The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 3. MOTIVES

THE SUN WAS SO DEEPLY BURIED BEHIND THE CLOUDS that there was no way to tell if it had set or not. After the long flight – chasing the sun westward so that it seemed unmoving in the sky – it was especially disorienting; time seemed oddly variable. It took me by surprise when the forest gave way to the first buildings, signaling that we were nearly home. â€Å"You've been very quiet,† Edward observed. â€Å"Did the plane make you sick?† â€Å"No, I'm okay.† â€Å"Are you sad to leave?† â€Å"More relieved than sad, I think.† He raised one eyebrow at me. I knew it was useless and – much as I hated to admit it – unnecessary to ask him to keep his eyes on the road. â€Å"Rene is so much more . . . perceptive than Charlie in some ways. It was making me jumpy.† Edward laughed. â€Å"Your mother has a very interesting mind. Almost childlike, but very insightful. She sees things differently than other people.† Insightful. It was a good description of my mother – when she was paying attention. Most of the time Rene was so bewildered by her own life that she didn't notice much else. But this weekend she'd been paying plenty of attention to me. Phil was busy – the high school baseball team he coached was in the playoffs – and being alone with Edward and me had only sharpened Rene's focus. As soon as the hugs and squeals of delight were out of the way, Rene began to watch. And as she'd watched, her wide blue eyes had become first confused and then concerned. This morning we'd gone for a walk along the beach. She wanted to show off all the beauties of her new home, still hoping, I think, that the sun might lure me away from Forks. She'd also wanted to talk with me alone, and that was easily arranged. Edward had fabricated a term paper to give himself an excuse to stay indoors during the day. In my head, I went through the conversation again. . . . Rene and I ambled along the sidewalk, trying to stay in the range of the infrequent palm tree shadows. Though it was early, the heat was smothering. The air was so heavy with moisture that just breathing in and out was giving my lungs a workout. â€Å"Bella?† my mother asked, looking out past the sand to the lightly crashing waves as she spoke. â€Å"What is it, Mom?† She sighed, not meeting my gaze. â€Å"I'm worried. . . .† â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked, anxious at once. â€Å"What can I do?† â€Å"It's not me.† She shook her head. â€Å"I'm worried about you . . . and Edward.† Rene finally looked at me when she said his name, her face apologetic. â€Å"Oh,† I mumbled, fixing my eyes on a pair of joggers as they passed us, drenched with sweat. â€Å"You two are more serious than I'd been thinking,† she went on. I frowned, quickly reviewing the last two days in my head. Edward and I had barely touched – in front of her, at least. I wondered if Rene was about to give me a lecture on responsibility, too. I didn't mind that the way I had with Charlie. It wasn't embarrassing with my mom. After all, I'd been the one giving her that lecture time and time again in the last ten years. â€Å"There's something . . . strange about the way you two are together,† she murmured, her forehead creasing over her troubled eyes. â€Å"The way he watches you – it's so . . . protective. Like he's about to throw himself in front of a bullet to save you or something.† I laughed, though I was still not able to meet her gaze. â€Å"That's a bad thing?† â€Å"No.† She frowned as she struggled for the words. â€Å"It's just different. He's very intense about you . . . and very careful. I feel like I don't really understand your relationship. Like there's some secret I'm missing. . . .† â€Å"I think you're imagining things, Mom,† I said quickly, struggling to keep my voice light. There was a flutter in my stomach. I'd forgotten how much my mother saw. Something about her simple view of the world cut through all the distractions and pierced right to the truth of things. This had never been a problem before. Until now, there had never been a secret I couldn't tell her. â€Å"It's not just him.† She set her lips defensively. â€Å"I wish you could see how you move around him.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The way you move – you orient yourself around him without even thinking about it. When he moves, even a little bit, you adjust your position at the same time. Like magnets . . . or gravity. You're like a . . . satellite, or something. I've never seen anything like it.† She pursed her lips and stared down. â€Å"Don't tell me,† I teased, forcing a smile. â€Å"You're reading mysteries again, aren't you? Or is it sci-fi this time?† Rene flushed a delicate pink. â€Å"That's beside the point.† â€Å"Found anything good?† â€Å"Well, there was one – but that doesn't matter. We're talking about you right now.† â€Å"You should stick to romance, Mom. You know how you freak yourself out.† Her lips turned up at the corners. â€Å"I'm being silly, aren't I?† For half a second I couldn't answer. Rene was so easily swayed. Sometimes it was a good thing, because not all of her ideas were practical. But it pained me to see how quickly she caved in to my trivializing, especially since she was dead right this time. She looked up, and I controlled my expression. â€Å"Not silly – just being a mom.† She laughed and then gestured grandly toward the white sands stretching to the blue water. â€Å"And all this isn't enough to get you to move back in with your silly mom?† I wiped my hand dramatically across my forehead, and then pretended to wring my hair out. â€Å"You get used to the humidity,† she promised. â€Å"You can get used to rain, too,† I countered. She elbowed me playfully and then took my hand as we walked back to her car. Other than her worries about me, she seemed happy enough. Content. She still looked at Phil with goo- goo eyes, and that was comforting. Surely her life was full and satisfying. Surely she didn't miss me that much, even now. . . . Edward's icy fingers brushed my cheek. I looked up, blinking, coming back to the present. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. â€Å"We're home, Sleeping Beauty. Time to awake.† We were stopped in front of Charlie's house. The porch light was on and the cruiser was parked in the driveway. As I examined the house, I saw the curtain twitch in the living room window, flashing a line of yellow light across the dark lawn. I sighed. Of course Charlie was waiting to pounce. Edward must have been thinking the same thing, because his expression was stiff and his eyes remote as he came to get my door for me. â€Å"How bad?† I asked. â€Å"Charlie's not going to be difficult,† Edward promised, his voice level with no hint of humor. â€Å"He missed you.† My eyes narrowed in doubt. If that was the case, then why was Edward tensed as if for a battle? My bag was small, but he insisted on carrying it into the house. Charlie held the door open for us. â€Å"Welcome home, kid!† Charlie shouted like he really meant it. â€Å"How was Jacksonville?† â€Å"Moist. And buggy.† â€Å"So Rene didn't sell you on the University of Florida?† â€Å"She tried. But I'd rather drink water than inhale it.† Charlie's eyes flickered unwillingly to Edward. â€Å"Did you have a nice time?† â€Å"Yes,† Edward answered in a serene voice. â€Å"Rene was very hospitable.† â€Å"That's . . . um, good. Glad you had fun.† Charlie turned away from Edward and pulled me in for an unexpected hug. â€Å"Impressive,† I whispered in his ear. He rumbled a laugh. â€Å"I really missed you, Bells. The food around here sucks when you're gone.† â€Å"I'll get on it,† I said as he let me go. â€Å"Would you call Jacob first? He's been bugging me every five minutes since six o'clock this morning. I promised I'd have you call him before you even unpacked.† I didn't have to look at Edward to feel that he was too still, too cold beside me. So this was the cause of his tension. â€Å"Jacob wants to talk to me?† â€Å"Pretty bad, I'd say. He wouldn't tell me what it was about – just said it was important.† The phone rang then, shrill and demanding. â€Å"That's him again, I'd bet my next paycheck,† Charlie muttered. â€Å"I got it.† I hurried to the kitchen. Edward followed after me while Charlie disappeared into the living room. I grabbed the phone mid-ring, and twisted around so that I was facing the wall. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"You're back,† Jacob said. His familiar husky voice sent a wave of wistfulness through me. A thousand memories spun in my head, tangling together – a rocky beach strewn with driftwood trees, a garage made of plastic sheds, warm sodas in a paper bag, a tiny room with one too-small shabby loveseat. The laughter in his deep-set black eyes, the feverish heat of his big hand around mine, the flash of his white teeth against his dark skin, his face stretching into the wide smile that had always been like a key to a secret door where only kindred spirits could enter. It felt sort of like homesickness, this longing for the place and person who had sheltered me through my darkest night. I cleared the lump from my throat. â€Å"Yes,† I answered. â€Å"Why didn't you call me?† Jacob demanded. His angry tone instantly got my back up. â€Å"Because I've been in the house for exactly four seconds and your call interrupted Charlie telling me that you'd called.† â€Å"Oh. Sorry.† â€Å"Sure. Now, why are you harassing Charlie?† â€Å"I need to talk to you.† â€Å"Yeah, I figured out that part all by myself. Go ahead.† There was a short pause. â€Å"You going to school tomorrow?† I frowned to myself, unable to make sense of this question. â€Å"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?† â€Å"I dunno. Just curious.† Another pause. â€Å"So what did you want to talk about, Jake?† He hesitated. â€Å"Nothing really, I guess. I . . . wanted to hear your voice.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. I'm so glad you called me, Jake. I . . .† But I didn't know what more to say. I wanted to tell him I was on my way to La Push right now. And I couldn't tell him that. â€Å"I have to go,† he said abruptly. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'll talk to you soon, okay?† â€Å"But Jake -â€Å" He was already gone. I listened to the dial tone with disbelief. â€Å"That was short,† I muttered. â€Å"Is everything all right?† Edward asked. His voice was low and careful. I turned slowly to face him. His expression was perfectly smooth – impossible to read. â€Å"I don't know. I wonder what that was about.† It didn't make sense that Jacob had been hounding Charlie all day just to ask me if I was going to school. And if he'd wanted to hear my voice, then why did he hang up so quickly? â€Å"Your guess is probably better than mine,† Edward said, the hint of a smiletugging at the corner of his mouth. â€Å"Mmm,† I murmured. That was true. I knew Jake inside and out. It shouldn't be that complicated to figure out his motivations. With my thoughts miles away – about fifteen miles away, up the road to La Push – I started combing through the fridge, assembling ingredients for Charlie's dinner. Edward leaned against the counter, and I was distantly aware that his eyes were on my face, but too preoccupied to worry about what he saw there. The school thing seemed like the key to me. That was the only real question Jake had asked. And he had to be after an answer to something, or he wouldn't have been bugging Charlie so persistently. Why would my attendance record matter to him, though? I tried to think about it in a logical way. So, if I hadn't been going to school tomorrow, what would be the problem with that, from Jacob's perspective? Charlie had given me a little grief about missing a day of school so close to finals, but I'd convinced him that one Friday wasn't going to derail my studies. Jake would hardly care about that. My brain refused to come up with any brilliant insights. Maybe I was missing some vital piece of information. What could have changed in the past three days that was so important that Jacob would break his long streak of refusing to answer my phone calls and contact me? What difference could three days make? I froze in the middle of the kitchen. The package of icy hamburger in my hands slipped through my numb fingers. It took me a slow second to miss the thud it should have made against the floor. Edward had caught it and thrown it onto the counter. His arms were already around me, his lips at my ear. â€Å"What's wrong?† I shook my head, dazed. Three days could change everything. Hadn't I just been thinking about how impossible college was? How I couldn't be anywhere near people after I'd gone through the painful three-day conversion that would set me free from mortality, so that I could spend eternity with Edward? The conversion that would make me forever a prisoner to my own thirst. . . . Had Charlie told Billy that I'd vanished for three days? Had Billy jumped to conclusions? Had Jacob really been asking me if I was still human? Making sure that the werewolves' treaty was unbroken – that none of the Cullens had dared to bite a human . . . bite, not kill . . . ? But did he honestly think I would come home to Charlie if that was the case? Edward shook me. â€Å"Bella?† he asked, truly anxious now. â€Å"I think . . . I think he was checking,† I mumbled. â€Å"Checking to make sure. That I'm human, I mean.† Edward stiffened, and a low hiss sounded in my ear. â€Å"We'll have to leave,† I whispered. â€Å"Before. So that it doesn't break the treaty. We won't ever be able to come back.† His arms tightened around me. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"Ahem.† Charlie cleared his voice loudly behind us. I jumped, and then pulled free of Edward's arms, my face getting hot. Edward leaned back against the counter. His eyes were tight. I could see worry in them, and anger. â€Å"If you don't want to make dinner, I can call for a pizza,† Charlie hinted. â€Å"No, that's okay, I'm already started.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. He propped himself against the doorframe, folding his arms. I sighed and got to work, trying to ignore my audience. â€Å"If I asked you to do something, would you trust me?† Edward asked, an edge to his soft voice. We were almost to school. Edward had been relaxed and joking just a moment ago, and now suddenly his hands were clenched tight on the steering wheel, his knuckles straining in an effort not to snap it into pieces. I stared at his anxious expression – his eyes were far away, like he was listening to distant voices. My pulse sped in response to his stress, but I answered carefully. â€Å"That depends.† We pulled into the school lot. â€Å"I was afraid you would say that.† â€Å"What do you want me to do, Edward?† â€Å"I want you to stay in the car.† He pulled into his usual spot and turned the engine off as he spoke. â€Å"I want you to wait here until I come back for you.† â€Å"But . . . why?† That was when I saw him. He would have been hard to miss, towering over the students the way he did, even if he hadn't been leaning against his black motorcycle, parked illegally on the sidewalk. â€Å"Oh.† Jacob's face was a calm mask that I recognized well. It was the face he used when he was determined to keep his emotions in check, to keep himself under control. It made him look like Sam, the oldest of the wolves, the leader of the Quileute pack. But Jacob could never quite manage the perfect serenity Sam always exuded. I'd forgotten how much this face bothered me. Though I'd gotten to know Sam pretty well before the Cullens had come back – to like him, even – I'd never been able to completely shake the resentment I felt when Jacob mimicked Sam's expression. It was a stranger's face. He wasn't my Jacob when he wore it. â€Å"You jumped to the wrong conclusion last night,† Edward murmured. â€Å"He asked about school because he knew that I would be where you were. He was looking for a safe place to talk to me. A place with witnesses.† So I'd misinterpreted Jacob's motives last night. Missing information, that was the problem. Information like why in the world Jacob would want to talk to Edward. â€Å"I'm not staying in the car,† I said. Edward groaned quietly. â€Å"Of course not. Well, let's get this over with.† Jacob's face hardened as we walked toward him, hand in hand. I noticed other faces, too – the faces of my classmates. I noticed how their eyes widened as they took in all six foot seven inches of Jacob's long body, muscled up the way no normal sixteen-and-a-half-year-old ever had been. I saw those eyes rake over his tight black t-shirt – short-sleeved, though the day was unseasonably cool – his ragged, grease-smeared jeans, and the glossy black bike he leaned against. Their eyes didn't linger on his face – something about his expression had them glancing quickly away. And I noticed the wide berth everyone gave him, the bubble of space that no one dared to encroach on. With a sense of astonishment, I realized that Jacob looked dangerous to them. How odd. Edward stopped a few yards away from Jacob, and I could tell that he was uncomfortable having me so close to a werewolf. He drew his hand back slightly, pulling me halfway behind his body. â€Å"You could have called us,† Edward said in a steel-hard voice. â€Å"Sorry,† Jacob answered, his face twisting into a sneer. â€Å"I don't have any leeches on my speed dial.† â€Å"You could have reached me at Bella's house, of course.† Jacob's jaw flexed, and his brows pulled together. He didn't answer. â€Å"This is hardly the place, Jacob. Could we discuss this later?† â€Å"Sure, sure. I'll stop by your crypt after school.† Jacob snorted. â€Å"What's wrong with now?† Edward looked around pointedly, his eyes resting on the witnesses who were just barely out of hearing range. A few people were hesitating on the sidewalk, their eyes bright with expectation. Like they were hoping a fight might break out to alleviate the tedium of another Monday morning. I saw Tyler Crowley nudge Austin Marks, and they both paused on their way to class. â€Å"I already know what you came to say,† Edward reminded Jacob in voice so low that I could barely make it out. â€Å"Message delivered. Consider us warned.† Edward glanced down at me for a fleeting second with worried eyes. â€Å"Warned?† I asked blankly. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"You didn't tell her?† Jacob asked, his eyes widening with disbelief. â€Å"What, were you afraid she'd take our side?† â€Å"Please drop it, Jacob,† Edward said in an even voice. â€Å"Why?† Jacob challenged. I frowned in confusion. â€Å"What don't I know? Edward?† Edward just glared at Jacob as if he hadn't heard me. â€Å"Jake?† Jacob raised his eyebrow at me. â€Å"He didn't tell you that his big . . . brother crossed the line Saturday night?† he asked, his tone thickly layered with sarcasm. Then his eyes flickered back to Edward. â€Å"Paul was totally justified in -â€Å" â€Å"It was no-man's land!† Edward hissed. â€Å"Was not!† Jacob was fuming visibly. His hands trembled. He shook his head and sucked in two deep lungfuls of air. â€Å"Emmett and Paul?† I whispered. Paul was Jacob's most volatile pack brother. He was the one who'd lost control that day in the woods – the memory of the snarling gray wolf was suddenly vividin my head. â€Å"What happened? Were they fighting?† My voice strained higher in panic. â€Å"Why? Did Paul get hurt?† â€Å"No one fought,† Edward said quietly, only to me. â€Å"No one got hurt. Don't be anxious.† Jacob was staring at us with incredulous eyes. â€Å"You didn't tell her anything at all, did you? Is that why you took her away? So she wouldn't know that -?† â€Å"Leave now.† Edward cut him off mid-sentence, and his face was abruptly frightening – truly frightening. For a second, he looked like . . . like a vampire. He glared at Jacob with vicious, unveiled loathing. Jacob raised his eyebrows, but made no other move. â€Å"Why haven't you told her?† They faced each other in silence for a long moment. More students gathered behind Tyler and Austin. I saw Mike next to Ben – Mike had one hand on Ben's shoulder, like he was holding him in place. In the dead silence, all the details suddenly fell into place for me with a burst of intuition. Something Edward didn't want me to know. Something that Jacob wouldn't have kept from me. Something that had the Cullens and the wolves both in the woods, moving in hazardous proximity to each other. Something that would cause Edward to insist that I fly across the country. Something that Alice had seen in a vision last week – a vision Edward had lied to me about. Something I'd been waiting for anyway. Something I knew would happen again, as much as I might wish it never would. It was never going to end, was it? I heard the quick gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp of the air dragging through my lips, but I couldn't stop it. It looked like the school was shaking, like there was an earthquake, but I knew it was my own trembling that caused the illusion. â€Å"She came back for me,† I choked out. Victoria was never going to give up till I was dead. She would keep repeating the same pattern – feint and run, feint and run – until she found a hole through my defenders. Maybe I'd get lucky. Maybe the Volturi would come for me first – they'd kill me quicker, at least. Edward held me tight to his side, angling his body so that he was still between me and Jacob, and stroked my face with anxious hands. â€Å"It's fine,† he whispered to me. â€Å"It's fine. I'll never let her get close to you, it's fine.† Then he glared at Jacob. â€Å"Does that answer your question, mongrel?† â€Å"You don't think Bella has a right to know?† Jacob challenged. â€Å"It's her life.† Edward kept his voice muted; even Tyler, edging forward by inches, would be unable to hear. â€Å"Why should she be frightened when she was never in danger?† â€Å"Better frightened than lied to.† I tried to pull myself together, but my eyes were swimming in moisture. I could see it behind my lids – I could see Victoria's face, her lips pulled back over her teeth, her crimson eyes glowing with the obsession of her vendetta; she held Edward responsible for the demise of her love, James. She wouldn't stop until his love was taken from him, too. Edward wiped the tears from my cheek with his fingertips. â€Å"Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?† he murmured. â€Å"She's tougher than you think,† Jacob said. â€Å"And she's been through worse.† Abruptly, Jacob's expression shifted, and he was staring at Edward with an odd, speculative expression. His eyes narrowed like he was trying to do a difficult math problem in his head. I felt Edward cringe. I glanced up at him, and his face was contorted in what could only be pain. For one ghastly moment, I was reminded of our afternoon in Italy, in the macabre tower room of the Volturi, where Jane had tortured Edward with her malignant gift, burning him with her thoughts alone. . . . The memory snapped me out of my near hysteria and put everything in perspective. Because I'd rather Victoria killed me a hundred times over than watch Edward suffer that way again. â€Å"That's funny,† Jacob said, laughing as he watched Edward's face. Edward winced, but smoothed his expression with a little effort. He couldn't quite hide the agony in his eyes. I glanced, wide-eyed, from Edward's grimace to Jacob's sneer. â€Å"What are you doing to him?† I demanded. â€Å"It's nothing, Bella,† Edward told me quietly. â€Å"Jacob just has a good memory, that's all.† Jacob grinned, and Edward winced again. â€Å"Stop it! Whatever you're doing.† â€Å"Sure, if you want.† Jacob shrugged. â€Å"It's his own fault if he doesn't like the things I remember, though.† I glared at him, and he smiled back impishly – like a kid caught doing something he knows he shouldn't by someone who he knows won't punish him. â€Å"The principal's on his way to discourage loitering on school property,† Edward murmured to me. â€Å"Let's get to English, Bella, so you're not involved.† â€Å"Overprotective, isn't he?† Jacob said, talking just to me. â€Å"A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess, you're not allowed to have fun, are you?† Edward glowered, and his lips pulled back from his teeth ever so slightly. â€Å"Shut up, Jake,† I said. Jacob laughed. â€Å"That sounds like a no. Hey, if you ever feel like having a life again, you could come see me. I've still got your motorcycle in my garage.† This news distracted me. â€Å"You were supposed to sell that. You promised Charlie you would.† If I hadn't begged on Jake's behalf – after all, he'd put weeks of labor into both motorcycles, and he deserved some kind of payback – Charlie would have thrown my bike in a Dumpster. And possibly set that Dumpster on fire. â€Å"Yeah, right. Like I would do that. It belongs to you, not me. Anyway, I'll hold on to it until you want it back.† A tiny hint of the smile I remembered was suddenly playing around the edges of his lips. â€Å"Jake . . .† He leaned forward, his face earnest now, the bitter sarcasm fading. â€Å"I think I might have been wrong before, you know, about not being able to be friends. Maybe we could manage it, on my side of the line. Come see me.† I was vividly conscious of Edward, his arms still wrapped protectively around me, motionless as a stone. I shot a look at his face – it was calm, patient. â€Å"I, er, don't know about that, Jake.† Jacob dropped the antagonistic faade completely. It was like he'd forgotten Edward was there, or at least he was determined to act that way. â€Å"I miss you every day, Bella. It's not the same without you.† â€Å"I know and I'm sorry, Jake, I just . . .† He shook his head, and sighed. â€Å"I know. Doesn't matter, right? I guess I'll survive or something. Who needs friends?† He grimaced, trying to cover the pain with a thin attempt at bravado. Jacob's suffering had always triggered my protective side. It was not entirely rational – Jacob was hardly in need of any physical protection I could offer. But my arms, pinned beneath Edward's, yearned to reach out to him. To wrap around his big, warm waist in a silent promise of acceptance and comfort. Edward's shielding arms had become restraints. â€Å"Okay, get to class,† a stern voice sounded behind us. â€Å"Move along, Mr. Crowley.† â€Å"Get to school, Jake,† I whispered, anxious as soon as I recognized the principal's voice. Jacob went to the Quileute school, but he might still get in trouble for trespassing or the equivalent. Edward released me, taking just my hand and pulling me behind his body again. Mr. Greene pushed through the circle of spectators, his brows pressing down like ominous storm clouds over his small eyes. â€Å"I mean it,† he was threatening. â€Å"Detention for anyone who's still standing here when I turn around again.† The audience melted away before he was finished with his sentence. â€Å"Ah, Mr. Cullen. Do we have a problem here?† â€Å"Not at all, Mr. Greene. We were just on our way to class.† â€Å"Excellent. I don't seem to recognize your friend.† Mr. Greene turned his glower on Jacob. â€Å"Are you a new student here?† Mr. Greene's eyes scrutinized Jacob, and I could see that he'd come to the same conclusion everyone else had: dangerous. A troublemaker. â€Å"Nope,† Jacob answered, half a smirk on his broad lips. â€Å"Then I suggest you remove yourself from school property at once, young man, before I call the police.† Jacob's little smirk became a full-blown grin, and I knew he was picturing Charlie showing up to arrest him. This grin was too bitter, too full of mocking to satisfy me. This wasn't the smile I'd been waiting to see. Jacob said, â€Å"Yes, sir,† and snapped a military salute before he climbed on his bike and kicked it to a start right there on the sidewalk. The engine snarled and then the tires squealed as he spun it sharply around. In a matter of seconds, Jacob raced out of sight. Mr. Greene gnashed his teeth together while he watched the performance. â€Å"Mr. Cullen, I expect you to ask your friend to refrain from trespassing again.† â€Å"He's no friend of mine, Mr. Greene, but I'll pass along the warning.† Mr. Greene pursed his lips. Edward's perfect grades and spotless record were clearly a factor in Mr. Greene's assessment of the incident. â€Å"I see. If you're worried about any trouble, I'd be happy to -â€Å" â€Å"There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Greene. There won't be any trouble.† â€Å"I hope that's correct. Well, then. On to class. You, too, Miss Swan.† Edward nodded, and pulled me quickly along toward the English building. â€Å"Do you feel well enough to go to class?† he whispered when we were past the principal. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered back, not quite sure if this was a lie. Whether I felt well or not was hardly the most important consideration. I needed to talk to Edward right away, and English class wasn't the ideal place for the conversation I had in mind. But with Mr. Greene right behind us, there weren't a lot of other options. We got to class a little late and took our seats quickly. Mr. Berty was reciting a Frost poem. He ignored our entrance, refusing to let us break his rhythm. I yanked a blank page out of my notebook and started writing, my handwriting more illegible than normal thanks to my agitation. What happened? Tell me everything. And screw the protecting me crap, please. I shoved the note at Edward. He sighed, and then began writing. It took him less time than me, though he wrote an entire paragraph in his own personal calligraphy before he slipped the paper back. Alice saw that Victoria was coming back. I took you out of town merely as a precaution – there was never a chance that she would have gotten anywhere close to you. Emmett and Jasper very nearly had her, but Victoria seems to have some instinct for evasion. She escaped right down the Quileute boundary line as if she were reading it from a map. It didn't help that Alice's abilities were nullified by the Quileutes' involvement. To be fair, the Quileutes might have had her, too, if we hadn't gotten in the way. The big gray one thought Emmett was over the line, and he got defensive. Of course Rosalie reacted to that, and everyone left the chase to protect their companions. Carlisle and Jasper got things calmed down before it got out of hand. But by then, Victoria had slipped away. That's everything. I frowned at the letters on the page. All of them had been in on it – Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Carlisle. Maybe even Esme, though he hadn't mentioned her. And then Paul and the rest of the Quileute pack. It might so easily have turned into a fight, pitting my future family and my old friends against each other. Any one of them could have been hurt. I imagined the wolves would be in the most danger, but picturing tiny Alice next to one of the huge werewolves, fighting . . . I shuddered. Carefully, I scrubbed out the entire paragraph with my eraser and then I wrote over the top: What about Charlie? She could have been after him. Edward was shaking his head before I finished, obviously going to downplay any danger on Charlie's behalf. He held a hand out, but I ignored that and started again. You can't know that she wasn't thinking that, because you weren't here. Florida was a bad idea. He took the paper from underneath my hand. I wasn't about to send you off alone. With your luck, not even the black box would survive. That wasn't what I'd meant at all; I hadn't thought of going without him. I'd meant that we should have stayed here together. But I was sidetracked by his response, and a little miffed. Like I couldn't fly cross country without bringing the plane down. Very funny. So let's say my bad luck did crash the plane. What exactly were you going to do about it? Why is the plane crashing? He was trying to hide a smile now. The pilots are passed out drunk. Easy. I'd fly the plane. Of course. I pursed my lips and tried again. Both engines have exploded and we're falling in a death spiral toward the earth. I'd wait till we were close enough to the ground, get a good grip on you, kick out the wall, and jump. Then I'd run you back to the scene of the accident, and we'd stumble around like the two luckiest survivors in history. I stared at him wordlessly. â€Å"What?† he whispered. I shook my head in awe. â€Å"Nothing,† I mouthed. I scrubbed out the disconcerting conversation and wrote one more line. You will tell me next time. I knew there would be a next time. The pattern would continue until someone lost. Edward stared into my eyes for a long moment. I wondered what my face looked like – it felt cold, so the blood hadn't returned to my cheeks. My eyelashes were still wet. He sighed and then nodded once. Thanks. The paper disappeared from under my hand. I looked up, blinkingin surprise, just as Mr. Berty came down the aisle. â€Å"Is that something you'd like to share there, Mr. Cullen?† Edward looked up innocently and held out the sheet of paper on top of his folder. â€Å"My notes?† he asked, sounding confused. Mr. Berty scanned the notes – no doubt a perfect transcription of his lecture – and then walked away frowning. It was later, in Calculus – my one class without Edward – that I heard the gossip. â€Å"My money's on the big Indian,† someone was saying. I peeked up to see that Tyler, Mike, Austin, and Ben had their heads bent together, deep in conversation. â€Å"Yeah,† Mike whispered. â€Å"Did you see the size of that Jacob kid? I think he could take Cullen down.† Mike sounded pleased by the idea. â€Å"I don't think so,† Ben disagreed. â€Å"There's something about Edward. He's always so . . . confident. I have a feeling he can take care of himself.† â€Å"I'm with Ben,† Tyler agreed. â€Å"Besides, if that other kid messed Edward up, you know those big brothers of his would get involved.† â€Å"Have you been down to La Push lately?† Mike asked. â€Å"Lauren and I went to the beach a couple of weeks ago, and believe me, Jacob's friends are all just as big as he is.† â€Å"Huh,† Tyler said. â€Å"Too bad it didn't turn into anything. Guess we'll never know how it would have turned out.† â€Å"It didn't look over to me,† Austin said. â€Å"Maybe we'll get to see.† Mike grinned. â€Å"Anyone in the mood for a bet?† â€Å"Ten on Jacob,† Austin said at once. â€Å"Ten on Cullen,† Tyler chimed in. â€Å"Ten on Edward,† Ben agreed. â€Å"Jacob,† Mike said. â€Å"Hey, do you guys know what it was about?† Austin wondered. â€Å"That might affect the odds.† â€Å"I can guess,† Mike said, and then he shot a glance at me at the same time that Ben and Tyler did. From their expressions, none of them had realized I was in easy hearing distance. They all looked away quickly, shuffling the papers on their desks. â€Å"I still say Jacob,† Mike muttered under his breath.

How the Human Brain Stores and Retrieves Memory Essay

Memory is the ability to encode, store and recall information. The three main processes involved in human memory are therefore encoding, storage and recall (retrieval). Additionally, the process of memory consolidation (which can be considered to be either part of the encoding process or the storage process) is treated here as a separate process in its own right. Encoding is a biological event beginning with perception through the senses. The process of laying down a memory begins with attention (regulated by the thalamus and the frontal lobe), in which a memorable event causes neurons to fire more frequently, making the experience more intense and increasing the likelihood that the event is encoded as a memory. Emotion tends to increase attention, and the emotional element of an event is processed on an unconscious pathway in the brain leading to the amygdala. Only then are the actual sensations derived from an event processed. Consolidation is the processes of stabilizing a memory trace after the initial acquisition. It may perhaps be thought of part of the process of encoding or of storage, or it may be considered as a memory process in its own right. It is usually considered to consist of two specific processes, synaptic consolidation (which occurs within the first few hours after learning or encoding) and system consolidation (where hippocampus-dependent memories become independent of the hippocampus over a period of weeks to years. Storage is the more or less passive process of retaining information in the brain, whether in the sensory memory, the short-term memory or the more permanent long-term memory. Each of these different stages of human memory function as a sort of filter that helps to protect us from the flood of information that confront us on a daily basis, avoiding an overload of information and helping to keep us sane. The more the information is repeated or used, the more likely it is to be retained in long-term memory (which is why, for example, studying helps people to perform better on tests). This process of consolidation, the stabilizing of a memory trace after its initial acquisition, is treated in more detail in a separate section. Recall or retrieval of memory refers to the subsequent re-accessing of events or information from the past, which have been previously encoded and stored in the brain. In common parlance, it is known as remembering. During recall, the brain â€Å"replays† a pattern of neural activity that was originally generated in response to a particular event, echoing the brain’s perception of the real event. In fact, there is no real solid distinction between the act of remembering and the act of thinking.

Kellogg’s Marketing

Phase 1 Company’s Market Planning Colorado Technical University MKT210-1301B-07 Fundamentals of Marketing Lou Piermatteo February 25, 2013 Frosted Mini-Wheat’s The product I have chosen is Frosted mini-wheat. Frosted mini-wheat is one of the number one products of breakfast food. Frosted mini-wheat was first launched on the east coast in 1961. In 1961 Frosted mini-wheat’s was nationally debuted making mornings shine from sea to shining sea. Frosted mini-wheat is made of whole-grain fiber to keep you at your best all morning long. We will be discussing the market strategy and mission goals of Kellogg’s frosted mini-wheat.Kellogg’s and frosted mini wheat’s take pride in helping people stay healthy and in fit. Company’s Mission Statement Frosted mini-wheat’s mission statement or jingle is â€Å" Keeps’em full and focused† (Kellogg’s 2012). Frosted mini-wheat’s is a big breakfast in a little biscuit. Kell ogg’s believes that every morning should start with a healthy breakfast. Kellogg’s frosted mini-wheat’s has commercials all over the television today. They are ranked number 17 in television advertising. Frosted mini-wheat’s is one of the top cereal marketers; they market directly to the parent’s and not the children.The television commercial’s target children to get them to eat a more healthy breakfast to get their day started. Kellogg’s frosted mini-wheat’s is packed with fiber and almost a full days’ worth of gains to keep you full all morning(Kellogg’s 2012). Kellogg is a Global Company Committed to Building Long-Term Growth In Volume and Profit and to Enhancing its Worldwide Leadership Position by Providing Nutritious Food Products of Superior Value Company’s Business and Marketing objective and goalsKellogg’s is focused on enriching and delighting the world though foods and brands that matter. They are nourishing families so they can thrive and flourish. Kellogg’s is a company of possibilities and promises of people and their well-being. Today nutrition continues to be the core of our business. And cereal is an integral part of how we can help to meet the nutritional needs of people all over the world (Kellogg’s 2012). Kellogg’s believes in integrity, accountability, passion, humility, simplicity, and results.The more the company can do for the community the more people will want to buy their products. (Kellogg2012). What is the Company’s position in the Marketplace and it’s Differentiation Strategies? Kellogg’s is ranked number three is marketing facts from 2009 reports. They use television and internet marketing for their advertising. In February 2012, Kellogg’s introduced 2 dozen new products. They expected 15% of 2012 global sales from products introduced in the previous three years. Kellogg’s is commitment to pr oduct innovation has brands that consumers know and love (surperformance 2013).Kellogg’s financial highlights of 2011 show increases over the past five years. The net sales were up 4%, operation profit up by 2%, and the net earnings per share were up by 6%. Kellogg’s net sales for 2011 were $13. 2 billion dollars (Kellogg’s annual report 2011). The 2011 report shows the progress and future direction in four key areas; Marketplace, workplace, environment, and the community. Kellogg’s is dedicated to help the community. In February 2013, Kellogg’s pledged to provide one-half billion servings of breakfast to children and families who need it the most.They are the number one cereal company in the U. S. Kellogg has pledged $1 million in grants in the U. S. to nonprofit partners Action for Healthy Kids ®, Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry ® campaign and Food Research and Action Center so that more schools can participate in federally-funded breakfas t programs. The company will also work to expand breakfast programs around the globe, maximizing product donations and advocating for the important role breakfast plays in the diet. (Kellogg2012).Control 42% of global market share for Pre-sweeter cereal, which is more than triple the market share of any of their competitors. They have the strongest brand recognition and advertising recollection of all the cereal manufacturers (Kellogg2012). Kellogg’s is a very passionate company. They look out for their customers just as much as their employee’s. The more a company does for the community the more people will buy their products. Frosted mini-wheat’s is a cereal that Kellogg’s has promoted and made a number one cereal.There are many different kinds of frosted mini wheat’s to keep up with the changes and taste of people today. Frosted mini wheat’s are a nutrition and healthy breakfast for everyone. They're packed with fiber! That's what makes w hole grains so terrific. Starting your day with one bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheat’s ® cereal delivers 24% of the daily value of dietary fiber for adults. That's 3 times the fiber compared to Honey Nut Cheerios. (Kelloggs2012). Kellogg maintained its previously provided outlook for 2013.For 2013, Kellogg expects net sales growth to be approximately 7%, while reported earnings (excluding impact of mark-to-market adjustments but including Pringles integration costs) are expected to grow between 5% and 7%. Reported operating profit ((excluding impact of mark-to-market adjustments) is expected to increase at a higher rate than earnings growth (Zacks2013). References www. 4-traders. com/kellogg-company. com www. kelloggcompany. com www. kelloggcompany2011annualreport. com http://sg. finance. yahoo. com/news/kellogg-beats-overall-keeps-2013-181621345. html www. frostedminiwheats. com www. sbaweb. wayne. edu/~ssasser/pp29. ppt

Final Course Reection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Course Reection - Essay Example Firstly, a direct contact with the lecturer allows me to understand the concepts in the best way possible (Easton and Seaman 70). This is because there is an education value in the bodily and language expression of the lecturer. The lecturer would put the emphasis on the worthy concepts, and in such a manner the concept gets the punch it deserves. Usually this translates to a better understanding of the concepts the lecturer might be explaining. Secondly, the lecturer offers instant solutions to the problems that the learners meet. Questions get answers immediately. Therefore, it is more likely that the learner will remember the concept. This is probably not what we know about the online learning. Here, if I get a pressing question, and the lecturer is not available at that time, then I will be forced to remain in that state until the time when the lecturer appears. Academically, this is not proper because the urge and morale to understand would have been deteriorated by this time. T herefore, the answers to that question would not have the same weight if they were answered at that time it was pressing. PMBOK and IBSTPI are organizations that provide professional standards on project management. They nurture the art of professionalism and equip learners with professional instruments that render them indispensable in the job market. Personally, I am of the idea that these organizations are critical in creating a professional workforce. Structure is among the most significant concerns in the field of academics (Easton and Seaman 70). There must be a given manner to do things. This structure comes in the form of standards. These organizations bring professionals together in the sense that they adhere to the same standards making them professionally identifiable. In the light of glooming my qualifications and enjoy the state of being a professional in my field of study, obtaining a PMP certification is not anything that I can think twice about. The state of my profe ssionalism must be identical to those of others. Besides, employers in the current days are out for quality. Obtaining a certificate from PMI is an added advantage to the possibility of ever getting employed. PM4ID.org is a website that provides an access to an e-book by the name Project Management for Instructional Designers. This book is attributable to the mighty work of John Preston and Russell Darnell. The book, licensed by Flat World Knowledge, is out to offer a review of the applicable principles of project management with a special tribute paid to instructional designers. The book is not at any point used for preparation. To answer the question whether I can use an e-book in other courses, I think I can, but at absolutely no cost. This is not because I like getting things free, but because I go for value. There are many freelancers out there writing books for a financial remuneration. Therefore, the concept might as well not be legitimate because their interest to get money supersedes the interest to attain quality and relevance of the book. However, PM4ID.org is not such an e-book. It is an open e-book to anyone who might be interested in contributing the ideologies that make the book. The group work faces a lot of challenges that can be attributed to convenience factors. In my experience, group discussions are a better way to learn, but not to all members (Easton and Seaman 69). Though the basis of a group lies in the common shared interest, some group

The coursework focuses on the Airbus Industrie (Airbus), the civil Essay

The coursework focuses on the Airbus Industrie (Airbus), the civil aircraft manufacturer, jointly owned by BAe plc, and French, German and Spanish interest (t - Essay Example Airbus required an overall cost-cutting plan for travel management, an important target being to reduce the travel budget by at least 10%. To achieve that, Airbus decided to implement some new steps. Commercial jet aircraft is universally dependent on long-standing trends in airline passenger traffic. And this tendency can be explained by factors such as financial growth in developed and up-and-coming markets, political stability, profitability of the airline industry, and the globalization and consolidation of the industry. Other important factors are restrictions in air transport communications such as government and environmental regulations and air traffic control. Finally product development strategy and overall competition between manufacturers also impact the market. The industry is very demanding; it requires a long time to regain investments portrayed by long development cycles. It also requires a large base of skilled and experienced workers, high tech supporting industries and sophisticated and serious customers to flourish. Government involvement also plays a major role in determining the industry forces in various countries' industrial strategies and international t rade associations. Airbus strategies internationally operate in an environment shaped by three forces: the industrial constrictions of building modern aircraft, the demands of world and regional markets, and the configuration and objectives of the consortium itself. These factors map onto an integrated strategy analysis. The positional analysis for Airbus must focus on its status as the challenger to the dominant firm, on the consortium's peculiar organizational structure, and on the opportunities and constraints offered by its non-market context. One way of looking at Airbus's experience is as a continual series of disruptions aimed at creating openings for Airbus to enter markets dominated by well-established competitors, in particular, Boeing. These strategic moves have involved both market and non-market elements. The following lines summarize and assess the market and non-market key competitive strategies that Airbus industrie has engaged to establish itself in the crucial world market. 1. Widespread aircraft portfolio to assure the requirements of customer airlines across the board. Boeing is the best positioned with aircraft capacity ranging from 100 passengers (737-500) to 500 (747-400). Airbus had entered the market with small and medium sized carriers, but is fast catching up with the introduction of its four engine long haul A340 aircraft. 2. Pushing high technology, electronic fly by wire systems in order to reduce the number of pilots required-from three to two-and establish re-assigning easily from one type of plane to another, thus curtailing training time by developing the family concept. As an example, Airbus succeeded in achieving authorization from the FAA to have a single pool of pilots to operate its A320, A330 and A340 models. 3. Emerging resolution to pick up cost effective management of their planes, such as the general trend in migration to twin engine wide body planes, providing fuel efficiencies and quick reconfiguration of seating

Death And Its Significance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Death And Its Significance - Essay Example The attribute of death being evil was picked up due to people not being able to justify a person’s death. Some people would have been better off alive than dead according to some people’s interpretation. The idea of death is however ruled out by Fieldman, as he considers dead people not to have any feeling whatsoever lest an opinion (1992).His perception of a dead person thus means that he has become non-existent. Death in Medieval/ Middle Ages In the medieval years, death was viewed as a way of life. Everyone had the concept that that was where they were all headed; that they would eventually die. This shows that people in the middle ages were more proverbial with the term death and what it actually brought. It was more welcome in their lives than feared (Aries, 1974). They were all resigned to their fate, which was to die. This was the eventuality of everyone and everything. People’s experience with death began at birth where in communities like the African one s, new-borns were named after those who had already passed on. They considered it a reincarnation or rebirth of their loved ones who had already passed on. This was probably in a bid to keep their memories alive and the belief that there was life after death. This is how Buddhists view death even up to date. They are at ease with death and just think of it as relocation, where one moves from one place to another or switching houses for a particular convenience. In the ancient times, the thought of death was rather comforting than it is worrying in the days we now live in. It was as if they had a premonition of death and were somewhat prepared for it waiting for the day it come knocking at their door. It was as if they had it all figured out; the surrendering of oneself to death (a better place full of peace and serenity) until it was time to return to this world by being reborn. The middle ages’ people saw death as this obvious and restrained thing la mort apprivoisee; which is a complete opposite of the present times, where death is seen as strange and feared by people. These people also had mourning and burial rituals and traditions that followed a death encounter. This again is in support of how the people in those times were at ease with death and were prepared for the loss that comes with death. Death was a rite of passage in life. Death in Present Times In most recent times, death has become a taboo rarely spoken about and with myths surrounding it. It is still though a mystery but people have become more detached from it due to fear of the ‘evil’ that is mostly accompanied with death (Aries, 1974). Instead of people accepting death as a way of life like in the past ages, they are forced to actually be terrified of death. Death is now met with anxiety as people wonder what will happen to them later. People grief their loved ones and some even go to the extent of mental depression due to the loss of their loved ones. In addition, peopl e have now become attached to their earthly possessions such as pets, and things like power and wealth. These things matter more to human beings so much that the thought of being away from them is too scary to even think about. Instead of the resignation which usually met death in early ages, people panic at the thought of dying, or otherwise losing their loved ones (Aries, 1974). The universally accepted notion that everyone is bound to die has now become completely forgotten such that an estranged person would rather

It is now commonplace to claim that Boas and Malinowski were founding Essay

It is now commonplace to claim that Boas and Malinowski were founding fathers of anthropology in the US and Britain respectively. Choosing one or the other exam - Essay Example This recognition has a number of corollaries, including one that invites us to think about ethnographic texts -- and anthropology as a discipline -- in the terms we have traditionally used in periodizing literary history. Many of us now speak of a "Victorian" as opposed to a "modernist" anthropology. This essay represents an attempt to complicate the basic assumptions of this interdiscipline on a number of grounds, and from a number of different perspectives. First, I would like to trouble the border we often imagine existing between Victorian and modernist anthropology, a gesture which I hope will have its implications for the literary border as well. I am interested in this project not so much because I see periodisations as inherently misguided, but rather the opposite: because I think such distinctions are only as good as the specific historical instances that both support and challenge them. Second, I would like to challenge the largely textual basis of the grounds on which we may be tempted to delineate this border, and suggest that, having established the textual nature of ethnography, we may wish to turn our attention to other social and institutional similarities between ethnographic work and the artistic and literary practices of a given period. I am especially interes ted here in the changing conditions of intellectual labor in the epochal moment of the turn of the twentieth century. To address these issues I will take as my subject the early career of Franz Boas, who for various reasons has come to be regarded as the "father" of American anthropology (by which is really meant professional anthropology, a point to which I shall return at some length). Born in 1858 to a free-thinking Jewish family in Minden, Westphalia, and dying in 1942 after a lengthy career as the preeminent anthropologist in the United States, Boas could be said not only to have traversed centuries and continents, but to have charted a path from the German

The Domino Pizza Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Domino Pizza Company - Essay Example In the same year of 1985, they also opened another store in Tokyo, Japan. They continued expanding their locations in 1995, they had succeeded opening 1000 international locations worldwide, and they can open up to five stores in a day across five continents (Saxena, 2009, p. 67). From 2007 and 2012, the domino company has established in India with at least 1000 locations Products and Services After a period of 44years being held as a private company, Domino began trading in the New York stock exchange under the ticket symbol of DPZ. It also added other locations such as those found in Huntley, Illinois, Panama. Its history was that of hitting a target of three million dollars per year. In September two thousand and six, domino had 8238 stores wild wide totaling to a gross income of 1.4 billion dollars. In the year 2007, the domino came up with a new program of Veterana Delivering the dream franchising, and rolled out its earlier one of online and ordering sites. In 2008, it launched an online Pizza tracker which allows customers to view their status in a simulated real time. There is also another dining room opened in Stephenville which gives customers an opportunity to either eat their pizza or take it home. In the year 2012, the company removed the word Pizza from its logo. It introduced a new logo which removed the blue triangle and the text under the domino in the l ogo; it changed the all-red domino to blue on the side with two dots and a red on the side with one dot. The Domino Pizza has a variety of menu which it offers to customers. Traditional, specialty ad custom pizzas are available in many styles and toppings. It has launched an artisan style pizza which offers a blend of rich flavors. Other additional entrees include pasta, bread bowls and the oven-baked sand-wiches; it also offers chicken side dishes, breadsticks as well as the beverages and desserts (Pradhan, 2009, p. 459). The menu expansion occurred in 1989 after discovering that customers prefer thick crusts. It entered the market trend in relation to bite size foods with spicy Buffalo Chicken Kickers which are similar to the chicken fingers. They are packed in a designed box with two sauces; heat up and the cool down chicken. In the year 2010, the company launched a national 2 year partnership with Make-A-wish foundation of America. Following the September 11 attacks, the 12000 p izzas were able to relief workers. They also partnered with hospitals such as the St. Jude research hospital, participating in the thanks giving campaign. Mode of operation of Domino Pizza Company In august 2003, Dominos announced a new pizza, the Philly cheese steak pizza. It began

Travelogue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Travelogue - Essay Example He came back to Bangladesh in 1972 when it was struggling to liberate from Pakistan. This was the time when he wanted to make a difference and became very active in the said struggle. He was part of the planning commission in charge of planning the economy. It was very remarkable to note that even with what he has achieved in life, he was passionate to help those poor people in Bangladesh to lift up their lives out of poverty. He thought of steps and possible strategies as solutions to this problem. According to Yunus, teaching well-designed economics strategies to his students were ineffectual when you see hungry people everywhere, old and young people looking alike. This was when microcredit system was born. Yunus believed that microcredit system was the optimal answer to fight poverty. The microcredit strategy includes providing credit to the poor without involving any collateral. He wanted to learn the realities of being poor and his experience in Jobra helped him realize that tiny loans offered to people for self-employment was one of the successful ways. Grameen Bank was born and this has started the economic revolution. Unlike the conventional banking system, Grameen bank does not require any collateral and extends their loans to those who are considered to be the poorest. The bank also focuses on women borrowers. To be able to make a loan, a villager must prove that her family owns not more than one half acre of land. This system was way considered unusual. For someone to start this kind of system and exert efforts to help without any security, Yunus is really an exceptional human being with so much passion to help the poor. This microcredit system is therefore mainly based on mutual trust. This very successful strategy that started with 42 people was due to the person who has a heart to make people very happy with small amount of money. As per Yunus after he has started to lend money to the poor, the only question in his mind was â€Å"How do I do

Social Value of Scientific and Technological Enterprises Essay - 1

Social Value of Scientific and Technological Enterprises - Essay Example There are many types of social value associated with research. International Business Machines, for instance, has stated that â€Å"Our research needs not only to attract the attention of academia but also to have an impact on a wide range of sectors in society. Fortunately, IBM has various systems to utilize research results for the benefit of society† (Research Value to Society, 2008: n.p.). First, IBM intends to convert its research into products. This creates social value in the form of employment, increased tax revenues for social services, business stability and expansion, and a better standard of living. Second, though the research is protected by intellectual property rules, it does become disseminated in many ways as public knowledge. Although others may not violate the research protected the intellectual property laws, they may learn how to build on the newly discovered knowledge. Finally, research enterprises tend to be rather collaborative in modern times and this means that knowledge is being shared commercially and socially; as an illustration, IBM has stated that â€Å"IBM supports the promotion of open systems that optimize open standards and open sources with the goal of realizing collaborative innovations. TRL is working with governments and corporations to conduct research in open technologies, including open document formats (ODF)† (Research Value to Society, 2008: n.p.). The significance of the research is fundamentally the dissemination of knowledge which is most often commercially-oriented but which is increasingly being used to promote social values such as public health and safety and other social objectives.

Is social media really serving the purpose of making people more Essay - 1

Is social media really serving the purpose of making people more sociable or is it creating an introverted generation - Essay Example Despite these benefits of social networking, it has also resulted in undesirable effects such as widespread feeling of loneliness, loss of identity, and social alienation from the society. Thus, it is increasingly creating reserved individuals who are so much inclined to their thoughts and feelings with minimal societal interactions. The anonymity and lack of face-to-face interaction associated with most social sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide an opportunity for dissimulation of feelings and personal traits during communication. People feel freer to express their thoughts, which are not sincere on many occasions, on social media than in real life situations because nobody sees them. This kind of anonymity is a crucial factor that triggers human feeling of freedom from social responsibility, which often leads to negative consequences (Zimbardo 255). Furthermore, social media allows people to create false personalities and identify themselves with individuals different from who they are. As a result, they start detaching themselves from the rest of the community and later, this may cause certain communicational disability, social anxiety, and even asceticism (Zimbardo 225). There is a likelihood that exposure of these individuals who have masked their personalities through social media communication woul d be a social catastrophe. For example, the case of Facebook privacy breaches that has become a nightmare for its users. In addition, the fear of losing social media privacy has led to the appearance of cyberbullying, which is a huge problem nowadays. Social media bullies play on people’s dependency on social media images, so they often manipulate people by creating breaches in their social networking profiles’ security. It is also imperative to note that the cyberbullying contributes to the development of introspective tendencies of modern social media generation. Researchers in this area revealed that cyberbullying

IT Ethics and Security Essay Example for Free

IT Ethics and Security Essay Piracy has always been a concern with technology over the years. Organizations strive hard to analyze the requirement of the hour of computer users and then develop software that can fully ease the problems of a user. The organizations that develop software obviously need to have a return for their attempt. The software developers’ job is a tough one, because they put off their sleep in order to maintain a tempo in the development of software and organizations often find it difficult to meet the exact requirements on ordered software, due to which several revisions are done on the software before it gets into a final product. The software development market is generally divided into two categories, Open Source software and Close Source software. The Open Source software is the one that are free to use, and the organizations or individual developers who develop this software encourage its distribution, usage and at times modifications according to the requirement of the user. The Source code, which has all the development procedures are provided to the user in this category, therefore the modifications become easy when the software gets into the hand of another developer. (Frederick, 2007) These are great for learning purpose and often are used by immature developers to get help in development. The Close Source software are contrastingly different, the users need to buy these software just like any product in the market and often these kind of software get customer support and trainings â€Å"how to†, so that the user gets full value for his money. The close source software is ones, that are stable and they go through different processes before its final launch. The organization that develop these software often register them with their name so that copyrights and license usage law is applied on them. The licensure law ensures the organization that the software bought but a person will be used according to organization’s specified conditions. (Albacea, 2005) In this particular case where the friend is offering to split the cost is a violation of licensure law. Microsoft is a large enterprise and it develops close source software that are copyrighted and licensed according to their terms and conditions. When my friend bought Microsoft Office, in the product pack he had been provided the terms for use of the product, which states that sharing of the product is a violation to the licensure law. Ethically this is very wrong because Microsoft develops the software after several procedures and analyzing the market conditions, and the price $300 for the office suite the charged is based upon cost analysis of one person. The sharing of one-user license is almost equal to as stealing of a product; because the organization is charging for once only from the user but at the same price another user using the same product free of cost. There have been several discussions conducted in small to large enterprises that develop software about piracy and violation of usage licensure. However many steps have been taken to minimize the violation and organizations also offer some package deals where multiple licenses are discounted which saves a lot of cost of user. This ethical violation of licensure law has been minimized to some extend now due to efforts but it also depends upon the inner self of a person to realize the attempt that an organization does in order to develop the software and stealing the software reduced their return which is an ethical issue.

The Price Of Elasticity Of Supply Economics Essay

The Price Of Elasticity Of Supply Economics Essay The price of elasticity of supply assesses the sensitiveness of the quantity supplied to a change in the price of a good when all other influences on selling plans remain constant. It can be calculated by using the formula: PES = Percentage change in quantity supplied Percentage change in price The two determinants of price elasticity of supply are resource substitution possibilities and time frame for the supply decision (Parkin 9th edition pg97): For resource substitution possibilities, it means that only some goods and services can be produced only by using special or rare productive resources. Such items have low and sometimes even zero elasticity of supply because items like that are hard to be substituted. For example, cars and tyres. As the price of rubber rises, the quantity supplied will reduce by only a little because people still need tyres for their cars. It is difficult to find another raw material for tyre because the input factor of production is rare and therefore, the price elasticity of supply will be inelastic. The second determinant is time respond for the supply decision. For instance planting maize. It takes a few months to produce maize that even if the price changes, the farmer will not be able to do anything. Reason being so is that when the price of maize fluctuates, the time taken for maize production will remain constant. Thus, the price elasticity of supply will be inelastic if the production is long. Price QS 40% 20% S Based on the diagram, it shows that price increase is greater than the quantity supplied. The two determinants of price elasticity of supply are resource substitution and time frame for supply decision. Part B Price elasticity of demand (PED) is a unit free measure of the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good to a change in price, when all other determinants on buying plans remain the same. The formula used to calculate PED is(Parkin, 9th edition pg 86): PED = Percentage change in quantity demanded Percentage change in price Businesses use the price elasticity concept to decide on their pricing strategy based on three ranges of elasticity namely inelastic, elastic and unit elastic demand. When the percentage decrease in quantity demanded is less than percentage increase in price, it is said to be an elastic demand. Goods that are categorized under inelastic are considered necessities and therefore when business increase the price to obtain more revenue, the demand will still be there. An example would be smokers and cigarettes. If the price of cigarettes is now rm10 a pack, quantity demanded is 50 but when price increase to rm15 a pack, quantity demanded becomes 45. The above diagram is an example of the relationship between the change in quantity demanded and change in price. The elasticity is more than zero but less than one, which means it is inelastic and smokers will still continue buying cigarettes despite the price increase. When the percentage decrease in quantity demanded but greater than one exceeds the percentage increase in price, then it is an elastic demand. Goods that have an elastic demand are luxury goods because the goods have many substitutes, for example Nike shoes. If the price is rm200, then quantity demanded is 100 but once the price increases to rm220, the quantity demanded will fall to 70. This is because the customers can resort to other brands. The elasticity is more than one which means customers are sensitive to the change in price. The diagram shows that even though the price increases only by a little bit, but the quantity demanded decreased by a lot because goods like that can be substituted easily. When the percentage decrease in quantity demanded equals to the percentage increase in price, then it is a unit elastic demand. In cases like that, businesses should neither increase nor decrease the price of goods because a change in price will change the quantity demanded. An example would be chewing gum. The initial price is rm1, and quantity demanded is 200 but once the price increases to rm2, the quantity demanded will decrease to 100. By using the concept of price elasticity, businesses can decide whether to increase price (inelastic demand), reduce price (elastic demand) or not to change the price (unit elastic demand) in order to maximize revenue. Question 3 One of the factors of supply is the prices of factors of production. A decrease in price of production will directly correlate to an increase in supply. This is because if the price of a factor of production used to produce a good decreases the minimum price that a supplier is willing to accept for producing each quantity of those good decreases. So a decrease in the price of a factor of production decreases supply and shifts the supply curve rightward. Another factor is the price of related goods produced. A substitute in production of a good is another good that can be produced using the same resources. The supply of a good increase if the price of a substitute in production falls. Goods are complements in production if they must be produced together. The supply of a good increase if the price of a complement in production rises. Expected future prices are another determinant of an increase in supply. If the price of a good is expected to decrease in the future, the supply of the g ood today increases and the supply curve shifts leftward. b) A price ceiling or price cap is a regulation that makes it illegal to charge a price higher than a specific level. If the price ceiling is set above the equilibrium price, it has no effect. The market works as if there were no ceiling in the first place. Inversely, if the ceiling were to be set below the equilibrium, its effects are far greater. If the level of price equilibrium is above the price ceiling, in order to achieve price equilibrium one would have to enter to illegal region. Other mechanisms thus come into place in order to eliminate the shortage created by the price cap. Search activity and black markets are some of those mechanisms and consumers are willing to pay a higher price in order to obtain the goods due to the shortage. A price ceiling decreases the quantity supplied to a less efficient quantity resulting in a deadweight loss. A further shrink in consumer and producer surplus further enhances the potential loss from search activity. A price floor is a regulati on that makes it illegal to trade at a price lower than a specific level. If it is set below the equilibrium price, there is no effect. Effect only takes place if set above the equilibrium price. Price floor leads to an inefficient outcome. A minimum price is set above the equilibrium and decreases the quantity demanded. A deadweight loss thus arises due to a decrease in consumer and producer surplus. Question 5 Part A Demand refers to the quantity of a good that potential buyers would be willing and able to buy or attempt to buy at a different price level. The law of demand states that there is an inverse relationship between the price of a good and the quantity demanded in a defined time period. Quantity demanded of a good or service is the amount that consumers plan to buy during a given time period at a particular price.(McConnell,Brue Flynn Economics 18th edition) A decrease in demand will result in a leftward shift in the graph and there are six main factors influencing it. The first factor is the prices of related goods. Assume if a comparison is made between hamburger and hot dog. If the price of a substitute for hamburger rises, people buy less of the substitute and more hamburgers. The demand for hamburger will rise and demand for hot dogs will fall. Then there is also complement which is a good that is used in conjunction with another. For example, fries and hamburgers. If the price for hamburger increases, people will not buy so much fries and hamburgers. There will be a decrease in demand. The next factor is expected future prices. If a good, for now will decrease because people would want to buy it at a cheaper price. The third factor is income. When income rises, consumer will buy more goods but when it decreases, they will buy less of those goods. A normal good is one for which demand increases as income increases. Inferior good is one when demand will decrease as income increases. Next factor that will decrease a demand is when expected future income and credit falls. For example, when a sales person knows her income will fall in the future, she will have to spend wisely and not splurge on goods. Another factor is when the population decreases. For example in the 1990s in America, a decrease in the college-age population decrease the demand for college places. Lastly would be preference. If there is poor or no environmental awareness, it will shift the demand curve for recycled items or even eco-friendly bags to the left. The diagram shows a leftward shift on the demand curve. Unlike the demand curve, the quantity demanded curve will bring an upward movement on the diagram, instead of a shift and the only factor that influences it is price with all other determinants on buying plans remain constant. According to the new law of demand, higher price will cause a decrease in demand. From the diagram, a decrease in quantity demanded will cause an upward movement when price rise from P0 to P1, quantity demanded falls from QD2 to QD1. An example would be the rise of price of apple from P0 to P1. It will decrease the quantity demanded to QD1. There are a few differences between a decrease in demand and decrease in quantity demanded. First, decrease in demand will show a leftward shift in the graph but decrease in quantity demanded shows an upward movement. There are six factors influencing the demand to decrease but only one that influence the quantity demand; price. Part B Income elasticity of demand (YED) is the ratio of percentage change in the quantity demanded of a good or service to a given percentage change in income. YED indicates the responsiveness of demand to change of household income. To calculate YED.(McConnell,Brue Flynn Economics 18th edition) : YED = Percentage change in quantity demanded Percentage change in householdà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s income The three degrees of YED are positive, negative and zero. For positive YED, it is further categorized into two types which are income inelastic (01). For income inelastic, the percentage increase in quantity demanded is positive but less than the percentage increase in income. When the demand for a good is income inelastic, the percentage of income spent on that good decreases as income increases. Those will be considered normal goods such as clothes, food and travel. But for income elastic demand, the percentage increase in quantity demanded exceeds the percentage increase in income. When the demand for a good is income elastic, the percentage of income spent on that good increases as income increases. For example, if the price of a doughnut is constant and 9 doughnuts an hour are bought. So when income rises from rm975 to tm1025 a week, the quantity of doughnuts sold rise to 11 an hour, ceteris paribus. The change in quantity demanded is 2 and the average quantity is 10 doughnuts, so the quantity demanded increases by 20% and the change in income is tm50 and the average is rm1000 so income increases by 5%. The income elasticity of demand for doughnut is: 20% = 4% 5% Therefore, it is said that the income elasticity demand for pizza is elastic. Next is negative YED (YED Question 6 Equilibrium is a situation in which opposing forces balance each other out. Equilibrium in a market occurs when the price balances the plans of buyers and sellers. The equilibrium price is the price at which the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. Consumer surplus is defined as the value of a good minus the price paid for it, summed over the quantity bought. It is measured by the area under the demand curve and above the price paid, up to the quantity bought. Producer surplus is determined by subtracting the marginal cost from the price received for a good and summed over the quantity sold. It is measured by the area below the market price and above the supple curve. b.) The production possibility frontier (PPF) marks the boundary between the combination of goods and services that can be produced. There are four assumptions that are made which are the economy is efficient, there are a fixed amount of resources, a fixed level of technology and there are only two goods. In order to achieve efficiency there must be full employment and full production. The opportunity cost of an activity is the value of the next best alternative that must be forgone to undertake the activity. Scarcity is a situation where there is not enough resources to produce enough a good to satisfy the needs of the consumers. Choice occurs when scarcity forces consumers to make a choice in order to maximise satisfaction. PPF illustrates these three principles of economics; choice, scarcity and opportunity cost. Because of scarcity, a society has to make choices between the productions of two goods with scarce resources available. Most choice involves opportunity costs. Referencing Parkin.M, Economics 9th edition ,Pearson International Edition McConnell,Brue Flynn Economics 18th edition

Impact of Web-Based Instruction (WBI) in Schools

Impact of Web-Based Instruction (WBI) in Schools Nowadays the use of Web-Based Instruction (WBI) has significant impacts on every aspect of our lives. In the context of education industry more and more school and education institutions have come to realize the potential impact of using the WBI in the classroom as part of the learning environment. Despite the many challenges yet to be overcome, the advantages of WBI have been widely recognized. Some of these major advantages include flexibility and broader accessibility (Lee, Cheung, Chen, 2005), improved students performance (Alavi, 1994), reflective evaluation of the learning experience (Hiltz, 1995), and higher computer self-efficacy (Piccoli, Ahmad, Ives, 2001). Academic institutions also benefit in terms of cost reductions and increasing revenues (Saadà © and Bahli, 2005). The success of Web usage for learning is primarily due to its potential to integrate various types of media such as audio, video, graphics, animation and text and delivered in various forms. Statement of the problem: Schools are witnessing a profound increase in the use of multimedia presentations, video teleconferencing, and, more currently, Web-Based Instruction (WBI). WBI presents great potential for instructional improvement by providing ready access to information and allowing more interaction between teachers and learners (Hill, 1997). In order to meet the diverse needs of their teachers when integrating WBI into their subjects, most schools have adopted a few major brands of commercial course management software. Nowadays we have heard that information technologies are going to change school education especially in the way teachers teach and the way our students will learn. But most of us have seen little evidence to support the claim. In fact, teachers utilization of innovative technologies has remained low (Surry and Land, 2000). The integration of technology such as WBI into the classroom has remained low and educational technology use has been minimal, infrequent, and limited as an add-on rather than as indispensable to teaching and learning (Becker, 1991). Surry and Ely (2002) diagnosed, as a reason for this lack of utilization, which instructional designers had focused on developing. They added that there is no guarantee for diffusion of instructional technologies itself. While the diffusion and implementation of innovation is important. Rogers (1995) and Stockdill and Morehouse (1992) described, it is a complex process that is influenced by many factors. Technological superiority is only one of a number of factors that influence a persons decision about whether or not to adopt an innovation. A more complex interaction of social, economic, organizational, and individual factors influence which technologies are adopted and how much they are used after they have been adopted. As one of the major areas of diffusion of innovation study, instructional technologies have focused on the identification of the significant factors contributing to educational technology implementation. Most studies of this issue have been simply investigating factors or have confined the research scope to only examine either the psychological perspective of factors (Marcinkiewicz, 1994; McKinney, Sexton, Meyerson, 1999; Olech, 1997), or the external or environmental perspective of factors (Daugherty and Funke, 1998; Groves Zemel, 2000), disregarding other relevant variables. Daugherty and Funkes (1998) study focused only on the teachers perceived supports or incentives as factors influencing the use of Web-Based instruction. They surveyed school teachers and students involved in Web-Based instruction on the advantages, disadvantages, and general effectiveness of using the Internet as a teaching and learning tool. Teachers reported the lack of technical support, lack of software or adequate equipment, lack of teachers or administrative support, the amount of preparation time, and student resistance are barriers to use Web-Based instruction. According to Hamilton and Thompson (1992) in reality it is assumed that a person will be influenced by psychological and also environmental factors at the same time for a decision to adopt or utilize an innovation and Ely (1999) identified eight environmental conditions. His approach recognizes that the characteristics of adopters and the innovation are not the only factors influencing its diffusion. His research suggests that the environment such as supports and incentives in which the innovation is to be introduced can play an equally important role in determining a change efforts success. In the this study, the three categories of variables known to relate to the level of innovation use are identified based on the diffusion and innovation models. First, in the area of personal characteristics, previous experience and self-efficacy are selected as key variables. Second, complexity and relative advantage in this study are selected for the area of perceived attributes of innovation. Last, for the area of perception of influence and support from the environment, supports, and time are selected. To go beyond the single-equation approach using multiple regressions and address the associated limitations, structural equation modeling (SEM) will be used. Using this technique, indirect effects among variables are identified in the model that is specified from the literature and theories by the researcher. These indirect effects, when added to the direct effects in the model, allow the determination of total causal effects. Research Objective: Identifying the direct, indirect and total effects of the identified predictor variables (self-efficacy, relative advantage, complexity, computer experience, supports and time) on criterion variable (level of WBI use). Research Questions: What are the direct, indirect and total effects of the identified predictor variables (self-efficacy, relative advantage, complexity, computer experience, supports and time) on criterion variable (level of WBI use)? Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study is to build a model to predict the level of diffusion and utilization of Web-Based Instruction in school. To test the model six independent variables (self-efficacy, relative advantage, complexity, computer experience, supports and time) from the three perspectives affecting the diffusion and utilization of WBI will be used. The selection of the variables is substantiated by empirical evidence from previous relevant innovation studies (Rogers, 1995; Ely, 1999). The result of this study would also be helpful to instructional designers. When it comes to successful educational program design, the consideration of the target audiences characteristics is essential to the analysis phase in most instructional design models. Because the predictor variables are susceptible to interventions such as training or staff development, the identification of the potential factors that are highly related to the integration of a new technology. Operational Definition: Predictor Variables: Six independent variables which are selected from the three perspectives affecting the diffusion and utilization of WBI. The variables are computer experience, self-efficacy, complexity, relative advantage, supports and time. Diffusion of Innovations: The adoption and utilization of Web as a teaching tool. Level of Use: Degree of integration of WBI that has been attained by teachers in order to attain existing instructional goals. Web-Based Instruction: A hypermedia-based instructional program which utilizes the attributes and resources of the World Wide Web to create a meaningful learning environment such as Blackboard and WebCT. Chapter II: Literature Review: The objective of the study is to identify factors affecting the likelihood of diffusion in educational setting is usually perceived from one of three major perspectives. The first of these is concerned with the characteristics of the adopter, such as computer experience and self-efficacy. The second perspective is focuses on the characteristics of the innovation itself. The third perspective focused on the characteristics of the environment in which the innovation is to be introduced. This approach highlights the importance of factors outside the innovation which can set the stage for its success or failure. The review will be focus on diffusion of innovation, relation to factors affecting the diffusion and implementation of Web-Based Instruction in an educational setting, informational technology diffusion models, model constructs and Web-Based Instruction (WBI). Diffusion of Innovation: Sanders and Morrison (2001) have identified three reasons why the study of diffusion theory is beneficial to the field of instructional technology. The first reason is most instructional technologists lack the knowledge of why their products are or are not adopted. They believe a study of diffusion theory could rectify this situation. Second, the field of instructional technology is often associated with the concept of innovations and they suggested that if instructional technologists understand the diffusion and diffusion of innovation theory. They will be more prepared to work effectively with potential adopters. The third reason is the studies of the diffusion theory could result in developing a systematic model of diffusion and diffusion for the instructional technology field. Everett Rogers is the most widely cited author in the area of general diffusion theory. Rogers (1995) theories form the basis of most studies related to diffusion. Rogers theories seem to be common elements of most diffusion theories. They are diffusion process, adopter categories, innovation attributes, and rate of diffusion. So the instructional technologists not only need to create well-designed products but need to ensure the diffusion of these products. The main concern of the diffusion of innovation research is how innovations are adopted and why innovations are adopted at different rates. The diffusion process outlined by Rogers (1995) has five steps knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. According to this theory, potential adopters of an innovation have to learn about an innovation and are persuaded to try it out before making a decision to adopt or reject the innovation. The adopters decide to either continue using the innovation or stop using it. This theory is very important because it shows that diffusion is not a momentary irrational act, but an ongoing process that can be studied, facilitated and supported. Factors Affecting Diffusion of Innovation: The experts in diffusion of innovation find that there is no single or a certain group of factors identified to explain the lack of use of Web-Based Instruction in school education. In this section, I will explore the factors have been examined and identified from many studies. The experts in educational technology have done numerous studies to find out the factors affecting the diffusion of Web-Based Instruction in school. Morris (2001) have found that the lack of technical support, lack of adequate equipment, amount of time required, student resistance or lack of computer skills, network problems and identified lack of teachers or administrative support are the barriers that teachers confronted when incorporating Web-Based instruction. From a survey of 557 teachers, Anderson, Varnhagen and Campbell (1998) also found that although most teachers believe that learning and communications technologies are essential to improving the quality of school education, many barriers were identified to realizing that capacity. They identified nine factors as major or minor barriers. The greatest barrier identified was lack of funding. The second greatest barrier was lack of time to learn technologies. The others are classroom infrastructure, adequate computer hardware or connectivity, institutional incentives, knowledge about applying technology in teaching, access to software tools, lack of training and support, an d information about available technology. Pitman, Gosper and Rich (1999) examined teachers use of instructional technology in a school classroom. In this study, they limited instructional technology to internet-related technologies including e-mail and the World Wide Web. The study identified significant relationships between teaching style, perceived effectiveness of technology, perceived access to technology and perceived administrative support and the use of technology. Beggs (2000) have conducted the survey of 348 teachers. In this survey teachers at a school were asked about their self-perceived use of technology, factors influencing their use of technology, and barriers to the use of technology in the classroom. The factors are improved student learning, advantage over traditional teaching, equipment availability, increased student interest, ease of use, compatibility with discipline, time needed to learn, materials in discipline, compatibility with materials, training, administrative support, personal comfort and coll eague use. Rogers (2000) have conducted the study to examine barriers to technology diffusion through a structured interview conducted on the telephone or in-person. The barriers that he identified are need technical support staff, need release time and time for training, funds, and lack of sharing best practices across system. Through this through review, it seems that the factors emerge into three categories as like personal characteristics which include factors such as years of teaching, previous experience, teaching style, self-efficacy, and anxiety, innovation characteristics such as relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility, and environmental and social factors such as support and time. In the case of a factor of support, the factors like accessibility or availability, technical and administrative, workshop, and incentive may be grouped into a single factor as support. Refer to importance of considering both the person and the social environment as joint determinants of behavior, Surry and Farquhar (1997) described adopter based theories as opposite to developer-based theories. Developer-based theories are to increase diffusion by maximizing the efficiency, effectiveness and elegance of an innovation. They assume that the best way to bring about educational change is to create a system or product that is significantly superior to existing products or systems. In summary, this section focused on the studies conducted to find out the factors affecting the diffusion of instructional technology. Since these studies have not looked at the interactional effects of determinants on an adopters behavior so more attention seems to be needed on the interrelationships among identified variables. Innovation Diffusion Models: In contrast to the studies that focus on single factors or a list of factors, a few models have been developed and empirically studied to identify the interactional effects of variables on innovation usage. These models focused on the identification of the determinants of usage, such as attitudes, social influences, and facilitation conditions (Davis, Richard Paul, 1989; Mathieson, 1991). Theory of Reasoned Action: The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was first proposed by Azjen and Fishbein (1975). The theory specified a causal relationship between individual behavioral intention and actual behavior. The components of TRA are behavioral intention, attitude, and subjective norm. TRA suggests behavioral intention depends on a persons attitude toward behavior and subjective norm. Behavioral intention measures a persons relative strength of intention to perform a behavior. Attitude is comprised of beliefs about the consequences of performing the behavior multiplied by his or her valuation of those consequences. Subjective norm is seen as a combination of perceived expectations from referent individuals or groups along with intentions to comply with these expectations. (Azjen and Fishbein, 1975). TRA became the basis for developing the following two models, Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). In fact, to account for conditions where individuals do not have complete control over their behavior, TPB extended TRA. Theory of Planned Behavior: Azjen and Madden (1986) modified TRA and generated a model named the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The only difference between the TRA and TPB is the inclusion of perceived behavioral control. Perceived behavioral control reflects a persons ability to actually perform a behavior. It is influenced by the effects facilitating conditions and self-efficacy. Hoffman and Novak (1994) included ease of access, ease of use, price, knowledge, past experience, and skill to represent the perceived behavioral control in their study of hypermedia using TPB. Each of the determinants of intention, like attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, is determined by underlying belief structures. These are referred to as attitudinal beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs which are related to attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control respectively. Technology Acceptance Model: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was developed by Davis (1986) and introduced by Davis, et al. (1989). This model is an adaptation of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). TAM contends two distinct constructs like perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Davis (1989) defined perceived usefulness as the degree to which an individual believes that using particular system would enhance his or her job performance and ease of use as the degree to which an individual believes that using a particular system would be free of physical and mental effort. This model is more specific and simple because it only provides two factors which are important determinants of innovation usage (Mathieson, 1991). These factors are specific, easy to understand, and can be manipulated through system design and implementation. In addition, they should also be generalizable across settings. Although it is a special case of the TRA, TAM excludes the influence of social and personal control factors on behavior, which is also identified as important factors in the previous research (Groves Zemel, 2000; Knutel, 1998). Components of the Study Model Constructs: The six predictor variables believed to be important in influencing the diffusion of innovation which has derived from the Rogers model and other relevant constructs from other models and other reviewed studies. Followed is the explanation of each of the six predictor variables and the criterion variable in more detail. Personal Characteristics: Computer Experience: Computer experience is defined as the extent to which adopters perceive previous computer experience and performance with internet connection as good. Also, it includes amounts of time using computer with internet connection in this study. The more positive experiences one has, the more confident one is in a similar innovation (Stone Henry, 2003). In other words, positive past experience with computers will increase ones confidence while negative experience will reduce it. This view is supported by Ertmer, Evenbeck, Cennamo and Lehman (1994), who found that although positive computer experience increased computer confidence, the actual amount of experience was not correlated with the confidence beliefs of students. This suggests that it is the quality, not the quantity, of experience is a critical factor in determining self-efficacy beliefs, which is one of the most important and popular variables in the diffusion and utilization of innovations studies. There have been numerous studies involving the experience and attitude-behavior relationship (Anderson, Varnhagen, Campbell, 1998; Christoph, Schoenfeld, Tansky, 1998; Daugherty Funke, 1998; Ellsworth, 1998; Groves Zemel, 2000; Hill, Stone Henry, 2003; Kao, Wedman, Placier, 1995). Bandura (1977) suggests that experience is likely to reduce anxieties and induce individuals to change their behavior. The information gained by performance accomplishments provides the most influential source of efficacy information (Bandura, Adams, Beyer, 1977 and Zimmerman, 2000). Hill, Smith, Mann (1987) provide evidence that experience with computer technology lead to a higher likelihood of technology adoption through changes in perceived self-efficacy. Self-efficacy: Self-efficacy, a key element in Banduras social learning theory (1977), refers to ones belief in ones capability to use Internet in this study. Self-efficacy has been found to influence the decision to use computers (Hill, Smith and Mann, 1987). Bandura (1997) defined perceived self-efficacy as personal judgments of ones capabilities to organize and execute subjects of action to attain designated goals, and he sought to assess its level, generality and strength across activities and contexts. Zhang and Espinoza (1998) found that comfort or anxiety about computers perceived by students predicted their confidence levels about computers and the confidence level is a significant predictor in deciding their desirability of learning technology skills. In addition, from the findings in his qualitative study Zollinhofer (1998) supported that teachers who have low self-efficacy are susceptible to cyber anxiety which can increase resistance to learning new technologies. According to Banduras (1977) self-efficacy theory, judgments of self-efficacy are based on several kinds of information including performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. Venkatesh and Davis (1994) theorize that perceptions about a new systems usefulness and a new systems ease of use influences and are anchored on an individuals general computer self-efficacy. From this evidence, it can be hypothesized that self-efficacy influences perceived relative advantage and ease of use of innovation, and also influences utilization of an innovation through those two intervening variables. Perceived attributes of innovation: Rogers (1995), Wolfe (1994), and Farguhar and Surry (1994) identified perceived by potential adopters, relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability as five main attributes of an innovation as important factors in determining the rate of diffusion. According to Rogers theory, potential adopters of an innovation have to learn about an innovation and are persuaded to try it out before making a decision to adopt or reject the innovation. This five attributes are frequently cited as playing a key role in the perceptions of adopters in regard to the implementation of instructional innovations. For this study, although perceived attributes compatibility, observability and trialability could contribute to some extent in diffusion process but only relative advantage and complexity which distinguished by Vinson (1996) and Moskal, Martin, and Foshee (1997) are included. This is because they have the strongest influence from Rogers five attributes. Relative Advantage: Relative advantage is defined as the degree to which an innovation of WBI as an instructional technology in this study is perceived as being better than the technology it supersedes and other solutions being considered (Rogers, 1995). The degree of relative advantage is often expressed as economic profitability, social prestige, or other benefits. The degree of use is expected to be increased by the teacherss perceived relative advantage of WBI. Rogers generalized from previous research that the relative advantage of an innovation, as perceived by members of a social system, is positively related to its rate of diffusion. In their study, Venkatesh and Davis (1994) tested the effect of self-efficacy on the perceived ease of use construct using two different information technologies, E-mail and Gopher. They found that the perceptions about a new systems ease of use are anchored on a persons general computer self-efficacy. Complexity: Complexity is defined as the degree to which the WBI as an instructional technology is perceived as difficult to understand and use (Rogers, 1995). It is similar to the ease of use construct used by Davis, Bagozzi, Warshaw (1989). They define it as the degree to which an individual believes that using a particular system would be free of physical and mental effort. In their study they find a positive correlation between perceived ease of use and behavioral intentions. They found ease of use to be a strong determinant of use. It is expected that the more complex WBI appears to teachers, the less they will use it. An innovation which is perceived as being difficult to use will meet with greater resistance to its use and diffusion than those which are considered as easy to learn. Hence, another generalization drawn by Rogers was that the complexity of an innovation, as perceived by members of a social system, is negatively related to its rate of diffusion. Then, who perceives an innovation as being more or less difficult? The findings (Ghaith Yaghi, 1997; Guskey, 1988) indicate that more efficacious teachers considered an innovation as less difficult to implement. Perception of influence and support from the environment: Groves and Zemel (2000) from their study has been identified that environment as a category of influencing factors on diffusion and utilization of innovation. Ely (1999) proposed eight environmental condition dissatisfaction with the status quo, existence of knowledge and skills, availability of resources, availability of time, existence of rewards or incentives for participation, expectation and encouragement of participation, commitment by stakeholders involved, and evidence of leadership. A few studies have been conducted to determine the best predictors among the eight conditions using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Ravitz (1999) found out availability of resources, availability of time, existence of rewards or incentives, commitment, and leadership are the most important determinants related to the implementation of innovation. In another pure survey study, Daugherty and Flunke (1998) reported the barriers confronted by teachers when incorporating Web-Based instruction a re lack of technical support, lack of software or adequate equipment; amount of time required and lack of teachers or administrative support. From reviewing the related studies, supports and time were selected as key variables for this study. Supports: Groves Zemel (2000) found out that the supports like training available on how to use, information or materials available, and administrative support were rated as very important factors influencing use of instructional technologies in teaching. Morris (2001) found out that lack of technical support, lack of adequate equipment or software, and lack of teachers or administrative support are the barriers teachers confronted when incorporating distance education. Farquhar and Surry (1994) proposed organizational factors with the adopters individual factors as influential factors which affect the diffusion and utilization of the instructional product. They asserted that inappropriate environmental support can often be an important hindrance factor of successful innovation diffusion. The teachers training and other resources to use and learn the WBI technology can be effective and productive by lessen teachers perceived level of complexity to use or learn WBI as an instructional technology. Time: Seminoff and Wepner (1997) discovered that of the 77 respondents in their study on instructional-based projects, 64% indicated that release time for preparation of technology-based projects was not being provided. In the survey study about factors influencing the use of technology and perceived barriers to use of technology, Groves Zemel (2000) found that teachers perceived time needed to learn as an important factor in influencing use of technology. Plater (1995) indicates that managing teachers time is the single most important asset of the school. In the past teachers had only a few time-related issues, including meeting classes, keeping office hours, and attending teachers meetings. Plater goes on to say that schools must recognize teachers time as valuable resource and begin to think about departmental needs and prepare individual teachers to meet these needs. While teachers training should be part of the overall preparation for WBI, teachers training can only be effective and productive if there is adequate preparation time to incorporate what has been learned in training. In the present study time is defined as perceived available time needed to learn and use WBI as an instructional technology. The more available time teachers perceive, the less complex they perceive to learn and use WBI as an instructional technology. Level of Use: Level of using Web-Based Instruction is a dependent variable for this study. Moersch (1995) proposed a conceptual framework that measures levels of technology use. In this framework, seven distinguished implementation levels teachers can demonstrate. According to Moersch (1995), as a teacher progresses from one level to the next, a series of changes to the instructional curriculum is observed. The instructional focus shifts from being teacher-centered to being learner-centered. Computer technology is used as a tool that supports and extends students understanding of the pertinent concepts, processes and themes involved when using databases, telecommunications, multimedia, spreadsheets, and graphing applications. Traditional verbal activities are gradually replaced by authentic hands-on inquiry related to a problem issue or theme. Heavy reliance on textbook and sequential instructional materials is replaced by use of extensive and diversified resources determined by the problem areas under discussion. Traditional evaluation practices are supplanted by multiple assessment strategies that utilize portfolios, open-ended questions, self-analysis, and peer review. To measure the level of innovation use, in addition to above levels of innovation use which are used to measure the degree to which an adopter integrates the innovation into practice, a number of studies (Cartas, 1998; Lin Jeffres, 1998; Jaber, 1997; Wallace, 1998) in the studies of diffusion and utilization of instructional technologies have used three different categories of questions to measure the usage level the frequency of technology use, the amount of hours in using a technology and the number of programs or functions used. Since it seemed that levels of use studies (Moersch, 1995; Reiber Welliver, 1989) dealt with questions pertaining to the specific aspects of computer technologies to measure the levels of technology, the present study created the questions including the three categories of questions pertaining to WBI use. Web-Based Instruction (WBI): WBI is defined as an innovative approach for delivering instruction to a remote audience using the World Wide Web as the instructional delivery system (Khan, 1997). Web-Based learning environments use the resources of the Web to create a context in which learning is supported and fostered. Web-Based Instruction is growing faster than any other instructional technology (Crossman, 1997). More and more school teachers are using WBI as an integral part of instructional activities. School cannot work in isolation and must respond to societal change (Innovation in Distance Education (IDE), 1997). WBI offers medium for school education to accommodate the information age and a networked worl