Concepts of Space in Art

Concepts of Space in Art In his book Space, Time and Architecture, Sigfried Giedion noted that through developments made during the Renaissance, the conception of space comes to fruition. This conception of space in art was expressed with the discovery of perspective. Through the use of perspective he says every element is related to the unique point of view of the individual. In linear perspective -etymologically clear seeing- objects are depicted upon a plane surface in conformity with the way they are seen, without reference to their absolute shapes and relations. The whole picture or design is calculated to be valid for one station and observation point only. To the fifteenth century the principle of perspective came as a complete revolution, involving an extreme and violent break with the medieval conception of space, and with the flat, floating arrangements, as its artistic expression. Sigfried Giedion, Space, Time and Architecture, Harvard University Press, Cambridge,  1967, first published 1941, pp. 30-31 During the Renaissance, fields of study particularly in the arts were closely intertwined with traditional models. In architecture, buildings were designed with reference to past examples. At around about the early nineteenth century, there came a shift in the conception of space that broke free of the rigidity associated with antiquity. Relativity in our conception of space came about through the development of cubism. Cubism introduced a new dynamic to visual representation. The framed view is coupled with different points of view of the same object, his brings in a factor of time. Joan Ockman professor and the director of the Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the  Study of American Architecture at Columbia University. Here will be cited her essay The  Way Beyond Art published in Autonomy and Ideology, ed.Somol, R.E., the Monacelli Press,  New York, 1997, pp.83-120 matter ceased to be understood as opaque mass. The viewer now envisaged different aspects of space simultaneously, inside and outside, convex and concave at once. Matter was decomposed into simple surfaces and lines (as in Mondrian) or became transparent and interpenetrating (as in Lissitsky). With these developments, space came to be understood as a crossing of movements and energies. The change in the conception of space is said to be the demolition of pictorial space by Cubist techniques and substitution of a relative point of view for an absolute one Along with Ockman, Sigfried also wrote about a new conception of space from the traditional. He claims that classical conception of space is related to the notion of perspective and this notion was the primary element in painting since the Renaissance up until the 20th Century. For Giedion, the new method of visual representation after the formation of cubist techniques coincides with a shift in the conception of space and develops form giving principles of the new space conception After Cubism, space conception changes from the static perception of the Renaissance. Giedion claims that the classic conceptions of space and volumes are limited and one sided. For Giedion, the possibilities of this new space conception is like Cubism with its many perspectives that extract the essence of the subject, give it an infinite potential for relations within it. Giedion claims that the dawn of cubism is an anonymous principle just like the discovery of perspective. That cubism is the expression of a collective and almost unconscious attitude and for him, this expression is also closely related to scientific advancements of that period. As Giedion says. Cubism breaks with Renaissance perspective. It views objects relatively: that is, from several points of view, no one of which has exclusive authority. And in so dissecting objects it sees them simultaneously from all sides from above and below, from inside and outside. It goes around and into its objects. Thus to the three dimensions of the Renaissance which have held good as constituent facts throughout so many centuries, there is added a fourth one time: In stage design, the stage itself can become a medium for the exploration and the experimentation of different concepts in vision and space conception. The stage is the manifestation of the relationship between performers and audience. In her book, Theatres, Gaelle Breton makes reference to ancient theatres. She says that the Greek theatres of antiquity sought to create a unity between the stage and audience areas and combined them under an open air space. This principle she states becomes the model for Elizabethan theatres which she identifies with the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. Breton states that during the Renaissance, theatre design undergoes an increasing separation from the outside world, and within creates an ever increasing divide between stage and spectator who sit in a fix position for an optimum static perspective. This resembles the painting of the time. The way theatres were designed during the Renaissance was challenged by Richard Wagner. Together with architect Otto Brukwald, they collaborated to design theatre which sought a reversal in the separation of and stage. The theatre of the Renaissance was concerned with the audience with the perspective of the audience. No balconies and a darkened auditorium focused the audiences attention to the stage. Theatre no longer sought to create the illusion of reality but sought to express the essence of a play. Breton also claims that the necessity for creating the illusion of reality became less relevant with the advent of cinema and the innovation of cubism which shattered the traditional perception space and style of spatial representation Antonin Artaud (1862-1928) was a famous stage director and the author of Theatre and its Double. He describes the architectural space that he seeks for his productions as a single, universal locale without any partitions of any kind His proposal was to abandon the architecture of his time and set about producing production that could be held in a barn or a hanger for performance. The notion of flexible space such as this can also be seen in the architecture of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe around this time. The concept is for a performance space as a total space which can be redesigned and reorganized for different productions. The sculptor and painter Oscar Schlemmer, conducts experiments for stage space at the Bauhaus. Roselee Goldberg state that the work at the Bauhaus was to achieve a synthesis of art and technology in pure form The studies conducted included the problems of performance space such as the opposition of visual place and spatial depth Schlemmers experiments demonstrated a new conception of space on stage. In the 1920s, the discussion of space centred on the notion of felt volume Schlemmer explained that out of the plane geometry, out of the pursuit of the straight line, the diagonal, the circle and the curve, a stereometry of space evolves, by the moving vertical line of the dancing figure. The relationship of the geometry of the plane to the stereometry of the space could be felt if one were to imagine a space filled with a soft pliable substance in which the figures of the sequence of the dancers movements were to harden as a negative form Up until the twentieth century, the criteria for stage design was a framed view and theatres based on the relation of the proscenium. In the early twentieth century, revolutionary stage designers such as Edward Gordon Craig challenged this two dimensional approach to stage design with three dimensional concepts and experiments. For his first production, Craig had to design his own stage as the only available space was the Hampstead Conservatoire. This concert hall was 44ft wide with a series of stepped platforms at one end to house the orchestra. The comprises made by Craig became a characteristic of his work. The ceiling height was level throughout and Craig incorporated Herkomers technique of over head lighting and sky effects. A low proscenium was constructed to facilitate frames and a bridge above the stage for the lighting man. To facilitate a cast and chorus of 75, the full width of the stage was utilized. This created a strikingly panoramic effect. In later production in Coronet and Great Queen Street theatres, Craig lowered the proscenium by as much as 12ft to create the impression of great width. He also found that creating stepped platforms allowed for three dimensional groupings and movement. Craig wanted the spectators to have the same perspective of the plays so no side galleries, or boxes were used, instead a single level seating was used. Another characteristic of Craigs productions which challenged the viewers imagination were, although the sets were openly theatrical, with everything from imitation vine leaves to crude papier-mà ¢chà © boars head, on the other hand there was a deliberate avoidance of realistic detail and simple effects of colour were used, leaving the imagination free and achieving a suggestiveness that one viewer had commented reminded him of the delicate friezes of Pompeii. For these surfaces, Craig explains they stand on the stage just as they are, they do not imitate nature, nor are they painted with realistic or decorative designs Craig studied the theatrical work as it was in ancient Greece, Rome, from the Renaissance to the Elizabethan. He noted that Once upon a time, stage scenery was architecture. A little later it became imitation architecture, still later it became imitation artificial architecture. The two elements which became central to Craigs concept of a new theater were lighting and movement. The two elements which became central to Craigs concept of a new theater were lighting and movement. The great days of painted scenery belonged to the era of dim lighting from gas-few footlights or candles, which flattened the performer so that he an the picture became one. The day the first spotlight was on the side of the proscenium, everything changed. The actor now stood out, was substantial, and a contradiction suddenly appeared between roundness and the two dimensional trompe loeil behind his back. The great innovators in the art of scenic design, Adolphe Appia and Gordon Craig, knew this before the First World War. Peter Brook, Threads of Time, Methuen Publishing Limited, London, 1999, p.48 In 1923, Fredrick Kiesler presented his concept for the Endless Theatre. The theme of this space was the structure did not have any frame, but could still maintain its form. In the 1920s architecture had a strong tendency to interpret space from a functional point of view. Buildings where traditionally of a rectangular shape, however there were no corners in Kieslers endless concept. This implies a meaning of time and space simultaneously which one can interpret as without and en, or in another sense an eternity of time. While this theatre expressed Kieslers concept of space, it was in 1958 when he presented the Endless house that his concept had manifested itself into a space that responded to human sensibilities as well as a functional space acting as a home. An installation architecture piece by Bernard Tschumi called the Glass Video Gallery was constructed in the Netherlands. It is a glass structure which contains 6 banks of video monitors. The projects intention was to challenge our preconceived ideas on the act of viewing. The monitors act as an unstable faà §ade, unlimited space is suggested through mirror reflections. The reflective surfaces which can be interpreted as a modern day equivalent to Edward Gordon Craigs walls. The immateriality presents an ambiguous surface. The architect presented a challenge to the permanence of buildings. The multiplying layers act to dissolve the surface of the glass. Lighting at night acts to transform the space. For Tschumià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The endless reflections of the video screens over the vertical and horizontal glass surfaces reverse all expectations of what is architecture and what is event, of what is wall and what is electronic image, of what defines and what activates. Tschumi also claims that his glass box challenges the ideas of television viewing and about privacy. The transparency of the glass walls acts as an opposition to an enclosed private space it also acts as an extension to the street. Within the structure, a person watches and is watched at the same time.

Women in the Middle East Essay -- Gender Roles, Oppression, Culture

In the book, Women in the Middle East, a Saudi Arabian proverb states, "A girl possesses nothing but a veil and a tomb" (Harik and Marston 83). The key words, "veil" and "tomb" lend evidence to the fact that many Middle Eastern women lack identity symbolized by the â€Å"veil† and lack the right of ownership except for their veil and the tomb. This statement further enforces the notion that many women in the Middle East are expected to serve and tolerate the oppression of the men in their lives throughout their lives on this earth. Moreover, it confirms that many of these women do not get the opportunity to obtain education, join the work force, and even participate in the political affairs of the country. This arrangement further helps the Middle Eastern men to view women as their properties, servants, or even as slaves. Ultimately, there are three main reasons why Middle Eastern men engage in the act of oppressing their women. One primary reason why Middle Eastern men oppress women is their deeply rooted belief system as well as their needs. For example, their belief that the Middle Eastern woman’s duty is being a dedicated homemaker encourages them to disallow her from seeking an education. Ramsay M. Harik and Elsa Martson, revisit this concept in their book, Woman in the Middle East, as they state that many males convince their women that education is unnecessary nor relevant to their household responsibilities. "The girl will spend her life cooking and having babies, why does she need to read or write? This was a common attitude in much of the Middle East until the last fifty years or so" (24). The common consensus was that once educated, these women would question many of the injustices suffered, would demand better treatment... ...emale relative is justifiable if she brings dishonor to the family" (86)... Many women do not stand up for their rights because they are scared from death; since many men killed women without feeling sympathy or without fearing from the consequences of laws. Therefore, laws are just another cause of the oppression of women. Middle Eastern women need to stand up for their rights and get educated to reverse the notion that they are servants and properties of their men. Furthermore, they need to rise up to their potentials and prove beyond doubt that they are equal to men. This practice would lead the path for future generations to follow and protect the inalienable rights of women. Finally, these women need to break the cycle of oppression by addressing these deeply rooted beliefs, gaining the tools to fight back, and joining forces to make lifelong changes.

reality and choice theory :: essays research papers

1. "Reality therapy concentrates on the client's needs and getting them to confront the reality of the world. In Reality Therapy, these needs are classified into power, love and belonging, freedom, fun, and survival. Survival includes the things that we need in order to stay alive, such as food, clothing and shelter. Power is our sense of achievement and feeling worthwhile, as well as the competitive desire to win. Love and belonging represent our social needs, to be accepted by groups, families and loved ones. Freedom is our need for our own space, a sense of independence and autonomy. Fun is our need to enjoy ourselves and seek pleasure. We seek to fulfill these needs at all times, whether we are conscious of it or not." Choice theory, the new theory of how our brain functions that supports reality therapy, directly challenges this belief. I contend that when we are unable to figure out how to satisfy one or more of the five basic needs built into our genetic structure that are the source of all human motivation, we sometimes choose to behave in ways that are currently labeled mental illness. These needs, explained in detail in Choice Theory, are: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. What is common to these ineffective and unsatisfying choices, no matter what they may be, is unhappiness: there is no happiness in the DSM-IV. Choice theory explains that, not only do we choose all our unhappy behaviors, but every behavior we choose is made up of four components, one of which is how we feel as we behave. When we choose a behavior that satisfies our needs, immediately or eventually, we feel good. When we choose a behavior that fails to satisfy our needs, sooner or later, we feel bad. But the choice to be unhappy is not mental illness. Our society is flooded with people who are choosing anxious, fearful, depressive, obsessive, crazy, hostile, violent, addictive and withdrawn behaviors. All of them are seriously unhappy; there is no shortage of unhappy people in the world. But, unfortunately, many mental health practitioners who believe in mental illness don't see the unhappy people described above as capable of helping themselves or benefitting from therapy. They see them as "suffering" from brain pathology, incapable of helping themselves without drugs. They reject psychotherapy as useless or too time-consuming. In my new book, Reality Therapy in Action, I describe how my use of reality therapy has helped many seriously symptomatic clients choose to function normally without the use of drugs.

Malaysian :: Business and Management Studies

Malaysian PROTON'S bonnet badge shows a tiger, but a fish might be more appropriate because the state-backed Malaysian car-maker is going from being the largest resident in the small pond of its protected local market to being a minnow in the deep waters of the global car industry. the state-backed Malaysian car-maker is going from being the largest resident in the small pond of its protected local market to being a minnow in the deep waters of the global car industry Malaysia becomes a richer, more discerning car market with lower trade barriers Southeast asia's economy is growing again, and that has triggered record vehicle sales. in Southeast Asia Malaysia is second hootest market after china is clearly the biggest [sales] opportunity for car manufacturers anywhere in Asia. Just 1 in 35 Indonesians owns a car, compared with 1 in 14 Thais and 1 in 7 Malaysians. Right now car purchasers can get loans on a new model with as little as 5% cash up front. That compares with the 20% down payments common just a few years ago. Unlike in China and India, big global auto makers aren't rushing to build manufacturing capacity in high-risk Indonesia. Proton and Perodua are Malaysia's two main domestic manufacturers, claiming over 70 percent of a market where demand is estimated at around 500,000 cars this year. Two other companies also assemble cars locally. While the government continues to encourage small and medium-scale players, there may also be a need to consider steps to consolidate among the many vendors (suppliers) in the automotive industry in order to gain scale, financial strength and managerial talent to expand internationally," Najib Razak told the conference. Political system 1. government While the government continues to encourage small and medium-scale players, there may also be a need to consider steps to consolidate among the many vendors (suppliers) in the automotive industry in order to gain scale, financial strength and managerial talent to expand internationally," Najib Razak told the conference. That suppliers power 2. Malaysia drops duties, adds tax Import duties on cars from outside Southeast Asia will be lowered to 35 percent for knocked-down models, and to 80 percent to 200 percent on fully built models, the government said. Malaysia said it would wait until 2008 to further reduce motor vehicle import duties, to the required range of zero percent to 5 p â€Å"On this basis, the government does not expect major price changes in the cars produced or assembled in Malaysia during 2005.† ercent. Market 1. Malaysia's market is too small to sustain more than one or two domestic car makers, given increasing competition from imports. 2. Malaysia Market Summary Malaysia is a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations

Identifying Factors Which Affect the Job Satisfaction of Nurses Essay

We live our lives aiming for satisfaction. The satisfaction we want to achieve can be from our studies, our business, our health status, our body image, or our jobs. In health care profession, the article â€Å"The Determinants Of Job Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses† discuss the contentment of nurses with their jobs. Job satisfaction has a lot of factors that affect it. These factors include workload, stress level, personal needs, environment, relationship with co-workers and supervisors, and the number of hours that they are working in a week. In one research by Kalist and Okoye, they used the question on how would a nurse best describe their feelings about their principal nursing position to determine their job satisfaction of a population of nurses. Then they came up with â€Å"A nurse may respond to the question by indicating that she is either extremely satisfied, moderately satisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, moderately dissatisfied, or extremely dissatisfied† (D. E. Kalist, I. N. Okoye, 2011). The result of their study concluded that age, marital status, gender, salary, hours of work, position, and setting are the factors affecting the job satisfaction of nurses. They also came up with a result that women are more satisfied with their jobs more than the male population and married women reported higher job satisfaction. We can observe that most married women are more stable on their jobs because they tend to find a job that would meet their expectations or a job that would last long for them. They have also gathered information which would mean that in managerial positions, they have higher job satisfaction compared to the ones in non-managerial position. But in a study done by C. G. Andrews and J. Allen in their article â€Å"Analysis of Management and Employee Job Satisfaction, they have concluded that there is no significant relationship of job satisfaction between managerial and non-managerial position. Taking a closer look at their study, the population involved does not come specifically from the nurses’ population. They conducted their study in a general workplace setting. We can say then that the nurses, specifically, consider their position when it comes to their satisfaction at their jobs. Another author included additional factors that affect the satisfaction of these nurses such as â€Å"Recognition of frustrations, such as turnover, lack of internal empowerment, burnout, and, elimination of external sources of stress can decrease dissatisfaction in the health care setting† (J.L. Kettle, 2002). Most of the factors discussed on the first article are regarding the physiological needs of the nurses which should be considered and are mostly being considered by health administrators. The factors discussed by J.L. Kettle though are more into the emotional which are mostly being ignored but actually has an impact when it comes to job satisfaction of nurses. Understanding the job satisfaction of nurses is very important in the role of a health care manager. Nurses are the ones who get in touch with the patient most of the time and they are the ones who improve the quality of health care service given. Their satisfaction is very important just like the satisfaction of patients receiving the health care treatment. The emotional needs of nurses are as important as their physical needs. If their needs are being met, they will be able to provide a better service. Therefore, we can say that identifying and understanding the factors that affects the job satisfaction of nurses will definitely affect their performance. Peer Support: Peer’s Name: Ma. Lyngee Caduco She helped me pick a topic that is interesting for me and she advised me on the formatting of this paper. References Kettle, D.L. (2002). Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction in the Registered Nurse. Retrieved from:http://www.juns.nursing.arizona.edu/articles/Fall%202002/Kettle.htm Kalist, D.E, Okoye, I.N. (2001). The Determinants Of Job Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses. Retrieved from: http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/AJHS/article/view/6623/6699 Andrews, C.G., Allen, J. (2004). Analysis of Management and Employee Job Satisfaction. Retrieved from: http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc31078/m1/1/

Five Phases of the Project Lifecycle Essay

Abstract The project lifecycle describes the tasks that must be completed to produce a product or service (NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003). The Project Lifecycle has been divided into five phases. The first phase of the Project Lifecycle is the Define Phase in which the project concept is evaluated, selected and defined as the solution to a specific need or set of needs. In the second Plan phase, the concept is developed into a practical plan for implementation. The Launch phase of project lifecycle constitutes the third phase. This is a phase in which management activities are carried out to establish clear terms of reference and a clear management structure. The Manage phase of project lifecycle is the penultimate phase in which the implementation plan is executed. The final phase is termed the Close phase in which the project is completed and documented. The deliverables are then handed over to the care and control of the owner. The Five Phases Each phase of the project lifecycle is associated with a number of activities. The number of activities in a project depends on the class of the project and also on the judgment of the project manager. The different activities associated with each phase of the project lifecycle are described below: Define Phase The Define or Initiation Phase is the first phase in the Project Life Cycle and essentially involves starting up the project. A project is initiated by defining its purpose and scope, the justification for initiating it and the solution to be implemented. (MPMM, 2007) Project Request Approval: Approval of the project request formalizes and institutionalizes the project. This activity ensures that only projects that deserve the kind of investment that is envisaged are selected for implementation and executed. It helps in managing the workload of individual departments. In the ideal situation, anyone can make a project request on a prescribed project request form signed by the operating unit head. The project approver evaluates the report on the basis of pre-specified criteria. The output of this activity is in the form of either an approved or a denied project. If the project is approved, a project manager is assigned. Project Overview Statement: The Project Overview Statement (POS) provides the essence of the project. It is a short document that establishes the purpose of the project and its relevance to the organization in terms of the business value that it will provide. The Project Overview Statement identifies the problem which the project addresses and determines the goals and objectives of the project. The effort that would be required in completing the project is estimated, and the assumptions, risks and obstacles are identified. The primary objective of the POS is top impress the importance of the project upon the senior management and to secure its support for the project. Once the management is convinced, the project manager gains the authority to use organizational resources for the project. During the course of the project lifecycle, the POS becomes the point of reference for the project. Business Case: This activity helps to build a case for the project by justifying it as a business need. All the costs and benefits of the project are weighed before taking the decision to investment in the project. Dependencies, fund requirements and risks are identified. A cost-benefit analysis is undertaken. Project Governance: In this activity the roles and the activities of the different team members and stakeholders are identified and fixed. The decision making hierarchy and structure of the project are defined. Escalation procedures are also drawn up. Management Approval for next phase: This activity concentrates on acquiring the approval of the management to move to the next planning phase of the project. Each phase of the project lifecycle constitutes of a transition activity to move into the next phase. In this activity, the senior management analyzes status report and feedbacks from customers. The senior management together with the project manager then takes a decision whether the project should move into the next phase or not. This activity ensures that projects that are found unworthy or not feasible are rejected early in the lifecycle. Plan Phase The focal point of this phase is developing the project scope into a stable project plan, which will be later used to guide the project through the project life cycle and fulfill the business requirements (Hinds IT Management). Start-off meeting: This is the kick-off meeting in which the project manager sets guidelines for project execution, reviews the Project Overview Statement and lays down the expectations from the project team. Timelines, approach, assumptions and constraints are discussed in this meeting. There is a conscious effort to dispel any doubts that team members may harbor. The minutes of this meeting is documented. Project Approach: The objective of this activity is to define a solution for the project and to identify the method to deliver the solution. An implementation approach to meet the project goals is developed. Policies and standards are laid down. This activity also validates the planning activities required. Various methods in which the project objectives can be achieved are evaluated and the best adopted. Components from other projects that can be applied in the project under consideration are identified. A rationale is provided for the adoption of the particular project approach. The project approach is documented. Quality Strategy: The quality strategy to be adopted for the project is determined. The project manager and his team decide which Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities will be carried out during the course of the project lifecycle. A list of Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities is developed. Work Breakdown Structure: The project is broken down and decomposed into smaller components of activity units, sub tasks and work packages. This enables the manager to estimate the duration of the project more objectively, determine the resources that would be required and also work out a schedule for project execution. It provides the management with enhanced control. A work break down structure evolves out of this activity. This activity is an element of the work plan. Time and Cost Estimate: The time and cost for each task is estimated depending upon the resources available and capability. The time and cost estimate that is drawn up becomes an input for the work plan. Schedule Development: This activity documents the various tasks that need to be executed during the course of the project lifecycle and then assigns responsibilities and establishes timelines for the tasks. Dependencies between various tasks are highlighted. Resources are assigned to the tasks, quality reviews and testing are planned. This activity ensures that the project is completed on time and that the business aspect of the overview statement is addressed. Once the overall schedule is available, the project manager is responsible for monitoring the progress closely. The deliverable of this activity is the work plan. Risk Management Strategy Plan: This activity develops a complete plan for handling risks pertaining to the project. It defines how risks will be identified, who will do so and at what frequency risks will be identified. It adopts a risk monitoring toll, sets the risk escalation matrix and defines how to handle issues with high risk probability. The roles and responsibilities for the risk management process are accorded. Communications Management Plan: This plan is developed to ensure flow of required information to all team members. Access methodologies are worked out, information is categorized according to target groups and overall communication systems defined. Issue Management Plan: An issue management process is defined in this activity. The objective of the activity is to ensure that issues are identified, evaluated and assigned for resolution. An issue log is documented and tracked. Quality Assurance Plan: This plan is implemented to validate that the major activities and processes are completed with an acceptable level of quality. Acceptance criteria for deliverables, quality assurance activities, in-process control plans, and quality-related responsibilities are defined. Frequency of project plan reviews, frequency of receiving and sending status reports, and frequency of checking for process improvements are determined. Resource Plan: This plan is developed to determine the resources that will be required during the various phases of the Project Lifecycle. It also takes into consideration the need training programs or other value-addition processes. The type and amount of resources needed are determined. The estimated output, availability, and cost of the resources are determined. Procurement Plan: This plan draws up the procurement strategy. The scope and type of products and services that are to be procured are outlined. Procurement responsibilities are fixed and assigned. Vendor evaluation criteria and approval procedures are set. Operational Transfer Plan: This activity ensures the smooth activation of the project. Installation processes and related roles and responsibilities are identified. Pre-requisites for smooth rollout of processes are tracked and planned for. Stephenson et. al. (2000) in the Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board puts high importance on this activity. Referring to NASA operations it states that â€Å"close attention should be paid from project outset to the plan for transition between development and operations. Adequate systems engineering staffing, particularly a mission systems engineer, should be in place to provide a bridge during the transition between development and operations, and also to support risk management trade studies.† Integrated Project Plan: This activity enables proper co-ordination of the project. Roles and responsibilities are identified. Reviews are planned; all aspects of the project are examined to ensure that all relevant factors are taken into consideration. Team Assignment: Team assignment is done to ensure that individuals with appropriate skills are assigned to the relevant group and area of work. The Project Manager balances resource availability with the Work Plan. Work packages are defined and assigned and any questions and conflicts regarding work packages are resolved. Management Approval for next Phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Planning takes a lot of patience. A traditional mistake is to leap before one is ready. When there is pressure to deliver, the temptation is to ‘get the ball rolling’ (Jenkins, 2006). Launch Phase Initial Meeting: The project manager informs the team members of the ground rules of the project, the working style, the communication plan and the escalation process for conflict resolution. The minutes of the meeting is documented for reference. Initial Risk Identification: Risks are identified and categorized during the course of this activity. For each risk identified, the risk event is assessed in terms of likelihood of occurrence and its effect on project objectives if it were to occur. The objective is to ensure that the entire team is involved in the identification of risks for the project. This ensures that all perspectives are taken into account while planning for risks. Team Readiness: This activity consists of preparing each member of the team to handle the roles and responsibilities that has been assigned to the person. Training programs, workshops and seminars are organized for skill and knowledge updating. Key goals are identified for each team member. Within the team, each role is accountable for the activities necessary to achieve its own quality goal (Microsoft, 2002). Manage Phase The project plan is executed in the Manage Phase. The primary purpose of project management during this phase is to monitor, evaluate and communicate project progress and to define and implement corrective measures if progress does not meet the expectations defined in the Project Plan (Heinsights, 2003). This phase comprises the following activities: Performance Tracking and Reporting: The overall objective is to track the progress of the project and to ensure that the project is progressing at a satisfactory rate. Cost, time, scope and quality are tracked along with actual accomplishments and results. All persons associated with the project are provided access to the progress records. Team meetings are held to exchange information. The status of the project is reported to the relevant stakeholders. Weekly status reports and tracked project schedules are the outcomes of this activity. Schedule Control: The objective of this activity is to ensure that tasks are executed as per the Work Plan so that the deadline for the project can be met. If there is any possibility of delays, the relevant stakeholders are informed.   The project manager tracks the various tasks in a project by exchanging task status information with team members and then incorporating the latest status information into the project Work Plan. If the any task, schedule or resource information changes, the Project Manager communicates the revised Work Plan to the project team. The outcome of this activity is the tracked work plan. Change Control: However meticulous the planning may have been, all projects need to accommodate changes. The objective of this activity is to ensure that all changes to scope are documented and authorized by the relevant stakeholders.   Any change to the scope is communicated to the project manager. Change requests are put up to the project manager who approves or denies the request in consultation with the management. Cost Control: This activity ensures that the project cost adheres as closely as possible to the budgeted cost. Since costs are agreed upon at the beginning by the sponsors, the project manager has to monitor the costs and report any deviation of project cost from the budget cost to the sponsor or customer. A status report documents project costs in the various phases of the project. Quality Assurance and Control: This process comprises project reviews, product reviews, code reviews, testing, and any other process that the Project Manager might think necessary. Defects are identified, and categorized. Root causes are analyzed. This activity is carried out with the objective of ensuring that the project team meets the project requirements in terms of all requisite quality criteria. Monitoring and Controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project (Wikipedia, 2008). Procurement Management: The objective is to ensure adherence to the procurement plan and procedures so that the selection procedure is fair and the quality of supplies and services are acceptable. Risk Management: Risk management follows the Risk Management Plan that was adopted in the Plan Phase. The management monitors all risks with a risk exposure over the threshold limit. Risk mitigation strategies are planned and contingency plans are developed. The Risk Matrix is revisited at an appropriate frequency. Information Distribution: This activity ensures that all parties concerned have easy access to relevant information in accordance with the information sharing plan. All relevant information needs to be communicated to the appropriate parties at the right time and in the appropriate format. Time Tracking and Management: This activity is concerned with the logging of all time spent on the project. Time spent is tracked at a project level, and analyzed at an organizational level. The output is in the form of time sheets and variance reports. Management Approval for next phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Close Phase This consists of bringing the project to an orderly end: formalizing and communicating the acceptance or conclusion of a project, handing over to the ongoing accountable area, completing an Activity Completion Report and, for major projects, holding a post implementation review (QUT, 2008) Transition to Production: The Operational Transfer Plan is carried out after the required checks are done. This activity ensures that all planned testing is carried out, all customer requirements are met and that the product is fully operational. Customer acceptance of the product is ensured before commencing production. Wrap-up Meeting: This final meeting is again called by the project manager to take stock of everything that has happened in the course of the project. Lessons Learned: Lessons learned during the project are documented and incorporated in the knowledge base for future use. The ‘lessons learned’ document is developed and deposited in the knowledge base. Administrative Closure: The Project Manager ensures that the project is approved and accepted by the relevant stakeholders. All documentation and records are reviewed, organized and archived. Backups are taken. Resources are released and the project is closed. This activity marks the final closure of the project. References -01 Heinsights, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, Development Standard. Hinds IT Management, Project Management Life Cycl, Lilla Nyby; Valmerdalen, Sweden. Jenkins, N., 2006, A Project Management Primer, Creative Commons, California, USA. Microsoft Solutions Framework, 2002, White Paper, MSF Project Management Discipline. MPMM, 2007, Project Management Life Cycle, [Online] Available http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php [March 1, 2008] NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, [Online] Available. http://www.oft.state.ny.us/pmmp/guidebook2/Origination.pdf [March 1, 2008]    QUT, 2008, Project Phases, [Online] Available. http://www.its.qut.edu.au/pp/framework/pmfphases/   [March 1, 2008] Stephenson, A., G., Mulville, D., R., Bauer, F., H., Dukeman, G., A., Norvig, P., LaPiana, L., S., Rutledge, P., J., Folta, D., Sackheim, R., 2000, Report on Project Management in NASA, Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board Wikipedia, 2008, Project Management, [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management   [March 1, 2008]   

Environmental Science I Syllabus

Respect the learning and safety of others: Be punctual. Be safe. Be thoughtful. Exploration of science through trial and error and testing hypotheses will be fostered in this class, so an environment of respect and safety is key. Treat others the way you want to be treated, with thoughtfulness and courtesy. Be prompt: early or on time. No one's time is more important that the next person. We must use the time we have to learn together wisely. Respect every member of the classroom's personal space, belongings, and ideas. All students are to take care of the materials and lab environment created in our class.Leave it as it was when you got there or in better condition. Derogatory comments (including profanity) will not be tolerated. Science is learned through experiment, so you will be taught and tested over the safety of our science lab space, to ensure safety. You are expected to follow these science lab procedures and policies. O Note: Due to safety considerations, all bags and belo ngings will be placed in the teacher-designated area. This will be strictly enforced for our safety. 2. Strive for excellence each day. Be prepared. Be engaged. Be responsible. Do your best! Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. † Vince Lombardi Everyone must be prepared, so we do not waste time. Have your all your materials for class with you in your seat when the bell rings. Actively participate and engage in class activities and discussions. Always do your best work. I expect quality in every assignment, no matter how small or large. Students are responsible for assignment due dates, Late Work Policy, and Make-up Work Policy on next page. Students are expected to follow all Little Rock School District policies, which are See Ms.Thompson Rituals and Procedures document for specific daily classroom rituals. Consequences for Poor Decisions: All decisions in life have equal consequences. Below are the disciplinary steps taken if you c hoose to not follow the classroom expectations, rituals, and procedures. 1. Verbal Warning 2. Parent Phone Call 3. Referral to Assistant Principal 4. Referral with SIS Recommendation 5. Referral with ZOOS Recommendation & Parent Conference The teacher reserves the right to send any student out of the classroom or to the office on referral for extremely disruptive, inappropriate, or severe behavior.Under no circumstance should the teacher have to ask a student to leave the classroom more than once. Absences and Make-up Work: All absent students will be allowed to make up work. This is the responsibility of the student, not the teacher. The student is responsible for work assigned prior to his or her absence. Announced deadlines for long-term assignments, projects, and/or research papers must be honored regardless of attendance. Family emergencies are the only exception to this rule. Tests must be made up the day of your return to lass. See the USSR regarding this policy.Students will need to retrieve their make- up work from a responsible classmate and our online Gaggle classroom where all assignments and notes are posted. Late Work: Any minor assignment can be turned in within one day of the original due date for half credit. It will not be accepted after that time. You are expected to meet all class deadlines. Students must sign the â€Å"Late Work† log if they fail to meet the announced deadline. Food and Drink: Students are allowed to have drinks with lids. However, this is a privilege that will be lab days. Communication and Extra Help:I want you to succeed, and I believe that you can. If you ever meet an obstacle on your path to success, please feel free to visit for extra help in the morning before school or after school. I am always available by email (Meghan. [email  protected] Org) to assist you or your parents however I can. Please do not wait until the end of the nine weeks to seek help if you are having trouble. This will be too late to ge t you back on track to succeed. Deadline is a great way for both your family and you to keep up with your grades, use it frequently. Let's work together to make it the best year we can!