C. Palmer and His Art for Culturally Responsive Instruction Essay

This short essay gives background information on the artist Charly Palmer and his development of narrative art. It also explores, how to use srt as a means to engage students in Culturally Responsive Teaching. About the Artist Born in Fayette, Alabama, Charly â€Å"Carlos† Palmer (1960-) has lived life as both a commercial artist and a fine artist. Palmer was raised primarily in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Whereupon after graduating from high school in 1978 he moved to Chicago, Illinois to pursue a degree at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Palmer attended school there for a year and a half before transferring to the Art institute of Chicago. In 1982 he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and minor in Art History. Right after graduation Palmer began working professionally as an artist and more specifically as a graphic artist for agencies in Milwaukee, Chicago and Atlanta, Georgia. In partnership with his then wife, Charly Palmer opened a graphics design business, TP Design, in 1991. The business took off quickly and successfully. â€Å"We were recognized within the first 2 years as one of the top design agencies nationally and as one of the few all black agencies around in graphic designs in the country† states Palmer (personal communication, December 7, 2011). I asked Palmer, â€Å"What inspired you to switch your focus from being a professional designer to a full time painter?† Despite the success of the business Palmer explains, â€Å"I never had a desire to do commercial work.† His first passion, painting, is something that has never left him and he decided to solely focus on this aspect of his career within the last 10 years. About the Artwork Much of Charly Palmer’s work is a reflection of his experiences and perspective as a Black man in America. Consistently, the themes that are addressed in his paintings are economic, social, political, gender and racial issues within the context of the United States. In his most recent exhibition â€Å"What is Your Tar Baby? † these themes are represented through the depiction of historic and contemporary icons. Entertainers and politicians such as Dave Chappelle, Josephine Baker, Marilyn Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, and President Barrack Obama are brought to the forefront for examination. The composition of these paintings consists of vivid colors and portraitures surrounded by subtle and bold sketches of the African folktale characters Brer Rabbit (Brother Rabbit) and Brer Fox (Brother Fox). In some of the paintings, the words â€Å"TAR BABY† takes up half of the canvas and it is sometimes positioned underneath or above the central figure in the painting. There are other times that â€Å"TAR BABY† is positioned down the left side frame of the canvas. Other times these words and excerpts from the published Tar Baby narrative are softly sketched around the iconic figure in the piece. In each painting the intertextuality of images, words and mixed media are present to create a new narrative or rather conversation that Palmer wants to have with the public. Palmer is a visual storyteller who elicits reflection and dialogue through his work. By painting a story, he is striving to have conversations about who Americans are and in what ways we can celebrate ourselves. As it relates to art and reflection, Diana Mack (1999) contends that â€Å"good art must communicate something comprehensibly worthwhile, something worthy of contemplation†¦More and more so- called artists today call attention to themselves by shocking and agitating rather than by promoting reflection (Silverman & Rader, 2009, p. 215). Reflection is a significant concept in Palmer’s art and in â€Å"What is Your Tar Baby?† reflection is inextricably intertwined with narratives. The Tar Baby Narrative The 2011-2012 exhibition â€Å"What is Your Tar Baby?† is a series of paintings that connects the story of Brer Rabbit (a cunning charlatan who masterfully dupes others using his wit and charm) and his interaction with a tar baby along with images of entertainers, politicians and athletes. Despite their talents and diverse backgrounds these public figures have all commonly struggled. Palmer parallels their struggles to the entrapment Brer Rabbit has with the tar baby. In order to truly see the intertextuality of Palmer’s art one must familiarize their self with this narrative. Originally the story of Brer Rabbit originates from parts of West Africa and was passed down orally from generations of enslaved Africans in the Americas and Caribbean. It soon made its way to publication because Robert Roosevelt, uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt, wrote down the story as enslaved Blacks dictated it. The story only met popularity when Joel Chandler Harris (1881), a White Southern journalist, adapted and compiled the African folktales for publication. Chandler developed the fictional character Uncle Remus, an old slave (who speaks in Gullah dialect) as the storyteller. In the role of a griot, Uncle Remus transmits certain knowledge and values by passing the story on to children gathered around him. Accordingly, the original Tar Baby story is the only story where his rival Brer Fox outfoxes Brer Rabbit. In an effort to catch the trickster, Brer Fox shapes a lump of tar into the shape of a baby, put clothes on it and sets it strategically in a pathway that Brer Rabbit is known to travel. When Brer Rabbit comes into contact with the tar baby he tries to have a conversation but gets no response. His frustration causes him to punch the tar baby and he becomes stuck. The more Brer Rabbit tries to rid himself from the tar baby the more he is affixed to the tar. Palmer asserts that, â€Å"over the years the tar has come to represent the trap, often times one that is more politically aligned, but most times the word is used in a way that is meant to degrade† ( C. Palmer, Artist’s Statement, 2011). Palmer brings to light that the original tar baby story has no racial connotation but rather it is a story about â€Å"a problem that gets worse the more one struggles against it.† (â€Å"Tar Baby†, n.d.) Presently, tar baby is a term used by blacks and whites alike â€Å"to express their anger towards their losses or failures, and their feelings about complexion and race. (C. Palmer, Artist’s statement, 2011). Historically, there was a prevalence of this word around derogatory images of African Americans. Despite its negative racial implication the metaphor of tar, â€Å"a problem† along with Palmer’s exhibition can be used to discuss social justice and diversity issues and as a means to transform art educators into culturally responsive teachers. Addressing the needs of diverse and multilingual learners through culturally responsive teaching According to a report provided by the Congressional Research Service, â€Å"The U.S. population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse† (Shrestha & Heisler, 2011, p. 18). Furthermore, it is predicted that by the year 2050, 56% of the U.S. population will be non-White. Already the majority minority, representing 15% of America’s demographic of race are those who identify as Hispanic or Latino. By 2050 members of this community will have a population increase of 30.2% and this also implies an increasing population of multilingual people (Shrestha & Heisler, 2011, p. 18 ). This increasing change in America’s race and ethnic composition is reflected in every aspect of our lives and this includes the classroom. Now more than ever it is necessary for art educators to address the needs of the steadily increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. One way to do this is to cultivate in all students what proponents of multicultural education call, â€Å"a transformative perspective.† I contend that art educators can successfully engage diverse learners through the praxis of culturally responsive teaching and by introducing the works of artist like Charly Palmer.

Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe

Essay on Edgar Allan Poe’s Life and the poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† Edgar Allan Poe was a writer who left subtle and hidden clues to the meaning of his works. Most of his writings have been influenced by his life. The poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† is definitely about a personal experience of his. â€Å"Annabel Lee† is most likely about his wife Virginia Clemm. In one of the stanzas Poe writes, â€Å"But our love it was stronger by far the love of those who were older then we of many far wiser then we† In this passage Poe means that when the older people found out that Poe was marrying his cousin that must of found that obscene. Poe believed that the love between Virginia and him was stronger to overcome the things that the people were saying. He didn’t listen to the wiser people above him, he just followed what he loved. In the third stanza Poe writes, â€Å"A wind blew out of a cloud by night chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.† In this stanza what Poe means is that when Virginia became sick Poe began to sell many copies of â€Å"The Raven† The money he would make from his most famous poem he would use that to help his ill wife Virginia. When Poe was at the height of his career Virginia became more and more sick. Poe believes that a chilling cloud must have come over Virginia. That wind was the illness that Virginia had taken and she dies in 1845. In the last stanza Poe writes, â€Å"Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride, in her sepulcher there by the sea – In her tomb by the side of the sea.† In this passage Poe is telling about life after Virginia died. During this time Poe became depressed and went onto opium, a very powerful drug. Poe attempted suicide many times. This passage describes about how Virginia was everything to him. He describes how Virginia was his life and his darling. That’s what he attempted suicide so many times. In conclusion as you can see this poem had hidden clues to describe how Poe felt about... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe On January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts one of the world’s most distinguished writers was born. His name was Edgar Poe. He was born to Elizabeth Arnold Poe, an English born actress, and David Poe, Jr., an actor from Baltimore, Maryland. Young Poe’s life was that of most children, until his mother tragically died December 8, 1811, at the age of twenty-four. Within a few days of her death, Poe’s father dies. Poe then went to live with his godfather, John Allan, a successful tobacco merchant in Richmond, and his wife Frances, who had no children of their own. His foster parents John and Frances added Poe’s middle name of â€Å"Allan†. Although Poe was never legally adopted, he became known as â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† at his Christening on January 7, 1812. And throughout his life, Poe typically signed his name â€Å"Edgar A. Poe†, with the initial rather than the full name. In 1815, his godfather, John Allan sent Poe to England and Scotland to begin his classical education for five years. When he returned to Richmond, Virginia, Poe studied Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian. Poe was well educated in private academies. In 1826, Poe entered the University of Virginia, where he distinguished himself as a student. Although this is where Poe began to run into trouble with drinking, gambling, and quarrels. This displeased John Allan which caused an argument between the two causing Poe to leave Richmond and sail to Boston. Then on May 26,1827, Poe enlisted in the United States Army under the name of Edgar A. Perry and claiming to be four years older than his actual age. Here is where Poe published his pamphlet called the Tamerlane and Other Poems. This book did not sell at all but today the remaining copies are among the most highly prized items in the rare-book market, valued at $150,000. Poe’s military went more successfully then the rest of his life. After two years, Poe was promoted to Sergeant Major, the highest nonco... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Essay on Edgar Allan Poe’s Life and the poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† Edgar Allan Poe was a writer who left subtle and hidden clues to the meaning of his works. Most of his writings have been influenced by his life. The poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† is definitely about a personal experience of his. â€Å"Annabel Lee† is most likely about his wife Virginia Clemm. In one of the stanzas Poe writes, â€Å"But our love it was stronger by far the love of those who were older then we of many far wiser then we† In this passage Poe means that when the older people found out that Poe was marrying his cousin that must of found that obscene. Poe believed that the love between Virginia and him was stronger to overcome the things that the people were saying. He didn’t listen to the wiser people above him, he just followed what he loved. In the third stanza Poe writes, â€Å"A wind blew out of a cloud by night chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.† In this stanza what Poe means is that when Virginia became sick Poe began to sell many copies of â€Å"The Raven† The money he would make from his most famous poem he would use that to help his ill wife Virginia. When Poe was at the height of his career Virginia became more and more sick. Poe believes that a chilling cloud must have come over Virginia. That wind was the illness that Virginia had taken and she dies in 1845. In the last stanza Poe writes, â€Å"Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride, in her sepulcher there by the sea – In her tomb by the side of the sea.† In this passage Poe is telling about life after Virginia died. During this time Poe became depressed and went onto opium, a very powerful drug. Poe attempted suicide many times. This passage describes about how Virginia was everything to him. He describes how Virginia was his life and his darling. That’s what he attempted suicide so many times. In conclusion as you can see this poem had hidden clues to describe how Poe felt about... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Every story that was conceived from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe contained a part of himself on each page. This left the reader with a better understanding of Poe’s life. Through his stories and pomes Poe displayed his greatest achievements and his worst disappointments. In this research paper I will reveal facts about Poe’s life and define hidden meanings throughout his works. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe’s parents were David Poe and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, an actor and actress that worked in the city of Baltimore (Britannica). Shortly after Poe’s birth, his father abandoned the family and left Poe and his mother to fend for themselves. In 1811 when Poe was two his mother died. That left him with his second depressing loss in only his first two years of life (540). After his father ran off and his mother’s sudden death, Poe was left with his godfather, John Allan. John Allan was a wealthy merchant based in Richmond, Virginia with the means, knowledge, and affluence to provide a good life for Poe. Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in 1826 (Britannica). For the first time in his life things were starting to go well. Upon entering college it took Poe no more time to unpack his bag then it did for him to become involved in, immoral acts of gambling and drunkenness. He developed gamb ling debts from 2,000 to 2,500 dollars, which caused some friction between John Allan and himself (Quinn 130). After eleven months in college Poe dropped out, due to his debts (Britannica). Upon arriving at home Poe was invited to a party hosted by Sarah Elmira Royster, his sweetheart before going away to college. When he arrived at the party, he learned that it was Elmira’s engagement party. This was heart braking to Poe (540). After John Allan and Poe had a huge fight over Poe’s gambling addiction, Poe joined the army under the alias of â€Å"Edgar Allan Perry† (Britannica). It was not t... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe has been known for his themes of revenge and perversity. Two short stories that illustrate these themes are â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Black Cat†. Many critics have argued that these stories were not about revenge, but more about perversity and the cruelty of the human mind. Believe it or not, every human being is capable of murder, many do it out of revenge but there are still those who do it for no apparent reason. Poe portrays in each of the characters, the darker side of the human soul. In the short story â€Å"The Black Cat† the narrator of the story undergoes a significant change in his character. At first both husband and wife adores their cat very much. He soon became addicted to drinking making him more and more crazy by the day, which led to the dislike of his cat. Because of this, he decides to cut one of its eyes with a penknife. Later on as his drinking led him to reach insanity to its full extent, the narrator hangs the cat and explains his reason for hanging it by saying â€Å"I knew that it loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offense... and I knew that in so doing I was committing a sin-a deadly sin.† (245). By saying that, the narrator shows no reason for committing the murder. After the murder of the cat has been committed, the character shows no remorse towards his actions. He acts as if no wrong has been done. As the story progresses the narrator describes how his drinking habits cause him to neglect his beloved cat and wife. After his house burns down and he loses all he owns, he finds a new cat on the street, witched resembled the first. This cat also had a patch over one eye. He decided to bring the cat home to his wife. One day while working with his wife in the cellar he nearly trips down the stairs by the cat. He picks up an axe and tries to kill it but his wife gets hit with the axe instead. He then buries her inside the wall so the police woul... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was a great man who’s goal in writing was to send chills down the spines of his readers which he successfully achieved through his eerie stories and poems. But what made him this way? In order to understand the reasons for Edgar Allan Poe’s writings, we must look back to the very beginning of his life and follow it to the very end. Eliza Arnold came to America from England in 1795. She was just Eight years old. In April, 1796, almost as soon as she arrived, she began her acting career in Boston, Massachusetts. She quickly became very popular, because she could sing and dance as well as memorize long speaking parts. In all the cities she played in, she received praise from the critics. After Eliza’s first marriage, she met a man named David Poe. Shortly after, David left a promising career in law to become an actor and be with Eliza. David was not very good though. His unusual speaking styles often got him booed and berated by critics. In the first week of April, 1806, Eliza married David. The Poes were very poor at the time and money was tight. Their acting company had performances as benefits, and used the money to try and help the Poes stay healthy and save them from starvation. Even though they were poor, they still started a family. On January 30, 1807, Eliza gave birth to William Henry. Being as they were, they didn’t have any other choice than to give custody to David’s parents, who were better off. On January 19, 1809, Edgar Poe was born. The Poes were desperately poor, so David went begging for a few dollars from his cousin. His cousin thought he was a terrible man, though, and told him that he never wanted to speak to him again. After this terrible tragedy and numerous arguments with Eliza, David Poe disappeared. Sympathetic friends and audiences gave Eliza charity, offering some comfort from her ongoing poverty and recent abandonment. In the... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and lived in six Eastern cities. His father was David Poe, a Baltimore actor. His actress mother, Elizabeth came to the United States as a kid. The parents were not that talented; they played small roles in rather third-rate theatrical companies. Because they both had small parts they barely managed to make a living. Edgar was the second of their three children. When the third child was born, the father died, or disappeared, and Mrs. Poe went to Richmond with the two youngest children. The oldest boy, William Henry, had already been left with relatives in Baltimore. Mrs. Poe was in the last stages of tuberculosis. Weakened by the disease and worn out with the struggle to support her children, she died. Edgar, two years old, and the infant, Rosalie, were left as orphans. It was pure luck that Mrs. Frances Allan, the wife of a merchant in Richmond learned about the Poe babies. She had no children of her own and liked ha ndsome little Edgar a lot more than his sister. She took him home with her, and another family took his little sister Rosalie. Mrs. Allan would have liked to adopt Edgar, but her husband was unwilling to commit himself. At that time people thought acting was immoral. John Allan could not help regarding the little son of actor parents as a questionable person to inherit his name and the fortune he was busy accumulating. He was willing however, to support the child, and in time came to be proud of Edgar's good looks and intelligence. When Edgar was six years old, Mr. Allen's business took him to Scotland, the country from which he had come originally. The family stayed in Scotland and England for five years. Edgar was eleven when the Allans returned to Richmond. Richmond in back then in the 1820's was a good place for a boy to live. It was still a small enough town for the fields, swamps, and woods to be close by. Boys swam in the river and in the little creek... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 as Edgar Poe. He was the second son to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe. Both parents were actors, and shortly after Poe’s birth, his father deserted his family around 1810. Edgar became an orphan before the age of three years, when his mother died on December 8, 1811 in Richmond, Virginia at the age of twenty-four years. His father died at the age of twenty-seven years old. After his mother’s death, the childless couple, John and Frances Allan, took in Poe; his paternal grandparents took in brother William Henry; and foster parents cared for sister Rosalie. Allan was a strict and unemotional tobacco merchant and his wife was overindulgent. Poe was educated by the Allan’s aid, in private academies, excelling in Latin, in writing verse and declamation. However, regardless of his education, he was looked down upon by the upper class of society, perhaps because Poe was never legally adopted by the Allan’s, nonetheless he was regarded as an outsider by the Richmond elite. However, being the child of former actor’s could have also added to his reputation of not fitting in with Richmond’s culture at that time. The loss of his mother at an early age definitely affected Poe, â€Å"The angels, whispering to one another, Can find, among their burning terms of love, None so devotional as that of ‘Mother’† (To My Mother). In Tamerlane, he not only wrote about his father, but he wrote about his mother too. He had more respect for his mother than he did for his father. In Tamerlane he speaks much nicer of his mother. â€Å"O, she was worthy of all love! Love – as in infancy was mine – ‘Twas such as angel minds above Might envy; her young heart the shrine on which my every hope and thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tamerlane). He thought of life with his mother and how it might have been. In 1831 Poe moved to Baltimore to live with his aunt, Maria Clemm. There he fell in love and married ...

Recipe for an Indispensable Executive Assistant [Infographic]

Recipe for an Indispensable Executive Assistant [Infographic] This executive assistant infographic from Convene is adorable and right on the mark! Since its already worth about a thousand words, Ill just call out a few of my favorite elements:Supersonic HearingThis is the benevolent flipside to the gate-keeper function. Sure, your job is to keep knucklehead stuff off your bosss desk, but you also get to bring the concerns of your colleagues to their attention, which can improve conditions for everybody.Battery PackHaving an extra battery in my bag to recharge my phone on the go has already changed my life. Especially if you have a special phone for work-related tasks, invest in an external charger (see if you can get it reimbursed as a business expense, even!). Theyre smaller and smaller every day, but lifesavers in the clutch.Titanium SpineKnowing how to stand up for yourself (and your boss), who to stand up to, and when, is a crucial soft skill for an executive assistant. Youve got to make decisions quickly and be able to defend them (though you should also maintain flexibility to accept constructive criticism when appropriate).

TRIAGE ASSESSMENT 5 PSYT2321 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TRIAGE ASSESSMENT 5 PSYT2321 - Essay Example ation of a criminal offense, the action strategy that was designed to provide help and support to the doctor was the choice of giving him a leave of absence and getting him enrolled in the treatment facility. This would not only provide him with a second chance at his job and career, but would also ensure his recovery from drug abuse, and his smooth transition into the normal social and psychological routine. It is obvious that the doctor had been deviating drugs for his personal use, and so he needed the rehabilitation, whether he was to be terminated or just given a leave. The alternative would have been terminating his license and reporting him to the police. In that case also, he would have required a therapy session and rehabilitation for his continued abuse of drugs in the past. In either case, this treatment was necessary. The plan would be to address and try to resolve the initial and latent behavior patterns and actions of the subject, in order to restore him to the physical, psychological, and social health that he had experienced before his habit of drug deviation. The initial strategy would be to calm the subject, by first letting him vent himself and then reassuring him about his anxieties of the future concerning his career and his therapy. Also, his refusal to contact his family would deprive him of his support system, so he should be made aware of that. The client is not in denial of his situation. In fact, he has recognized his condition and the unfolding of the events, and is dealing with them by venting his anger. This is a positive sign. Also, his conscious decision of opting for leave and treatment instead of being reported to the police show that he understands the

Saint Joan Institute of Womens Study. Human Resource Management Essay

Saint Joan Institute of Womens Study. Human Resource Management Portfolio - Essay Example Through the paper it has been tried what modus operandi the HR department should follow to exploit the portfolio of a candidate. For the paper, the particular job taken into consideration is a job of an ‘academic coordinator.’ The academic coordinators are academic staffs, who have some responsibility for coordinating the activities of other academic staff and interacting with students in large courses or programs. â€Å"Typically, these people have responsibility for the ―practical and everyday process of supporting, managing, developing and inspiring academic colleagues.† (Ramsden, 1998, p. 4) The institute considered for this discussion is Saint Joan Institute of Women’s Study. The institute is committed to impart the training to the girls and women. Some of the units such as schools are devoted to train the underprivileged girls. An Academic coordinator has become a very crucial position in today’s fast growing and sophisticated educational institutions. Academic coordinators find their role to be demanding, complex, and very stressful and are uncertain about the scope of their role. (Ladyshewsky & Jones, 2007) In Educational organization the coordinator is basically associated with teaching, hiring teachers and educators, to administer programs, develop budget, to arrange meetings, and to make changes where necessary. In modern educational institution the post of a coordinator is very important to facilitate smooth coordination between students, teachers, various departments, committee, management and other personnel in the institution directly or indirectly. He plays the role of a liaison between students and faculty members, parents and teachers, teachers and management members etc. The natures of the job includes various following responsibilities which are divided into two parts: Teaching and non-teaching Non Teaching responsibilities Teaching responsibilities To suggest for the recruitment of new staff members according to the requirements of the unit: The coordinator identifies the need of the staff and accordingly he suggests for the recruitments of different positions for full time , part time, adjunct faculty or a resource person for the specific task. To develop teaching procedure and strategies: To arrange training and development programs To revise the existing academic programs and design new programs, curriculum. The curriculum should be developed according to the domains and the requirements of the students. To arrange meetings of line members and staff members of the organization. To solicit students’ as well as teachers’ feedback. To prepare an annual budget and get it sanctioned by the Management committee members with suggested changes. To take review of the effectiveness of the program To arrange strategies for promotional activities. To conduct exams and to coordinate it entirely To conduct extra-curricular activities thus to boost the confidence of the students. To teach the subject allotted to him or her To set exam papers and check the papers b. The Strategic Importance of an Academic Coordinator in an Educational Institution: â⠂¬Å"Jobs that directly relate to the firm’s core competencies assume greater strategic value.† (Weekley Jeff) The job of the coordinator has a strategic importance as it is related to the

Westward Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Westward Expansion - Essay Example At this time, America reached the idea of exploring its boundaries up to the shores of the Pacific. Leaders, as well as politicians of the then government used the phrase, â€Å"Manifest destiny,† to present an explanation it was the mission and destiny of the United State to extend its boundaries by act of moving westward. By then, the initial 13 American colonies had grown; there was also an increased desire for acquiring new land. The Westward Expansion entailed various sub-phenomena: The Expedition of Lewis and Clark, the Act of Homestead, the concept of Gold Rush, the Trail of Oregon, and the famous Transcontinental Railroad. All these concepts changed the life of thousands of Americans. People started shifting to the west for land, power, gold, and wealth. Some peoples’ dreams were fulfilled, although often people abandoned the West desperately. Native Americans are intertwined with the Westward Expansion’s historical events. Sometimes encounters between th e Native Americans and those moving West were at times positive and in other times disastrous; was not a great idea for some. Unfortunately, negative encounters emerged from misunderstood values of the involved groups cultures. Work Cited: Billington, Ray A., and Ridge, Martine. Westward Expansion: A history of the American Frontier. 6th ed. Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2001. (pp. 17-46). Quay, Sara E. Westward Expansion. Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2002. 19th C. American Westward Expansion. Accessed 4 Dec. 2011. (pp. 3-8). from http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/hstryidx.htm Concerning the phenomenon of Lewis and Clark Expedition, President Thomas Jefferson, in 1803, purchased the Territory of Louisiana, for $15 million from France. By embracing the Act of Expedition, the nation of America registered a growth of approximately 1 million miles square; between the regions of Mississippi to Rockies, as well as between the Gulf of Mexico an d Canada. President Jefferson sent Corp’s of Discovery by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, in an attempt of obtaining a reliable water route form the Pacific as well as the nation gains an exploration of new territory. In 1862, The Homestead Act was signed in by Abraham Lincoln, in an effort of motivating people to proceed to the west and tend new lands and to take effect on the 1st of January 1863. The Act of Homestead provided about 160 acres to people. Every â€Å"homesteader† had to pay a fee of $10 for filing. Thereafter, they had to occupy the land and establish homes. The ownership was in effect, so long as the land was to be occupied and cultivated for a period of five years. About 270 million acres of land got claimed as well as settled per The Homestead Act. Gold was discovered in January 1848, on the estate referred to as John Sutter in California. In the same year, the findings of the treasurer, gold, was validated by President James Polk; the Gold Rush started. Those who proceeded to the west in search for gold, were termed; the â€Å"forty-niners† (49ers), since many abandoned their homes within the course of the year, 1849. Incidentally, others joined the gold region in 1848 and thus, were referred to as the 48ers. Consequently, California emerged a populous state following the Gold Rush. The United States laid thousands of track miles in 1835 that is in the eastern part. Trains eased the shipping of goods; it also made the cost of shipping go down and the process was quick. There was the emergence of towns and factories started to be established along the route of the railroad. Native Americans

Fitbit: SWOT and PESTEL Analysis

Fitbit: SWOT and PESTEL Analysis Overview Fitbit was founded as Healthy Metrics Research, Inc. in 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman. The first product by Fitbit was launched later in 2009—the Fitbit Tracker. It was a small black device that could be clipped onto clothing and tracked steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, activity intensity, and sleep quality by combining an internal accelerometer with user data. A user could then upload their data to the Fitbit website, where they could see an overview of their physical activity, set and track specific goals, keep activity logs, and interact with friends. Initially, the Fitbit Tracker was only available online, but later was introduced into the retail store market through Best Buy.   Fitbit continued with the clip design type until later introducing the well-known wristband style commonly seen today which introduced even more features in 2013, and later introduced smartwatches beginning in 2015. By August 2015, Fitbit had two clippable activity trackers, four wristband-style trackers, and a smart scale on the market. Prices ranged from $99.95 to $249.95, depending on the product and its functions. By the time Fitbit went public in 2015, Fitbit led the U.S. fitness-tracker market with a share of 76 percent (globally with a share of 35 percent), and revenue had been growing every quarter since 2011. In the first half of 2015 alone, Fitbit generated $737 million of revenue with 8.3 million devices sold, with 80 percent of Fitbit orders being placed on Amazon or Fitbit’s official online shop. However, Fitbit was starting to face some strong competition, as more and more competitors began entering the market such as Garmin, Nike, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Apple. The most notable competitor’s product to enter the market was with the introduction of the Apple Watch in April 2015, which quickly captured the second largest global wearable device market share at 19.9 percent and caused Fitbit to fall from 35 percent to 24.3 percent global market share. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to better understand the situation that Fitbit is in, a SWOT analysis will be performed and a Porter’s Five Forces model will be created. SWOT Analysis Strengths: As one of the early movers in the wearable device industry, Fitbit was able to capture a commanding size of market share while they built their brand and established a solid user-base. Fitbit also offers many choices to consumers with their different types of products—namely the wristbands and smartwatches—but they were able to offer them in different colors and functionality as to be able to offer a whole range of products at different price points in order to maximize customer reach. Fitbit has also partnered with insurance companies in order to offer programs that emphasize physical activity while providing individuals that take advantage of the programs lower insurance premiums. Weaknesses: Fitbit faces strong competition from competitors like Apple, Samsung, Nike, Garmin, and Xiaomi. As a relatively new company, Fitbit does not have the established customer base and brand loyalists like these other companies have, and as such are having to make up ground in order to effectively compete. Fitbit also only has one successful product line—their fitness tracking wearable devices—while the other companies have products like computers, phones, and apparel that lower their overall risk since they are much more diversified in their overall product mix as a company. Opportunities: As mentioned in the Strengths section, Fitbit has some existing partnerships with health insurance agencies, but there is a tremendous amount of growth left in this area. Partnerships could also be created with companies for services for their employees as well as hospitals for patient monitoring and physical therapy. In the era of big data, Fitbit has an opportunity to be able to sell collected health and behavior data to health insurance companies and universities, but consumer privacy is crucial. Threats: As mentioned in the Weaknesses section, Fitbit faces stiff competition in the wearables market. Apple has a cult-like following of people loyal to its brand, while Xiaomi has taken control of the Chinese market with a much lower priced alternative to Fitbit’s trackers. These all threaten Fitbit’s market position, and as such, Fitbit needs to stay on the cutting edge of technological offerings with its devices in order to maintain their industry leader status as the market continues to grow due to increased health awareness by consumers. Porter’s Five Forces Model Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is at a high level, as there are many alternatives to Fitbit’s products which range anywhere from $34 to $850+, so switching costs are very low. This has forced Fitbit to drive innovation in their products in order to keep consumers engaged and for Fitbit to maintain their status as the leading brand in the industry. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers is at a low level, since Fitbit mainly outsources their manufacturing to companies in China and also buy product from them in bulk. Fitbit also has the ability to switch between any number of suppliers in China, and the entire design of the product is intellectual property of Fitbit with the software being written to the device by Fitbit employees themselves. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is at a high level, as smartphones are beginning to integrated many features of Fitbit’s wristbands and smartwatches. Smartwatches are also becoming more dominant in the wearables market, as they are also integrating features from Fitbit’s wristband product. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants is at a moderate level, there are many barriers to entry in the wearables market—namely significant capital investment, as the products need to be manufactured and distribution channels need to be established. Since competition is high, a lot of human and monetary capital is needed for research and development as well. Level of Competitive Rivalry in the Industry: The level of competitive rivalry in the industry is high. Fitbit has positioned itself as a premium brand in the industry, but other wearables offer much of the same functionality as Fitbit’s. Even though Fitbit has a tremendous advantage with being one of the first movers, Fitbit still needs to be able to differentiate itself from their competitors as the wearables market becomes more saturated. Overall: From the Porter’s Five Forces model, buyer power, competitive rivalry, and threat of substitutes are all at a high level, which can make it challenging in the fitness wearables industry to be successful and also sustain a competitive advantage. In order to do this, Fitbit must continue to drive innovation within the industry in order to retain its leadership status. Alternatives The following are strategic directions Fitbit could move in in order to capture more market share and/or increase profit. Expand Internationally As mentioned in the Overview, Fitbit in mid-2015 had a US market share of 76 percent, while their global market share was 24.3 percent. This shows that while Fitbit had a commanding lead here in the United States, it has tremendous potential for growth internationally. Marketing efforts may need to increase internationally in order to bring awareness to the brand, as Fitbit may not be as internationally recognized as their competitors since Fitbit is relatively young as a company. However, since Fitbit has positioned itself as a premium brand, they may need to adjust product offerings for other countries that have vastly different cultures and living standards compared to here in the United States. There is also potential here to increase the total potential market share for the industry as a whole and drive industry growth as a whole. Increase Brand and Product Awareness Since Fitbit is a relatively newer company, they do not have the brand recognition that their competitors like Apple, Garmin, Samsung, Nike, and Xiaomi have, at least on a global perspective. Here in the United States, Fitbit is very much a household name and is pretty much synonymous with fitness tracking, as can be seen by its commanding 76 percent market share (per the case as of mid-2015). Consumers may also not be aware of the range of products that Fitbit offers, so they may not know that a product may be available that fits their price and functionality needs. Even though Exhibit 7 in the case shows that Fitbit has double the next competitor’s percentage for consumers purchasing intentions for a wearable device within the next 12 months—42 percent compared with Apple’s 21 percent—it would be a good idea for Fitbit to be producing more surveys in order to better understand consumers’ preferences so that Fitbit can potentially better position itself within the market as well as understand how consumers view their brand and what features may increase usage. Add Features In this industry, there is high buyer power, competitive rivalry, and threat of substitutes as shown in the Porter’s Five Forces model. In order to overcome these, Fitbit must continue to invest in research and development and drive innovation in the industry if they wish to remain the market leader, so this means continually offering new and unique features to their products in order to create value and increase customers’ willingness to pay. Certain kinds of features, like a camera for instance, may necessitate being added to the smartwatch over the wristband in order to differentiate the products and offer multiple price points to consumers. Fitbit could also integrate their products more with social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in order to potentially restore some consumer interest, since consumers may be able to better track their friends’ activity as well as share their own. Increase Focus on Health and Wellness   Fitbit has a tremendous opportunity to grow in the health and wellness space by potentially integrating their product into hospitals for them to use to assist patients with health monitoring like glucose, blood sugar, and the heart in activities like physical therapy sessions. Alerts could even be set up for medications. This information could then be linked back to their healthcare provider for analyzing long term trends in a patient’s health. This would be a completely new addition to the fitness tracking wearables industry and could drive high amounts of growth as Fitbit’s product transitions from that of a ‘want’ to more of a ‘need.’ This could also help Fitbit connect with older customers rather than just targeting and connecting with the young and fit customer segments.   Ã‚  The downside of this is it could potentially be very costly and require high levels of research and development in order to deliver products that healthcare providers would require. This would also be dependent on establishing partnerships with healthcare providers. Sell Data In the era of big data, Fitbit has the potential to profit from selling user activity data that is collected when uploaded to their website by the user. The data could then be used by health insurance companies and universities for research. Using machine learning, patterns could be detected from user behavior data that could improve product positioning and customer targeting for Fitbit, provide health and activity insights that may not have been previously known, and also help health insurance companies establish health programs that could lower premiums after studying how certain levels and types of physical activity affected an individual’s health risks. The key issue here, however, is customer privacy. According to the case, Fitbit announced that it was compliant with the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in September 2015, which indicates that Fitbit is already establishing protections for customers’ data and its security. Analysis and Discussion   This section will detail the recommended path for Fitbit, as well as discuss what I have personally learned about myself through the course. Recommendation Fitbit built its brand on providing a way for consumers to have a fun and engaging way to track their fitness goals, which also provides the background and experience needed to expand efforts into providing meaningful insights into an individual’s health. Fitbit has an incredible opportunity for long-term growth if they focus on what has made them into the market leader they are today, and focus their efforts on overall health and wellness by providing easier and more in depth ways for patients and healthcare providers to track an individual’s data. Fitbit’s style will also help to replace bulky devices that are not aesthetically pleasing. Fitbit will need to conduct market research to understand what patients and healthcare providers require in order to better develop the tools they need and know the data that needs tracking. This effort will also require Fitbit to invest in research and development to meet those needs. Partnerships could be created not only with healthcare providers, but with insurance companies and medical device companies as well. If Fitbit is able to integrate other medical devices into its app, then they would be able to gain a further edge over their competitors by offering more features and utility, which could be an incredible competitive advantage, especially with how high the competitive rivalry in the industry is as shown previously in the Porter’s Five Forces model. According to the case, corporate clients account for less than 10 percent of Fitbit’s business, so there is tremendous opportunity for growth there as well. Especially if there is a partnership formed between the corporation, Fitbit, and the insurance company to be able to provide cheaper insurance premiums for employees as well as cut health care costs for the corporation. This effort could also be combined with selling data uploaded through Fitbit’s app, and Fitbit is already showing they take data security seriously since they have become HIPAA compliant. If partnerships are being formed with insurance companies, they can use the data as mentioned previously to study how certain health habits can reduce certain health risks in order to form wellness programs that provide discounts to any consumer that uses a Fitbit device and willingly shares their health activity to earn the discounts. Ultimately, these efforts will help Fitbit to position itself and its products as the go-to for health and fitness tracking by transitioning its products from that of a ‘want’ to more of a ‘need,’ which will build their competitive advantage and further differentiate Fitbit from their competitors. Media Article Analysis: Effects of High Protein Diet Media Article Analysis: Effects of High Protein Diet Introduction Media claim from ‘The Telegraph’ that high ingestion of protein would be ‘as bad as smoking 20 cigarettes a day’ and ‘have as higher risk of developing cancer as smoking 20 cigarettes a day’ is misleading and misinterpreting to the readers of general public. The article itself is over simplified making the actual study that the article was based upon, over exaggerated and misleading. Dangers of reading this claim would suggest eating less foods containing protein in middle-age individuals. Proteins are one of the major components to sustain a healthy lifestyle through all ages. () Proteins are large biological molecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acid. Main functions of protein within living organism are to replicate DNA, responding to stimuli, transporting molecules and catalysing metabolic reactions. (†¦) Although the alternative claims are found further down the article suggesting it is not as crucial to eat protein rich diet and maintaining healthy diet regardless of age, the article written suggesting that protein rich diet may be as bad as smoking 20 cigarettes a day through developing cancerous cells was written in the first few sentences. This may suggest to the public readers that they might need to change their diet. By posting this statement on the first few paragraphs the reader might only pick out the points that they are interested in and not continuing reading the article where most of the alternative suggestions are made by different professors and doctors. Describe media claim ‘High-protein diet ‘as bad as smoking’ published by ‘The Telegraph’ on 14th March 2014, written by Sarah Knapton was published to give the readers the idea of how high protein diet has the same effect of developing cancer as smoking 20 cigarettes a day. Researchers tracked thousands of adults for 20 years and found that consumption of high protein diet may have ‘The risk is nearly as high as the danger of developing cancer by smoking 20 cigarettes each day’. Dr Valter Longo of University of Southern California stated: â€Å"we provide convincing evidence that a high-protein diet – particularly if the proteins are derived from animals – is nearly as bad as smoking for your health’. Other comments from Dr Eileen Crimmins stated that with low protein diet the overall mortality longevity may be increased plus increasing an overall prevention of developing cancer in the middle-age individuals. With that in mind another proposition was made that older-aged individuals may need to avoid low-protein diets to allow maintenance of healthy weight and protection from frailty. In the article it is also stated other perspectives of low and high intakes of proteins. Dr Gunter Kuhnle and Prof Naveed Saattar stated that the results may come from a ‘survival bais’ plus public view on the article stating: â€Å"The smoker thinks: why bother quitting smoking if my cheese and ham sandwich is just as bad for me?’à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ° What is claim based on? Media has written this claim based up on ‘Low Protein Intake Is Associated with a Major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and Overall Mortality in the 65 and Younger but Not Older Population’ study by several study groups from USA, Italy and Ecuador. The report was published by cell metabolism. The aim was to find if low protein intake associated with reduction in IGF-1, Cancer and overall mortality in adults ages 50 and over. Recommendations made: Reduction of protein intake may prevent development of cancer cells from 50+ individuals Reduction in red meat intake What is mechanism/theory to support claim? Somatomedin C also known as insulin-like grown factor 1(IGF-1), is a protein encoded within humans by the IGF-1 gene, consisting of 70 amino acids in a single chain with three iramolecular bisulfide bridges.(†¦) In 1970’s its effects were termed as nonsuppressible insulin-like activity (NSILA). It’s a hormone that has similar molecular structure compare to insulin.(†¦) IGF-1 has important roles through childhood growth to adulthood anabolic effects.(†¦) Cancer is an abnormal mass, resulted in dividing cells within tissues cell infrastructure. Cancer cells divide and uncontrollably grow, forming malignant tumorous growth, invading close part within the body. (†¦) Cancerous cells may also spread through the blood stream or lymphatic system, resulting in invading distant parts within body infrastructure. There are 200 different type of cancers that affect human body, over 60 different organs where cancerous tumours may develop. (†¦)Some of the tumours within the body are not cancerous, benignit tumours do spread within the cell but does not infiltrate neighbouring tissues nor do they spread throughout the body.(†¦) There are different studies in which ingestion of low protein diet have been found to be of benefit in the mid-age individuals, plus study’s that comply of ingestion of high protein may develop cancerous cells or speed up the growth of the tumour through IGF-1. (†¦) The growth hormone (IGF-1) not only encourages growth of healthy cells, but also provides sources in increasing cancer cell growth. (†¦) study suggested that increasing 10ng/ml of IGF-1 with the high protein diet have 9% higher chance of developing and dying of cancer compare to low-protein diet. But the proteins that the studies were analysing two-thirds of the protein resurces came from animal produce. When the study was performed on mice, they have found that from animal source proteins tend to have an effect on the growth of cancerous cells, whereas plant derivatives seemed to considered to be more of a ‘safer’ option. (†¦) What evidence is there to support/refute claim? Many studies were performed on low consumption of proteins and relationship between decreasing the development of cancerous cells. From the Cell metabolism article et al 2014, that this media article was based on suggested that from performing experiments on mice and monitoring human population of 50-65 and 65+ year old groups found that there is a correlation between consumption of high-protein diet and development of cancerous cell. But the article also suggested to look into 65+ year old group as instead of providing low-protein diet may have an opposite effect, promoting muscular atrophy and weight loss. Moreover, elder generations turn beneficial effects of protein restriction on mortality, into negative. Another study by Gyrd-Hansen et al 2004 proposed that ‘Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) promotes cancer cell viability by safeguarding lysosomal integrity’. The study came to a conclusion that Hsp70 has provided a platform for further investigation in alteration in cancerous cells, decreasing stability of lysosomes. So by finding this protein and deplete it from the cancerous cell it will destabilise lysosomal membrane which will then result in cancer cell depletion. On the other hand study from USA suggested that Mitrogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) provided strong correlation that inhibitors of signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK will provide effective antiseptic agents for treating wild range of human cancerous cells.( P JRoberts et al 2007) Summary The media article did provide some good evidence towards the end from different professors and doctors from both sides supporting the study that high-protein diets may have an effect of cancer development and others saying that more research need to be done to provide more of a valid proposal on high-protein ingestion and development of cancerous cells within the body. Conclusion The media article claim was over simplified and suggested false claim at the beginning of the article to the general public. Although the study which this article was based up on did provide information on low protein intake has effect on reducing the risk of developing cancerous cells, the claim that is made by the newspaper was falsely advertised, misleading general public in thinking that protein foods such as ‘meats’ may be harmful to their health. But in actual fact proteins have to be a part of healthy lifestyle.