Challenge of Defining a Single Muliticultural Education...

The Challenge of Defining a Single â€Å"Multicultural Education† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As stated in the first paragraph of this article, â€Å"Multicultural education has been transformed, refocused, reconceptualized, and in a constant state of evolution both in theory and in practice.† Multicultural education is always changing. Culture is something that changes on a day-to-day basis. The way our society changes is no one’s hands, but our own. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Multicultural education can be something that is as simple as a change in the curriculum adding new and diverse materials (2nd paragraph). As the world changes our ability to learn should grow. New things happen every day and the only way we can grow from these†¦show more content†¦When teachers’ just focus on those with their hands always up I think it hinders on the ability of those who sit back and observe, rather than speak out. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"Education must become fully student-centered and inclusive of the voices and experiences of the students.† (Paragraph 3, bullet 5) I believe this statement is also very true. If teachers would take the time to get to know their students’ and the experiences they have, they may be able to connect with their students on a more personal basis. Teachers and students aren’t personal enough with each other. I look at it like this, my education is in the hands of the person’s classroom I walk into everyday. I would at least like to make myself known so my teachers can connect with me on a level and have an understanding of my learning capacity. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; A Working Definition Of Multicultural Education nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The underlying goal of multicultural education is to affect social change. The pathway towards this goal incorporates three strands of transformation known as: the transformation of self, the transformation of schools and schooling, and the transformation of society (Page 2). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The transformation of self deals with a teachers’ understanding of what’s going on in our multicultural society. Teachers’ have the responsibility to eliminate their prejudices and instead examine what they are teaching and present it in a

Wikileaks †Is America being imprisoned by free speech Free Essays

Julian Assange, founder of whistle-blowing global organisation Wikileaks, is accused of ‘threatening America with the cyber equivalent of thermonuclear war’ by publishing government documents online with louring intent. These leaks contain eight of the biggest leaks in history. Some of which include lists of members from racist political parties, and Afghan war logs. We will write a custom essay sample on Wikileaks – Is America being imprisoned by free speech? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Exposing the transgressions of the powerful is a lasting and honourable tradition, often the primary purpose of free press. However, many of the ‘life endangering’ leaks that are being sited as due cause for prosecution are insignificant and of the ‘Did you know the Pope is a Catholic? ’ variety and have yet to prove that they pose any manner of threat to civilians of military operations and national security. As many citizens of the US desire transparency, elected officials of public servants and services have no defence for continuing to guard its information from public scrutiny. Transparency promotes accountability and reduces government corruption and in extreme cases military dictatorship as it often allows citizens of a democracy to have degree of control over their own government. With little transparency there are fewer opportunities for political influence between elections. Citizens can only elect accordingly and for governments to withhold any relevant information would manipulate the voting system. Therefore Assange opened America’s government on behalf of its citizens revealing government deceptions and political domination to promote a participative democracy and improve the overall quality of decision making for the country. However, for a democracy to exist it requires constant vigilance of the people and their representatives. These leaks were published in violation of the US law and without authorization. This unprocessed information was released without context leaving it exposed to misrepresentation. Assange has aided terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda largely by given them the â€Å"gift† of diplomatic cables in thousands. The threat of this is that they are exposing the weaknesses within countries governments and security making them subject to ‘easy’ terrorism. Such negligence at the scale of the World Wide Web could significantly endanger the lives of US citizens. Assange’s defence for this not being his intention is contradicted however. Whilst leaking information from America, Australia, and the UK; he is not leaking information from countries such as North Korea, Iran, Russian or even China. This alludes to Assange targeting particular governments and whilst he cannot be tried for treason, should he be tried for terrorism? Despite this, American’s have no constructional right to privacy therefore free speech tends to trump privacy. As both are fundamental rights, they cannot be protected when in conflict. Naturally the governments are in favour of privacy to prevent the misdeeds of their past being exposed. For example, there is a leak that states George Bush, in building a case for war against Iraq falsely claimed than Iraq where attempting to purchase Yellowcake (a chemical used in fuel for nuclear reactors) from Africa. Frankly this is not true. Another leak exposes that America has killed five times the number of civilians killed on 9/11. This ultimately contributed to the increased number of Jihadists. To outlaw Wikileaks would be ironic in a democracy as it would restrict freedom of speech and people’s right to communicate their opinions and ideas. It is argued that the leaks provide no threatening data to the public, rather their governments. With thanks to Assange, citizens of America are now aware of polices their government are perusing, polices that place the people at immense risk. Wikileaks is an act journalism and Assange is a journalist therefore Assange and his organization should have the right to freedom of press without exploiting the media. Thus the real threat does not lie with the citizens, but rather the fundamental right to free speech and press and whether as a result of Wikileaks, it will be limited. Though, is it possible that Assange’s right to freedom of press when leaking could negatively affect America in war? Could it have caused more people in the Middle East to enlist with local armed forces? Information in leaks has the potential to destroy their relationships with other countries even if they are not allies. Other countries may now be reluctant to share information with America in fear of it being leaked. This on top of America’s desire from transparency could ultimately strip the government of even more power exposing them to even more threats. George Bush once said â€Å"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear† As of yet no deaths have been directly attributed to the leaks initiating in 2006. Bradley Manning – a soldier of the American army, has accepted 10/22 charges against him. When in court Manning stated that he will plead guilty to sending documents to Wikileaks in violation of the US military regulations, but denies â€Å"aiding the enemy† and may still be prosecuted. It is expected that manning will receive a 20 year sentence and dishonourable discharge. Why is Manning being tried so hard? Is it to make an example, to remind us of the consequences when exposing those is control? To conclude, I have outlined that as few leaks have the potential to risk lives; many more have little significance in this respect. Both privacy and freedom of speech cannot be protected when in conflict. However, in a case of democracy freedom of speech should outweigh privacy greatly. Citizens have a right to be aware of their governments and without this awareness democracy cannot exist. But, in doing this do they have the right to disregard the privacy of others? How to cite Wikileaks – Is America being imprisoned by free speech?, Papers

Autobiography of a Leader-Free-Sample for Students-Myassignment

Question: Critically review the Biography or Autobiograph of a leader. Answer: Introduction Manmohan Singh, a renowned economist and the former Prime Minister of India has served the post of Prime Minister for a very long time after Jawaharlal Nehru. Before starting his political career, Singh was a prominent figure in many organizations. He has started his career with the United Nations in 1966 for United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Singh was the professor of University of Delhi after teaching 3 years in UNCTAD. He also worked with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and thus was appointed as the Advisor at the Ministry of the State. In 1970s, he was given the post of economic advisor with the Government of India. He was an economic consultant to the Prime Minister in that time. In 1982, he was appointed as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and he has been working until 1985. During the period of 1985-1987, he served as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India[1]. He began his political career in 1991 when India was in the phase of serious economic crisis[2]. During that phase, Singh had devalued the value of rupees, privatized the state run industries, lowered taxes and encouraged foreign investment in the country. These reforms have helped to transform the economy and thus spark economic boom in India. In 1997, the Alberta University presented him with an honorary degree in Doctorate of Laws. Singh has been awarded the degree of doctorate in economics from the Oxford University, London in 2006[3]. Manmohan Singh was highly appreciated both for the academic as well as political communities as a scholar and a thinker. He was appreciated for his well-versed academic approach and diligence to work as well as his unassuming behavior and accessibility. Singh was in the list of 100 most influential people in the world according to the report of TIME magazine. He was also described as the leaders other leaders love and thus has gained respect and trust among others. Singh had also laid the blueprint of the Indian economy a nd he introduced various kinds of economic reforms, which has helped the economy to open up to FDI. Moreover, Singh has also abolished License Raj in India and thus this has helped in the promotion of growth of the private business[4]. Discussion Manmohan Singhs leadership in the liberalization of the Indian economy Manmohan Singh was the finance Minister in Narasimha Raos government in 1990 and he has changed the economy in a fundamental way. In the initial stage of development of India, central planning is regarded as a positive factor for the development of building industries and promoting industrialization. He has tried to introduce rationality in the entire allocation process and in the later period, this has become an instrument of corruption. When Manmohan Singh assumed the role of Finance Minister, Indian economy was functioning according to Nehrus social agenda and the external debt rose upto 23% of gross domestic product. Moreover, the internal public debt also amounted to 55% of GDP and the country was not performing better[5]. The functioning of quasi welfare state along with the license-raj has laid to the establishment of regulations and licenses which was necessary for the establishment and functioning of businesses in India[6]. Moreover, during this phase, the employment rate ha d also become negative and there was slow economic growth in the country. This has also affected the manufacturing sector in India. Manmohan Singh has scheduled the budget when he realized that there were certain problems in the Indian economy and thus there must be a shift from economic liberalization to license raj[7]. Singh has also started two step devaluation system which was set in collaboration with the RBI. This has helped in the devaluation of the currency by 9% initially and then it has gone down to 11% in the later half[8]. This has boosted the trade and the dealings in the international market. Singh has also mortgaged the gold holdings of India with the Bank of England and thus this has helped in the financial assistance of the country. He had sold 20 tons of gold to the Union Bank of Switzerland and has received $200 million. Singh has carried out this strategic route to gain the resources keeping in mind the value and the demand for gold. He also called the Indian economy to seek help from the International Monetary Fund and thus applied for an emergency loan of $220 million[9]. This has prevented the economy to be a debt defaulter and has helped in the later stage. The radical measures which were taken by Manmohan Singh were appreciated by many leaders. He has stressed growth and deve lopment in the Indian economy and several ways in which the economy has managed during the last 25 years which has proved as an exciting agenda in the research analysis. There were significant changes in the GDP of the country and the decline of the people who were sustaining below the poverty line after his leadership. He has underlined various challenges in the education, health and environmental sector and thus there were various scope of improvement in this areas for employment generation[10]. Leadership style of Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh followed an autocratic leadership style and this can be understood when he assumed the charge of Finance Minister of India in 1990. During these period, there was financial crisis in the economy and the economy was on the verge of bankruptcy. Manmohan Singh has understood the condition of the economy and he introduced certain reforms in the country. Moreover, Singh also had the necessary idea and information which was considered necessary in the implementation and development of the adequate economic reforms. He took quick decisions and thus introduced many reforms in the Indian economy. Singh also had the capability to inspire his subalterns by his autocratic decision that was considered important in that phase. There were certain changes in the corporate affairs and in the standard of living of the population in India[11]. As he was an autocratic leader, he could work well with the other ministers and thus has been successful in supporting the Indian economy. Moreove r, he also followed streamlined work process and thus has control over the entire operation process. Singh had the capability to identify the areas of weakness of the Indian economy and bring changes through the implementation of reforms in the economy. Singh has also applied certain rules for his subordinate leaders so that they can work together for reviving the Indian economy from the phase of economic crisis. He was consistent and effective in the implementation of rules and regulations. Moreover, it can be stated that the autocratic leadership style of Singh has helped to enhance the performance level and thus bring more solutions that are accurate in the economy. The autocratic style of leadership that was followed by Manmohan Singh is considered as the most effective style of leadership and this motivates the other leaders in the economy. Singh also followed participative leadership style when he has encouraged the international community to include Africa in the entire decision making process. This has also intensified the endeavours to support regional development. This will help in improving the living conditions on the African continent and thus support economic development in the country. Singh has pointed that participative leadership will be beneficial in this case. This will support economic development in the western countries. Singh is also considered as a visionary leader as he took many initiatives in food security bill and nuclear bill. Singh was also regarded as a task oriented leader and he focused on only one issue at a particular time[13]. Singhs was a virtuous leader and thus this has enabled him as a leader to face many tasks and all the turbulences of political activities at the same time. Singh had solution for every complex problem which was within his reach. He wanted greater participation from the other leaders who followed or helped him with various official works. Singh also had the ability to work collaboratively in the group, using his consensus so that he can get the right things done in the correct time. An important characteristic that Singh possessed was his innovative thinking and the encouragement that was necessary for other leaders to get the things done in the correct time. Singh fostered a creative environment in the economy and he always wanted input and innovative ideas from his team members. When he was the Finance Minister of India, he urged the other leaders to deliver or share their ideas so that they can bring changes in the Indian economy[14]. Crucible events that has shaped Manmohan Singhs leadership approach Manmohan Singh had to face international embarrassment when he was appointed as the Finance Minister of India. The Left party had opposed the ideas which were given by Singh and Narasimha Rao during the period of economic crisis. The economy had to pass through a crucial approach and foreign direct investment was also detrimental in the Indian economy. Many leaders opposed the New Industrial policy that was proposed to bring changes in the Indian economy. They claimed that it was unwarranted condemnation over the past four decades of the planned economy. The leaders were not convinced with the ideas proposed by Singh and there were some political repositioning and repackaging. The New Industrial Policy has led to the presentation of new budget by Dr Manmohan Singh. He had prepared seven budgets in 1970s. However, the budget that was prepared in July 1991 was written and conceived by Singh. Moreover, he also presented this budget in 1991[15]. The budget was difficult and there was a h uge paradigm shift in the economic thinking and thus this has remained steady for a quarter of century in the economy. The new trade policy has changed the environment dramatically for the exporters as well as the importers. The devaluation of rupees had taken place and thus the foreign exchange reserve of the country had dwindled to $900 million[16]. This has also led to the articulation of the new fiscal policy that Singh had done to unveil and reorient the nature of public expenditure of India[17]. Singh has also announced the formation of two committees and this was done to change the face of the Indian economy[18]. This was done with the introduction of financial sector reforms which was headed by M. Narasimhan and the other committee led by Raja Chelliah which was formed for the reduction of import duties. Manmohan Singh was the Finance Minister during the period of liberalization in 1991 and thus there were drastic changes in the economy[19]. When he became the Prime Minister i.e. during the period of 2004-2014 he became the Prime Minister of India and it was during this tenure the liberalized economic policies were implemented on a larger scale. He also stressed on the growth and development of the Indian economy and the way in which the economy has passed during the past 25 years. Singh has also streamlined the licensing process and he has tried to link the non-essential imports with the exports so as to discourage those imports. The abolishment of export subsidies and the expansion of the licensing policy was also introduced by Singh. He also called for transferring the statutory powers to SEBI and enable it to regulate the working of the stock exchange market in the country[20]. Although there was steady economic growth, Manmohan Singhs measures were appreciated and he has faced strong challenges for going against the scheme of central financing supported by the left-oriented wing. The right-wing measures has given the capitalists to flourish their business in the Indian economy. The corporate tax was increased from 40 to 45% which depicts that there were some other plans for the development of the economy[21]. Moreover, when Singh was sworn as the Finance Minister of India, the economy faced the highest fiscal deficit and he had to decide how much he could to prioritize the reforms such as privatization and labour laws and pressure to spend more on the social programmes that has helped the Congress party to win the election. On the other hand the central bank also urged the commercial banks to reduce their lending and deposit rates[22]. Negative aspects of the Manmohan Singhs leadership When Manmohan Singh took the charge of the Prime Minister, there was a huge fall in the GDP of the India. There was also huge increase in the inflation level also experienced a negative growth rate. As he was an autocratic leader and he did not listen to the opinions of the other leaders, there was slow growth or negative growth rate in many sectors. The Government of India during the tenure of Manmohan Singh has failed to withdraw the post crisis fiscal stimulus. This also affected the Indian economy and the inflation rate has increased. The excess demand has spilled the trade account and thus India came close to the mess of balance of payments. Singh has given much emphasis on the foreign of India to secure the position of the country from the political legacy. Conclusion Singh was an integrator, strategist and a visionary leader. He is regarded as an analytical leader and he tried to understand every situation calmly before he took any strategic action. As an economic reformer, he proved himself as an excellent crisis handler. He was dedicated to his work and he has spent more than three decades in various government posts. After the opposition of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, Singh came to a firm conclusion to sign the deal. There was a vote of confidence by the Indian Government in this aspect. Singh also gave the credit of the success of the government to the entire UPA Government. Singh was also criticized for fostering close ties with United States and therefore he used several deals to leverage the power in the Indian Government. The slow growth rate of the economy and the allegations of corruption of the Congress officials have hindered the governance during the tenure of Manmohan Singh. Therefore, it can be concluded that Singh has presi ded over the rapidly expanding economy and due to the rising fuel costs, there precipitated an increase in the inflation rate and this has threatened the ability of the government to provide subsidies in the country. References Ahluwalia, I. J., Little, I. M. D. (2012).India's economic reforms and development: Essays for Manmohan Singh. Oxford University Press. Burns, N., Agreement, U. I. C. N. (2014). Obamas opportunity with India and its new leader.The Washington Post. Corbridge, S., Harriss, J. (2014). The shock of reform.South Asia in a Globalising World: A Reconstructed Regional Geography, (3), 103. Denyer, S., South Asia, L. S. E. (2014). The dual nature of its democracy is at the heart of understanding IndiaSimon Denyer.South Asia@ LSE. Faruqi, A. A. (2013). 12. Reflections on current political scenario in India.SOCRATES: Vol 1, No 1 (2013): ISSUE-YEAR 2013,1, 122. Goyal, S. (2016). Economic reforms in India.ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal,6(3), 123-128. Henderson, D. R. (2017). A MORE OPTIMISTIC VIEW.Regulation,40(1), 38. Malhotra, B. (2014). Foreign Direct Investment: Impact on Indian Economy.Global Journal of Business Management and Information Technology,4(1), 17-23. Manor, J., Duckett, J. (2017). The significance of political leaders for social policy expansion in Brazil, China, India and South Africa.Commonwealth Comparative Politics,55(3), 303-327 Raju, G. R., Pandit, V. (2016). An Analysis of India's Trade Flows: During the Post-Reform Period.Journal of International Economics,7(1), 61. Sharma, P. (2015).Democracy and transparency in the Indian state: The making of the Right To Information Act. Routledge. Singh, M. (2015). Bilateral relations.India--Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours, 215. Singh, M. (2017).To the Nation For The Nation. (1st ed). Academic Foundation. Singh, M. M. (2013).The changing collateral space(No. 13-25). International Monetary Fund. Singh, M. M. (2014).Financial plumbing and monetary policy(No. 14-111). International Monetary Fund. Vashneya, U., Gupta, S. (2017). Economic Reforms Concept and Strategy.Journal of Management Science, Operations Strategies (e ISSN 2456-9305),1(1), 1-4 Singh, M. (2017).To the Nation For The Nation. (1st ed). Academic Foundation. Singh, M. (2015). Bilateral relations.India--Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours, 215. Singh, M. (2017).To the Nation For The Nation. (1st ed). Academic Foundation. Singh, M. (2015). Bilateral relations.India--Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours, 215 Singh, M. M. (2014).Financial plumbing and monetary policy(No. 14-111). International Monetary Fund Goyal, S. (2016). Economic reforms in India.ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal,6(3), 123-128. Manor, J., Duckett, J. (2017). The significance of political leaders for social policy expansion in Brazil, China, India and South Africa.Commonwealth Comparative Politics,55(3), 303-327 Singh, M. (2017).To the Nation For The Nation. (1st ed). Academic Foundation. Singh, M. M. (2013).The changing collateral space(No. 13-25). International Monetary Fund. Faruqi, A. A. (2013). 12. Reflections on current political scenario in India.SOCRATES: Vol 1, No 1 (2013): ISSUE-YEAR 2013,1, 122. Raju, G. R., Pandit, V. (2016). An Analysis of India's Trade Flows: During the Post-Reform Period.Journal of International Economics,7(1), 61. Henderson, D. R. (2017). A MORE OPTIMISTIC VIEW.Regulation,40(1), 38. Burns, N., Agreement, U. I. C. N. (2014). Obamas opportunity with India and its new leader.The Washington Post Corbridge, S., Harriss, J. (2014). The shock of reform.South Asia in a Globalising World: A Reconstructed Regional Geography, (3), 103 Singh, M. (2017).To the Nation For The Nation. (1st ed). Academic Foundation. Singh, M. M. (2013).The changing collateral space(No. 13-25). International Monetary Fund. Sharma, P. (2015).Democracy and transparency in the Indian state: The making of the Right To Information Act. Routledge. Denyer, S., South Asia, L. S. E. (2014). The dual nature of its democracy is at the heart of understanding IndiaSimon Denyer.South Asia@ LSE. Ahluwalia, I. J., Little, I. M. D. (2012).India's economic reforms and development: Essays for Manmohan Singh. Oxford University Press. Malhotra, B. (2014). Foreign Direct Investment: Impact on Indian Economy.Global Journal of Business Management and Information Technology,4(1), 17-23. Singh, M. M. (2013).The changing collateral space(No. 13-25). International Monetary Fund. Vashneya, U., Gupta, S. (2017). Economic Reforms Concept and Strategy.Journal of Management Science, Operations Strategies (e ISSN 2456-9305),1(1), 1-4.

The Possibility of an Island Review Essay Example

The Possibility of an Island Review Paper Essay on The Possibility of an Island Surely many imagine novels Frenchman Beigbeder? Now imagine the same Beigbeder, but discovered the recipe for writing real literature, which probably will enter the century. Meet Michel Houellebecq, French, marginal, and how I liked it branded one critic -. Sexual psychopath » There are books, the authors of the book which he wrote something very difficult. It is difficult, because the product is so deep, there are so many undercurrents, and not only, or even the Gulf Stream of the Yucatan. Surface or hasty reader might see the love line, group sex, drugs believe me, it snag We will write a custom essay sample on The Possibility of an Island Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Possibility of an Island Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Possibility of an Island Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And even if you do not mind that the main pornorezhisser book hero.. Separate the wheat from the Pleven Welbeck philosopher, and the questions it raises in his book -. Beigbeder until the teeth. To the question, and here Beigbeder, since this review of Michel Houellebecq answer and in fact, and the other for weighting, and perhaps to please a younger audience, and perhaps to show his contempt for public foundations passes topics: sex, drugs, alcohol. In Houellebecq and it is. And more and steeper and tougher. A gracious readers are scared and have already decided to put the book aside? In no case. Welbeck in his book raises a number of problems such that the reading of this book -. Sure  «Possibility of an Island is another utopia. Author puts humanity sentence: human happiness is not possible, try to find it not worth it. Do not turn out. Welbeck offers the idea to give his DNA and to create insensitive clones of people. Kolko, angry, sometimes ugly, but without all doubt, the author makes it  «Talmud » and the new of wisdom, read that, a must, as this delicious food for the brain, an attempt to analyze the current society with its values, and, ultimately, it is a dialogue with yourself.

Social Awareness Essays

Social Awareness Essays Social Awareness Essay Social Awareness Essay Through Interactions with Diverse Peers by Shirley R. Greene Mark Kamimura University of Michigan Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education Portland, Oregon, November 12-15, 2003 The work reported herein is supported under the National Institute for Student Achievement, Curriculum and Assessment program, agreement number R305T990402-00, CFDA/Subprogram No. :84. 305T, as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U. S.Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed in this report do not reflect6 the position and policies of OERI or the U. S. Department of Education. Social Awareness INTRODUCTION Social awareness has it roots in the second wave of the feminist movement (Bickford Reynolds, 2002). It is viewed as one of the key components of consciousness-raising, the other being social action. For many researchers, awareness about issues affecting the community or raising social consciousness has always been a precursor to social movement(Steinem, 1983; Swift, 1990).The internal and external survival of organizations, particularly higher education institutions, requires that they engage their members and encourage them to develop a social awareness that will enable them to reach out to the broader community on these issues. More recent research conducted by Astin (1998), revealed a decline in the percentage of first-year students who voted in a student election and expressed interest in participating in a community action program, promoting racial understanding, and becoming involved with programs to clean up the environment (p. 32) Many traditional college-aged students lack the social awareness that leads to social change (Bickford Reynolds, 2002). Although they can easily identify the icons of social movements, such as the civil rights movement, they seldom appreciate the needs, impetus, and historical specificity that drives social change movements. Furthermore, they fail to understand how a democracy works and exhibit little interest in the U. S. political system (Giroux, 1987; Hepburn, 1985).Reformers view students who lack this type of knowledge, understanding and interest as lacking sensitivity to the needs of others and a willingness to be active citizens (Swift, 1990). 2 From a research perspective, social awareness is an important facet of student development to understand because of the recognized links between social awareness and social change, as well as the development of critical thinking skills (Tsui, 2000). From a practice perspective, higherSocial Awareness education institutions are being called upon to create an informed citizenry capable of understanding and addressing a myriad of social issues. 3 Steinem (1983) defines the social change process as follows: naming the problem; speaking out, consciousness raising, and researching; creating alternate structures to deal with it; and beginning to create or change society’s laws and structures to solve the problem for the majority. This paper focuses solely on those aspects related to increased awareness, specifically naming the problem, speaking out, consciousness raising, and researching (Ibid). We define social awareness in terms of the importance that students attribute to: 1) speaking up against social injustice; 2) creating awareness of how people affect the environment; 3) promoting racial tolerance and respect; and 4) making consumer decisions based on a company’s ethics. These dimensions constitute the type of social awareness that students need to develop during their college years, in order to function well in a complex and diverse society.REVIEW OF LITERATURE The relevance of exploring the development of social awareness among college students is supported by several theoretical and empirically-based studies. First, we examine literature linking social awareness development to student attitudes and cognitive development (Piaget, 1975; Tsui, 2000; Perry, 1970). Second, we review literature that discusses the influence of interaction with diverse peers on student awareness, growth, and development.Linking Social Awareness, Attitudes and Cognitive Development Students tend to develop their social and cognitive skills through social interaction with others. When interacting with diverse peers, students are able to engage in debates and actively confront the differences between their own point of view and that of others (Piaget, 1975). In addition, they develop the ability to manage the strong emotions that conflict can engender. Social Awareness These cognitive and affective processes are relevant to the development of the dimensions associated with our social awareness measurement.Tsui (2000) posits that social awareness and consciousness, along with political awareness, directly influences college students’ development of critical thinking skills. This researcher concluded awareness of political and social affairs may be relevant to critical thinking development because discussion about such topics tend to elicit more interest and participation among students (p. 432). Other research suggests that students who possess critical thinking skills demonstrate a greater degree of social and political consciousness.These students demonstrate a political awareness or concern for general social issues rather than a concern with 4 their own world and immediate social group (Enright, Lapsley, and Shukla, 1979; Hurtado et al. , 2002). During their college career, students are exposed to various social, political, and personal experiences that challenge their current view of the world. When students confront the dissonance between views presented to them and their own perspective, they move from being dualistic to more complex thinkers (Perry, 1970).In turn, they are able to accomplish the following: demonstrate perspective-taking skills, exhibit sociocentric behaviors, construct reflective judgment skills and broaden their perspectives concerning social issues (Selman, 1980; Perry, 1970). Other scholars similarly note how interaction across difference can be linked with cognitive growth in multiple dimensions. King and her collaborators discuss a theoretical connection between cognitive development and multicultural thinking (King Baxter Magolda, 1996; King Shuford, 1996).Adding further support for the exploration of cognitive, affective and attitudinal variables in our model, several studies utilizing national longitudinal data show student interaction with Social Awareness 5 diverse peers is linked with increases in cultural knowledge and commitment to promoting racial understanding (Antonio, 1998; Hurtado, 2001; Milem, 1994). In their work on intergroup contact theory, Stephan and Stephan (1996) discuss the effect that the mediators of contact- including cultural knowledge- have on interaction across differin g social identity groups (Cushner Brislin, 1996; Triandis, 1972).They also cite research on attitudes in their discussion of the mediators of intergroup contact and emphasize the importance of values in what they call personal factors within their model (Ashmore, 1970; Katz, Wackenhut, Hass, 1986; Stephan Rosenfield, 1978; Stephan Stephan, 1996; Wagner Schonbach, 1984; Weigel Howes, 1985). Social Awareness and Interaction with Diverse Peers More recent research has also explored the theoretical connections between interaction with diverse peers and dimensions of social awareness. Springer, et al. 1995) found that students who interacted with diverse peers reported more frequent discussion of complex social issues, including such things as the economy, peace, human rights equality, and justice. A few other works have addressed the impact of interacting with diverse others on racial understanding. Astin (1993), in a multi-dimensional study of college impact, found that socializi ng with someone from a different racial background caused increases in cultural awareness, commitment to racial understanding, and commitment to the environment.Later research by Chang (1996) confirmed the relationship between diversity and racial understanding. These studies indicate that students who interact with diverse peers also demonstrate beliefs (importance of speaking up against social injustice and creating awareness of how people affect the environment) and values (desire to promote racial tolerance and respect) consistent with the development of social awareness. Social Awareness A recent study of the University of Michigan and Harvard University law school students revealed that discussions with students from diverse backgrounds significantly influenced their views of the U.S. criminal justice system, as well as their views regarding civil rights and conditions within various social and economic institutions (Orfield and Whitla,, 2001). Fifty three percent of the stude nts also stated diversity in the classroom allowed students to confront stereotypes on social and political issues all or most of the time. Students who develop views and dispositions associated with social awareness are better prepared to take on social roles as decision-makers and agents of social change.METHODS Conceptual Framework Given that a theoretical framework for studying the development of social awareness has yet to be developed, we designed a conceptual model that would take into account varying sources of influence as suggested by Astin (1993), Chickering (1969), Chickering and Reisser (1993), and Tinto (1975). These sources include: (1) the preenrollment characteristics of students, (2) students’ academic experiences, and (3) students’ social or nonacademic experiences including interactions with major agents of socialization on campus (Chickering, 1969).As suggested by Astin (1993) and Chickering (1969), various pre-enrollment characteristics of studen ts must be considered when examining the impact of experience in college. In order to 6 clearly assess the impact of college interaction with diverse peers on social awareness, this study controls for several background characteristics including: precollege social awareness, academic ability, race/ethnicity, gender, and mother’s level of education. In addition to pre-college characteristics, Chickering (1969) emphasized assessing the impact of students’ academic and non-academic experiences, by examining not only the types ofSocial Awareness involvements but also the extent and nature of interactions within these experiences. Milem 7 (1994) has also suggested that certain classroom experiences, such as dialogue between students of different backgrounds and beliefs will encourage students to reflect more on issues of race and diversity. Hurtado et al. (1994) operationalized interactions with diverse peers as how frequently a student engages in activities with someone of a different race/ethnicity. The findings suggest that the more students interact with peers from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, the more open they are to diverse perspectives.We also utilized the research investigating how students learn and acquire skills and dispositions through interactions with others (Piaget, 1975; Selman, 1980). The model we developed was based on the items identified in the theoretical and empirical works discussed above. Additional items were added based upon their hypothesized significance to the model. In summary, we hypothesize that precollege level of social awareness, background characteristics, college experiences (i. e. academic, non-academic, and interaction with diverse peers), and attitudinal and cognitive growth measures influence the development of social awareness in college students. Data Source In an effort to better understand how colleges and universities are preparing students to participate successfully in an increasingly diverse so ciety, the Diverse Democracy Project, funded by the U. S. department of Education was launched in 1999. This multi-method study utilized a longitudinal survey, administered to students at the beginning of their first-year and at the end of the second year of college at ten public universities.The universities involved in the project were chosen based on the following criteria: (a) a strong commitment to diversity as evidenced by the university’s mission statement and the presence of a number of diversity Social Awareness initiatives on campus; (b) recent success in diversifying their student body; and (c) engagement in significant community-building activities with a diverse student body. 8 The current study seeks to increase our understanding of factors that influence students’ level of social awareness during the first two years of college.To accomplish this, we used data from the longitudinal survey that includes approximately 3,496 respondents from the Fall 2000 en tering classes at the nine participating institutions. These respondents were randomly selected to receive a survey either during summer orientation prior to starting college or via mail during their first semester of college. Respondents to the first survey were mailed a follow-up survey in the Winter of 2002. Both surveys were designed to elicit responses pertaining to constructs that measure cognitive, social-cognitive, and civic outcomes.Sample Participants in this study included 3,496 students who took the first-year and follow-up survey. White students comprised the largest group with 69. 1% of the students, followed by Asian American students (15. 8%), African-American students (4. 8%), Latino students (9. 1%), and Native American students (1. 2%). Female responses were higher than their male counterparts (61%). Mother’s educational level for respondents was high school (19. 3%), college (38. 9%) and graduate school (52. 1%). In this sample, the mean SAT score was 1169 . 7 (400-1600 scale) and standard deviation of this score was 164. 9.The SAT score includes the combined math and verbal SAT scores and ACT scores, which were converted into a comparable SAT score. Measures The names, types, and scales for each of the variables used in the model are identified in Table 1. The outcome variable in this analysis, social awareness, was derived from the follow- Social Awareness up survey. This variable represents a scaled index of multiple items (i. e. , speaking up against social injustice, creating awareness of how people affect the environment, promoting racial tolerance and respect, and making consumer decisions based on an company’s ethics).The social awareness variable had an alpha reliability of . 72. The remaining items in the model and their scale reliabilities are shown in Table 3. The model estimated in this study included five different variable sets: (1) students’ level of precollege social awareness, (2) background characteris tics of students, (3) attitudinal dispositions, (4) cognitive indicators, and (5) students’ college experiences (academic and nonacademic) including interactions with major agents of socialization on campus (Chickering, 1969).After entering the pre-college social awareness control variable, the second block of independent variables to be entered into the model was student background measures, including gender, race/ethnicity, mother’s level of education and SAT scores. This information was derived from institutional data provided by each of the ten schools participating in the study. Another background measures included a variable representing mother’s level of education. This variable was dummy coded so that graduate school completion served as the reference group. Attitudinal dispositions were measured by two scaled index items including identity awareness (? . 72) and tolerance of lesbian, gay and bisexual persons (? = . 76). Cognitive indicators were measure d by three scaled index items representing cultural awareness (? = . 70), interest in social issues (? = . 67), and Fletcher’s measure of attributional complexity (? = . 87). The final block of independent variables recognizes the relationship between student outcomes and student-student interaction (Astin, 1984; Weidman, 1989). Three variables were included in this block labeled college experiences (i. e. , classroom experiences, informal 9 Social Awareness 10 interactions (? = . 76), and interaction with diverse peers).Drawing from Astin (1993), Milem (1994), Springer et al. (1996), and Pascarella et al. (1996), we chose to incorporate frequency of interactions with diverse others into the model because of the hypothesized relationship with the outcome variable. The academic experiences of students were incorporated through a classroom experience variable that measured the number of diversity courses taken by respondents. Students’ social or nonacademic experiences w ere measured by a variable representing informal interactions. Analytic Procedures/Analysis Data analysis for this study required two steps.First, exploratory factor analyses were conducted on all items within various constructs of the survey instruments. By using principal axis factoring and orthogonal rotation methods, we were able to reduce the number of measured variables for analyses. When necessary, survey items were reversed coded. A reliability analysis using Cronbach’s alpha was conducted for each factor. Six of the factor-derived variables were included in our regression analyses (see Table 3). Factor loadings that contained a score of at least . 422 or higher were retained in the development of subsequent summated rating scales (i. . , pre-college social awareness, college social awareness, social identity awareness, cultural awareness, and interest in social issues, Fletcher’s attributional complexity, tolerance for lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons, and i nteractions in an informal context). Second, multiple regression analyses were employed to estimate the coefficients of the model. Independent variables reflecting precollege social awareness, student background characteristics, student acquired characteristics, academic experiences, and social experiences were entered in five blocks.Social awareness prior to college, gender, race/ethnicity, academic ability, and Social Awareness 11 mother’s level of education were used as control variables. Utilizing this approach, the relative contribution for each of the five blocks of independent variables could be examined. RESULTS The standardized beta coefficients for each independent variable are presented in Table 4. These standardized beta coefficients (regression weights) may be interpreted as direct effects of individual independent variables on the dependent variable, holding all other independent variables constant.Table 4 also presents each block of variables including the unst andardized beta coefficients of variables not yet added to the model. Examining the final regression model indicates that the model fits the data well, accounting for 41. 8% of the variance in social awareness. The results presented below are organized according to the five blocks of predictor variables in the model, including precollege social awareness, students background characteristics, attitudinal dispositions, cognitive indicators, academic and non-academic college experiences.Students’ Background Characteristics When entered in the equation, the precollege variables explained 28. 5% of the variance in social awareness. As shown in Table 4, pre-college social awareness and students who identified themselves as Asian American were the only two significant predictors of social awareness in terms of precollege characteristics. As expected, the level of social awareness prior to college was the strongest significant predictor in the model, accounting for 27. 8% of the vari ance (p

How to Write a Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000

How to Write a Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000 What do bathrooms, bad breath, and stinky political candidates have in common? Apparently an ability to drive $100,000,000 in sales. Don’t believe me? It’s true. Those numbers come from video ads an agency called the Harmon Brothers  created for some brands that have great products- but deal with topics which can prove a bit tough for marketers. After all, marketing things like bathroom hygiene products and a candidate during an incendiary political season is no easy feat. However, the goal of marketing remains the same: content that converts an audience into advocates. Advocates into customers. And customers into raving evangelists who write us haikus. ^ You think I’m kidding about the poetry? Nope. Whether this content is a blog post, an ad, or an email campaign  makes no difference. What matters is the goal is always the same. The good news is the path to video marketing success can look more like the festival of colors  than suit-and-tie professionalism. And in this post we’re going to explore that path by diving deep into one of the aforementioned ads by the Harmon Brothers- whom I call the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ogilvys of irreverent video marketing.† Not only have their videos driven the aforementioned $100,000,000 in sales. But they also evoke uncommon responses from viewers. For example, when was the last time you saw people reacting like this to YouTube pre-roll ads? Or like this†¦ Or this†¦ Or my personal favorite Not bad, eh? Grab Your Free Video Script Writing Template Bundle Today, I’m going to show you how to write a video script patterned after the exact videos that inspired the above comments- and millions of purchases. You’re going to: See how you can get off to a painless start in your scriptwriting project with a free Microsoft Word video script template. Learn how to score the strength of your video script before you even shoot the first scene with our script scorecard tool. Get four annotated, line-by-line script samples of four hyper-successful ads with a script swipe file. Before you read on, grab your free kit with each of those free resources inside. You’ll definitely want to follow along, as we’ll be using them throughout the post. Got ‘em? Great. Now, let’s get in on this 💠©Ã‚  and crank out strings of killer marketing videos. How To Write A Video Script That Will Make $100,000,000 (Free Kit)The 5 Conversion Levers of Video Marketing I’ve been a fan of the Harmon Brothers’ work for awhile now. So when I set out to write better video scripts, their work was top of mind. I studied their ads and transcribed their scripts line-by-line. I analyzed their structure, flow, and affect. Nerdy- but helpful. As I did this, five patterns emerged- which I call the Five Conversion Levers. (If you’ve ever studied sales or direct response copywriting,  some of the persuasion tactics, like social proof, will be familiar.) So let’s overview them, then analyze a video ad. Recommended Reading: 16 Video Marketing Tips That Will Skyrocket Your Traffic These 5 Conversion Levers For Writing Video Scripts Are ... Pain and Promise Pain and promise clearly articulates your audience’s problem and then offers a compelling solution. (Hint: This will be a benefit your product or service.) This isn’t a revolutionary idea, but it is a great one-two punch. To use this lever well, focus on a â€Å"before/after† effect.Relate with your audience’s current experience, and then forecast what life will be like after your solution. This is also an excellent way to capitalize on searcher intent. This is a concept in keyword research where you’re inferring the problem a searcher is trying to solve via their search. Even if your video content is an ad, the hope is it will be shown with related content. Comparison Comparison just may be my favorite lever. This tactic uses the unsung heroes of marketing, metaphor and relatability, to do two things: Quickly connect with your audience Communicate your premise with them Another way to express this device is by using this formula: â€Å"It’s like [commonly understood topic] for [audience/problem]!† As an example, if I was writing a video script to advertise , I may say: â€Å"It’s like pressing the easy button for getting tons more traffic to your content!† Right away, the idea of Staples’ famous â€Å"Easy Button† is conjured and then applied to the problem my audience is trying to solve. Then, I can use the rest of the devices to substantiate this claim As another example, if I was promoting our Marketing Strategy Certification  for one of our courses, I could say: â€Å"It’s like Shark Tank for marketers!† Okay, I’d better stop. I really like these. Authority Authority is tried-and-true. And it makes the list because it works. The idea is appealing to an authority of some kind to further legitimize or prove your claims. Sort of a, â€Å"Don’t believe me? Well, Albert Einstein said it first!† The legitimate authorities to appeal to are: experts, contextualized data to tell a story, social proof, testimonials, and demonstration. (Note: If you’re a persuasion nerd, understand this is unlike the logical fallacy of appealing to authority.)‘Nuff said 👊 Entertainment Here’s the thing†¦ Yes your company’s bottom line is serious business. However, people like to have fun- even in so-called boring verticals. So if you can find and harness your product’s or service’s â€Å"fun† factor, you’re leagues ahead of the competition.This is a risk. But if you nail it, it can pay dividends. However, what if humor or high-energy vibes are wrong for your product or brand?For instance, what if you run marketing for a home security company?I don’t know about you, but I’m interested in a home security system that seriously works! I don’t need it to entertain me. So, if this is your product, service, or brand the portable concept is engaging. What’s the angle that will engross your audience? A great way to think about this is in a movie-genre paradigm. Not every movie is a comedy. We have dramas, thrillers, action movies, and the list goes on.No genre is outright better than the other. Instead, it’s about the story.So whether humor is the right move or not, discern the engrossing elements of your product or service, then bring it to the surface. Call-to-action (CTA) Yep- it’s the same â€Å"CTA† you always hear about. But, it’s too important to exclude and take for granted.No matter how elementary it may seem, a clear CTA is a fundamental component to a successful script.Though, we’ll tackle this common marketing trope from a different angle than business-as-usual. The five conversion levers you need to know for #video #marketing success are ...How To Write A Video Script Using The 5 Conversion Levers In the section below, we’re going to analyze and score one of the Harmon Brothers’ most popular ads. This way, we can see each conversion lever at work. Then we’ll discuss how we can use them in our video marketing, too. Now saddle up and make sure you’re in a place where you can LOL†¦ Because these ads are as hilarious as they are brilliant. The Unicorn Of Marketing Videos As I said above, the Harmon Brothers’ video ads generated over $100,000,000 in sales- and that’s just in 2016! Numbers like that should make you quick to attune your marketing antennae and see what they’re doing that works so well. You’re going to find the video (watch it first!), some relevant stats, a script score with explanation, and a structural analysis. Then, we’ll uncover how we can follow suit and put the same methods to our madness†¦ Or maybe madness to our methods? Either way, let’s get rockin’. Squatty Potty: Everyone Loves A Bathroom Joke- Few Can Sell With Them We’re going to study the infamously funny ad for the Squatty Potty. Sure, I could describe the tricky product the agency was tasked with advertising. But I’ll let the unicorn do it instead 🠦„🠍 ¦Ã°Å¸Å'ˆ Let me start by saying this ad spawned a toy  people actually buy. I mean, c’mon. When faced with such a sensitive topic, it’d be easy default to the sterile, science-y route. It’d be safe to have a doctor in a labcoat talk through the benefits of gastrointestinal health whilst tossing up some facts and figures. But not these guys. They tackled this unmentionable issue head on- and to incredible results. In total, this video has garnered over 150,000,000 cross-channel views and a whopping 1,500,000 social shares. On YouTube alone it’s been watched the equivalent of 97 years and shared over 700,000 times. That’s incredible traction. Pro Tip:  You can see the stats of nearly any YouTube video by simply clicking on the â€Å"More† tab below the video, then selecting â€Å"Statistics.† This will generate a chart like the one above. Check it out: Now, let’s demystify some of the magic that makes this video work. We’ll start with their script score. Conversion-Levers Script Scorecard Pain + Promise Score: 5 They continually highlighted the viewer’s current problem, then clearly articulated their product as the easy, breezy, and inexpensive solution. One of the clearest examples is the use of â€Å"before/after.† Or as the good prince says: â€Å"Kink, unkink. Kink, unkink.† At the 1:20 mark, they show a side-by-side with the viewer’s current pain displayed on the left (before) and the solution displayed on the right (after). Comparison Score: 5 Their use of metaphor is superb. From the moment the video begins, the ice-cream-ejecting unicorn is assumes the position of the product’s user. This allows the viewer to see him- or herself using the product in a somewhat charming- rather than nasty- way. It’s a funny, memorable way to explain the product. This is one â€Å"sticky† ad. (Okay, no more puns.) In their book, Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath explain that for an idea (or ad) to stick: It must be easily understood when people hear it. The idea must persist over time and stay with them. And it must change something about how people think or act. This use of the comparison lever certainly accomplishes each. Authority Score: 5 They leveraged authority on four levels in this video: Demonstration Experts Social proof Testimonial Throughout the video, the unicorn is acting as an animated Vanna White  by showing how the product works. It’s a visual demonstration showing the â€Å"science† of why you can trust this product to work. Then, at the 1:53 mark, we see an appeal to experts who apparently endorse the product: Then, about 10 seconds later, we see an example of social proof: The product’s authority is consistently reinforced by credible sources. This is a powerful setup for the CTAs. Entertainment Score: 5 This is the most subjective criterion on this scorecard. However, if you can combine entertainment and  substance, you can crush humdrum competitors with ease. To me, this is the most entertaining ad I’ve ever seen. It tells a story, has a jaw-dropping shock value, and it’s just plain funny. This video harnesses the â€Å"fun† factor of their product. Yes, it solves a universally human problem. But to talk about- and illustrate- it with such cheekiness and charm is where this ad shines. And honestly, I will never forget this image. Ever. Yep. Ice cream will never be the same. Call-to-Action Score: 4 Finally, we have the marketing linchpin: the call-to-action. Without a solid CTA ads are pretty much worthless. In this video, they do a nice job of building up to the CTAs. Without a solid CTA, ads are pretty much worthless.As you’ll see in the structural analysis below, they have two explicit opportunities for the viewer to act. Each is clear, succinct, and compelling. Technically there is a lingering CTA with the â€Å"SquattyPotty.com† button hanging out in the upper-right of the video frame. To strengthen this score, I think they could have included a third, softer CTA that was a quip about price. Something like: â€Å"And $25 isn’t bad for something you use more than your toaster.† (Not great. But you get the point.) In all, though, I thought the two CTAs were solid and compelling. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Call to Action in a Template With 6 Examples Total Overall Score: 24/25 There we have it- a killer score for what will become a legendary marketing video. Structural Analysis Now, let’s take a look at the bones of this video and see where each lever is pulled and how they work together. We’ve broken down the video’s components into a timeline for quick analysis: The big moments are the â€Å"product introduction† and of course the CTAs. The product introduction is the moment when the product (or service) is first introduced. (^I know†¦ A bit obvious.) A couple of points here. First, notice the Squatty Potty itself was introduced roughly 30 percent into the video. It wasn’t explicitly talked about first thing. This is important. Instead, the first third of the video was dedicated to establishing the â€Å"sticky† metaphor and highlighting the viewer’s pain. This makes the video relevant and  relatable. Then, once the pain is clearly outlined, we’re set up with a classic marketing promise that boils down to: â€Å"But what if I told you there’s a better way!† Second, observe that the next 30 percent of the video is dedicated to digging even further into the viewer’s problems. When you read this video’s script (included in your kit inside the swipe file) it’s helpful to see the structure they employ. They walk through the product’s benefits  line-by-line, explicitly relating them to the viewer’s life as a solution to their problem. This is a powerful copywriting device  described  by Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger, as: â€Å"One of the most repeated rules of compelling copy is to stress benefits, not features.† They adopt a â€Å"[Viewer’s pain] [Product’s benefit that solves this pain†¦]† schema. This way every benefit is given context within the viewer’s daily experience. (When you read the script, count how many couplets you find. Then ask yourself if you can tie your product/service’s benefits directly to your audience’s pain.) Recommended Reading: How to Make a Video Content Marketing Strategy to Boost Your New Series How To Write A Winning Video Script Here’s the kicker. It’s always easier said- or shown- than done, right? Trying to implement new tactics can feel like falling prey to a Pinterest fail. (Source: BoredPanda) So we’re going to walk through each resource in your kit and put these principles into practice. This way we hit everything from project management to implementing the conversion levers to getting ultra-inspired. How To Manage A Scriptwriting Project What do you call it when a blueprint and a military general have a baby? A script. Marketing videos can have quite a few steps and stages. But the lifeblood of any great advertisement is the script. It details exactly what’s going to be said, what it’s going to look and sound like, and how everything will keen in sync. This is where the free Word script template comes in. It’s the file named â€Å"Marketing_Video_Script_Template† in your kit. It looks like this: It’s divided vertically into two columns. The left-hand column is for visual direction such as graphics, cuts, and actions. The right-hand column is for the lines (narration, dialogue, etc.), music direction, and sound effects. Those are a lot of details to manage and keep lined up on paper. But by using a column-based approach, you can keep everything organized and in line. However, the most important part is nailing the content and execution of the project itself. So, I’m going to walk you through how to use to manage a scriptwriting project. The tools we will use are and Google Docs  (or Microsoft Word!). (Btw: snag a free trial  to to follow along if you don’t already have an account!) The lifeblood of any ad is the script.Getting Started The Easy Way When you’re writing a video marketing script, you’re creating much more than a blog post. You’re drafting a battle plan for an entire team to execute on. I’ve managed this process on everything from napkins to whiteboards to apps, but I’ll share my favorite way to do this and keep it within our entire content marketing environment. To begin, make sure you create a brand new project by clicking on the â€Å"+† icon after you’ve logged in to your calendar. Once you start a new project, you’ll be prompted to choose the content type. I like to think long-term on projects with multiple phases. So I’m going to create a new â€Å"Video† project. Even though we’ll be focusing on the script right now, this sets us up for fantastic social video promotion  and analytics  for campaign optimization later. Now we hop into the details. Give your project a title (our headline analyzer  hates me, in this example) and then we’ll start assigning tasks. Let’s say the first sprint of our scriptwriting project has five major steps we want to get moving on immediately: Ideation Storyboarding Drafting Scoring Revision To start, I’ll simply add each of those as a â€Å"Task† and then assign it a person and a due date. Automatically, the assignee will receive a notification they have work to do (and they’ll see the deadline, too). Now our script document (or your template) enters the picture. You will choose how to edit your script content. In this instance, I’m going to use Google Docs. Though you can use a Word Doc and share the file back-and-forth if you’d like. (Here are the directions  on how to convert the Word Doc template into a Google Doc.) I’ll choose â€Å"Google Docs† as the content editor. Then, I will see a dialog that asks me to choose the document. I selected the â€Å"Marketing_Video_Script_Template† document. This means that all of the writing, commenting, and editing can be done in that single document. The nifty part is that will keep all of the aspects of project, task, and document management in a single dashboard. So each time you need to access the working script file, simply click on the link in the content project. Then you can simply assign tasks to each additional team member who will be working on (or reviewing) the video script. Recommended Reading: How to Do Facebook Video Marketing the Right Way How To Score Your Script Now that you have the tracks laid, it’s time to get the train chugging along. Before you or a team member draft a word of your video script, open up the file from your free kit called the â€Å"Conversion_Levers_Script_Scoring_Tool.† This is the scorecard you’ll use to grade the strength of your script. It looks like this: However, instead of writing the script first and then scoring it, I recommend finding the angles for each of them first. In essence, treat each point as a question about your product or service and then answer it. Those answers will then provide the beginnings of an outline for you. By moving this phase to the beginning of your process, you’re mining the raw materials you need to write a masterful marketing script. Here’s how to do this. Structure each lever as a question about your audience, like this: Chances are, you can take this exercise much further for your specific audience than I just did. So use those questions as a jumping point. But when you have each lever accounted for, you can start pulling them! If you start here, it will catapult both the effectiveness and  efficiency of your scriptwriting process. And as a bonus, the best way to do this is to answer these questions as a team. Heck, why not use it as an excuse to get sales and marketing together and let the fireworks fly? Then, after you’ve written the first draft of your script, swoop in with your red pen and score your work. You’ll give yourself a grade of 1–5 for each lever. Then the genius-brain inside of Excel will automatically calculate your script’s overall score. To start, aim for a score of 4+ on each- and settle for nothing less than a score of 18+. The final benefit to this process is you’ll know exactly where your script is weak. This way you don’t face the problem of knowing your script stinks, but not knowing how to fix it! I’ve been there†¦ And it’s no fun :)

Counter-Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Counter-Terrorism - Essay Example Following the Sept. 11th assails, associates of the Bush admin were exceedingly grave of the FISA constraints. Segments of the Patriot Act inflated the laws accomplish to tackle terrorism criminal as well as, representatives of foreign nations. However, when President Bush asked for an extended course of close watch by the National Security Agency (NSA), he chose to evade the FISA route wholly. On the revelation of these unmerited wiretaps by the media in 2005, government bureaucrats debated that working in FISA is supposedly too tiresome. The AEDPA makes the present edition of the customary habeas corpus writ. Conventionally, habeas corpus that factually denotes one ought to have the body is a defense against unlawful imprisonment. Under the law, an individual imprisoned by executive bureaucrats, military officials, guards, and jail wardens could request a court to establish whether his or her imprisonment is endorsed by law. The individual could file an appeal for the writ; also the court needs the executive bureaucrat to react in what is acknowledged as the wit "return". If the jury establishes that the imprisonment infringes the law, it gives the habeas corpus writ. As a component of its reply to the experiences of September 11, in the year 2001, Congress enacted the Patriot Act of the U.S.A. The Act turned out to be effectual right away upon being passed into rule by the nation’s head on October 26 in the year 2001. A section of the Act inflates constraints on the ownership, exploitation and right of entry to biological agents, pollutants and deliverance systems. Before the Act, national law forbade the progress, production, transmission or ownership of whichever biological agent, pollutants, or deliverance system for use as a weapon. The Act significantly expands the law by now prohibiting ownership of a biological agent, pollutants, or deliverance system of a kind or in a measure

Social Desirability and Effectiveness of a Fat Tax in Countering Essay

Social Desirability and Effectiveness of a Fat Tax in Countering Obesity and Dietary-Related Disease in Canada - Essay Example Food labeling measures have been implemented for years, but despite such policies being in place, people in these nations continue to grow obese. Recently, most governments, especially in America, Europe and parts of Asia have or are considering implementing high tax policies on junk food. Experiences show that food tax policies are withdrawn later for their unintended consequences, with only a few exceptions of countries like Finland that seem to progress well with such policies. Thesis: This paper asserts that fat tax yields unintended consequences by impacting consumers differently in reference to regression effect, and there are challenges in altering consumer dietary behavior. Fat tax alone is an insufficient measure to solve the problem of obesity in any country; it would require combined policies and regulations by different responsible parties to alleviate the health problem. Each government has individually selected which food categories to impose the tax on. Some focus on levying high sugar foods, while others focus on fat saturation or the cholesterol content. These are some of the ways used to evaluate taxable junk food. However, defining junk food is complicated for the reason that it extends even into the healthy food types. First, not every meal that is served at the table even in sizable proportions is healthy or has the right nutritional value. Researchers classify vegetables and fruits among the recommended food types, others extend to healthy fatty acids which can be challenged when high-fat content is considered, but place a bias on the served fast foods at most outlets, targeting those prepared or manufactured with high sugar, salt, fat, cholesterol and fat-saturated or low vitamins contents. Others define unhealthy foods as a combination of the latter category but criticized to be rather harsh on the consumer.

Theobromine Essay Example for Free

Theobromine Essay Theobromine is very similar to caffeine but has two less hydrogen atoms. Theobromine is the substance in chocolate that can be toxic to animals. It also has a bitter taste, and is found in higher quantities in dark chocolate than milk chocolate. Theobromine increases excretion of water from bodies, relaxes, and stimulates. There is no evidence of the relationship between the structure and functions. Theobromine is an alkaloid belonging to the methylxanthine group. It is made up of seven carbon atoms, eight hydrogen atoms, four nitrogen atoms, and two oxygen atoms. Theobromine is very similar to caffeine but is ten times weaker. Caffeine has two more hydrogen atoms than theobromine. The structure of theobromine also contains two amide groups and three amine groups. Theobromine naturally occurs in cacao beans and is found in all chocolate products. It is what is toxic in chocolate to animals. Cardiac and central nervous system distress in dogs can be caused by 100-200 mg of theobromine per kg of the weight of the dog. It is toxic because animals metabolize theobromine much slower than humans. Theobromine has a bitter flavor, therefore found in higher quantities in dark chocolate than milk chocolate. Theobromine also increases the excretion of water from bodies, relaxes, and stimulates. It can also be used to dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure. There is no easily accessed evidence of the relationship between the structure and functionality of theobromine.

The American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun :: A Raisin in the Sun

The idea of the American Dream still has truth in today's time, even if it is wealth, love, or fame. The thing that never changes about the American Dream is that everyone deserves something in life and everyone, somehow, should strive to get it. Everyone in America wants to have some kind of financial success in his or her lives. The American dream is said to be that each man have the right to pursue happiness and strive for the beat. In the play "A Raisin in the Sun", the author shows an African-American family struggling to get out of the poverty line, which is stopping them from making financial stability, or the American Dream. Its main focus is on Walter's effort to make it, or be somebody. She also shows how race, prejudice, and economic problems effect a black mans role in his family, how he provides, and his identity. It is also said that that the Youngers family dreams were unreal and they couldn't attain there dreams due to their status in life. The two most common American dreams that the Youngers family want to achieve is to be accepted by the white society and to be financially stable. For example, when the Younger family received the insurance check in the mail Mama went out and brought a house in the white neighborhood. Shortly after she brought the house in the white neighborhood, which is known, as Clybourne Park they quickly sent a representative by the name of Karl Linder. Linder was apart of the New Neighbors Orientation Committee that welcomed newcomer in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, since the Youngers were black Linder stated " It is a matter of the people of Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities". (Hansberry 407). This basically states that Mr. Linder was trying to convince them not to live in their neighborhood because they didn't fit into the description of that community. This is an example of them not being accepted by the white society. Being financially stable allows you to have a better lifestyle, gain respect from others and to obtain power. By being financially stable you can live better because you can you don't never have to worry about how your going to eat, will all the bills be paid and maybe you could own your own business one day. This relates to the story "A Raisin in the Sun" because

A Comparison between Two Pre-Twentieth Century Stories Essay

I am comparing two short and gothic stories written by the same author called Edgar Allen Poe. This author writes many stories that are based on a gothic theme, he writes stories that are both short and long. The two that I am comparing are two of his short gothic stories, they are called ‘The Tell Tale Heart’, which I will refer to as ‘Tell Tale’ and ‘The Black Cat’. I found both of these short stories on the rather graphic note, and they could be made very scary if a few more things were added. They both had the gothic feel; I had also experienced this in other short stories called ‘Napoleon and the Spectre’ and ‘The Signalman’. They both had an eerie feel about them, but they used a ghost like character to predict things that are to happen in the future. That idea is not present in the ‘Tell Tale’, but it is in ‘The Black Cat’. This is because the second black cat has the white mark on its stomach in the shape of gallows, so it is in a way predicting the protagonist’s death. The beginning of both stories (‘Tell Tale’ and ‘The Black Cat’) I thought were similar because the protagonist starts by reflecting on the events that he is about to tell you about. Also the rest of both stories are written in first person. There is no evidence of the ‘Tell Tale’ being written in a certain place, but ‘The Black Cat’ was written in jail, before the man’s death. So it is like he is confessing to you about the deeds he had committed. Poe somehow makes it as thought the protagonist in both ‘The Black Cat’ and ‘Tell Tale’ is actually talking to you while you are reading the story. I think that is an extremely good way to keep people into the stories and on the edge of their seats. This is because you feel like you a really there in the same room as the killer. The protagonist starts off to seem as though he is a sane man in ‘The Black Cat’ but as you read on you begin to think that he has lost his sanity and is now a little mentally disturbed. Why the protagonist in ‘The Black Cat’ kills the cat is not known, but there is the evidence to show that he kills the cat and harms it because it loved him. This also something featured in ‘The Imp of the Perverse’. The impression of things happening due to the fact that if it is wrong to do something, you do it to get a â€Å"buzz†. There is a mischievous feel to that idea, and you could say that we have all done a bad thing just because it was bad to do it. There is the feeling that the protagonist is trying to make out to the reader that he is sane and in the ‘Tell Tale’ he actually thinks to himself that he superior to average human being. He has this impression that he has a disease that has opened his senses instead of destroying them, they gave him acute hearing and thought. The protagonist then tells you about the strong relationship that he has between his victim, whether it was a cat, a wife or an old man. Somehow he loses this love and ends up killing his companion. There is a conclusion to the killings though, you could say he killed them because they loved him and cared for him, back to ‘The Imp of the Preverse’. There was comfort and love and for this reason he just killed them. Both of the murders were carried out in a brutal way due to the fact that they were killed in a horrible way and the bodies were hidden in and under parts of a house. The body in the ‘Tell Tale’ was cut up and kept in the house like a treasure, but the body in ‘The Black Cat’ was not mutilated anymore and was not regarded as a treasure. Poe uses dashes in-between certain words, I think he has done this to try and give the impression that the protagonist is having a conversation with the reader and that he is spilling his thoughts to you. In the ‘Tell Tale’ the guilt of the murder drives the protagonist to reveal the bodies. He feels that he has done something extremely bad and in the end he is driven mad by the guilt and is eventually found out by the police while they are on a visit to the house. In ‘The Black Cat’ he was found out by his excitement of being caught, he tapped on the walls in the cellar commenting on how well the walls were built. This then had him found out by the police and he was taken to jail. However there are differences, in the ‘Tell Tale’ the murder is not spontaneous, rather it is carefully planned by the killer. Whereas in ‘The Black Cat’ the murder was not planned at all, it happen at the spur of the moment without much thought at all. Also in the ‘Tell Tale’ you automatically have evidence of there being a murder right at the start, so the tension is built up in different ways. In ‘The Black Cat’ you have no evidence at all in the beginning that there will be a murder somewhere in the story. In this story there is a point where it all starts to change, the cat has had its eyes gouged out and you start to learn that the protagonist has a slight insane way about him. Another particularly noticeable difference in the build up of tension in the ‘Tell Tale’ which is different to ‘The Black Cat’ is that Poe uses repetition throughout the story of the planning of the murder. In ‘The Black Cat’ the protagonist tells you more about his past and what is in his mind; he has a more morel voice. He also uses a more sophisticated language, which gives the impression that he is a more educated man. Overall I think that Edgar Allen Poe is a talented author due to his ability to keep the reader interested and he can write such short stories, but they can get you thinking about them for a long time.

Managing Challenging Behaviour Essay

Challenging Behaviour: â€Å"A person’s behaviour can be defined as â€Å"challenging† if it puts them or those around them (such as their carer) at risk, or leads to a poorer quality of life. It can also impact on their ability to join in everyday activities. Challenging behaviour can include aggression, self-harm, destructiveness and disruptiveness. Challenging behaviour is often seen in people with conditions that affect communication and the brain, such as learning disabilities or dementia.† http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/challenging-behaviour-carers.aspx Complete the Following Table: Types of Challenging Behaviour Example Reflex Behaviour When Chloà © wanted her carer to help her get dressed, she could not undo her buttons and the carer slapped her across the face. Instantly, she slapped her carer back. This is called reflex behaviour. Reactive Behaviour When Nigel taunted Frank by calling him names, Frank pushed his carer out of fear of something else happening. This is reactive behaviour because Frank was provoked by his carer. Intentional Behaviour When a carer came to help Masie by making her bed, Masie was still in bed. The carer asked her politely to leave the bed so that she could get on with her duties and usually Masie complies, however today she bit her and began screaming at her to leave. This is intentional behaviour because Masie was not provoked and she was not hit first. She intended on hurting her carer. Aggressive Behaviour Emily was asked by David to help him get up from the chair and as she went to hold his hand and support him by placing her hand on his back, he pushed her back towards the wall and began acting aggressively by smashing his  ornaments on the floor. Controlling Behaviour Finn was going around the rooms to collect the rubbish and Rachel was not allowing him to do his job because she repetitively shouted for him to leave until he did what she wanted. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/challenging-behaviour-carers.aspx Challenging Behaviour has its own triggers that can cause service users to display challenging behaviour in such a way that it affects more than one person. Complete the Following Table: Why may People Display Challenging Behaviour? Past Life Experiences Previous life events and experiences that may have been traumatic to the service user may cause them to develop ‘challenging behaviour’ which may have resulted from unresolved emotions that may be difficult to confront. Traumatic events may have angered or upset the service user so much that they channel their emotions into behaviour that is aggressive, dysfunctional and endangering. Resentment Resentment for being placed in a health or social care environment may cause the service user to take their anger or frustration out on members of staff in order to influence their carers in to doing things they may not normally do. Resentment can cause some professionals to avoid helping their service user at risk of having to deal with their service users’ challenging behaviour. Medical Conditions (e.g. Alzheimer’s) People with learning disabilities and/or medical conditions may sometimes have very little choice or control over their lives, which can cause challenging behaviour to develop. A service user who is not given choice, and is capable of controlling daily activities could develop challenging behaviour as a way in which they are able to influence changes. Common conditions such as infections, etc. may all cause or contribute to challenging behaviour which may result in behaviours becoming aggressive, etc. Frustration Frustration can happen when there is little cooperation (for example, at mealtimes) where there may be displays of challenging behaviour because a highly physically dependent service user may find it difficult to show emotions and ask for help. Anger from being unable to do activities for oneself, they may display challenging behaviour because they are too angry to express it in another way, so use it as an aggressive outlet. Something is Wrong If a service user finds that something is wrong they may exhibit challenging behaviour as a way of dealing with that issue. When they are unable to express how they are feeling, service users may be hiding from the issue rather than confronting it because they take their anger out on others. Write a Short Paragraph about what might Trigger Challenging Behaviour to Occur Service users who may display challenging behaviour may need to be observed in order to find their individual triggers that could be avoided to prevent challenging behaviour from being used to harm themselves and their carers. Some challenging behaviour is triggered by tough, confusing and unresolved emotions that may cause confusion and pain. If these situations are near the service user, they may respond by acting violently which should be taken away from the service user so that they can adapt their behaviour to the situation, regaining control over their behaviour. For example, if a service user is in a noisy environment/situation which may be upsetting to them or may cause them to become distressed and unable to control their emotions, the carer should take the situation and change it to suit everyone and their responsibility is to take the service user away from the noisy environment. The service user could have counselling and learn techniques to remain calm and try not to seem angry or upset, even though they might be feeling it, so that they can avoid reacting with ‘challenging’ behaviour. Case Study Josephine is 24 years old and she has demonstrated challenging behaviour  since she was a child diagnosed with autism with a severe learning disability and extreme, challenging behaviour. Josephine arrived at Autism Care under the terms of an aftercare plan following countless unsuccessful placements in secure and residential settings. At this point the only consistent thing in her life was very short, unsuccessful placements and this has resulted in Josephine expecting placements to end after a period of approximately two months. For the first three months of her placement Josephine displayed some extreme cycles of challenging behaviour which included aggression towards staff, self-injury and serious destruction of property. Therefore Autism Care recognised that it was vital to introduce a scheduled timetable enabling Josephine to have a better concept of time. We divided her time into two-day periods and completed a behavioural assessment. This enabled us to identify agitation at the earliest possible stage, allowing staff to intervene and refocus her attention onto a meaningful activity in order to de-escalate her anxieties. Over time Josephine built trust with staff and developed therapeutic relationships with them which, over the course of approximately two years, improved her life immensely. Her anxieties gradually decreased and her community presence increased. With our support to maintain family contact and develop a person centred care package, the difficult challenges that she faced throughout her life previously, steadily decreased and the number of incidents of challenging behaviour are now a rare occurrence. (http://www.autismcareuk.com/case-studies/44/Case-study-2) Case Study is from the above website Bibliography: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/challenging-behaviour-carers.aspx http://www.autismcareuk.com/case-studies/44/Case-study-2

Learn How to Solve an Entropy Change Problem

Learn How to Solve an Entropy Change Problem This example problem demonstrates how to examine the reactants and products to predict the sign of the change in entropy of a reaction. Knowing if the change in entropy should be positive or negative is a useful tool to check your work on problems involving changes in entropy. It is easy to lose a sign during thermochemistry homework problems. Entropy Problem Determine if the entropy change will be positive or negative for the following reactions:A) (NH4)2Cr2O7(s) → Cr2O3(s) 4 H2O(l) CO2(g)B) 2 H2(g) O2(g) → 2 H2O(g)C) PCl5 → PCl3 Cl2(g) Solution Entropy of a reaction refers to the positional probabilities for each reactant. An atom in gas phase has more options for position than the same atom in a solid phase. This is why gases have more entropy than solids.In reactions, the positional probabilities must be compared for all the reactants to the products produced.If the reaction involves only gases, the entropy is related to the total number of moles on either side of the reaction. A decrease in the number of moles on the product side means lower entropy. An increase in the number of moles on the product side means higher entropy.If the reaction involves multiple phases, the production of a gas typically increases the entropy much more than any increase in moles of a liquid or solid.Reaction A(NH4)2Cr2O7(s) → Cr2O3(s) 4 H2O(l) CO2(g)The reactant side contains only one mole where the product side has six moles produced. The was also a gas produced. The change in entropy will be positive.Reaction B2 H2(g) O2(g) â†⠀™ 2 H2O(g)There are 3 moles on the reactant side and only 2 on the product side. The change in entropy will be negative.Reaction CPCl5 → PCl3 Cl2(g)There are more moles on the product side than on the reactant side, therefore the change in entropy will be positive. Answer: Reactions A and C will have positive changes in entropy.Reaction B will have negative changes in entropy.

Do You Mark Books Get Even More Arguments To Do It!

Do You Mark Books Get Even More Arguments To Do It! Tips on Marking a Book To mark or not to mark? Some people consider marking books disrespectful, while others think that it is an important part of the reading process.   There are those, who consider people marking their books untidy ones and they do everything they can to keep their own books clean. However, if you didn’t borrow a book from your fellows or in a library, there is absolutely nothing wrong in making notes on the pages of a book that you own. If you read the book for pleasure, there is no need to make notes, and in most of the cases, you will forget the plot right after the book is finished. However, if you want to get new information and knowledge, it is necessary not only to listen to the authors but to communicate with them. Making notes shows that you are interested in the book and that you are involved in the process. Marking a book may include making notes about words and phrases, rhetorical questions, complex terms, ideas or even elements you disagree with. Our article was created to guide you through the active reading process, to explain the importance of a marked book and the ways to do it efficiently. Necessity of Marking Books If you have already forgiven yourself for making notes on the book’s pages, you may notice that many reasons will help you benefit from the process.   Below we have gathered only some of the most important reasons why everyone should make notes on the pages and free spaces of a book. It Makes Second Reading Simpler If you are going to a certain city for the second time, it would be much easier to know where to go and what places to see, right? On your first trip, you can make notes on the places you liked or disliked: a cafà © with delicious local cuisine, a cozy park near the railway station or a bar with live music. Bookmarking is quite similar because it simplifies the process of second reading if you need it. You have already made a few points during the first reading: highlighted difficult words or phrases marked a new concept and wrote down its definition on a margin.That is why when the time comes to read the book once again, you will save your time and nerves looking for a complex word or term in a dictionary. Interacting with the Author Many people don’t like reading, because they find it boring as if they are listening to a college lecture. That is why marking a book helps to communicate with the writer, and you get involved in the discussion, reacting to the points you agree or disagree with. If you find a weird or controversial issue, you may be willing to conduct your own research and to find out more about the issue. Of course, this may be time-consuming and difficult at first, but if you practice regularly, it will become simpler with time. You Learn More Effectively Reading is one of the most efficient ways of learning new information. While it is a receptive skill, writing is a productive one, and a combination of both is a great way to turn passive reading into active learning. When you make notes, it is simpler to learn. Instead of just consuming the information you share it, diving deeper into the subject. It results in higher productivity, better results of remembering information and discovering new issues. You Learn How to Write It may not be obvious at first but marking a book helps to improve writing skills. When you are reading a book, you will surely find unfamiliar words, idioms, and concepts.   This helps to broaden your vocabulary and to notice how various writing instruments and tools are used throughout the text. With time you will find it much simpler to render your ideas, and the number of unknown words will be much lower! An Annotated Book Will Become a Great Gift Making notes is quite a personal thing, and most of the people don’t want to share it with others. However, if you are planning to hand your marked book to a relative or friend, you can be sure that it will become a unique and valuable present. You have spent lots of your time to make notes, mark terms and definitions and to put your thoughts on paper. If you are willing to give out your ideas to others, it will surely be appreciated. It is a result of your hard work and devotion, and it will make the recipient feel important and valuable. Tools for Marking a Book When you annotate a book, you need to understand what instruments will be efficient to achieve your initial goal. Here are the tips that will help you to choose the most suitable tools: If you decide to use a highlighter, make sure that the color allows reading the highlighted sentences without any difficulties. Light colors are the best ones. For example, yellow or orange. In addition, try to stick only to a few colors, because having a rainbow on a page will only distract you from the initial goal; If you prefer using a pen, make sure that it is of a dark color to make reading notes simpler; In case you don’t want to write on pages and prefer keeping the book clean, you can choose sticky notes. They are a great alternative to pens and highlighters, although it is more difficult and time-consuming to use them; If you are reading an electronic version (in an ePub, PDF or other formats), there is usually a bookmark option in the main menu, which allows making notes. It is a great alternative to regular notes and saves lots of time because you can easily navigate between pages and find a necessary bookmark simply by making a few clicks. It is very likely that you already have your own marking habits and style. However, there is always a place for improving them. You should pay attention to the following tips that may greatly improve your marking and annotating experience. Say No to Distractions If you decided to mark your book, you need to understand that it is not a regular reading and you will need to devote all of your attention to the process.   Make sure you read in a calm and quiet atmosphere without any distractions. If you don’t have your own room, choose a library or inform your roommates that you will be studying and will need some time alone. Don’t Be in a Hurry You may be used to reading a book on high speed but annotating is difficult and will take lots of your time. That is why you need to be involved in the process, making pauses and rereading paragraphs if necessary. There is no need to be in a hurry because your goal is to get as much knowledge as possible and not just to finish the book as soon as possible. If you want to master annotating, you need to do your job well. Always Highlight and Underline Words and Phrases That Are Important To begin with, you can highlight words or phrases that you find important. Use a highlighter or a pen to mark elements, which render the main ideas of the author. Even if you are not familiar with the words or structures, you need to highlight them and then conduct research to make everything clearer. However, you need to highlight only a few key words and sentences, because otherwise your pages will look too complex and clumsy, and you will find it difficult to use those notes later. Experiment With Shapes for Keywords If a certain word appears several times on a page, most likely it is one of the key points that the author is willing to render. Just be creative and use the shapes and colors you like. For example, blue rectangles or yellow circles. If the author is willing to attract your attention by a certain term, why don’t you highlight it? In case such brief marks are not enough, you can number them and then make notes on the margins to develop your thought on the issue. Use Punctuation Marks Luckily, there is a huge variety of marks to choose from. If you write a question mark after a sentence, it means that you didn’t get the point and want to clarify it. If you place an exclamation mark, it means that you are surprised to find out an important and previously unknown fact. Asterisk means that you can’t agree with the statement. It is possible to invent marks on your own, assigning them with a certain meaning. Moreover, it is allowed to use smiley faces and any symbols you want! It is your book, your marks, and your rules. Put Key Sections into Braces and Brackets It is also advisable to use braces or brackets to highlight important parts.   Brackets can be used if you want to mark a short passage, which is crucial for the text. In addition, these symbols are made to highlight examples that are made on the discussed point. Mark Complex Words You can also write down the words you can’t understand, making a sort of a list. You can either use sticky notes or write the words down on the margins after looking them up in the dictionary. If you find this not enough, you can even make notes on the synonyms or the most popular examples. This means that you should always have a dictionary nearby and a separate notebook for such words. Trust us, this is a great way not only to understand the book but also to improve your writing skills. Use Numbers to Highlight Points If the author supports a particular claim with several points, you can assign each of them with a number and then write those numbers on the margins. Just put numbers at the beginning of the corresponding passage. This will help you to link a particular sentence to the idea you have written down. An alternative way of using numbers is to reference pages that contain additional points on the issue. Many points that are relevant to the topic may be placed all over the book, and it can be quite difficult to find and organize them. If you notice related points on other pages, you can assign them with numbers, like ‘p7’. This means that similar information can be found on page 7. Mark Rhetorical and Literary Devices If you not only want to understand the subject but also to improve your writing, it is a great idea to assign various symbols to literary tools. In such a way you create a great basis for future research and significantly improve your writing skills. Make Comments and Ask Questions You should always keep in mind that you are an active reader, so all of the questions that pop in your head should be written down and answered. You may also have comments on different issues, and they shouldn’t be neglected. There is always plenty of space on margins, which you can use for your thoughts. Write down comments or ask questions. It can be a great way to develop the topic or to refer to other readers if you are planning to hand the book. Moreover, if you want to contact the author in the future, you will have a ready list of questions. Summarize Book’s Sections After You Have Finished the Book The bottom section of the book has plenty of space to summarize information that you have understood from the page. Start your summary with a keyword that will embody the main idea of the passage.   In addition, you can use free pages at the beginning or at the end of the book. However, don’t forget that it is a summary and summaries are always brief. Work on the Index If you start reading a book, already knowing its key themes and concepts, it will be possible to create your own index of passages and pages that correspond with these themes and concepts. Eventually, your index will be as important as the author’s one. Conclusion Annotating a book is quite a difficult process, which requires attention and time. However, it is worth it, because as a result, you get a deep understanding of the topic and improved writing and analytical skills. If the book is your property, you can use it the way you want, making notes and highlighting important sections. Even if you decide to hand it to someone else, it will be a valuable gift.