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Get Out of Debt with the Debt Diet

This guide is based on "Debt Diet", a series for the "Oprah Winfrey" Show, where Oprah challenged Americans to get out of debt. Oprah teamed up with three of the nations top financial experts to create a step-by-step action plan to show her viewers how to get out of debt. Oprah featured Jean Chatzky, Glinda Bridgforth, and David Bach as her top financial experts.

So, here's a "How To Get Out of Debt" guide based on the show.

Introduction
Oprah compared American's over-spending habits to their similar over-eating habits. She showed how compulsive over-spenders are much like compulsive over-eaters and how America doesn't just have a high rate of obesity in our body, but obesity in our debt.

Oprah featured three families that were suffering from their high debt. First, there was the Widlund's, who had the lowest annual income at over $75,000 and $81,000 in debt. Then there was the Eggleston's, making about $92,000 a year and with $115,000 in debt. And the Bradley's topped it off with over $100,000 a year income and $170,000 in debt.

Debt Diet Step 1: How much debt do you really have?
Calculate how much debt you really have so you can begin paying it down.

Oftentimes many people do not even know how much debt they really have. This is an important step to getting your debt under control.

It's a good idea to run a three-in-one credit report. A three-in-one credit report is a combined credit report from each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TranUnion). Whether you regularly get monthly statements or not, running this kind of credit report will show you any old debts that you still may owe, along with anything that may be being reported to the bureaus for which you may not be responsible.

What "kind" of debt is just as important as how much...

Knowing your "Point A", your "current reality" or where you're starting from IS the best place to start. If you were driving to New York, how would you know where to go if you didn't know where you were starting from?

But knowing how much debt you have is only one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is knowing what kind of debt you have.

Knowing how much of each type of debt you have will make a HUGE difference in understanding which options are available to you, AND how each option will impact you.

TAKE ACTION!

Organize your debt into these categories:

 * Secured Debt - This includes any debt secured by a title or asset, like a house, car, motorcycle, boat, RV, etc. This may also include dirt bikes, quads, jewelry, or furniture.
 * "Qualified" Unsecured Debt - This includes all unsecured debt (debt NOT secured by a title or asset) that may qualify for debt management programs such as credit counseling, debt negotiation / settlement or other debt management programs. Qualified unsecured debt includes credit cards, personal loans, credit unions, hospital & medical bills, collection accounts, and deficiency balances.  Some examples of unsecured debt that is not qualified for debt management programs are payday loans, cash advances, Military accounts, public utilities, personal loans from family or friends, and student loans.
 * Other Unsecured Debt - All unsecured debt ""not included"" above
 * Student Loan Debt - Self explanatory.
 * Tax Debt - Any debts owed to the IRS or State TAX authority.

Once you know how much of each kind of debt you have, document it and keep it handy. If your situation changes, update your info and keep it current.

Debt Diet Step 2: Track your spending and find extra money to pay down the debt
Cut back on daily extras and find savings where you least expect them.

Track Your Spending: This is a multi-part step. The first part is to track your spending. Track each and every penny that you spend, whether it's food, coffee, gum, bills, etc., track it and write it down for review.

This alone can be very powerful. It can show you just how much of your money is eaten up on the little things. This is what one of Oprah Experts refer to as the “Latté Factor®.” Say you buy a latté every day... after all, it's just $5, right? But added to the soda each day, a snack from the vending machine at work, some gum and maybe some candy, too it really starts to add up! Just $10 a day can double the minimum payment on a $10,000 credit card! That's up to $3,600 a year!

Trim the Fat: The next part to this step is “trimming the fat.” Look at where you are spending your money. It's time to make sacrifices. Try using a budget calculator to find some extra cash to pay down your debts. From cutting back to basic cable or not eating out as much to downsizing your big-screen T.V. and giving up the extra car, cutting back on these extra expenses can really cut back on your total debt!

You probably know how much money you made last month, but do you know how much money you spent? Or do you know how much money you have left to spend this month? If you don't, you're not alone, most people have no idea.

The fact is most of us spend 10% more per month than we make. That comes out to $431 per month based on the average American income. No wonder the average credit card debt is now at $8,500!

So why is it so difficult to track your spending? Today we live in a near "cashless" society. Using debit cards, credit cards, automatic deposits, and wire transfers, we rarely even see our money. It's easier than ever to spend, spend, spend!

Traditionally, many people managed their money by dividing their cash into several paper envelopes. An envelope for food, entertainment, utilities etc. They then spent their money from these envelopes. They always knew how much money they had left to spend, and how long it had to last. So how can we use such a simple, effective system today, when we don't even see most of our money?

TAKE ACTION!

• Track every penny that you spend for the next 30 days

• Create a spending plan and stick to it!

Debt Diet Step 3: Learn to play the credit card game
Get expert advice about how to lower creditor's interest rates.

This, again, is a two-part step. The first step is attacking your interest rates. Many people who are deep in debt are suffering from high interest rates. Creditors may raise your interest rates if you are ever late on any payments or simply because you have too much debt.

You will want to contact each of your creditors and lower your interest rates. This is not always easy but if you follow some of these simple secrets, you may find that your results are better than you would expect!

Once you have gotten your interest rates lowered, you will want to re-assess how you use the money you have allotted to pay them off. You can also use the extra money from your budget that you uncovered to pay your cards off quicker.

Know your options.

Making minimum payments is simply not smart. It's purely in the best financial interests of the bank, not you. If you can afford to pay OVER the minimum payment each month, then you can use an accelerated payoff plan (AKA: "roll up" / "roll down") to avoid paying insane amounts of interest and get out of debt faster.

You can use the Dead on Last Payment method as mentioned by David Bach or a system that pays off the highest interest rate card first, which can save you the most money and getting you debt free faster.

But what other options exist?

 * Do you have equity in your home for a debt consolidation loan?
 * Did you know that credit counseling could significantly reduce your interest rates and get you debt free faster?
 * What about debt settlement? Did you know you could be debt free for lot less than what you owe? ...And completely eliminate interest?
 * Is bankruptcy right for you?

These questions are worth looking into. In fact, they could be worth THOUSANDS of dollars to you, if you know your options and make the right choice. They could mean the difference between freeing yourself from debt in 30 years or in 30 months. Don't you think it would be wise to get some quality answers and truly know your options?

TAKE ACTION!

While learning to play the credit card game and getting expert advice about how to lower creditor's interest rates is important, we think it's more financially intelligent to take it a step further. There IS more out there and you deserve to know the truth about which options exist for you and how each option would impact you.

REMEMBER: Always beware of anyone offering only one option. Learn about and consider all of your options before choosing what's best for you.

Debt Diet Step 4: Stop spending
Teach yourself to spend less and save more every day.

This step is everlasting and can take a lot of focus and energy. For many people, they must break life-long habits in order to make this work. Creating your budget will help tremendously. At that point, you only have so much per week, or per month, to spend on any given category (groceries, entertainment, cigarettes, etc.). The more to stick to the budget, the more you will begin to get comfortable with it.

While you must control your spending in order to overcome debt, it's good to point out that this step holds a SECRET...

Money is a highly emotionally charged subject. Spending is emotional.

So how do we deal with it?

How do we control our spending?

The secret is that our deep, emotionally driven need to spend money is actually the key to gaining control. Even better, we can harness these same emotional drives that have caused us to spend out of control to awaken our financial genius.

If you want more... but instead of being able to afford it, you go into more debt, well, that's not very financially smart. You will need to STOP SPENDING and discipline your self to create and stick to a spending plan.

But remember what you want!

If you want to spend, that's great! HOW CAN YOU?

More income is usually the answer. It's critical to control spending. At the same time, it becomes the perfect motivator for you to stick to your budget and find ways to "trim the fat" AND to earn more money ...so you can buy the things you want!

Having a clear, motivating goal and purpose is what you need to stick to any plan, especially a spending plan.

TAKE ACTION!

Decide what you really want and why you want it. Get committed! Then sticking to a spending plan will be possible. Along the way, controlling your spending will become freeing, fun and fulfilling.

 * Think about what you really want. Define it clearly and specifically. Write it down as your goal.
 * Focus on this goal whenever you meet resistance in starting or sticking to your Debt Diet.
 * Realize that in order for you to have what you want, you simply must follow the steps of the debt diet.

Debt Diet Step 5: Create a monthly spending plan
Creating a budget helps you estimate your monthly expenses and free up money for paying off debt. It is recommended that you divide your budget as follows:

 * 35% Housing
 * 15% Debt
 * 15% Transportation
 * 25% Expenses
 * 10% Savings

If you get paid more than once per month you can determine which bills to pay from which paycheck. Check all of your bills and plot their due dates on your calendar. Pay as many bills on time as possible from each paycheck. Some expenses, like groceries or entertainment, can be allocated per pay period. For example, if your monthly plan is $400 and you get paid on the 1st and 15th, you can allocate $200 per check.

TAKE ACTION!

 * estimate and plot your monthly expenses
 * allocate your take-home pay toward specific budget categories
 * assign your paychecks to specific monthly expenses

Debt Diet Step 6: Grow your income
Once you've started to make significant contributions to paying down your debt, it's time to consider other ways to pay that debt off quicker. One way to do that is to increase your income so you have more money available.

Start out by making hard choices about "big-ticket" items in your life, namely: your house, your car, your children's education. Can you move into a smaller house? Can you find alternate methods of transportation to get to and from work? Can your children go to public school? Making sacrifices in these three categories can help tremendously to free up more money for paying off debt.

You may also have a lot of items sitting around the house that are unnecessary. A boat, and extra car, an old coin collection - any number of these things could be sold, and the proceeds put toward debt reduction.

The obvious way to increase your income is to get paid more. Ask for a raise or, if you're self-employed, raise your rates. You might even consider getting a second job. Even an extra $100 per month can make a significant difference in your ability to pay off debt quickly.

TAKE ACTION!

Grow your income by:

 * downsizing on your big-ticket items
 * selling off some of your assets
 * earning more money

Debt Diet Step 7: Prioritize your debts and increase your credit score
Secure debts - or those backed by your assets - are your top priority. Student loans and child support, for instance, are debts for which your wages can be garnished if you fail to pay. After you see to your secure debt, the next most important debt categories are services that you need to continue using, such as paying medical bills if you have a chronic illness. After those are taken care, you can then focus on unsecured debt, like your credit cards. Finally, pay back debts to family and friends. Hopefully, they're more understanding than your other creditors.

Your credit score is an important piece of information that can affect how much money you can borrow and what kind of interest rates you'll pay, among other things. In general, these are the factors that affect your credit score:

 * 35% – How well you pay your bills
 * 30% – How much credit you have available to you and how much of that credit you're using
 * 10% – How recently you have opened (or inquired about opening) new accounts
 * 10% – The percentage of your file that is bankcard debt vs. the percentage of installment debt
 * 15% – How long you have had the cards

Here are some steps to help improve your credit score:

 * pay your debts on time
 * pay off as much credit card debt as possible, so that you're not using any more than 20%-30% of your available credit
 * stop applying for more credit, unless your shopping for a mortgage or car loan
 * it's good to have at least 1 credit card that's over 2 years old, so don't cancel all your old cards

TAKE ACTION!

 * pay off secured debts first
 * understand what your credit score is and what areas of your life it affects
 * boost your credit score using the tips above

Debt Diet Step 8: Understand your spending issues and save
One of the keys to getting out of debt is to stop creating more debt. Different people shop for different reasons. By understanding your personal motivations for spending money, you can train yourself to spend less.

Reasons for spending:

 * Entertainment
 * Mood repair
 * Habit
 * Impulse
 * Compulsive behavior

Once you understand your spending issues, you can begin to save. In times of financial crisis, it is good to have a stash of money saved up so you don't have to fall back on credit cards (and go further into debt). Start out by saving 3%-4% of your income, and eventually work your way up to 10%. Put your savings in a safe place, such as a high-yielding money-market account. Once you have accumulated 3–6 months worth of salary, you will have a good emergency cushion to help you through rough times. Everything you save beyond this emergency cushion should be invested in a portfolio that can help you grow your money over time.

TAKE ACTION!

 * understand why you spend
 * modify your spending behaviors
 * save money to create an emergency cushion
 * invest your savings and build a foundation for future wealth

title: Get Out of Debt with the Debt Diet


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Talk:Get Out of Debt with the Debt Diet

I, Jason Niesen, wrote this article, as I wrote the article that was submitted to holisticjunction. I added the article here as well, since there was no information on the newly founded term "debt diet." Therefore, wikipedia has full rights to publish this article. Please replace article just as it was before. Thank you.

Jason Niesen

 * We need also to get your permission to edit it freely as well. I've contacted you on your talk page about this, and I'm going to email you at your email posted at your site for confirmation. --LBMixPro<Sp e ak 18:47, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Okay, I have added that piece to the original article on our server. I can forward you the URL if you would like.  Jason sot 22:48, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

 * I've sent a confirmation email to jesse@startovertoday.com. Once confirmed, I'll remove the notice. --LBMixPro<Sp e ak 02:24, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Jesse received the email and we have discussed it. Jesse is my brother and a co-author of the article.  I am curious as to where you found that email??  You will find the disclaimer on the original version of the article at http://www.startovertoday.com/oprah-debt-diet/  Thanks for all your help. Jason sot 20:31, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

 * I still need a response to the confirmation letter mailed to me though, so I can forward it to WP's PR dept. Sorry I have to put you through, but policy's policy. After I recive it, I'll open the article back and send it to the PR dept. FYI: I found the email address from one of the sites you put your article at. --LBMixPro<Sp e ak 04:15, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

Spam Magnet
I think this page is a 'spam magnet'. I feel that links to non debt-diet "loan consolidation services" that may be placed on it can be deleted, without particular care being taken to check out whether the link might be offering some basic money advice as well. I'm acting accordingly. If other people think otherwise, please leave a note here. JamesCrook (talk) 13:26, 18 October 2010 (UTC)

Wikibooks
Even though the article is GFDLed, I see one MAJOR problem with it. It reads like a how-to guide on following the steps of the Debt Diet. As such, I marked it to be copied to Wikipedia's sister site, Wikibooks, a collection of free, open-content textbooks that you can edit. As Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, it needs to explain what the subject is in a neutural point of view. --LBMixPro <Spe ako n 07:04, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

 * If we rewrite this to be more encyclopedic, can we also add this article (the way it is now) to Wikibooks? Jason sot 19:31, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

 * Yes. -- SB_Johnny |talk|books 10:55, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Actually, that's the plan. I'll transfer (transwiki as its called) this version to Wikibooks, so that the GFDL permissions and such stay intact. Afterward, I'll create a stub breifly explaining the debt diet, which will include a box saying that the guide is at Wikibooks. --LBMixPro <Spe ako n 11:31, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

Transwiki
The content above this message, as well as this Wikibook was transferred from the English Wikipedia on September 23, 2006. The original article can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_Diet]; below is its edit history to this point. * (cur) (last) 00:55, 19 September 2006 JHunterJ (Talk | contribs | block) (spelling oftentimes, RETF, cut embedded external links Typos: Everthing → Everything, unneccesary → unnecessary, using AWB) * (cur) (last) 18:13, 2 September 2006 Loongtim (Talk | contribs | block) m (links - return to previous state) * (cur) (last) 07:10, 15 August 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) m (moved Debt diet to Debt Diet: Proper noun) * (cur) (last) 06:57, 15 August 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (Seems like a how-to article. Needs to explain what the Debt Diet _IS_ instead of _HOW TO_ use it, as all Encyclopedia articles should.) * (cur) (last) 23:04, 1 August 2006 63.192.174.202 (Talk | block) (→External links - -) * (cur) (last) 14:36, 1 August 2006 Loongtim (Talk | contribs | block) (added remaining debt diet steps) * (cur) (last) 00:21, 28 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (Permission is confirmed. This is now GFDL.) * (cur) (last) 23:42, 13 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (Copyvio) * (cur) (last) 02:35, 22 June 2006 Funfatale (Talk | contribs | block) m   * (cur) (last) 17:36, 25 May 2006 63.192.174.202 (Talk | block) (typo of David Bach's name) * (cur) (last) 19:50, 19 May 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) (article creation)

This talk page has also been transferred from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Debt_Diet below is its edit history * (cur) (last) 11:31, 23 September 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (→Wikibooks - Whee!) * (cur) (last) 10:55, 12 September 2006 SB Johnny (Talk | contribs | block) (→Wikibooks) * (cur) (last) 19:31, 24 August 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) (→Wikibooks) * (cur) (last) 07:10, 15 August 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) m (moved Talk:Debt diet to Talk:Debt Diet: Proper noun) * (cur) (last) 07:04, 15 August 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (Wikibooks) * (cur) (last) 09:28, 28 July 2006 Timichal (Talk | contribs | block) (to be precise... +OTRS) * (cur) (last) 00:44, 28 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) m (URL) * (cur) (last) 00:44, 28 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (confirmed) * (cur) (last) 04:15, 27 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) (Still need the reply.) * (cur) (last) 20:31, 24 July 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) * (cur) (last) 20:30, 24 July 2006 63.192.174.202 (Talk | block) * (cur) (last) 02:24, 22 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) * (cur) (last) 22:48, 20 July 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) * (cur) (last) 22:48, 20 July 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) * (cur) (last) 22:47, 20 July 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) * (cur) (last) 22:47, 20 July 2006 63.192.174.202 (Talk | block) * (cur) (last) 18:47, 20 July 2006 Lbmixpro (Talk | contribs | block) * (cur) (last) 00:14, 20 July 2006 Jason sot (Talk | contribs | block) (copyright verification) --LBMixPro <Speak 11:53, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Get Out of Debt with the Debt Diet


text: Template:ConfirmationOTRS

title: Template:ConfirmationOTRS


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User talk:WikiLeon

Welcome. You can send me a message here

title: User talk:WikiLeon


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Modern Greek/Alphabet

 * There are 24 letters in the greek alphabet
 * The greek alphabet has 5 vowel SOUNDS.
 * Some of them look like letters from this alphabet, but they are not to be confused (lowercase "ni" looks like "v" but it is said like "n").

The letters

 * ς is used at the end of a word only.

title: Modern Greek/Alphabet


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Cookbook:Scottish Wheat Bannock Bread

A recipe from Nova Scotia that is called both Scottish bannock and Irish soda bread.

Ingredients

 * 4 cups (950 ml) whole wheat flour
 * ½ cup (120 ml) white granulated sugar
 * 2 tsp baking soda
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk
 * 4 tbsp butter, cut into pea-sized cubes

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
 * 2) Combine dry ingredients. Rub in butter until crumbly.
 * 3) Mix in buttermilk to make a soft, workable dough. Knead dough briefly.
 * 4) Make dough into a disc about 3 inches thick. Cut an X shape in dough with a knife (1 cm or so deep). Transfer to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.
 * 5) Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 50–70 minutes (depending on your oven) until a skewer stuck in comes out with no "gooeyness" on it
 * 6) Let cool 5–10 minutes after taking from the oven, then break apart with your hands into serving-sized chunks.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Optionally mix in blueberries, raisins, or cinnamon to taste.

title: Cookbook:Scottish Wheat Bannock Bread


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AQA Government and Politics

This Wikibook is designed as a textbook to assist students studying the AQA A-level specification of Government and Politics. No previous knowledge of politics is required but it is aimed specifically at the specification set by AQA.

Layout
The book is divided into six main sections, the first three of which are the three exams which constitute the AS level and the latter three the full A level. Each section will build on and complement the preceding section and as such it is advised that they are read in order.

AS Modules

 * AS Module 1 - /Electoral Systems and Voting Behaviour/
 * AS Module 2 - /Parties and Pressure Groups/
 * AS Module 3 - /Features of a Representative Democracy/

title: AQA Government and Politics


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AQA Government and Politics/Electoral Systems and Voting Behaviour

Electoral systems and voting behaviour is the first of three modules required for an AQA accredited AS level in Government and Politics. It introduces the reader to politics, and more specifically voting, by examining different electoral systems, affects of voting, determinants of electoral turnout and the composition of the electorate.

=Electoral Systems=

Introduction
The predominant form of political participation in the United Kingdom is voting. It is from elections that governments derive their legitimacy and competitive elections are a defining feature of democracy. This necessitates a great interest in the multitude of methods by which governments are elected. Academics the world over have evaluated and discussed the vices and virtues of different systems, but a universal standard has yet to be achieved. Below the evidence advocating and opposing the various systems will be evaluated in addition to the debate surrounding electoral reform, an increasingly salient issue, following the election in 1997 of a Labour government committed to a referendum on reform of the electoral system.

First-Past-The-Post
First-past-the-post (or simple plurality) is the electoral system utilized for General Elections in the United Kingdom. First-past-the-post is used to elect one candidate in a single member constituency, with the winning candidate requiring only one more vote than their nearest opponent.

A widely celebrated characteristic of first-past-the-post is its history of creating large single party governments, and as the strength of a government is derived from the size of its majority, capable of strong governing. Furthermore, the strong and easily understood link between the electorate and their representative under first-past-the-post creates a climate in which the electorate can easily hold their representative accountable. The simplicity of first-past-the-post, requiring the voter to mark only an 'X' to indicate their favoured candidate, is a feature which allows first-past-the-post to ensure that votes are seldom wrongly cast reducing the extent to which electoral difficulties distort the representativeness of the election.

The results of use of first-past-the-post has generated considerable debate regarding electoral reform due to associated disadvantages. The ability to win an election without majority support has been the cause of much criticism of first-past-the-post by limiting the extent to which the candidate can be said to be representative of the electorate's wishes. In the 2005 General Election approximately 70% of votes cast were 'wasted', with 52% being cast in favour of losing candidates and 18% of votes were excess votes for winning candidates. This leaves 52% of those who voted with a representative they did not vote for, generating significant criticism of the system. As with most systems the employment of first-past-the-post in elections can produce an appreciable bias, in this instance towards larger parties with geographically concentrated support. The all-or-nothing nature of first-past-the-post with only one candidate being elected in each constituency creates a bias towards larger parties. Only candidates who can attain a simple majority in any constituency are elected, meaning that although a party may hold considerable support nation wide, the geographical disparity of their support can rule them out from acquiring a number of seats commensurate with their level of support. An excellent example of this is the Liberal Democrats who, despite obtaining over a fifth of the popular vote, received only a tenth of the seats in the House of Commons. A further example is the 1992 General Election in which John Major's Conservative Party received the highest number of votes in a UK General Election, but managed only a 30(?) seat majority. Figure 1.1 compares the proportion of seats and the proportion of votes from the 2005 General Election and illustrates the disproportional distribution of seats.In addition to these criticisms it has been suggested that first-past-the-post reduces the amount and quality of electoral participation. Critics claim that the reduced incentive to vote in 'safe seats' reduces the turnout and as a result the legitimacy of the government.(pg106 Developments) The likely hood of tactical voting also increases under first-past-the-post with supporters of opponents in safe seats instead of voting for their preferred candidate voting for another with a greater chance of defeating the incumbent, an action referred to as tactical voting.

Alternative Vote
Alternative vote is a majority system, used to elect a representative for a single member constituency, under which the voter is presented with a list of candidates which they then rank in order of preferences. In order to be elected a candidate must receive a majority of votes. The first preferences of the electorate are counted and if one candidate has gained a majority of first preferences they are elected, otherwise, the candidate who received the fewest number of first preferences is eliminated and their votes are redistributed according to the voter's second preference. This continues until a candidate gains a majority and is elected.

This system tends to be more representative than first-past-the-post with the winning candidate likely, having received a majority, got a mandate from a larger proportion of the electorate than the winner under first-past-the-post, with candidates routinely winning on less than a majority. Additionally, the link between constituency and representative is preserved providing the electorate with an easily identifiable contact by which they can address their grievances, something reduced under systems with multi-member constituencies.

Utilization of alternative vote can present a significant bias in favour of centre parties who, on the basis of their policies being the least acrimonious, are able to win on 2nd and 3rd preferences.

Single Transferable Vote
Single transferable vote is used to elect several representatives in a multi-member constituency under which candidates have to achieve a quote of votes to be elected. Voters are presented with a list of candidates who they rank in order of preference. The first preferences are then counted and if a candidate achieves the quota they are elected and the surplus votes redistributed, if, however, no candidate achieves the quota then the last placed candidate is eliminated and their votes redistributed, this continues until the prerequisite number of candidates have been elected.

$$ {Quota\ =\ }{Number\ of\ votes\ cast}\over {Number\ of\ seats\ in\ the\ constituency\ +1\ }{+1}$$

This system, although not as representative as the list system, is significantly more representative than first-past-the-post or the majority systems.


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Jeep Liberty/Engines

2.4L PowerTech I4
The 2.4L PowerTech I4 was available from 2002 to 2005. It was discontinued from the Liberty as a result of sluggish sales. It was only available on the Sport model.

3.7L PowerTech V6

The 3.7L PowerTech V6 has been available in the Liberty from 2002 to present. It was optional on Sport from 2002-2004, and then standard on all models from 2005-2007. It was standard on Renegade and Limited Edition models from 2002-2004.

The 3.7 liter PowerTech V6 was a brand new design when it launched on the Liberty. Its creation was ordered by Francois Castaing, who had become Chrysler Corporation’s head of engineering shortly after the company bought American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987. Displacing 226 cubic inches, it was smoother, more efficient, and more powerful than the 3.9 liter Chrysler V6 and more powerful and fuel-efficient than the 4.0 liter Jeep engine.

Two different PCMs (Powertrain Control Modules) have been coupled with the PowerTech. The JTEC was the older controller and the NGC is the newer controller. The JTEC PCM had three connectors on it and used a separate TCM (Transmission Control Module), while the NGC has four because it integrates the TCM. 2006-2007 Libertys use a hybrid bus system in which the PCM, gas TCM, and ABM (ABS and ESP) use the CAN Bus and everything else uses the PCI Bus. The BCM (Body Control Module) then acts as a bridge between the PCI Bus and CAN Bus.

2.8L VM Motori I4
The 2.8L VM Motori Turbodiesel was available in the CRD (Common-Rail Diesel) Liberty from 2005 to 2006. The CRD was eventually discontinued in the US as a result of stricter emissions regulations. The engine was still available overseas until the Liberty ceased production.

The CRD (Common-Rail Diesel) engine was available on the Sport and Limited Edition models from 2005-2006.

Cooling
Jeep Liberty CRDs with the 2.8L diesel engine have an intercooler behind the combination transmission cooler & A/C condenser and before the engine radiator.

Engine Swap
The Chrysler 4.7L PowerTech V8, also known as the Dodge 4.7L Magnum V8, is the most compatible candidate for a larger displacement engine swap.

 * /4.7L PowerTech V8 Engine Swap/

title: Jeep Liberty/Engines


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User:Bmacvb

Essentialism as the prodominent philosophy in the classroom.

History of Essentialism

Essentialism is an American philosophy of education which started its movement in the early 1930’s. It was derived as a counter to the “child-centered” approach to teaching.

Essentialism is portrayed as the “traditional” or “Back to Basic” approach to education. (Cooper/Ryan). Its main goal is to provide student with the essential needs of academic learning and social development. Essentialism is a conservative philosophy that pertains to the ever-changing social, educational, and technological aspects of American Society. It stresses the importance of the teacher as the authoritative figure in the classroom and subject matter should be the center of the curriculum. Also, essentialist express concern that schools should not try to radically change society. Instead schools should promote the traditional moral values such as: respect for authority, perseverance, and consideration for others. Along with the gathering of basic knowledge, students will have the skills to become model citizens.

One of the founding fathers of Essentialism is William C. Bagley (1874-1946). He was a professor at Teachers’ College of Columbia University, and one of the founding fathers of Kappa Delta P. He was the leader of the Essentialistic Education. Society, and author of “Education and Emergent Man” (1934). He was critical of the progressive educational system of the time, and believed that society had a core of common knowledge that needed to be relayed to students in a disciplined manner. He stressed that progressive education damaged the intellectual and moral standards of students. His belief was that a systematic way of teaching could stress the essential knowledge and skill one needs to become a productive citizen within a society.

Beliefs of Essentialism

To achieve maximum results in education, hard work and effort are required. Motivation is a crucial key to learning, but if a lack of motivation exist the teacher is responsible for keeping the student(s) focused on the task. This belief exists, because at an early age students may not know what they need in the future. Students sometimes have a difficult time deciefiering the goal/meaning of a lesson or curriculum. Therefore, teachers must help students overcome their desires for a quick-fix, and help guide them to reach future objectives.

Discipline in the classroom is a key tool for only the teacher, but equally important for the student. Keeping order is a necessity. A classroom full of distractions does not make for a desirable place to learn. Teachers must give direction. The classroom should revolve around the teacher-centered philosophy, because the teacher is far more likely to know what their students will need to know to be a productive member of society. Therefore, the teacher is responsible for the growth of their students.

Hard work and discipline are the two major beliefs essentialists believe will result in positive results in the classroom, these ideals need to be constantly reinforced by the teacher. Essentialists perceive their teachers are intellectual and moral role models for their students.

Essentialism in the Classroom

In 1924, William C. Bagley co-edited a series of books about the art of teaching. These books intended use were for those students in professional schools for teachers. In the first volume, An Introduction to Teaching, Bagley (1924) begins to lay out his beliefs for his soon to be developed philosophy of Essentialism. He did this by describing the subject areas of instruction that teachers and student should know. Bagley broke knowledge up into four subject areas: social arts, the liberal studies, practical arts, and applied sciences. Social arts were subjects that dealt with language matter and numbers. Areas of focus were reading language, spelling, and arithmetic. Liberal studies are subjects used to widen and deepen the educational experiences. The core subjects were: geography, history, civics, literature, and the natural sciences. Practical arts is the area intended on helping students develop skills in which they can us materials to make things. Common materials would be wood, metals, food, and textiles. Students will learn these skills to help them with the daily routines of home life and demands of many occupations. Applied sciences uses obtained knowledge to improve the practical arts. The subject field would consist of teachings areas like: navigation, agriculture, forestry, and mechanical arts just to name a few. These four areas are what essentialist believe are the most essential skills and knowledge that needs to be taught to all students. In essentialist classroom teacher/administrators decide what is most important for their students to learn, and place little emphasis on student interests. Student’s interest often diverts time and attention from the academic curriculum. Students will only be promoted from grade level to level by displaying the abilities to master the required material for that grade level. Essentialist teachers do this by review achievement test scores. Essentialist believe that test scores serve as the best mean for measuring progress and comparing results. Through this process students are taught to be culturally and socially literate. Students achieve this by understanding the working of the people, ideas, events, and institutions that shape their society. Essentialists want their students to leave school with the concept of basic skills and extensive body of knowledge. Also, students will develop a disciplined a practical mind, deeming themselves capable of applying their classroom lessons to solve problems in the real world.

Sidebar

-“Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out of initial learning efforts that are not appealing or attractive.” -William Bagley

-“The ability to think straight, some knowledge of the past, some vision of the future, some skill to do useful service, some urge to fit that service into the well-being of the community – these are the most vital things education must try to produce.” -Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve (Ryan/Cooper) 276

Questions

1.	What two philosophies does Essentialism draw from? a.	idealism and perennialism b.	realism and existentialism c.	idealism and realism d.	perennialism and existentialism

2.	What are the two principle beliefs that essentialists expect in the classroom? a.	hard work and discipline b.	effort and child-centered classrooms c.	moral acceptance and skill building d.	all of the above

3.	What classes would fall into William C. Bagley’s subject area “Social Arts”? a.	agriculture, forestry, navigation, mechanical arts b.	spelling, reading, language, arithmetic c.	history, geography, civics, literature d.	wood making, metal shaping, cooking, fabrication

4.	How does essentialist measure progress in their students? a.	acceptance of the knowledge at hand b.	expedient of the core knowledge and skills c.	standardize test scores d.	mental and social growth.

5.	Essentialist wants their students to leave the classroom with a certain mindset. What two behaviors best described a students thinking after learning in an essentialist classroom? a.	disciplined and practical b.	practical and moral c.	socially adaptive and specification d.	abstract and free-flowing

Correct answers

1.	c 2.	a 3.	b 4.	c 5.	a

Essay Question

Due to technology and the ever-changing landscapes of education, do you think the philosophical ideals of essentialism can still be used in the modern classroom? Explain

References:

Bagley. W.C.& Keith. J.A.H. (1924). An introduction to teaching. New York: MacMillian.

Dasenbroock. R. W. (1990). What to teach when the canon closes down: toward a new essentialism. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Gill. B. Schlossma. S. (1996). “A sin against childhood”: Progressive education and the crusade to abolish homework. American Journal of Education..

Ozman. H. & Cramer. S. (1992. 5th ed.). Philosophical foundations of education. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Ryan. Kevin. & Cooper. M. James. (2004. 10th ed.) Those Who Can, Teach. Boston, Ma.: Houghton Mifflin Company.

title: User:Bmacvb


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User:Lzirk001

What does it mean for leadership to be ethical? Lauren Zirkle ECI 301

As teachers, we are leaders of future leaders and so it is imperative we teach students the skills to attain ethical leadership. The turn of phrase, “ethical leadership,” can be an ambiguous expression because everyone has their own opinion of what it means to be ethical. However, it is fairly obvious what is classified as “ethical” in the classroom. Part of being an ethical leader to your students means accepting ones mistakes, being humble, maintaining a close relationship with the students and instilling the importance of integrity and honesty into your students.

Ethical leadership is built on the principle of promoting the best interest of the followers(Franzwa). Students are always the primary concern in the classroom; that is what teachers need to have as a constant reminder. There is no room for self-centered people in the classroom. Everything that occurs in the classroom must be beneficial to the students. It is the role of the instructor to outline the best way for the children to be taught (Benninga). A teacher's first moral obligation is to provide excellent instruction. Since every child learns differently, teachers need to be cognizant of that at all time. Some children are artistic; others are gifted in math, others in language. So what teachers can do is, relate the subject material to all different types of learning styles. For example, teachers can give students the opportunity to decide what kind of project they want to do. That way the students are learning and having fun at the same time. Being empathetic to the students’ learning style is imperative to being a successful teacher.

Children need to learn not only the necessary curricula, but also exactly what ethical behavior entails. We show leadership not just through our words, but also through our actions. All eyes are always on you when you are standing in front of a room full of students. As a new teacher, you will make mistakes. What to remember is that it can turn into a “teaching moment.”  It is an excellent opportunity to teach the students that all people make mistakes. An ethical leader is someone who is aware of his or her errors and who can admit mistakes (Franzwa). A lot of teachers just get irritated when a student brings the fault to his or her attention, but what teachers should do is teach the children that making mistakes is a part of life. Everyone does it and it actually is more beneficial because you already learned what didn’t work. I think that is very encouraging to hear; something students definitely should heed.

Being an ethical leader means being humble and being willing to improve at all times. Leaders should learn more about themselves if they want to succeed,” said Joseph L. Badaracco Jr., the John Shad Professor of Business Ethics at Harvard Business School (Shaw). Part of the journey of becoming a teacher is analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. I find it very difficult to learn from an arrogant person. That is why I think being humble is one of the most important qualities because children model what they see. Humility is not something you can directly strive for like aiming an arrow at a bull's eye. But, humility is a consequence that is experienced by those who have reached it — or better said those who have discovered it — not experienced as a character trait, but as an insight into the actual (Keers). If one of our goals as educators is to train our children (our students) to be ethical beings, then humbleness should be one of the criteria. A teacher has to be someone the students admire, trust, and look up to. This is so important because as a teacher, you need to form a relationship with your students.

I think the type of relationship a teacher has with his or her students should be very special. Leadership ultimately is an interaction or relationship between the leader and the led(Wikipedia). I know a lot of teachers think their sole job is to teach the material, asses the children and make sure they do not disrupt the class. The teacher-student relationship has to have depth in order to reach each student. I think school needs to be a place where students look forward to coming. So teachers need to treat the students with respect, but yet still have the control; be friendly with the students, but still be an authoritative figure. This is the hard part; drawing the line between teacher and friend. You can be “friendly,” but not “friends” because the definition of a friend is not synonymous to the definition of a teacher. Something all teachers need to be is accessible to the students. The students should feel like they can come to you if they have anything they want to talk about. So many children today come from broken homes and school may be their only escape. Students should feel safe when they are in your classroom. As new teachers, you need to take the stand and let the students know you are there if they need to talk. It is more meaningful if a teacher goes up to a student one on one and lets he or she know they can talk to you. If a teacher takes a real interest in a student who appears distraught, then that could truly make a difference in that child’s life.

I want school to be enjoyable for the students. I think it is the teacher’s responsibility to figure out what needs to be done in order for that to be accomplished. It may mean giving the students time to work in groups occasionally to give them freedom, giving them rewards for jobs well done, or doing more entertaining activities to keep them engaged. Whatever gets the children interested in school is the key to their future accomplishments. If a student enjoys coming to school, he or she will try harder and be more willing to go the extra mile to learn the material. I think once a teacher finds what grabs the students’ attention and keeps them active and interested, then half the job is already accomplished.

It is our duty as teachers to instill the importance of ethics into our students. Ethics refers to well based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. (Velasquez) Teaching them right and wrong might be difficult because cheating is something we are bound to encounter. Students need to know that cheating is only hurting themselves. If a student cheats once and is not caught, he or she is bound to repeat the offense. We all know what it is like to be tempted with cheating. Teachers need to empathize with the students and explore why that student found it necessary to cheat. Is it because that student was just lazy? Or maybe he or she was having a rough time at home and didn’t have time to study. Or maybe we as teachers didn’t relate the material well enough for the student to comprehend the material. I think if a teacher catches a students cheating, the most important thing to find out is why. Punishment is definitely essential, but finding the reason behind it is more important. Stressing the importance of integrity and honesty will help the student to develop a strong conscience and hopefully prevent any further honor infractions.

All teachers need to exhibit integrity and strong ethical values at all times. There will be issues that teachers will face and we need to use each issue as an opportunity to teach our students about ethical behavior. We need to have close relationships with our students, accept our mistakes, practice humility and, of course, demonstrate what it means to be ethical leaders to our students. I want to mold my students into intelligent, confident, ethical, future leaders of America. I know as teachers, we are not able to save every single child from following the wrong crowd, but I still would like to strive to do so.

Sidebar:

"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and will to carry on." — Walter Lippmann, American journalist, author and public philosopher (1889-1974)   http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/quotes/quoteleader.htm

Essay:

Out of the different qualities that make up an ethical leader, which one is most important to you? Why?

Questions:

1. What is a teacher's first moral obligation? A. to make sure the students have fun while in school B. to ensure the student's safety in the classroom C. to provide excellent instruction for the students D. to encourage ethical behavior

2. What principle is ethical leadership based on? A. promoting the best interest of the followers B. making sure you, the teacher are following the rules C. having a god relationship with other teachers D. being friends with your students

3. Why is a meaningful teacher-student relationship so necessary? A. so children have discipline while in school B. so the students feel like they can talk to their teacher about anything and even want to learn more C. so the students can feel like their teacher is their friend D. to help the students make their own decisions

4. What should you do if you catch a student cheating? A. fail them on the spot and call the student's parents B. talk to the student alone and find out the cause for cheating C. give the student another chance because everyone deserves a second chance D. pretend like you did not see it to give the student the opportunity to confess

5. Why is it important for children to enjoy school? A. so parents do not  get upset with you as the teacher B. so the students feel like they can be themselves C. so the atmoshphere can be more laid back for the teacher D. so the students feel comfortable and are more apt to want to learn

Answers: 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. B 5. D

Sources:

Benninga, Jacques S.( 2003) ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education Moral and Ethical Issues in Teacher Education. Retrieved September 13 2006 from http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-4/moral.htm

Franzwa, Gregg. (2006) What makes an ethical leader? TCU Magazone.Retreived September 2006, from http://www.magazine.tcu.edu/articles/2006-02-FE2.asp?issueid=200602 v     Keers, Wolter.(2002) The Art of Being Humble. Retreived September 12, 2006 from actualhttp://www.ods.nl/am1gos/am1gos4/index.html?wk_nederig_us.html~mainFrame.

Learning Theories/Knowledge Management: Leadership REtreived September 12, 2006 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Learning_Theories/Knowledge_Management:_Leadership

Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer (1987) Issues in Ethics IIE V1 N1  Retrieved September 12 2006 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethics.html

Shaw, Michelle E. (2006, May 7)Business school teach leadership through fiction. Virginian Pilot. Retrieved September 13, 2006, from http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=104068&ran=214613

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User:Jnewt001

The Importance of a Teaching Philosophy in Education

John J. Newton

Old Dominion University The Importance of a Teaching Philosophy in Education

A philosophy is a belief or a concept of ideas by an individual or a group of individuals. Philo-sophia is the Greek word that means, “love of Wisdom” (Wikipedia, 2006). In education, we are to rely on educators to have good principles when educating our children. Why are teaching philosophies important in education? We, as future educators, are expected to teach our students good principles and to convey our purpose as teachers though our philosophies. Because individual philosophies differ, it is hard to know if every school and their educators are teaching with the right philosophies in mind. That difference in beliefs can only be controlled if the school where a given student is learning has a firm set of philosophies and principles at the forefront of their goals for educating our youth. The most important aspect of educational philosophy is unity amongst educators.

We as educators can learn through professors, well documented studies, and trial and error. We can observe our peers, test our knowledge through examination, and begin to build our own philosophies before we step foot into a classroom as a teaching professional. I am told from a former City of Chesapeake teacher that in Virginia, the State and its respective local governments control the operation with regard to curriculum, school funding, and overall decision-making. (S. C. Newton, personal communication, September 22, 2006). Whether I am right or wrong, if a collection of officials has a certain philosophy that differs from what I believe to be right, I may have to adapt to their philosophies as an educator in the interest of consistency throughout the institution. As an example, I read a journal based on the teaching philosophies in the Amish community. Their teaching philosophy is based on God and the fact that no one in the classroom can ask questions with regard to His plan. If I were to move from Iowa [where this example is based] to seek out a teaching position in the public school system in Virginia, I could not hinge my philosophies of teaching on God (Ediger, 2005). Neither the City nor the State would allow it. This only supports that a unified philosophy is of the utmost importance.

Because my area of study is Music Education, I found an article by Estelle R. Jorgensen to be extremely relevant with regard to teaching philosophies. In this article she writes, “In the past, music education grew up within national borders and its work was often nationalistic in emphasis. Now, we face new challenges of thinking beyond these national commitments to a world of music education” (Jorgensen, 2006, p. 16). Clearly, the emphasis on diversifying music from a cultural standpoint is the purpose of her article. It seems to me that this idea of allowing students who represent many nationalities or cultures to learn the different influences of music from around the world would be widely excepted and seen as a necessary teaching tool in America’s music education programs. I believe that anything related to teaching philosophies by any person or group is likely to be accepted as long as the goal of those said philosophies is to reach children of all nationalities. We must think on a more global scale in this regard.

The aforementioned ideals with regard to a philosophy that reaches individuals that represent a specified group of people versus a philosophy that speaks to multiple nationalities are very different. Wouldn’t the government be more inclined to accept a concept for educating our youth on a global scale versus a much more narrow target area? This idea of reaching many students that can relate to the subject matter as a group would be a better strategy in trying to unify the classroom as opposed to having some of the children feeling left behind because they do not relate to the given curriculum. Again, reaching the masses, no matter where they come from or what they believe, is the most effective way to teach. I believe that basing a teaching philosophy around that principle is essential.

Finally, teaching philosophies differ among individuals who currently teach or plan to teach. Sometimes, in the interest of the student, one’s individual beliefs or theories have to be set a side to help unify the entire classroom. Why are teaching philosophies important? They are designed to help every student learn. As elementary as that sounds, without a more global way of thinking, our methods of teaching could fail. I’m not certain if everyone is aware of our governments “No Child Left Behind” program (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Whether they are or are not, leaving a child left behind because of a narrow-minded based philosophy will only cause that child to stumble along the path of education. It is understandable for a student to trip and fall along the way, and I would hope that we have the necessary tools to help him/her get back up and keep going. As my father told me as a youth, “if you never get off the launch pad, you’re already behind.” I believe that a strong teaching philosophy is that launch pad, and with a unified philosophy more children will finish the race for a sound education than not.

References

Ediger, M. (2005). Old order Amish philosophy of education [Electronic   version]. Education, 125(3), 422-425.

Jorgensen, E. R. (2006). Reflections on futures for music education philosophy [Electronic version]. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 14(1), 15-22.

U.S. Department of Education (2006). No child left behind. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

Wikipedia (2006). Philosophy. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#Western_philosophy

title: User:Jnewt001


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User:Chollins

The Role of Standards

“These reforms express my deep belief in our public schools and their mission to build the mind and character of every child, from every background, in every part of America,”(Excutive Summary,1.

President George W. Bush January 2001

According to Robert L. Linn, standards have played a prominent role in education during the past 50 years. In the 1950s under the influence of James B. Conant, testing was used to select students for higher education and to identify students for gifted programs. In the 1960s testing was used to measure the effectiveness of Title I and other federal programs. In the 1970s and early 1980s, state testing to measure basic skills was developed and became a graduation requirement in 34 states. This minimum competency testing continued into the late 1980s and early 1990s and was overlapped by a movement toward the use of standardized test results for accountability purposes.(Linn,1) This use of standardized testing is still used in todays schools and has developed even greater emphasis with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB). The NCLB act is an education reform effort proposed by President George W. Bush and passed into law by congress on January 8, 2002. Two important areas of the NCLB act that directly effect the role that standards play in todays educational system include increased accountability for states, school districts, and schools and a greater choice for parents and students(particularly about school choice, (executive summary,1). The role of education standards has become the primary tool for assessing implementation of these key principles of the act.  	The role of standards is very evident in the assessment of the first principle of the NCLB act of increased accountability for states, school districts, and schools.  According to the executive summary of the NCLB act it is a requirement that states implement an accountability system covering all public schools and students.  These systems require state standards in reading and math and annual testing for students in grades 3-8.  Schools that fail to make yearly progress toward state goals will have to undergo corrective action to help them meet state standards. The bill prohibits any “national testing” or federally controlled curriculum. It is the responsibility of the state to design their own test and to make sure their test are aligned to their state curriculum standards. Federal funding was provided to states to develop their test. The test results are required to be made public annually. The test results are divided and reported according to poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency. This process is known as “disaggregation of data” and is used to prevent lumping all students together to hide the achievement gaps within certain groups of students. States had until the 2005-06 school year to develop and implement their test. Schools and school districts are now required to show “adequate yearly progress”(A.Y.P.) toward demonstrating with their test scores that they are on course to reach 100 percent proficiency for all groups of students within 12 years. States decide what the acceptable A.Y.P. is. Schools that fall behind may be subject to various “ school improvement measures”. States will also have to compare their test results against an independent benchmark called the National Assessment of Educational Progress(NAEP), which will be given to a small sample of each state’s 4th and 8th grade students. The purpose of the NAEP is to insure that the state standards are not set to low,(Executive summary, 1). The role of standards is very important in insuring that states, school districts, and local schools are being held accountable for student performance. According to the executive summary of the NCLB act standards also play a very important role in deciding how Title I funds are spent. The NCLB act increases the choices available for parents and students. If a school is identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring students must be given the opportunity to attend a better performing public school. The district must provide transportation to the school and use at least 5 percent of its Title I funds for this purpose. Schools that consistently fail to meet state standards for at least 3 of the 4 preceding years must use Title I funds to obtain supplemental services from the public or private sector. To help maintain that local educational agencies offer productive choices NCLB requires districts to spend 20 percent of their Title I money to provide school choice and supplemental programs to eligible students. Standards play an important role in determine how Title I money will be spent,(executive summary, 1-2). The school choice and supplemental program portion of NCLB provides incentives to poor performing schools to improve performance on state standards to prevent losing portions of their budgets. The role that standards have played in education has always been a controversial one. Despite the 50 year history of standards in education it is still not clear if they are a reliable source of indicating educational quality. The NCLB act has heightened this debate and has been highly criticized for its dependence on testing standards. According to K-8 principal and Vice-Chair of the Coalition of Essential Schools, Deborah Meier “the current push for national and state-mandated standards is fundamentally misguided. It leads inevitably to standardization, which is the antithesis of real education. It will not help develop young minds, contribute to a robust democratic life, or aid the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens. By shifting the locus of authority to outside bodies, it undermines the capacity of schools to instruct by example in the qualities of mind that schools in a democracy should be fostering in kids-responsibility for one’s own ideas, tolerance for the ideas of others, and a capacity to negotiate differences. Standardization instead turns teachers and parents into the local instruments of externally imposed expert judgment. It thus decreases the chances that young people will grow up in the midst of adults who are making hard decisions and exercise mature judgment in the face of disagreements. And it squeezes out those schools and educators with innovative ideas”(Meier,1). Proponents of using standards in educational reform argue, however that testing is a necessary way to maintain accountability. According to President George W. Bush, “how do you know if a child is learning if you don’t test(Marsha,1).” Regardless of the controversy created by the use of standards in education their role will continue to be an important one for all educators.

References

Frontline:Testing our schools:no child left behind:the new rules. Retrieved September 5, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/schools/nochild/nclb.hyml

Executive Summary of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Retrieved September 5, 2006, from http://www.ed.gov/print/nclb/overview/intro/execsumm.html

Marsha Ing. (2005). Review: America’s “Failing” Schools: How Parents and Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind by W. James Popham. Interactions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Vol. 1, Issue 2, Article 17. http://repositories.cdlib.org/gseis/interactions/vol1/iss2/art17

Bush, G.W. (2005, January 12). President discusses No Child Left Behind and high school initiatives. Retrieved September 5, 2006 from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/release/2005/01/20050112-5.html

Meier, Deborah. What Do Kids Need? Retrieved September 5, 2006 from http://www.eyeoneducation.tv/reform/meier.html

Linn, Robert L. (2001). Assessments and accountability(condensed version). Practical Asessment, Research & Evaluation, 7(11). Retrieved September 13, 2006 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=11.

Multiple Choice

1. What educational reform bill of 2001 had an enormous impact on the role standards play in education today?

A. Elementary and Secondary Education Act B. No Child Left Behind Act C. The Standardization Reform Act D. None of the above

2. Which president proposed the education reform bill that has so greatly influenced the importance of standards in education today.

A. Lyndon B. Johnson B. Bill Clinton C. George W. Bush D. None of the above

3. Which two areas of current education reform directly impact the use of standards in education today.

A. Accountability and Parent/student choice B. Safe School Policies C. Testing and Standards Policies D. None of the above

4. What school year was the cut off for implementation of the state standards requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act?

A. 2004-05 B. 2005-06 C. 2006-07 D. None of the above

5. What is the state profficiency goal of the No Child Left Behind Act within the next 12 years.

A. 70% B. 80% C. 90% D. 100%

Essay

1. Describe the two principles of the No Child Left Behind Act that have a direct impact on the role that standards play in education.

title: User:Chollins


text:
User:Athox~enwikibooks

Info coming.

title: User:Athox~enwikibooks


text:
Talk:US Criminal Law

Due Process
Either this section has some factual errors or it is written in an odd manner. I have removed this because I believe it to be misleading and NPOV in its current form. --Cspurrier 21:10, 23 September 2006 (UTC) "Due Process is not a ceiling to a defendants rights in a criminal process in which a defendant is accused of a crime; it is a floor of guaranteed fairness and all diligence due to protect the interest of an accused or of a defendant. Due process of law can be established in any original claim of a defendant. Due process of law, is always fair and unbiased, when a defendant or his attorney is first made aware than any unfair advantage is weighed on the side of Guilt; an objection should be made for the court record, and a Demand for Fact of Law should follow if the court does not or will not recognized an element that is not fairs. DUE PROCESS although ficticously listed as a set of guarantees, is never limited to those guarantees but is denied when any unfair advantage is given the state or plaintiff.  A study of supreme court opinions will validate this addition.  THe above limited processes are fowl and contempt if the defendant does not know that he alone can recognize any unfair element. This is constitional law and it overrides any legal president and allows all fairness to be given to a defendant. To deny this is to ask for a dismissal on bias contempt. When the law officer is on the stand and says he knows you are guilty; he, usurps the honor of his position to an unfair advantage. It is impossible to know that you are guilty when you certain are not, untill a verdict is reached."

I concur with below comments. I find the basic outline of this whole text flawed and of little use to the layman. I suggest just reading the US Constitution and asking for the Public Defender.

Innovative defenses
I have never heard of any of these defenses being used successful, or even being presented seriously by any lawyer. If you can find a cite for any of them, we can re-add them. These “defenses” work off flawed understandings of US law and using them will only seriously harm your case and probably get you a contempt charge. --Cspurrier 21:10, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

I have seen one instance in which a defendant's insistance in maintaining this sort of 'defense' over several court appearances despite judicial admonishments eventually resulted in the involuntary psychiatric hospitalization of the defendant. --198.144.137.145 12:05, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

"Jurisdistion of Subject Matter is a valid defense. 1) Subject Matter is limited to the Prosecutors BIASED Opinion. Subject matter that lacks important information because a State Welfare Attorney Failed to Prepare for the Trial, and your case record from the Clerks office is tainted or Painted.  If there are not several document filed from your attorney, then he has become incompetant defence and you must request other representation.  Subject matter Jurisdiction is void when the court is   prejudiced against the case already.  When you are not allowed to ask questions of the Judge and he has not really benefited you with a prudent understanding of the Crimes and accsations to you level of understanding then the court is moot until he is able to cause you to understand.  IF he decided to check NOT GUILTY because your 15 minutes are almost up and you do not admit to understanding any crime or accusation as it would apply to your understanding, then ASK him if his act ( the act of checking NOT GUILTY just to get you through the line ) is a JUDICIAL DICISION. If it is then you are not guilty and you are free to go. If he reponds not, tell him you are not willing to accept his plea unless he is will to be supeonoed to your trial as a witness to your defence. He cannot Constitutionally enter a plea without your admission that you understand all the charges. If there is no attorney with you, ask him to dismiss your charges on the account that you have rights to counsel; but your counsel has not prepared you for any step of the legal process.

Jurisdiction of COURT? There are 3 courts that try cases in the United States. The Criminal Court, The Civil Court, and the Courts of Admiralty Marinetime Law. In order to know how to defend you self, you must ask which jurisdiction does this court have. If he says crimal court, ask him why is the Admiralty Marinetime Flag in his courtroom. Look, it is the almost US FLAG, but has gold trim around it. HE may threaten to charge to with contempt; the prosecutor may object; you camly say that you object to the Prosecutors Attempt to Deprive you of the rights to the Courts of the United States. "I must know which laws to use to defend myself." Please answer, Is this civil and criminal, statutory, or Military."

Ask for a continuance so that you may have the benefit of counsel that is more highly trained and may now if you have committed a Statory Offense or A Common Law Crime. Start Studying and know your rights and Mail a Motion to the Court to Drop all Charges or move your courtcase to a Jurisdiction of Marinetime Law. Remind them then that you must be appointed an attorney who practices Criminal Defense In the Washington DC area.

Conflict of Interest and Bias Possibility? Ask if the Prosecutor is Paid by the State who is charging you, even a Resident of the Same State; of which your are the People. Ask if the Judge is Paid by the State, and if the Appointed Attorney is paid by the State. Ask if the Jury is paid by the state; object to proceeding any further if a public audience is not in the court; you have the right to a public trial; demand one, or at least have it televised."

title: Talk:US Criminal Law


text:
User:Ryoungjr2

Richard Young

ECI 301

Chapter 9 Section 4

What Role does Flexible Scheduling Play?

First of all you must know what Flexible Scheduling is and it is a way to make better use of time, space, and staff. There are many different types of flexible scheduling and the three most ordinarily used are block scheduling, rotating scheduling, and dropped scheduling. Block scheduling is taking half your classes in the first half of the school year and the other half of your classes in the rest of the school year, and with block scheduling you would spend about an hour and a half in each class. Rotating scheduling is when the times of each class change each day for example you may have history at 10:00am on Monday, and at 11:00am on Tuesday. Dropped scheduling is where students are scheduled more classes than there are class periods which allows more time for study sessions, clubs, and/or assembles. Most schools started out with traditional scheduling, but lately more and more are switching to more flexible scheduling.

Flexible scheduling is preferred over traditional because it allows teachers more time to teach their classes. Martha Phibbs a former guidance counselor and French teacher at Smithfield High School says, “I prefer block scheduling over traditional as a teacher and as a mother.” She taught with traditional scheduling at first but switched to block and even though she did not know whether it would work she still wanted a change for she did not have that much time to spend with her family at home. “A 2002 report by the Families and Work Institute found that 45 percent of employees say that work and family responsibilities interfere with each other, and 67 percent of working parents say they do not have enough time with their children.” “84 percent of American voters agreed that children are shortchanged when their parents have to work long hours.”  Wrote by Karen Kornbluh of Washington Monthly and that is all employees not just teachers but at least teachers found a way to fix the problem. Flexible scheduling gives teachers twice the amount of time to teach the kids and in Martha Phibbs’ class she noticed an improvement because of the extra time for the children to understand the material and now teachers have the time to where if they want to do an activity they can. Flexible scheduling allows teachers to do less lecturing, which is extremely boring to most kids, and more hands on activities which many kids learn better from because they do the work themselves. Kids get more of a chance to advance in school because of flexible scheduling, because they can enjoy it more because with block scheduling they have more time for an elective which most kids enjoy. Flexible scheduling also relieves much stress from teachers such as: less students everyday, less routine in everyday classes, more in depth lessons and teachers have more time to be creative with their lessons. “In a survey of nominated exemplary middle schools 75 percent of the respondents indicated that flexible scheduling was moderate to well developed at their schools.” This quote is from the National Middle School Association which is all for flexible scheduling because of the increase in student participation and overall grade point averages. Although flexible scheduling is better in many ways it is more difficult as well. Not all teachers like more flexible schedules because not everyone likes change some enjoy routine because it is simple. Both teachers and students are now responsible for understanding the schedule, and for some teachers they may enjoy a routine everyday but with a flexible schedule they will need to be more creative to use the extra time they a re given with their students. Some schools actually allow their teachers to make the schedules for their own classes which would mean much more work and responsibility for that teacher. On the other hand, though these teachers have the power to change the schedule in any way they need to accommodate any school assemble or fieldtrip that may interfere with their classes. The reason that all teachers are here is to teach the students and to do that, you must first get their attention. To get the attention of the students nowadays teachers must be very creative, and with a flexible schedule teachers now have more time to come up with creative ideas and more time in class to implement them. Flexible schedules are great for most but some grades are just too young. Children in kindergarten, primary schools, and even intermediate schools are a little too young to be subject to flexible scheduling because all they know is staying in one class all day and to put the responsibility of going to multiple classes each day is just too much for them to handle. So flexible scheduling is not for everyone but for middle school and high school and college flexible scheduling is needed.

So what role does flexible scheduling play? Flexible scheduling plays a big role in middle schools, high schools, and colleges or universities. Flexible scheduling gives benefits to both teachers and students. Teachers have more time to be creative with their lessons and more time to really explore the subject of the day with the students because with flexible scheduling the class periods are twice as long. Teachers can spend more time at home with their family because they have more time in school during planning sessions to set up lesson plans and grade papers. Students benefit by being introduced to the subject of each class for a longer period of time and hopefully in a more entertaining way and when the lesson is entertaining the students listen more intently and understand more and do better on standards of learning tests. Students also have more time to spend at home with the family because with flexible scheduling they do not take as many classes a day as traditional scheduling which is six to eight classes. With flexible scheduling they only take about four a day and so they have less homework to do at home. So flexible scheduling is beneficial to almost everyone, teachers, students, and parents, and that is why more and more schools are adopting flexible scheduling in some way.

Danner, Adrienne. Telephone interview.2006, September10.

Kornbluh, Karen. “The Joy of Flex.” Washington Monthly Dec. 2005.

National Middle School Association. “Flexible Scheduling.” 1996.

Phibbs, Martha. Telephone interview.2006, September12.

Romey, Kyle. “Relaxed Intensity.” Journal: Principal Leadership (Middle School Ed.)

Questions 1.	 What are the three most regularly used types of flexible scheduling? a.	Rotating, block, and traditional

b.	Block, dropped, and rotating

c.	Rotating, dropped, traditional

d.	Dropped, block, and AB scheduling 2.  What percent of American employees say that work and family responsibilities interfere with each other? a.	67%

b.	32%

c.	45%

d.	84% 3.  How does flexible scheduling decrease stress for teachers? a.	Less kids

b.	More time to be creative

c.	Less routine

d.	All of the above 4.  What three things does flexible scheduling make more use of? a.	Time, space, and work

b.	Time, staff, and paper

c.	Staff, space, and paper

d.	Space, staff, and time 5.  Who does flexible scheduling not help? a.	Teachers

b.	Councilors

c.	Principals

d.	None of the above

Answers

1.  b

2.  c

3.  d

4.  d

5.  d

Essay Question

Name four ways that flexible scheduling helps teachers?

Side Bar

“Employees shouldn’t need an excuse to get flexible work schedules. Employers should need a reason not to give them.”

title: User:Ryoungjr2


text:
The Computer Revolution/Internet/Protocols

TCP/IP
TCP/IP(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is built into the UNIX operating system. It is used by the Internet, making it the de facto standard for transmitting data over networks.

TCP
TCP - ensures the verification of the correct delivery of data from client to server. Data can be lost in the intermediate network. TCP adds support to detect errors or lost data and to trigger retransmission until the data is correctly and completely received.

TCP is typically used by application software that require guaranteed delivery. It is a sliding window protocol that provides handling for both timeouts and retransmissions.

TCP creates a complete duplex virtual connection between 2 endpoints. Each endpoint is defined by an IP address and a TCP port number and is implemented as a finite state machine.

The byte stream is transferred in segments. The window size determines the number of bytes of data that can be sent before an verification from the receiver is necessary.

IP
IP - is responsible for transferring packet of data from one node to another. IP forwards each packet based on a four byte destination address (the IP number). The Internet authorities assign ranges of numbers to different organizations. The organizations assign groups of their numbers to departments. IP operates on gateway machines that move data from department to organization to region and then around the world.

HTTP
HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. Tim Berners-Lee developed the web protocol to act as web addresses. By using the protocol, you can connect to web servers without the server knowing who you are. The request to the site does not reveal if you have visited the site previously. Therefore, the protocol is basically stateless, unlike FTP, which is interactive.

The only documentation for early versions of the HTTP/1.0 protocol consisted of a discussion draft in HTML form. This documentation is available for historical reasons only, since it has been replaced by the Internet Drafts, Informational RFC, and now Standard track documents, and does not reflect current practice among WWW applications. The purpose for the protocol is so you can retrieve information, promptly and with minimal hassle.

Connection is the establishment of a connection by the client to the server. Request is the act of sending a request message, by the client, to the server. Response is the sending, by the server, of a response to the client. Finally, the closing of the connection by either both parties.

FTP
What is FTP: FTP stands for "file transfer protocol." FTP is the Internet's tool for transmitting files between certain computers. Basically it is a way of sending and receiving files over the internet. FTP enables you to gain access to files that are stored on a hard drive on someone else's computer which is connected to the internet.

FTP is just one of many ways to share information and data over the internet. With FTP the main objective is to have individual/direct control over a certain file. You are able to find out where the file comes from and where the file must go. The easiest way to use FTP is to use a program that is specifically designed to use the File Transfer Protocol.

The 2 different types of files are text and binary, as you could have guessed there is and FTP method for each of these files. The text files consists of letters and numbers that make up text, where as the Binary files are those that are comprised of sounds pics, and programs. You can only transfer these files if they are in the proper format or they will not work.

TOP LEVEL DOMAIN
The top level domain is the part of the URL that specifies what site is part of government, business, education and so on. It's also easy to remember since it's always after the "dot" in the Web address, for example .com, .edu, .info and so on. There is 3 types of top-level domains those are:

- Country code top-level domains : Used by a country. It is two letters long, for example "ca" for Canada.

- Generic top-level domain : Used for commercial organizations. It is three or more letters long. for example .aero, .coop and .museum, and unsponsored top-level domains such as .biz and .info

- Infrastructure top-level domain: The top-level domain ARPA is the only confirmed one. Root has been known to exist without reason

Registration

Internet domain names are registered with any of several registrars. To find out if a domain name is taken, one popular domain name registrar is Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com).

URL
What is URL?

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a reference to a resource on the internet (an address). The URL has 4 components:
 * 1) Web Protocol
 * 2) Domain Name (web server name)
 * 3) Directory name or path
 * 4) File

The web protocol (http://) is a convention or standard that controls or enables the connection, communication, and data transfer between two computing endpoints. This web protocol was developed by Tim Berners-Lee and is seen at the beginning of web addresses.

The domain is a location on the internet (often referred to as web addresses). Domain names are hostnames that provide more easily memorable names to stand in for numeric IP addresses. They allow for any service to move to a different location in the topology of the Internet (or another internet), which would then have a different IP address.

A directory name is the name on the server for the directory, or folder from which your browser needs to pull the file

A file name is a special kind of string used to uniquely identify a file stored on the file system of a computer.The file is the particular page or document that you are seeking.

STANDARDS
In order to ensure that products that are developed can work with other products, a series of networking standards have been developed to address how the device connects to the network as well as how the devices communicate. The most widely used standard with wired networks is the Ethernet. Some of the wireless standards that currently exist, classified by their range are: short range connecting network elements within a small perimeter (Bluetooth, wireless USB, UWB, WiHD, ZigBee), medium range connecting computers to LAN (Wi-Fi) and long range developed to provide internet access to a large area for fixed and mobile users(WiMax, Cellular standards).


text:
The Computer Revolution/Internet/Languages

Languages
The computer does not read information the same way we do. Instead of understanding the symbols we are used to, computers read numbers and letters using a special code of 1's and 0's. Each letter takes a specific combination of around eight 1's and 0's to make. In order for us to create data on computers, whether it be software or a web-page, we have developed a type of computer language called HTML. HTML, a mix between the computer's language and our own, gives us a way to easily communicate with computers. HTML has made many advancements, from basic HTML to XML, Java, and finally javascript.

Low Level Languages

Machine language and assembly language are considered low-level languages. They received their names from the fact that programmers using these languages must write instructions at a low level so that the computer can easily and quickly understand them. Machine language consist of 0's and 1's while assemble language works with names and other symbols. Machine language is instructions are typically in binary form. Assembly language instructions typically use mnemonic operating codes.Assembly language has an advantage has over machine language because it has execution efficiency. Low level languages were developed during the 1st generation of programming languages. These two languages are the earliest programming languages.

Programming Languages History
The first programming language developed was FORTRAN in November 1954 which progressed to FORTRAN I in October of 1956, FORTRAN II in 1957 and a form of FORTRAN is still used today. There have been several programming languages that were created from scratch. Fortran was the first one, then there was: B-O in 1957 which transformed into the better known COBOL in 1958, LISP arrived in 1958, APL in 1960, Snobol in 1962, JOSS in 1964 which has morphed into M ANSI ISO, Forth in 1968, sh in 1969, Prolog in 1970, ML in 1973 and B in 1981. (ref#1). All other marketed languages can have their history traced back to one or more of these languages at some point in time.

HTML
HTML, or "Hyper Text Markup Language," is a programming language used most often in the creation of Web Pages. A markup language simply denotes a form of programming in which there is text with extra information relating to that text. With HTML this is accomplished by using tags, which are commands encased in brackets (<>). For example, putting a B in the brackets before the text and a /b in brackets after the text will bold that text. HTML gained wide acceptance in the creation of web pages because it is simple to use and easy to understand.

XML
XML or "Extesible Markup Language" is an advancement over HTML. It has had a tremendous impact on the internet, surfing and the transmission of data. It allows two computers to communicate with each other. RSS or Really Simple Syndication allows for applications to update automatically when updated by the webmaster. This incredibly powerful feature has helped the expansion of blogs (web logs) which are frequently used as online diaries and vblogs (video web logs) which are blgs with a video component.

Java
Java is an object-oriented programming language that is similar to C and C++. Developed by Sun Microsystems before being taken over by Oracle, it was developed so that it could run on any operating system with out having to change the source code. It is important to note that Java is not associated with JavaScript.

Javascript
Javascript adds an interactive perspective to regular html pages, this can be things like moving images. Javascript allows the user to interact solely with their browser without the need to consult the server. Things such as form validation can be completed on the users computer without the need to consult the server saving time and resources.


text: The Computer Revolution/Internet/Controlling bodies


text:
The Computer Revolution/Internet/Dynamic

Portals
What is a Web Portal, more commonly called just a Portal? It is a website that offers a broad array of resources such as chatrooms, e-mail, forums, search engines and on-line shopping. Some common portals are Yahoo, AOL, Lycos and MSN. These sites offer a variety of links and resources.

In the late 1990s, the Web portal began its popularity. After the introduction of Web browsers in the mid-1990s, many companies tried to build or obtain a portal, to have a piece of the Internet market.

Commonly these portals are used as homepages - a start page listing several categories for finding the latest weather, news, sports, entertainment etc.

Search Engine/Google
The search engine Google is an American public corporation and was founded in Menlo Park, California on September 7th 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The company based in Mountain View, California employs 7,942 people including CEO/Director Eric E. Schmidt.

The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of "googol", meaning a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros. Google has had a major impact on online but also off it. The verb "google" was recently added to both the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, meaning "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet."

In competition with Yahoo and MSN, Google is the most popular search engine world wide.

Search Engine/Yahoo
So what is yahoo!?

It is a navigational guide to the web. A search engine or search service program designed to help find information stored on World Wide Web. The search engine allows one to ask for content meeting specific criteria (typically those containing a given word or phrase) and retrieves a list of references that match those criteria. Search engines use regularly updated indexes to operate quickly and efficiently. Without further qualification, search engine usually refers to a Web search engine, which searches for information on the public Web.

Where and When did it come about?

"""Originally named "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web" by founders David Filo and Jerry Yang, Yahoo is one of the world's most recognized search engine."""

The name Yahoo! is an acronym for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle", however was chosen by the two creators for its more common deffinition: rude, unsophisticated,uncouth.

Yahoo! began as a student hobby and evolved into a global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, find and access information and purchase things. The two founders of Yahoo!, David Filo and Jerry Yang, Ph.D. candidates in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, started their guide in a campus trailer in February 1994 as a way to keep track of their personal interests on the Internet. Before long they were spending more time on their home-brewed lists of favorite links than on their doctoral dissertations. Eventually, Jerry and David's lists became too long and unwieldy, and they broke them out into categories. When the categories became too full, they developed subcategories ... and the core concept behind Yahoo! was born.

Yahoo! celebrated its first million-hit day in the fall of 1994, translating to almost 100 thousand unique visitors

Today, Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 345 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and reaches the largest audience worldwide. The company also provides online business and enterprise services designed to enhance the productivity and Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients. These services include Corporate Yahoo!, a popular customized enterprise portal solution; audio and video streaming; store hosting and management; and Web site tools and services. The company's global Web network includes 25 World properties. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo! has offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Klobs340

Multimedia
The dictionary defines multimedia as measures of communication involving various methods of media. Media being different types of ways to interact, such as web cameras, CD-ROM’s, graphics, and videos. These days, there are so many types of different software and programs you may use on your computer. Technology is getting more advanced every day and there are applications that allow you to do just about anything. Multimedia allows you to create life-like graphics in animation. You can have a sound system on your computer and making videos is relatively easy as well. Multimedia is enhancing the world we live in. Because of all the different types of media out there, the more powerful your computer, the better. There are numerous devices available to use on your computer. They include larger memory and storage space, accelerators, sound cards, subwoofers with the speakers, microphones, DVD-ROM’s, improved microprocessors, and wireless additions to the computer. Many of these devices even require additional software in order to operate. We are able to integrate digital cameras onto our computers and scan items for graphics. Multimedia software is used everywhere everyday. We even use multimedia to describe our home entertainment systems. The big screen TV’s with surround sound and DVD player is all included in the electronic products that we refer to as multimedia. There are different dimensions to media. Single-dimensional would refer to email (you are just using text to communicate) or radio (you are producing sound for people to listen to). To be categorized as multimedia, the technology must exhibit more than one way of communication. This would include the internet, as you can view text and pictures at the same time you’re listening to music and talking through a web camera to your friend.