Day: May 14, 2018

 

Subject Education

Topic     AT/AAC Report Form and Description

Type      Essay

Level     University

Style      APA

Sources                3

Language             English(U.S.)

Description

Major Assignment #2 – AT/AAC Report Form and Description

Due Date: Thursday, March 23rd

 

Major Assignment #2 Overview

 

We will utilize a real student’s case study to explore the Colorado State-Wide Assistive Technology, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (SWAAAC) evaluation process. First, meet Joe…

 

Student Profile

 

Joe is a delightful, ten year old boy at Mountain View Elementary School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Joe has a diagnosis of autism and severe language disorder. He lives in the home with his mother, father, and two older siblings. He is able to make some vocalizations and speaks a few words such as “mom,” “dad,” and “bo,” but primarily uses sign language, gestures, and non-verbal communication to express his wants and needs. He has a limited number of people he can communicate with in the school environment, as many teachers and peers are unfamiliar or unable to interpret his sign language and other nonverbal communication. By report, Joe’s limitations in communication are a source of frustration for him. His family and teachers report that he seems to “understand everything” that is said to him. His family reports that their primary goal is to find a way to help him communicate more effectively.

 

Joe’s teachers describes him as “very social,” “compassionate,” “persistent,” “patient,” and “a friend to everyone.” His interests include riding bikes, being with friends, movement related activities, sports, cars, music, and video games. His strengths include his ability to be flexible and handle changes in his environment or routine, his friendly nature, his finger dexterity and fine motor abilities, his visual motor skills, his desire to be a leader, and his ability to follow multi-step directions. His challenges include his tendency to lack stranger awareness, his limited ability to communicate with others in the environment and the resulting frustration it causes, a limited attention span, impulsivity, limited self care skills, and difficulty expressing what he knows during literacy and other educational activities.

 

Joe attends the general education classroom and has paraprofessional assistance. He attends the special education classroom for reading and also receives speech and occupational therapy services in a pull out setting. A typical day for Joe is as follows:

 

1. J. works on writing activities, sight word recognition, etc., with paraprofessional support in the general education room. He usually has three tasks to choose from, and typically completes 1 of the 3 tasks.
2. J. participates in a large group activity (paraprofessional is in the room, but does not give one-to-one assistance).
3. Reading Group (center based activities) in the SPED classroom.
4. Lunch
5. Recess
6. Writing Group
7. Music, Art, or PE
8. Math: uses manipulatives, works on 1:1 correspondence, copies numbers
9. Social studies or Science (writing intensive)
10. Options time
11. Return to ILC for end of day wrap up; overview of homework, prepare to go home

 

Next, read these key considerations…

 

1. USE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY. Do not use technology just because it is sophisticated or expensive or may be the “newest” or “coolest”—consider what will work best in context through careful assessment and feature-matching and introduce what will truly enhance the student’s existing skills.

 

2. USE THE LAW OF PARSIMONY. The simplest solution is frequently the best and, in the context of AAC, the easiest and the most effective. In addition, the more variables, the more difficult things will be to control, and the more things can go wrong.

 

3. NO PREREQUISITES. It is important to remember that “communication” and the term “AAC” may or may not involve the use of a symbol system such as objects, pictures, manual sign, or language. Current conventional wisdom and best practice states that all individuals can learn and thus there are no prerequisites for communication. As educators, we can only guess about a student’s true potential; we have to give him/her the benefit of the doubt and jump in and teach. In the past, therapists and teachers tended to wait until the student reached a certain developmental threshold before introducing specific AAC strategies. Even now it is somewhat controversial how this is interpreted (some recent articles in the AAC literature allude to this). Again, there are NO prerequisites for communication! However, we need to keep in mind that communication may look very different and incorporate several different modes of expression.

 

4. AAC DOES NOT IMPEDE OTHER COMMUNICATION MODES. The use of voice output communication devices will not be in any way a replacement for other means of communication like speech or manual sign, but it will actually serve to improve a student’s overall communication capability and encourage him/her to communicate more (all of the research in this area indicates that this is the case). In addition, a device can give the student an auditory “speech model” that s/he can listen to and possibly practice with his/her own voice, should that become a possibility in the future.

 

5. UNDERSTAND THE RANGE OF TECHNOLOGY TYPES.

 

– No Tech: These are “unaided” systems an individual uses with no additional tools or technology such as motor behaviors, gestures, vocalizations, verbalizations (or verbal approximations), proxemics (approach, avoidance), eye gaze, and facial expressions.

 

– Low Tech: “aided” communication strategies (i.e., requires some type of external assistance for the symbols) which do not run from a power source–such as picture or object communication, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), partner assisted auditory scanning, etc.

 

– Mid Tech: voice output communication systems which are typically battery operated and have a static (non-changing) display such as the BIGmack, Rocking Plate Communicator, Step-by-Step, Cheap Talk, Tech/Talk, Go Talk, SuperTalker, or 7-Level Communication Builder.

 

– High Tech: Systems typically requiring an electronic power source and having a dynamic (changing—i.e., computerized LCD screen) display such as a DynaVox Maestro or T-10, a Prentke Romich Vantage Lite or Accent, or a Saltillo ALT-Chat or NOVA chat.

 

Next, we will spend time in class reviewing Joe’s SWAAAC assessment results, which include formal assessments, review of Joe’s educational records, and classroom observation.

 

Next, we will spend time in class discussing the implications of the aforementioned SWAAAC assessment results.

 

Lastly, you will be asked to write a formal report that describes your SWAAAC-related recommendations for Joe that addresses at least two of the following categories:

 

– Augmentative and Alternative Communication

– Written Communication

– Computer Access

– Reading

– Math

– Learning and Studying

– Summary

 

Don’t worry, this assignment will be fun and informative! More information and examples will be provided as we work together to complete this assignment.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Assessment Results: Communication

[We will discuss in class]

 

Communication

 

Joe communicates primarily by using signs and hand gestures. He knows approximately 150 signs. He makes some vocalizations such as “mom,” and “bo.” He uses a combination of sign language and non-verbal communication (gestures, pointing, and facial expressions, etc) as well. For example when asked, “Who do you like to wrestle with?” he pointed to his dad. Joe demonstrates a strong motivation and desire to communicate his wants and needs and appears to have a variety of things he wants to communicate.

 

During an informal assessment, Joe was introduced to a variety of communication systems ranging from low to high tech. He demonstrated the ability to point to picture symbols from a field of four upon request, point to symbols while following along with the words of a song (with prompts from a partner), and make choices by selecting a picture symbol when prompted to “pick one.” He appeared to learn the meaning associated with symbols easily given one or two demonstrations.

 

Using voice output systems, Joe hit a single switch voice output device (Big Mack) appropriately and without cues to participate in a book reading task. He was also able to locate independently and hit a button from a field of 32 one inch buttons (when approximately 20 buttons were filled) to request “turn the page.” Using the Tango! Communication device, Joe selected buttons easily and showed interest in exploring the device. He was unable to successfully push buttons to tell a story independently by sequencing, and showed high distractibility during this task. Joe demonstrated the ability to initiate communication several times using the devices provided. He communicated protests and requests. For example, when he wanted a turn, he pointed to himself and then to the device. When he wanted to read the book again, he pointed to the symbol that said “read it again”. When told to pick only one symbol, he held up one finger and put the second selection back.

 

He appeared to have the ability to understand symbol meaning but would need repeated exposure and training to develop competence with a picture based communication system. Joe used the TechScan 2 x 32 levels based AAC system to participate in a singing activity and book reading. He demonstrated the ability to sequence three buttons in a row with prompts and learned operations of the device quickly such as the on/off feature and volume. He used the device to answer questions about a singing activity (ie: he selected the appropriate message to request a clothing item given a visual prompt). He demonstrated a good ability to visually scan the buttons on the array and accessed the system easily using his index finger. It was noted that he needed to push some buttons requiring greater pressure several times to activate them. He was not always aware if a button had been pushed, and may benefit from auditory feedback to cue him when selections are made.

 

Computer Based Instruction/Computer Access

 

Joe was introduced to several computer based activities during the Phase 2 assessment. He demonstrated an ability to navigate the computer using a standard mouse and opened and closed programs independently with both a single and double-click. Joe seemed highly motivated by computer activities of all varieties, but also showed impulsivity and a tendency to click buttons excessively.

During typing tasks, he was able to locate letters using a hunt and peck method on a standard keyboard. His team indicated that he is able to recognize most letters. He did show a tendency to hit keys accidentally with his knuckles, so an alternative keyboard was introduced.

 

Using the IntelliKeys alternative keyboard and an ABC overly, Joe was better able to select keys without accidental hits. The response rate of the keys was decreased, so that Joe had to dwell on a key to make a selection. When the response rate was too slow, Joe demonstrated errors due to impulsivity and would move to another key before a selection had been made. Further trial of this adaptation would be beneficial to determine the best response rate. Additionally, setting the keyboard up so that it gives an auditory cue such as a beep might assist Joe with recognizing when a selection has been made.

 

Written Communication

 

Joe demonstrated the ability to hand write his name and by report is able to trace letters with hand over hand assistance. By report, he also demonstrates difficulty with finger dexterity and manipulative tasks. For example, during one classroom observation conducted by the speech therapist, Joe had difficulty holding up three fingers to represent the number 3. In the classroom, Joe is not currently generating written text by handwriting or typing. Using the IntelliKeys keyboard with an ABC overlay, Joe was able to type his name with minimal cues. Joe was introduced to pre-designed writing activities using both low and high tech adaptations. During a book reading/writing activity called “Snowman, Snowman, What do you See?” Joe selected the appropriate low tech picture symbols (each paired with a word) and inserted them into a sentence strip with independence. Using Classroom Suite and the mouse, he was able to complete an errorless writing activity by clicking on a button titled “I like” and then choosing the sentence ending from a field of six (ie: “football,” “playing with friends,” “listening to music,” “video games,” etc.). Joe demonstrated the ability to choose the appropriate picture symbol when asked to select a specific sentence ending. It is unclear if he was reading the words on the button or using the picture supports to help him make these selections. As he completed sentences, the program read the sentences aloud. Joe demonstrated an increase in his vocalizations throughout this activity and appeared to be motivated by it.

 

Using IntelliTalk 3, Joe practiced typing words such as his name and simple words like “mom,” and “dad.” Using this talking word processor, Joe received auditory feedback as each letter was typed and as each word was completed. He appeared motivated by this activity and responded well to auditory feedback. He also appeared to use this tool as a learning device. He listened to the sounds various letters made and recognized when he had chosen a correct or incorrect letter for the word he wished to spell.

 

Hearing/Vision

 

By report, Joe’s hearing is within normal limits. He is slightly near- sighted, but has no need for eyeglasses.

 

Reading

 

During the Phase 2 assessment, Joe was introduced to Balanced Literacy, a phonics based reading/writing software program by IntelliTools. This program teaches literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It is an achievement based program that tracks student progress. A student is unable to progress to a higher level task until the lower level tasks are completed successfully. Using this program, Joe was introduced to a guided reading activity and to a quiz activity that prompted him to locate animals discussed in the book. To start the program, Joe was able to recognize his name from a field of two and select it using the mouse. He listened to the song/story and advanced the pages using his mouse. He demonstrated impulsivity at times during this activity, making selections repeatedly and advancing through more than one page of the book at a time. He did not, however, appear frustrated by the structure of the activity and showed potential to gain an understanding of the program navigation with practice and support.

 

Math

 

Using Classroom Suite and the IntelliKeys keyboard with an adapted overlay, Joe participated in a “Counting Trucks” activity. Joe listened to on-screen prompts and selected responses using the adapted keyboard. Joe again showed impulsivity with this activity and required cueing to slow down his response rate and avoid accidental selections.

 

By report, Joe is easily distracted during math lessons in the classroom. According to the speech therapist who conducted classroom observations, he showed good response to verbal redirection paired with sign language; however, his inability to communicate limits his level of participation.

 

Learning/Studying

 

Joe appears to be a bright student who understands much more than he is able to communicate. He also appears eager to please others and responds well to positive reinforcement. He does not seem to become easily frustrated and handles a change in routine or activity well. His impulsivity and high distractibility does create a barrier in performance at times. During the Phase 2 assessment, Joe appeared to respond well to visual prompts such as a picture symbol paired with the word “stop.” This visual prompt was used several times to remind him to wait his turn or to stop making key selections excessively. Further assessment of visual prompts, visual schedules, and reinforcement cards may therefore be beneficial. Joe also appeared to respond best to simple, one step directions, and carefully guided instructions. Team members working with Joe may also have to make an effort not to provide too many prompts. Due to his impulsive nature, excessive prompting from teachers/therapists/family members is likely to occur.

 

Other Observations

 

By report, Joe’s speech language pathologist observed him using the Boardmaker Activity Pad to participate in leisure/family activities such as playing games and story book reading in class. During these activities, Joe showed success initially, but tended to get bored with the messages over time. He also demonstrated difficulty with single finger selections. Joe did seem motivated to use the device, especially when his peers were also using it. He appeared to benefit from the picture symbols for receptive language and also appeared to prefer short responses. He was less motivated by book reading activities and according to his family refused the device when they introduced it at home for a book reading task.

Spacing Double

Pages    4

 

Subject  Sociology

Topic     When sex becomes abstract – theory and power

Type      Essay

Level     High School

Style      APA

Sources                0

Language             English(U.S.)

Description

For this order is write for two parts:

Part 1: There are some important terms in History of Sexuality (vol. 1) that you should be familiar with — understanding these terms will help you understand the main points of the book.

 

For this assignment — do your best to fill in a short definition (or your best guess of what you think Foucault means) of the following terms:

 

1) “We other Victorians”

 

2) “repressive hypothesis”

 

3) discourse and discursive power

 

4) “scientia sexualis” (vs. “ars erotica”) — and related to this the term “bio-power”

 

5) the Catholic confessional and “truth” in the Reformation as agents of discourse

 

(Note: there is no word count minimum for this assignment but only serious responses will be given credit.)

 

 

Part 2: We say we live in a world where we don’t talk about sex — but Foucault disagrees — we do talk about sex a lot and that has implications for how we see ourselves and our sexuality….

 

Please read the following questions and answer them as best you can.

 

1) Is sex/sexuality repressed, according to Foucault? Explain why or why not.

 

2) Is sexuality a social construction? What evidence is there either way?

 

3) What role does science and discourse play in sexuality?

 

4) How does discourse influence sexuality on an individual level and a societal level.

 

(Note: 200 word minimum word count)

 

Class information posts:

Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality: An introduction

 

Read:

 

1) Part One We “other” Victorians and Chapter 1 — (just) the Incitement to Discourse

 

2) Part Three — Scientia Sexualis (all)

 

3) Part Five — Right of Death and Power over Life (all)

Spacing Double

Pages    1

Type: Critical thinking

Subject: Poetry

Topic: The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Style: MLA

Number of pages: 5 pages/double spaced (1375 words)

PowerPoint slides: 0

Additional: None

Number of source/references: 2

Order instructions:

Write an essay in which you identify a poem’s significant theme(s) and do a close analysis of reading of the poem to trace the theme through the literary elements.

 

THEME: Remember, a theme is an idea or topic that can be traced throughout the poem plus the speaker’s attitude towards that topic and that whole statement connects to some universal truth. Consider then that the story or poem is only one example of this truth rather than being the sole embodiment of that truth. In addition to the story or poem, there could be other stories or novels or movies or songs that convey this attitude.

 

SAMPLE: In “My Last Duchess,” Robert Browning demonstrates that tyrannical rulers are not just arrogant but dangerous as well and must be dealt with carefully. The theme is italicized. It has a topic—tyrannical rulers—but it also conveys the speaker’s attitude—that such rulers are both arrongant and dangerous—and it connects with a universal truth—that dealing with tyrannical rulers must be done carefully.

 

Then, the topic sentences are going to develop from that statement and address specifically how the literary elements are used to build that theme and convey that attitude.

 

SAMPLE: The following are potential topic sentences for the above thesis/theme:

 

The danger of tyannical rulers is conveyed through the imagery and plot of the poem.

These images also convey the theme through the tone that is established by the word choice and sounds.

Building on this tone is the structure and order of the poem that symbolizes the control with which tyrants rule.

Browning continues to build the theme by developing the setting and characterizations that demonstrate the danger of dealing with tyrants, and this danger is further underscored by other symbols within the poem.

Browning uses the literary elements in “My Last Duchess” to build his argument that the controlling nature of tyrants stems from their arrogance and what could also be a degree of mental instability, which, in turn, makes them extremely dangerous. (This is the conclusion paragraph topic sentence)

INTRODUCTION: A close reading of any work requires breaking it down into the most miniscule detail in order to see not just what the detail is but how that detail works together with the rest of the details to create the elements of the work. In poetry, close readings are essential because poems are very condensed, so they need to be “unpacked” to really understand them.

 

TASK: Conduct a close reading, like the ones that we have been doing in class, of a poem from The Norton Introduction to Literature or from Poets.org. Then, identify the poem’s central theme (or themes if several are working together) and write an essay that uses the close reading to analyze the literary elements of the poem as they develop the themes. You can and also should note any literary fallacies that occur–we will discuss these in class more.

 

Your thesis needs to state the theme and be at the end of the introductory paragraph. Your topic sentences need to analyze the theme in terms of the literary elements, but go beyond statements like (“The symbolism of the poem develops this theme.”) Instead say something akin to “Death’s inevitability is underscored through the symbolism in the poem.” Then identify and analyze the symbols and the ways they convey the inevitability of death. Motifs and other literary elements can also be related to this.

 

CONDITIONS: Make sure that the essay analyzes how the word elements (e.g.: symbols, allusions, metaphors), the structural elements (e.g.: synecdoche, meter, rhythm, rhyme, assonance), and the story elements (e.g.: narrator, characters, action) develop the theme throughout the poem. This essay must have a unifying thesis that takes a position about the central topic(s) of the poem, and the essay also needs to explain the overall effect/impact produced by the elements in the poem. Do not summarize or retell what is said in the poem; analyze thoroughly. I expect a clear thesis, supporting paragraphs that quote frequently and explain the nuances of the relationships between the literary devices used in the poem and the thesis. Include a Works Cited page and be sure the essay is in strict MLA format.

 

– Stay away from author intent

– [First source ]Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has to be one of the sources to help support the essay.

-[ second source] The Norton Introduction to Literature Portable tenth edition is where I’m getting the poem from. or use Poets.org.

– stay away from “In stanza 2” it’s considered just summarizing

Case study: Assignment Question Part 1
Freakomon develops an unconventional game console
Ryotaro Kurosawa, president of The Freakomon Company (Freakomon), strode from the conference room with a smile on his face. It was late 2004, and he was tremendously excited with what his engineers had just demonstrated — a video game controller that was not a variation of the joystick, but rather a stubby rod that a gamer could manipulate with one hand. Not only did it enable the creation of games that mimicked real-world movements like throwing, hitting, or aiming, Kurosawa believed it could help open up video games to a vastly different audience than the boys and young men who traditionally bought video game consoles.
Expanding the gaming industry’s customer base was key to Kurosawa’s vision of a next-generation console codenamed “Rashomon.” Despite the fast growth of the industry (at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of about 15%), the customer base of the gaming industry has narrowed around young, die-hard fans, mostly teens and young men who generally like fighting, sports and online play. Products had coalesced around sophisticated user interfaces and functionality based on higher hardware performance and functionality based realistic graphics. But in Rashomon, the idea was to bring tens of millions of new customers into the gaming realm, people who had never played video games before or saw them as mere toys. Kurosawa believed that a new take on gaming might even attract mothers — an influential household constituency, thanks to their influence over household spending — through a combination of hardware design, game-play, and price. What better way to attract them than through a controller that had a form factor similar to a TV remote control?
But Kurosawa’s enthusiasm for the controller prototype was tempered by a number of real-world considerations. First, no other company had ever released such a controller. How would the marketplace react to such a vastly different model? Second, some of his employees were becoming very sensitive to the reaction of the gaming industry and the existing gaming population to a non-traditional product aimed at a non-traditional audience. Freakomon had a long history of video game success, epitomized by the popular Peppa-pigs franchise invented by Freakomon’s game design guru Toshiyuki Tonomura in the 1980s. However, the company’s last console, the PlaySphere, was unable to get sufficient traction after it was launched in 2001. In 2002, sales forecasts for the PlaySphere had been off by 44% and the company had been forced to cut revenue targets by ¥100 billion. Gamers much preferred Sony’s PlayStation 2 console and Microsoft’s Xbox console, which were characterized by flashy graphics and hard-core fighting and sports titles. Kurosawa needed a home run to put Freakomon back on its feet. Could Rashomon’s radical hardware design help turn the company’s fortunes around?
Competitive trends in the early 2000s
By the early part of the 2000s, video games were firmly entrenched in youth culture. A report published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project noted that in 2002, 60% of U.S. residents aged six and older played video games and more than 221 million games were sold.1 Clearly, games were a big business. To enter the industry of console games, companies needed huge initial financial investments. Another challenge was to mobilize and sustain a community of third-party game developers, who would develop games for the platform. Other forms of interactive multimedia used for entertainment that could attract gamers were the arcade games that were in constant decline, and online and mobile games that were becoming very popular.
Freakomon had fared well, outliving all of its early console competitors. But, Sony and Microsoft, two relative newcomers, threatened Freakomon’s future in console gaming. The console gaming industry was now dominated by Sony and Microsoft who led the trend of targeting die-hard young fans with high capital investments, large distribution networks, larger existing user bases and strong relationships with hardware suppliers. Sony dominated with its PlayStation 2 (which could play DVDs as well as game titles). Launched in 2000, it was designed to be backwards compatible with all games from the original PlayStation console. This meant it launched with a massive base of players, which expanded to million within three years as new titles were built for the PlayStation 2’s superior graphics. Sony was also battling Freakomon in mobile gaming.
Meanwhile, Microsoft was attempting its own aggressive push into gaming. In the 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft’s gaming efforts centred on support for PC game publishers and its own Flight Simulator franchise. That changed with the launch of the original Xbox in 2001. The Xbox went head-to-head with Sony’s PlayStation. Both consoles competed for hard-core gamers on hardware performance and graphics — popular titles like Madden and Half-Life 2 tried to immerse players in realistic 3D environments, and depended on heavy-duty processing power and a constant stream of new titles to keep players hooked. In-game scenarios were getting longer and more sophisticated and, like their PC counterparts, they let players perform a wide range of functions using various combinations of input buttons on the controller. The games were clearly aimed at a hard-core audience of regular players.
Although Microsoft had never disclosed how much it spent developing the Xbox, analysts estimated it lost £1.5 billion to establish the console in the market. In terms of the two consoles’ installed bases, Sony had a market share of 66% while Microsoft had just 22%. Squeezed in-between these two aggressive competitors, Freakomon had to think through how to fight back. In 2001, Freakomon released the PlaySphere console. Inside, it featured an IBM-designed “Gekko” processor and ATI “Flipper” GPU, and had an optical disc drive. Freakomon maintained long term contracts with chip vendors and other suppliers, and major components were outsourced to fit the design requirements of console manufacturers. Developing a product with a simpler user interface and more accessible functionality, it could use cheaper processors. While adequate for basic 3D games, the hardware failed to measure up to the PlayStation 2 or the Xbox. Freakomon dismissed the criticism, saying that the simple design and emphasis on fun-to-play software like Android Rhyme and Dungeon of Delphi was an asset, and would help attract new gamers who were turned off by long, complex console games.
The video game industry was a business based on positive externalities and feedback loops. The more consoles that were sold, the more independent gaming studios were incentivised to develop new titles. This in turn increased console sales. Console makers could also sell their own titles, a tactic that had worked very well for Freakomon and its Peppa-pigs franchises. As the video game market was growing, hardware was typically sold at a loss right after launch in order to build a customer base. Once the customer base was established, software could be sold at a higher price and/or volume to make a profit. Average console costs dropped over time, as manufacturing scaled up, component costs declined, and the learning curve kicked in. Sony lost an estimated £75 – £120 per PlayStation 2 when it was first launched, but reportedly made up for the loss with profits generated by selling game titles and accessories. Microsoft also sold consoles at a loss, in order to establish a presence in the new industry.
But the positive feedback loops required to make a successful console were hard to maintain. First, a constant stream of new game titles was required to preserve the value of the console hardware, and convince gamers not to switch. If a platform failed to preserve a steady stream of new titles, negative feedback loops would kick in as gamers and developers abandoned the platform. Second, game development had become far more complicated in terms of game-play scenarios and technology requirements. In 1996, a typical PlayStation game cost £750K to develop and sold for £40. By 2003, PlayStation 2 and Xbox games still cost £40, but development costs had risen to between £4 million and £5 million per game. The high costs meant console companies, major game publishers and independent studios had to rely on a high degree of collaboration. These requirements dissuaded smaller studios from producing lots of titles, which created an additional drag on the network externalities that powered successful platforms. Third, independent game studios did not want the console market dominated by only Sony and Microsoft, as it reduced their bargaining power in profit sharing negotiations. This dynamic was actually a boon to Freakomon — many third-party publishers wanted to help Freakomon with its next console effort, which served as an additional positive network effect for Freakomon.
Periodic Market Cycle
The video game industry had a five-year hardware cycle. Once a new game console was released, new game titles would be launched on their own cycles over the five-year period. Many were one-off titles that were nominally successful or, in some cases, lost money. Others were popular and generated sequels every two or three years. Some, such as popular sports titles, had new releases or expansion packs every year. Since there were a limited number of developers or game publishers, early mover advantage existed for console manufacturers. And once software developers devoted resources to building game titles for one hardware platform, it was difficult for them to switch to another platform owing to different staffing or technical requirements. Furthermore, once gamers invested in one console, they were less likely to switch consoles owing to the additional cost. These factors made it difficult for new hardware manufacturers to enter the market. By the end of 2004, the competition was starting to approach the end of their respective five-year cycles. Sony and Microsoft would be launching replacements for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in time for the 2005 holiday shopping season. Following this same five-year hardware cycle, Freakomon would have a new console hitting the market in 2006.
Kurosawa’s leadership
Kurosawa, an experienced game developer and former president of WickedGames, became president of Freakomon in 2002. After becoming CEO, Kurosawa pushed for several changes in Freakomon’s organizational culture. First, he asked Freakomon executives to think about what made initiatives succeed or fail. In his mind, the process was more important than the result. He pressed executives and employees over why certain business results had occurred. Even if sales were great, executives couldn’t sit back and bask in their success — Kurosawa would demand to know the factors that had led to the positive outcome. This emphasis on understanding led to improved communication across departments. The company’s strategy became better understood among the 1,300 rank-and-file employees, which resulted in more autonomy across the organization.
Coming from outside of Freakomon, Kurosawa made it a rule to talk with staff and persuade them of his vision for the company. This practice created a culture of discussion in an organization that had previously been managed in a top-down way. This culture of discussion reinforced coordination among the company’s software and hardware divisions. This culture proved beneficial as the Rashomon project got underway.
Rashomon
Kurosawa relished rolling up his sleeves for the Rashomon and diving into the problems with his top engineers. “We brainstormed with each other from square one,” Kurosawa recalled. “We were all running into the same walls, and we made the critical decisions together. I talked with a lot of people, such as Furuyama-san and Tonomura-san, along the way at each juncture.” As planning began on Freakomon’s next-generation gaming console, the team began to think about the core concepts that would underlie the project. Furuyama described the typical development process for a new console: As soon as we complete one system, we start thinking about the next one. Needless to say we don’t design new components or technologies from scratch. Rather, we have to base our designs on existing technologies. By 2003, the team had identified several basic concepts for the console:
? Rashomon was not just a toy for children. The console had to be familiar enough to be played by all family members, right in the living room.
? It had to be designed in a way that it would be acceptable to mothers, as they have control over the living room in most households. This meant a small, polished design.
? The console should be inexpensive compared to rival products such as Sony PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox. Ideally, the price should be less than 10,000 yen (about £75).
? The software should be easy enough to play so that every family member can play, even for a short time.
? The console would need to stay on for 24 hours, consume little electricity, and make little sound.

There were other requirements, as well. Besides appealing to mothers, Freakomon had to entice partners, particularly developers. Further, Rashomon had to be backwards compatible with older PlaySphere games. This would help the Rashomon launch with a back catalog, and would also appeal to loyal Freakomon’s customers who had invested in PlaySphere games. But within the team, there were debates about what the controller should look like. Console gaming had been based on a two-handed experience since the first joysticks were developed in the 1970s.
Kurosawa eagerly entered the conference room and looked at the new rod-shaped device on the table. He had tried pointer-based prototypes before, but this single-handed design appealed to him: “From the moment I picked it up, it just felt right. I had handled other pointer devices before, but they are not normally responsive and leave you feeling more frustrated than relaxed. The pointer idea itself was also good, but in this case it was the sense of control, the finish of the product, that was particularly good.”
Kurosawa and his team had little time. At the 2005 YouGame gaming exposition in Los-Angeles, Freakomon planned to announce the Rashomon, and maybe even demonstrate the console and controller. Industry buzz was pointing to both Microsoft and Sony announcing their own next-generation consoles at YouGame. But would Freakomon be able to deliver?
……….end of case study………

QUESTIONS:

You must complete following question:
1. You are part of a team on a strategy work force that has been assigned to explore the strategic position of Freakomon, based on the case study at the end of the question section (see section B). You have been asked to evaluate the competitive environment and to suggest ways to improve Freakomon’s strategic position. Your report should provide the following:

a. A short executive summary of your report (5 marks). Roughly 300 words.
b. A visual map or a diagram of the relevant stakeholders and the relationships between them. Connect stakeholders to signify relevant relationships and annotate your diagram with brief comments (5 marks), roughly 100 words.
c. An evaluation of Freakomon’s competitive position given the information from the case study and any additional supporting evidence acquired through research using journal articles. You will need to take into account the unique context in which Freakomon operates and include a diagram using Porter’s 5 forces model that illustrates your answer. (30 marks). Roughly 1100 words.
d. One specific recommendation for a change in the information systems (IS) or information technology (IT) that could support Freakomon’s competitiveness in the market. Provide a justification for your recommendation supported by reference material from appropriate journals. (15 Marks). Roughly 600 words.

part 2
1. Cloud based technology is being used more extensively by business from SMEs to larger organisations. You are part of a project team that has been asked to research whether a cloud based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system could improve business performance for your organisation. Research a range of companies that have introduced cloud based CRM using articles and case studies from academic sources such as Athens and Google Scholar. From your research you have been asked to contribute to a briefing document that provides some insight into the implications of moving to a cloud based system for your organisation. Your document is for the project leader and your contribution should provide:

a. A short introduction outlining what is in the document (5 marks), roughly 200 words
b. Explanation of what you consider to be three of the key challenges for successfully introducing a cloud based CRM system into your organisation. You should provide supporting examples from your research to strengthen your discussion. Assume 5 marks for each challenge. (15 marks). roughly 600 words
c. Suggest how managers within the organisation could respond to each of the three points raised in part 1b to reduce the impact of each of the challenges that you have raised. You should provide supporting examples from your research to strengthen your discussion and state any assumptions you have made. Assume 5 marks for each response to the challenge. (15 marks) roughly 600 words

For this progress evaluation, you will write two sequence analyses. Each analysis should be between two and one-half to three double-spaced, typed pages (650–750 words). One analysis should examine a sequence from The Graduate, and the other analysis should examine a sequence from American Beauty. Compile both of your sequence analyses into one document for uploading. Select sequences from each film in which elements of mise-en-scène are prominent. Do not try to restrict your analysis of cinematic style only to elements of mise-en-scène, but mise-en-scène should be the focus. That is, mise-en-scène should be the key stylistic details that give substance to your argument Choose a sequence that lasts about two to four minutes. A sequence is a series of shots somehow logically connected in terms of 1.their common locale or setting; and/or 2.their relation to one dramatic moment in the plot (i.e., a “scene”); and/or 3.their common function in terms of furthering plot development

NOTE**** “WRITER CAN PICK UP A CASE STUDY HIMSELF, WHATEVER HE/SHE FEEL EASY TO WRITE ABOUT”
*)This is the criteria to pick up the case study-
Aim: to produce a succinct problem statement summarising your chosen problem and its context. The specific local environmental problem is open to your choosing, but it is important that you think local, choosing an issue that is small-scale and manageable. For example, focusing on littering behaviour in a local park is more manageable than illegal dumping in an entire suburb! Also keep in mind that the focus of the assignment is the relationship between humans and the environment, so choose a problem that has clear links to human behaviour/psychology. For example, you could consider how the poor design of a particular specific place impacts the people who use it (such as a shared office, doctor’s waiting room etc.) or you could look at how humans impact a specific setting through their poor behaviour (such as littering).

*)i am attaching all the files with information and instructions.
*) i am going to attach 1 example report too, so writer can get an idea.

Subject Teacher Career

Topic     Service Learning Journal (FEAPs 1-12)

Type      Essay

Level     High School

Style      APA

Sources                none

Language             English(U.S.)

Description

A1a: Assignment A, Part a – Service Learning Journal (FEAPs 1-12)

Chronicling your experience will allow you note your growth and progress as you move through the Teacher Education Program.

 

Directions:

 

You will create and maintain a field experience/service learning journal that includes a minimum of six entries. Each entry will describe and reflect on the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) as they relate to the field experience and observations at the field site.

 

 

The first entry in your journal should include an overview and demographic description of the field experience/service learning school site and any other relevant information about the school that would assist the reader.

 

Each of the remaining entries in your journal should include the following:

date.

description of the activity in which you were involved,

other people involved in the activity,

FEAP,

how the activity relates to the FEAP, and

your reaction to the activity.

 

Each entry must be a minimum of three paragraphs.

 

Suggestions:

 

To assist you in preparing your journal entries, you should try to take notes each time you visit your field experience classroom. Think about what you see going on in the classroom, how the teacher is conducting the class and interacting with students, and how students are interacting with each other. Note anything of consequence that you would like to remember to comment on for your journal.

 

Write your entry as soon after the experience as possible. It will not only keep this activity in process, it will help you to capture the detail while fresh in your mind.

 

By the time this activity is due, you will find it almost done!

 

 

 

I WAS DOING MY SERVICE LEARNING HOURS IN SHENANDOAH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ITS A PUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY

Dear Visitors,

 

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Shenandoah Elementary

School for the 2016 – 2017 school year. Working together with the staff, students,

parents, and the community, our school will be able to provide the best

educational services to our students and maximize their potential to become

productive members of society who will appreciate their past, enrich their present,

and embrace their future.

 

During this school year, emphasis will be placed on raising the academic level

of our students by giving them the necessary tools to be successful in Reading,

Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. By preparing our students

for district assessment tests, we will empower them to demonstrate mastery

in all curricular areas. As we encourage our students to have positive attitudes

and high expectations towards education, our goals can be reached.

 

It is a pleasure to work with the staff, student body, and supportive

community to make a difference here at Shenandoah Elementary School.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ms. Michelle L. Coto

Principal

my instructor was Mr Alfonso who helped me and taught me how to treat the kids into the classroom. During my school service hours I helped the kids with their assignments activitiesand if they had any doubts in how to prepare the tests I helped them and supported them in everything. Mr. Alfonso assigned me a small group of students every day to help them to improve their skills.

 

 

 

NOTE: TRY TO DO YOUR BEST DONT WORRY IF YOU CANT DO IT PERFECTLY OK. THANK YOU

Spacing Double

Pages    2

There always seems to be a lot of public discussion about how to improve people’s “thinking” skills – and recently , “21st Century Skills” has become a popular term to contrast them to a bunch of facts to be memorized (presumably back in the “old” 20th Century). However, different people seem to have different ideas about what thinking skills are important. From the material covered in this course, propose at least six different kinds of thinking skills (you will find them under several sections of the course) that you think are important. Specifically:

1. Describe the six different kinds of thinking skills

2. Give at least two examples illustrating each type of thinking skill

3. For each type of thinking skill, describe why you think it is particularly important to master

4. Reference at least two different studies from the course about each
thinking skill

5. Describe how you think people would best learn to master each type
of thinking skill, citing material from the course as support

Your write-up should include an introduction that gives an overview of what you are going to do.

Topic:

Explain the role of DCAA. Explain a contractor’s estimating and accounting systems.

Review and research Learning Objective Two. For this paper you will need to find an article that relates to Learning Objective Two, and summarize and discuss the article in the required paper. Remember to include a link to the article if possible. Also, you may use your textbook, internet, or other reputable sources to complete this assignment.

Write a two page paper, plus the title page and a reference page on the topic.

Instructions:

•Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
•APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
•Length of paper: typed, double-spaced pages with no less than a two page paper.
•Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

APA GUIDELINES
University of California Berkeley Library APA Style Citation http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/APAstyle.pdf
Purdue University APA Formatting and Style Guide http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/#resourcenav