Southwest Airlines Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Southwest Airlines Strategy - Essay Example Under the circumstances, the case is primarily concerned with how SWA manages to keep its HR strategy in synchronization with the business strategy of maintaining the fastest turnaround when the external pressures change. Â  Southwest Airlines has fought challenges since its inception and it exists despite the regulated and protected markets (Pfeffer, 2005). Initially, competitors tried to ensure that SWA was not allowed to fly at all but since this effort failed, there were restrictions imposed on SWA to fly out of Dallas-Fort Worth international airport. SWA was restricted to fly out of the newly-constructed Love Field. They were allowed only short-haul, point-to-point flights to close-in airports. SWA was not a member of any of the big computerized reservation systems, used no unique process technology, and was essentially a low-cost no-frills airline. Despite all these constraints and restrictions, the airline attained success which is primarily due to its highly motivated and productive workforce. They have fewer employees per aircraft, fly fewer passengers per employee and have more available seat miles per employee. Because of the highly motivated workforce, its turnaround time is much less c ompared to competitors which also enhances its productivity in terms of equipment utilization. SWA has achieved the Triple Crown (best on-time performance, fewest lost bags, and fewest passenger complaints—in the same month) nine time, which is a rare feat.

Panera Bread Case Study Essay Example for Free

Panera Bread Case Study Essay INTRODUCTION: Panera Bread is one of the great American success stories of breaking trends, and shaking up the market with complete innovation. Not only were they successful, but they were able to achieve this success while doing things their own way. Product and Service differentiation were the keys to this bakery-cafà ©s success. Before Panera Breads creation in ___, never had a business combined the relaxing environment of a cafà © with the fresh aroma of an artisans bakery. This proved to be a gold mine for its owner and stakeholders, and the analysis of this period from 2001 to 2003 shows exactly why. In this analysis, we will examine the success factors of Panera Bread and explain why they were able to achieve some of the goals they had accomplished thus far. We will also explain some alternatives and opportunities that Panera Bread may look forward to taking advantage of in the future. Panera Breads mission was to create the bakery-cafà ©; a place the combined the welcoming atmosphere of coffee shops, the food of sandwich shops, and the quick service of fast food restaurants. They named this type of service fast-casual dining and the term fits because of the atmosphere and quality of service they were able to provide. Panera Bread targeted 5 key consumer dining needs which include the following: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: CURRENT SITUATION The companys revenues rose from 350.8 million to 977.1 million between 2000 and 2003 as a result of new unit expansion, with 419 stores opening between 1999 and 2003. In 2000 system wide comparison sales and annualized unit volumes increased 9.1% and 12%. The growth of these two metrics decreased in the years following with system wide comparable sales and AUVs increasing only .2% and .5%. GENERAL ENVIRONMENT The fast-casual dining market consists of those companies that seek to fill the gap between fast-food chains and full-service restaurants. These companies offer speed, efficiency, inexpensiveness, hospitality, quality and ambiance. These restaurants fall under fast casual when they offer self-service, a check between 6 and 9 dollars, slightly more expensive than fast food but cheaper than full service restaurants. Other requirements include that the food be made to order and the dà ©cor being upscale. This market of restaurants experienced significant growth between 1999 and 2003. Continued growth was expected with sales projected to reach 50 billion in the following decade. This growth was expected to come at the expense of fast food chains. The industrys growth started with high profitability and diverse dining avenues, with concepts such as Mexican, Chinese, and bakeries. Opening costs for these establishments in relation to annual sales was minimal, allowing more new players to get into the market with fresh concepts and menu items. Also the maturing of baby boomers and their children contributed largely to the growth of the fast casual market. This demographic expressed insufficient time for cooking while growing tired of fast food and desiring a high-quality, fresh, healthy dining experience, without the time consumption of a full dining restaurant. This market has effectively emerged itself into a legitimate trend in the restaurant industry. Modern day customers seek establishments that combine qualities such as a casual atmosphere, quality, and quick service. Panera Bread focuses on these aspects of their bakeries by offering breakfast, lunch, daytime chill-out, lunch in the evening and take home meals; in alignment with consumer dining  needs. The companys customer base included seniors, matinee-goers, shoppers, business professionals, and students. The company focuses on delivering high quality foods, targeting suburban dwellers and workers as a premium specialty bakery and cafà ©. Panera Bread was a pioneer in the cafà ©-bakery segment with unique concepts and operation strengths, which has led the company to its current position in the fast casual dining market. The company designed its concept in meeting the consumers needs of efficiency and the desire for high quality dining, which arent met by traditional fast food chains. The company strived to establish Panera Bread as a leading national brand, with its operation quality, real estate strategies, and design being integral to their success Each company-operated bakery had computerized cash registers to collect point of sale transaction data, used in generating marketing information. Product prices were programmed into the system from the corporate office. The companys in-store information system was designed to assist in labor scheduling and food cost management, to provide corporate and retail operation management fast access to data, and to reduce administrative time. These systems supplied data to the companys accounting department daily, enabling them to use the data to generate weekly reports on sales and other important elements. The company also monitored the average check, customer count, product mix, and other sales trends. Also, facilities had systems that allowed the dough facilities to accept electronic orders from the bakery and deliver orders to the bakeries. TASK ENVIRONMENT Employees consisted of full time associates in administrative or general positions, commissary operators, bakers, and associates at the bakeries. As of December 2003 the company had 3,924 full time associates, of whom 344 were employed in general or administrative roles principally at or from the companys support centers. The company also had 4,078 part-time hourly associates at the bakeries. The companys priority was staffing its bakeries, fresh dough facilities, and support centers with skilled associates, investing in training programs to ensure quality. The company  offered incentive programs and bonuses to salaried employees, with the addition of product discounts and employee stock options. Panera Bread believed that providing bakery-cafà © operators the opportunity to participate in the success of the company would enable the company to attract and retain highly motivated and experienced personnel, resulting in a better customer experience. The company targets mostly those individuals in urban areas, focusing on white collar workers who seek a fast and healthier alternative from fast food burgers and other common establishments of fast service. With a large focus on individuals seeking a fast, quality bakery product, the company seeks to give its target customers a stylish ambiance to dine in. Panera Breads competition derived from sources within its trade areas. The stores competed based on consumers need for breakfast, lunch, daytime, lunch in the evening, and take home bread sales with the competitive factors being location, environment, customer service, price, and quality of products. The company also competed for leased space in desirable locations where certain competitors had capital resources that exceeded those available to Panera Bread. Those primary competitors included specialty food and casual dining restaurant retailers, including national, regional, and locally owned concepts. Panera Bread had a fresh dough facility system that supplied fresh dough to the company owned and franchise operated bakeries daily. The company had 16 commissaries that prepare the fresh dough. These commissaries assured product quality and consistency, headed by the companys master artisan baker, Mile Marino, who has been with the company since 1987. The company also entered into five year contract with a company named Bunge for its supply of frozen dough. The company also signed an agreement with Dawn Food Products to prep and deliver the frozen dough; structured as a cost-plus agreement. Franchised bakerys operated under individual contracts with either the company distributor or other regional distributors, with three companies serving as the primary distributors for Panera Bread. The company has had increasing stock holders equity between 1999 and 2003, with its most recent total stockholders equity equaling 195,937 in December of 2003. Total incurred liabilities of the company equaled $46,235 in December of 2003 which made for a total liabilities and stockholders equity of $245,943  for the year. INTERNAL ANALYSIS The company strategy centered around a conceptual focus on the specialty bakery category with a focus on artisan attention bread made with all-natural ingredients. The strategies implemented by the company focus on meeting the important consumer trends met by fast food chains, while striving for a more upscale environment. In an effort to make Panera Bread emerge into a nationally dominant name, the company framed its menu, operating systems, prototype, and strategies around effective competition within sub-level business targets. This helped to company to increase profits between 2002 and 2003. The unique character of Panera Breads quality in its cafà ©s, menu options, distinguished bakery design, along with the valuable locations of its stores contributed to its success. The company planned to combine company and franchise efforts in order to achieve its growth. Franchising proved to be a key factor in the companys success, allowing the company to expand more rapidly due to increa sed resources to outfit the strategies and concepts produced by Panera. At the closing of the 2003 fiscal year, the company had 429 bakeries in operation and documented intention of opening an addition 409 bakeries. The company has 8 key executive officers with extensive experience, both with Panera Bread and also with other major corporations and organizations including Starbucks, Fidelity Investments, and other companies. All of these officers obtained their position with Panera between 1999 and 2003. The company derives its culture from the pre-existing chains of fast food and full service dine-ins. In an effort to supply consumers with a third option that combined the attributes of both of these markets, the company, through many stages of conception, effectively identified a niche within urban consumers. The company pioneered a new market segment of food service trends and through constant growth and innovation has built a successful company. The company is structured with top management and board executives establishing and updating views goals and visions for the growth and target of the restaurant chain. The company has both corporate and franchise operated bakerys that adhere to the vision and direction of company management and consumer trends. STRATEGY FORMATION: Panera Bread has maintained its business strategy over its lifespan and they continue to employ a product/service differentiation strategy to sustain their competitive advantage as a fast-casual dining experience. This strategy has enabled them to grow very swiftly over the past 15-20 years and has given them a substantial hold on the market for fast-casual dining. Panera Breads decision to employ this differentiation strategy correctly, gives them the best opportunity to succeed for their target market. They are in a market where there are many ways to differentiate the products and services they provide. Buyers often perceive these differences as the product/service having value. Fortunately, few rival firms are following this distinct differentiation approach. Ron Schaich and his team were correct when concluding that this differentiation strategy would attract patrons which gave Panera Bread every reason to employ this strategy. To differentiate themselves from the likes of McDonalds, Burger King, or Pizza Hut; they focused on an extremely high quality of food products. This played into their game plan of becoming a specialty cafe and they continued to choose the best and most natural ingredients for their products. Every loaf of bread is baked with the four ingredients, water, natural yeast, flour and salt, no chemicals or preservatives are ever used. Another practice they employ to provide first class products is within their supply chain. To provide fresh dough to their locations every day, they have many regional fresh dough facilities. These facilities would go through a 48 hour process to prepare bread and bagel dough for shipment, which provides consistent quality and efficiency to all the locations. Panera Bread also found that many customers were more health conscious which prompted them to introduce a full line of whole grain breads. Other improvements that they instituted included new artisan sweet goods, egg soufflà ©s and natural anti-biotic free chicken all to meet the customers ever changing preferences. These are the practices upon which Panera Bread has continued to provide an exceptional distinct product line to its customers in hopes of sustaining a competitive advantage. Panera has also implemented change in other areas to provide their customers with a differentiated service experience. They have employed a cafe design which created one of the most comfortable and warm environments to dine in. This has been very successful for their strategy of distinguishing themselves and their offerings to customers. Like Starbucks, they wanted to create an environment in which consumers would identify Panera Bread as a neighborhood meeting place. As a result, patrons would continuously use a Panera Bread location for all sorts of gatherings whether they are for business or pleasure. One of the greatest benefits that Panera Bread provides to its customers is free wireless high-speed internet and since they were one of the first to do so, this created a competitive advantage for them. The fast-casual dining industry is generally a new concept. At this point, Panera needs to sustain its leadership and competitive advantage in this industry to continue to grow and fend off competitors. One of the best defensive strategies that they can employ is the leverage gained by economies of scale. With these economies they can continue to offer their products on their terms, which give them an advantage over the competition. This in turn gives them more control over the market and the suppliers in this industry. Here they can block avenues for current competitors as well as new entrants. If they can continue to stay on the top of the industry they can continue to employ this defensive strategy. One of the main reasons that Panera Bread is relevant is because of its size. At this point they are one of the largest fast-casual dining businesses and they use this size to stimulate further growth. Continuing to grow gives them the opportunity to generate more revenue if executed well with the right buyers. Revenue is always a great reason for expansion and Panera Bread knows this. They are one of the best in the restaurant industry at recognizing shifts in consumer preferences and being able to make the proper adjustments to satisfy their customers. This is crucial especially in todays world where change is continuous and rapid. As Panera Bread consistently strives to be a leader in product and environmental offerings,  its crucial that they continue to be aware of and progress along with the changing world. Even though they can employ some of these strategies in the future, they cant lose track of their business model for fast-casual dining restaurants in the process. Though Panera Bread has been very successful during this period, there are some strategies which they can enact to stimulate a growth in profits. Unfortunately, with each benefit from an alternative there is always a cost that Panera Bread may or may not be willing to incur. Firstly, Panera Bread could try to vertically integrate their products. This would call for them to pre-pack some of their bread and sandwich products and sell them in local grocery chains across the United States. This strategy would make their products more accessible to the general public even where there are no Panera Bread cafà ©-bakeries nearby. One of the key risks with strategy would be the possibility that product quality would diminish because the products are not being made fresh within the actual bakeries. The second strategic alternative would be the use of mini cafes within retail stores. This strategy has already been implemented by Starbucks with their mini cafes inside of Target retail stores. This would also make the products more accessible to the general public, thus giving Panera Bread more exposure. This strategy would require Panera Bread to train managers within the retail store to be able to handle the proper preparation of their products. Lastly, the third alternative would be acquiring local cafes and transforming them into new cafà ©-bakery locations. This strategy would essentially eliminate competition and create new areas where these products can be accessed. On the other hand, if Panera Bread is unable to conduct full takeovers, there is a risk that they could lose some of the authenticity of their products/services.

Review of Karl Marx’s Capital (1867)

Review of Karl Marx’s Capital (1867) Review of Karl Marx’s article Capital Capital, published in 1867 instantly made its mark as one of Karl Marx’s most ‘detailed critique of economic life.’ (Rivikin Ryan, 665, 2004) In his article, Marx not only highlights that we ‘fetishize the objects that appeal most immediately to our senses’, (Rivikin Ryan, 665, 2004) but he also argues that we ignore the real exploitation of the workers who provide these commodities on the marketplace. In his article, Marx illuminates how the capitalist economic system structures human society. One of the ideas that he puts forward is how the relationship between ‘satisfying human wants’ for the value of a commodity contrasts with the invisible exploitation of labour. He states that man easily ‘changes the forms’ of the commodities in order to be ‘useful to him’, therefore demonstrating how the bourgeoisie owns the means of production thus highlighting how they are only interested in producing the maximum surplus value to suit their needs. Furthermore, Marx describes the capitalist as an ‘enigmatical character’ which further suggests they have the power and control over the world’s natural, economic and human resources to take advantage of the product of labour, as soon as it takes the ‘form of commodities’ which is of high value. Another idea put forward by Marx is the contrast between the social relations and the technical relations of production. Firstly, Marx states ‘their own labour is presented to them as a social relation’ which is of importance as it means it is the people who are associated to a relatively stable economic structure. However, Marx goes on to say the producer’s labour only exists ‘between the product of their labour’ which implies it is now the people that relate to objects; thus highlighting how the result of production determines your social class. In addition, he states that the qualities of the products of labour are ‘perceptible and imperceptible’ which links back to the idea of how we are not only ignorant to the producers of commodities but this opens up to the alienation of social relations. Following on from this idea, the social relations become less apparent as Marx argues that the value relation between the products of labour has ‘no connection with their physical properties’. Marx’s idea of commodity fetishism is highlighted here as it transforms how the production of commodities and money are exchanged in the market trade through secretly hiding the fact that someone was exploited to produce that value of commodity. Furthermore, Marx continues to illuminate the human alienation of the capitalist structure as he states man is drawn into this concept by ‘the fantastic form of a relation between things’. Marx believes that through reification, these commodities now seen as objects obscure the economic exploitation of the labourer’s (subjects) wages and the new value of product created by the worker themselves. In his article, Marx cleverly underpins how we are ignorant to the inefficient and exploitive system with the analogy of the ‘act of seeing’. He argues that from the ‘external object to the eye’, we see an ‘actual passage of light from one thing to another’, which implies the exploitation of labourer’s is not invisible; but we just choose not to see it as we live in a controlled society. In his article Marx demonstrates a contrast between the social and technical relation production and from this light analogy we can argue that there is a need for social dependency that capitalism feeds off; in order for economic power to overrule all political and social activities. Furthermore, the value of capital would deteriorate if labour is removed from the workplace, thus highlighting how the bourgeoisie are in effect dependent upon the proletariat labour-power. In his text, Marx also puts forward a philosophical concept which brings about the theory of alienation of the capitalist system. The analogy of the ‘mist-enveloped regions of the religious world’ is a highly effective idea as it illuminates that Christianity and the concept of God estranges the natural characteristics of our human desires. Marx essentially made use of Charles de Brosses concept of fetishism through his The Cult of Fetish Gods (1760) which suggests a materialist theory of the origin of religion which developed the idea of commodity fetishism. Marx gives reference to ‘men’s hands’ which arguably suggests that the whole system is corrupt as commodities are seen as more valuable than the labourer who produced it. Marx concludes with ‘This I call Fetishism’ which emphasises and summarises how unfair and corrupt the capitalist system works. Word count: 748 Marxism applied to Raymond Carver’s poem Shiftless There are many subtle concepts of Marxism found in Raymond Carver’s poem Shiftless, published in 1985. The first few lines highlight the idea that everything is masked in the capitalist system of control. He states the people who were higher up the social ladder ‘were comfortable’ (1) who were fortunate to live in ‘painted houses with flush toilets’ (2) and ‘drove cars whose year and make were recognizable’ (3). From the description given, the materialist goods illuminate the idea of conspicuous consumption; they purchase these costly good and publicly display them to impress people with their wealth of economic power. Furthermore, this idea of ‘painted houses’ could be symbolic for the fact that commodity fetishism is active as it shows these material commodities are of greater value than those who produced it. Also, ‘painted’ links in with Marx’s idea of how we are ignorant to acknowledge the exploitation of labourer’s. These material goods also link in with Marx’s idea of ‘satisfying human wants’ from his chapter on Capital. The consumer aspires to have the best of the best commodities in order to gain social, economic and cultural prestige. Marx argues in his chapter on The German Ideology that ‘those who lack the means of production are subject to it.’ (Rivkin Ryan, 2004, 656) This means depending on where you stand on the ladder of the capitalist system, you are put in a social class depending on the amount of means of production. Carver continues with ‘The ones worse off were sorry’ which links in with Mar x’s theory of how the working class are exploited and it further attacks the unfair capitalist market system. Carver gives reference to ‘strange cars’ and ‘dusty yards’ (5) to juxtapose the material goods in the first three lines. The poet cleverly shows the distinction between the value of commodities and the social classes in just one line. This links in with Marx’s alienation theory of the effect of the capitalist production on labourers. These material objects are there in the poem so that the reader can identify the clear contrast in social class; however those who are subject to it are under the false consciousness as it is the way a capitalist society works. According to Bertell Ollman, he argues that all classes are under some form of alienation, but it is ‘the proletariats affliction is the most severe.’ (Ollman, 2014) Following this idea, we can see the contrast of material commodities given in Shiftless, which highlights the exploitation of labour. The reference to ‘dusty yards’ suggests the capitalist system dominates the history of class struggle and the poem reflects the poverty that the proletariat undergo. In his poem, Carver cleverly represents his own opinion of life to mock the capitalist system of control as he stats ‘My goal was always / to be shiftless. I saw the merit in that.’(8 9) The poet Jim McGarrah states that ‘This constant state of flux and the battle for economic stability began to take a toll on Carver’s personal life’ (McGarrah, 2009) which highlights the domineering effect of the capitalist control. The idea of ‘doing nothing’ (11) links in with Marx’s view of ideology and how ideology is part of everyday reality. Terry Eagleton, a literary theorist, argues that ‘people invest in their own unhappiness’ (Eagleton, 1991, 13) which suggests why Carver experiences simple activities in the poem. The word ‘Spitting.’ (15) is positioned on its own to perhaps emphasise how this shiftless behaviour is seen to be more appealing than being a subject to an exploitive system where commodities are of m ore value. Marx uses a philosophical analogy of how the natural characteristics of human behaviour is estranged due to them being subjective to an ideological apparatus of a higher system; God in the religious world. Carver challenges this interpellation procedure by stating in the final two lines ‘â€Å"Don’t I know you?† / Not, â€Å"What are you going to be when you grow up?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Carver highlights how controlled society is as everyone believes they have to be ‘something’ or ‘someone’ in order to attain social prestige. The pressure of a good reputation and a social status is what forces us into the idea of having to have the best commodities that we either buy or own in order to communicate a sense of social prestige. This poem highlights Marxist theoretical concepts in order to highlight how exploitive, alienating and inefficient the capitalist system is. Word count: 740

Sixth Sense: The Vomeronasal Organ Essay -- Biology Essays Research Pa

Sixth Sense: The Vomeronasal Organ "We are all more influenced by smell than we know." (Hercule Poirot) ....Murder in Retrospect, Agatha Christie Biologists have long realized that the noses of most vertebrates actually contain two sensory channels. The first is the familiar olfactory system, which humans possess. The second channel is the vomeronasal complex, a system that has its own separate organs, nerves, and connecting structures in the brain. The function of the vomeronasal system is the detection of pheromones, chemical messengers that carry information between individuals of the same species. It was widely believed (as I found in some of the older texts I examined) that humans had long ago discarded this sensory system somewhere along evolution's trail. But convincing behavioral and anatomical evidence has since brought the notion of a human vomeronasal organ (VNO) into the realm of scientific fact. Some thirty years ago, when anatomist David Berliner was studying human skin composition using scraped skin cells from the insides of discarded casts, he found that when he left vials containing skin extracts open, his lab assistants would become more friendly and warm than usual (1). When, months later, he decided to cover the vials, the warm and relaxed behavior was noticeably reduced. These findings led him to investigate the possible existence of odorless human pheromones and a "sixth sense" organ to detect their presence, a VNO. While this early evidence was not empirical, anatomists have since found that all humans display two tiny pits, with duct openings, on both sides of the septum just behind the opening of the nose (3). The duct leads into a tubular lumen lacking a thick, distinct sensory epithelium. ... ...ture textbooks will attribute to humans this mysterious, unconscious sixth sense. WWW Sources 1)Chemicals the cause excitement http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/art97/pherom.html 2)VNO website http://neuro.fsu.edu/research/vomer.htm 3)Science Frontiers article http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf090/sf090b06.htm 4)Chemical Communication by Willam C. Agosta 5) Olfactory Receptors, Vomeronasal Receptors, and the Organization of Olfactory Information. From Cell, a journal 6)Howard Hughes olfactory website http://www.hhmi.org/senses/d220.html 7)Article from The Scientist http://euclid.ucsd.edu/~weinrich/theScientist2.html 8)Pheromone Book Review http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/psyc-bin/newpsy?7.12 Additional Sources Messages sent through sweat http://www.patscan.ca//sweat.html

Mother Theresa :: essays research papers

Mother Theresa: Saint of the Gutters (1910-1997) A modern day savior was born to the world in 1910 in Skopje Yugoslavia. Born under the name Agnes Gongxha Bojaxhiu, she later took the name Teresa after St. Teresa, patroness of missionaries. Joining the Sisters of Loretoat the tender age of 18, she came across many events that would touch her life in the most special way; inspiring her to do many great deeds for human kinds. In 1948, Mother Teresa came across a half-dying woman lying in front of the Calcutta hospital. Through the compassion of her dear heart, Mother Teresa stayed with her until she passed into the after-life. Through this one kind act, Mother Teresa devoted her life to helping the poorest in India. She gained the name, â€Å" Saint of Gutters† from her many kind works. Mother Teresa founded the order of nuns known as the â€Å" Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.† The group of 12 became a group of 3,000 in 50 years. That is three thousand women in India which have donated their lives to helping the poor in India around the world. Mother Teresa would not stop there. She founded the Nirmal Hriday, a home for the Dying, in a former temple located in Calcutta. This was a foundation that took the dying Indians off the street and brought them in to a nice, peaceful environment. Although Mother Teresa was not able to cure the people through some divine power, she did offer the dying Indians a peaceful place of comfort for them to release themselves into the after life in dignity. She saw the love of Jesus within every man, woman and child she brought in. No matter what ailed them, Mother Teresa still found the compassion in heart to bring them in. For 50 years she continued to help the poor, conquering many emotional times with the aid of her faith in God. The respect she received from the world won her a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Over the past two decades, Mother Teresa had begun to see end of her long hard journey.

Cool Running’s – American Dream

Englisch – Leistungskurs Do you think that â€Å"Cool Running’s† is an example of the idea of the American Dream? Give reasons for your answer! The film â€Å"Cool Running’s† can be regarded as a perfect example of the idea of the American Dream in many ways. When a group of Jamaican athletes founds a bobsled team, on an island, offering neither snow nor any sleds they could practice on, a former bobsled coach finds himself ready to train the team, in order to win the Winter Olympics.Regarding their commitment to obtain their goals, they struggle through everything standing in their way, such as not being supported by their own families, and even being ridiculed by the opponent teams, and the media. The first desperately looking team becomes a well-trained bobsled crew, showing off their skills and now even competing in the Winter Olympics. Their goal to win the Olympics only becomes of second importance, when their coach reveals his past referring to the scandal he is responsible for, by cheating during the past Olympics, followed by him saying: â€Å"If you're not enough without a medal, you'll never be enough with one. During the final day’s race one of the sled’s blades falls off, flipping the sled on its side, when only a few meters are separating the team from the finishing line. However, they lift the sled proudly and walk across the finishing line, while the crowd around them is applauding cheerfully. It seems like society almost forgot the meaning of the American Dream, by putting prosperity on a level with happiness. Many people forget how some can even find happiness without wealth or economic success, but in their personal fulfillment, which in this case was to take part in the Winter Olympics and represent their country.

Literacy Education Essay

Education is provided for all, it is our federal government’s promise that education be accessible to everyone. But what if a student is not able to learn or has difficulty acquiring knowledge? They are then given the opportunity to attend a remedial class so that they can cope up with the lessons. But what if the student is not actually illiterate or in need of remedial classes but only needs a little help in adjusting to the current lesson plan? This is what Mike Rose realized as he worked his way through his own schooling and later on as an educator. During his early education, Mike Rose was not a straight A student nor did he stand out among his peers, his early school life was quite ordinary. In Lives on the Boundary, he recounted the difficulties he encountered as a middle class immigrant family but how education and his encounters with some of his teachers had freed him and enabled him to venture out into the world (Graff, 1994). He eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Loyal University and earned a graduate fellowship with UCLA. Rose argues that students stuck in remedial classes are not necessarily there secondary to lack in intelligence but because of lack of support from a social and economic standpoint. He goes on to question standards used in evaluating intelligence and calls for a change in the standards for a more equalized opportunities in education. He also talks of changes in the way literacy is taught to students who are underprepared. He seeks to develop a new curriculum that can adapt to the needs of the students in remedial classes and that is focus on meaningful composition and critical thinking rather than on grammar and usage. He also seeks changes in the philosophy of education that goes beyond the financial benefit and education gained as measured by the usual tests. Failed Education There are times when a student is not able to learn or fails in class and the usual notion is that the child is lacking in intelligence and is placed in a remedial class in order for them to grasp knowledge. But Rose (1989) argues that â€Å"more often than we admit, a failed education is social more than intellectual in origin† (p. 225). What can Rose mean by this? Essentially Rose talks of the educationally underprepared students, those who are often placed in remedial classes, which was labeled as the ‘sick section’ or ‘hospital section’ (p. 210) which is can already be termed a stigma to those who attend these types of classes. But in his book, Rose (1989) makes one realize that many of these students fail and fall into remedial classes not because of lack of intelligence or lack of skills but mainly because of the lack of understanding of their teachers and the lack of opportunity provided for them due to a variety of reasons not limited to the academic. He explores how these factors including their economic situation and social standings affect the performance and perception of these ‘remedial’ students. He notes that the problem of dwindling academic performance and the statistics that show such problems are misguided and should be reassessed to include a broader perspective. He also notes that the current technique used in measuring intelligence and learning from a student is restricted and misrepresented and should be reevaluated. He argues that the usual approaches used in teaching literacy to students who are underprepared is essentially useless, in terms that the student learns essentially nothing if focus is given to grammar and usage and that this way only ends up in fueling the thought that the student lacks intelligence. He seeks a change in the current curriculum to a more accurate and pervasive one. Learning to Read and Write Learning how to read and write correctly is critical to a student’s success in school and in later life. One of the most excellent forecaster of a child’s success in school is the level where a student progresses in reading and writing, but what if the learning process is inhibited by a variety of factors that includes economic and social ones that prevents a student from learning ‘normally’ as other students who don’t face the same circumstances as them. How can learning then be attained? In Crossing Boundaries, Mike Rose recounts his experiences with a number of remedial students who exhibited low test score results at the beginning but through his help was able to understand what was needed from them to be able pass the test (Rose 1989, p. 219). Looking at the various characters depicted in the book, one quickly realizes that a number of the characters embody the typical sample of youth in the US. These students, coming from a vast and multi-cultural society enveloping a variety of shapes, colors, sizes, ethnicity and culture also typifies the Great American Middle Class. Many of the remedial students share a common trait, which is the problem of not being able to communicate well and usually through no fault of their own. Many of our school’s youth are thrown into the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder even though they do not belong in such places or the very least be able to crawl out of this rung. Much of their talents and gifts wasted away simply because they weren’t able to commune through reading and writing or was not able to grasp the basics and thereby they are left to fend for themselves. Learning is a social process as Rose points out that there is a need for the teacher to connect with the student in order for learning to be achieved, which he has accounted for in many of his experiences in his own schooling and later on in his teaching of remedial students in inner city LA. Rose suggests that once a teacher learns more about his student, it paves the way for the teacher to fully comprehend writing preferences thereby allowing for a more meaningful exchange between the teacher and the student. As an educator Rose argued that test scores and the usual competencies used to gauge a student’s intelligence are obsolete in this day and age. He notes that problems of the dwindling scholastic performance of today’s youth may not be as bad as it is if reforms in teaching and education are put in place in order to adapt to the needs of the remedial class that dictates an eclectic approach that cultivates the inherent intelligence of this youth that focus on creative thinking rather than focus on the traditional approach that is set on the formalities of language. As an educator and proponent of literacy this author realizes that even as one seeks to impart knowledge and guide students towards being literate, one must also be flexible and adaptable to the environment and the student they promise to teach. One realizes that each individual is different in their own rights and the teacher as a proponent of literacy should learn to embrace that individuality adapting to the needs of the student so that learning can actually take place and that the student will be open to learning. The author through this reading also notes that a teacher as he seeks to impart knowledge to his students must also learn about his students in order to really teach them and enable his students to reach their fullest capacities and this might mean adapting a different set of techniques in teaching and learning to cope with the multifarious student body that encompasses today’s school setting. Conclusion Educating a student is generally academic in nature, you need to be able to teach the student the basics of the language in order for the student to be termed literate. Reading and writing concur with literacy. In a sense that when a student understands the lesson and is able to connect the words together and form a coherent and understandable statement then one can derive that the student is indeed literate. But one has to understand that simply because the student cannot comprehend the connection of various words means that they are illiterate. A variety of factors including poverty, responsibilities outside the school and lack of opportunity often leads a student to fail miserably at school. At the end of this reading the author comprehends the reality that there are a variety of students that encompass the school system and that in this sense the teacher is encouraged to develop creative ways of teaching and stimulate the significance of an educator’s vocation. And part of it is learning how to cope with the different situations of various students and even teachers that hinders learning (Preskill, 1998). This author realized the significance of education and what it means to be educated, also this author notes that as education must change in order to adapt to the gush of societal demands and strains. It can be concluded that there is a need for a guiding principle that encourages the system to embrace the rich mix of language, custom and legend that is America (Rose 1989, p. 238). The reading has prompted this author to be a more sensitive educator, someone who is responsive to the consequence of labeling and a teacher who understands the bond between teacher and student. Works Cited: Graff G (1994) Disliking books at an early age. In Falling into theory: Conflicting views on Reading Literature, ed. David Richter. Boston: Bedford Books Preskill, S (1998) Narratives of teaching and the quest for the second self. Journal of Teacher Education 49(5) pp. 344-357. Rose, M (1989) Chapter 8: Crossing Boundaries. In Lives on the Boundary pp. 205-238. New York: Penguin Books.