Lemon Mobile Essays - , Term Papers, Research Papers

Lemon Mobile Megan Clarey CCI March 8, 2000 The Lemon Mobile Ever since I set eyes on my car, I have had nothing but a headache. Not only is it the loudest car, but it also drifts right into the trees, and it shakes at thirty and sixty m.p.h. Even with all of my car's faults, nothing prepared me for its final act of cruelty. My lemon died thirty minutes before warm-ups for our big game, and I had the starting line up with me. Laura, Allison, Kristen, Kierra, and I had all packed into my two-door death trap to get a snack at Dunkin Donoughts. Being the responsible upper classman, I made sure we left with ample time to get ready for the game. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time in the world to help us with our disaster. We were stopped at a red light howling along to a Lenny Kravitz song, which I now hate, when Kristen nervously uttered,? Meg I think your car stopped running.? I confidently replied, ?Nah!? Well, to my surprise, when I stepped on the gas, we didn't go anywhere. All of a sudden, I began laughing hysterically and the rest of them chimed in, until, ?BEEP? the light had turned green! ?AAHH!? we shrieked. We finally realized that we were stuck in a useless hunk of metal at Toms River's busiest intersection. ?What are we gonna do I thought. At the time, shrieking and laughing were our best solutions. Finally, as people were going around us, giving us the finger and cursing at us, my four skinny mini passengers got out to push my 2000 lb. pile of tin. As they set out on their mission to rescue us from being stranded in a sea of road rage, all I could do was laugh. The time was twenty minutes until warm-ups and my mighty mouse teammates had managed to push my lemon into Amoco's parking lot. We had to hurry and this scrap heap running again. Laura yelled,? Maybe it needs anti-freeze!? So, she galloped away to the store and in two minutes she was back with a container of anti-freeze. After we poured the fluid into my car, we tried to start my car, ?Vroom Vroom!? ?Nothing! Shit!? I panicked. So, we decided to stare at the car a little longer hoping the car would tell us what it needed. There were only five minutes of stretching time left, and we were still stranded ten minutes away from school. ?We are so dead,? I thought to myself. As we stood there, Allison went to call for help. She came shuffling back, ? Well the good news is we have a ride the bad news is Mills is *censored*ing pissed.? ?Shit!? we uttered. I mean I could see why she would be a little upset because it was thirty minutes before our big game, and her starting line up was stranded at the Amoco station instead of being at the field for warm ups. It was thirty minutes before the game, we had missed warm ups and we were scared of what Mills was going to do to us, but wait, our chariot was there. ?Hooray!? we sang in harmony. Unfortunately, our chariot was a Jeep. A Jeep can hold two people comfortably three is all right, but six was not possible. If you have ever seen a clown car then you know how we fit into our mouse hole ride. In the front was the driver and two passengers, in the back was two people in the seats and one was lying across them. I was in the front with Kristen's rear end crushing my legs. Needless to say, it was the longest ten-minute ride I had ever been on. Not only was I into a small bucket seat but also at every bump in the road Kristin's bum was digging more and more into my leg. We finally arrived two minutes before crunch time. As we drove onto the field, we were greeted by boisterous cheering from our loyal fans ( I guess someone had told them). We staggered and fell out of our clown mobile, all red as stop signs, hurriedly entered the playing field. We did win the game, and I learned a valuable lesson from the whole experience. I learned that if you are going to go to get a snack before a big game, then go in a car that has fallen apart fewer than five times. English

Impact of Heart Disease essays

Impact of Heart Disease essays There are many types of heart disease. About 25% of all Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease. The major types of heart disease are atherosclerosis, coronary, rheumatic, congenital, myocarditis, angina and arrhythmia. Heart disease can arise from congenital defects, infection, narrowing of the coronary arteries, high blood pressure, or disturbances. The first stages of heart disease are lesions and cracks forming in the blood vessel walls normally at the points of highest pressure or stress (near the heart). The second stage is the body trying to repair itself by depositing fatty substances (cholesterol, lipoproteins) inside the blood vessels to fill the cracks. Over time, without the proper body nutrient, vitamin C, to help keep the blood vessel walls from cracking and requiring constant repair, these fatty substances can begin to build up and clog the blood vessels causing stroke and heart attack (Mamas Health, no date) There are a number of factors that increase the risk that someone will suffer from cardio vascular disease (CVD). These include: age, smoking, gender, being overweight, heredity/race, physical inactivity, abnormal blood fat (lipid) levels, eating an unhealthy diet, high blood pressure, drinking too much alcohol, diabetes, and leading a stressful life. The risk factors add together to increase your risk of CVD the greater the number of risk factors that you have, the greater your risk of having CVD. Some risk factors can be modified, while others cannot. While you cannot control risk factors such as your age, gender and heredity, for example, you can modify other risk factors, such as your weight and activity levels. Doing something about the risk factors that you can change will reduce the impact of the ones that you cannot change. You may need medicines to help you to control some risk factors (e.g. blood pressure, diabetes). ...

Issues for Multi-national Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Issues for Multi-national Organisation - Essay Example Through operating in various economies in the world, these companies have not only enhanced their brand value but have also done the same for the living standard of many individuals worldwide. However, it cannot be ignored that internationalization of business increases the overall risks of the corporate firms in the modern world. The essay will analyze about the various types of business problems faced by the multinational corporations in the contemporary world. Critical Literature Review Comparing and Contrasting Theories Concepts and Research Findings The business challenges and opportunities faced by the multinational corporations in the contemporary world are increasing rapidly overtime. Especially after the emergence of globalization and liberalization, the developing countries have turned out to be the emerging economies in the world. In China, by the year 2003, about 41000 foreign investors had set up their business operations (Weisert, 2001). With the benefits and help provi ded by the World Trade Organization, the country has also rendered several opportunities for these new foreign companies operating in their economy. However, inspite of these lucrative opportunities, most of them set up their business in China through joint ventures or mergers. For instance, Siemens has set its business firm in China long back in 1982 through a representative’s office (Fryxell, Butler, and Choi, 2004). Coca-cola is another company that operates in China through a joint business with a company which provides similar facilities in Tianjin (Weisert, 2001).These economies (emerging ones like, China) have significantly helped to increase the opportunities of multinational corporations. However, it is also observed that with these growing opportunities, the risks of these firms are also increasing over time. A detailed analysis shows that the extent of challenges faced by these giant organizations is unlimited. The context of this essay will focus on only one of th ese issues which are faced by these corporations. The human resource challenges that are faced by the multinational business firms would be discussed in this essay in details. McKinsey Company in Shanghai has reported that the scope of hiring skilled analysts in China is very low (Farrell and Grant, 2005). Ford in Geelong Australia has claimed to cease its manufacturing unit in the country because the nation’s high currency value have forced the employees to demand for higher wage rates that has excessively augmented the operating cost of the company. One of the most important operations that are executed by any multinational corporation is human resource management. Noe, et al. (2006, p.5) stated that human resource management is that segment of an organization which helps to recruit and develop officials in an organization and also facilitates in sufficing an organizations objectives. The use of human resource management model by the multinational corporations has increased in order to reduce the difficulties in of human resource management (Chen and Wilson, 2003). The practice of standardization of human resource management has been abolished because the impact of environmental and structural changes in the multinational corporations has heightened overtime (McGraw and Harley, 2003). Individuals from different economies differ

Individual Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Individual Reflective Report - Essay Example The company will also create an online meeting place for the players to play against each other or just participate in different tournaments depending on their ranking. A Fair Play policy will be enacted and implemented in order to ensure all customers are satisfied with the gaming experience and receive the games in a fair manner (Minniti, 2007). Some of the benefits of the game prepaid card include the convenience for the Chinese customers who do not have bank accounts or credit cards such as VISA. The card will also allow the redeem gifts such as energy packs, air travel tickets and household equipments thus enhancing the customer experience. The game prepaid card will ensure customer privacy and reduce the chances of online fraud since customers will not necessarily need a credit card in order to subscribe to the games (Minniti, 2007). The players will have the opportunity to select their own gaming mode. For instance, there will be an option of tutorials, custom games, ranked ga mes and normal games. The ranking will be done according to individual player’s performance whereby highly ranked players will have an opportunity to play for a $ 1,000,000 global final. Idea generation Business idea generation entails the process of generation, developing and communicating new business ideasThe business idea generation process was the most challenging for the team. However, we maintained a clear focus and creativity through reviewing different ideas. Accordingly, our idea generation approach followed a entrepreneurial approach since we were interested in coming up with new and innovative ideas that could meet the needs of Chinese game players with no access to domestic online gaming products. As a group, each individual was tasked with doing a market research on the gaps in consumer needs in the online gaming industry (Minniti, 2007). We held several brainstorming sessions whereby each member was supposed to provide numerous suggestions on business opportuni ties that could be viable within our budget. For instance, several methods recommended establishment of online ticketing business while other preferred the establishment of food chain restaurants. However, our criteria in reviewing the several ideas was aimed at ensuring the viability of the business, minimal capital infrastructure and innovative idea that is exciting to the customers in order to ensure quick market penetration. The team considered the several strengths and weaknesses of each business idea including the consumer market trends and demand. The idea generation process also considered the competitors products and human capital requirements for the prospective business. The second phase of idea generation was screening the benefits that the targeted market would receive from the business and the growth prospect of the business idea. Other issues that were considered include the technology requirements and legal framework surrounding the business idea (Minniti, 2007). The next step involved product development and testing in the market. This involves understanding the consumer purchasing behaviour for the game prepaid card and costs of marketing the prepaid game card. In this stage, we outlined several perceived benefits that could be used in the

PESTEL analysis of the global coffee industry

PESTEL analysis of the global coffee industry Corporate strategy is the way a company or organization creates values through the configuration and co-ordination of its multi-market activities (Collis, 1997). Coffee is the most widespread drink in the world with approximately half-a-trillion cups consumed every year. There are two fundamental types of coffee: espresso and regular, or non-espresso. Espresso is the variety of coffee available in cafà ©s and restaurants, whilst regular coffee is generally meant for the home. Nearly 70% of the worlds coffee is produced by the Americas of which Brazil contributes 30% to the global production. The coffee industry of the world employs nearly 25 million people while approximately 5 million people work in the coffee industry in Brazil. Brazil has in excess of 3 billion coffee plants. The three major kinds of commercially produced coffee bean are Arabica, Robusta in addition to Liberia. Brazilian Coffee production figures rose by more than 12 million (60kg) bags to an amazing 46 million during 2008 making the country streets ahead of the other two top world coffee producers of Vietnam (19.5 million bags) and Colombia (13 1 million bags). PORTERS FIVE FORCES : Threat of substitution: Other beverages apart from coffee the substitutes are tea, soda, fruit juice, water, beer and other alcoholic drinks, other quickà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ grab foods apart from pastries, muffins, doughnuts, etc. Lowerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ end or less luxurious coffee places. Places that offer people a place to hang out, chat, relax or even work include tea houses, fast food places, iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream parlors, sideà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ walk cafes, and bars and pubs. Accordingly when there are so many substitutes available, the threat is high and seems to be increasing by day to day. Threat of new entrants: Some of the more current and ongoing threats of new entrants include fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The entry barrier for the coffee industry is relatively moderate. Any large and wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ funded company where capital is not a problem could be potential entrants, since they have a strong brand image over the industry. Rivalry: There are many big players in the Brazil retail coffee market and with large no of small scale coffee shops big players have to fight out with small shops across different regions in US. With most of the customers taking coffee to home and provides convenience which is the major factor for them. There is an intense competition among the players to build up their customer base. Bargaining power of suppliers: There is more bargaining power for suppliers since the advancement in technological innovations such as automated coffee machines, latte and espresso machines, etc has made them to bargain over the industry. These changes, has made the supplier power high. Bargaining power of buyers: Buyers do not have the power to bargain in the market, considering Starbucks. The sheer scale of Starbucks business reduces the bargaining power of any single group of buyers. McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality at a lower price, so buyers need not bargain their needs. PESTEL Political/Legal: High standards relating particularly to coffee producing methods are becoming more important in the industry and may gain political prominence. There is increasing pressure for businesses to trade ethically, that is, socially, environmentally, and economically responsible. This is reflected in the coffee industry by an increased demand and rising market value for sustainable coffees such as certified coffee and fair trade coffee, which guarantees a fair price to producers. The fair trade market which is now worth  £100 million, is growing with developments such as Tescos launch of their own Fair trade range. Fair trade is also a means by which the coffee shop industry can differentiate their products and gain a socially responsible reputation; Starbucks customers now have the option to buy fair trade coffee. Oxfam have claimed there is a niche in the coffee shop market and have responded by launching their own brand of Fair trade coffee Progresso which is sold on already established premises such as bookstores. Economical: The impact of coffee on Brazilian economy was much stronger. The greater difficulty of coffee production and trade established important sectorial linkeages within the Brazilian economy. Coffee was the foundation of the economy, accounting for 63% of the countrys exports. Brazilian economy went through periods of growth but also difficulties and increasing trends towards coffee overproduction. The economic performances and development prospects of many developing countries are largely dependent on commodity issues. (Photius.com, 2004) Social: The coffee market must adapt to a change in consumer attitudes or else it may be threatened by health and lifestyle issues. In 2003 the hot drinks market declined by an estimated 2.3%. Consumers, especially young people, are becoming more health conscious which makes coffee a less attractive choice; the increasing number of alternatives available such as health and energy drinks are becoming competitors in the coffee industry. Research carried out by Mintel shows that there is an increased diversification of tea, with a trend towards premium and herbal teas. The coffee industry are responded to this change in attitude by provision of de-caf drinks, options such as soy milk, and alternative drinks such as freshly squeezed fruit juices, chai lattes and herbal teas. Technological: Consumers are less inclined to buy coffees and teas in supermarkets due to the wide variety of coffees that are available in coffee shops today. Hi-tech equipment and premium ingredients are now easily accessible and are used to make a variety of hot and cold beverages that are sold in coffee shops; from cappucinos to the ice blended coffees. As a result consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about the ranges of specialised fresh coffees and premium teas that are available, and their tastes are changing to accompany them. Environmental: The environmental impact is almost always positive and it is important that coffee production and processing should be taken into account for environmental needs to make sure optimal physical sustainability. Even more necessary is that the economic environment should be such as to encourage stability and reasonable living standards for the populations involved with coffee and to make sure the sufficient care should be given to make sure the maintenance of the quality. (Change the environment.) http://www.ico.org/sustainable_coffee.asp STRUCTURAL DRIVERS OF CHANGE: Product Innovation: Product innovation is a driving force that has allowed the coffee industry to grow. Coffee drinks were developed as an anytime coffee drink. Such drinks are Espressos, Cappuccinos, Frappaccinos, Lattes, and Mochas. Whether a consumer likes it hot or cold is no difference now; iced coffee is for those that do not feel like a hot cup. Black, White, Irish, Turkish and Americano are also other types of coffee to choose from. Flavored coffee is a pillar innovation to this product category allowing different consumers taste buds to run wild. Chocolate covered coffee beans are another innovation to the coffee industry. This industry growth has also allowed companies the opportunity to promote to different consumer markets. Young and old purchasers, people that like hot or cold coffee, and those that like a coffee drink in the morning or evening are all targeted now that the product lines have broadened the scope of the industry. Product innovation has helped consumers differentiation issues, along with allowing them to drink it anytime of day they need an extra tasty boost of energy. Pricing: Prices of coffee are relatively inelastic, with consumers becoming more aware of the quality of their coffee, where it is derived from, and the atmosphere in the branded coffee shops. As a result consumers will regard a high priced quality branded product as good value; more than two-thirds (70%) of coffee drinkers will pay more for a good cup of coffee. This was evident when Coffee Nation increased sales by moving from a cheap instant coffee to an espresso coffee with improved packaging. Consumers life style: Consumers lifestyle is the other driving force that ties in with the customer base and usage. Society is changing, with the new generations being a huge influence. Parents, a huge factor in the lifestyle, attitudes, and opinions of their children, drink coffee and are, thus, promoting coffee to the offspring. These young persons are looking for caffeine to keep them going through their increasingly busy days. At age 13, who knew that coffee was needed to add to their ever-so hyper lives? Coffee is established as a drink older people consume. Young people are always aspiring to be older than they are, so coffee is marketed in a different way to the younger generations as specialty coffee and gourmet beverages. Establishing loyalty early while coffee drinkers are young will ensure a prospective future for this industry. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_41/b3954201.htm Industry life cycle model: Introduction stage: In the introduction stage the profit will be low and the cost will be very much expensive. The market growth starts with the introduction stage with low competition and high prices and the demand will be comparatively low. Growth stage: Profits start with the growth in the sales. Varieties of coffee with added flavors being focused during growth stage to get the brand image, value and growing market share. Maturity stage: During maturity stage the profit of the industry increases and the demand also increases. Competition will be very high and customer satisfaction will increase. Saturation takes place due to brand value. Decline stage: It is very difficult to survive in the market if the industry wont be innovative and introduce new products. By analyzing the life cycle model we can implicate that the coffee industry should come up with new innovative product. The coffee industry lies between the maturity stage and decline stage. Coffee has some advantages in health regards which decreases the diabetes and makes brain alert. Coffee consumers due to raising health concerns they can go for alternatives such as green tea which is good for health more than coffee. Therefore I conclude coffee industry will lies between the maturity and decline stage and it may decline if there is any serious health issues occurs around the world. Scenarios Substitute product: Energy drinks may all together substitute the coffee in future. The countries like china and India being the worlds largest producers of tea. They can come up with new innovative products and it will be created in the retail industry. Considering the health concerns people may prefer green tea than coffee. The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea from ancient times. Today scientific research in Asia and in West is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. There is also a research representing that drinking green tea reduces high cholesterol, cancer, impaired immune function. http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm Climate change: Climate change is just one of numerous factors that may affect global coffee production. The international coffee organization considers it one of the most important ones. Temperature and rainfall conditions are the two main drivers when its come to yield, i.e. production. As temperature increases coffee ripens more quickly leading to a fall in inherent quality. According to Brazil Rising temperatures suggest coffee production will become viable in areas formerly considered too prone to frosts. Meteorological agencies report temperatures consistently above the historical average since the 1990s. However, too high temperatures will reduce the overall acreage with climatic potential for coffee production. www.thecoffeeguide.org Demand for quality: Since the industry has already passed the maturity stage the players were try to increase the quality by analyzing their brewing systems, and by trying to bring different flavours in the coffee. Following the recommendations of the committee, the international coffee council adopted resolution in February 2002 to implement the coffee quality program. The CQP is designed to improve the balance supply and demand of coffee by stimulating demand through the provision of the better overall standard of quality to the market. http://www.ico.org/improving_quality.asp

Health Care Policy Essay

The goal of the Health Care Policy is to provide medical access to every American. A policy that that can ensure a citizen to purchase medical insurance according to their level of income, the government will standardized and regulate insurance companies’ premium rates. This policy can be very beneficial for Americans that live below the poverty line and people that have preexisting conditions and insurance companies will not be allowed to deny them. But who else would be benefiting from the policy? The democratic party strongly believe that the Affordable Care Act is aimed to provide health care for every American, and help the United States reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion in the next two decades alone. They believe that the policy will help prevent insurance abuse, provide tax cuts for small business to help of set the cost of employee coverage, and bring additional security, stability for many more generations to come. But just like any other law or policy that has to pass or be enacted, it will face much scrutiny from the opposing party. The Republican Party believes that limiting government power is essential, and they fear that the Health Care policy is just the start of how they plan to take control of one’s individual rights. Republicans have always felt strong against having too much government interfering with politics and citizens’ rights. They believe that the success of one person is solely based ones hard work and dedication, if you worked hard for what you have earned that you should be allowed to reap the rewards that that you have gained. Many Americans do not want any more taxation, and if this bill passes into law a mandate tax will be imposed. This tax will affect those who make more than 250k a year and have to pay more of the government spending. If we all have the right to pursue happiness, liberty and the right to property, then why someone should be penalized for being successful, If we were all giving the same opportunity. Why should someone with lack of motivation, bad work ethics and full of bad habits that choose to live an unhealthy life feel comfortable in allowing every other American get a penalty, in order to pay for their medical expenses? By allowing the government to take control of your health care choices, we are allowing them to have more control of the justice system. Then what is the purpose of the Constitution? The constitution was founded on the idea of minimal government. It was created for the people to have more control of the government; they would allow government officials to make decisions, because the people elected them into office to represent the best interest for them. â€Å"Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.† Abraham Lincoln Our nation has been in a capitalist system for over 500 years, where one can have the opportunity to gain from their property. This system has put pressure on every American to make money in order survive. This system has evolved over the decades in order to maintain the same course that the nation has grown into. It has giving each individual to freely trade and profit from the production of goods, and at the same time the government has ensured proper regulations and laws are being followed to prevent one from monopolizing. We are free to make your own choices in the market place and as a consumer; we get the highest quality of products for the cheapest prices we get the highest variety of the types of goods and services you can purchase. Capitalism has given the highest standards of living this earth has ever seen and no other system has ever been able to do this. The system may seem unequal and unjust, but it has allowed everyone to play in the even field. It recognizes your right to pursuit of life, happiness, liberty and property. In a socialist government, we are not giving the right to much, how would someone be at peace, living with concept of the government choosing your benefits, it would be an unhealthy dependence. There are some good benefits for socializing health care, it will bring a much more stable insurance rate, so no matter from what social class you are coming from, and medical access would be granted to you. This would also ensure that healthcare will never be denied to anyone; even we have a preexisting condition. Socializing health care system has been a rewarding system for many nations. But the cost of having it comes with a price. â€Å"A 2010 survey found that 59 percent of respondents waited more than four weeks for an appointment with a specialist, more than double the U.S. figure.† National Post The nation’s â€Å"once proud† health system is fundamentally fractured and failing — especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, aboriginal peoples and those with mental illness. Canadian Medical Association Coming from a low income family, I can honestly relate to the difficulties of being insured by a private health care insurance and maintaining the premiums rate for a large family. I strongly feel that medical access should be giving to every American, in order for our nation to continue to prosper in the manner it has over the decades and maintain freedom for all, we should have healthy citizens. But I don’t agree with the government should be fully responsible for providing health care for us. The policy that is being enacted is one way, but the responsibility also lies on us and we should be able to provide for ourselves and not depend in social programs. Citations: â€Å"Finding Quotations Was Never This Easy!† Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 July 2012. . Everything an American Wants to Know about Canadian Health care.† National Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 July 2012. . // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Electro Learning Essay

In the recent years, technology continues to evolve and improves its capability affecting every individual’s daily routines. Technology has impacted the different facets of life and certainly changed and redefined the way we live (Oak, 2011). One of the most common technologies used by people around the globe is computer. According to International Telecommunications Union or ITU, in 2010, the ratio of Filipino computer users over the Philippines’ population results in 29,700,000 over 99,900,177 or 29. 7% of our population. The users of computers vastly increased and prospered since it was invented. Nowadays, computers in any form become an integral part of our lives due to its functionality. The purpose of computers has engaged into complexity which made everything possible beyond our thoughts. Since there was a wide-range of computer usability, one of the emerging areas of computing is software development. Software varies with application depending on the contents and purpose. One way to implement good software amongst series of development is electronic learning or simply e-Learning. Rapid e-Learning is an ongoing trend which enables flexible and cost-effective creation of learning materials (Pforte & Stolzenberg, 2007). One of such obvious transformation and enhancement that will greatly affect the living standard in the future is the revolutionized technology being implemented in the education section (StudyUp, 2010). Technological development in the 1990s and 2000s appears to be beneficial to education. Currently, technology improvement follows Moore’s law which states that computers become twice as efficient approximately every two years (Lebedev, 2010). Education has changed significantly in the last twenty years. One of the main reasons education has undergone so many changes is because of technological development (Lebedev, 2010). Learning across the world is changing and bringing about this change is the use of information and communications technology (ICT) or simply, computer, which has advanced the access to information and is providing a richer, more immediate and relevant opportunities for those who have embraced it (Famor, 2011). The use of ICT for education is revolutionizing the traditional classroom and encourages learners to progress outside of the four walls of classroom, is more personalized and has become powerful motivational tool; the use of ICT in education is greatly helping developing countries to catch up with the education race becoming a great equalizer and providing access (Famor, 2011). E-Learning develops into different phases which targets not just higher education and adults but also children. The case of collaborative learning becomes available for children as a computer user (Crook, 1998). Kids and computers are nearly inseparable these days (Heiting, 2011). A recent study on Internet Access and Use by Filipino School children showed 74 percent of the children respondents use the computer or internet and 34 percent started between 2-9 years of age (Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, 2009). The statistics showed that computer becomes more popular not only for adults but also for children. Our children’s lives are already influenced by the technology (Indian Child, 2011). Computers are an important (and virtually unavoidable) part of your child’s life and education (Heiting, 2011). The introduction of technology in the educational field has made the process of learning and knowledge sharing, an interactive and fun-filled activity (Oak, 2010). A positive and effective combination of education for children and technology could be a good impact on the advancement and preparation on Filipino children’s learning process providing with parental guidance. PROJECT CONTEXT According to the human capital theory, the economic development of a nation is a correlation of the quality and quantity of its education (Okemakinde & Olaniyan, 2008). Economic development of a nation corresponds with the number of educated people. â€Å"The modern world in which we live is often termed a â€Å"knowledge society†; education and information have become production factors potentially more valuable than labor and capital. Thus, in a globalized setting, investment in human capital has become a condition for international competitiveness (Meinardus, 2003)† The Philippines education system faces different problems causes for the quality of education in the Philippines to take risks. As Cruz stated, our country needs 10,549 new classrooms, 1. 22 million additional seats, 67. 03 million new text books, and 12,131 more teachers for 2006 and summing up to 11. 30 billion in Philippine currency which is impossible to solve (2006, January 22). Another potential problem reported from DepEd Fact Sheet for Academic Year 2002 to 2007 gives the following education data: Teacher : Pupil (Elementary Students) Average Ratio is 1:36 while Teacher : Student (High School Students) Average Ratio is 1:41 ( Jobo, 26 March 2009). Population growth in the country is 2. 3 percent annually which results to 1. 7 millions of babies born every year and probably claims their educational provision but as a conflict with gargantuan problem, our country only has few resources, lack of facilities and too many students (Meinardus, 2003). With what reality reflects, Mainardus states that the quality of Philippine education has been declining continuously for 25 years agreed with the statement from senior department of education that schools are failing to teach the competence the average citizens need to become responsible, productive and self-fulfilling (2003). The mission of DepEd is to provide quality basic education that is equitably accessible to all and lays the foundation for life-long learning and service for the common good (Department of Education [DepEd], 2011). Ironically, the problems stated and the mission of DepEd seems to contradict with each other. Since the computers continue to grow and the users continue patronizing it, e-Learning could be a complement in eliminating problems concern with the education issues. The problem in education remained unsolved for years but through technology, the problems might be reduced. New technology can support learning; in particular, computers can be a medium in which material can be rendered accessible through creating visible and manipulative representations (Crook, 1998). I-Turo is an electronic learning tutorial software application especially made to nurture minds of young generation. I-Turo provides teaching and tutorial methodologies for young learners between 3-6 years of age. It responds with the need of our society in terms of early education and parental tutoring both accessible at home and based on Philippine context. It answers the needs of e-Learning software for a child which is purely based on the standardized Philippine curriculum. The Software application satisfies the interaction between parents and children in a convenient and educational way. From the software title itself, I-Turo, a Filipino word meant to teach and to give knowledge is the main concern of the aforesaid software. From manual teaching, I-Turo requires the integration of teaching electronically through computers. I-Turo centers contents based upon Philippine curriculum for pre-school education while contextualizing the Philippine culture and environment. As differ with e-Learning, the software is not intended to be learned alone or even distance learning but to be a medium for educating children with the guidance of the parents. PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION A. PURPOSE The primary purpose of I-Turo is to enrich the knowledge of young Filipinos on the pre-school level which is the foundation of fundamental knowledge combining different elements of teaching from the creative interfacing that captures the interest of the child into the valuable contents. Cognitive development is the focus of the software to help young learners to cope up from the possible impact of education crisis. Cognitive development includes development of communication skills, sensory-perceptual and numeracy concepts and skills. Communication skills refer to competencies in expressing ideas and feelings both in English and Filipino such as oral expression and basic readiness skills of listening, pre-reading and writing (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Sensory-perceptual and numeracy skills refer to the ability to observe, discriminate, compare and classify, and to understand, count, read and write numbers (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Pre-school services in the country is 19. 5 % over 11. 5 million children aged 0 to 6 years (Education Encyclopedia, n. d). As concluded, pre-schools in the country only served few children under the aforesaid ages. It shows that more than half of Filipino children doesn’t go to school for nursery and kindergarten which logically results to more than half of children population spend their pre-primary learning at home or might not experience this level of learning. Since pre-school level is compulsory, I-Turo provides an alternative way to experience early childhood education which is important to child’s cognitive development. Early childhood education showed benefit and positive outcome on child’s intellectual Quotient (IQ) development and fewer social or behavioral problems (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Some long-term benefits of early education in pre-school learners are greater parental involvement, fewer referrals to special education or remedial services, higher grades, better social skills, greater ability to focus and even less likely to commit illegal acts (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Computers and software titles increases in numbers and targets young children progressively (Indian Child, 2011). Nowadays, children learns to read and write with computer games becoming a child’s learning tool instead of traditional flash cards and other materials (Indian Child, 2011). With the following computer usage, pre-school children today spend hours in front of computer everyday (Heiting, 2011). These evidences purposely support what the software aims which is to apply information technology into education that can lessen some problems. Pre-school education consists of nurseries and kindergartens that cater children under the age of 3-6 (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Children 3-5 year of age are developmentally ready to use computers and a best opportunity to let them control and explore computer and software (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). On the other hand, children ages 5-7 are ready to begin using computers for more directed purposes, which includes communication, information gathering and skills development (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). Research suggests computer use among pre-school children might actually improve their readiness and academic achievement (Heiting, 2011). In a study, children who worked on computer at home and at school using educational software performed better on measures of school readiness and cognitive development rather than children without computers (Heiting, 2011). I-Turo aims to provide a quality early education with the help of parental tutorial. The software application does not intend to replace the pedagogical and traditional approaches but to be a supportive education to add up on the learning experience of a child. Since numerous problems were discussed in the Philippines quality of education, it is the time to make necessary action of both parents and child. Parental involvement is a great factor influencing child development which benefits positively into child’s growth. The Importance of parental involvement is reinforced with the increase of effectiveness of the education the child receives (Hornby, 2000). Parent involvement at pre-school was a major component and tends for more success and achievements of a child. As Hornby states that greatest gains are made when parents are more directly involved such as when they act as tutors with their children (2000). Perry preschool project in the USA concluded that children who had undergone with parental tutorial had significantly higher IQs, increased academic achievement, decreased need for special education placement, and less unemployment (Hornby, 2000). Some parents rely with computer for learning process of their children applicable for interaction, which is one important learning step (Indian Child, 2011). As a part of I-Turo, parental involvement would help in shaping child’s intellectual growth with tutorial system. Early childhood education is general term that describes a diverse range of programs (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Since preprimary education is not compulsory, the software can provide the needs for education in convenient way with unlimited access (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization [SEAMEO], 2003). Software can provide compilation of programs for early childhood education and tutorial in less expense with more parental bonding, peer interaction while learning. Parents who commit to an â€Å"at home† education, need to commit to being creative and engage in raising their children (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). The software could enhance child’s progress through different methods of learning and new form of material for teaching. Most experts agree that early childhood education works best in low pressure, social and very friendly environments (Ellis-Christensen, 2011). Another purpose of the software application is to support collaborative learning with multi-users. Through different set of knowledge and activities, the software could inform children with knowledge according to their need, from basic up to moral values. The software also intends to uplift and popularize the values and Philippines-based knowledge to the eye of Filipino youth at an early stage. I-Turo pursues to educate the children as a home learning experience with the parents since the ratio of teacher and students continues to increase and the focus for each student directly lessen affecting the learners progress. The pre-school level of education is not a requirement to basic education, through the software application children could learn providing with guidance and interaction between parents and child or with other users. Through considerations on different factors influencing learning, the purpose of the software could successfully integrate technology in form of education. Thorough explanation of I-Turo is provided in the description. B. DESCRIPTION B. 1 What is I-Turo? I-Turo is an electronic learning tutorial software application primarily intends to support pre-school learners and provides basic knowledge for cognitive development. The software caters early childhood education and parental involvement through tutoring system. The software is designed base on the needs, interests and applicability for child’s knowledge progress. The software is a supplement for educational tools and another medium to impart basic information in a new set of material that would match the interest of the children today. It will not be a new form of technological invention but an enhancement and upgrade on the existing educational software across the globe. It will add innovative and interactive ways of implementing tutorial software to the child by the parents and new input device depending on the child’s capability. It will also include multiple users on a single computer for parental tutorial interaction and even parent to children tutorial which means of tutoring children simultaneously and interactively. Cooperative work skills and language skills develop through working with others on computer through cooperative activities (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). B. 2 The Software users Since I-turo is designed for children at age of three (3) to six (6) years, parents and child are the target users of the software. Children at these stages enjoy interacting with active links and areas on the screen, discovering the effects of clicking different choices (Education Encyclopedia, 2011). At an early stage of 3-6, children need guidance from an adult. Parents play an important role into the child development process that will depend on the proper way they interact and support their children on their cognitive progress as a part of growth. The software requires minimum of two users, one would be the tutor and another would be the child. The tutor will be the master educator, most probably the parent to work with the child at early stage who will guide the child on the over-all process of tutorial and education with the help of the software. The tutor does not need to be professional, as long as he or she knows basic knowledge o ncomputer literacy, the software will guide user in the flow of tutorial process. The second user will be the child who acts as the preprimary learner. The child should be at 3 to 6 to appropriately imbibe the information on the software. The tutor could also handle simultaneous users with maximum of 4. The software could accept additional children users each time ranges up to 4, while additional new mouse is compulsory every time new child user is associated with the group. B. 3 Multi-pointing Technology The software applied one of the latest innovations technology to date which is Multi-pointing. Multi-pointing technology can handle multiple mice synchronously without any error or confusion on the computer. Every input mouse on the software has its own identity and does not affect the cursor movement of another. Multi-pointing improves the interaction for multi-users in the software which mainly a subject in providing parental involvement in tutorial software such as I-Turo. This technology helps the software to establish advancement on early education and parental tutoring software with the increase on access of possible users and reduction on the cost for additional personal computers. It supports collaborative learning between children and reduces time framework on the tutorial session of different child which can be done in one certain time concurrently with the children. Through the use of this technology, the objective to handle 5 users in one software application could be implied successfully. According to Crook, technology could be used in collaborative learning effectively (1998). B. 4 The Software contents The contents of the software are the most important aspects in an effective learning experience for pre-school learners through technology. The software development is intended for children under 3 to 6 years of age. This supplement or tool for early education and tutorial is base on the contents suitable for the children. From the top approach, the design of I-Turo is graphically friendly into children’s eye view. It combines good color combination and intermediate graphics resolution to hinge on children’s visual capability. The color scheme of the software consists of primary colors, soft textured colors, and light and bright variety of color combination to introduce children to different colors. The appearance of the  software targets to accommodate the appropriate design for children’s interest and attention which affect learning through visual implications. The software is also composed of sounds and music to boost the enjoyment and to carry on children’s focus. It also shows graphic images such as different objects to reflect the reality into the software. The category of knowledge for tutorial is divided into different subjects such as English (language and reading) and Filipino (Wika and Pagbasa) based on the curriculum. Each â€Å"Unit† included in the software’s contents covers knowledge for cognitive development of a child. Each â€Å"Unit† also consists of lectures, activities and assessments. Lectures are managed by the parents, tutor to be precise to educate children from the software contents. Lectures are purposely designed for exiguous interaction to inform the child relaxingly by the tutor little by little. Lectures acquire small mice movements from the tutor and child/children to embark the knowledge into their minds. Activities follow variety of methods to enrich their minds actively on what have they learned and as a practice and application. Activities might be done interactively with peers and tutor or a choice of alone depending on the preference of the tutor or the child. Assessment is done through testing and examinations in a friendly environment. Every assessment is graded right after to see the progress and can be easily evaluated. The lectures and activities are fixed in format while assessments come randomly for the number of mice involved in a session. All the contents can handle 1 tutor and children up to 4 users as long as the tutor can work smoothly with these children. Each level also has sub category of subjects to organize certain information accordingly. The subjects of each all level are similar on the field but differ in scope and difficulty. The subjects of the system are based on the Philippine curriculum prescribed by the Department of Education for preschool students or pre-primary learners. All information is based upon books referred and preferred by the Department of Education, educators, and other professionals. All the contents are assured to be relevant, related, and accurate. The methods of implementing information undergo with psychological approvals and referrals from the child psychologists and come also from researches and documentations by the professionals. I-Turo is contextualized from Philippine based context. It adds moral values and guidance tutorial for childhood good manners and right conducts. Since the software is designed for Filipino children, it promotes Philippines not just graphically but also some lectures and activities which mainly involve Philippine literature, culture, values, and other country based facts. The design of the software such as objects is mainly a part reflected by the Philippine’s context and reality applicable for kids. B. 5 The Hardware The hardware of I-Turo is composed of any computer as the main that can install software based on software requirements. The Compact Disc would be the default storage of the software installer for computers. The I-Turo is designed for kids hence, the input device of the software should respond with children’s capability in interacting with computers. Handling normal mouse is an issue on ease of use for children under 6 years old below. One way to solve difficulty in handling interaction with computer is to produce a child-friendly mouse which can accommodate children’s capability in convenient manner. The design of USB (Universal Serial Bus) cabled mouse is bigger than the normal size and shaped circularly to easily and comfortably hold it. The mouse has equal and proportional shape to easily notice the middle button by the users. The design is proportional to cater not only right-handed but also left-handed. The mouse is big enough to support children’s hand and navigate the mouse through optical sensors. Since children took a hard time to understand the dissimilarities in clicking the left click and right click, a new design of mouse is implemented to handle software application for kids. The mouse only has a one click functions as the usual left click of ordinary mouse. The right click is not necessary to be a part of input device of the software so; right click is removed to eliminate confusion of children between left and right click. The left click is placed at the center as one and only press button for inputting or clicking. In terms of physical design, the color of the five mice varies with different colors such as blue, yellow, green, pink, and purple to showcase variation of colors. The mouse is rounded, soft edged, and lighted with simple yet creative designs to capture the attention of children. Since computers is limited with a few number of USB ports, the mouse will include USB port hub to provide access on the five mice simultaneously. The hub has 6 ports, 5 for the mice and 1 as an extra. The hub is designed with soft color and child-friendly structure. The computer, installer, hub and mice work together as one to be a medium of tutorial and education through the use of technology today. The proposed design of the mouse without the hub is shown in the figure 1. Figure 1: Sample computer mouse proposal without the hub (actual size and design may change). B. 6 Implementation Numerous computers spread out in different places, with different forms and versions but, most of it functions exactly the same. Since computers are everywhere, the implementation of the software would be easy. After completing the hardware requirements, the software should be compatible to the operating system of the computer also based on the system requirements set by the software developers. Installation of the software to the computer would come next. Possible implementation of the software works with only 1 tutor, 1 computer and differs on the number of children and mice depending on the number of users. Different implementations are shown in the following figures. a. Figure 2: 1 child, 1 computer, 1 tutor, and 2 mice b. Figure 3: 2 children, 1 computer, 1 tutor, 3 mice c. Figure 4: 3 children, 1 computer, 1 tutor, 4 mice d. Figure 5: 4 children, 1 computer, 1 tutor, 5 mice I-Turo does not influence young learners to concentrate on computers which pessimistically affect and ruin the normal life of a child. On the other hand, I-Turo lends technology to be an aid and tool for educating children without affecting the bond between parents and child. Through a good foundation of education, Filipinos could be highly competent around the world. Providing good sources for education, students can be highly knowledgeable even at early stage. OBJECTIVES GENERAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES I-Turo entailed development on an electronic learning tutorial software application for childhood cognitive development containing effective lessons based on Philippine context. The primary objectives of the project beyond accuracy, reliability and effectiveness were: (1) To develop a computer-based software application engaging into maximum usability solving problems related in education focusing on childhood cognitive development and moral guidance stages between 3-6 years of age through e-Learning technology and based on Philippine educational curriculum; Specific objective as follows: †¢to design a software application catering its usability and applicability for more numbers of people in the society †¢to create software concerning with Philippine based context such as traditions, history, values, Filipino language, epics and etc. †¢to include information from basic level into kindergarten level lessons (English (language and reading) and Filipino (Wika and Pagbasa) ) for home study purposes and thorough understanding †¢to focus on the information intended to be learned during the childhood mental development stage as a good foundation of knowledge †¢to integrate good manners and right conduct in the software contents †¢to categorize subject content into different level of learning and understanding depending on the applicable knowledge for each age based upon the curriculum. (2) To improve and enhance the knowledge of young Filipinos through introductory and exploratory learning with computers as a positive, effective and easier way of collaborative learning experience; Specific objective as follows: †¢to introduce a well constructed graphics for early education that could interest young learners †¢to provide an accurate and efficient information and software contents applicable for young learners (3) To implement a new form of input device and interactive tutorial medium responding on the needs for parental tutoring, early education preparation and assistance for child’s progress and knowledge updates. Specific objective as follows: †¢to implement the breakthrough on Multi-pointing Technology supporting on multi-users for mouse control handling †¢to create an application satisfying parenthood guidance for young learners †¢to support interaction between multiple user such as parent-child, parent-children, parents-child and parents-children †¢to ease the use and access of educational medium such as cards, posters, books, charts, and other more and transfer it in a computer-based software as one tool. †¢to engage young learners into early education with the use of technology corresponding with parent-child bonding while learning at a convenient manner †¢to maximize the use of computers for teaching young learners with different methods †¢to guide every progress on children’s accumulated knowledge through testing and examination †¢to implement new form of input device under children’s capability for ease of use SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS This project will focus on implementation of computer-based software application designed for childhood tutorial and early education for cognitive development and integrating moral values guidance. The project will mainly cover Philippine based curriculum corresponding on the knowledge needed by young Filipino learners approved by professionals such as psychologists, educators, guidance councilors and government agencies and its officials. The contents would be guided by accurate information which undergoes with studies and supported by certified books applicable for young learners referred by professionals. The project will target learners under the age of three (3) and up to age of six (6), to be general, pre-school learners. Even though the application will be designed for normal learners, special cases of learners with disability or disorder might be also guided by the software but it does not assure that the software could give an effective feedback on the user’s learning process since it does not undergoes with a study for special cases. Moreover, the application efficiently caters relevant knowledge based upon studies for tutoring and early education for pre-school. Fundamental information regarding on different subjects and context will be applied as a further investment on child’s cognitive development. The application will include school subject’s references such as Language, Reading, Wika, and Pagbasa with integration on Values Education. Other information related on Philippine history, culture, traditions, tales, epics and other important facts are also included for exemplifications or activities. All the contents are limited only the curriculum provided by Department of Education for pre-school. Thus, different levels of learning will be categorized based on subjects and ages for understandability and different type of strategic teaching and learning methods will be featured. Every subject on each category covers lecture, activity and assessment or testing and examinations. As a part of child’s improvement, the application will address a progress status of a child and analysis of performance during the assessment period done after lecture and activities. The application will adopt the latest Multi-pointing Technology which utilizes its function for handling multi-users. Through Multi-pointing Technology, the application can support parent and child tutorial interactively. It does not just provide a single human –computer interaction but can also be used by more than one (1) user up to five (5) and may also be depend on computer mouse availability. In the process of learning, parents will participate in tutorial with the computer and child. The parent will be the tutor, the child will be the student and the application will be the medium and source of education. The software recommends parents to guide their child for electronic learning tutorial. It also encloses collaborative learning with parent and with peers or other students simultaneously and interactively. One (1) tutor and one (1) child are the basic user requirements and can add up limited into four children (4). In terms of the software development, the contents of the software is limited on the information provided by professionals, study or research and from pre-school books which is fixed on the system. Since the application will contain Philippine based-curriculum, the subject would only be effective for young learners in the Philippines. The application will be limited on usage because it is not accessible on the internet and works only with a computer and software installer. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE/SYSTEM EARLY CHILDHOOD The developmental period that extends from the end of infancy (3 years old) to about 5 to 6 years of age.