Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Day of Judgment According to Islam, Christianity and...

Everything that exists today such as life on earth is known to eventually come to an end. Most religions believe in the day of judgment and it is generally defined to be the day that God judges the moral worth of the individual humans or the whole human race. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are three of the worlds largest religions that have created controversy between many countries over how they view some aspects of religion such as the day of judgement. In Islam, the day of judgement is broken down in many stages and is known as ‘Qiyama’. Muslims believe that one day they will all be standing in front of Allah (swt) and will be judged for the way they live their lives on earth. It is learned from Muslim scholars that all around the world people will hear loud trumpets. When the first blowing of the trumpet takes place every life such as humans, animals, and even plants, will taste its death. All of existence will cease to exist except for Allah (swt). During the second stage, all souls will come back to life by returning to their bodies. During this stage all life is being prepared to stand in front of the Lord of the universe. Every living thing will be confronted of the deeds they commit in throughout their life on earth in Allahs (swt) court of justice. The all mighty Allah (swt) will be the sole judge on this day of reckoning. Whoever believes in the Allah (swt) and did righteous good deeds within their lives acco rding to Allah’s (swt) guidance, will be

Monday, December 16, 2019

Research, Statistics, and Psychology Free Essays

Without research methods and processes, an unimaginable amount of information would be lost to the world. Though research topics and researcher personalities vary greatly, universal truths or basics of research stand the test of time. In this paper, I examine the role of research and statistics in the field of psychology by explaining several important parts of research. We will write a custom essay sample on Research, Statistics, and Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now I define research and the scientific method. I compare and contrast the characteristics of primary and secondary data. I also define statistics and describe their role in research. Diverse fields of study use research through the scientific method, primary data, secondary data, and statistics. Professionals use research to investigate topics, discover, and interpret facts. Research is also performed to revise theories. Psychological theories are consistently revisited. One psychologist will create the base of a school of thought, but later psychologists will expand and update the original work. The scientific method is used in research and is considered necessary for scientific investigation. The scientific method is a series of steps. Researchers identify a problem or area of interest, research to gather information, make hypothesis, empirically test hypothesis with experiments, make changes to hypothesis or tests if necessary, draw a conclusion, and write findings. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Many empirical sciences, especially the social sciences, use mathematical tools borrowed from probability theory and statistics, together with such outgrowths of these as decision theory, game theory, utility theory, and operations research† (scientific method). Psychologists and researchers from other fields can use different types of data. Primary and secondary data are used in research and experiments. Primary data is data collected from first hand experience. A psychologist who observes animal or human behavior is collecting primary data. Secondary data is collected from the past, other people, or publications. According to â€Å"Publish Your Articles† (2012), â€Å"It refers to the statistical material which is not originated by the investigator himself but obtained from someone else’s records† (secondary data). Psychologists cannot ethically recreate situations of child abuse to learn about psychological dynamics, related stress, and immediate reactions, so referral to past research may be necessary. Primary and secondary data types pose advantages and disadvantages to researchers. Primary data can be more credible, believable, telling, and will better fit the needs of a study. However, primary data requires funding, time, and participants. Secondary data can save time and expenses, and some research will not provide the opportunity to collect primary data. A wealth of secondary data is available, but it can be painstaking to find sufficiently accurate secondary data to use. It can also be difficult for researchers to find secondary data that precisely fits the desired area of focus. The role of statistics in research is to access and organize research data throughout various fields of study. The summation that statistics provide paints an understandable picture of data. Psychological statistics may tell the percentage of a population that experiences seasonal depression, or what type of childhood environment influences a psychological disorder, like schizophrenia. According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"It is important for researchers and also consumers of research to understand statistics so that they can be informed, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information, and make appropriate decisions† (The role of statistics in research). Researchers must navigate through many different types of variables and levels of measurement in research. Levels of measurement, including rank-order, nominal, and equal-interval measure variables. Tables and graphs may be used to illustrate data, but statistics help researchers draw reliable conclusions. To research is to investigate, whether researching a new topic, or testing an established theory. The scientific method is an integral part of any research. Respected researchers follow the steps of the scientific method. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses† (scientific method). Primary or secondary data can be used in research. Primary data is data obtained directly from the researcher. Secondary data is collected from secondary sources like articles, books, and previous experiments. Each type of data has its advantages and disadvantages, and the researcher must choose a data type. According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"Statistics is the science of collecting, analyzing and making inference from data. Statistics is a particularly useful branch of mathematics that is not only studied theoretically by advanced mathematicians but one that is used by researchers in many fields† (The role of statistics in research). The aspects of research reviewed are universal, despite the topic of research. However, research and statistics are undeniably valuable and influential. Human civilization should respect the process and endeavor of research because the word would be extremely different without research. For example, psychological medications and technology would not exist, and the human mind might be considered a hopeless mystery. How to cite Research, Statistics, and Psychology, Papers Research, Statistics, and Psychology Free Essays Without research methods and processes, an unimaginable amount of information would be lost to the world. Though research topics and researcher personalities vary greatly, universal truths or basics of research stand the test of time. In this paper, I examine the role of research and statistics in the field of psychology by explaining several important parts of research. We will write a custom essay sample on Research, Statistics, and Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now I define research and the scientific method. I compare and contrast the characteristics of primary and secondary data. I also define statistics and describe their role in research. Diverse fields of study use research through the scientific method, primary data, secondary data, and statistics. Professionals use research to investigate topics, discover, and interpret facts. Research is also performed to revise theories. Psychological theories are consistently revisited. One psychologist will create the base of a school of thought, but later psychologists will expand and update the original work. The scientific method is used in research and is considered necessary for scientific investigation. The scientific method is a series of steps. Researchers identify a problem or area of interest, research to gather information, make hypothesis, empirically test hypothesis with experiments, make changes to hypothesis or tests if necessary, draw a conclusion, and write findings. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Many empirical sciences, especially the social sciences, use mathematical tools borrowed from probability theory and statistics, together with such outgrowths of these as decision theory, game theory, utility theory, and operations research† (scientific method). Psychologists and researchers from other fields can use different types of data. Primary and secondary data are used in research and experiments. Primary data is data collected from first hand experience. A psychologist who observes animal or human behavior is collecting primary data. Secondary data is collected from the past, other people, or publications. According to â€Å"Publish Your Articles† (2012), â€Å"It refers to the statistical material which is not originated by the investigator himself but obtained from someone else’s records† (secondary data). Psychologists cannot ethically recreate situations of child abuse to learn about psychological dynamics, related stress, and immediate reactions, so referral to past research may be necessary. Primary and secondary data types pose advantages and disadvantages to researchers. Primary data can be more credible, believable, telling, and will better fit the needs of a study. However, primary data requires funding, time, and participants. Secondary data can save time and expenses, and some research will not provide the opportunity to collect primary data. A wealth of secondary data is available, but it can be painstaking to find sufficiently accurate secondary data to use. It can also be difficult for researchers to find secondary data that precisely fits the desired area of focus. The role of statistics in research is to access and organize research data throughout various fields of study. The summation that statistics provide paints an understandable picture of data. Psychological statistics may tell the percentage of a population that experiences seasonal depression, or what type of childhood environment influences a psychological disorder, like schizophrenia. According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"It is important for researchers and also consumers of research to understand statistics so that they can be informed, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information, and make appropriate decisions† (The role of statistics in research). Researchers must navigate through many different types of variables and levels of measurement in research. Levels of measurement, including rank-order, nominal, and equal-interval measure variables. Tables and graphs may be used to illustrate data, but statistics help researchers draw reliable conclusions. To research is to investigate, whether researching a new topic, or testing an established theory. The scientific method is an integral part of any research. Respected researchers follow the steps of the scientific method. According to â€Å"Merriam-Webster† (2014), â€Å"Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses† (scientific method). Primary or secondary data can be used in research. Primary data is data obtained directly from the researcher. Secondary data is collected from secondary sources like articles, books, and previous experiments. Each type of data has its advantages and disadvantages, and the researcher must choose a data type. According to â€Å"Bcps. org† (2010), â€Å"Statistics is the science of collecting, analyzing and making inference from data. Statistics is a particularly useful branch of mathematics that is not only studied theoretically by advanced mathematicians but one that is used by researchers in many fields† (The role of statistics in research). The aspects of research reviewed are universal, despite the topic of research. However, research and statistics are undeniably valuable and influential. Human civilization should respect the process and endeavor of research because the word would be extremely different without research. For example, psychological medications and technology would not exist, and the human mind might be considered a hopeless mystery. How to cite Research, Statistics, and Psychology, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Presidential Power In A National Crisis Essay Example For Students

Presidential Power In A National Crisis Essay Presidents of the United States take an oath to uphold the Constitution. In times of crisis, however, presidents are tempted to circumvent the spirit of the Constitution in the name of political expediency. The president of the United States of America is frequently under pressure, which could be for something as simple as dealing with his wife (especially if she’s running for the US Senate), but usually the problem is more extensive. Then, the whole nation is affected, and the problem becomes a national crisis. A widespread panic is possible. The president must propose a plan to aid his nation while keeping the public under control. Lincoln. Roosevelt and Truman proposed bills to stop or prevent the national crises that plagued the country. In 1861, the country was dividing into two and President Lincoln had to reunite the Union. His plan was to start a war between the North and South in order to end the national crisis.In May of 1861, Congress was going through a 9-week emergency period and couldn’t pass any laws. Lincoln was given full executive power. This was all he needed to make the practical measures for the war (Sandburg 257). Lincoln’s first move was to start a militia at Ft. McHenry led by General Cadwalader, and invade the home of John Merryman of Baltimore, on May 25 at two in the morning, and took him out of his bed (Sandburg 247). He was taken to Ft. McHenry and held for treason (Sandburg 247). The next morning, John Merryman’s lawyers went to Supreme Court Judge Roger Taney’s home near Baltimore, and denied all charges of treason (Sandburg 247). Taney became confused and issued the writ of habeas corpus for General Cadwalader to appear in court with Merryman (Sandburg 247). The writ of the habeas corpus is a legal document which requires the arresting authorities to show just cause for the incarceration of a prisoner or release him. The writ is a fundamental cornerstone of due legal process and can only be disregarded in times of civil emergency. The general didn’t want to go to court and sent staff Colonel Lee with John Merryman. Lee appeared before Judge Taney and stated that the general was busy with other matters (Sandburg 247). The colonel read a statement from Gen. Cadwalader asserting: â€Å"John Merryman was charged with treason and was known for holding a commission as a lieutenant in a company in their possession armed hostility against the government† (Sandburg 247). The general’s statement added the president would also authorize a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. President Lincoln sent word to Chief Justice Taney, explaining that it was his duty to authorize the commanding general’s suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in the name of public safety (Sandburg 247). Congress resumed on August 6th, while Lincoln was making the final measures of his plan (Sandburg 247). The North and South were in a mammoth argument concerning the arrests of southern civil leaders. Without the writ of habeas corpus, there was no need to tell the south why the civil leaders were being held in custody. The war was now ready to begin, and the north and south would eventually be reunited. We can thank Lincoln for provoking the conflict. The suspension of the writ of habeas corpus was wrong and somewhat against the constitution. But this brilliant plan gave Lincoln the power he needed to win the war and resolve the current national crisis. Although Honest Abe wasn’t that honest when he passed the suspension, (he had some retaliatory intentions in mind) the country still regarded him as a great leader. Seventy-two years later, president Franklin Roosevelt went through his own national crisis. FDR felt pressure the moment he was inaugurated into office in March 1933. America was in the Great Depression, banks were closing, the stock market was at an all time low, and unemployment was the highest then nation had ever seen. How could FDR raise the nation’s economy in a short enough time? He proposed a plan to raise it in just over a fortnight (Davis 57). .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 , .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .postImageUrl , .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 , .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:hover , .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:visited , .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:active { border:0!important; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:active , .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095 .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8e2f2b57ccb9542c4f9da887f032d095:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Example Essay Of Rasin In The SunThe national economy crisis began at the ignition of the Great Depression. People everywhere were closing their bank accounts causing banks to fail. Even though not all banks were unstable, fear of losing one’s life savings was enough to make people panic. Banks were closing, and the entire American economic structure started to come apart. People could not cash their paychecks and the nation fell into an economic depression. By March 4th, state governments had shut down every bank in the country, creating a â€Å"bank holiday†, and turned to the federal government for further action (Davis 57). FDR decided to take action when came into office in 1933. On March 9th he proposed the Emergency Banking Bill to Congress (Davis 55). The bill’s plan was to extend the bank holiday. During the holiday, all banks were checked for fiscal soundness. By the end of the holiday, all banks would reopen, which would boost the nation’s economy. The Emergency Banking Bill was the first bill he proposed to Congress as a president. (Davis 52). Congress passed the bill with a vote of 73/1, after just 40 minutes of debate. FDR signed the bill. FDR put forth several New Deal plans (a.k.a. alphabet soup plans) such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Today, bank accounts in America are still insured by the FDIC (Davis 112). By the mid 1940’s the labor unions had come to prominence and provided the ingredients for President Harry Truman’s most famous dilemmas. Even though railroad strike of 1946 was not officially a national crisis, many people panicked over the incident. At that time, railways were the chief transportation system. If they stopped working, America stopped working (McCullough 494). The railway strike began during the largest coal strike in America. The two major railroad union presidents had enough power to halt all railroad transportation. The unions demanded higher wages or else they would have a national strike. A.F. Whitney was president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and Alvabley Johnston was president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; both were also Truman’s allies (McCullough 494). This alliance served only to make the situation tougher for Truman. The strike was scheduled for May 18 (McCullough 494). Truman attended the next cabinet meeting and asked for some suggestions on how to deal with the railroad strike (McCullough495). The cabinet couldn’t think of any ideas to give Truman. The day before the strike, Truman called Whitney and Johnston into his office. The union leaders both agreed that the strike had to be carried out. The employees wanted the strike. Truman listened to the union leaders’ arguments. â€Å"He then leaned forward on his desk and stated, ‘I’m going to give you the gun’† (McCullough 495). He then produced and signed the executive order for the government to seize and run the railroads. Whitney and Johnston panicked and both decided to postpone the strike for five more days. During the five days of the strike, Truman called on all striking railroad workers to return to their jobs as â€Å"a duty to their country† (Mcullough 503) by 4 p.m. on May 25. If the strikers didn’t return to work, Truman would call the army and have them take whatever action necessary to break the strike. That afternoon, Truman read a seven-page speech he had written the night before and proposed a bill to Congress to draft all strikers into the military. The bill passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 306/13. This ended the troublesome strike and the nation rejoiced. Whitney and Johnston were furious. Whitney vowed he would spend every last dollar in the treasury of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen to defeat Truman in the 1948 election (McCullough 504). However, the bill to draft the strikers into the military did not pass the senate. By a vote of 70/13, the issue became moot. The strike ended and America’s first line of transportation was working once again. .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 , .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .postImageUrl , .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 , .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:hover , .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:visited , .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:active { border:0!important; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:active , .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5 .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u43880fbe8c36c44482b556fc833c7fd5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Bachelor of Arts History Rough Draft EssayTruman proposed bills to Congress to prevent an extremely large national crisis. â€Å"The strike threatened to paralyze all our industrial agricultural, commercial, and social life. The disaster would of spared no one.† (McCullough 504). Truman did the expedient thing in order to save his country from a transportation disaster. All three of these presidents proposed bills to stop or prevent the national crises that plagued the country. Some of the presidents took affirmative action like Truman, while presidents like Lincoln took a more negative approach to the national crisis. All three presidents tested the limits of their constitutional authority in order to help to nation recover. Some of their proposals, like the Emergency Banking Bill passed Congress, and some did not. In the end, all three presidents resolved the national crisis, and the nation resumed its normal course of events. Bibliography:Works CitedDavis, Kenneth S. FDR: The New Deal Years 1933-1939. New York: Random House Inc., 1986. McCullough, David. Truman. New York: Simon Schuster, 1992. Sandburg, Carl. Abraham Lincoln The Prairie Years The War Years. USA: Pictorial Review Co., 1954. Court TV Online. â€Å"Texas vs. Carla Faye Tucker.† 19 October 2000 .

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Leadership Theories and Concepts Essay Example

Leadership Theories and Concepts Essay Evolution of leadership theories 1) The Great man Theory (Trait Theories) These were basis of leadership research until 1940’s. The great man theory from Aristoteham philosophy asserts that some people are born to lead whereas others are born to be led. Trait theory(ies) assume that some people have certain characteristics or personality trait that make them better leaders than others. (refer to traits as stipulated by Bass (notes) Behavioral Theories During human relations era, many behavioural and social scientists studying management also studied leadership. Emphasis was on what the leader did – leaders style of leadership (Lewin 1951) and White LippiH (1960) came up with leadership styles: i) Authoritarian ii) Democratic leissez-faire Authoritarian leader is characterized by the following behaviours (refer previous notes also) i) Strong control is maintained over the work group. ii) Others are motivated by coercion. iii) Others are directed with commands. iv) Communication flows downwards. v) Decision making does not involve others. vi) Emphasis is on difference in status (â€Å"I† and â€Å"you†). ii) Criticism is punitive (should be constructive) Productivity is high but creativity, self motivation and autonomy are reduced. Authoritarian leadership is useful in crisis situations and frequently found in large bureaucrasis such as Armed Forces. Democratic leader exhibits the following behaviours * Less control is maintained. * Economic and ego awards are used to motivate. * Others are directed thorough suggestions and guidance. * Communication flows up and down. * Decision making involves others. * Emphasis is on â€Å"we† rather than â€Å"I† and â€Å"you†. * Criticism is constructive. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theories and Concepts specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theories and Concepts specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theories and Concepts specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Because many people have to be consulted it takes time and therefore frustrating to these who wants modified. Leissez-Fair Leader * Is permissive with little or no control. * Motivate by support when requested by the group or individuals. * Provides little or no direction. * Uses upward and downward communication – members of group. * Places emphasis on the group and does not criticize. * Leissezfare leadership is appropriate when problems are poorly defined and brainstorming is needed to generate alternative solutions. Situational Contingency Leadership Theories: No one leadership style is ideal for every situation Situational Theories: Leaders are product of a given situation. It supports the follower theory which states that people will follow people who they see as means of accomplishing their personal ends. Contingency Theory .The theory urgues that leaders must alter their style in a manner consistent with the aspects of the context Combines traits and situation. People become leaders because of their responsibility and situational factors. * Leader subordinate relationship (a leader/people to lead). The extent to which the leader is liked, trusted and respected by followers. * The task structure, whether jobs are structured and clarified. The position power and degree of influence a leader has over the group e. g. hire or fire, discipline promotes rewards and 1. Blake and Moutonris managerial grid 9 roles of managerial gnd). The managerial grid Five leadership styles are plotted in four quadrants of a two dimensional grid. The grid depi cts various degrees of leader 1. Impoverished – Low concern for both production and people. 2. Authority compliance – high concern for production and low concern for people. . Middle of the road – moderate concern for production and people. 4. Country club – High concern for people and low concern for production. 5. Team – High concern for both production and people. MANAGERIAL GRID 91. 9 Country club9. 9 Team 8 Concern for people 7 6 55. 5 Middle of the road 4 3 2 1 1. 1 Impoverished9. 1 Authority Compliance 0123456789 Concern for production Continuum of leadership behavior Leadership is depicted as occurring along a continuum. It focuses on decision making styles of managers let and continuum – reflects a manager’s centred style. Managers are autocratic and directive and simply makes and announces decisions. At the right end, managers are employee centred. They use a laissez-faire style and permit employees to set their own goals and function within established parameters. NB: No leadership style is appropriate/correct for every management situation. Manager centred leadershipEmployee centred leadership Use of Authority by The manager Area of freedom for employees * incentives. Contemporary Theories of Leadership i) Schein (1970) – Systems Theory. SYSTEM 4 MANAGEMENT Developed by Likert. It is based on the premise that involving employees in decisions about work is central to effective leadership. It has four dimensions based on increasing levels of employee’s involvement. 1. Autocratic leaders – have little trust in employees and exclude them in decision making. 2. Benevolent leaders – Are kind to employees but still do not involve them in decision making. 3. Consultative leaders – Seek employee’s advice about decisions. 4. Participative or democratic leaders – they value employees involvement, team work and team building. They also have high levels of confidence in employees and seek consensus in decision making. Transformational Leadership Burns (1978) suggested that both leaders and followers have the ability to raise each other to higher levels of motivation and morality. He identified this concept as transformational leadership. He maintained that there are two types of leaders in management. 1. The traditional manager, concerned with the day to day operations was termed as Transactional Leader. 2. The manager who is committed, has a vision and is able to empower others with this vision was termed as Transformational leader. Differences between the two: Transactional LeaderTransformational Leader * Focuses on management tasks. Identifies common values. * Is caretaker (takes care of tasks. Is committed (extra mile). * Uses tradeoffs to meet goals. Inspires others with vision. * Shared values not identified. Has longterm vision. * Examiner causes. Looks at effects. * Uses contingency rewards. Empowers others. Vision is the essence of transformational leadership. Vision implies the ability to picture some future state and describe it to others so they will begin to share the dream. Wolf and colleagues (1994) defined transformational leadership as an interactive relationship based on trust that positively impacts both the leader and the follower. * The purposes of the leader and follower become focused, crating unity, wholeness and collective purpose. Transformational leaders are able to crate change because of their futuristic focus, values, creativity and innovations. * They value organizational culture and values strongly perpetuating these some values and behaviours in their staff. â€Å"Visioning is the mark of transformational leader; visionary leadership allows nurses to create a picture of an ideal future. In sharing these visions the transformational leader empowers staff to find a common ground and a sense of connection. Transformational leaders do the following to achieve results: i. Involve stakeholders (including staff) from the outset when change occurs. ii. Focus on the quality of service. iii. Use non-hierarchical teams with devolved leadership. iv. Create supportive and informal culture. v. Implement successful change leadership. Important concepts in leading/directing Supervision (overseeing) Supervision is another leadership behavior. It includes inspecting another’s work, evaluating his/her performance and approving or correcting performance. Good supervision is facilitative because a good supervisor inspects work in progress and can remedy inadequate performance before serious consequences develop. The intensity of supervision should match situational requirements, employees needs and managers leadership skills. Supervision must be appropriate in type and intensity for work groups members to interact effectively e. g. technical nurses need closer supervision than professional nurses. Intensity of supervision should also depend on manger-caregiver ration. A manager can effectively supervise a large number of subordinates when they are confined in a small area, perform similar jobs and are fairly educated. The purpose of supervision is to inspect, evaluate and improve worker performance. Therefore a criteria is needed for judging the quality of work processes and outcomes. Job description and associated performance standards provide such evaluation criteria. The following performance elements should be appraised. 1. Quantity of work output 2. Quality of output 3. Time use 4. Conservation of resources 5. Assistance to co-workers 6. Support of administrators Co-ordination This is another leadership activity. It includes all activities that enable work group members to work together harmoniously. Co-ordination ensures that everything that needs to be done is done and that no two people are doing the same thing (or duplication of activity). Coordinating means: 1. Distributing authority 2. Providing channels of communication 3. Arranging work so that the * Right things are done. * At the right time * In the right place * In the right way * By the right people The overall results of coordination should be orderly work, harmonious, efficient and successful activities Communication Management is working through others in order to achieve organizational goals. Therefore a manager must be able to communicate ideas, opinions, requests and directions effectively to co-workers. Effective communications consist of transmitting an accurate message to the proper recipients at the appropriate time in a manner that conserves the senders and receivers energy, followed by checking that the intended message was received. Communication can therefore be defined as the exchange of information or understanding between a sender (source) and a receiver (audience). It includes verbal and non verbal through which meaning is conveyed to others. Silence is also considered as communication since it can also convey a meaning. The process involves a message which is encoded and transmitted through some medium to a receiver who decodes the message and then a feedback to the sender. Communication model: Methods of communication (channels) Receiver Sender Message Feedback Giving feedback indicates understanding of the message; hence there is effective two way communication which is necessary for effective management: ORGANIZATION COMMUNICATION: (give a handout) Formal channels of communication: Those are the official paths prescribed by the management which generally follow the organizational chain of command: information may be communicated in several ways: a. Downward communication b. Upward communication c. Horizontal communication Downward communication: The information flows down the organizational hierarchy from managers to subordinates and the objectives of this four of communication is: * To give directives. The staff is told what needs to be done or given information to facilitate the job to be done e. g. procedure guidelines. Upward Communication: Occurs from staff to management or from lower management to middle or upper management. It mainly involves reporting pertinent information to facilitate problem solving and decision making. It reveals problem areas, indicates status of worker ‘s morale and makes workers feel part of the organization. Horizontal communication: This is routinely achieved through committees or teams e. g. Outpatient management teams, clerical teams. Committees provide a mechanism for representatives of different organizational units at similar levels to discuss common problems and potential problems face to face. This is time consuming, expensive and their decisions are often compromises that may represent ineffectual solution. Lateral Communication: Occurs between individuals or departments at the same hierarchical level (e. g. nurse managers). Diagonal Communication: Involves individuals or departments at different hierarchical levels (staff nurse to chief of medical staff). Both lateral and diagonal communication involves information sharing, discussion and negotiation. Informal Communication: An informal channel seen in organization is the grapevine (i. e. rumours and gossips). This is often rapid, haphazard and prone to distortion. Managers can control negative aspects of the grapevine by communicating accurately, timely information, by maintaining and activating open channels of communication in all directions and by moving quickly to correct inaccurate information. BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION 1. Environmental Barriers: (Noise, Attention, Time) a. Noise – Can cause misunderstanding since it makes it difficult for one to hear. b. Attention – Multiple and Simultaneous demands on the sender may cause the message content to be packaged inappropriately (phone, signing documents). c. Time – If less, the sender may have little opportunity to completely think through structure the message to be conveyed, while to the receiver there is inadequate opportunity to ascertain its meaning. 2. Philosophy, Levels, Power Status a. Philosophy – an organization that is not interested in promoting communication upward or downward will certainly establish procedural and organizational blockages. E. g. inaccessibility to superiors, lack of interest in employees, insufficient time to receive information, retard communication flow, lack of action with regard to complaints, ideas, and problems tend to discourage flow of information. Multiple levels in an organization hierarchy tend to cause message distortion. b. Levels: When multiple links exists in the communication chain information will be rearranged as it is transmitted to other receivers. c. Power status relationship: This can also distort or inhibit transmission of message. A discordant superior-subordinate relationship can dampen the flow and content of information. In health organizations it is quite common e. g. patients may not question the doctor or a very experienced nurse may not tell a doctor that the treatment is wrong! d. Terminology and Complexity of the message: Words mean specific things to those who are familiar with them and tend to minimize misunderstanding vice versa. Complexity of message with terminology that may be unfamiliar to the receiver will obviously lead to misunderstanding of the message. COMMUNICATION IN GROUPS / TEAMS A GROUP:- A group is an aggregate of individual who interact and mutually influence each other. We have two types of Groups Formal Groups These are clusters of individuals designated by an organization to perform specified organ tasks. Taskforces, committees teams e. injection control team. Informal Groups Groups that evolve from social interactions that are not defined by an organizational structure. e. g People who take levels together who convince sponeneously to discuss a clinical dilemma. A. Teams Teams are real groups in which individuals must work co0operatively with other in order to achieve some goals. They demonstrate healthy interdependence. A team is compo sed of a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals and approach for which they held themselves mutually accountable. Teams have commend or line authonty to perform tasks and membership is based on the specific skills required to accomplish the task. Phases of GROUP AND formation Concepts/ leaves develop in the following phases 1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning 1. Forming This is the initial stage of group development in which individual members assemble into a well defined cluster ( members get to know each other, and very cautions. 2. Storming The second stage of group department, in which group members develop ** and relationship; competition and conflict generally occur. . Norming 3rd stage of Group development. The Group defines its goals and rules of behavior. They define acceptable and unacceptable behavior attitudes. They define acceptable and unacceptable behavior attitudes ** develops. 4. performing (4th stage) The members agree on basic purposes and activities and came out the work. Cooperation improves and emotional issues subside. Members communicate effectiv ely and interact in a relaxed atmosphere of sharing. 5. Adjourning This is the final stage of group development, in which a group dissolves after achieving its objectives. Team building/ team development. This is a group development technique that focuses on task and relationship aspects of group functioning in order to build team cohesiveness. Team building involves a) Gathering data through individual interviews, questioners and or group meetings a benefit the team and its functioning. b) Digressing the team strengths and arcsine need of development. c) Helding semi- structural retreat sessions usually ducted by an experienced facilitator aimed at addressing priority team problem. Characteristics of effective teams 1. Clear objectives and agreed goals . Openness and confrontation 3. Support and trust 4. Co-operation and conflict 5. Sound procedures 6. Appropriate leadership 7. Regular review 8. Individual development 9. Sound intergroup relations Communicating in Groups Characteristics of Groups 1) Norms: These are informal rule sin behaviour shared and enforced by group members e. g Time keeping, changing of shifts. Roles A role is a set of expected behaviors that fit together into a unified whole and are characteristic of persons in a given context. Roles commonly seen in groups can be classified as auther; Task Roles Nurturing roles or social emotional roles Individuals performing task roles attempt to keep group focused on its goals. STATUS This is a social ranking of individual relative to others in a group based on the position they occupy. Status comes from factors the group values such as achievement, personal characteristics the ability to control rewards or the ability to control information. Higher status members often exercise more influence in group decisions than others. In Summary Communication is influenced by the status and roles of the individuals who dominate team discussions. e. High – status members who are fulfilling key roles in relation to a teams priorities are likely to exercise considerable control over communication in the group by determining topics, setting the tone of the discussions and influencing how decisions are made. Communicating with others in the clinical setting 1. Communicating with supervisions Communicate with supervision to develop a good working r elationship. 1. Always observe professional courtesy. 2. incase of any problem, follow the policy and procedure of the organization 3. If not an emergency, request for an appointment, to discuss the problem further. This demonstrates right time and place. 4. State the concern clearly and accurately. 5. Provide supporting evidence 6. State a willingness to co-operate in finding the solution. 7. Match behaviors to words. Communicating with co-workers * To collectively provide quality patients care, nurses depend on co-workers and this requires effective communication. * Do unto others as you wound have them do into you * Your perspective should be that all members of the team are important to successfully realize quality patient care. * Appreciate others for work well done * Offer constructive feedback Be open to the possibility that coworkers especially those with experience have some wisdom to share with you. Communicating with others practitioners * Always introduce yourself to other practitioners. ( or if you are the manager, introduce new gradates. Students to other practitioners) * Be honest and up front. Ask something that you are not aware off. * Show respect and consideration for other pr actitioners you work with ( But don’t be a dormant) * Present information in a straight forward manner, clearly delineating the problem supported by pertinent evidence. Document well especially if the expected actions were not done in the incident book. MOTIVATION Motivation describes the factors that initiate and direct behavior. Therefore a nurse manager’s most important leadership task is to maximize subordinates work motivation because employees bring to the organization different needs and goals, the type and intensity of motivators vary among employees. Therefore the nurse manager must know which needs the employee expects to satisfy through employment and should be able to predict, which needs will be satisfied through the job duties of each nursing position. Importance of Motivation Motivation is a very important for an organization because of the following benefits it provides:- 1. Puts human resources into action Every concern requires physical, financial and human resources to accomplish the goals. It is through motivation that the human resources can be utilized by making full use of it. This can be done by building willingness in employees to work. This will help the enterprise in securing best possible utilization of resources. 2. Improves level of efficiency of employees The level of a subordinate or a employee does not only depend upon his qualifications and abilities. For getting best of his work performance, the gap between ability and willingness has to be filled which helps in improving the level of performance of subordinates. This will result into- a. Increase in productivity, b. Reducing cost of operations, and c. Improving overall efficiency. 3. Leads to achievement of organizational goals The goals of an enterprise can be achieved only when the following factors take place :- d. There is best possible utilization of resources, e. There is a co-operative work environment, f. The employees are goal-directed and they act in a purposive manner, g. Goals can be achieved if co-ordination and co-operation takes place simultaneously which can be effectively done through motivation. 4. Builds friendly relationship Motivation is an important factor which brings employees satisfaction. This can be done by keeping into mind and framing an incentive plan for the benefit of the employees. This could initiate the following things: h. Monetary and non-monetary incentives, i. Promotion opportunities for employees, j. Disincentives for inefficient employees. In order to build a cordial, friendly atmosphere in a concern, the above steps should be taken by a manager. This would help in: a. Effective co-operation which brings stability, b. Industrial dispute and unrest in employees will reduce, c. The employees will be adaptable to the changes and there will be no resistance to the change, d. This will help in providing a smooth and sound concern in which individual interests will coincide with the organizational interests, e. This will result in profit maximization through increased productivity. 1. Leads to stability of work force Stability of workforce is very important from the point of view of reputation and goodwill of a concern. The employees can remain loyal to the enterprise only when they have a feeling of participation in the management. The skills and efficiency of employees will always be of advantage to employees as well as employees. This will lead to a good public image in the market which will attract competent and qualified people into a concern. As it is said, â€Å"Old is gold† which suffices with the role of motivation here, the older the people, more the experience and their adjustment into a concern which can be of benefit to the enterprise. From the above discussion, we can say that otivation is an internal feeling which can be understood only by manager since he is in close contact with the employees. Needs, wants and desires are inter-related and they are the driving force to act. These needs can be understood by the manager and he can frame motivation plans accordingly. We can say that motivation therefore is a continuous process since motivation process is based on needs which are unlimited. The process has to be continued throughout. We can summarize by saying that motivation is important both to an individual and a business. Motivation is important to an individual as: 1. Motivation will help him achieve his personal goals. 2. If an individual is motivated, he will have job satisfaction. 3. Motivation will help in self-development of individual. 4. An individual would always gain by working with a dynamic team. Similarly, motivation is important to a business as: 1. The more motivated the employees are, the more empowered the team is. 2. The more is the team work and individual employee contribution, more profitable and successful is the business. 3. During period of amendments, there will be more adaptability and creativity. 4. Motivation will lead to an optimistic and challenging attitude at work place. Motivational theories (REFER TO NOTES ON NEOCLASSICAL THEORISTS) Motivational theories were concerned with three things: a. What mobilizes or energizes human behavior. b. What directs behavior towards the accomplishment of some objectives. c. How such behavior is sustained over-time. Motivation theorists 1. Maslow Hierarchy of needs (5). 2. Alderfer – 3 need levels: Existence, relatedness, growth theories. 3. Herzbergs two factor theory 4. Skirine’s reinforcement theory – behavior modification (behavior becomes associated with a particular consequence. Consequences may be positive or negative. A positive reinforces reward, a negative reinforces like punishment. 5. Vrooms expectancy theory – emphasizes the role of rewards and this relationship to the performance of desired behavior. 6. Adams (equity theory) – the motivational theory that suggests that effort and job satisfaction depend on the degree of equity or 7. Goal Theory (locke). 8. Equity – the perception that one’s work contribution is rewarded in the same proportion that another person’s contribution is reward.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to Create an Awesome Online Course By Repackaging Old Content

How to Create an Awesome Online Course By Repackaging Old Content Ive been writing and publishing digital marketing content for 10 years now. Theres no way to measure the return of investment of all that immense effort. Shouldnt there be a way to get more out of it? As someone who has been contributing content online for ages, Ive always been on the lookout for more ways to monetize that effort. Consolidating old content into an online course is a perfect idea. You can turn it into an extra source of income and you can also use it to further promote your brand. Here is a step-by-step guide into re-packaging your old content into a new video course. How to Create an Awesome Online Course By Repackaging Old Content by @seosmarty via @Step 1. Get Organized: Find and Record All Your Content Let's make it straight: This guide is for individuals and businesses that have been producing online content for a while, and not just on their own sites but outside of them too (through expert columns on popular niche outlets and guest blogging). That being said, the first step is to look back and find those content assets you can re-use now. 1.1. Find Brand-Authored Content Now, I realize you probably haven't been recording your company's important URLs diligently throughout the years. And finding them now will probably be next to impossible, so here's a quick workaround for you: Set Google to show you 50-100 results per page Use Google to search articles by you and your team. Use all kinds of search queries, like [author name guest post -site:yoursite.com] - this will exclude your own site from search results ["author name is XXX at your company name"] - this can be part of your writer's guest post byline ["author name * company name"] - this search is useful for those guest authors who slightly vary their byline wording but always make sure their name and your company name will make it to the bio. NOTE: If you only publish your content on your own site and not elsewhere, simple use [SITE:yoursite.com] search on Google. As you move forward, you can attach different terms to this search to target your search more precisely, e.g. [SITE:yoursite.com guide] or [SITE:yoursite.com apple pies] Get more ideas here. Now, use  this Greasemonkey script  to extract URLs from search results and easily copy-paste them to add to your search engine using the include-in-bulk option. 1.2. Create a Searchable Database Next, there are two steps to take: Copy paste all those URLs into a Google Spreadsheet, then search more and keep copy-pasting. If you search for several author names (if your company has a few ambassadors publishing content around the web to represent your brand collective expertise), add a separate column for the author name for easier sorting. Now, use sorting options to remove duplicate URLs and clean up the spreadsheet manually too Then copy-paste the whole list into a new  Google Custom search. The beauty of this tool is that you can also add your whole site there for its content to be searchable in your database of brand-focused content. 1.3. Take Note of Frequently-Occurring Topics to Build the Course Around While proceeding with both the steps, look for popular topics you and/or your company authors tend to cover more frequently than others. Take notes of those topics: That's how you are going to brainstorm topics for your future course and its structure. Look for topics that have been covered in much depth in at least 10 articles by you and/or your team. These articles are going to make your course chapters and content is going to be your video scripts, so it's important that you have blogged a lot on them to make your course creation easier. Gathering existing content to create a course? Look for topics that have been covered in much depth...Step 2. Research the Chosen Topic Some More and Come up with the Plan Once you have a solid list of brand-owned resources around one common topic, research the interest and competition. This step can be broken into three important tasks: 2.1. Identify your core term Creating a course is quite a commitment: You want to make sure there's a demand for more information on the chosen topic and you need to brainstorm your competitive advantage: What is it you are building that will allow you to stand out in the crowd? Good old keyword research  is something I usually resort to whenever I need to dig deeper into a specific topic. I like  Serpstat  for its big selection of tools to play with. For one, I check how hard it will be to compete for high rankings for my future course. I play with different variations of my topical keywords and use the search filter to restrict results to those containing my main keyword and [course] or [training] in them: Serpstat shows: Search volume (which reflects demand for this particular topic) Keyword difficulty (which reflects how intense the competition is) Both metrics allow me to finally make an educated choice of the core term to build my course around. Recommended Reading: Your Ultimate Content Marketer's Guide to Keyword Research 2.2. Identify the Course Structure Once I am done with choosing my actual final keyword, I use Serpstat's unique clustering  feature  to break my long keyword list into groups of related queries. This gives a good mind-map of my future course topic and allows to come up with the course structure. Keep referring to your spreadsheet of chosen content assets to fill your spreadsheet with content you can use in each chapter. Tip: While creating your course structure, you'll discover some "gaps", i.e. sections that need to be included into your course which were not covered by you or your writers previously. These are great to add to your blog editorial calendar. This way your video course also helps you brainstorm content for your blog. Thus those new sections you'll be working on can be re-used as text content too! That being said, re-packaging goes both ways in this case: You use your existing content to create a course and you use your future course structure to create more content for your brand too! I don't have a set template for that but here's how my spreadsheet looks like when I start working on the course structure and identifying which other sections I need to start working on: It's also a good idea to turn to your actual customers and readers to collect some ideas from them. Ultimately, you want to know what real people are interested in learning about to better meet their needs. Consider: Sending a quick email to your email list inviting them to take a quick survey and help you structure your future course (promising a free access later on) Creating a Twitter and/or a Facebook poll (for both you can use ads to generate more replies) If you are collaborating with other team members on this project, consider consolidating multiple parts of it inside one common management platform. works well for this purpose to collaborate and organize projects. You can embed your Google spreadsheets within projects on a calendar: Add workflow checklists with Task Templates: Communicate with Discussion Threads: It's a useful way to keep everyone on board. Recommended Reading: How to Repurpose Content and Make the Most Out of Your Marketing Step 3. Put Together Video Content This step is still my learning curve: I am still working my way towards coming up with the best process. I do have some processes and tools to share but feel free to share more! 3.1. Turn existing articles into scripts and write new articles (and turn them into scripts too) Go through your spreadsheet and start working on those scripts. Keep the new format in mind: You need to be saying what you are showing. Let your team members work on their own scripts and do the voiceovers for their own chapters. Keeping more people involved will make your end product higher-quality. At this stage of going through everything before it goes into production, I also come up with extra downloadable content. I always want people to go home with some actionable tips and tangible rewards. So what I do: Where possible, turn articles into pdf downloads (to let people print the scripts out and follow video instructions easier) Adding some more visual content for course takers to download and refer to when then need. Branded downloadable PDFs are a great way to give your audience something to take home and get reminded of your brand on a regular basis. So at some point my course structure spreadsheet is going to look like this: Notes: You can re-use some of those handy PDF downloads you are creating on your blog too! Embed them on your blog to generate more subscribers and leads. Here are  a few plugins just for that. 3.3. Extract All Visual Content and Create More The beauty of this approach is that you can reuse as much content as you want. As someone who always adds lots of annotated screenshots to my articles, I always make sure I reuse those in my videos too, whenever I am describing a specific step. Of course, for videos, I usually need more visuals than I offer in my articles, so I use the following three tools to create more: Snagit  for more annotated screenshots Visual.ly  to visualize stats (as graphs) and steps (as flowcharts) Bannersnack  for promotional in-video calls-to-action Those three are very easy to use and require no graphic design background. 3.3 Create Videos I use three types of videos for my articles 3.2.1. Screencasts The most common video type I am using is a screencast, especially since it comes perfectly inline with my writing style: I love actionable advice with lots of tools included. The two newer screencasting tools in my arsenal are: Filmora eCamm Both tools allow picture-in-picture capability to put the instructor's face right next to your podcast. It seems people stay with your instructional video longer if they see the instructor talking along. 3.2.2. Video Interviews I tend to invite at least one or two experts to my courses to feature actual stories illustrating tactics I talk about. I am trying  Blue Jeans  to record interviews now. It also streams to Facebook Live, so you can first make a public show (and generate some leads through it), then edit the recording and re-use it in your course. 3.2.2. Quick entertaining videos Finally to prevent my students from being too bored, I break the routine with cool entertaining videos that list interesting stats, propose an action item or share a cool tool. It's a great way to add some diversity to the course flow. Animatron  is my tool for that and it lets me put together short yet useful and engaging videos literally in minutes. I cannot recommend it enough really. 4. Choose the Platform to Host and Sell Your Video Course Here you have two main options to choose from: 4.1. Host Your Course on a Third-Party Platform Pros: Easy set up, existing user base to sell your course to Cons: Monthly extra costs to pay for the platform For the lack of time, I haven’t tested too many platforms here. I tried Udemy (which is where I still host most of my courses) but their recent moved in dictating pricing model and limiting free courses have made me look elsewhere. By analyzing other options and their pricing, Uscreen  seemed like a winner. For a monthly price, you retain full control over your course, how you choose to charge your students and how often you want to get in touch with them (you can schedule automatic email campaigns to keep them engaged). You can even create your own smartphone app to give your students an additional medium to access your course. 4.2. Use DIY Approach to Set up the Course Section on Your Own Site Pros: Complete ownership of the product (Without depending on the third-party service), money saving (keeping cons in mind) Cons: Likely development budget involved, hard to set up on your own I have been considering this option for a while but couldn’t allocate enough time to plan and delegate the development part of it. Frankly, I like the idea but this looks like a huge project I haven’t had the time for. Here are a couple tutorial in case you decide to consider this approach: How to create sell an online course in WordPress: a step-by-step guide How to build your own course  (DIY) Building an online course yourself? Check out these resources to learn how:Final Thoughts It's not an easy task to re-package old content into a new educational course but think about multiple benefits: Put your old effort to good use: You deserve that! Come up with more useful content on a related topic (and thus improve your own knowledge of the subject): Become a better expert! Put a solid content asset which quite possibly will position you as an expert and/or your business as a knowledge hub in the niche Offer your loyal customers something new and valuable: Give them a reason to love your business even more! There are many more benefits, including more opportunities that course sharing platforms can offer (like attracting new audience, creating a new channel for brand awareness building, etc.) The bottom line is this: It's hard. It takes time and effort. Don't start working on the course unless you are ready to invest both. But if you think you are ready, go for it!

Friday, November 22, 2019

Do You Make Any Money Writing

Do You Make Any Money Writing If you havent been asked this question, you will. Family, especially, are noted for asking if the time you invest in your work is worth the money derived from it. Its as if you are choosing to make what you do. Its as if you are too stupid to walk away when its the last thing you want to do. So, lets empower you a bit. The next time someone brings this question up, turn it around. Ask what they make in their job. Then ask if its the best they can make. Ask if they feel shortchanged. And when they say they deserve to make more, ask them why they arent hunting for another job. Then ask if the time they spend on their job is worth the money derived from it. Why are they working that job if they arent being compensated properly? Chances are, theyll tell you they have no choice. They need the work. They need the money. They hope to make more. They havent been able to find other work. Theyd leave if they could. Whatever the excuse, they will say the last thing they can do is quit. So, chances are theyll also add that they sure wish they could leave because they hate their situation, hate the boss, hate the grind. How do I know? Because 80 percent of people in the world hate their job. Thats when you say that you dont make what youd like to make either, but heaven forbid you have to quit because you love it so much. As a matter of fact, you are thrilled to be doing something you intensely enjoy, and it helps compensate for not making more money. On those days you feel you havent been paid enough, you still smile because thank goodness you are working in a profession you adore. That alone makes it all worthwhile. And then you add . . . you hope you never have to retire from it. Thatll shut them up.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

American Neo Conservatism and the World Order Essay

American Neo Conservatism and the World Order - Essay Example American Neo Conservatism and the World Order Backed by an American nuclear arsenal and war machine, Bush tossed the words "freedom" and "democracy" about, making them sound like cheap and meaningless words. Taking advantage of the fact that Americans were distracted with the aftermath of September 11, Bush addressed the world saying, "Since America's emergence as a world power roughly a century ago, we have made many errors, but we have been the greatest force for good among the nations of the earth. A diminution of American power or influence bodes ill for our country, our friends, and our principles." Later, the question would be asked whether or not the terrorists behind the events of September 11 had awakened a sleeping giant,1 or whether the giant had in fact been waiting in the wings waiting for his cue to come on stage. When George Bush made his announcement to Americans that they would respond to the events of 9/11 with an armed assault against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, he did not share with his fellow Americans that already talk had been going on in the White House of a plan to invade Iraq. In November, 2001, ". . . Bush asked his defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to revise the U.S. war plan for Iraq and publicly called for the return of UN arms inspectors to the country.† While a response of moving militarily against Afghanistan as the threshold of operations for the terrorists who had attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 went unquestioned by most Americans.; neo conservative plans of pre-emptive defense tactics against Iraq left many Americans scratching their heads in contemplation of the rhetoric coming out of the White House. It was the notion of a "pre-emptive" strike against a perceived threat to America that caused many, amongst them Democrats, who had pr eviously supported the administration in its response to the 9/11 terrorists in Afghanistan to now jump off the band wagon and put enough distance between themselves and the Bush administration so as to regain perspective of what actions were going on that were clearly being driven the neo conservatives who gained momentum following the events of 9/11. Amongst those who attempted to distance themselves from the Bush administration during the talk of pre-emptive invasion of Iraq period, were world leaders, some of whom seemed taken aback by Bush's pre-emptive rhetoric. "Our closest allies have spoken out against an invasion of Iraq. Gerhard Schroder, leading a usually complaisant Germany but locked in a tough re-election fight, has gone so far as to label this possibility an "'adventure,'" sparking a protest from our ambassador (Galston 2002, 1)." Bush administration officials were accused of ignoring and disregarding the thoughts of those world leaders with whom the United States had close ties (1). The idea of a long term military engagement in the Middle East gave rise to concerns that America was embarking on yet another disastrous course of military occupation and conflict, just as they had during the Viet Nam era; provoking comment from former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger (1). Kissinger weighed in saying, "Regime chang e as a goal for military intervention challenges the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Personal Experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal Experiences - Essay Example Applying Lewin’s change management model, the organization should have ensured that it changes the mindset of its employees before initiating the changing. During the transitional change, the change should have been introduced gradually while putting into account the values and attitudes of the employees. The final stage, freezing, should have involved ownership of the change as part of the organization’s operations. One of my peers wrote on an organizational change involving manufacturing processes. This change can be related with the above-discussed change in that both involve laying off workers and change of duties at work. The two changes illustrate the need to involve employees when making organizational changes. Additionally, the top-level management should integrate the new change within the values, mission and vision of the organization. In order to sustain these changes, leadership, structure, strategy, culture and systems should be

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Healthcare Managment Essay Example for Free

Healthcare Managment Essay What is healthcare management? Let’s sum it up to get a better sense of all what partakes in it, as well of doing it in an effective way. Simply put is the overseeing of all the healthcare facilities. Most likely patient encounter is not so likely, unless there is a means to speak or deal with a situation directly with patient. Healthcare relates to insurance companies, organization, and hospitals. It can get a little difficult because there are so many roles such ass, human resources, equipment, and scheduling . Being in this field is quite diverse, due to the many fields. Four Functions * As I mentioned before having this role you must be effective, in doing so there are functions that need to be set and used on a day to day basis. The first is â€Å"organizing†, which to have organization is wonderful and keeps things running smoothly. What does this consist of simply understanding your staff and helping them with their staff by assigning them with their own and last but not least support. When employees have this to fall back on it helps in many ways for the organization. Second, â€Å"planning† you can never go wrong if you plan right and plan ahead. There are objectives that need to completed, which requires decision to be made. It gives an overview of what is expected and gives better insight for all. Third, â€Å"controlling† it is not necessarily what may come to mind at first. Managers have an obligation to always we on top of things, therefore in order for this to be done being involved with the performance of the team must come into pl ay. This allows management to be able to focus on what needs to be done whether good or bad. In turn it gives an overview of how things our running. Fourth, â€Å"leading† I see as not trying to be someone’s boss/manager it is someone who builds you up for success. I can say myself that putting all four functions to work together every work day probably is not so easy. No manager is perfect, the most important thing is that you try to incorporate all in some fashion and with that things should be effective. Having children myself I feel that I am a manager with everything to go with all wrapped up in one. I am needed to make my household run in functional way. If there were no guidelines and leadership it would all come tumbling down. What Do I Want to Gain? * Learning how to be more diversified and in the professional healthcare world. I feel very strongly about this because my most absolute goal is to become a healthcare manager and I know that there is an overwhelming increases in diversity now days. Since knowing this and seeing I first hand I would like to make sure that when I become a manager for a facilities I can uphold the standard and respect for all people. This is not only for the staff, but for the patient’s sake as well. Having the knowledge and to be able to teach other and implement it within. References Lombardi, D. N., Schermerhorn, J. R. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Sherman, C. (1999). Raising management standards in American healthcare. Healthcare Executive, 14(2), 12-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200287995?accountid=35812 Wallick, W. G., Stager, K. J. (2002). Healthcare managers roles, competencies, and outputs in organizational performance improvement / practitioner response. Journal of Healthcare Management, 47(6), 390-401; discussion 401-2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/206729167?accountid=35812

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Blessing and Vultures Essay -- English Literature

Blessing and Vultures In the poems ‘Blessing’ and ‘Vultures’, the poets both use vivid descriptive language to create pictures and moods. In ‘Blessing’, the poet begins the second stanza with the word ‘imagine’. This word involves the reader and tells them to create a mental picture of the scene. He uses lots of onomatopoeia in this stanza. Words like ‘drip’ and ‘splash’ create an image of a small amount of water falling into a tin mug. This also creates a mood of thirst and drought. The stanza is finished with the line â€Å"the voice of a kindly god.† This personifies the water and makes it seem heavenly. The third stanza creates a sense of rushing, in the same way that water would rush out of the burst pipe. This mood is created by using fast sounding words, such as ‘rush’, ‘bursts’ and ‘crashes’. These words are also onomatopoeic because they sound like the pipe bursting, the water rushing and crashing to the ground. It uses the word ‘silver’ metaphorically to describe the look of the water and also how precious it is. Another metaphor is â€Å"a roar of tongues†. Th...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Critique an Article

Introduction In order to benefit and fully understand what exactly a certain article is researching or auguring it needs to be analysed and critiqued to the point of understanding so to demonstrate this, the author of this material is going to analyse and critique the article, Factors influencing the food choices of Irish children and adolescents: a qualitative investigation. To achieve this in a well structured, well laid out piece of literature the author will use a checklist devised to critique a qualitative research study, in which it will be clear to recognise under appropriate headings.To conclude this assignment the author will mention any difficulties or problems that occurred through out the assignment. Title The title is very short but clearly states what the article is about. Parahoo (2006) mentions that the title should indicate the exact area of study and mention the population from who the information was collected. The title also is very informative with regards to the research method used as it's clearly stated. Author As indicated on the article, the authors have well recognisable qualifications.Amanda Fitzgerald is from School of Psychology, national University of Ireland, Galway, and is also corresponding author. Caroline Heary is also form School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway. Elizabeth Nixon is from School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and Collete Kelly is from the School Of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. Abstract There is an abstract as such but titled summary which acts as the same purpose, as Parahoo (2006) states that an abstract is a short summary of a study.The research problem being that there is relatively little research done to explore the factors that influence the food choices of children and adolescents form their point of view is mentioned in this summary. The methodology of this study uses focus group discussions of 29 young people, in different age g roups, ages ranging from 9-10, 13-14 and 16-18 years. From these discussions an inductive thematic analysis identified three key factors influencing food choices.Parahoo (2006) suggests that the abstract should mention the main findings which are referred to in this summary as, that their were developmental differences between children’s and adolescents perceptions of factors influencing food choice. Statement of the Phenomenon of Interest The phenomenon of interest is stated in the introduction as the author clearly mentions that this study was to understand the processes used to make food choices from the participants perspective.The researcher has mentioned that few studies have set out to qualitatively examine young people's own views so this is an indication that the researcher wants to explore the participants own experiences through a qualitative method i. e. Focus groups. The philosophical underpinnings are clearly that the author has identified that few qualitatively studies have been carried out to examine the factors influencing the food choices of Irish children and adolescents from their own perspective. Also the researcher wants to access how they interact with others in the environment about food choices.Purpose The purpose of this study was evident from the title and clearly explained in-depth through out the article. The purpose of this study was to explore differences between children’s and adolescents’ views regarding influences on their food choices. The researcher doesn't go too much into detail about how this research helps nurses but does mention that this study has useful implications for clinicians. Overall the use of the information obtained in this research would be of use to nursing in nutrional education for similar each groups in hospital.Method The researcher obtained the information from the participants using semi-structured interviews to guide focus group discussions. The use of focus groups is very suitab le in this qualitative study. Parahoo (2006) mentions that choosing focus groups as apposed to individual interviews helps to get more in-depth information from the participants' experience about a certain topic, it aids the researcher to get a wider view from all different experiences and leads participants to freely discuss and share their ideas.The use of focus groups enabled all the participants to share their own experiences and opinions about the phenomenon. Sampling The researcher mentions the participants selected and states the ratio of males and females and gives the age groups. The location or venue isn't mentioned at all. Purposive sampling is indeed used and as Parahoo (2006) points out that researchers use this type of sampling as they select the most appropriate candidates to be able to answer the questions being asked.The questions being asked were aimed at children and adolescents so the aged group selected was between 9-18 years, so they were suitable. Data Collect ion The data collected is focused on human experiences as the researcher mentions the use of focus groups which were semi-structured to guide the participants to share their own ideas. The focus group discussions were tape recorded, transcribed and double- checked for accuracy. Ethical approval was obtained from the research ethics committee and parents had to provide written consent as well as consent from the participants themselves.The researcher didn’t mention if data saturation had occurred but did mention that following the inductive analysis procedure, categories emerged following repeated readings of the transcripts which identified key concepts. The researcher explains how the data was obtained using an inductive analysis procedure that were transcribed resulting in emerging categories. Data Analysis The focus group discussions were analysed separately and the researcher explains that an inductive thematic analysis was used and explains what this method does.The rese archer has remained true to data by using semi-structured interviews which are used in qualitative research and also by using direct quotes which in-riches the data. The researcher does not give direct headings and emphasis to the creditability, audibility and fittingness in the article but they are evident from reading the article. Credibility According to Parahoo (2006), credibility is when a study carried out shows the participants ideas from their perpespectives about the research.The participants do recognise the experience as their own as they explain their answers using scenarios. Audibility Audibility refers to the data produced in a certain study that enables readers to understand the original methods and conclusions used in previous research ( Parahoo, 2006). The reader can follow the way the researcher has carried out the research as the researcher sticks to the qualitative method used to collect information from the participants, through semi-structured interviews.The re searcher does mention that the research process used is that of a qualitative process. Fittingness The findings can be applied to people outside the study as the researcher mentions that this study gives a detailed account of young people's food choices from their view points so this information can be used to help other people in understanding. The results can benefit parents along with health care workers, working with that age group, towards building nutrition among children and adolescents.The researcher clearly states that the data in this research piece does support the compatible use of an integrated theoretical framework as its based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and ecological theory so young people's food choices can be explained, as the researcher wanted to understand how the participants engaged with others in their environment about food choices. Findings The reader can gather that the findings are broken down into three different categories, intra-individual fac tors, intra-familial factors and extra-familial factors. The researchers use of semi-structured interviews long with direct quotes containing scenarios made the data more rich. In the introduction great amount of detail is given to mention about other research and interventions. The researcher highlights that the results from this study helps in previous research. Also mentioned was that other research had found similar ideas among young people. Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations It provides a clear conclusion from the in-depth data received from young people about their perceptions of factors influencing their food choices and gives us an understanding of differences between the age groups preferences.The researcher does state that the findings are useful in passing on information to nutrition education providers with regards to the factors that do effect children and adolescents food choices. As mentioned previously, its not out rightly stated in this study that the fin dings are made explicit to nurses but one could argue that the findings can be used by a registered nurse in providing nutritional care to this age group. Conclusion This article was very informative and the researcher did make clear from the very beginning, the research method used.This research study was made more rich and descriptive through the use of direct quotes to describe scenarios. This research study had many strengths as well as limitations. The format in which the summary was presented wasn't very appropriate as its font size and style made it hard to read. Also the researcher failed to mention the exact location and venue where the focus groups took place, along with that, the ratio of girls to boys wasn’t equal, 13 boys to 16 girls.No opt out option was mentioned to the participants. The researcher did use explanations very well as certain terms were defined but too much detail was given in the introduction and discussion. Also too much referencing was used in one paragraph in the introduction. Overall this assignment made me aware of the procedure and method involved in critiquing an article and helped me understand the research process in general.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

History of Western Civilization Essay

An outstanding single event that happened in history during the ancient period was the development of the alphabet in Egypt around 2800 BC. This was in the form of hieroglyphics, which was the writing system devised by the Egyptians in order to improve their communication processes. The symbols developed by the hieroglyphics represented important messages and information that helped to clearly improve the way of living of the Egyptian people. Although the hieroglyphics are not used anymore today as part of the modern alphabet, it clearly became the basis for the establishment of the English, Greek and Latin alphabets that were further developed by people that lived during the Western civilizations. It was through the hieroglyphics that the concepts of vowels and consonants evolved, and the improved alphabets were effectively merged with different Western languages that enabled them to use better methods of communication (Budge, 2009). The legacy that the establishment of hieroglyphics has left to the modern era is the gift of improved written communication. With a recognized set of alphabet, people at present have been able to effectively express their ideas and sentiments through various forms of written communication. With the emergence of various technologies like mobile phones and computers, written communication has even become easier and able to reach people from various parts of the globe. Thus, people are given the opportunity to effectively convey their messages to one another by using a common alphabet and language system that they can understand, preventing unnecessary conflicts or misunderstandings that could potentially happen along the process of communication. The establishment of the Oxford University in 1249 is another outstanding single event that deserves consideration. Oxford University is one of the first academic institutions that were established all over the world, and it is already one of the oldest at present. The various religious sects in England had the initiative to establish an academic institution where the people can be able to get formal learning and improve their knowledge and understanding about various subject matters. Because of the massive influences of the medieval, renaissance and early Industrial Revolution periods, even the people from Western civilizations traveled to Europe and aimed to study at Oxford University where the best teachers all over the world can be found (Feingold, 2010). Music, religion, politics, science and law were the common subjects being taught at Oxford University, and the students returned to their respective countries bringing along with them the knowledge that they learned and applying them into the society. The legacy that the establishment of Oxford University has left to the modern era is that it provided the inspiration for the Western and Eastern worlds to make education of people a top priority. The significant intellectual improvements of students that studied at Oxford University paved the way for the foundation of many other universities all over the world. For example, America was able to establish its first university, Harvard, in 1636. It became clear for people that they had to get formal education in various schools and universities for them to be able to maximize their skills and capabilities and be able to become productive citizens and contribute positively to society. An outstanding individual during the ancient period was Plato. Originating from Greece, Plato’s ideas undoubtedly helped to shape the Western philosophy. His ideas on Platonic realism, theory of forms and the definition of knowledge helped to educate the people and made them think about their own perspectives about these matters. Plato also founded the Academy, an academic institution that was meant to help people to have a better knowledge and understanding about things that they were interested about. Perhaps the best contribution of Plato for the Western civilizations was his ideas on the ideal state. He believed that in order for the state to be able to function effectively, the society had to be properly organized into people that will lead, people that will serve, and people that will give recommendations and advice (Taylor, 2001). These people have to be able to work harmoniously so that the state can attain peace and progress in a sustainable manner. Plato also reminded that the people also had to make certain sacrifices whenever necessary so that the state can be able to stand strong and repulse any attempts from its enemies to destroy it. All these ideas of Plato have surely left a lasting legacy in the modern era as most governments still make use of his ideas on the ideal state to be able to guide them in the process of leadership and governance. His philosophical ideas are still being taught and debated in various academic institutions and have paved the way for people to appreciate Plato’s intellectual brilliance especially during his time where so many people were aspiring to make a huge difference in society. Another outstanding individual that lived during the Renaissance-early Industrial Revolution periods was Niccolo Machiavelli. Originating from Italy, Machiavelli’s contributions to Western civilization were mainly rooted on political science. Known for his courage and boldness in citing his opinions on various political matters, Machiavelli is well recognized for his unique ideas that even became the inspiration of other philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Leo Strauss. Perhaps the best contribution of Niccolo Machiavelli was his masterpiece entitled The Prince. This book expressed Machiavelli’s ideas regarding a more deliberate and forceful transfer of power. He believed that when the leader of the state was not performing his roles and responsibilities, the people need not to wait for the leader to step down (Ford, 2005). Machiavelli mentioned that the people can be empowered to forcefully expel the leader of the state from his position and choose the best and most suitable leader as the replacement. He thought that this was a necessary evil in order to restore balance and orderliness in the society instead of the people doing nothing and allowing the ineffective and corrupt leader to continue to stay in power and eventually become stronger in time. Thus, these ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli paved the way for the establishment of the people empowerment concept, which is his legacy for the modern era. Although people at present do not really aim to kill their incompetent leaders or incite chaos to demonstrate their discontent, they use the ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli as their inspiration to have the courage to stand up and make their voices of displeasure be heard.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Punishment Essay essays

Punishment Essay essays The basis of criminal punishment that is used by the court systems today came from the foundation that was laid down by the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. The foundation of punishment is to have the punishment be harsh enough to deter a repeat offense, and also to deter other individuals from the population from performing the same offense. However, when comparing the punishments of ancient times to the forms of punishments in the modern era, similarities will tend to dissipate. Ancient punishment was designed to give the public a view of what happens when a certain offense is committed, while the modern punishments are mainly to isolate the given offender from society in a reform atmosphere. In this paper the forms of punishment in ancient Greece and Rome will be compared and contrasted, and the forms of ancient punishments will be compared to how the modern world deals with its criminal offenders, and which one was more successful. The foundation of law was started in the ancient provinces of Greece and Rome. The philosophers Plato, from Greece, Cicero and Tacitus from Rome were the revolutionaries of the ancient laws. The main purpose of Platos thoughts were to find the purpose of punishment, distinguish how to achieve its purpose, and to make the punishment go along with the morals of the given society. Plato believed that the criminal derived pleasure from the resulting punishments of the crimes committed. Due to the beneficial experience of punishment to the criminal, the punishment worsened with every offense and if the convicted shows no reform from the non-lethal forms of punishment, that person would be sentenced to death. All punishment should have the purpose of deterring a repeat offense and should be harsh enough to discourage others from committing the same offense. In the early Roman era, Cicero felt strongly about the effectiveness of Platos ideals and beliefs of punishments. Cic ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Funny Figures of Speech

5 Funny Figures of Speech 5 Funny Figures of Speech 5 Funny Figures of Speech By Mark Nichol Wordplay is a fertile field for study in English. Although the following forms of humor should be used sparingly if at all, writers should be familiar with them and their possibilities. 1. Malapropism A malapropism, the substitution of a word with a similar-sounding but incongruous word, may be uttered accidentally or, for humorous effect, may be deliberate. The name derives from that of Mrs. Malaprop, a character in an eighteenth-century play who often uttered such misstatements; one of her comments, for example, is â€Å"she’s as headstrong as an allegory,† when she meant to say â€Å"alligator.† (The word ultimately derives from the French phrase mal propos, meaning â€Å"poorly placed.†) Numerous characters are assigned this amusing attribute; the Shakespearean character Dogberry’s name inspired an alternate label. 2. Spoonerism Spoonerisms are similar to malapropisms; the distinction is that a spoonerism is a case of metathesis, in which parts of two words are exchanged, rather than one word substituted for another. This figure of speech was named after a nineteenth-century Oxford academician who appears to have been credited with various misstatements he did not make; one of the many apocryphal examples is â€Å"a well-boiled icicle† (in lieu of â€Å"a well-oiled bicycle†). 3. Paraprosdokian The word for this type of wordplay, from Greek (meaning â€Å"against expectation†) but coined only a few decades ago, refers to a sentence with a humorously abrupt shift in intent, such as â€Å"I don’t belong to an organized political party I’m a Democrat,† from twentieth-century American humorist Will Rogers, or Winston’s Churchill’s summation of a colleague, â€Å"A modest man, who has much to be modest about.† 4. Tom Swifty This name for an adverb, used in an attribution for dialogue, that punningly applies to the words spoken (for example, â€Å"‘We just struck oil!’ Tom gushed†) was inspired by the writing style in a series of children’s novels featuring the character Tom Swift, written continuously since the early twentieth century. Although no such puns appear in these stories, such examples are suggestive of the overwrought adverbs that are a distinctive feature. (Originally, such a pun was called a Tom Swiftly.) 5. Wellerism A Wellerism, named after a Dickensian character, is a statement that includes a humorous contradiction or a quirky lapse in logic, such as â€Å"‘So I see,’ said the blind carpenter as he picked up his hammer and saw,† or a prosaic similar construction whose humor derives from a pun, as in â€Å"‘We’ll have to rehearse that,’ said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car† (which plays on the prefix re- in association with the noun hearse). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsWhen to Form a Plural with an ApostropheAdverbs and Hyphens