Role of the College Dining Commons in Gaining the Freshman Fifteen Essa

Role of the College Dining Commons in Gaining the Freshman Fifteen Introduction: When beginning college, many freshmen, or first years, have to adjust to the different aspects of college life: the environment, the rigorous academics, the various clubs and activities to be involved in and the new friendships to be made. If one is living in the dorms, another area of adjustment to be made is the food. At UC Davis, the dining commons, more commonly known as the â€Å"DC,† are the main sources of food for freshmen (and a few transfer students) living on campus. While Sodhexo, the company that runs the dining commons, claims to promote a healthy variety of food to choose from, quite a few students disagree with Sodhexo’s claim, insisting that there are not enough adequate healthy foods to eat. This paper will explore and evaluate the food at the dining commons, from both a personal and nutritional standpoint, as well as determine if the food served can be linked to the â€Å"freshman fifteen.† The Dining Commons Diet: The following is a typical menu at the DC: At lunch, chicken nuggets, vegetarian cheese lasagna, sandwiches, Vegetarian Parmesan Panini, Vegan 5 Bean Salad with pita chips and Vegan cheesecake are offered. Dinner choices include: Salisbury steak and steamed potatoes, lemon ginger stir fry in a noodle bowl, vegetarian linguine parmesan, an array of pizzas at the pizza bar, Mongolian-style wok and Vegan Santa Fe chili and Jasmine rice. Of course, the dining commons also offers soups – such as vegetarian garden vegetable or turkey noodle, along with the Aggie grill, which includes hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, grilled-cheese sandwiches, both grilled and breaded chicken breast patties and French fries... ...rect.com. Jones, Amy L. and Melody A. Graham â€Å"Freshman 15: valid theory or harmful myth?† Journal of American College Health. (January 2002). V50: 171. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infotrac.galegroup.com. Keeling, Richard P. â€Å"Fear, shame, and health promotion.† Journal of American College Health. (January 2002) V50: 149-152. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infortrac.galegroup.com. Kelly, Katy. â€Å"The ‘Freshman 15’. (weight gain by college freshmen).† U.S. News and World Report, Inc. 11 August 2003. V135: 54. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infotrac.galegroup.com. Willett, M.D., Walter C. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. New York: Free Press, 2001. Worthington, Janet. â€Å"Surviving The Everyday Stuff.† Careers and Colleges. (March 2000) V20: p30. Online. PubMed. 6 March 2004. http://infotrac.galegroup.com.

ACC 290 Financial Statements Essay

Financial statements are a means of communicating numbers within a business. Without proper numbers your business could be a success or a big failure. â€Å"You will rely on them to make decisions, and managers will use them to evaluate your performance. That is true whether your job involves marketing, production, management, or information systems† (Kimmel, 2009). The financial statements shows the business financial standpoint at a given time period, and it also helps the business to understand what they need to do to improve. A company’s livelihood depends greatly on their financial statement because it determines if the business is successful, can it hire new employees, or can it receive any more additional loans. A financial standpoint of the company is monitored by its financial statements. The four basic financial statements are retained earnings statement, balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow. During a certain time period presenting a snapshot of what your business owns (its assets) and what it owes (its liabilities), you prepare a balance sheet. â€Å"To show how successfully your business performed during a period of time, you report its revenues and expenses in an income statement† (Kimmel, 2009). Specifying how much of prior income was dispersed to you and the other owners of your business in the form of dividends and how much was reserved in the business to allow for future growth a retained earnings statement is presented. Showing where your business obtained cash during period of time you would prompt a statement of cash flow. The purpose of balance sheet it to show the amount of assets a company has obtained by evaluating the claims of creditors and the claims of owners. This type of relationship can be shown in an equation assets equal liabilities plus stockholders equity. A company success or failure is monitored by its income statement because it shows a company’s revenue monitored by its expenses. The net income is obtained through the income statement by deducting its expenses from its revenues. The retained earnings statements are different because retained earnings are the net income retained in the corporation. Dividend payment practices are assessed because the amount of the retained earnings statements is deducted or added by the company’s dividends. The statement of cash flow shows the company operating, investing, and financing doings. It shows the company cash position and what is happening to its most important source. Managers use financial statements for several purposes. If a company needs to meet labor demands and need to hire new employees the financial statements helps in knowing how many employees they can afford to hire. On the income statement, management compares sales and expenses of a period of time with recent events to notice if there is a big change. They can identify likely problems and investigate the cause; however, they can regulate if they can afford new equipment, merchandise, and other operating expenses. Using the balance sheet managers can determine if a change applied helped the company or delayed it. Employees look at financial statements to know if the company is managing their money well and can meet payroll obligations. Employees also can gain knowledge of potential bonuses or layoffs based of the net income that is reported on the income statement. Financial statements are useful to investors and creditors because it shows the company’s financial position and allows them to make better decisions concerning the company. For the investors and creditors financial statements helps to evaluate the risks related to the possible investment or loans issued as well as estimate returns from the money invested. Investors and creditors analyzes company’s financial position, operational results, cash generated by different activities before making investment decisions. If the company owes more than it owns than creditors may not allow that company to receive additional loans. To investors it shows if the company is operating profitably. Financial statements are vital to the success of a business. They can be used as a roadmap to direct you in the correct direction and help you avoid costly failures. Maintaining financial statements for a company can only help a company. Improper financial statements put a company in jeopardy. The different statements show if a company can afford to hire new employees or if they need to do some lay-offs. To determine if a company can be approved for additional loans or if it is expected to fail you must rely on the financial statements. In general financial shows the financial standpoint of a company and decisions a company has to make cannot be made if there are no financial statements.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 34

Letter #5-December 3, 2006 Dear Nikki, The night after the Tennessee Titans destroyed the Eagles on their home turf – a game in which Donovan McNabb tore his ACL, ending his season and maybe even his career – Andre Waters shot himself to death. I realize you don't care about any of this, but Waters was one of my favorite players back when I was a teenager. He was a big part of the Gang Green Defense. People called him Dirty Waters because he was fined so much for hitting too hard. And when I was a kid, Waters was a god to me. Jake says Waters probably killed himself after watching the Eagles play so poorly against the Titans, which was not a funny thing to say at all. My father is not talking to anyone, because he is upset about McNabb's injury, which will most likely ruin the Eagles' chances of making the play-offs. My new favorite player, Hank Baskett, is not getting many balls thrown to him anymore, but he actually threw an interception during a stupid trick play during the Indy Colts' win over the Birds just this past weekend. And of course, there was also your last letter. So I'm thinking this is the part of my movie where things appear as if nothing is going to work out. I have to remind myself that all movie characters go through this sort of dark period before they find their happy ending. It was hard to wait two weeks for your reply. Your letter made me very sad, and in the past twenty-four hours I have written my reply at least a hundred times. I don't know if Tiffany read you the part of my memoir where I described my therapist's office, but he has two leather recliners – one black, one brown. My therapist lets his patients choose which seat they want to sit in just so he can see what type of mood we are in. I've been picking the black one lately. I've read certain parts of your letters to Cliff – that's my therapist's name. He doesn't know about Tiffany's involvement, because I promised her that I would not tell anyone that she has agreed to act as our liaison. When Cliff asked how I was able to make contact with you, I refused to answer. I hope that you don't mind my reading some of your words to my therapist. It's funny. Cliff keeps hinting that I should pursue a relationship with Tiffany. And I know Tiffany is reading this letter to you, so this part will be awkward for everyone involved, but Tiffany will just have to deal with it because this is what being a liaison requires, and I already danced so well, fulfilling my end of the bargain. Cliff says that Tiffany and I have a lot in common at this point and that you and I have very little in common, because we are in very different places. I thought he meant that you were in Maryland and I was in New Jersey, but it turns out he means that I am still fighting to regain my mental health, and you are mentally stable. I asked Cliff why he would want me to pursue a relationship with someone who is as mentally unstable as me, and he said that you were not able to support me in the way I needed to be supported, which is why our marriage failed. I got very mad at Cliff when he said that, especially since I am the one to blame, but he insisted that you allowed me to become the person I was by enabling me – never putting me in my place and allowing me to emotionally abuse you for so long. He says that Tiffany will not allow me to do this and that our friendship is based on a mutual need and a commitment to bettering ourselves through physical fitness and dance. Tiffany and I are great friends, and I appreciate all that she is doing for me now. But she is not you. I still love you, Nikki. And you can't control or alter true love. Mom checked out The Catcher in the Rye from the Collingswood Public Library. I liked Holden Caulfield very much and felt a lot of sympathy for him because he really was a nice guy, always trying to do right by his sister Phoebe, yet always failing, like when he bought that record for Phoebe and broke it before he could give it to her. I also liked how he was always so worried about what the NYC ducks do in winter. Where do they go? But my favorite part was the ending, when Holden takes his sister to the carousel and she rides on the horse and tries to reach for the gold ring. Holden says, â€Å"I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddamn horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them.† When I read this, I thought about your writing that I was in my second childhood and that I would have to â€Å"leave the basement† someday. But then I thought about how my improving myself and learning how to dance with Tiffany was like reaching for the gold ring, which is you. Nikki, you are my gold ring. So maybe I will fall off the goddamn carousel, but I have to reach for you, right? I want to see you. I want to talk to you face-to-face. Just once. Afterward, if you never want to see me again, I can live with that. Just give me one chance to show you how much I have changed. Just one chance. One face-to-face meeting. Please. Love, Pat

Top 10 Writing Apps for Android Smartphones

Top 10 Writing Apps for Android Smartphones Top 10 Writing Apps for Android Smartphones Top 10 Writing Apps for Android Smartphones By Daniel Scocco Today’s modern writer doesn’t always have time to sit down at his desktop and write. With more and more writers living the digital nomad style, there is a major demand for technology that can help. If you are an Android user, here are 13 writing apps that you should know about. 1. Dictionary.com App This one is pretty self-explanatory. Even the best writers make spelling mistakes from time to time. Whether you are writing professionally or casually, clarifying the spelling or meaning of a word is important and nothing to be ashamed of. The Dictionary.com app boasts 2 million definitions and synonyms and it is guaranteed to help you stay up to date on the words you use. 2. DropBox Before you question the addition of DropBox, you need to understand why it is an important app for writers. Writers often work on multiple devices and being able to access your files across all of them is essential. DropBox offers you a seamless cloud experience, the ability to edit your word files, and so much more. As a writer myself, I’ve been a paying customer for nearly 3 years now and will continue to use it. 3. Monospace Monospace might not look like much, but it offers one of the best barebones experiences you will find. If you value a minimalist writing style that allows you to do the basics, like bold, italics, strikethrough, bullets, quotes, and sizing, then this is the perfect writing app for you. What makes Monospace so good at what it does is that it trims away all of the unnecessary fat that other writing apps are bloated with. 4. JotterPad JotterPad, like Monospace, is a plain text editor that is capable of helping you write on the go. This writing app is a favorite amongst creative writers because of its simple style. It also features a dictionary, which will help you stay on top of those nasty typos. 5. Writer Plus Writer Plus doesn’t shy away from what it really is, a simplified word processor. This no-frills word processor will allow you to write down your ideas, but not much else. One of the best features Writer Plus has is the support of keyboard shortcuts like undo, redo, and more. You can also save and share files with your friends, which makes it the ideal program to use if you are collaborating with others. 6. Microsoft Word What kind of Android writing app list would this be if we didn’t include Microsoft Word? Microsoft Word is arguably the most robust writing program on the market. It boasts a slew of features, some of which you may never use, but just having them is nice. Because this app is designed by Microsoft, it comes with a lot of extra functionality. For example, you can edit all Office docs, old and new, and it can even edit docs that are attached to emails. This is the perfect app to use if you need something a little more professional than Monospace or JotterPad. 7. ColorNote If you need something a little simpler than a traditional word processor, ColorNote is what you are looking for. What makes ColorNote ideal is the way that it lets you take quick notes and color code them. This will allow you to organize your projects. Another underrated feature of ColorNote is the password system it provides you with. If you are taking notes that contain sensitive information, simply put a password on the note to protect it. 8. Simple Note Maybe you want something less colorful than ColorNote? Try Simple Note. Simple Note is lightweight, fast, and you can pin your notes to specific pages on your phone. This is my personal go-to note-taking app and has been for the last 2 years. 9. Evernote Evernote takes note-taking to the next level. This feature-rich app allows you to take notes, organize them, format them, and so much more. One of the best Evernote features is its ability to clip web pages, images, and PDF files. The program also syncs with your computer, allowing you to create notes that you can share across all platforms. If you are working in groups, you can share your Evernote files with your friends and colleagues. 10. INKredible – Handwriting Note INKredible certainly isn’t the most useful of the Android apps mentioned. However, it does allow you to take handwritten notes if you prefer to take your notes in an old-fashioned way. The developers of this app decided to create a distraction free experience, meaning that you will not have to fight with a clunky UI to take your notes. This application works best on tablets due to their larger screens. Personal Preference In the end, personal preference is everything. Some people love feature-rich apps, while others prefer plain text word processors. If you think we missed an important Android writing app, let us know in the comments below. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and NumeralsTry to vs. Try andWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Statement of financial problem Essays

Statement of financial problem Essays Statement of financial problem Essay Statement of financial problem Essay I am using the Indirect Statement of Cash Flows method to analyze the Butler Lumber case. When a company seems profitable but is in serious need of a cash infusion, often the problem stems from poor cash flow. Calculating the cash flow coming in and going out will explain Where did our money come from? and Where did our money go? Likely, it will discover how a companys cash was generated during the period and how that cash was used-or misused. A statement of cash flows provides details as to how the cash account changed during a period. It also helps to understand how events and decisions impacted cash flow during each period. A statement of cash flows provides important information from a cash-basis perspective and complements the income statement and balance sheet, and provides a more complete picture of a companys operations and financial position. The Indirect Statement of Cash Flows method begins with net income and then details the adjustments made to ar rive at cash flows from operations. III. Application of Financial Framework. Indirect Statement of Cash Flows Butler Lumber 1989 through 1st Quarter 1991 Operating Activities for 1989 1990 1st Qrt 1991 Net Income $34,000 $44,000 $9,000 Add: Increase in Accounts Payable $68,000 $64,000 Less: Increase in Accounts Receivable ($51,000) ($95,000) ($28,000) Increase in Inventory ($56,000) ($93,000) ($138,000) Decrease in Accounts Payable ($13,000) Cash flow from operations ($5,000) ($80,000) ($170,000) Because a statement of cash flows provides details as to how the cash account changed during a period, the period of 1988 for Butler Lumber becomes an initial starting point from which we can begin a comparison. Because of the shift from partnership to a corporate form of organization, I dont have figures from 87 and cannot accurately reflect changes from 87 to 88. Changes from 88 to 89 begin the cash flow comparison in the chart above. In the chart above, I have listed each relevant area where cash flow may be a major concern. There appears to be a growing tendency by Butler Lumber to end each period with a negative cash flow. It also appears that this tendency to end each period with a negative cash flow is growing at an alarming rate. As we can see, from 1989 to 1990, the negative cash flow worsened from $5,000 to $80,000-a whopping 1600% increase. Then, the period from the end of 1990 to only the end of the first quarter of 1991, the negative cash flow more than doubled again! IV. Mitigating Circumstances and Assumptions: By examining the statement of cash flows, we discover a major concern in three areas: (1) Inventory, (2) accounts receivable, and (3) accounts payable. All three are moving in a negative, undesirable direction; but inventory is escalating at a greater overall rate and seems to be out of control by the end of the first quarter of 1991. The greatest contributing factor causing Butler Lumbers debt and cash-shortage problem is that they are purchasing much more inventory than they are using. Having too much cash invested in their inventory is their main problem but they have some offshoot problems that tend to be growing out of their inventory problem: 1. One way that companies fund a cash-shortage problem is to keep their accounts payable high. This is an easy way to borrow short-term money, but when a company is slow to pay its bills and owes a significant amount of money, they potentially damage their credit and their business relationships with their suppliers. 2. Without adequate cash, Butler cant pay their accounts within the 30-day term allowed by vendors and this further adds cash-shortage pressures because they then must incur additional finance charges. 3. Because they are cash poor, they cant take advantage of the discounts available for payments made within 10 days of purchase. The extra discounts would help increase their cash flow and their income. V. Conclusion and Recommendation: Butler Lumber has the potential to be a profitable and successful company. The level of growth theyve been experiencing may be new territory for them and the less than perfect way theyve dealt with it might explain why there has been a huge increase in inventory. Thus far, Mr. Butler has not demonstrated a savvy business acumen for adjusting to the significant growth. I have identified the following conclusions and recommendations: 1. Northrop National Bank should help Butler by making a loan under certain prescribed conditions: (a) A loan would help to ensure an influx to Butlers cash flow position, but conditional provisions requiring Butler to be proactive in accomplishing recommended goals and deadlines would be in order; (b) The loan amount of $465,000 is probably too high. The loan amount should be established to help Butler reduce inventories and increase cash flow, but not be so large as to entice Butler to ignore the ensuing problem. Forecasted analysis would still be required; (c) Even though Butler may resist, it would not be unreasonable for Northrop to require collateral, such as property; 2. Butler should significantly reduce inventory and implement better control. (a) One of the conditions of the loan should require Butler to propose a new system and implement a plan that would make better use of their inventory. They need to analyze their inventory turnover ratios and compare them with and keep them in line with industry averages to ensure the numbers are not unreasonable or unachievable. (b) An alternative approach to reducing inventory might include hiring sales personnel who would help convert inventory into profitable sales. 3. Butler should be more aggressive in collecting their accounts receivable. This would provide more cash and, in turn, help Butler to take advantage of available discounts from their vendors. This too would further increase their cash flow and reduce the need to borrow unreasonable amounts of money. 4. Mark Butler should retain less in personal salaries and other perquisites. This would demonstrate to Northrop National that he is personally making serious attempts to increase cash flow, get out of debt, and gain control of other emerging problems. Besides, personal taxes on his income is at a fairly high rate when it rises above $50,000. This is another area where he could increase cash flow while showing that he is truly doing whatever it takes to fix the problems facing Butler Lumber.

How to Write a Short Story 9 Steps from a Best Selling Author

How to Write a Short Story 9 Steps from a Best Selling Author How to Write a Short Story That Captivates Your Reader Why? Because it reveals many of the obstacles, dilemmas, and questions you’ll face when creating fiction of any length. If you find these things knotty in a short story, imagine how profound they would be in a book-length tale. Most writers need to get a quarter million clichà ©s out of their systems before they hope to sell something. And they need to learn the difference between imitating their favorite writers and emulating their best techniques. Mastering even a few of the elements of fiction while learning the craft will prove to be quick wins for you as you gain momentum as a writer. I don’t mean to imply that learning how to write a short story is easier than learning how to write a novel- only that as a neophyte you might find the process more manageable in smaller bites. So let’s start at the beginning. Need help fine-tuning your writing?Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. What Is a Short Story? Don’t make the mistake of referring to short nonfiction articles as short stories. In the publishing world, short story always refers to fiction. And short stories come varying shapes and sizes: Traditional: 1,500-5000 words Flash Fiction: 500-1,000 words Micro Fiction: 5 to 350 words Is there really a market for a short story of 5,000 words (roughly 20 double-spaced manuscript pages)? Some publications and contests accept entries that long, but it’s easier and more common to sell a short story in the 1,500- to 3,000-word range. And on the other end of the spectrum, you may wonder if I’m serious about short stories of fewer than 10 words (Micro Fiction). Well, sort of. They are really more gimmicks, but they exist. The most famous was Ernest Hemingway’s response to a bet that he couldn’t write fiction that short. He wrote: For sale: baby shoes. Never worn. That implied a vast backstory and deep emotion. Writing a compelling short story is an art, despite that they are so much more concise than novels. Which is why I created this complete guide: 9 Steps to Writing a Great Short Story Read as Many Great Short Stories as You Can Find Aim for the Heart Narrow Your Scope Make Your Title Sing Use the Classic Story Structure Suggest Backstory, Dont Elaborate When in Doubt, Leave it Out Ensure a Satisfying Ending Cut Like Your Storys Life Depends on It Step 1. Read as Many Great Short Stories as You Can Find Read hundreds of them- especially the classics. You learn this genre by familiarizing yourself with the best. See yourself as an apprentice. Watch, evaluate, analyze the experts, then try to emulate their work. Soon you’ll learn enough about how to write a short story that you can start developing your own style. A lot of the skills you need can be learned through osmosis. Where to start? Read Bret Lott, a modern-day master. (He chose one of my short stories for one of his collections.) Reading two or three dozen short stories should give you an idea of their structure and style. That should spur you to try one of your own while continuing to read dozens more. Remember, you won’t likely start with something sensational, but what you’ve learned through your reading- as well as what you’ll learn from your own writing- should give you confidence. You’ll be on your way. Step 2. Aim for the Heart The most effective short stories evoke deep emotions in the reader. What will move them? The same things that probably move you: Love Redemption Justice Freedom Heroic sacrifice What else? Step 3. Narrow Your Scope It should go without saying that there’s a drastic difference between a 450-page, 100,000-word novel and a 10-page, 2000-word short story. One can accommodate an epic sweep of a story and cover decades with an extensive cast of characters. The other must pack an emotional wallop and tell a compelling story with a beginning, a middle, and an end- with about 2% of the number of words. Naturally, that dramatically restricts your number of characters, scenes, and even plot points. The best short stories usually encompass only a short slice of the main character’s life- often only one scene or incident that must also bear the weight of your Deeper Question, your theme or what it is you’re really trying to say. Tightening Tips If your main character needs a cohort or a sounding board, don’t give her two. Combine characters where you can. Avoid long blocks of description; rather, write just enough to trigger the theater of your reader’s mind. Eliminate scenes that merely get your characters from one place to another. The reader doesn’t care how they got there, so you can simply write: Late that afternoon, Jim met Sharon at a coffee shop†¦ Your goal is to get to a resounding ending by portraying a poignant incident that tell a story in itself and represents a bigger picture. Step 4. Make Your Title Sing Work hard on what to call your short story. Yes, it might get changed by editors, but it must grab their attention first. They’ll want it to stand out to readers among a wide range of competing stories, and so do you. Step 5. Use the Classic Story Structure Once your title has pulled the reader in, how do you hold his interest? As you might imagine, this is as crucial in a short story as it is in a novel. So use the same basic approach: Plunge your character into terrible trouble from the get-go. Of course, terrible trouble means something different for different genres. In a thriller, your character might find himself in physical danger, a life or death situation. In a love story, the trouble might be emotional, a heroine torn between two lovers. In a mystery, your main character might witness a crime, and then be accused of it. Don’t waste time setting up the story. Get on with it. Tell your reader just enough to make her care about your main character, then get to the the problem, the quest, the challenge, the danger- whatever it is that drives your story. Step 6. Suggest Backstory, Don’t Elaborate You don’t have the space or time to flash back or cover a character’s entire backstory. Rather than recite how a Frenchman got to America, merely mention the accent he had hoped to leave behind when he emigrated to the U.S. from Paris. Don’t spend a paragraph describing a winter morning. Layer that bit of sensory detail into the narrativeby showing your character covering her face with her scarf against the frigid wind. Step 7. When in Doubt, Leave it Out Short stories are, by definition, short. Every sentence must count. If even one word seems extraneous, it has to go. Step 8. Ensure a Satisfying Ending This is a must. Bring down the curtain with a satisfying thud. In a short story this can often be accomplished quickly, as long as it resounds with the reader and makes her nod. It can’t seem forced or contrived or feel as if the story has ended too soon. In a modern day version of the Prodigal Son, a character calls from a taxi and leaves a message that if he’s allowed to come home, his father should leave the front porch light on. Otherwise, he’ll understand and just move on. The rest of the story is him telling the cabbie how deeply his life choices have hurt his family. The story ends with the taxi pulling into view of his childhood home, only to find not only the porch light on, but also every light in the house and more out in the yard. That ending needed no elaboration. We don’t even need to be shown the reunion, the embrace, the tears, the talk. The lights say it all. Step 9. Cut Like Your Story’s Life Depends on It Because it does. When you’ve finished your story, the real work has just begun. It’s time for you to become a ferocious self-editor. Once you’re happy with the flow of the story, every other element should be examined for perfection: spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence construction, word choice, elimination of clichà ©s, redundancies, you name it. Also, pour over the manuscript looking for ways to engage your reader’s senses and emotions. All writing is rewriting. And remember, tightening nearly always adds power. Omit needless words. Examples: She shrugged her shoulders. He blinked his eyes. Jim walked in through the open door and sat down in a chair. The crowd clapped their hands and stomped their feet. Learn to tighten and give yourself the best chance to write short stories that captivate your reader. Where to Sell Your Short Stories Need help fine-tuning your writing?Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. 1. Contests Writing contests are great because the winners usually get published in either a magazine or online- which means instant visibility for your name. Many pay cash prizes up to $5,000. But even those that don’t offer cash give you awards that lend credibility to your next short story pitch. 2. Genre-Specific Periodicals Such publications cater to audiences who love stories written in their particular literary category. If you can score with one of these, the editor will likely come back to you for more. Any time you can work with an editor, you’re developing a skill that will well serve your writing. 3. Popular Magazines Plenty of print and online magazines still buy and publish short stories. A few examples: The Atlantic Harper’s Magazine Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine The New Yorker Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Woman’s World 4. Literary Magazines While, admittedly, this market calls for a more intellectual than mass market approach to writing, getting published in one is still a win. Here’s a list of literary magazine short story markets. 5. Short Story Books Yes, some publishers still publish these. They might consist entirely of short stories from one author, or they might contain the work of several, but usually tied together by theme. Regardless which style you’re interested in, remember that while each story should fit the whole, it must also work on its own, complete and satisfying in itself. What’s Your Short Story Idea? You’ll know yours has potential when you can distill its idea to a single sentence. You’ll find that this will keep you on track during the writing stage. Here’s mine for a piece I titled Midnight Clear(which became a movie starring Stephen Baldwin): An estranged son visits his lonely mother on Christmas Eve before his planned suicide, unaware she is planning the same, and the encounter gives them each reasons to go on. Need help fine-tuning your writing?Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. In the comments below, write the one-sentence essence of your short story.

Intgratinh Information and Communication Technology (ICT) effectively Literature review

Intgratinh Information and Communication Technology (ICT) effectively into the early childhood education learning environment - Literature review Example Pre-schoolers are relatively young in terms of age. Therefore, it is necessary to closely examine the positive and negative impact of using ICT in early childhood education. To gain better understanding behind the need to incorporate the use of ICT in early childhood education, it is necessary to first discuss its importance followed by identifying useful ways on how the pre-school teachers can effectively integrate or implement the use of ICT within the early childhood education environment. Importance of Using ICT in Early Childhood Education There are many reasons as to why the New Primary Curriculum requires the need to incorporate the use of ICT in early childhood education. For instance, Can-Yasar et al. (2012) mentioned that it is necessary to expose children on how to use technology at an early age to prepare them with the use of a wide-range of technology in higher education. Furthermore, the act of early exposing children with the use of technology can somehow positively af fect their mental development and long-term motivation to learn (Can-Yasar et al., 2012; Celebi-Oncu, 2010). ICT can be used to expand each child’s knowledge. ... only their social-affective development but also their language, social-affective development, psychomotor skills (Can-Yasar et al., 2012; Celebi-Oncu, 2010; Forcier and Descy, 2008). In the process of allowing the pre-school students to develop a sense of belongingness inside the classroom, allowing them to use technology in learning will provide them with unlimited opportunity to work and learn collaboratively with other students (Forcier and Descy, 2008; Stephen and Plowman, 2008). Since the pre-school children will learn how to control their emotions and behavior in class, gaining friends will help these children gain both self-confidence and self-respect (Stephen and Plowman, 2008). Lastly, the use of ICT products in teaching can encourage the pre-school students to move their eyes and hands in coordination with their other body parts help them improve their motor and overall physiological development (Celebi-Oncu, 2010). Therefore, the use of ICT has been considered as a very p owerful learning tool in early years. Strategic Ways on How to Effectively Integrate or Implement ICT in Early Childhood Educational Learning Environment Constructivism means that each child plays a significant role in â€Å"constructing enw knowledge† (Lake and Jones, 2012, p. 164). As a constructivist approach to early education, play is defined as â€Å"a meaningful activity that children choose to participate in, that involves children in physical, cognitive, and communicative efforts in social and cultural contexts† (Lake and Jones, 2012, p. 164; Hedges, 2008, p. 10). Based on the childrens’ experiences with their environment, the pre-school students can effectively learn how to solve problems and improve thier social skills (Can-Yasar et al., 2012). Aside from making children perceive