Qualitative analysis using the transcript provided Essay - 1

Qualitative analysis using the transcript provided - Essay Example I am like a pig stuck in the middle of everything. I want to do my job well. I want to help the people in the community but I have to also listen to the people in charge of me because they are my bosses. They say one thing, the people out there, they want something else. What can I do? Sometimes my hands are tied up. But I do try to do things to make a difference to the people out there – those ones in the rural communities in the district. There are many things which they are facing which can affect their health these days. Maybe I can help them to sort some of this out by working with them. P. Yes. It’s me. There’s nobody else. I deliver training on health issues such as hygiene. I try to help people to understand how they need to wash their hands before they prepare food or something like that...the children, they can get so sick with running stomachs which is bad. Or sometimes, if there is an outbreak, then I will do something different, something about what the trouble is. If there is cholera it is not about prevention it is about action and it needs to be quick and co-ordinated. But it is difficult for some people when they do not have soap or when they have to fetch water from some other place or people are sick and cannot work in the fields. Umm, but really it’s not for me to tell people what to do. I am not their mother or their father but I can try to help them to understand how they can help themselves. Sometimes they listen and sometimes they don’t. The old ones sometimes say ‘who is this young thing who is coming to tell us what it do when we have lived all this time?’ Hopefully you are just putting things into people’s heads and, you know, making them think that next time they will do something. Maybe if they are worried and they can speak to you if you are friendly. So yeah, it is only me that does†¦it can be a struggle†¦(fades off). P. Me, I am the one who does

Study on Financial Analysis of Britannia Essay Example for Free

Study on Financial Analysis of Britannia Essay The total food production in India is likely to double in the next ten years and there is an opportunity for large investments in food and food processing technologies, skills and equipment, especially in areas of Canning, Dairy and Food Processing, Specialty Processing, Packaging, Frozen Food/Refrigeration and Thermo Processing. Fruits Vegetables, Fisheries, Milk Milk Products, Meat Poultry, Packaged/Convenience Foods, Alcoholic Beverages Soft Drinks and Grains are important sub-sectors of the food processing industry. A health food and health food supplement is another rapidly rising segment of this industry which is gaining vast popularity amongst the health conscious. India is one of the worlds major food producers but accounts for less than 1. 5 per cent of international food trade. This indicates vast scope for both investors and exporters. Food exports in 1998 stood at US $5. 8 billion whereas the world total was US $438 billion. The Indian food industries sales turnover is Rs 140,000 crore (1 crore = 10 million) annually as at the start of year 2000. The industry has the highest number of plants approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outside the USA. Indias food processing sector covers fruit and vegetables; meat and poultry; milk and milk products, alcoholic beverages, fisheries, plantation, grain processing and other consumer product groups like confectionery, chocolates and cocoa products, Soya-based products, mineral water, high protein foods etc. We cover an exhaustive database of an array of suppliers, manufacturers, exporters and importers widely dealing in sectors like the -Food Industry, Dairy processing, Indian beverage industry etc. We also cover sectors like dairy plants, canning, bottling plants, packaging industries, process machinery etc. The most promising sub-sectors includes -Soft-drink bottling, Confectionery manufacture, Fishing, aquaculture, Grain-milling and grain-based products, Meat and poultry processing, Alcoholic beverages, Milk processing, Tomato paste, Fast-food, Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, Food additives, flavors etc. India is one of the world’s major food producers but accounts for less than 1. 5 per cent of international food trade. This indicates vast scope for both investors and exporters. Food exports in 1998 stood at US $5. 8 billion whereas the world total was US $438 billion. The Indian food industry’s sales turnover is Rs 140,000 crore (1 crore = 10 million) annually as at the start of year 2000. The industry requires about Rs 29,000 crore in investment over the next five years to 2005 to create necessary infrastructure, expand production facilities and state-of-the-art-technology to match the international quality and standards. The office of the Agricultural Affairs of the USDA / Foreign Agricultural Services in New Delhi says that one of India’s proudest accomplishments has been achieving a tenuous self-sufficiency in food production and that the country produces a wide variety of agricultural products at prices that are at or below world values in most cases. The Indian palate is accustomed to traditional foods, mostly wheat and rice-based, rather than potato and corn-based western palate. In marketing perspective, this is considered an important factor for foreign marketers. The USDA report says initially consumer-ready food products may have to be tailored to include Indian spices and traditional ingredients. In addition to traditional tastes, there are other social factors which affect consumption in India. Hindus account for approximately 80 per cent of India’s population, and while only 25 or 30 per cent are strict vegetarians, beef slaughter is prohibited in all but two states (Kerala and West Bengal) and consumption of other meats is limited. Incidentally, India is the only country where the US-based MacDonalds sells its burgers without any beef content and even offers purely vegetarian burgers. India’s middle class segment will hold the key to success or failure of the processed food market in India. Of the country’s total population of one billion, the middle class segments account for about 350-370 million. Though a majority of families in this segment have non-working housewives or can afford hired domestic help and thus prepare foods of their taste in their own kitchens, the profile of the middle class is changing steadily and hired domestic help is becoming costlier. This is conducive to an expansion in demand for ready-to-eat Indian-style foods. India’s food processing sector covers fruit and vegetables; meat and poultry; milk and milk products, alcoholic beverages, fisheries, plantation, grain processing and other consumer product groups like confectionery, chocolates and cocoa products, Soya-based products, mineral water, high protein foods etc. According to latest official statistics, India exported processed fruits and vegetables worth Rs 5240 million in 1997-98. The horticulture production is around 102 million tones. Foreign investment since 1991, when economic liberalization started, stood at Rs 8,800 crore. Products that have growing demand, especially in the Middle East countries include pickles, chutneys, fruit pulps, canned fruits, and vegetables, concentrated pulps and juices, dehydrated vegetables and frozen fruits and vegetables. Another potential processed food product is meat and poultry products. India ranks first in world cattle population, 50 per cent of buffalo population and one-sixth of total goat population of the world. Buffalo meat is surplus in India. There is vast scope to set up modern slaughter facilities and cold store chains in meat and poultry processing sector. India’s current level of meat and meat-based exports is around Rs 8,000 million. In last six years foreign investment in this segment stood at Rs 5,000 million which is more than 50 per cent of the total investment made in this sector. Compared with meat, poultry industry has registered significant growth. India ranks fifth in the world with annual egg production of 1. 61 million tones. Both poultry and egg processing units have come in a very big way in the country. India is exporting egg powder, frozen egg yolk and albumin powder to Europe, Japan and other countries. Poultry exports are mostly to Maldives and Oman. Indian poultry meat products have good markets in Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. While meat products registered a growth of 10 per cent, eggs and broilers registered 16-20 per cent growth. There are about 15 pure line and grandparent franchise projects in India. There are 115 layer and 280 broiler hatcheries producing 1. 3 million layer parents and 280 million broiler parents. They in turn supply 95 million hybrid layer and 275 million broilers, day-old chick. Presently there are only five egg powder plants in India which is considered insufficient in view of growing export demand for different kind of powder whole egg, yolk and albumen. The scope of foreign investment and state-of-the-art technology in this field is therefore tremendous. Milk and milk products is rated as one of the most promising sectors which deserves foreign investment in a big way. When the world milk production registered a negative growth of 2 per cent, India performed much better with 4 per cent growth. The total milk production is around 72 million tones and the demand for milk is estimated at around 80 million tones. By 2005, the value of Indian dairy produce is expected to be Rs 1,000,000 million. In last six years foreign investment in this sector stood at Rs 3600 million which is about one-fourth of total investment made in this sector. Manufacture of casein and lactose, largely being imported presently, has good scope. Exports of milk products have been decimalized. Grains could emerge as a major export earner for India in coming years. India’s food grains production is now at around 225-230 million tones. These include rice, jawar, bajra, maize, wheat, gram and pulses. Indian basmati rice enjoys command in the international market. Besides growing Middle East market for basmati rice, many other countries are showing interest for this food grain. In 1998-99, export of basmati and non-basmati rice stood at Rs62000 million. There is a total rice milling capacity of 186 million tons in the country. Among plantation, tea emerged as major foreign exchange earner. India is the largest producer and exporter of black tea. However, the most worrying factor for Indian tea industry is that from early next year with the implementation of tea imports into the country, India tea may face a stiff competition within the country as well, specially threat of Sri Lanka’s presence in the Indian market is looming large. The current year’s tea export prospect is not that very good in terms of forex earnings because international prices have fallen significantly this year. India exports between150-170 million kilograms of tea per annum. Of course, the scope of foreign investment in this sector is good and the multinational tea companies would either be trying for marketing joint ventures with the Indian producers or acquire stakes in Indian tea companies. There is a strong possibility of third country exports through such joint venture as quality wise still Indian teas are ruling the international market. An alcoholic beverage is another are where India witnessed substantial foreign investment. Foreign investment in this sector stood at Rs 7000 million which about 70 percent of the total investment made so far. The IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) primarily comprises wine, vodka, gin, whisky, rum and brandy. Draught beer is a comparatively recent introduction in the Indian market. The Indian beer market is estimated at Rs7000 million a year. One of the major advantages for any investor eyeing the Indian liquor market is that India offers enough raw materials like molasses, barely, maize, potatoes, grapes, yeast and hops for the industry. Yet another catchy investment sector is fisheries. There is growing canned and processed fishes from India. The marine fish include prawns, shrimps, tuna, cuttlefish, squids, octopus, red snappers, ribbon fish, mackerel, lobsters, cat fish etc. In last six years there was substantial investment in fisheries to the tune of Rs 30,000 million of which foreign investments were of the order of Rs 7000 million. The potential could be gauged by the fact that against fish production potential in the Exclusive Economic Zone of 3. 9 million tones, actual catch is to the tune of 2. 87 million tones. Harvesting from inland sources is around 2. million tones. The biggest bottleneck in expanding the food processing sector, in terms of both investment and exports, is lack of adequate infrastructure. Without a strong and dependable cold chain vital sector like food processing industry which is based mostly on perishable products cannot survive and grow. Even at current level of production, farm produce valued at Rs 70,000 million is being wasted every year only because there is no adequate storage, transp ortation, cold chain facilities and other infrastructure supports.

Britannia Industries Limited Is One Leading Bakers Marketing Essay

Britannia Industries Limited Is One Leading Bakers Marketing Essay Britannia Industries Limited is one of the leading players in the bakery segment in India. Its product portfolio includes various types of biscuits, breads and cakes. The company primarily operates in India. It is headquartered in Kolkata, India and employed about 2,358 people as on March 2008. The company recorded revenues of INR 26,177 million during the fiscal year ended March 2008, an increase of 13% over 2007. Top line of Britannia was driven by price increases by way of reduction in pack sizes and extension of excise exemption to biscuits with maximum retail price (MRP) below INR 100 per kilogram from INR 50 per kilogram earlier. The operating profit of the company was INR 2,723 million during fiscal year 2008, an increase of 80% compared with 2007. The PAT was INR 1,910 million in fiscal year 2008, an increase of 77.5% compared with 2007. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Britannia Industries Limited (Britannia) is engaged in producing and distributing bakery products including a variety of biscuits, breads, rusks, and cakes. The Wadia group of India along with Groupe Danone of France, are equal shareholders in ABIL, the UK which is a major shareholder in Britannia. The company operates through three broad product categories: biscuit and high protein food, bread and rusk, and cake. The biscuit products are marketed under the following brands: Tiger, Good Day, 50 50, Marie Gold, Treat, Milk Bikis, Nutri Choice, Time Pass, Pure Magic, Little Hearts, Nice Time, Vita Marie Gold and Greetings. Bread products are sold under the Premium Bakes, white sandwich bread brand. Cake products are sold under the Premium Bakes, Cakes and Rusks brands. The company also offers Cup Cakes in its cakes category. Britannias dairy operations are conducted through its subsidiary, Britannia New Zealand Foods Company Private Limited (BNZF). BNZF is a joint venture between Britannia and Fonterra Co-operative Group of New Zealand. The company exports its products to the US, Ghana, Seychelles, Singapore, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. HISTORY Britannia was established with an initial investment of INR295 in Kolkata in 1892. The operations of the company were mechanized with the advent of electricity in 1910. The company started using gas ovens in 1921. Britannia Biscuit Company took over biscuit distribution from Parrys in 1975. In 1978 the company became a publicly listed company. In the following year, the company was renamed as Britannia Industries Limited (Britannia). The companys executive office was relocated to Bangalore in 1989. In 1993 Wadia group acquired stake in ABIL, UK and became an equal partner with Groupe Danone in Britannia. Britannia introduced its new corporate identity Eat Healthy, Think Better; and launched Tiger Cashew Badam and Cheeker brands of biscuits in 1997. In 1998, the company introduced Milk Bikis and Nutri Choice brands; and Etnic Snacking. In 1999, the company issued bonus shares in the ratio of 1:2. During the same year, the company also introduced cheeselets. The company introduced biscuit brands GD Choco, Time Pass and Vita Marie Gold in 2000; Rourbon Pocket Packs, Maska Chaska and Vita Marie Gold in 2001. Britannia introduced many brands of biscuits in 2002 which include Time Pass Classic Salted, Jim Jam Pocket Packs, Chai Biskoot, Tiger Cream, GD Ginger Nut and Pure Magic. The company launched a joint venture with Fonterra, a dairy company; and started Britannia New Zealand Foods in 2002. The company launched, Treat Duet, a biscuit brand in 2003. In the following year, Britannias Good Day biscuit added Choconut, a new variety to its range of biscuits. The rebirth of Tiger biscuit was seen in 2005, with the tag line Swasth Khao, Tiger Ban Jao. In the same year Britannia launched Greetings range of premium assorted gift packs; and Britannia 50-50 Pepper Chakkar. In the same year, the company started its new plant in Uttaranchal. In July 2006, Britannia acquired Cafe Coffee Days 50% stake in Daily Bread, a Bangalore-based high-end food re tailer. In March 2007, Britannia formed a joint venture with the Khimji Ramdas Group, one of the largest business conglomerates in the Middle East. Britannia and its associates acquired 70% beneficial stake in Dubai-based Strategic Foods International and Oman-based Al Sallan Food Industries Co SAOG. In January 2008, Britannia was asked by the Calcutta High Court to pay back the INR12 crore, which it withdrew from the companys pension fund. MAJOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Britannia Industries Limited (Britannia) is a producer and distributor of bakery and dairy products. It manufactures, distributes and sells a range of branded products including: List of products: Biscuits Bread Rusk Cakes Cheese Butter Milk List of selected brands: 50:50 Deluca Good Day Little Hearts Milk Bikis MarieGold Maska Chaska NutriChoice Pure Magic Treat Tiger REVENUE ANALYSIS Britannia recorded revenues of INR 26,177 million during the fiscal year ended March 2008, an increase of 13% over 2007. The company generates revenues through three business divisions: biscuits and high protein foods (89% of the total revenues during fiscal year 2008), bread and rusk (7.4%), and cake (2.9%). Revenue by division During the fiscal year 2007, the biscuits and high protein food division recorded revenues of INR 23,299 million, an increase of 11.4% over 2007. The bread and rusk division recorded revenues of INR 1,956 million in fiscal year 2008, an increase of 36.3% over 2007. The cake division recorded revenues of INR 769 million in fiscal year 2008, an increase of 23.2% over 2007. The others (including scrap sales) division recorded revenues of INR 144 million in fiscal year 2008, a decrease of 28% over 2007. SWOT ANALYSIS Britannia is a producer and distributor of bread, snacks and dairy products. The company has a portfolio of top selling food brands. Britannia produces and distributes premium brands such as 50:50, Good Day, Little Hearts, Milk Bikis, MarieGold, Maska Chaska, NutriChoice, Pure Magic, Treat, and Tiger. An extensive portfolio of global brands facilitates customer recall and enhances Britannias market penetration capabilities. However, an impending litigation disputing the trademark of Britannias biscuit brand Tiger, with Danone, could adversely impact the companys brand image and its international expansion plans. Strengths Weaknesses Strong brand name Launch of innovative products and brand extensions Growth in operating segments High dependence on Indian market Fluctuating cash from operations Opportunities Threats Inorganic growth Strategic alliances Growing demand for health and convenience products Litigations Inflationary dairy product prices Outbreak of animal diseases Strengths Strong brand name The company has a strong portfolio of top selling food brands. Britannia produces and distributes premium brands such as 50:50, Good Day, Little Hearts, Milk Bikis, MarieGold, Maska Chaska, NutriChoice, Pure Magic, Treat, and Tiger. Each of the companys six pillar brands (Good Day, Tiger, 50:50, Treat, Milk Bikis, and Marie Gold) generate sales in excess of INR1 billion. Further, the company is entering new product lines like snacking and health products and thus capturing a larger market share. In 2007, most of the companys brands secured double digit growth rate. Additionally, Britannia was ranked second among FMCG companies in the Business Worlds Most Respected Company Survey 2006. With a wide portfolio of brands and choice of product category, the company is able to differentiate itself in the market, nurture customer loyalty, and reduce its business risk. As a dairy product company, Britannia enjoys strong brand equity, and its extensive portfolio of global brands has helped it to expand its market presence and visibility. A strong brand portfolio not only facilitates customer recall but also enhances Britannias market penetration opportunities. Launch of innovative products and brand extensions The company has a strong orientation towards product innovation. In 2007, the company demonstrated its ability to innovate and extend its brands and products. Britannia launched many innovative products in 2007. Through an innovative product lineup, the company plans to strengthen and sharpen its brands and transform them from existing formats and conventional archetypes. In this context, the company launched cream and coconut varieties in its Tiger brand range. Further, the Chota Tiger, which is an extension of Tiger brand, draws on the kids snacking habit presenting biscuits as small, pop-able, snacks in a pouch pack. Similarly, the company also launched added Fruit Rollz under its Treat brand. Further, the company launched 50:50 Chutkule and NutriChoice Digestive and SugarOut. NutriChoice SugarOut is the first biscuit without added sugar, in the Indian market. Strong product innovation skills enable the company to stay ahead of the competition and create an edge in the market. Growth in operating segments Britannias operating segments has shown strong financial performance since 2005, which is evident from its revenue growth. Biscuit and high protein food segment revenue increased from INR14,926.9 million (approximately $330.8 million) in 2005 to INR20,910.8 million (approximately $463.4 million) in 2007, this representing compounded annual growth rate CAGR (2005-2007) of 18%. The bread and rusk segment also recorded increase in revenue from INR788.2 million (approximately $17.5 million) in 2005 to INR1,435.7 million (approximately $31.8 million) in 2007, this representing CAGR(2005-2007) growth of 35%. Further, the cake segment also recorded increase in revenue from INR355.7 million (approximately $7.9 million) in 2005 to INR624 million (approximately $13.8 million) in 2007, this representing CAGR(2005-2007) growth of 35%. Strong performance by the companys operating segment enhances its financial standing and strengthens its position against its competitors. Weaknesses High dependence on Indian market Though Britannia has made forays into other international markets, it is still dependent on the Indian market for a majority of its revenues. Though the company exports its products to many countries, the revenue contribution of regions other than India is too low to confer any significant geographical diversification benefit on the company. High dependence on India makes Britannia vulnerable to the market conditions in this region. Fluctuating cash from operations The company has not been able to generate consistent cash from its operations in recent times. The company has registered fluctuations in its cash from operations, registering a decline in every alternate year since 2004. Cash from operations decreased from INR1,961 million (approximately $43 million) in 2005 to INR649 million (approximately $14 million) in 2006. Again in 2007, it increased to INR871 million (approximately $19 million). Fluctuating cash from operation could upset the companys expansion plans. Opportunities Inorganic growth Britannia is aggressively pursuing inorganic growth model. In March 2007, Britannia concluded two acquisitions, including its first ever overseas partnership. In March 2007, Britannia formed a joint venture with the Khimji Ramdas Group, one of the largest business conglomerates in the Middle East. Britannia and its associates acquired 70% beneficial stake in Dubai-based Strategic Foods International LLC and Oman-based Al Sallan Food Industries Co SAOG. The two companies are major regional players in the biscuits and cookies segments in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) markets. Both the companies export to more than 40 countries across the globe including Africa, Australia and Japan, thereby giving Britannia access to many new markets. These two acquisitions are expected to allow Britannias portfolio to extend to those countries in which they have a presence. The joint venture could provide Britannia an opportunity to grow its international footprint by leveraging on the complementa ry strengths of the two partners. Strategic alliances Britannia entered into strategic alliance with Daily Bread Pvt. Ltd. (Daily Bread) to participate in premium bread and allied products market in India. In July 2006, Britannia acquired a strategic 50% stake in Daily Bread, a Bangalore-based company engaged in the manufacturing and retailing of premium breads, cakes, and ready-to-eat snacks. Daily Bread operates in both institutional and retail segments, and offers a wide range of international quality bakery products, including 50 varieties of specialty breads. Post-acquisition, Britannia holds the brand Deluca in India. Daily Breads business model includes a chain of own and franchised retail outlets, and catering to institutional customers. Daily Bread operates seven outlets in Bangalore and since its acquisition by Britannia; two large outlets have been added. Britannia is keen to scale up the outlet chain to 30-40 cities beginning Fiscal 2008. This acquisition marks Britannias entry in the high-end, freshly baked gourmet food. Th is alliance will help Britannia to scale up the bakery business in select markets with a range of gourmet products sold under its brand names. Growing demand for health and convenience products Consumers worldwide have become more health conscious in recent years. Increasing number of consumers are opting for natural, fat-free and healthy food products. Food items containing trans-fat are losing market share as they are linked to cardiovascular diseases. The primary drivers for this trend are changing lifestyles, late marriages, increase in single-parent households, increase in number of homes with two working parents, and increased working hours. Consumer expenditure on away-from-home dining is rising. According to the US Economic Research Service, spending on food-away-from-home is expected to increase by almost 10% per capita until 2025. The trend towards low fat, low sugar and low carbohydrate foods and drinks continues to drive the market. Britannia offers a range of low-fat and sugar free products. With a strong emphasis on healthy foods, the company is likely to benefit from the increasing health food market. The global nutritional market exhibited strong growth in 2 006, estimated at E127 billion ($159 billion), with half of this represented by the US market. The company is well positioned to exploit its focus on health and convenience platform to drive its future growth. Threats Litigations Britannia and Groupe Danone (Danone), a French dairy and beverages giant, are engaged in intellectual property rights battle, since many years. Wadia group and Danone have an equal stake in Associated Biscuits International Holdings (ABIH), which is a major shareholder in Britannia. Both the companies are disputing over the trademark of Britannias biscuit brand, Tiger. Britannia has accused Danone of registering the Tiger Trademark globally without its consent. Danone has already registered Tiger brand in nearly 35 countries and has applied for registration of the Tiger trademark in over 70 countries. In 2006, Britannia sued Danone in a Singapore court, seeking a speedy redressal of the Tiger brand issue. Danone has already registered Tiger trademark in Singapore, which will expire in November 2009. Britannia submitted its trademark application for Tiger in Singapore only in April 2007, which is still pending. An arbitration case between the two parties is also pending at the Bombay High Court. This long impending litigation (with Danone) could adversely impact Britannias brand equity and its international expansion plans. Inflationary dairy product prices Britannia, being a diary company, is exposed to general business risks faced by the global dairy market. Britannia is vulnerable to price fluctuations in the world market for raw materials such as flour, soya, maize and grain. In 2007, the industry witnessed an inordinate and simultaneous increase of approximately 20% 25% in the market prices of all key commodities like flour, refined palm oil, skimmed milk powder, etc. The companys top line growth of 28.4% was eroded by inflation in input costs, resulting in a gross margin decline of 6.7%.The global dairy market is marked by sharp fluctuations in the price of dairy products. Furthermore, sales prices are fixed with customers for relatively long periods in a number of markets, whereas the purchase prices of milk are subject to short-term fluctuations. In order to limit these risks, Britannia should try to minimize its operating costs by efficiently utilizing existing resources. Further increase in input cost could dampen the company s gross margin, which could result in declining top-line growth. Outbreak of animal diseases Britannia, as a diary product company, is dependent on constant supply and quality of the raw materials like milk. Any outbreak of animal diseases (especially Foot and Mouth Disease caused by a virus which is one of the most contagious and feared diseases), can cause heavy loss in susceptible cloven-hoofed animals world over. Britannia, which markets all dairy-based products like butter, cheese, and biscuits to different countries, may get affected by milk supplies and the production and sale of dairy products in case of diseases outbreak thus affecting its revenues. TOP COMPETITORS The following companies are the major competitors of Britannia Industries Ltd. Nestle India Ltd ITC Corporation Ltd. Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.

Personal Stregnths and weaknesses Essay -- essays research papers

The Personal Strengths and Weaknesses of Lindsay Nanna   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I first came across this assignment, I was quite apprehensive. I thought about what my teacher and fellow classmates would really think about me then. How would my Learning Group react? But at the same time I knew that this would be a growing experience and when I was completed I could look back on the paper and take a sigh of relief. Honestly, it is much easier for me to say what my weaknesses are than my strengths. I usually tend to go for the difficult men; the ones with some kind of â€Å"problem†. This tends to land me in the middle of nasty break-ups and unfortunate broken hearts. So now one would also agree that I am too forgiving and give too many second chances. Now, all those hurt feelings can sometime tend to leave me cruel and bitter. I am now beginning to understand that not everyone has the same work ethics as I do. It greatly frustrates me when I see a fellow co-worker messing around on the job and when I tell my manager it seems as if they don’t care. It makes me feel like a nag, but it is really something that is important to me, especially since the matter deals with patient care on the bottom line. At work, I get rather upset when I see fraternizing between certain cliques. I know that any office has the same politics, but it to me is still hard to swallow. Another weakness is that when I have my mind made up, there is no stopping me. Now, one could see this as a strengt...

Dead Poets Society: Film Techniques Essay

Keating believed in educating the boys to be â€Å"free thinkers†. How did this teaching of his philosophy have a positive and/or negative impact on the boys? How has Peter Weir used film techniques to reflect this positive and/or negative impact? Throughout the duration of the film, Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir, a number of film techniques are expressed to reflect the positive but also the negative impacts of Mr John Keating’s unorthodox and bizarre teaching methods towards his students. The film is set at the conservative and traditional Welton Academy in Vermont, United States in 1959 as it follows the story of the newly appointed English teacher, Mr John Keating. He is conveyed as an inspirational and influential mentor to his students about independent views and living life to its fullest through his teaching of poetry. Weir uses film techniques to show these positive impacts of Keating’s teaching philosophy to be â€Å"free thinkers† on Neil Perry, a student who deals with much pressure from his father to pursue his dream of acting, and Todd Anderson, who is portrayed as a very humble, self conscious and shy character. Keating’s style of teaching; however, led to the negative impact of Charlie Dalton, who is a popular but also a rebellious character in the film. Due to Mr Keating’s philosophy in teaching, Neil’s engagement in acting and poetry expanded significantly eventually leading to his death.  Weir has used Neil Perry as the protagonist to convey a numerous amount of film techniques to display Keating’s belief in educating the boys to be â€Å"free thinkers†. Near the beginning of the film, Neil is shown to have a great amount of pressure applied on him by his father’s high standards so that he graduates from Welton to become a doctor. â€Å"We expect big things from you this year.† â€Å"Don’t worry, he won’t disappoint.† This is said by Mr Nolan, the school headmaster, followed by Neil’s father, Mr Perry, and demonstrates the compression put upon Neil to succeed. This  scene shows a number of close up angles and high angles of Neil to show his apprehension and sense of vulnerability to the audience. From Keating’s first few lessons about poetry and its importance in life, Neil and the other students are inspired to create the â€Å"Dead Poets Society.† This group is created from the motivation of Keating’s beliefs about poetry and expressing your feelings in a positive perspective. Long shots and eerie music are used when the boys are running through the woods to their first meeting in a small and concluded cave. This is to create a rebellious atmosphere, as it is a key theme in the film from Keating’s motives. When the students arrive at the cave, Neil is portrayed as the leader of the group, which shows his confident and friendly characteristics where he reads most of the poetry. This is demonstrated by the use of close up angles and low angles looking up at Neil to emphasise what he is saying and his power over the other students. Soon after the student’s first meeting, Keating shows the boys to look at life in a different perspective by standing on his desk. This helps Neil understand to have his own decisions in life and be a â€Å"free thinker.† â€Å"Look at it another way†. Keating says this in order for the students to have independent views in life. Low angles looking up at the students when they are on the desk are used to show the power and potential they have. Due to Mr Perry’s harsh rules and ideas on him, it caused Neil’s death because of his love for poetry and acting became too great for him where he was allowed to partake in them. This ultimately suggests that Keating’s teaching methods had a negative influence on him. Essentially, these film techniques are shown to indicate Keating’s views about poetry and expressing ones thoughts in a positive outlook, and influencing Neil even though it did lead to his death. Throughout the film, Todd Anderson’s personality and character changes significantly as a result of Keating’s ways in teaching poetry and expressing ones feelings through Weir’s film techniques. Much like Neil, Todd is immediately put under pressure from Mr Nolan when arriving at his new school on welcome day when the headmaster states, â€Å"You have big shoes to fill, Mr Anderson.† A close up angle is shown directly at Todd in order to show his lack of confidence after his brother’s success at Welton. This underlies the traits developed by Todd during the majority of film to show  his characterisation as a very self-conscious and uncertain person. This uncertainty as a person is evident when he states, â€Å"If I say something, people won’t listen.† Moreover, this quote outlines the personal difficulty and feelings Todd is experiencing because of the pressure from his new friends and school. Todd’s character changes however, where Keating’s philosophy in teaching has a very positive outlook on him. A very important turning point in Todd’s character because of this teaching occurs when Keating strongly encourages him to read a made up poem on the spot to the class about a given picture. A 360o tracking shot and fast intense music is used by Weir to show confusion to the audience of what is happening. The music and spinning of the camera becomes faster to increase the tension generated by Todd’s newly created poetry encouraged strongly Keating. From this, it is obvious that Todd’s character differs as he realises the concept of expressing ones’ thoughts from Keating about poetry due to the film techniques shown by Weir. Weir portrays Charlie Dalton as a very rebellious character through film techniques and the negative influence of Keating’s teaching methods on him. This is apparent in Keating’s first lesson of teaching poetry, where he advises the students to â€Å"rip out† the introduction to poetry section in their textbooks. As the students are confused and uneasy about this task, Charlie rips the page out immediately, with a close up angle of him to demonstrate his daring character. Keating’s teaching methods however, cause Charlie to get expelled from Welton. â€Å"Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.† Keating says this metaphor in order to show how being â€Å"free thinkers† does not mean pulling foolish stunts, which have consequences. Within this scene, Keating states, â€Å"There’s a time for daring and a time for caution and a wise man knows which is called for.† He expresses this to outline the imp ortance of knowing when to be unruly and when to remain in the rules. Weir uses dull lighting within the room to show the despondent and depressed. From evidence, Keating’s philosophy in teaching is shown to lead to the negative impacts on Charlie where he is expelled. The director, Peter Weir, has used many techniques throughout the film to  show Keating’s beliefs for his students to have independent views and live life to its fullest by being their sole mentor and inspiration. Keating caused Neil to open up to his identity to discover a love for acting and create the â€Å"Dead Poets Society† by being the leader in a way. Todd’s character during the film changed dramatically from self-conscious to confident in his own ability due to Keating’s theories about life where he discovered a talent in poetry. Although, apart from the positives, Charlie’s characteristics cause him get expelled because of his daring and rebellious character. Weir has explored these characters to convey their views from Keating and the film techniques of Weir help demonstrate this.

Schema Activation Activities

Schema Activation Activities Summary on the Activities The main purpose of the lesson chosen is the life in the sea, the variety of fishes, and the conditions under which fish should live. How Many Fish in the Sea?: A Book about Oceans written by Linda Tagliaferro is the content area book for the course with the help of which children will be able to evaluate their skills and learn more about the world and its peculiarities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Schema Activation Activities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are several activities for students to be offered which are appropriate to achieve the main objective, the success of schema activation. This mechanism provides teachers and learners with an opportunity to understand what they know and what they are going to learn from the text (Vacca Vacca, 2008). There are three main activities students have to deal with during the lesson: anticipation guides, reciprocal questioning, also k nown as ReQuest, and the activity aims at arousing motivation among students. Each activity is a unique collection of ideas and suggestions on how students may be involved into the education process and participate in the activities offered by the teacher. The success of these activities is expected as students should rely on the material they have to learn as well as their own background knowledge, their personal interests, and their wishes. Students can realize what kind of information is obligatory and supplementary and define whether the chosen sphere of life is worth their attention, time, and efforts. It is also necessary to consider another purpose of this lesson: a teacher may help students evaluate their own skills and discover another captivating aspect of life and human interruptions in the world of nature and science. Though it is a kindergarten level only, it is still possible to formulate students’ preferences and attitudes and influence and even improve future in some way. Anticipation Guides 5 anticipation guides on the book How Many Fish in the Sea?: A Book about Oceans will help teachers and students comprehend the worth of this book and define the level of student knowledge.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Anticipation Guide One (general evaluation of the book) There are 5 oceans in the world: Indian, Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Antarctic (Tagliaferro, 2007). Each ocean has its own peculiarities, inhabitants, and impact on human life. In the content area textbook, some information about the oceans and the seas is given. What students have to do is to compare an ocean and a sea using their background knowledge: put O if the characteristic is inherent to an ocean only, put S if information is about seas only, and put two letters in case the fact is about an ocean and a sea. It has no boundaries, and its quantity cannot be pr operly deducted. ________ Salty water is inherent to _________. A variety of fishes may be found in this area. ___________ Rivers may flow into it. __________ A number of other creates except fish live in here. _________ Anticipation Guide Two Put whether the offered statement is true or false and check the level of knowledge about oceans and seas. Currents are the type of waves observed in an ocean. Wave is the result of wind’s pushes of water. All waves crash onto the beach. Rivers are the participants of water movement. Anticipation Guide Three The chapter about the zones of the ocean should be evaluated. Students should guess which statements are true (T) and which statements are not true (F) There are four main zones in an ocean. Mariana Trench is the deepest point of the ocean. Sunlight zone is the deepest part of the ocean. People are able to use the twilight zone only for their activities. Anticipation Guide Four The following names are the names of the oceans an d seas, and students have to define where the sea’s name (S) is and where the ocean’s name (O) is. Caribbean Red Indian Mediterranean Atlantic Anticipation Guide Five Students have to answer the questions as Likely or Unlikely to demonstrate how deep their knowledge about water world is. The ocean floor is similar to a sandy beach. Only small mountains may be observed on the ocean’s floor. A volcano oozes flowing lava that is rather cold in the ocean. All these guides are based on particular chapters from the book and may be understood by the students on the kindergarten level. This is why the success of each activity is expected.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Schema Activation Activities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reciprocal Questioning (ReQuest) Reading research synthesis is an integral part of kindergarten education (Hatch, 2004). This is why it is crucially important to implement â€Å"ReQuest† activities to the lesson. In the chosen class, the ReQuest strategy is offered to help students understand the variety of underwater world and living forms which may be observed in here. Students and the teacher have to read the same short passage from the book How Many Fish in the Sea?: A Book about Oceans. As it is the kindergarten level, it is possible to provide children with more time to grasp the material and evaluate the pictures provided. The teacher has to close the book so that every child sees that there is no attempt to cheat. Students start asking questions about the oceans and seas using the information offered in the book. For example, it is possible to ask a teacher to enumerate the oceans existed. However, a teacher may intentionally omit one ocean so that students could evaluate teacher’s mistake. Now, the teacher is going to ask students about the material read. The teacher should focus on some simple questions which may promote stud ent’s imagination. The examples of the questions are as follows: â€Å"What is bigger an ocean or a sea?†, â€Å"What water is in the oceans?†, and â€Å"What kind of ocean does a student want to see? Why?† (It helps to consider the picture and the boundaries the oceans have). The same exchange of the roles should take place. The only difference is the chapters which have to be read by the teacher and students. It is possible to read about different zones of the ocean. The next stage of the lesson is connected to students’ predictions. The teacher asks students to think about future facts which may be given about the ocean. What kind of information may be offered? What creatures may live in the ocean and in the sea? The final activity is the competition between several teams of the class. It is necessary to divide students in the groups of five and make them create the names which are connected to water, oceans, or seas. Then, students have to answ er teacher’s questions such as â€Å"Which zone is the deepest?†, â€Å"What ocean is the biggest on the picture?, etc. All these questions may be discussed before, the main point of this activity is to check how students evaluate the material. Arousing Curiosity/Motivation To arouse students’ curiosity, the guided imaginary strategy is offered. At the kindergarten level, students are able to think and develop different situations which meet their interests and needs. What is offered for students is to close their eyes and follow the guidelines by the teacher. â€Å"Imagine that you are a fish (students choose any fish they know) who starts its adventure from the top of the ocean (sea). How does the water smell and taste? You want to share other fishes around what you feel? What is the condition of the ocean (sea)? Are there many waves? How do they move? How do you look like in the ocean (sea)? Which zones of the ocean are the most preferable for you? What do you on the floor? You cannot resist the ocean that grasps you totally. You enjoy each moment spent under water. You want to move as fast as possible to observe the beauty of water? Share your impressions with other students. Now, it is time to return. Do you choose the same way? Or do you want to observe some other place? You need to hurry up to enjoy the sunset. You reach the sunlight zone. You are calm. You see the sky. You relax.† Evaluation of the Model The project offered in this paper has a number of positive aspects. It helps to improve students’ understanding of personal knowledge and abilities, develop their predicting skills, and imagination. Cooperation with the teacher is a powerful means that arouse students’ motivation and curiosity: students have to comprehend that other people are already aware of this material, and they should better achieve the same understanding to become equal to the others.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The idea to use ReQuest strategy may be applied as it aims at developing various evaluating skills. And, finally, such strategy as guided imaginary shows how captivating and unpredictable students’ knowledge may be. Reference List Hatch, J.A. (2008). Teaching in the New Kindergarten. Clifton Park, NY: Cengage Learning. Tagliaferro, L. (2007). How Many Fish in the Sea?: A Book about Oceans. Mankato: Capstone Press. Vacca, R.T. Vacca, A.J. (2008) Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. New York: Pearson Education.