Honda Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Honda - Assignment Example In spite of the bad timing of its entry, the company’s determination to succeed in the international industry led it to where it is now. Product- In terms of product efficiency 100 % quality is not good enough for the company, the standard is set to120% product quality (â€Å"Aiming for 120%†). This has always been their basis into making their products, in line with the goal of meeting or even exceeding customer satisfaction. Honda is focused on the creation of innovative technologies for the enhancement of safety. It is considered as the most fuel efficient car manufacturer in the US for the year 2010. Price- The versatility of their car models are fit to those who plan to buy a car that is enough with their budget. Americans are busy people that’s why owning a car is definitely important. Considering the quality of vehicles manufactured by Honda and with prices that are not too high to be reached, attracting buyers to purchase their product is not at all hard. Place- Honda’s successful penetration into the US market is something that is now catching the attention of strategic management theorists. Standards of the American people are totally different with those of the Japanese. It is one of the challenging parts of business when a firm decides to put up a branch or expand in an unfamiliar place. Having been able to introduce products with a Japanese approach and with the US market’s favorable reaction, Honda’s decision to launch its first out of the country subsidiary in the US was a success. Promotion- The people’s word of mouth helps in the promotion of a product most especially when it is a positive feedback of what they have experienced upon using it. The satisfaction of the customers is what Honda and its dealers from around the world hope to achieve. That is why in order to gain popularity and a good

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Aristotle’s two magnificent Children: Ethos the Spiritual Motivator, and Logos the Blunt Persuader Among the multiple appeals from Aristotle, there lies rhetorical analysis. Applying Aristotle’s appeals to present day advertisements breaks down all the aspects and qualities of each advertisement, thus identifying motive behind the color scheme to the emotion or lack of, behind the script. There are two different types of styles of writing that I’m going to talk about in this paper, Ethos and Logos. In this specific ad, there are examples of Pathos and Ethos used in order to have a successful advertisement. â€Å"Rhetorical approaches are concerned with the use of reason in efforts to persuade an audience, but not only with reason: they also consider the personal qualities, characteristics and skills of speakers† (Ellis). After looking at the ad for a long time and analyzing it, it’s clear that Figure Weight Loss means business. In this paper I am going to focus on the different aspects of Ethos and Logos and how they apply to the ad itself in broad terms, a side story of a girl named Shannon, and their three keen promises to make it safe, effective, and affordable for each client. In literary terms, Ethos can be referred to as a spirit that motivates ideas and customs, and it could also be traced back to times of economic change in ancient Palestine. In other literary terms, Logos means that you as the writer are persuading through reasoning. Even though that the advertisement isn’t a big one and is in a small reach magazine, it still packs a tremendous amount of meaning. When I was flipping through magazines I was getting bored because nothing was really eye appealing that’s when I decided to open up a Reach magazine because they usually have something or some things that are appealing and fun to look at. I was almost done flipping through the pages and I saw my two most favorite colors combined in such a unique way I didn’t even care what the ad was about, I stopped. Tying in with ethos, the advertisement the three physicians at the bottom right hand corner look serious and they give that sort of sense that it is okay to come to their place because they mean business and they know what to do. Tying logos to the advertisement is easy; the people at Figure Weight Loss offer an $89 first visit and free medication for the whole first month, that sounds like some good reasoning to me. â€Å"By Aristotle the systematic and technical definitions and uses of persuasion in both texts are analyzed in depth. Parallels are then drawn between the categories of persuasion used in the two texts and Aristotles philosophical categories of ethos and logos† (Kraus). The logic and reasonable qualities of the advertisement associate with Shannon, I would say if Shannon could do it then I can, but I’ve already lost 35 pounds in less than two months. However if Shannon and I can do this, anyone can. The story about Shannon is unclear, it just shows her on the ad and says that she lost 52 pounds. It doesn’t say what she weighed when she came in or her weight when she came out. However she still dropped the weight on the system created by Medical Doctors Raimi Carrigan, Robert Grober, and Greg Weckenbrock. Shannon was probably a regular woman that was overweight and went out to search for a solace. Shannon probably heard about this through a friend or went snooping around. Anyway Shannon found the spirit that ethos provides and felt motivated enough to consult a experienced physician and get started on their program to lose weight, and to become a better person. Logos can be applied because, Shannon was persuaded not only by the doctors at Figure Weight Loss, but she was also being persuaded by herself to get her life back on track†¦ and she did. â€Å"You make a choice in your life, and it affects you life in all the ways, good and bad† (Mayer). At their location in Edgewood Kentucky, the Medical Doctor’s basically have a 3-bullet point insurance policy. They ensure that their work and style is very safe, very effective, and rather light on the wallet. They also claim that you will see immediate results, they claim that they have been the best group for weight loss since 1999, and that they have the best-certified, and best trained physicians specializing in weight loss. â€Å"Physicians endorsed significantly more stringent weight loss goals for obese female patients than obese male patients. Regardless of patient gender, physician goals exceeded the 5–10% losses currently recommended† (Dutton). Ethos has a special place here because it takes the â€Å"safe, effective, and affordable† approach, and then brings it to real life. If you are on the wrong track like Shannon was, this ad should motivate you like it did her and get you where you need and want to be. Logos also has a special spot reserved here because if other companies aside from Proactive, Gillette, or Nike didn’t have famous people endorsing them like Carrie Underwood, Clay Matthews, or Tiger Woods, than those companies wouldn’t be as successful as they are now. I’m not saying that Figure Weight Loss has the potential to ever be as big as Nike is today, but they have Shannon, a living example of Figure Weight Losses’ success. Among the multiple appeals from Aristotle, there lies rhetorical analysis. Applying Aristotle’s appeals to present day advertisements breaks down all the aspects and qualities of each advertisement, thus identifying motive behind the color scheme to the emotion or lack of, behind the script. â€Å"Rhetorical Analysis can play in helping students to develop their knowledge and awareness about writing and in transferring their knowledge about writing to different tasks and contexts both in and out of the classroom† (Graff). Ethos and Logos come in all different shapes and sizes. Ethos motivates you through spirit and good will, while Pathos states real and actual facts that can persuade you to do great things. Works Cited Dutton, Garreth R. Comparison of Physician Weight Loss Goals for Obese Male and Female Patients. Ed. Perry G. Michael and Cutis C. Stine. EBSCO Host, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. Ellis, Jaye. Law and the Limits of Reason: Rhetorical Approaches to Self-Determination and the Use of Force. EBSCO Host, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. Graff, Nelson. Teaching Rhetorical Analysis to Promote Transfer of Learning. Ebsco Host, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013. Kraus, Manfred. How to Classify Means of Persuasion: The Rhetoric to Alexander and Aristotle on Pisteis. EBSCO Host, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 29. Mayer, John C. John Mayer Quotes. BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

River And Water Management Flood Control Environmental Sciences Essay

River And Water Management Flood Control Environmental Sciences Essay Floods are a major concern in many parts of the world due to the many losses experienced in time of floods. Therefore, flood management techniques are very important in areas that are prone to frequent flooding. Flood management techniques are structures designed with the aim of containing floodwater in order to control floodplains. The designing of flood control techniques entails estimating the levels of water that causes floods and then measuring the required height that will create a working flood defense. Flood defenses are strong barriers that prevent water from flooding floodplains (Woods Woods 2007, p.5). Floods generally occur when flowing surface water spills over the restraining banks into dry land. Floods are a natural occurrence in almost all river systems. Areas that are prone to flooding include those that are located downstream of dams and low lying areas. Flooding causes vast losses which include human and animal life, soil erosion, damages of properties, destruction of vegetation and other environmental damages. Also, areas that are affected by floods could also be prone to droughts. This can even cause further loss of human and animal lives. Flood waters are usually polluted with harmful bacteria resulting from sewage. This means that people affected by the floods are at greater risks of getting infective diseases (Proverbs, et al., 2011, p. 221). However, floods also have positive impacts on ecosystems. One benefit from flooding includes more fresh water for domestic and irrigation usage. Other benefits include large deposits of minerals and nutrients into affected areas. Apart from these, floods also help to improve the condition of water ecosystems. However, they can be considered to be the most damaging compared to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes due to their frequencies. Therefore, strict measures must be in place to prevent the massive losses occurred during floods (Gruntfest Handmer, 2001, p.12). Methods used to control floods Techniques that are applied in controlling floods involve the adaptation of the river environment and areas which are close to the river. Flood control techniques can be applied on the river channel, floodway or on the floodplain (Ghosh, 1997, p.55). Techniques applied in floodplains Floodplains are areas that lie below the flood elevation and entirely on the floodway and river channel. The majority of techniques applied on floodplains lie far from the river but they are designed to reduce flood damage. Levee/Floodwall around structures This technique involves the construction of a levee/floodwall around structures that are located in floodplains. Levees can either be permanent or temporary. Construction of the levee usually requires the use of strong, artificial or natural material that can endure pressure from the floods (Hyndman Hyndman, 2010, p.356). The principle of using levees and other barriers is to raise the height of structures located in floodplains which floodwater must then climb in order cause flooding. These structures are there to offer protection to structures. However, they put other structures at a high risk of flooding due to the then increased water retention in the floodplains. Furthermore, serious damage to protected structures can then occur when the levees are unable to hold back floodwater. This is because the pressure that the floods hit the structure is extremely high compared to when there is no barrier (Green, 2004, p.36). The use of levees, dykes and floodwalls has a negative impact on the natural river processes (Harmancioglu, 1994, p.42). Ideally, developed water spills should form a natural channel which provides a way for the floods to flow. Therefore, levees would reduce the ability of the floodplains to process floodwaters. The inability of the floodwaters to flow freely within the floodplains would interfere with fish in their aquatic habitat. The river would respond by creating other channels in order to allow excess water to flow. The developed channels clear the backwater as well as reduce habitat complications (Harmancioglu, 1994, p.43). Off-stream detention pond The main aim of creating detention ponds in floodplains is to collect the floodwaters once the river has reached its maximum capacity. Detention ponds are constructed away from the floodway but must be within the floodplain catchment. When directing water into the detention ponds it will have an impact on reducing the amount of water a river carries. This will have a negative impact on natural river processes due to the reduction of water flowing downstream. Reduced amount of downstream flow could then cause a reduction in sediment transport, which may lead to the rising of the ground level of the channel and deposition of fine sediments. In addition, allowing water to flow into a detention pond may cause more water to flow into the pond than expected. This may lead to an increased development of river channels (Ali, 2002, p8.3). Detention ponds also create new surroundings for the breeding and maturing of fish. However, the construction of detention channels must be done in a way that creates a connection between the pond and the mainstream so that the rivers natural environment can be maintained. Severe damage to the environment can occur when the detention ponds break down leading to flooding in the floodplains. Techniques applied on floodway The floodway is made of river banks and the active channel. In general, the floodway forms the part of land that is immediately next to the river. This piece of land allows flood waters to pass without raising the floods depth upstream. One characteristic of floodways is the presence of small banks, either due to cuts made by previous floods or natural levees due to deposits from previous floodwater (Mambretti, 2011, p.66). Reducing the bank slope This technique consists of cutting the riverbank backwards to produce a gentler slope (Masoudian, 2009, p.14). It may involve replanting or resurfacing the bare bank using materials afterwards. Reducing the bank slope will have an impact on the increasing flood transportation at the channel level due to the increased bank width. This usually happens because reducing the bank slope increases the surface area of the bank channel, which then increases the volume of bank flow. However, if slope reduction is done through planting vegetation, it is likely that the bank stability will be increased. This has an effect of creating a natural containment, which reduces the velocity of water. A reduction in the velocity of water then decreases the rates of soil and bank erosion. Vegetation along river banks may also trap sediments within flows, which may then lead to a buildup of banks, increasing the effectiveness of banks in controlling floods (Masoudian, 2009, p.16). The fact that reducing the bank slopes then also reduces erosion along the river banks has a negative impact on natural river processes. Without erosion on the river banks there will be a reduced amount of sediments, a reduced level of wood debris and a reduced amount of channel migration. Therefore, the erosion occurring naturally along river banks is vital in maintaining an active balance within river systems. Aquatic habitats will also be affected; reducing bank slopes has a negative impact of clearing areas where fish may hibernate during the day in order to be safe from predators. Juvenile fish usually hide in undercut river banks making it an essential component of an aquatic habitat (Masoudian, 2009, p.17). Reinforcing riverbanks This technique involves adding supportive material to riverbanks in order to increase their stability and in resisting flood flows. The most commonly used reinforcement method involves planting natural vegetation as it acts as a stabilizer and increases the ability of riverbanks to control floods. Planting vegetation on riverbanks can be done through hydro seeding, which involves various methods to add a mixture of water, fertilizer and seeds into riverbanks. The planted seeds will then grow and form a vast network of root systems. The root system helps in holding the soil together, which then strengthens the riverbanks. The other method used to introduce plant material on riverbanks is hand planting. In this technique, mature plants are inserted into riverbanks to continue with their growth (Stokes, et al., 2007, p.50). Planting mature plants has the advantage of providing immediate protection against floods through flow reduction. The other method involves the use of plant mats, which are either natural or synthetic materials implanted with plant seeds and fertilizers. The mats are then spread on the riverbanks, and then the watering process follows to allow the seeds to germinate and support the following growth. Apart from irrigating the plant mats, continued instabilities in the river level can help in germination and supporting growth (Beek, et al., 2008, p.33). The main impact of introducing plants along river banks is the formation of strong riverbanks that can withstand pressure from flowing water. The other impact is the prevention of enhanced channel migration. Floods that may occur along banks with sufficient plant material may be less severe compared to those occurring in areas without plant stabilizers. The use of plant stabilizers provides a long-lasting solution to control of floods. This technique also offers an environmental friendly method of flood control, which is easy to maintain. Continued increases of vegetation along riverbanks increases channel roughness and reduces the water velocity. The use of plants also comes with the advantage of providing food for the aquatic life in the protected rivers. Fish may also find a natural habitat in the vast root system generated by plants (Beek, et al., 2008, p.34). Gabions Gabions are constructed using wire mesh baskets that are filled with stones of two-six inches. Like plants, gabions are meant to strengthen river banks, which boosts the river banks ability to resist pressure from flowing water. However, for gabions to be effective plants should be added to them. Gabions also deteriorate in time, which means that replacements are required when they stop functioning properly. The use of gabions reduces the natural erosion that occurs along riverbanks. This then reduces the amount of sediments delivered to downstream habitats. In addition, flows that are deflected by the gabions may create new river channels (Mascarenhas, 2011, p.82). Gabions also lead to an increase in water velocity, which has the disadvantage of reducing the amount of backwater that is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic life. Well-designed gabions may serve as a reliable source for spawning gravel as well as habitats for aquatic life. Techniques applied along the river channel Sediment trap/mining This technique involves excavating or dredging a depression on the riverbed. Construction of sediment traps requires the proper assessment of sediment load within a river in times of flooding. Maintenance of sediment traps require continued mining of sediments after every serious flood event. Sediment mining reduces the amount of sediment deposits in the river channel, which in turn increases the channel volume as well as the flood transportation. Removing sediments could only have a short term impact of improved flood transportation because of the continued deposition of sediments downstream. Therefore, continued removal of sediments is necessary to prevent incidences of flooding (Mascarenhas, 2011, p.105). Removal of sediments within the river channel affects natural river processes. One effect of sediment mining is the change of the channel morphology. Any changes in the channel morphology affect the way the water flow and the river bed interact with each other. Removing sediments from the river channel changes the channel gradient. These changes then have further impacts on the gradient both upstream and downstream. An increase in the gradient in one location of the river may lead to the formation of a v point or otherwise known as a nick point. This leads to increased erosion in the channel, which extends to a point where the gradient is stable or where there is bedrock resistant to erosion (Raudkivi, 1993, p.35). The removal of sediments affects aquatic habitats in several ways. When fine sediments are removed, there is a creation of a spawning habitat for a variety of fish species. On the other hand, removal of spawning gravel reduces the level of spawning habitats (Raudkivi, 1993, p.41). Flow realignment This technique of flood control involves the digging of new and deeper channels on the river bed but with a different position compared to the existing channels. When flow realignment is done to increase flood transportation, there is a reduction in frequency and severity of floods. Flow realignment creates different structures for the river flow. This interferes with natural river processes both upstream and downstream. The most significant impact of flow realignment is obviously on aquatic habitats. The use of heavy equipment to make flow realignments creates disturbances on the river bed; this alters existing aquatic habitats. Therefore, usage of flow realignment techniques needs thorough assessment of potential impacts on the aquatic ecosystem (Fleming, 2002, p.47). Word Count: 2,108

the unbearable lightness of being Essay -- essays research papers

The Unheard Voice of Commitment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What the reader understands of the infidelity of Milan Kundera’s characters in The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a mere distraction from the real substance of the story and of the character’s real purpose. Kundera offers the reader a red herring and only through close examination can one dissect and abstract the true essence of each character’s thread that links them to one another in this story. For it is not clearly seen: in fact, it can not be seen at all. It is the fierce absence of the word commitment that is so blatantly seen in each individual, yet the word itself is buried so deeply inside of Tomas and Tereza that it takes an animal’s steadfast and unconditional love to make the meaning and understanding of commitment penetrate the surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tomas and Tereza’s marriage was fragile and based on Tomas’s sympathy for his wife’s irrevocable urge to fully complete him, mentally and physically. In this Tomas did only what he could do; go from woman to woman while carrying the scent of female genitalia with him. Tereza carried her grief and regret in solitude yet she remained undaunted by an unexplainable force. Their dog Karenin seemed to be the only connection the couple shared. This animal gave them earnest trust and in return they committed their love. â€Å"It is a completely selfless love,† Kundera writes, â€Å" Tereza did not want anything of Karenin; she did not ever ask him to lov... the unbearable lightness of being Essay -- essays research papers The Unheard Voice of Commitment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What the reader understands of the infidelity of Milan Kundera’s characters in The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a mere distraction from the real substance of the story and of the character’s real purpose. Kundera offers the reader a red herring and only through close examination can one dissect and abstract the true essence of each character’s thread that links them to one another in this story. For it is not clearly seen: in fact, it can not be seen at all. It is the fierce absence of the word commitment that is so blatantly seen in each individual, yet the word itself is buried so deeply inside of Tomas and Tereza that it takes an animal’s steadfast and unconditional love to make the meaning and understanding of commitment penetrate the surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tomas and Tereza’s marriage was fragile and based on Tomas’s sympathy for his wife’s irrevocable urge to fully complete him, mentally and physically. In this Tomas did only what he could do; go from woman to woman while carrying the scent of female genitalia with him. Tereza carried her grief and regret in solitude yet she remained undaunted by an unexplainable force. Their dog Karenin seemed to be the only connection the couple shared. This animal gave them earnest trust and in return they committed their love. â€Å"It is a completely selfless love,† Kundera writes, â€Å" Tereza did not want anything of Karenin; she did not ever ask him to lov...

Detrimental Effects of Social Networking

Social networking is all the rage with society. It is a main outlet for both personal and professional networking. Whether its job related and trying to put the word out for prospective employers or just connecting with a long distance friend via instant message, there aren’t too many people who have not taken advantage of this option to connect with others. There are not many households without the technology to take advantage of this option in communication. It seems to be the main form of contact within society today. The problem with this method of communication is that it does not allow for strong face to face interaction and allows society to in a sense to hide themselves. This inherently has led to a society with lower self esteem and has put a wall up with its users lowering standards of social interaction. It has had such a negative impact and should be used with greater caution especially within the teenage and young adult generation. Such sites as Facebook, Myspace and orkut have had an extremely negative impact on society and what should be perceived as acceptable. Social Networks and the ideas and activities associated with these networks have become profoundly detrimental to society today. It has escalated into much more impressive problems such as cyber bullying, intense obsession and lessened interpersonal communication skills. Let’s first examine a less extreme, but equally important problem with social networks. Interpersonal communication is imperative for growth and self confidence in an individual. Social networking and the sites associated with this practice have greatly diminished the growth process of interpersonal communication. Nurturing a younger group to be more secure with themselves and aid in shaping those who are to be the future leaders of our society is harder due to lack of communication skills. This lack stems from excessive use of these internet sites. Social network sites, chat rooms, instant messaging allows for the user to hide behind a screen name or online profile, lessening personal communication, instead using the computer as a crutch for relating with peers and new contacts. (Acar, 2008). These networks have made it possible for people to hide and not have to give 100 percent of themselves. It creates a negative impact when it comes time for important events such as interviewing for a job or giving an important speech for a class. Young adults are so in tuned with who is doing what and where others are dining out at for that moment versus developing the necessary skills to be a productive member of society. A theory known as the anxiety and uncertainty management theory (Gudykunst, 1985) deals with interpersonal communications with different cultures, but it also provides helpful insight into communication with strangers as a whole. According to Gudykunst’s (1985) theory face to face communication with strangers or other people not known personally or professionally by the individual lessens anxiety and increases social skills necessary for growth as a human being; thus trying to relate through a computer is proven detrimental to social growth and diminishes interpersonal communication skills. The extreme continual use of these networks as a social means is going to lead to a profound number of angst ridden individuals trying to function in society. Social network sites, chat rooms and online communities have created an obsession factor. The online community is so hyped up and popular, if you don’t have an online profile one way or another you are not considered as part of that â€Å"in crowd† when it comes to online communities. It’s likened to the new pair of basketball shoes youth must have in order to fit in at school. Some people have become so obsessed with being online it has shaped their life and consequences have proved to fatal. This leads into the obsession factor of these networks. Short of being a drug, some people are so hooked on online gaming and competing against others or building their farm or getting a high score, the real world takes a back seat. Normally playing a game wouldn’t be a bad thing; however the fixation of beating or â€Å"one upping† your other 65 friends in an online game has had detrimental effects. This was proven when a Jacksonville Florida woman age 22 was playing Farmville on Facebook and was thoroughly engrossed in the game. Her 3 month old son was distracting her and as she stated â€Å"interfering with her game† to a point that she violently shook him which resulted in the infant’s death. (Jamison, 2010). Internet addiction is a very serious condition. Social networking sites contribute o this by adding games and online activities that entrance the user to become a habitual user and assist in the addiction. It’s been stated that internet users are becoming addicted the same way an addict becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol. (Renee, 2010) Another facet of social networking that is becoming a trend that most definitely needs to be stopped is cyber bullying. Cyber bullyin g is using digital technology and online forums to harass another individual. (McQuade, Colt, & Meyer, 2009) Networking has opened a new door for teenage criminal activity and given them the opportunity to harass and hide behind a screen name. Online communities allow users to â€Å"pose† as someone else, becoming misleading and deceptive to the person being harassed or bullied. A strong supporting case of this was the Megan Meier case, where a young girl was in belief that she was talking to a boy who was interested in her, only to find out it was an ex friends mother was in fact portraying herself as a boy seemingly interested in Megan to gain her trust and then began taunting and teasing the 15 year old Megan who then took her life because of such intense harassment. Cyber bullying is such a horrific occurrence and just one more thing that teens are faced with, and social networking is the gateway for the heinous act. Another facet of cyber bullying is occurring with Facebook, where there is bullying or teasing because of lack of friends. Facebook shows users how many friends each other have. If one person has a lower amount, teens are known to harass and chide them for it (Zay, 2011) While there are many users of social networking that have benefitted, the cons of this communication far outweighs the pros. It has produced a less educated more stressed society and this is most prevalent in teens and young adults. To secure a more educated, socially aware and confident society, these networking sites and mediums should be used sparingly and the younger generations should develop relationships more fluidly through face to face communication to enhance self esteem and strengthen moral skills.ReferencesAcar, A. (2008). Antecedents and Consequences of Online Social Networking Behavior: The Case of Facebook. Journal of Website Promotion, 3(1/2), 62. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Gudykunst, William. (1985). A model of uncertainty reduction in intercultural encounters. Journal of Language and Social Psychology. 4(2), 79-97. Jamison, K. (2010, October 27). Farmville addicted mom shakes baby to death. Retrieved from Games.com: http://blog.games.com/2010/10/27/mother-shakes-baby-to-death-for-interrupting-farmville/ McQuade, S., Colt, J. P., & Meyer, N. (2009). Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adult s from Online Bullies. Westport. Renee. (2010, September 5). The Addictive Nature of Social Networking Sites. Retrieved from Online Conference on Networks and Communities; Department of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology: http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/05/the-addictive-nature-of-social-networking-sites-has-facilitated-the-downward-spiral-of-communication-skills/ ZAY, S. (2011). What Sticks & Stones Can't Do, Facebook Will-and More!. USA Today Magazine, 139(2790), 56. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Journal Writing in the Elementary Classroom

Journal Writing in the Elementary Classroom An effective Journal Writing program doesnt mean you just sit back and relax while your kids write about whatever they want. You can use well-chosen journal topics, classical music, and checklists to make the most of your students daily writing time. In my third grade classroom, students write in journals every day for about 20 minutes. Each day, after read-aloud time, the kids go back to their desks, pull out their journals, and start writing! By writing every day, the students gain fluency while getting a chance to practice important punctuation, spelling, and style skills in context. Most days, I give them a specific topic to write about. On Fridays, the students are so excited because they have free write, which means they get to write about whatever they want! Many teachers let their students write about whatever they want every day. But, in my experience, student writing can tend to get silly with a lack of focus. This way, students stay focused on a particular theme or topic. Journal Writing Tips To start, try this list of my favorite journal writing prompts. Engaging Topics I try to come up with interesting topics that are fun for the kids to write about. You can also try your local teacher supply store for topics or check out a kids books of questions. Just like adults, children are more likely to write in a lively and engaging manner if they are entertained by the topic. Play Music While the students are writing, I play soft classical music. Ive explained to the kids that classical music, especially Mozart, makes you smarter. So, every day, they want to be really quiet so that they can hear the music and get smarter! The music also sets a serious tone for productive, quality writing. Create a Checklist After each student finishes writing, he or she consults a small checklist that is pasted into the inside cover of the journal. The student makes sure that he or she has included all of the important elements for a journal entry. The kids know that, every so often, I will collect the journals and grade them on their latest entry. They dont know when I will collect them so they need to be on their toes. Writing Comments When I collect and grade the journals, I staple one of these small checklists to the corrected page so that the students can see which points they received and which areas need improvement. I also write a short note of comment and encouragement to each student, inside their journals, letting them know that I enjoyed their writing and to keep up the great work. Sharing Work During the last few minutes of Journal time, I ask for volunteers that would like to read their journals out loud to the class. This is a fun sharing time where the other students need to practice their listening skills. Often, they spontaneously start clapping when a classmate has written and shared something really special. As you can see, theres much more to Journal Writing than just setting your students loose with a blank pad of paper. With proper structure and inspiration, children will come to cherish this special writing time as one of their favorite times of the school day. Have fun with it! Edited By: Janelle Cox