Disaster recovery plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Disaster recovery plan - Term Paper Example In this regard, Cisco involves in introducing along with executing pioneering technologies as well as programs to deliver quality products to its huge figure of customer base and also to build a strong community worldwide (Cisco Systems, Inc., 2013). Thesis Statement The paper intends to review the present network architecture of Cisco Systems, Inc and propose network architecture of an alternate computing facility in relation to the occurrence of a disaster. Subsequently, a disaster recovery plan policy will be developed which will take into consideration aspects such as disaster declaration, assessment of security and disaster recovery procedures among others. In terms of market size, the business of Cisco is divided into various segments that include the United States, Canada, Asia Pacific region, European market and Japan as along with other emerging business markets. With regard to determine the layout as well as the organizational structure of Cisco, it has been apparently obse rved that the organization employs nearly 72,400 employees worldwide. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization named John Chambers has designed a top-down organizational structure segregating into four main parts i.e. ... rganization is facing certain difficulties relating to its network architecture owing to the reasons of complex business environment and gaining momentum of extreme business market competition. The present network architecture of Cisco can be recognised raising greater value especially in the service sector providing emergency services at the time of happening any sort of disaster like earthquake and fire among others. Cisco introduced as well as developed a Network Management Reference Architecture (NMRA) to assist the customers in understanding as well as addressing the operational needs concerning on people, process and technology. At present, the strategy of the organization relating to the aforesaid network architecture is developing an innovative technological vision which is aligned with the business requirements to comply with the clientele requirements by a greater level. The aforesaid network architecture which follows by Cisco can be better explained with the help of the f ollowing pictorial illustration. Source: (Cisco Systems, Inc., 2013) Proposed Network Architecture of an Alternate Computing Facility in the Event of a Disaster For developing an alternate computing facility, CISCO needs to remain much focus upon strengthening its existing organizational framework. In addition, the organizational network structure of the organization is also required to be standardized in order to assist the customers for understanding the technologies as well as the offering facilities at the moment of the occurrence of any disaster. It is worth mentioning that at this present era of modernized world, the global business lifecycle vastly depends upon information and communication technology (ICT) by a greater level. The initial objectives of the IT network disaster

Holcims Romanian Unique Venture Yields Positive Results for all Essay

Holcims Romanian Unique Venture Yields Positive Results for all Stakeholders - Essay Example The plants needed only refurbishment and improvement. Secondly, operating in the country offers opportunities to widen the company's market share as the country can serve as a gateway to other countries of Eastern Europe. Furthermore, Romania is relatively politically stable and has a friendly business atmosphere. Romanians were also known for their enterprising character. One of the concerns usually arising from cement production is that the process uses large amounts of fossil fuel and involved large amounts of CO2 emissions. What Holcim did was to use contaminated and expired pet foods as a fuel substitute. 13,000 tons were gathered from the country's groceries and manufacturers. This endeavor was undertaken with all the environmental and safety regulations inspected and audited by a third party. Holcim discovered that each ton of pet food replaced 1.2 tons of traditional fossil fuel. Along with the use of fly ash instead of clinkers, the use of the pet food reduced C02 emissions by 74%. It also helped the country tackle with its toxic waste disposal problem. Believing that people are the foundation of value creation, Holcim offered wages that were 7% higher than the cement industry average and 15% higher than Romania's general industry. The work force was also represented by an independent trade union.

The Structure and Function of the Endocrine System in the Body Essay

The Structure and Function of the Endocrine System in the Body - Essay Example Release of hormones is slow or fast. Hormone production ceases on attainment of the required physiological activity. The endocrine system regulates almost all the other structures of the body. The circulatory system carries the secreted hormones to all the target tissues and organs. The main function of the endocrine system is homeostasis. Homeostasis is the maintenance of the internal environment at a constant state for proper function of cells. Individual hormones affect cells that contain a specific genetic program that allow them to respond. The secretion of hormones by the endocrine glands causes specific responses that led to corrective measures (Falvo, 2013:374). Endocrine system functions by feedback mechanisms. The hypothalamus releases a hormone that triggers the pituitary gland to produce stimulating hormones. The stimulating hormone acts on the specific gland making it to secrete its hormone (Sherwood, 2012a, p19). When the level of this hormone increases in the blood, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland stop their secretion. The secretion by the target gland eventually stops. The cells contain receptors on the membrane. The hormones bind to specific receptors trough the key-lock mechanism. Polar hormones generate a chemical signal through a second massager because they are unable to penetrate through the cell membrane (Falvo, 2013:378). The second massager activates the response of the target cell. The target cell begins the triggered activity. The non-polar hormones like the steroids enter the cell and bind to their receptors found in the cell cytoplasm. When it gets into the cell, it binds to the receptors on the nuclear membrane. This activates the hormone receptor complex, which in turn binds to the DNA stimulating specific genes to produce proteins. The following are the major glands that integrate for the proper functioning of the endocrine system. They include the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, parathyroid gland, pancreas, ovaries,

Business Strategy -------- (Degree Module) Essay

Business Strategy -------- (Degree Module) - Essay Example The portuguese were also involved in these early forms of globalization by the 16th century as they conducted their global explorations. These explolarions are known to have created connections between continents, world populations and economic systems. Colonization also largely contributed to globalization of trade, mixture of world cultures and religion. In the recen years, there has been a wave of globalization that can be attributed to four major drivers for change. These include technological advancement, social cultural aspects, economic and political drivers. Technological advancement has played a significant role in reducing the time and cost of travelling and transportation of goods. It has increased the efficiency of service delivery globally. For example, air transport has enabled traders in perishable commodities such as horticultural products to effectively transport them to differnt continents without suffering losses or incurring extra costs of rifrigeration facilities. Before the modern transport systems, it took a number of days to move from one country to another. Recent developments in communication technology have also had a significant impact on globalization. Global social interractions have been facilitated by the use of internet technology. More over, this technology has enhanced global trade since people can buy and sell products through the internet. Electronic banking has been on the rise and more and more people are engaging in online trade. It has also led to globalization of education whereby on line learning is cu rrently a major feature of modern education. As world economies strive to achieve economic growth, they are tending to engage in international trade where they engage in foreign direct investment. This has led to establishment of multinational companies with the aim of utilizing the available opportunities through expanding their markets in foreign countries. Financial globalization has been effective in

Contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Contract law - Essay Example The Law reform Commission, in its Consultation Paper titled â€Å"Privity of Contract: Third Party Rights† launched on 14 November 2006, has recommended that the rules of privity be amended such that where the parties to a contract clearly intend a third party to benefit, then that party be allowed to sue if terms are not carried out.2 Moreover, the existing exceptions to the Rule of Privity are also to be preserved. However, in view of the numerous exceptions and exclusions that exist to the Doctrine of Privity of Contract, the question that arises is whether these reforms are really necessary? As stated by Trietel, â€Å"the many exceptions to the Doctrine [of Privity] make it tolerable in practice but they have provoked the question whether it would not be better further to modify the doctrine or to abolish it altogether.†3 For example, one of the exceptions that exist is the provision for collateral contracts, where one of the parties to the original contract may have a collateral contract with a third party that relates to the same subject matter of the original contract. In the case of Shanklin Pier v Detel Products4 the Plaintiffs had a contract with some contractors. However these contractors recommended that the plaintiffs purchase paint from the defendants, which was guaranteed to last seven years. When it lasted for only three months, the plaintiffs sued and the Court held that despite the existing contract with the Contractors, plaintiffs could sue defendants under the collateral contract arrangement which existed, thereby allowing for action against a third party. Collateral contracts also provided the means for a third party to circumvent the doctrine of Privity in the case of Andrews v Hopkinson.5In this case the Plaintiff bought a car from a defendant who assured him that it was in good condition. The Plaintiff bought the car on a hire purchase arrangement and had it financed through a finance Company and

Student Assessment Essay Example for Free

Student Assessment Essay A current policy issue that is plaguing our educational system is the emphasis put on student assessments. Teachers are at odds in their classrooms on whether to teach the necessities that students will need to be productive in our society, to simply teach what will be tested on state and federally mandated assessments, or both. Teachers are forced to find a balance within their instructions due to the time restraints that stand in their way. When teachers are able to find this balance and present all the concepts that are included in assessment, plus all other concepts, the results from the assessments can be very beneficial to their classrooms. Assessment results have important implications for instruction. The primary aim of assessment is to foster learning of worthwhile academic content for all students (Wolf, Bixby, Glenn, Gardner, 1991). School communities use assessment results in a formative way to determine how well they are meeting instructional goals and how to alter curriculum and instruction so that goals can be better met. But if what schools assess and how schools assess do not match what is taught and how it is taught, then the results are meaningless, if not potentially harmful. Theres also potential for harm when decisions affecting students futures are being made based on results of assessments made with tools that are not appropriate for the purpose. Some schools are attempting to change assessment to match the content and format of instruction, and are therefore relying more upon alternative assessment. Alternative assessments include performance-based assessment, portfolios, student-designed assessments, etc. , and are considered by many educators to be more reflective of new curricular goals and methods of instruction. Some educators view alternative assessment as a better way to determine how well students are learning traditional forms of assessment like multiple choice tests. Alternative forms of assessment might best serve some of these purposes while more traditional forms could still serve others. Regardless of the purpose, however, the form of assessment used must reflect a teacher’s instructional goals and must be of high technical quality. (White Fredericksen, 1994) Alternative forms of assessment require knowledge and skills that most teachers have not had the opportunity to learn, which in fact poses another issue with these types of classroom assessments. Without the knowledge and skills, teachers will be doing their students a disservice by conducting faulty assessments. Providing teachers with the time that is essential for learning is necessary to making changes in assessment practices. Teachers need time to produce and implement the assessments. Teachers also need time to work with one another to share ideas and reach consensus because integrating instruction and assessment requires coordination. Alternative assessment will not be effective if it is added to the list of responsibilities for teachers. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991) When assessment results are used to make important decisions, there is a danger that instruction will narrowly focus on what is assessed while other important curricular goals and content are neglected (Romberg, Zarinnia, Williams, 1989). All assessments include only a sample of the total content contained within a curriculum. Critics of multiple-choice tests, for example, suggest that the skills usually assessed by multiple-choice testing become the focus of instruction at the expense of more substantial content. Alternative assessment presents a solution to this situation by ensuring that the content of the assessment matches the most important content in the curriculum. However, regardless of how much the content of an assessment is improved, when teachers narrowly focus on what is tested, the assessment results will only reveal the students learning of the test content, not whether they could perform a related task in a different environment. For example, if instruction is focused on a skill that is a test requirement, the results of the test will reflect only the students performance in a testing environment, not his/her general ability to perform that skill in everyday settings. This limitation is primarily a concern in large-scale districts or state testing situations where important decisions are based on a limited sample of student performances. The most important factors in determining the technical quality of assessments are the assessments’ reliability, validity, and fairness. If the quality of an assessment is not ensured, grouping practices, and coverage and pacing decisions may be based on invalid estimates of students capabilities. Sometimes grouping decisions can reflect or reinforce racial and socioeconomic inequities, or the decisions might be based on prior achievement that was artificially low due to past limited opportunities to learn. If all students have not had an equal opportunity to learn, then grouping and pacing decisions based on test results are unfair. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991) Good assessment requires minimizing factors that could lead to misinterpretation of results. The criteria for meeting this requirement are reliability, validity, and fairness. Reliability is defined as an indication of the consistency of scores across evaluators or over time. An assessment is considered reliable when the same results occur regardless of when the assessment occurs or who does the scoring. There should be compelling evidence to show that results are consistent across raters and across scoring occasions. (Elliott, 1994) Validity is defined as an indication of how well an assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure. Three aspects of an assessment that must be evaluated for validity are tasks, extraneous interference, and consequences. Every assessment requires students to complete some task or activity. A valid task should reflect actual knowledge or performance, engage and motivate students to perform to the best of their ability, be consistent with current educational theory and practice, be reviewed by experts to judge content quality and authenticity. Extraneous interference occurs when there is something in the assessment that might get in the way of students being able to demonstrate what they know and can do. A valid assessment does not require knowledge or skills that are irrelevant to what is actually being assessed. Some examples of these might include students’ ability to read, write, role-play, or understand the context, personality, physical limitations, or knowledge of irrelevant background information. Valid assessments also minimize unintended negative consequences. Negative effects of assessments might include restricting curricula to what can be easily assessed, communicating unintended messages about power, control, or social status, and fostering narrow images of the nature of a particular discipline. (Elliott, 1994) Fairness means that an assessment should allow for students of both genders and all backgrounds to do equally well. All students should have equal opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge being assessed. The fairness of the assessment is jeopardized if bias exists either in the task or in the rater. (Elliott, 1994) In this atmosphere of reform, student assessment is the centerpiece of many educational improvement efforts. Policymakers hope that changes in assessment will cause teachers and schools to do things differently. Assessment reform is viewed as a means of setting more appropriate targets for students, focusing staff development efforts for teachers, encouraging curriculum reform, and improving instruction and instructional materials. (Fuchs, 1994) Many educators and policymakers believe that what gets assessed is what gets taught and that the format of assessment influences the format of instruction. Contrary to our understanding of how students learn, many assessments test facts and skills in isolation, seldom requiring students to apply what they know and can do in real-life situations. Standardized tests do not match the emerging content standards, and over-reliance on this type of assessment often leads to instruction that stresses basic knowledge and skills. Rather than encouraging changes in instruction toward the engaged learning that will prepare students for the 21st century, these tests encourage instruction of less important skills and passive learning. (Fuchs, 1994) Since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only national representative and continuing assessment of what Americas students know and can do in various subject areas, it seemed to be the most obvious choice for exploration. In exploration of this policy, research will be conducted to find out how affective it is within our country. The terms of this policy requires that assessments be conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U. S. history. Because of the issues of assessment, NAEP’s assessment will be probed to find if they are reliable, valid, and fair being that it serves as a type models for all other assessment practices. Under the current structure, the Commissioner of Education Statistics, who heads the National Center for Education Statistics in the U. S. Department of Education, is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), appointed by the Secretary of Education but independent of the Department, sets policy for NAEP and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the assessments. The National Assessment Governing Board develops the frameworks that provide the theoretical basis for the assessment and specific direction for what kinds of knowledge and skills should be assessed, how the exercises should be designed, and how student responses should be scored. These frameworks are the result of comprehensive efforts in which teachers, curriculum experts, policymakers, and members of the general public worked to create a unified vision of how a particular subject ought to be assessed. This vision is based on current educational research on achievement and its measurement, and good educational practices. (National Center for Education Statistics) References Berk, R. A. (1993). National Trends in Student and Teacher Assessment: Issues in Performance Assessment. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from http://nesonline. com/PDFs/1993_05Berk. pdf Elliott, S. N. (1994). Creating meaningful performance assessments: Fundamental concepts. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Fuchs, L. S. (1994). Connecting performance assessment to instruction. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. National Center for Education Statistics. NEAP Overview. Retrieved on January 20, 2008 from http://www. nces. ed. gov/nationsreportcard/about/ North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, PBS Elementary/Secondary Service, in partnership with the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (UCLA/CRESST) (1991). Schools That Work: The Research Advantage. Part IV: Alternatives for Measuring Performance. Oak Brook, IL: Authors. Romberg, T. , Zarinnia, A. Williams, S. (1989). The Influence of Mandated Testing on Mathematics Instruction: Grade Eight Teachers Perceptions. In Romberg, T. Wilson, L. (1992, September), Alignment of Tests with the Standards, Arithmetic Teacher, 40 (1), 18-22. White, B. Y. Fredericksen, J. R. (1994, Fall). Using Assessment to Foster a Classroom Research Community. Educator, 19-24. Wolf, D. , Bixby, J. , Glenn, J. , III, Gardner, H. (1991). To use their minds well: Investigating new forms of student assessment. Review of Research in Education, 17, 31-74.

Educational Reform Essay Example for Free

Educational Reform Essay The educational institutes today are more focused on academics pay less attention to the physical attributes of the students. Physical educators along with academic teachers play an important part in promoting good health through regular physical activities. The number of obese children is increasing around the world. Research depicts that one in every ten; six years old child in England is obese. It is estimated that by the year 2020, 50% of the children would be obese. (BBC. co, 2004,) Lack of physical activity is said to be a cause for lowers academic achievements as well as overweight obese individuals. The reason being, when the fundamental dietary fitness needs are not met, the students show a decline in academics by giving a poor performance. A study in New York asserted that students’ intelligence academic performance was affected by the slightest of malnutrition signs. Schools play a major role in developing the young minds grooming them for a bright future, it must be kept in mind that physical education too is an imperative aspect of an individual’s life. Along with the P. E. courses the students should be advised about a proper diet intake. Children with poor nutritional habits, especially in the early years usually score low in vocabulary, reading calculation. (Athletics Campus Life, 2007) It is calculated that 40% of American population is inactive only 20% are slightly active. Mostly 50% of individuals drop out of exercise programs without even completing six months. The fact is that habits are developed at an early age. If the students are not facilitated with physical exercise courses at school, they will never form healthy workout habits. The schools these days are struggling to increase the student success rates, the children are over burdened with homework extra classes, leaving no time for extracurricular activities. The Buffalo City School District in New York has decided to incorporate a physical education department starting from the very initial stage; the aim is to achieve better student grades, attendance improved health. The students’ nutrition, active lifestyle accomplishments are all interrelated. If the child is happy healthy, he will perform well in every step he takes. Reducing 240 minutes per week in class time in favor of physical activity resulted in higher math scores. (Action for Healthy Kids, 2004) Students with the highest fitness scores scored the highest in their SAT exam. Being physically active also fortifies the student’s cognitive learning abilities lowers anxiety depression levels. It is derived from extensive research that the intake of oxygen during exercise benefits the neurons increases the mind power. Overweight children are susceptible to develop physical ailments like blood pressure diabetes in later life, not to mention the psychological effects by being teased in school causing a reclusive feeling, low self esteem presently depression. The Cambridge Public Schools, in Massachusetts, discovered that almost 14% of children from the age group 9-13 were overweight due to sedentary routines. These students were being targeted for jokes bullying. In order to facilitate the energy of hyperactive sedentary students, at the same time improving their physical social wellbeing; increased the activity programs at school targeting every student’s individual needs. This act may produce desirable results in the meantime confronting issues like obesity bullying. But focus should be kept on the physical wellbeing of students; therefore it’s a better option to minimize competing activities. Sports recreational competitions are a good way to realize one’s potential but may induce negative feelings in the losing opponent. Every school attempts to reach the highest target of excellence; this goals should set concern for the physical mental growth of the students thus, expanding time for the physical extracurricular activities for the children to indulge in. summer winter breaks can also be utilized for such programs. Participating in such activities help the children to discover their strengths uniqueness creating a feeling of achievement. They realize their interests then design their future goals accordingly. A number of funds are use for the betterment of academic departments in schools. Some steps should be taken for designing the physical education department in order to achieve a positive impact on the confidence, self esteem motivation of all the students. Each student should be dealt separately, so as to meet individual demands improve their over all personality. A policy taken up by the Michigan State Board of Education Policy in September 2003 on Quality Physical Education confirms that well planned physical activities play a pivotal role in the student learning capabilities. They learn to incorporate their skills abilities to the fullest in every field. They started a 150 minutes/week program for the elementary students 225 minutes/week. (Michigan State- Resource Guide) Some of the ideas that can be incorporated for the betterment of students overall capabilities are:†¢ All students should be entitled to join the physical activity groups. Each age group should be handled separately so they can enhance their confidence, identify their personal. The physical education curriculum should be based on a rationally researched content. The proper equipment tools should be provided by the school a professional trainer should be hired to train the students. The individual strengths abilities of students should be catered. Tests should be conducted to find out their endurance levels body strengths then target the problem areas for achieving a healthy active student body. †¢ Athletics are very effective in the over all growth of children.  Basic levels of athletics should be coached to every student advance courses available to those who are interested. †¢ The P. E. group can hold study groups workshops to help the students with their weakness provide them with proper nutritional guides. Several activities can be introduces involving interaction with friends families of the students. For example few schools arrange sport days, running tracks family fitness nights. After school activities can play a major role in inducing physical fitness in the students. The points to keep in mind are that †¢ the activities are convenient for the students †¢ the program contains enough intensity to make it challenging †¢ Variety of programs should be introduced so that the children are keen to partake in them. †¢ The weather conditions should be kept in mind indoor gyms recreational rooms should be set up in case of a rainy day. †¢ The parents teachers should be encouraged to get involved with the students so they can help the children to live up to the best of their abilities.