BUSN300 UNIT 5DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BUSN300 UNIT 5DB - Research Paper Example In general both of them can be used interchangeably in studying, meaning that one can be used while implementing a project (Haugan, 57). The primary role of PERT is to identify the critical path that a project takes from planning to completion. It lays down the activities that need to be done in the entire project period giving the timelines to be used in implementing a series of activities performed either sequentially or parallel with other activities. In the flow chart, the initial stage of project implementation must start from step 1 before it proceeds to step 2. Some part of the project can directly go straight to step 5 from step 2 so long as at this stage it is independent. A part of the project can go through step 3, on the diagram, before finalizing at step 5. Still, some task can take the direction through step 4 and end at step, so long as it is independent of step 2 and 3. Each step has planned number of days, weeks or months to complete. It can be in terms of days, weeks or even months. Step 1 to step 4 and eventually to step 5 can take months while in the other hand, step 1 to step 2 can take days or weeks and step 2 to step 5 can take months or several weeks. Through step 3, the timeline can be months but eventually ending at step 5. Each step’s timeline can be different, but when implemented either in parallel or concurrently, it will all end at step 5 at the project completion stage. All stages of the process are what are referred to as the critical path that the project takes in order to realize completion as planned. The stages have to be meticulously planned and implemented as planned in order not to delay the entire project from completion. The steps have to be synchronized accordingly, and necessary resources should be allocated and availed in time. Such resources include tools and equipment, labor and materials. The necessary inspection and servicing of tools and equipment should be done to reduce chances of breakdown. All materials

What are fusion centers and how are these a part of homeland security Research Paper

What are fusion centers and how are these a part of homeland security Are they effective - Research Paper Example This goal can only be achieved successfully when the local law enforcement agencies work together with the federal intelligent agencies by sharing any threat information. This was clearly stressed in the 9/11 commission report. Former US president George, W. Bush on August 3, 2007 signed the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. With reference to the 9/11 Commission Act, the department of homeland security should have formal discussions with program directors of information sharing context and the attorney general so as to create a state, local, and regional fusion centers initiates (Abbott and Hetzel,2010). The centers are made up of representatives from local law enforcement, state and federal agencies. Federal intelligence officers also form part of the centers. When the centers get any threat information from the federal government, it is their task to analyze the information, ensure the information is disseminated to the local agencies then gather inside information they have received, l eads given and the suspicious activity reporting by the public and also local agencies. The idea of fusion has sprung up as the most important process to enhance the ability of sharing information that assists in providing homeland security and also sharing of any information that helps in knowing of any criminal activities taking place and also sharing of intelligence (Abbott and Hetzel, 2010). The fusion process involves a comprehensive process of controlling the flow of any threat information and intelligence through different levels and sectors of the private agencies and the government. After receiving information from various sources, that is; the public, law enforcement agencies, and the private sector agencies; the information is then analyzed and afterwards turned into applicable knowledge. Fusion centers do not merge all federal databases that reveal personally recognizable information with

The Sovereignty EU Parliament

The Sovereignty EU Parliament Sovereignty of Member States (UK) after joining European Union structures – does it still exist? It is important first to address what the perception of the doctrine of supremacy is to then examine what effect membership of the European Union has had on the sovereignty of the United Kingdom Parliament. The doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty in the UK can be traced back to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which is considered by some as being one of the most important events in the long evolution of the respective powers of Parliament, establishing the superiority of statute over prerogative powers. Parliament’s legislative supremacy involves not only the right to change the law, but that they alone should have that right. By the sovereignty of Parliament it is meant that there are no constitutional limitations on legislative powers of ‘Parliament’: the Queen in Parliament, through which a Bill approved by the House of Commons and House of Lords receives Royal Assent and becomes an Act of Parliament. It also extends to include the concept that the courts are under an obligation to give effect to legislation passed by Parliament, and not to question Parliamentary decisions embodied in statute. Thus defined, Dicey said of Parliament, which is had ‘under the English constitution, the right to make or unmake any law whatever; and further that no person or body is recognised by the law of England as having a right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament.’(Dicey, The Law of the Constitution 1885 p39-40). This statement by Dicey exemplifies the classic interpretation of the doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty. However, the Diceyan concept of the absolute, infinite sovereignty of Parliament is considered out of date and therefore in need of being revised. The impact of European law on the ‘sovereignty’ of Member States is one of the most controversial aspects of its working. Sovereignty is generally taken to be the capacity of a state for independent action both within and outside its own territory. That definition may be broken down into three elements. First, and most importantly in the context of international law, comes external sovereignty or the capacity of a state freely to determine its relations with other states or international organisations. A state possessing such capacity is clearly independent of other states. So, in this context, independence is a near synonym for external sovereignty. The counter part of (and necessary condition for) external sovereignty is internal sovereignty which is a state’s exclusive right and jurisdiction to establish its own internal institutions, to make the necessary arrangements for their working, to legislate for all purposes and to secure observance of such legislation. Finally territorial sovereignty is the exclusive authority which a state may exercise over anything or anybody within, above or beneath its territory. This includes the jealousy guarded right to regulate access to the air space above the territory or, for example, to seize foreign submarines which encroach within the territorial waters of a maritime country. Clearly, sovereignty as so defined cannot be absolute. All states must respect the sovereignty of others and accept limitations to their sovereignty stemming either from their interaction with other states or, for example, from treaties which they have entered into. Sovereignty is defined as the ultimate overseer or supreme authority in a state.   In a state sovereignty is vested in the institution, person, or body to impose law on everyone else and to alter any pre-existing law. The word sovereignty is also defined in another ways. Nation states are said to renounce part of their sovereignty, for example by signing a Treaty or by agreeing to an EU Directive which removes the right of decision from the national government or parliament in a particular field. Or they are said to share sovereignty by agreeing to common action though EU institutions, thus participating in decisions taken by the EU in accordance with its procedures, and no longer retaining the right to act unilaterally. In this use of sovereignty it virtually means the same as freedom to decide unilaterally. Before analyzing sovereignty of UK after joining the EU, it is important to outline the reasoning for the supremacy of Community Law from the Community point of view, and then a definition of Parliamentary sovereignty will be given. To summarise the Community view on supremacy according to the Court of Justice is that Community law, because of its unique nature, denies the Member States the right to resolve conflicts of law by reference to their own rules or constitutional provisions. Community law obtains its supremacy because of the transfer of state power and sovereignty to the Community by the Member States in those areas agreed. Furthermore, the Member States have provided the Community with legislative powers to enable it to perform its tasks. There would be no point in such a transfer of powers if the Member States could annul or suspend the effect of Community law by later national law or provisions of the constitutions. If that were allowed to be the case, the existence of t he Community legal order and the Community itself would be called into question. A precondition of the existence and functioning of the Community is the uniform and consistent application of Community law and the Community legal order in all the Member States. It can only achieve such an effect if it takes precedence over national law. Therefore the legal and logical consequence of this is that any provision of national law which conflicts with Community law must be invalid. Now that the supremacy of the Community has been considered, Parliamentary sovereignty must now be considered. Basically, in terms of dicey, the doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty means that there are no legal limitations of Parliament and it has the right to make or unmake any law whatsoever. Further, no person or body is recognised as having a right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament. The doctrine also implies that it is impossible to bind future Parliaments. Any subsequent Act expressly or impliedly overrides a prior Act and even international treaties can be expressly overridden by municipal. The UK’s membership of the European Union produces difficult questions of competing supremacies of Parliament and the primacy of EU law. Britain’s accession to the European Economic Community on 1st January 1973, was described by Anthony King as having â€Å"profound constitutional consequences†. (Does the United Kingdom Still Have a Constitution? 2001 p54) Britain’s application for membership was made in 1967, the Treaty of Accession signed on 22nd January 1972 and this was implemented by the European Communities Act 1972. The basis of this Act was a white paper published by the Labour government in 1967, intended to address the constitutional implications of membership of the EC. The paper pointed out that the effect of the UK adhering in advance to future instruments imposed by the Community institutions had no precedent in this country, and would result in a ‘constitutional innovation’. Whether this innovation could be successfully impleme nted was never resolved before the introduction of the 1972 Act. Many have said since our membership in 1973 that our sovereignty has been said to be handed over to the EU. The issues surrounding sovereignty in the UK system are affected by Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU). The laws of the EU are binding on all member states, and therefore, take precedence over British domestic law. Apart from a few exceptions, EU legislation automatically becomes law within the UK, irrespective of the opinion of the British Parliament. Although this is the case, parliament could agree to repeal previous legislation, withdraw from the EU to demonstrate that parliamentary sovereignty still exists. Therefore this leads to the argument that Britain has kept its sovereignty with the fact that it could pass an Act to, â€Å"renounce the Treaty, or would that be an illegal act of rebellion?† (Norman Tebbit Nov. 1998) However, I believe this to be unlikely unless one of the mainstream political parties were to adopt a strong anti-EU policy. T he 1986 Single European Act and the Maastrict Treaty can be seen as reducing Britain’s sovereignty since they have extended the range of policy areas on which the EU can legislate. This has caused many British Conservative members of the European Parliament to continually vote against many proposals, not because they necessarily disagree with them, but that they think they should be dealt with at a national level. Upon Britain’s accession to the EU in 1973, direct effect was accepted by us pretty much immediately. However this was completely opposite when it came to the United Kingdom accepting the supremacy of EU law. This was seen to be a problem because the doctrine conflicts centrally with the concept of having British constitution of ‘parliamentary sovereignty.’ The acts of parliament override all existing law or legislation. However in 1990 the House of Lords found a way to reconcile British parliamentary sovereignty and supremacy. As on a reference from the House of Lords, the European Court of Justice ruled that a 1988 act of British parliament was in breach of EU law. â€Å"The House of Lords accepted the judgement on the grounds that in passing the 1972 act of accession to the EU, British parliament had voluntarily accepted the EU legal system of which the supremacy of EU law is a central part. The House of Lords also argued that this does not compromise parliamentary sovereignty, as a future British parliament could repeal this act of accession.† (The political system of the European Union, Simon Hix, Macmillan Press, London, page 117) Britain’s entry into the European Treatys has attracted huge reform, as British Parliament must legislate in conjunction with EU law. And Acts and Laws already in existence must be interpreted to conform to EU Law, and the State has to ensure that all EU law is transposed and implemented accurately. This puts a huge strain on the Courts whilst ruling, thus making a mockery of Precedent as any case incorporating EU legislation can only be considered using the purposive approach, in order that EU directive can be met. So then this means that Britain has not in fact reserved its sovereignty as promised when first mentioned to the public all those years before. To understand the concept, we first need to acknowledge the unwritten code of the constitution and its efforts to ensure that Parliament is the executive law producing body of the land. And so, any Act of Parliaments will need to be adhered to directly by the applicable national court. In the case of Regina v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame it is easy to see the ingratiating manoeuvres of The House of Lords as it bows to supremacy of EU law.

Impact of Travel on Culture and the Environment Essay -- Exploratory E

Impact of Travel on Culture and the Environment Travel and mobility play indispensable roles in our lives as modern Americans. Their largest impacts are seen within cultural realms: airplanes, automobiles, trains, and, to a lesser extent, boats allow fast and easy transportation to virtually all parts of the world. Such easy access to the inhabited portions of the planet has facilitated face to face meetings with family, friends, and colleagues living in distant parts of the world; the ability to move quickly and efficiently from home to work or school; and the ability to visit exotic locations for brief, recreational purposes. Usually, these cultural aspects of travel are the most salient when the subject is suggested. Yet, the environment is also a significant factor that deserves consideration during a discussion of travel. For instance, the environment may be the predominant factor when making a decision to travel: one might escape to the beaches of Florida during a snowy winter in Boston, or one might choose to visit the beau tiful mountains of Colorado or an exotic South American rainforest in order to flee the less than thrilling flatlands of the American Midwest. The environment also brings to bear considerable influence during the process of travel. For instance, a flight may be canceled because of a summer storm, or local roads may become impassable during a blizzard. Finally, the process of travel itself greatly impacts the environment. Airplanes and automobiles produce large amounts of harmful air pollutants each time they make a single trip, and the gases they emit have played a significant role in expanding the hole in the ozone layer and increasing global warming. The air pollution has also negatively impacted ... ... they promoted. Works Cited Crystal Cruise Lines story, from cnn.com on March 6, 2003: http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/03/06/cruise.ban.ap/index.html Exxon Valdez information, from the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/exxon.htm Diamond, Jared, "Ch. 11: Lethal gift of livestock," in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" W.W. Norton & Co, 1997, ISBN 0-393-03891-2, pp. 195-214 Meyers, Barbara. "Textiles and the Reformation," http://online.sksm.edu/1/papers/p-meyers~textilesreformation Ponting, Clive. Ch.11 from "A Green History of the World," St. Martins Press, NYC, 1991, pp. 224-239. Schneider, Jane. Rumpelstilskin's Bargain: Folklore and the Merchant Capitalist Intensification of Linen Manufacture in Early Modern Europe. In Cloth and Human Experience, edited by Annette B. Weiner and Jane Schneider. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press 1993. pp. 177-213.

Contract Law Free on Board Fob Cif

In this case study, Patina is the seller and Luca is the buyer under an FOB (Free on Board) agreement. General picture of a FOB contract can be congregated from the case of Wimble & Sons v Rosenberg & Sons which describes it as a contract for the sale of goods where the seller which in this case is Patina who agrees to deliver the goods over the ship’s rail and the buyer or Luca in this stance agrees to convey it overseas. According to English law, the case of Pyrene v Scindia defines a classic FOB contract which has occurred in this case study between Patina and Luca as the seller (Patina) draws up the contract with Luca who then nominates a vessel. If the buyer in a FOB agreement fails to nominate a ship within the actual contracted time then the contract may stand effectively repudiated. The seller or Patina in this case would have been legally allowed to sell goods to a third party thus recovering any losses from the buyer. The Incoterms definition of a FOB is basically deprived of the seller being the shipper or transporter of the goods and the buyer’s duty is to nominate a vessel as it is described in Pyrene’s case. The main issue in this case is the transfer of risk from the seller (Patina) towards the seller (Luca). And furthermore it will be argued in regard to case law and statues. According to an FOB agreement, risk is transferred at the point where the goods cross the ‘ships rail’. Plaintiff in the case of Pyrene & Co v Scindia Steam Navigation Co sued the defendant carrier and was victorious in recovering damages of ? 00 as the defendant was found to be liable as he showed negligence while loading the goods and therefore the goods were damaged when they reached the plaintiff. Develin J in Pyrene’s case judged that the liability of negligence would extend to cover up damages if the goods are damaged during the process of loading either side of the ship’s rail. This was the point in English law where the problem of risk bearing arose as it was difficult to decide if the goods lean back over the ships rail and fall on the dock. In an FOB contract, goods which have passed the ships rail and are then damaged then the buyer is responsible for all the loss or damage even if the goods fall on the deck but if the goods fall on the wharf or water then the seller has to bears the losses. Conflicts basically arise when both the parties fail to understand the workings of the ‘ship’s rail’ concept. Case of Thermo Engineers Ltd v Ferry Masters Limited explains this concept perfectly. The facts of this case were that an English seller of a heat exchanger decides to enter in a FOB agreement with a buyer located in Denmark’s city of Copenhagen. The heat exchanger was carried by trailer onto the vessel which had a damaged lower deck. The damage was covered by the high calibre of the Hague-Visby rules as they provide that the carrier is only liable from the point where the goods are loaded on the ships and as the trailer had crossed the rails of the ship when the damage was done which relieved the burden of risk from road provisions authority which would have been liable if the damage would have occurred prior to the crossing of the ship’s rail. Due to uncertainty a new term of FCA (Free carrier) Incoterm was developed in order to provide an alternative to FOB. This was one of the major developments in International Trade Law after 1936 when Incoterms were first introduced to define costs, risks and obligations of buyers and sellers in International transactions. Legal duties of Patina under a classic FOB contract are to ship goods of contractual description at port of shipment. Section 13 of the Sale of goods act 1979 provides that the goods should correspond to the description which is present in the contract. Accordingly to Section 15A of Sale of goods act 1979, a breach if there is minor and a breach of warranty rather than a breach of condition. Thus does not allow the buyer to reject the goods. Seller’s delivery to the shipment place is a condition and if Patina would have delivered to a different place then Luca would have been legally allowed to claim damages. Another duty of a seller or Patina in this case is to pay handling and transportation costs. This includes the cost of loading and stevedoring. It’s the duty of Luca to make arrangements for shipping and therefore communication in this instance is important as a seller is instructed by the buyer to ship the goods within the time frame stated by the buyer. On the other hand when the goods are loaded the buyer should be informed by the seller of the shipment under S32 (3) of the Sale of goods act 1979, however this section does not impose any liability if Patina failed to notify Luca’s of the shipment. After the judgment by Buckley LJ in the case of Wimble, Sons and Co Ltd v Rosenberg and Sons it was decided that section S32(3) of the Sale of goods act 1979 would never apply to a FOB contracts. Remedies available for Patina provided by the Sale of goods act 1979 is that Luca’s can be sued on the grounds of non payment or for damages for non-acceptance. It is duty of a buyer which in this case is Luca’s to make payments to Patina for the goods upon passing of the ship’s rail under a FOB. Luca can obtain damages for defective goods or for the whole delivery if the goods are not of satisfactory quality stated in the contract description. If Patina has retained the bill of lading then the risk will nevertheless pass when the goods cross the ship’s rail. One important difference in English law and Incoterms 2000 is that Incoterms have much clearer rules as who is responsible for obtaining an export license. It is legal duty of Patina to ship goods of contract description, prepare invoices and to have check, pack, mark and delivers the goods but the packing was ripped of some goods which reached Luca so Patina can be legally bound to pay damages. Section 35A (b) of the sale of goods acts provides that ‘if the buyer accepts some of the goods, including, where there are any goods unaffected by breach, all such goods, he does not by accepting them lose his right to reject the rest. Luca’s can only reject defective goods not whole consignment or when the difference in quantity is least as stated in section 30 of the sale of goods act 1979. United Nations convention on contracts for the International sale of goods article 66 provides that any loss or damage after the risk has passed to the buyer does not discharge Luca’s from his obligation to pay the price, unless the damage or loss is due to an act or omission of the seller. According to article 68 of the same convention, if Patina was aware of the damage or loss to the goods at that time but does not disclose to the buyer then Patina can be liable for the damage to the goods. Article 74 inform of the damages available to the injured party. Damages for breach of contract by one party consist of a sum equal to the loss, including loss of profit, suffered by the other party as a consequence of the breach. Article 77 allows reduction in damages if the party relying on a breach of contract is not able to take reasonable measures in order to mitigate a loss. Article 79 further strengthens Patina’s legal position and as it allows exemptions to those seller who can prove that the damage to goods were beyond their control or have been able to avoid it. In this case an objective consideration would have been taken into account. Luca’s should inform Patina of any lack of conformity within a reasonable time and no later than two years after he receives goods. If a breach is found to be a fundamental one than Patina can be deprived from what it expected to receive under the contract. The convention therefore would not have been forceful in forcing a claim which was not known to the seller or Patina and the contract then would have been frustrated rather than breached. If Luca’s decides to return the goods than benefits deprived must be accountable. Word count: 1443 words Bibliography * Murray, Dixon, Timson-Hunt, Holloway, (2007), Schmitthoff’s Export Trade, 11th Edition Sweet & Maxwell ISBN:Â  9780421893207 * Carr, I, (2009), Principles of International Trade Law, 4th Edition, Cavendish Publishing Ltd * Chuah, J, (2009), Law of International Trade, 4th Edition, Sweet & Maxwell Ltd * Dockray, M, Cases and Materials on the Carriage of Goods by Sea, 3rd ed. , Cavendish Publishing Ltd 2004 * Wilson, J, Carriage of Goods by Sea, 6th ed. , Pitman 2007 * Sale of Goods Act 1979 (amended) * Incoterms 1990 & 2000

Lecturer’s Personality

NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL-ELECTRONIC VOLUME 16 NUMBER 3E, 2005-2006 EFFECTIVE TEACHER STUDY Max Malikow Assistant Professor Le Moyne College ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to quantify student evaluated teacher effectiveness in order to ascertain the grade level, subject, and characteristics of exceptionally effective teachers as reported by 361 Le Moyne College students. In this study the students were provide with the following definition of exceptionally effective: showing the ability to go beyond the ordinary in producing desired results. The students were instructed that they could select one of their teachers from any grade level or subject. The distribution of selected teachers is as follows: 315 secondar5y teachers, 34 primary teachers, 11 college professors, and 1 parish priest. Subject areas of frequently selected secondary teachers are: social studies (89), English (89), mathematics (55), foreign language (33), and science (27). Personality characteristics most often cited by the students were: challenging/had reasonably high expectations (82), sense of humor (59), enthusiastic (56), creative (39), caring (39), explains complicated material well (39), and flexible instructional style (33). 1 NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL-ELECTRONIC 2___________________________________________________________ _______________________________ Who are exceptionally effective teachers and what are their characteristics? This is a study conducted at Le Moyne College from 1998-2004. I. Introduction A. Statement of the Research Question The purpose of this study is to quantify student evaluated teacher effectiveness in order to ascertain the grade level, subject, and characteristics of exceptionally effective teachers as reported by 361 Le Moyne College students. In this study the students were provided with the following definition of exceptionally effective: showing the ability to go beyond the ordinary in producing desired results. Teacher preparation programs, as part of their accreditation process, are increasingly attentive to any information to assist in making adjustments and modifications to improve the outcome. Formal evaluations of graduates and students are useful. I have attempted to undertake a continual form of information gathering from classes I teach that ultimately may be useful for this purpose. B. Rationale for the Research The value of this study is that the accomplishment of the research question would make a contribution to the Le Moyne College teacher education program. The goal of this department is to prepare effective teachers for tomorrow’s schools† (Le Moyne College Catalog 2004-2005, p. 91). The result of having identified the grade levels, subjects, and common characteristics of over 350 teachers assessed by their students as exceptionally effective serves to better inform the Education Department faculty of the qualities that make teachers memorable as instructors who are effective in their work. Therefore the department members will be better equipped to evaluate their own program in the light of this information. MAX MALIKOW ____________________________________________________________ ______________________________3 II. Methodology A. EDU 215 Writing Assignment EDU 215: Learning in a Sociocultural Context is a required course for Le Moyne College education majors who are preparing to teach at the secondary level (grades 7-12). â€Å"It involves students in examining, analyzing, and developing theories of how students learn within a social, cultural, and political context †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Le Moyne College Catalog 2004-2005, p. 97). One requirement of the EDU 215 classes I teach is a reflective paper. I encourage the students not to begin this writing assignment early in the course. I explain that they would find the paper easier to write if they first experience at least half of the fifteen weeks of the material. The learning outcome associated with this assignment is for students to organize and articulate their thoughts and experiences concerning the characteristics and behaviors of exceptionally effective teachers. The students are required to select one of their own teachers from any grade or subject who could be described as an exceptionally effective teacher. An in-class presentation to the students elucidates an exceptionally effective teacher as one who demonstrates extraordinary ability in the following areas of teaching: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Communication of material Motivation of students Provision of an environment conducive to learning Maintenance of student interest Classroom management (discipline) Appropriate relationships with students The following is the assignment’s specifications as they appeared in the EDU 215 syllabus. An Exceptionally Effective Teacher The instructions provided to the students is fairly standard, with the paper no less than four and no more than six pages in length, typed, double-spaced, and compositionally flawless. It must include all of the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. The teacher’s name and subject/grade level A synecdoche His/her methodologies (repertoire of instructional strategies) His/her means of testing and evaluation NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL-ELECTRONIC 4___________________________________________________________ _______________________________ 5. 6. . 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. His/her teaching environment (physical and psychological-emotional) His/her administration of discipline His/her personality (including a sense-of-humor) Scholarship (i. e. evaluate the selected teacher as a scholar) His/her use of relevancy in instruction His/her preparedness for class (i. e. organization) His/her ability to motivate students An interview with this teacher or someone who is familiar with this teacher (optional) I explain to the students that a synecdoche (specification number 2) is a figure of speech in which a part is used for a whole. The example I use is the phrase to break bread in which bread is used but an entire meal is understood. In the context of this assignment, the students are required to describe one incident featuring the selected teacher that would communicate a substantial understanding of the teacher’s style and philosophy of teaching. A colloquial way of expressing the rationale for the synecdoche is: it is one story that communicates what this teacher is all about. B. Description of the Sample The number of the students in the sample is 361 (n = 361). Since the sample consists of students from classes taught by me this is a convenience sample. Specifically, the students are from sixteen EDU 215 sections ranging from the fall semester of 1998 to the spring semester of 2004. As previously stated, EDU 215 students are preparing for careers in secondary teaching. With few exceptions, the students are sophomores. Also, as previously stated, the writing assignment is a course requirement. Consequently, all students who complete EDU 215 for credit accomplish the assigned paper. In the sample, all of the students addressed the assignment’s specifications sufficiently to have earned a grade of C or better. C. Procedure for Analysis of Archival Data From the fall semester of 1998 to the spring semester of 2004 a total of 361 essays were written by the students in the EDU 215 classes taught by me. This archival was organized by first categorizing teachers by grade level (if K-6) or subject (if 7-12). College teachers were grouped in one category. This distinction is made to accommodate for selected secondary and college MAX MALIKOW ____________________________________________________________ ______________________________5 teachers who students had more than once. For example, some science teachers taught the students in both biology and chemistry. The categorization of the teachers in this manner resulted in a total of 21 subcategories of teachers: seven primary grade subcategories, ten secondary subject categories, three subcategories of college professors, and one parish priest. This data answers the following research question: Of the 361 selected teachers, what is their distribution according to grade level or subject? In-class discussions with the students on the day the assignment is turned in includes the following question: From the assignment’s specifications or your own thoughts, what are the two characteristics that most contributed to your selected teacher’s effectiveness? All students are asked the question with their responses recorded by me. Nine characteristics were possibilities from the assignment. Due to 16 student absences on the days of these discussions, 690 responses were recorded rather than the 722 responses that would have resulted from perfect attendance. The record of the student responses provides the answer to the following research question: What are the characteristics of exceptionally effective teachers most frequently cited by the students in this study? III. Presentation of the Findings A. Textual Presentation The teacher category most frequently selected is an equal number of students (89) who selected either a social studies or English teacher. These two categories combined for 49. 3 percent of the exceptionally effective teachers in this study. Other secondary teachers selected are in the disciplines of mathematics (15. percent), foreign language (9. 1 percent), science (7. 5 percent), physical education (2. 4 percent), health (1. 7 percent), technology (1. 1 percent), art (. 5 percent), and music (. 3 percent). In total, elementary teachers represent 9. 4 percent of the selections. The two grade levels with the highest representation are third and fifth (8). The 11 college professors chosen constitute 3 percent of the sele ctions. The college professors are in the disciplines of English (7), history (3), and mathematics (1). One student selected a parish priest who taught a confirmation class. For a tabular presentation of the distribution of the selected teachers see Table 3. 1. The total number of characteristics cited by the sample was 36. The exceptionally effective teacher trait most frequently expressed by the students was challenging with reasonable expectations (11. 9 percent). The percentage of response was computed by dividing the number of citations for this trait (82) by the total citations in the study (690). Sense of humor is the NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL-ELECTRONIC 6___________________________________________________________ _______________________________ second most frequently cited characteristic (8. 5 percent). Three characteristics are tied for third place in the frequency standings: explains complicated material well, caring, and creative (each 5. 6 percent). Other frequently cited traits are: flexible instructional style (4. 8 percent), approachable, available, interested in students, and organized (each 4. 2 percent). For a tabular presentation of the selected characteristics data see Table 3. . B. Tabular Presentation Table 3. 1: Distribution of Selected Teachers Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade Grades 7-12 Social Studies English Mathematics Foreign Language Science Physical Education Health Technology Art Music College English History Mathematics Other Priest 5 1 1 8 4 8 7 89 89 55 33 27 9 6 4 2 1 6 3 2 1 MAX MALIKOW __________ __________________________________________________ ______________________________7 Table 3. 2: Cited Characteristics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Challenging/Had Reasonably High Expectations Sense of Humor Enthusiastic Creative Caring Explains Complicated Material Well Flexible Instructional Style Approachable Available Interested in Students Organized Flexible to Classroom Situations Dedicated Inspiring Practical Made Material Relevant Optimistic About Students Energetic Engaging Exciting Learned/Brilliant/Scholarly Warm Humble Good Listener Patient Authentic/Real/Appropriately Autobiographical Confident Empathic Encouraging Fair Professional Honest Insightful Moral Nonjudgmental Optimistic About Life Protective 82 59 56 39 39 39 33 29 29 29 29 23 21 21 17 13 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 2 1 1 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL-ELECTRONIC 8___________________________________________________________ _______________________________ IV. Analysis of the Findings A. Limitations of the Study and Implications for Future Research As previously stated, the sample is drawn from a course that consisted entirely of students preparing for a career in secondary teaching. If the sample had been drawn from a comparable course for prospective elementary school teachers the distribution of exceptionally effective teachers might have been different. It would be interesting to see if a sample of students preparing for teaching at the primary level would select more primary teachers as exceptionally effective. The study did not include a reckoning of the intended teaching area of the students and their selected teacher. For example, there may have been a high representation of prospective social studies and English teachers in the sample. It would require an interview with the students to determine if their intended subject influenced their teacher selection. An examination of the cited characteristics demonstrates redundancies. For example, caring is a characteristic cited 39 times and interested in students 29 times. Arguably these two traits constitute a verbal distinction without a meaningful difference. My decision to record the words and phrases actually used by the students’ accounts for perceived redundancies. As with any study that employs a convenience sample, this study’s results cannot be taken as representative of nonparticipating individuals. However, this limitation does not render this study inconsequential. The sample size is substantial and a methodology for future studies has been formulated and tested. Six students in this study stated that their selected teachers are responsible for their decision to pursue a teaching career. These statements were not solicited either as a requirement of the writing assignment or in the class discussions. This implies that there may be more than six students who were so influenced. It would be interesting to know how many students opted for a career in teaching because of a teacher. A future quantitative study could generate the data to address this curiosity. As with many studies, while this study answered questions it gave rise to others: Why were so many social studies and English teachers selected? Is there something about the content of these subjects that accounts for the perceived effectiveness of those who teach social studies and English? Do social studies and English attract individuals with personalities that are conducive to the work of teaching? Is there a gender correlation between the students and selected teachers? MAX MALIKOW ____________________________________________________________ ______________________________9 B. Value and Application of the Study A well known psycho-lexical study reveals that there are 17,953 words in an unabridged English dictionary describing personality characteristics (Allport and Odbert, 1936). Individuals involved in teacher training, hiring, and mentoring are beneficiaries of studies that document the personality traits that correlate with teacher effectiveness. These individuals are engaged in significant work. An awareness of the characteristics that correlate with and contribute to effective teaching should be nurtured in training and mentoring as well as recognized in hiring. Concerning employment, an implication of this study is the use of personality assessment instruments like the M. M. P. I. (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) as part of the employment process. REFERENCES Allport, G. W. & Odbert, H. (1936):Trait-names: A Psycho-lexical Study. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 47, 171-220. (1, whole number 211).