlatan of him and he goes to bed and hating himself for it" (Lean 133). I don't agree with the way Lean is questioning the teachers since their role is to act as a "judge" on student's work. There is a difference between being unfair and conforming with the system. A teacher who gives the best suitable grade to an assignment is being fair. What Lean suggests is that teachers do not attempt to change the grading system. Lean is being unfair to the teachers! in this way because a teacher's

Internal and External Factors Apple Essays

Internal and External Factors Apple Essays Internal and External Factors Apple Essay Internal and External Factors Apple Essay Steve Jobs returned and revolutionized the company responding to both internal and external factors to reinvent the Apple brand (Basin, 2010). Jobs used five factors to reestablish the company as the top technology and innovative company in the world. Steve realized that his company isolation from competitors, partners, and customers was not allowing Apple to succeed in the technology market, as he wanted. Images lack of compatible software was not appealing to customers and sales were declining. Planning, organizing and leading were major factor for Steve when decided the next big step, team up with his biggest rival Microsoft Corporation. This move helped Apple grow in a market controlled by other computer companies like IBM and HP. Management demands and decisions are always changing with globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics. Apple is a great example of a company that is always using the four functions in order to manage changes effectively. Globalization is the integration of national economies through trade, investment, capital flow, labor migration, and technology (Investing Answers, 015). Apple has taken advantage of globalization to grow their business. Globalization is an external factor that needs to be analyzed and can help a company grow, but it also can have a negative impact. According to Bruit D (2010) globalization creates opportunities to a bigger market, but it also creates more competitors. Apples annual report shows that international sales accounted for forty-three percent of the quarter revenues (Dowling, 2005), since then Apple revenues have kept on the rise. In a market pulse in December of 2014, Apple owned thirty-three percent of the market share in South Korean, previously dominated by Samsung. Apple is the worlds largest technology company, in the fourth quarter of 2014 Apple shipped 74. 5 millions of Phones globally. The report claims that it is the first time in history that any foreign company earns more than the twenty percent of the market share in South Korea (Riviera, 2015). Technology is always evolving, and Apple understands that. Apple knows that some internal factors could also affect them and they must continue with innovative technology and products. Some external factors that could affect Apple are competitors, pricing, and availability. Apple correct approach to both factors has helped them establish a reputation of technology leader. One of Apples biggest successes is Sir. Sir allows people to use their voice to send messages, place a phone call, set reminders, and answer questions. People can address Sir normally like they are talking to another person with complete sentences, and if Sir is confused she will ask to clarify the question. Sir can also speak eight other languages besides English and the voice gender can be changed for male. Apple has also developed Cloud, and it allows Apple users to share their music, pictures, intact, and information with all of their Apple devices. Apple is also known for innovation. According to Boston Consulting Group, Apple ranks as the worlds most innovative company since 2005 (Adams, 2013). On todays market products become outdated within the year, with consumers waiting for the bigger thing. New products replace old ones and companies are always looking for new products to stay as a leader in innovation. Apples Phone has changed tremendously in the past three years. Their screens became a larger one and they also become compatibles with APS not created by Apple. Since October 2014 phones can be used to pay at stores with the touch of a terminal. Apple has planned, organized, and controlled the launch of the Phone 6 to ensure it was one of the biggest since initially introducing the Phone. Since the death of Steve Jobs in October 201 1, the new CEO of Apple Tim Cook has worked hard to ensure the company stays innovative. Experts are predicting that the new launch of the Apple Watch will open new markets and send showplaces to the watching industry. Apple is expanding their market to new products that will keep them as the leading company they are. The company is also making a big push into health, with its Health app compatible with Nikkei+ and Fit bit (Rogers, 2014). Corporations also have to plan for diversity in the workplace. Apple and its management team believe diversity is beyond the traditional categories. Tim Cook said, Inclusion and diversity have been a focus for me throughout my time at Apple, and theyre among my top priorities as CEO. Im proud to work alongside the many senior executives weve hired and promoted in the past few years, including Eddy Cue and Angela Rareness, Lisa Jackson and Denies Young-Smith. The talented leaders on my staff come from around the world, and they each bring a unique point of view based on their experience and heritage. And our board of directors is stronger than ever with the addition of Sue Wagner, who was elected in July (Cook, 2014). Apple believes that they could still improve their diversity; they recognize the contribution of people to their company. Ethics is moral principles that guide a way a business behaves. In an ethical work environment, employees know what the limits are and they are less likely to play it close to the line. In order to be termed a repression, a business activity must have an underlying ethic, which is broadly understood and goes beyond just making as much money as you can (McCoy, B, 2010). Apple has an open door policy that allows employees to contribute towards the company goals and problem solving. They provide tools and enable their employees to succeed. The company and management are flexible with employees. Their code of conduct applies to the company as well to their suppliers. Apple assesses its suppliers to ensure they are following the code of conduct and any violation may jeopardize the suppliers business legislations with Apple. One of their higher standards is integrity and protection of intellectual property (Apple. Mom, 2014). Apple is a company that has been at the bottom of technology and it did reinvent itself to become the largest technology Company in the world. Changes in management have created issues for Apple since the beginning, but under Steve Jobs leadership the company grow in the four primary management functions. Steve Jobs was a visionary that believed in globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics. With the use of all five strategies Apple continues to grow and it as become a well-respected company worldwide.

Human environmental hazards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human environmental hazards - Essay Example Chemical hazards are considered to be the most common of human environmental hazards because there are numerous types and the majority of them are quite simple for a human to obtain. The majority of people are unaware that they are even being subjected to the many chemicals in the environment until their health becomes compromised. The physical hazards category consists of natural disasters, which are events that human beings have no control over. The greatest danger about physical hazards, besides not being able to control or prevent them, is that they can occur without warning.These events have the ability to harm human life, as well as plant and animal life, and property. Cultural hazards consist of hazards that can often be foreseen, but tend to go unnoticed until it is too late. Cultural hazards come as a result of where we live, our occupation, behavioral choices, and our socioeconomic status.People have the ability to control the majority of cultural hazards, such as taking better care of themselves or living in safe environments, but many people are unaware of the damage that can happen. Biological hazards come about from ecological interaction primarily between human beings, but there are times when other organisms can get involved, such as animals. Biological hazards can be prevented when people are more attentive to their health, cleanliness, and how they interact with other people.