Apple Customer Based Analysis Essay Example for Free

Apple Customer Based Analysis Essay Apple’s brand name has a very highly valued name in society. As an American, it is common for people of all ages and demographics to be a customer of Apple. It is prestigious yet also almost considered the normal in today’s society to have an Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple iPod, or Apple Macbook. Society values Apple as having a high quality product that consumers can rely on but this also comes at a price. Most customers of Apple are just below the baby boomer generation with users as young as toddlers. Some parents may allow their toddler’s to use applications on their Ipads for their toddlers to learn and play games. Other demographics include all different races and both males and females. Apple prides themselves with easy to user consumer friendly technological products that people of all ages can use. Normally electronic products are focused towards the males however the Apple products have a significant female customer base as well. Apple products are normally sold in high income countries due to the high cost of the products. Apple products are not necessity products by any means and therefore apple customers have discretionary income to buy luxury goods such as the products that Apple offers. However, a music and video system such as Itunes may be more affordable for some consumers that use computers, phones, and tablets from other companies yet they can still download media from the Apple Itunes company. Middle class families in the U.S. can own Apple products but it may be a luxury item that the household saves for. Apple, as a technology based company naturally attracts customers that are looking for high quality up to date products that fit in with society yet are customizable and satisfy all of their customers’ needs. Apple’s Itune’s has legal rights to protect their media through patents and other legal rights that protect their electronic products. There is a current lawsuit between Samsung and Apple in which Apple claims that â€Å"the Galaxy S4, Samsung’s flagship smartphone violates five of its patents† (Zeman 2013). Therefore, this shows that Apple takes their patent and products very seriously and will follow up with a lawsuit if any of their competitors take any of their legal rights. Apple collaborates with many different companies in order to optimize their services and products including Microsoft. An Apple employee noted that â€Å"the company will now be organized by function- marketing, legal, business development etc.—with more collaboration across divisions† regarding Microsoft (Shaer, 2013). Apple also works with companies regarding the development of applications for their Iphone and Ipad products. There are many competitors of Apple such as manufacturers of PCs, tablets, cell phones, computer monitors, TVs, and many other types of electronics. These companies may consider Apple their largest competition but the one disadvantage that Apple has over other products is their higher price for their premium products. Due to the amount of competition it is very important that Apple continues update their products and marketing in order to remain in the market. Apple products can be purchased directly through Apple through the telephone, internet, or in anyone of their own Apple retail stores that are commonly found in shopping malls. The most popular products are also found in department stores, electronic stores, and even certain Apple vending machines. Due to all of the supplier locations, Apple has made it easy and convenient for their customers to access their products, services, and assistance. Stakeholders of the company include the employees, stockholders, and customers. If there is any major change or re-organization of the company the employees will be impacted and this may potential affect the stock prices which will affect the stockholders whom are essentially the owners of the company. The Apple stock at the time this paper is being written is at $502.36 a share which is very high and this truly shows that value that shareholders have for this company. The customers are stakeholders in the company because all of the managerial decisions will trickle down to the product and price. As of January 2013, there were executive changes at Apple that created drama for people in the tech press field. â€Å"The man responsible for much of Apple’s hardware design since 1996, Jonathan Ive is now in charge of design of both software and hardware† stated Dan Moren, 2013. The late Steve Jobs was Apple’s chief executive officer that had a major influence on the startup of the company and the success of the company. This became the molding for the company’s culture today which has been influencing our pop culture for more than a decade. The company continues their innovation and delivers their premium products and assistance to their customers regardless of the organizational changes that have been taking place within the company. References: Zeman, E. (2013). Apple adds samsungs galaxy S4 to lawsuit. Informationweek Online, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/docview/1353775900?accountid=6579 Shaer, M. (2013, Jul 11). With one microsoft, CEO ballmer sees sweeping reorganization of microsoft ranks. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/docview/1399442335?accountid=6579 Moren, D. (2013, 01). Changes at the top. Macworld, 30, 5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/docview/1270547861?accountid=6579

Ion :: essays research papers

There is a deep sense of realism that lies in the play Ion. The opening of the play arouses an old wrong, the seduction of Creusa by Apollo, which slowly develops into a tangled plot of deceit. The theme of the play is unique in how it is centered on a human dilemma that many can associate with in some way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, one can only imagine the outcome of Apollo’s seduction of Creusa. To make matters worse she has a child. There is an uncanny feeling of darkness and silence as she is made to keep her lips sealed. It appears that she gave up her son from fear of her parents. Like many young girls today she made a drastic decision in order to conceal her pregnancy. Apollo in this play is given human attributes. He is depicted as a barbarian who truly lacks the goodness of a god. Indeed a critical problem has developed with Apollo’s seduction of Creusa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apollo from the beginning is perceived as a demanding figure. Creusa is seen as the passive figure with no say in her circumstances. How could a mortal expect to make a god care for a child? This is where Euripides attempts to bind the mortals and the gods together. Apollo and Creusa share a common problem, and each makes different decisions in how they will go about solving that problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Immediately after Creusa leaves Ion in the cave, Apollo rescues him. Apollo’s actions are strange in that he goes as far as to catch the soul of the priestess so that she would care for his son but yet refused to give aid to Creusa. As a youth, Ion is appointed as a guard of Apollo’s gold, then an altar attendant and later the chief caretaker. Ion knows nothing of his birth, and asks no questions because of his deep respect for Apollo. He is happy in his service to the gods never knowing the agony that his mother is suffering as she longs for her lost son. It is critical to recognize that throughout the story no one acknowledges Apollo as the agitator of all the problems. Creusa marries Xuthus and they find themselves unable to have children. While she longs to have a child, she can only regret the loss of her son years ago. Because they desire to have children, they go to Delphi to consult the gods. Ion :: essays research papers There is a deep sense of realism that lies in the play Ion. The opening of the play arouses an old wrong, the seduction of Creusa by Apollo, which slowly develops into a tangled plot of deceit. The theme of the play is unique in how it is centered on a human dilemma that many can associate with in some way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, one can only imagine the outcome of Apollo’s seduction of Creusa. To make matters worse she has a child. There is an uncanny feeling of darkness and silence as she is made to keep her lips sealed. It appears that she gave up her son from fear of her parents. Like many young girls today she made a drastic decision in order to conceal her pregnancy. Apollo in this play is given human attributes. He is depicted as a barbarian who truly lacks the goodness of a god. Indeed a critical problem has developed with Apollo’s seduction of Creusa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apollo from the beginning is perceived as a demanding figure. Creusa is seen as the passive figure with no say in her circumstances. How could a mortal expect to make a god care for a child? This is where Euripides attempts to bind the mortals and the gods together. Apollo and Creusa share a common problem, and each makes different decisions in how they will go about solving that problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Immediately after Creusa leaves Ion in the cave, Apollo rescues him. Apollo’s actions are strange in that he goes as far as to catch the soul of the priestess so that she would care for his son but yet refused to give aid to Creusa. As a youth, Ion is appointed as a guard of Apollo’s gold, then an altar attendant and later the chief caretaker. Ion knows nothing of his birth, and asks no questions because of his deep respect for Apollo. He is happy in his service to the gods never knowing the agony that his mother is suffering as she longs for her lost son. It is critical to recognize that throughout the story no one acknowledges Apollo as the agitator of all the problems. Creusa marries Xuthus and they find themselves unable to have children. While she longs to have a child, she can only regret the loss of her son years ago. Because they desire to have children, they go to Delphi to consult the gods.

Leadership Management and Administration in Early Childhood Education Essay

Part 1 Operating a childcare centre can be a very challenging and rewarding career. Success in this field requires dedication, love and patience. There are a few types of childcare programmes catering to parents who have to leave their children at school and go to work. There is full-day programme, half-day programme and flexi-care programme. For those who do not want their children to be in a school environment for long hours, they have kindergartens and enrichment programmes. The demand for childcare services steadily increases as more and more women enter the workforce, giving up their roles of full-time mothers and house makers. Planning and operating a childcare programme consumes much time and energy thus, it is important that motivations, skills, experience and personality are thoroughly assessed. Early childhood care and education services are under the control of two Ministries in Singapore; Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). MCYS targets the childcare sector, which consists of children from two months to six years whereas MOE concentrates on children aged four to six in a kindergarten setting. Quality has become a priority issue for all concerned with early childhood care and education services. Starting from the premise that quality is a relative and dynamic concept based on values and beliefs. Providing quality education for children ensures that the learning journey and relationships in the early years of their lives have meaningful effects to their future achievements. (â€Å"Singapore pre-school accreditation,† 2010) Role of a Supervisor According to SPARK, â€Å"Leaders set the direction and tone for the preschool. † Leaders are a very important aspect in any organisation. Leaders must understand and play important roles; they must use evidence from research to make decisions; and they must work collaboratively. A good leader must have a strong philosophy which will enable her to deliver well. Having a good philosophy enables the leader to plan meaningful goals and objectives for the centre. Supervisors can play a pivotal role in â€Å"reinforcing philosophy in school settings and helping teachers integrate the theoretical frameworks with classroom realities. † (Grossman, 1990, p. 133) Having a good bond with the teachers will ensure that the supervisor has found a good team to work with and should constantly keep renewing the bond with her teachers. This can be done by looking into the teachers’ welfare and giving them benefits from time to time to motivate and encourage the teachers to work consistently. At the same time, the supervisor must set a good example to her team of teachers by practising what she preaches. A good supervisor should also encourage her staff to further their education and when they do, not hesitate to promote them and give them bigger responsibilities. The supervisor should evaluate the quality of the learning environment and the centre as a whole. Catering to Children’s Needs It is well documented that racial and ethnic identity, and developing concepts about racial and ethnic diversity are development tasks that begin in early childhood. According to NAEYC(2005), diversity in children, families and colleagues should be respected. Multiracial and multiethnic children not only have identity needs but they are also having difficulties adjusting to our early childhood and school programmes because their unique needs are not being met. For successful implementation of a programme, the supervisor has to look into the diverse backgrounds of the children. According to DAP (2009), â€Å"Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts†. The supervisor has to understand that children’s development requires viewing each child within the sociocultural context of the child’s family, educational setting, community and the society. The contexts are interrelated thus, they all strongly influence how the child develops. Celebrating different festivals together as a centre and talking about different cultural backgrounds during lessons are a good way to include children from various cultural backgrounds. While implementing a programme, the supervisor might come across children from dysfunctional families. Providing the proper financial assistance to these families is very important. Centre-based Financial Assistance for Childcare (CFAC) can be arranged for children who come from dysfunctional families. This scheme helps eligible families to offset childcare fees of their children every month. The government also gives childcare subsidies to working parents who enrol their children in childcare centres. (MCYS) Parents of children from dysfunctional families might find these two schemes helpful in providing their children with proper early childhood education. This should be taken care of so that every child has an equal opportunity to education and care regardless of their cultural and financial backgrounds. 656 words Part 2 In order for the quality of child care to improve and for childcare services to become more readily available, the administration of childcare programmes must become professional, effective and efficient. The effective preparation of childcare supervisors directly impacts the programme quality and enhances the ability to meet the various challenges facing the field of early childhood education. (Caulfield, 1997) a) Effective Supervision A good supervisor should be prepared not only with a background in early childhood education and teaching but with a working knowledge of management, principles and procedures, marketing and evaluation techniques, public relations, staff training and development, family counselling, community services and public policy. (Catron, & Groves, 1999) The supervisor’s role is more than observing teachers conducting lessons. There are many similarities between good teaching and good leading. A good supervisor does not only develop a programme and worry about enrolments. The supervisor must look into the safety aspects in the childcare centre. Meeting all safety requirements before starting the programme is very essential. This ensures that children’s needs are taken into consideration and taken care of. Planning a proper timetable is very important in developing a programme. It allows the whole programme to run systematically and also for smooth transitions in between lessons. Resources and materials should also be distributed evenly among the teachers to avoid lack of resources during planned lessons. The supervisor should also keep track of the resources and materials and replenish them regularly. b) Regulations and Policies In order to set up a childcare programme, license should first be acquired from MCYS. The child care centre has to comply with the standards set out in the Regulations of MCYS. All the pre-requisites stated in setting up a childcare centre should be taken into consideration in order to provide quality care and education. (MCYS, 2011) The type of programme that I am looking into implementing is a full day childcare programme. The centre will be catering to children from two years to six years old. It will be operating five and half days a week. The programme will be conducted from seven o’ clock in the morning to seven o’ clock in the evening. This is to cater to parents who have to leave their children and go to work very early in the morning and for parents who end work late in the evening. On Saturdays, the centre will operate from seven o’ clock in the morning to two o’ clock in the afternoon. This caters to some parents who have to go back to work on weekends. The childcare centre will be open throughout the year except on Sundays and gazetted public holidays. Half-days will be observed on the eve of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. In addition, the centre will be closed for another five and a half days in a year, following the MCYS policies. These regulations and policies of the centre strictly follow the MCYS Childcare Policies as MCYS firmly believes that children should not be cared for in the childcare centre for more than 24 hours continuously. c) Operational Issues How you structure your programme for your centre is another very important aspect to consider. The programme will be the key to your professional success and pleasure. Having a proper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will ensure that your programme runs smoothly and effectively. SPARK (2010) will be a good guide to get started with. Spark (2010) focuses on seven criterions. Leadership, Planning and Administration, Staff Management, Resources, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Health, Hygiene and Safety. Reflections should be done on the programme regularly to ensure that children are being delivered with nothing but quality excellence. Opening/Closing Time The opening and closing hours of a childcare centre is a very important period. The supervisor must ensure there is enough staff to open the centre and close the centre. There should be at least one first-aid trained, qualified teacher to open the centre and it is required for the teacher to arrive at least fifteen minutes earlier to do the opening duties and to receive children. The teacher, however, has to remember that parents are only allowed to send their children in at seven o’clock onwards. There should be two teachers doing closing daily. Out of the two teachers, at least one teacher should be first-aid trained. Should the opening/closing teachers be on leave, they are required to find a replacement for their shifts before they go on leave. Should they be on medical leave, they should inform the centre either the day before or by seven-thirty in the morning so that replacements can be found. Staff-Child Ratio Staff-child ratio must be observed at all times as according to MCYS Regulations. (Refer to Appendix 1, pg 10, Table 1) Teachers’ Qualifications Teachers hired in the centre should be trained in Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education- Teaching (DECCE-T). According to MCYS policy, the programme staff should be certified by MCYS/MOE. Teachers should also have at least two years of teaching experience in a childcare setting, hold a valid first aid certificate recognised by MCYS and certified by MCYS/MOE as a Level 2 Teacher. d) Administrative Procedures School fees are a major part of a programme. All school fees have to be paid via GIRO. Deductions will be made every 5th of each month for fees payable that month. Parents are to ensure that there are sufficient funds in the bank account for deduction on the due date otherwise there will be a $10 administrative fee payable for every unsuccessful GIRO transaction. If they choose to opt out of the GIRO payment scheme, they are required to place a two month deposit upon enrolment. An additional fee of $5 per day will be imposed for late payment after the 5th of each month. All outstanding fees must be cleared before a child is promoted to the next level. e) Quality of Curriculum Integrated curriculum is a form of interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes on content learning and knowledge acquisition. It incorporates several subject areas such as language and literacy, math, music and movement, creative arts, self awareness, social awareness and motor skills into a curriculum that provides a holistic learning for children. In this curriculum, children apply skills, concepts and processes derived from the total curriculum in the meaningful context of thematic learning. (Erikson, 2001) Teachers are supporters of children’s learning. The curriculum should be designed to enable teachers to scaffold and support children’s knowledge and understanding and thinking. The curriculum should be designed to aid the child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. (KCG, 2008) f) Documentation of Children’s Progress and Portfolios All records should be kept up-to-date and readily accessible. Periodic reports of children’s progress, documentation of children’s habits, character traits and interests and anecdotal notes of children’s behaviours that are significant are all documentation of children’s progress. The centre should have a system which evaluates records for completeness, accuracy of contents and timelines of entries at regular intervals. Portfolios are collections of student work representing a selection of performance. A portfolio may be a folder containing a student’s best work pieces and the student’s evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the pieces. (Wortham, 2008) Portfolios are usually used as the center-piece of teacher-parent conferences. Portfolios can be used in the intention of motivating students, to promote learning through reflection and self-assessment and to be used in evaluations of students thinking and writing processes. An archival portfolio will be used to document the children’s progress from year to year. This portfolio can be useful to the child’s future teachers. It provides useful information about the child’s developmental progress, strengths and weaknesses. (Wortham, 2008) The portfolio should be organized using the developmental area approach. Using this approach, a child’s developmental areas such as physical, cognitive, social-emotional, creative and language and literacy can be assessed. The teacher can use this type of portfolio during parents-teacher conferences to show parents the specific skills that has been prominent and those that need improvement in the child. Using the developmental area approach a student’s growth and development can be clearly visible as the work collected usually spans throughout a year and observers and parents can clearly see the child’s progression in this. (Benson, & Smith, 1998) A combination of work samples, checklists, observation records and photo documentations have been used to compile this portfolio. Developmental checklists have been used to assess the child’s progress in terms of skills. (Hanson, & Gilkerson, 1999) The checklists used aid in assessing and reporting the child’s progress and development. It also assists in assessing teaching processes. The developmental checklists used in this portfolio are categorized into four domains. They are namely language and literacy, math, social-emotional and physical skills. The assessments done on the child in this portfolio was collected when the child was participating in various types of activities with other children in the class. These kinds of activities allow scaffolding to take place as the child gets assistance from other children or adults. The checklists designed centers towards the objectives that the teacher has set for the child. These objectives are developmentally appropriate according to the child’s age. g) School, Family and Community Partnership Having strong family involvement in children’s education are best achieved through family-school and community collaboration. By articulating a common mission and developing proactive ways of strengthening families and schools, parents and teachers can influence children’s school success positively. Parents should be encouraged to be involved in their children’s school activities as much as possible. Parents can be encouraged by volunteering for centre events like celebrations, excursions and field trips. They can even conduct workshops for children in the centre like speech and drama or art workshops. References Benson, T. R. , & Smith, L. J. (1998). Portfolios in first grade: four teachers learn to use alternative assessment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 25(3), Catron, C. E. , & Groves, M. M. (1999). Teacher to director. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(3), Caulfield, R. (1997). Professionalism in early care and education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 24(4), Erickson, H. L. (2001). Stirring the head, heart, and soul: Redefining curriculum and instruction. (2nd Ed. ). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Pr0065c007Axzxz ss Inc. Hanson, M. F. , & Gilkerson, D. (1999). Portfolio assessment: more than abcs and 123s. Early Childhood Education Journal, 27(2), Ministry of Education. (2008). Kindergarten curriculum guide. Singapore Ministry of Education, Pre-school Education Branch. (2010). Singapore pre-school accreditation framework:quality rating scale. Singapore: Ministry of Education. NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Washington, DC Wortham, S. C. (2008). Assessment in early childhood education (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River: New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Protists Organisms in the Kingdom Protista

Protists are organisms in the kingdom Protista. These organisms are eukaryotes, meaning they are made up of single or multiple cells which all contain a nucleus enclosed by a membrane. The protists are a diverse group of eukaryotes that cannot be classified as animals, plants, or fungi. Organisms in the Protista kingdom include amoebae, red algae, dinoflagellates, diatoms, euglena, and slime molds. How Protists Are Defined Protists are defined by  how they obtain nutrition and how they move.  Protists are typically divided into three categories, including animal-like protists, plant-like protists, and fungus-like protists. Protists vary in how they move, which can range from cilia, flagella, and pseudopodia. In other words, protists move by microscopic hair that flaps together, by a long tail that moves back and forth, or by extending its cell body, similar to an  amoeba. Nutritionally,  protists tend to gather energy in a variety of ways. They can either eat food and digest it inside of themselves, or they may digest outside of their bodies by secreting enzymes. Other protists, like algae, perform photosynthesis and absorb energy from sunlight to make glucose. Animal-Like Protists Some protists look like animals and are typically referred to as protozoa. Most of these types of protists are made up of a single cell and are similar to animals in nature because they are  heterotrophs and able to move around. While they are not considered animals themselves, it is often thought that they may be a shared ancestor. Examples of animal-like protists include: Zooflagellates – flagellaSarcodines – extensions of cytoplasm (pseudopodia)Ciliates – ciliaSporozoans Plant-Like Protists There is also a large and diverse group of protists that are plant-like and known as algae. While some are single-celled, others like seaweed have multiple cells. For example, one type of protist in the marine environment is  Irish moss, which is a species of red algae. More plant-like protists include: DinoflagellatesDiatomsEuglenoidsRed algaeGreen algaeBrown algae Fungus-Like Protists Lastly, there are fungus-like protists that are also known as molds. These feed on dying organic matter and look like fungi. The major protists in this family include slime molds and water molds.  Slime molds can be found on rotting logs and compost while water molds are seen in moist soils and surface waters. Examples of fungus-like protists may include: DictyosteliomycotaMyxomycotaLabyrinthulomycotaOomycetes The Benefits to Our World Protists are important to the world in several ways. You may be surprised to learn that chalk is made from the fossil shells of protists, which is helpful in our classrooms and our childrens creativity and play. Additionally, protists produce oxygen which is helpful for the planet. Many protists have a high nutritional value which can help improve illnesses. Protists like protozoa are used in foods like sushi and are good for our water, as protozoa are used to prey on bacteria and help to clean water for us to use.