ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The article by Rick Stiggins is a great example of how the innovative approach with sound-minded evaluation can influence the old-school system of values and principles. The idea of the educational system and its approaches is greatly underlined in the article. This touch is presupposed with the fact that assessment does not play a grave role in terms of the learning process. This framework is more emphasized with the contemporary value of knowledge and studying as a mere benefit for a student without even any attempts of teachers and professors to check it. The role of assessment, in particular, is rather high for the educational process. No one can say that public institutions have no significance for the real challenges with which would-be specialists will face once. Attitude to the tests The author’s attitude to the concept of exams or tests has an original assertion when he admits that “good instruction will result in higher scores” (Stiggins, 2004, p. 23). Thus, the role of professors is still more significant to drive the process in the right direction. Governmental investments in the provision of testing within the educational establishments of different levels surpassed the national program of students’ general potential at the time. On the other hand, as Stiggins admits, it harmed those who suffered from standardized enforcement from the side of teachers without taking into consideration the differences which may emerge in a multinational society. Hence, it is vital to grab more attention to the importance of the assessment for all students. Also, the point on teachers’ flexibility while providing a scope of information as of the right motivation for doing the assessment is outlined. United States educational system analysis The author in terms of the beliefs of those who work in the educational system of the United States promotes a controversial outlook on the idea of main mistakes while making some assumptions as for testing. Among the mistaken beliefs, the author highlights four. The first one points out that high-stakes standardized tests are good for the motivation of students. The practice showed another reality because high-stakes tests without previously provided classroom assessments will make students struggling with their education. The second mistaken belief concerns the idea that instructions of adult people will promote students’ learning a
Introduction Semiconductor industry is one of the profitable industries today and, as predicted, in future. An industry with this kind of rapid change presents several challenges for companies like AMD, namely production costs, and monopolies. The key question are: What are the main factors of success? What is the role of innovation and technological improvements in company strategy? Production and technology are the primary driving factors of this industry. At the beginning of 21 century, AMD looks for ways to deliver customer satisfaction at a lower cost, smaller size, and higher speed. AMD is profitable corporation but it will require changes in strategic policies to remain an industry leader. General Environment Dimensions and Industry Analysis The main factors affected general environment involves technological changes and globalization of markets and technology, improve political and economic conditions in the Third World Countries. AMD gains competitive advantage by conceiving new ways of conducting activities, employing new procedures, technologies, inputs or channels of distribution (Spemcer 2004). New technology and organizational management system open new opportunities for AMD. Technological innovations and creativity in production can be regarded as business philosophy of AMD. AMD competes in semiconductor industry including graphics cards and processors. The dominant characteristics of semiconductor industry include: high potential to growth and profitability; promotion to other segments; improvement of product range. The technological advances are aimed to maximize security of customers and fasten the process of informational interchange. Innovations and rapid technological change are the main drivers affected the industry. Low cost production, low price of the end products and high quality are the main criteria for the industry players. International expansion and global strategy is to aim at a particular target market. One of the main functions of global and international promotional activity is of course to influence the perceptions of the consumer. AMD maintain policy of product standardization in order to sell them around the world under the same brand (Johnson and Scholes 77; 2004). Five Porter’s Model ‘Barriers to entry’ include economies of scales; EU policy, brand identity and cost advantage. ‘Supplier power’ does not have a great impact on the company but there is a threat of forward integration, and impact of inputs on cost differentiation. ‘Threats of substitutes’ are less possible because AMD is an industry leader monitoring technological changes and innovations. Buyers are apt to use low cost product proposed by AMD. Buyers’ power is affected by large volume of buyers, strong brand image and price sensitivity. New entrants to an industry raise the level of competition, thereby reduc
The works of Boccaccio and Chaucer include numerous depictions of the social, cultural, and organizational features of medieval society. Some of these characteristic features can be traced to the onset of the Black Plague. One of the most evident features of the society described in both works is the growing disparity between the poor and the wealthy. This gap grew wider as it became apparent that it would be possible to increase one’s chances of survival by distancing oneself from infected individuals. Thus, flight from the areas with large numbers of infected people became common among those who could sustain such a lifestyle (Caraher). For those who decided to stay in their residences, there was still the option of “dissociating themselves from all others” (The Black Death, 14.1 Giovanni Boccaccio). Boccaccio describes the lifestyle of these people as “avoiding every kind of luxury, but eating and drinking moderately of the most delicate viands and the finest wines, holding converse with none but one another” (The Black Death, 14.1 Giovanni Boccaccio). In this regard, I mostly agree with Student B, who shares my opinion, but I think it is necessary to develop this idea one step further. Specifically, I believe that aside from the aggravation of economic disparities, such behavior also contributed to a growing distrust of strangers and people of other socioeconomic classes. In other words, the seclusion of people within small isolated communities and the need to ensure that no contact was made with outsiders eventually created the mindset of suspicion and distrust that we have come to expect from medieval society. In fact, the way it is described in Boccaccio’s Decameron resembles in many ways the common image of the medieval era seen in popular culture today. The most significant shift described in both works is that of religious perceptions. The gravity of the situation faced by the population fueled the need to seek salvation in religion and, by extension, created new ways of obtaining the favor of the church. One such practice is the appearance of relics, artifacts intended to protect their owners from the threat of infection. The Pardoner’s Tale contains the following description of the ritual: “Come forth, sir host, and offer first anon, And you shall kiss the relics, every one” (The Black Death, 14.2 Geoffrey Chaucer). In this particular case, the pardoner is a religious impostor, since he is focused on financial gain and does not share true belief in the supernatural qualities of the relic (Crone 134). In this way, the eventual religious disillusionment described by Student A is strengthened by the emergence of impostors.
Attachment and Culture Socio-cultural factors have a strong influence on attachment at various stages. One of the socio-cultural beliefs among many people around the world is that a fatherly figure is a sign of security (Dasgupta and Hauspie 45). This creates a unique bond between a father and other members of his family. The secure attachment created in this context is based on the belief that the father is able to counter any threat that may face the family. His presence means security not only to the children but also other members of the family who believe that the father has the power to make the home environment safe. Whenever a child is forced to spend some time away from the parents, either for educational purposes or a tour, the primary concern of all the family members is always on its security. Given that the father will not be present to offer protection, the child will feel very insecure (Artwelle and Wislon 71). The attachment to the father can sometimes be so strong that a child may completely refuse to part from its family for fear of what may happen. This socio-cultural factor is responsible for the unique bond that children, especially girls who often feel insecure, have with their fathers. Socio-Cultural Influences on Education Social integration is one of the major factors that have significant impact on student’s achievement, especially in higher education. According to Cameron and Bogin, success in higher education is achieved through intensive research and sharing of knowledge (43). Students in higher education institutions stand a better chance of achieving success when they work as a team. The United States has been struggling to fight racial and other forms of discrimination, especially in institutions of learning, because of its negative consequences. Social integration brings together learners from different social background into a single system where they can easily interact and share the research findings for their own success. Daun says that students who have learnt to accept their colleagues from different social backgrounds have higher chances of achieving academic success than their colleagues who are antisocial (112). Appreciating other people the way they are expands one’s thinking beyond the narrow sense of racism. Graduate students spend a lot of time testing theories and principles to determine their applicability in a real world situation. They can make better progress if they work as a unit irrespective of the socio-cultural differences they may have. Undergraduate students also stand to benefit a lot if they embrace social integration in the education setting. Socio-Cultural Influences on Relationships The religion that I embraced has largely shaped my own relationship behavior with my friends. I came from a family of Christians and we strongly believe in loving and caring for people around us. At s
Introduction Animal welfare is usually considered to play an important role in the charity of a country. In Canada, 44% of the land is covered with vegetation, which provides habitat for hundreds of wild animal and bird species. Pet population in Canada has also been on the rise in recent years; in 2014, Canadian households were home to an estimated 7.0 million cats, whereas the population of domestic dogs has reached 7.6 million in 2016 (CAHI). Also, Canada has a large number of livestock and the performance of animals. The large population of animals requires an effective system of animal welfare protection, both on federal and local levels. Canada’s government and the justice system must oversee the welfare of pets, livestock, and performance animals equally to ensure an ethical approach to animal rights protection. Five freedoms outline animal welfare, all of which can be controlled by people:   * Freedom from hunger or thirst;   * Freedom from discomfort;   * Freedom from pain, injury or disease;   * Freedom to express normal behavior;   * Freedom from fear and distress. These five principles outline a successful approach that has to be taken by Canada to balance animal rights on the national level. There is a variety of Canada-based organizations, both public and private than promote and enforce adequate protection of animal rights. Also, there are separate laws and processes in place to protect different animal species, including wild animals, pets, and farm animals. However, despite the recent efforts to enhance the protection of animal rights in Canada, there are still some concerns that the government has to address. The essay aims to provide an overview of the legislation and regulations that control animal welfare in Canada, as well as to outline and explain some of the weaknesses evident in the system. Pet Rights Domestic companion animals, such as cats and dogs, are popular among Canadians and are somewhat protected by laws, although cruelty towards pets remains an issue. Cruelty, abuse, and neglect against pets are considered to be a crime by the federal Criminal Code. Sections 444 to 447 of the Criminal Code establish laws and penalties regarding animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect (Minister of Justice 463-466). For example, section 445.1 states that it is a criminal offense to cause unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to an animal or bird (Minister of Justice 465). The same section of the Criminal code establishes a penalty for encouraging, aiding in or assisting at the fighting or baiting activities involving animals or birds, ultimately positioning dogfighting and bird fighting as illegal (Minister of Justice 465). However, there are still some issues faced by pets in Canada. First of all, the approach taken by courts in the cases of animal cruelty is rather weak, which leads to a small number of convictions in animal cru
Why would a business consider going global? The main advantages of carrying out business globally:  1. Increase in market share leading to the expansion of customers;  2. Global business initiating the diversification process to reduce the risk of low demand for specific products;  3. Developing brand values overseas provides greater opportunities for domestic and foreign markets.  4. Low tax payment levels in various countries as a result of market expansion. Main disadvantages of conducting business globally:  1. Difficulty in predicting the revenues while entering an international trade;  2. The necessity to hire extra personnel to launch a business at a global level;  3. Failure to meet the cultural needs of host countries in which they promote their products;  4. Lack of awareness of legal regulations preventing the companies from sustaining their global development. What factors affect the consideration for a business location? The importance of geographic location is enormous as soon as business planning is concerned. In this respect, the following factors should be considered before a decision is made:  1. State and city . The choice of country in which a business will be launched is important because it influences legal and tax regulations within an organization. Analysis of the economic situation and demographic is a contributing factor. For instance, if I want to initiate a small business, I will not be concerned with tax regulations because it does not provide any challenges to the revenues. However, in case my organization is a global-scale venture, such as the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, and Denmark are not relevant.  2. Potential visitors and customers . Before launching a product, the company should be aware of the local and global trends in consumer demand.  3. Cost . Costs on constructing facilities should be further reimbursed by the revenues. Therefore, managers should realize the risk of organizing a venture.  4. Convenience . The place of the facility should have a convenient location in terms of hierarchical structure and department location.  5. Facility requirements . The facility should be convenient for shipment to effectively deliver products;  6. Availability of raw material and utility . The business success depends largely on the appropriate location of raw materials that should also be delivered on time.  7. Climate and environmental influence . Production of perishable products is closely associated with climate conditions and environmental factors. In case a business is based on food production, the climate conditions should be taken into consideration. For instance, in case the climate is tropical, there should be specific equipment ens
Introduction This paper is in the form of brief summaries of two CBC reports which appeared in 2008. Two boys were reported to have been involved in two separate murder cases and they were charged with murder. At the end of the summaries is given a short personal opinion about youth justice, which is surely shaped by the horrifying events given in the reports. The two murders speak volumes about the state of human life in this modern world. Life seems to be slowly drifting to savagery. Discussion “Youth charged in Behchoko video store death appears in court” is about a boy from Behchoko, N. W. T, who was charged in the death of a man at a video store. He makes his first appearance in Yellowknife courtroom. The case is put for Monday as his lawyer and the Crown need time to review the evidence. His charges are second-degree murder and manslaughter. They are related to the death of a man named Johnny Dryneck, aged 38. The man was found unconscious inside a video store named “Our Video variety store”. According to the report, he was found unconscious at 11 pm on Thursday, and he died on early Friday at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. The Crown prosecutor, Shannon Smallwood, says that the Crown has to consider whether the court proceedings should be based on second-degree murder or manslaughter. He explains that the “Second-degree murder is essentially where somebody intends to kill somebody or actions that are reasonably foreseeable that they will cause somebody’s death. Manslaughter causes anything from an accident up to near-murder”. Breach of probation is another charge being faced by the youth. Though R C M P has not provided any further news about the murder, the people living around the scene told CBC that Dryneck and the youth were seen arguing in the video store. They give conflicting evidence. According to one version, Dryneck was stabbed. There are a few who claim to have seen the victim being shoved into a shelf. An autopsy on Dryneck would take place on Monday in Edmonton. “Youth charged with murder in cycle-by shooting” is about a seventeen-year-old youth from Edmonton. He is charged with a first-degree murder and the man named Brandon Dierich, aged 23, was found shot to death in a parked car. The incident took place on Tuesday and the boy was charged on Thursday. The man died of multiple gunshot wounds in a residential area at 93 rd street and 68 th avenue, near the Mill Greek Ravine. The crime is believed to be drug-related. The shooter was on a bike and he was seen riding toward ravine’s thick bush. He came back with a paper bag with “something inside”. The boy was arrested at a mall on Thursday. The report says that he cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. According to Norma Hartley, she saw a youth on a bike leaning against a tree, while she was coming home with groceries on Tuesday, and a few minutes later she heard the gunshots. With her teacher instincts she narrates that “he just didn’t look like he should be hanging around”. He was just looking like a kid, the “baby face was gone but he didn’t have that adult look to him”. The only comment from the victim’s family, which appeared online, is ma
Introduction Nowadays, the issue of equality attracts the attention of the general public and various scientists who conduct citizenship studies. Professionals tend to question the way sexual minorities are treated, emphasizing that the world starts to consider them as ordinary people. The governments of different countries support them, implementing special policies that provide the members of sexual minorities with new opportunities that used to be unapproachable not so long ago. For example, same-sex marriages are legalized in many places, and sex affirmation surgeries are allowed. Still, the analysis of the current state of society turned out to show that the picture presented in SMI and social media is more idealized while the real situation remains rather poor. Shane Phelan is one of those people who discuss lesbian and gay politics, trying to reveal their position in the country. In her work, the author underlines that the U.S. is a country with a heterosexual regime, which presupposes biased approaches to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals. She considers that such a regime prevents sexual minorities from being seen as citizens at all. Their representatives are often thought to be queers, those who are somewhere in the middle. Phelan suggests calling them strangers, as offered by Zygmunt Bauman, emphasizing that these people occupy the position between friends and enemies (Phelan 4). The author wishes to prove that sexual minorities are not strangers to the general public even though they are often treated in this way. Personally, I totally agree with her and have nothing to do but to state that many gays and lesbians are still strangers in U.S. democracy rather than fully included citizens as they are not totally accepted by society and require more respect. Sodomy Laws An adverse position of sexual strangers can be proved by the existence of sodomy laws. Of course, it cannot be denied that in the majority of the U.S. states, these laws were repealed, but in some of them, all sexual behaviors that are ‘against nature’ are claimed to be illegal. This is always applied to homosexuals and, in particular locations, to heterosexuals as well (“Sodomy Laws in the U.S.” para. 1). In this way, the law provides no opportunities for sexual strangers to live normal lives. While heterosexual individuals can adjust to such norms, gays and lesbians will always be considered to be criminals. Sodomy laws, in this perspective, tend to affect peopl