Implementing an Attendance System in 3AAA

Implementing an Attendance System in 3AAA Henry Brown Carry out a systems investigation on implementing an attendance system in 3AAA: Brief: Pyus Pyxidis have taken on a project to investigate the possible attendance systems to be used by 3AAA academy staff. The investigation should allow myself as an employee of PP, to research possible service providers, programs and ways of implementing a new attendance system for 3AAA. What is currently used?      Ã‚   Before starting my research into different products and services I needed to first find out what current media/service is used by 3AAA to conduct their attendance checks for pupils in their colleges across the country. The use of a hard copy may also limit the speed of passing the information along to the next representative in the company which you may not get with an online based system. When researching the new alternative I shall keep in mind the simplicity factor as well as the effective layout used. End User Investigation: The first stage to my investigation was to interview Andrew Maddison, the Leading Member in I.T. at 3AAA. I approached the interview in an organised way by using a question sheet which was prepared earlier. I highlighted important questions to ask Andrew so that I could make the most of my time with him. Fig.1. shows an image of the first page of the completed question paper. Below is a manuscript of the interview paper. Q: What would be your most valued feature in your current of documenting attendances? A:Needs to be simple and easy to understand. Keep the current format. Q: How much time is required to input your data into the document? A: Around 20 minutes. However, data has to sit around for up to 4 days before it is sent away to head office. Due to this no immediate action can be taken if there is a problem. Q: Does the time taken need to be addressed and or shortened? A: This could be dealt with by bringing in an online system. Possibly cloud based. This could be used with many different administrative rights to allow the right people to view the data. This could be achieved by using an independent online service. Conclusion: There was a lot of useful information gathered from the interview. Some of the main points drawn suggested that a cloud based service may be the best way to go with the project. This would also aid product function and efficiency in communication as well as speed and ease of implementation across the whole of 3AAA. Investigation of Services: This section of the investigation focuses on the service that would best suit the project. I will take into consideration price, ease of use and reliability of the service. In this section I looked at 5 of the top cloud based services which all had their positives and negatives. I worked the 5 down into the two best services to further compare which will aid in choosing the best option. The two options which I narrowed down where Microsofts Azure service and Amazons AWS. Microsoft Azure: Positives: Negatives: -Control: MA allows you to have access and Active Directory on the service. This allows more freedom and control. The service also allows for multiple administrative users who can all create amendments and have an input into the system. -The long-term trajectory is not very clear. There are possibilities of Microsoft not fully committing to the service down the road. -Platforms: Rival platforms and operating systems are supported on this system. -Microsoft are not innovators in the industry for this service. -Lifespan: Annual upgrades are in effect and will allow the service to work and run for a prolonged amount of time. The system should be supported for the next 10 years if not longer. -Open source applications do not have the same amount of support as Microsoft applications which can make it difficult in fault finding. Pricing: Microsoft Azure has been the cheapest option with both quoted prices being lower than AWS. The drop in prices over a two-year period shows how Microsoft are finding more efficient and cost effect ways to run their service. Amazon AWS: Positives Negatives -Features: The service offers very similar things to Microsoft Azure. -Outages: This service has a history of outages and can be unreliable. -Scalable: The service will allow for expansion very easily as it is like paying for water or gas. The Service can expand with the businesss needs. Speed: The download speeds from the service can sometimes be slow unless extra amounts are paid. -Costs: Can eliminate large IT overheads and be more cost effective by using this service. Transactions: These can become expensive and the user may even need to pay for activity as well as additional storage. Pricing: Conclusion: After an in-depth comparison of the two services I have decided to choose Microsoft Azure as my service provider for this investigation. I have based my choice on both features of Azure, the cost and the prospect of prolonged support. Azure offers a more competitive pricing package as well as offering better support for the site. The uptime and SLA packages are far superior to AWS making MS AZURE the right choice for the Register platform. MoSCoW Method: The MoSCoW method is a prioritisation technique used in business, project, web, analysis and a much larger array of management. The Method is very effective at helping the project leaders/managers in prioritising the most important factors. The work of prioritising the most important sections will help in the success of the project. For example if the priority of a project is to create a simple and effective design of a website that chooses function over aesthetic, then this can be easily highlighted in the MoSCoW method to make it easier to follow. So the project would show Must have: A well-functioning engine on the website to insure that the system functions to a high standard. Should have: A budget of  £200,000 or less. Could have: Offline features. Wont have: An instant messaging service. E.g. This method is good for working with time constraints as it allows the project manage to pick the most important aspects which MUST be completed. This then allows for other important but not as pivotal factors to be added to the other sections such as SHOULD and COULD. Many projects will say that they would like to have at least 60% effort put into the project as a minimum. (Even if time and resources are short the effort cannot drop below 60%) As the scale moves down to lesser priorities then 100% effort would be needed to achieve the lower options. Fig.7 (2017). 4.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017 (M) Must Have: These will be the fundamental requirements needed to ensure that the project can be a success. These areas have been highlighted by the client as important and integral functions. Priority Requirements Specification 1 Simple and easy to use Keep design simple yet still stylish as well as keep the tools/buttons as clear as possible. 2 Permissions for different staff This is to prevent unauthorised access to certain files, settings and other areas which can be effected. 3 Encryption and Security SSL level encryption will be used to protect the students data and the system will be locked down to prevent an unauthorised access or hacking. 4 Homepage and Dashboard This will be used to make it easier to navigate the website and improve the function (S) Should Have: These requirements are not as important or as critical as the ones previous. They are still an important part of the project however they are not critical. Due to tight time frames Should specifications can be held back till another time or fit in after the Must have been completed. Priority Requirements Specification 1 The budget of the project should be  £200,000 Keep costs down where possible and meet deadlines to ensure no further costs are added due to delays. (Client specified to keep below  £200,000 if possible) 2 The project will have a 6 month timeline The client needs the system to be up and running by the end of August 2017. 3 The system will use both off the shelf products and custom made services The blend of custom and off the shelf will ensure that the system will suit the specific needs of the client as well as help to keep the cost down at the same time. 4 Colour coding system will be used for present, Absent and Late etc. This will show an easy to understand visual representation as well as written e.g. P,A and L will be used to represent the different options as well as the colours. (C) Could Have: Requirements in this section are to be done if the right resources are available and if the client decides for more options. These are not as important as the other two sections above and are only to be attempted once the two previous sections have been completed. Priority Requirements Specification 1 Vibrant colour scheme Colour scheme will make it easier to navigate and add a more aesthetic feel to the site. 2 Colour coding Colour coding within the register itself will make it easier to read and understand. 3 Dropdown menus This would make it easier to navigate the site and reach the different areas faster. 4 Flag inactive users The administrator can be informed of inactivity of users. (W) Wont Have: This requirement is something that is not necessarily needed for this project and will ultimately be decided by the client stakeholders in the future to see if it is needed in an extension of the same project. Priority Requirements Specification 1 Instant messaging service This is an expensive and time consuming service to create and set up. 3AAA already have ways of communicating so this wont be needed. Lifecycle: I have chosen to use the Agile Lifecycle model for this investigation as it has many useful features which would insure a successful implementation of the service to 3AAA. This project would need a tailored plan to correctly implement successfully, the iteration feature in this lifecycle model would allow for safe checks and various demo releases to be tested before the system in launched. Fig.6. shows a detailed diagram of the Agile Lifecycle Model with the relevant sections and detailed iterations. The Agile development cycle would work extremely well to meet the needs of the project. The multiple iterations of the cycle will allow the development process to be as effective as possible. The cycle will be very effective for the projects timescale of 6 months as it allows the developers plenty of time and iterations to get the system working as effectively as possible. The agile cycle allows the project managers to break the project down itself into smaller and more manageable areas. This works hand in hand with the MoSCoW project and will make the project more scalable to the team creating it. The different sections of the MoSCoW theory will work very well with the cycles iterations to ensure each stage Must, Should, Could etc. are completed in the correct order and to a level which will meet the clients expectations. Design Function: I have designed the website to run on an array of Internet Browsers however I have used screenshots from Google Chrome as the service works best on the specific browser. Below are a series of screenshots from the Beta copy of the proposed Attendance System. Login Prompt: This would be the primary interface for the users to gain access to the service. The 3AAA member of staff would simply need to search for https://www.3aaa.co.uk/login/attendance-register in their browser to reach this page. The member of staff would use a unique login name such as J_Smith for example to login. The password would be customisable by the user to best insure security for that users online profile. (The password change feature can be found in the settings tab on the drop down menu at the top of the page.) Particular members of staff would have Admin rights to the service to allow for editing, new menus and features to be added. This means that the webpage can be maintained correctly and work as it should. Staff with Administrative rights will have a slightly different colour scheme to indicate the users rights on the page so that it would be easily to identify the different users. For example, an Administrative user would have a red band at the top of the page just above the drop down menu. Overview: Once the user has successfully gained access to the service they would usually navigate from the home page to the Register area via the drop down menu. Once in the Register area the page will default to the Overview section. The Overview section shows a detailed overview of the students in the staff members selected class. The data provided is the students ID number, Name, Days present as well as a chart to the far right showing how many days absent, present and if they were present in the Am and or PM sessions. Register: This section allows the staff member to input the data to the online system. It is easy to follow and use as the user can simply place a Y to present a tick and an N to show a cross in the wanted box. This service allows a real time update to 3AAAs records which will be stored on Microsoft Azure protected servers. The live update allows 3AAA staff members to receive updates from all of the colleges across the UK at the same time to keep their records up to date. Report: The Report section shows a detailed report of a specifically chosen learner from the academy/college. A full term for the learner can be viewed and displayed with further options to edit from certain staff members. This section shows a column with how many days have been missed by the pupil as well as days present. Different students can be selected easily and various information can be seen about the learner such as guardians, student ID numbers and DOB. Student List: This section shows the current pupils of the staff member. Much like the report section, details and information about students are displayed. Information about students can be altered in the Edit tab as well as new students can be added through this feature. Other sections are available such as Download, Comments and Edit, however they are relevant to this investigation and a normal feature which is seen on many different sites. Conclusion: The Beta is still a work in progress however I believe I have achieved the desired design, functional and usability features requested by 3AAA. I have followed a 3AAA colour scheme to fit in with other websites and products promoted by the company. The prototype/demo of the online system can be seen above. Below is a further update to the online system after the Agile cycle was followed again. The project was cycled another three times to refine the sites functionality and aesthetics. The site has maintained many of the positive aspects of the beta and prototype however the site has been created to appear more user friendly and more professional. See shots of the site below. Mobile Access: The site can also be accessed via mobile devices. This is to make the function and use as simple as possible for the users and students. The teachers can use this feature too however it is primarily created so that the students can access it whilst in break out rooms or when they are first entering the college so that the register times are as accurate as physically possible. This will allow for reports to be sent back to head office as soon as possible so that there are no delays.   The mobile site uses a very similar layout to the browser version however it is slightly adapted to best fit the mobile browsers and thus make the function and design more accessible to the users and students. Below is screenshots from a mobile device showing the site loaded into a browser. Implementation: In this section I will look at the ways I can implement this service across the company. I must investigate the ways 3AAA currently distribute data and follow a similar path. Due to fact I have based the attendance system on a cloud based service there will be no need for software packs to distributed around which many attendance systems are based on. This process can be fairly expensive and the problem of 3AAAs hardware in their sites could cause a problem. The auditing process would also be very lengthy. This confirms that the cloud based platform may be the best way to go for the system. The service is well looked after by Microsoft as it is part of package. Another added perk in the service is that more server space can be purchased easily if the site ever needed expanding. Conclusion: This concludes this investigation into a new attendance system for 3AAA. I have covered the customers requirements, researched a service provider, developed a function able webpage to use as an attendance system and described the implementation procedure I plan to follow. The system has been designed to make the day to day function of signing in/marking the register easier for both the teachers and students. The website can be reached by both computer and mobile devices to make it as simple as possible for the students to access the site to sign in and use it. The register will be implemented gradually by using both Medias at the same time to ensure that it is working correctly before finishing with the paper and pen copies. This will ensure that accurate registers are still sent to head office and the users and students can be integrated into the system effectively. 3aaa have over 50+ academy sites around the UK with thousands of learners who attend on a frequent basis. This means that the system must be as full proof as possible to ensure an effective transition in the academies. The ease of use of having the system on the students mobile devices will ensure that the sign in process is as accurate as possible due to the speed in which the students can access the site through a mobile web page and log on. This process will allow for an accurate time stamp as the learners arrive to site as opposed to waiting until they were behind their desks to log on to the desktop site which would not be until after college had started at around 9:15 and would give a false reading. The system would also have all the information needed for students to contact the academy and individuals inside the academy. The students can use options on the site to report illness or and general absences. This can also be done through their mobile devices as well as a desktop browser. This will allow for staff at the college to know if a learner will be attending or not as soon as possible and will avoid any delays for 3aaa. Reference Screenshots: References: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6730-best-time-and-attendance-systems.html https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/sql-database/ https://www.syntaxismyui.com/taking-attendance-with-xamarin-beacons-and-microsoft-azure/ https://xamarin.com/ http://www.slideshare.net/kcsq8/kuwait-computer-servicesibatimeattendancebrochureen https://xamarin.com/download http://npifinancial.com/blog/pros-and-cons-digging-into-amazon-web-services/ http://geekswithblogs.net/hroggero/archive/2015/08/12/sample-pricing-comparison-2-amazon-aws-and-microsoft-azure.aspx Www.Google.com www.3aaa.co.uk  Ã‚  

Case Study of “Bookoff, Amazon Japan, and the Japanese Retail Bookselling Industry”

Case Study of â€Å"Bookoff, Amazon Japan, and the Japanese Retail Bookselling Industry† 1. The reasons for the profitability of large Japanese retail booksellers relatively poor and their scale relatively small. One reason for this is that there is no significant industry consolidation has occurred, so there is no dominant bookseller, because there is a unique formal institution which is price-fixing system that makes it illegal for larger and potentially more efficient competitors to use price competition to drive out small competitors. Laws have allowed publishers to fix the price of new books, music, and newspapers in the bookselling industry, this means retailers are unable to compete on price. For a long time, sales has been in stagnation, even worse, the steady increase of costs over time has reduced the profitability of both large chains and small stores. Also because of the undifferentiated book in multiple book stores, the only way to compete is on price, but this is illegal, and also the entry to this industry is low, small entrants can enter this industry easily ,this lead to the scale relatively small. . The benefits for individual companies and the industry to participate in Saihan system and the costs. Under Saihan system, for individual companies, they sell books, musics, magazines at fixed price, the competition is not fierce and they can almost earn average profit of this industry, because there is no need to compete on price, this can make them more cautious of their diversity of products, so they w ould provide as more product as they can, which could increase customer loyalty if customers could always find what they want. Another benefit is that Saihan system encourages new tittles to publish, this enables individual company to bring many new books in their stores to attract customer. While the costs of this system for individual companies are becoming bigger, they have to spend large amount of money to process the new titles while they are making less profit on them. Because of fixed price, all the stores are providing undifferentiated books and also the less competition makes individual companies much less efficient. As the industry is under price fixing system, first benefit is that this system combined with Consignment sale system which allows retailers and wholesalers to return unsold books to the publisher free of charge, leading publishers and wholesalers prefer to supply larger retailers first, which drives small retailers out of business. Another benefit is that this system maintains market stability, the price is not volatile and the industry can grow steadily. On the other hand, costs are, as the industry entry is not high, many small book stores being set up in Japan, with the large number of stores, every company is earning lower profit but they can not compete on price. Because of the rigidity of price, customer would like to buy cheaper imported books and CDs and also buy second-hand books, online books, and also rental books instead of buying a new book, these substitutes are now threatening the industry and also hamper the growth of the industry. . Industry-, resource-, and institutional based views to explain the success of Bookoff and Amazon Japan. †¢ Industry-based view From industry-based view, rivalry among competitor in Japanese industry is characterized by large numbers of relatively small booksellers, as they are all selling products at the same prices, the rivals in the industry are similar in size, influence and product offering, so the competition with this saturated industry is vigorous. As the entry barriers of this industry is relatively low, some incumbents enjoys economies of scales, only large retailers are earning higher profits, small operations are being driven out of this industry, the profitability of the industry is not so attractive, so, potential entrants are few. In the area of book distribution channel, the competition is very low, as Nippon Shuppan Hanbai and Tohan control between 70% and 90% of the book wholesale market. They prefer to supply larger retailers first, because they don’t need to worry much about returned books under Consignment Sale System. So the small number of suppliers and they provide the newest and most popular books shape the strong bargaining power The buyers of this industry now can choose to use internet to entertain, this causes the overall drop in book sales in Japan, and the number of retailers in the industry is very big, so they can choose between different stores without any switching costs, and they are all facing undifferentiated books, so the bargaining powers of buyers in the industry is very enhanced. The substitutes are posing big threat of this industry, e-book and cell phone novel are convenient and less expensive compared to existing hard copy books and customers virtually incur no costs when switching from hard copy books to e-books, cell phone novels. So the substitutes are a big threat for this industry. For Bookoff, the strategy Bookoff deployed is low-cost leadership, it uses a loophole in the Saihan system to offer lower prices by opening used-book stores, because used books are an exemption to the Saihan system. Bookoff uses its new technologies to clean book covers and grind down dog-eared pages to make a used book look practically new, and the rehabilitated books are at new book quality, so, it offers the same value of a product at a lower price compared with its rivals, the technology it is using is an entry barrier for other competitors and potential entrants. While the suppliers of Bookoff are those used book holders, their bargaining power is much lower since it buys books form the suppliers at 10% of its list price. In addition, Bookoff focuses on the used book and differentiates itself by shaping the new recycle industry, the students can feel frugal and environmentally conscious without suffering a drop-off in the quality of books when buying new-used ones, and new-used book store such as Bookoff is also an acceptable compromise for the still image-conscious, but increasingly thrifty, Japanese consumer. For Amazon Japan, first, it uses product differentiation strategy to provide a wide variety of products besides book. It offers music, DVDs, videos, software, gaming and even kitchen appliances. By offering the wide range of products, Amazon Japan differentiates itself by offering larger selection of products. Also, it differs itself by allowing customers to read excerpts and passages from books before they purchase them. Low cost leadership strategy is also deployed to compete with existing competitors by offering free shipping which put Amazon on par with its bricks and mortar competitors but give it an advantage over other online stores. †¢ Resource-based view. Bookoff has several new technologies as tangible resource and has intangible resource as reputation for offering new used books. These new technologies can add value to those used books, Boooff can clean book covers and grind down dog-eared pages to make a used book look practically new. And the value-adding activity is very firm-specific, so, the technology resource is vey valuable. As Bookoff’s new valuable technology is a rare resource and capability, other competitor has no access to it, so it has the potential to provide continue competitive advantage. And because the new championed technology probably has been registered as patent by Bookoff, the imitation of this capability is almost impossible. The organization of Bookoff is unlike most bureaucracy-laden Japanese companies, it franchises all its stores, and the owners and employees are encouraged to act like entrepreneurs, and this feature of organization of Boooff gives its competitive advantage that its competitors don’t have. For Amazon Japan, when the bookselling activity is not value-adding in Japan, it turns to offer a wide variety of products besides books such as electronics, toys, and sporting good, etc. Because of this innovation resource, Amazon Japan always keeps increasing its product lineup to provide value to consumers. Another question is that this innovation of Amazon Japan is not rare, it can be easily imitated by its competitors, and thus, this competitive advantage is just contemporary for Amazon Japan, but other competitors can only imitate its product line, they probably are not as innovative as Amazon Japan. †¢ Institution-based view Institution is the humanly devised constraints that structure human interaction, the institution in Japan is quite unique compared with that in American. The Saihan system, a formal institution, this law prevents these bookseller competing on price. For Bookoff, this institution doesn’t constrain its competitive advantage, it uses low-cost leadership to compete with its competitors, there is a loophole in the Saihan system, because it is a used-book stores, so, it is an exemption to the Saihan system, then, it can lower its prices which can be much lower than its competitors. Further more, it accommodate to the changed informal institution in Japan that the Japanese consumer’s image-conscious, but thrifty culture, and it also cater for the Japanese young people’s taste that it is new-used book stores, the young generation are much more environmentally conscious. For Amazon Japan, it uses a clever methods to bypass the Saihan system to offer free shipping to customers which put its products at lower prices than its competitors that do not offer this service, and its also opened Amazon Marketpalce, this allows Amazon to indirectly sell books and music at prices below Saihan-mandated prices as third-party uses, where those third-party users are not bound by Saihan system. In addition, Amazon uses a points system for customers to accumulate points to redeem for a gift certificate, this also by pass the Saihan system to lower the price of its products. Because of the informal institution of Japan, people in Japan are fear of fraud to use credit care for online purchase, in order to cater for this unique culture, Amazon Japan started a service to allow its customer to make payments at any convenience stores and ATMs throughout the country, enabling customers to avoid the risk of online fraud. And Amazon Japan also accommodate the Japanese customers’ tradition of standing and reading to provide â€Å"look inside† option to allow customer to read excerpts and passages from books before they purchase them. 4. What will happen if the Saihan system dissolves? After the dissolve of Saihan system, all the competitors in Japan can then compete on price, a lot of small stores will not hold because they lack economies of scale and will be driven out of the bookselling industry, the industry structure will have fundamental change. The competition will be fierce, significant industry consolidation will occur and the industry will probably be dominant by giant companies. The suppliers’ competition will also be intensified, so, it will be important to have good supplier intimacy, buyer will have access to much lower prices of books. 5. If I were a board member of Barnes& Noble or Borders, I would approve a proposal to open a series of book stores in Japan, because the success of Amazon Japan and Bookoff has indicated that Saihan system can be easily by-passed, we can follow the success of Amazon Japan to offer free shipping and provide a wide selection for our customers, because the capabilities Amazon Japan are not hard to imitate, we have our own human resources to even build even better facilities than Amazon Japan, based on out resources in American, I believe we can success in Japan, if the Saihan System dissolves, we can still proceed to Japanese market, because after Saihan System dissolves, the competition in Japan will be very fierce, a lot of small operation will be driven out of business, we can then buy these small business and integrate them into our business operation. And we have economies of scale, we believe we can offer lower prices if price war begins in Japan. References 1. Peng, M (2009) Bookof f, Amazon, and the Japanese retail bookselling industy, Global Strategy, 2e, 387-395.

Best Health Apps For Travellers - 1878 Words

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The Vietnam War Was The Biggest Failure Of The 20th Century

The Vietnam War The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial wars the United States participated in. Communism in the 20th century, was a huge threat to the U.S. It become a priority of the U.S. to stop the spread of Communism. In the late 1940s, the French struggled to control its colonies in Indochina - Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (history.state.gov). The U.S. saw that the French were struggling in south Vietnam so they decided to come and help France. They tried to support France and the South Thus leading the U.S. into what most consider a pointless war. The Vietnam war was the biggest failure of the 20th century because the United States failed to win, the war created a divide between soldiers and civilians which led to riots, and the war also caused great distrust of the government. Vietnam is located in East Asia and was slowly becoming influenced by Communism, the North was already in the hands of Communism, but the South was rebelling against it. The French had claim over parts of Vie tnam. The North under leader Ho Chi Minh rebelled and declared themselves a separate nation. The United States first became involved to help their ally France. It later became a goal of the United States to stop communism from spreading especially against influences from Russia and China (HistoryNotes.com). Before the U.S intervened into Vietnam the North was already declared a communist nation under Ho Chi Minh who was a Vietnam Communist revolutionary leader. He was alsoShow MoreRelatedAn Accurate Assessment of the 50s and 60s in America674 Words   |  3 Pagesof Liberty conveys, McCarthyism hushed the freedom of speech. (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey A127)The man who gave McCarthyism a name, Joseph McCarthy, ruined many lives by accusing tons of Americas of being Communists for about 5 years. 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Each leader and his followers successfully changed the economic and political structure of their countries as well as influencing

Children s Theatre An Activity I Have Positive, First...

Children’s theatre is an activity I have positive, first-hand experience in. I have participated in shows and productions in my community and school for as long as I can remember, and I loved every second of it. Since I have a history with the topic, I believed it would be a smart idea to volunteer my time with some sort of children’s theatre organization. I have always known how beneficial children’s theatre has been to me in my own life, however, I will show how everyone’s involvement in community children’s theatre bears a multitude of positive effects. I decided to volunteer with the Portsmouth Area Arts Council Children’s Theatre, or PACT for short. After this assignment is due, I will still be volunteering with them, helping backstage with their latest production, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr, which will be performed on the Vern Riffe Center’s main stage in November. However, for the few weeks I was with them recently, I was able to help at rehearsals for the show. 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How the Beatles Changed a Generation Free Essays

Ali GreerResearch PaperHST 367 How One Band Changed a Generation The 1960’s is a decade remembered for its counterculture, social revolution and an emergence of a new kind of popular culture. If you asked me what my first thoughts were when I hear the decade 1960s, I automatically think about the Beatles. Has a decade ever had such a defining musical group that represents not only a shift to more rebellious music such as Rock n Roll, but an influence so great that they are still talked about to this day? The Beatles not only changed music but they affected culture in ways that had not been challenged by a musical group before. We will write a custom essay sample on How the Beatles Changed a Generation or any similar topic only for you Order Now I asked my mom what she remembers about the Beatles. She was only 6 when they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show but she still remembers. She said that, â€Å"The Beatles didn’t define a generation, they created one†. The first way that the Beatles challenged everyday popular culture was that the fact that they were British. Before the Beatles traveled across â€Å"the pond†, the U. S. had been a tough break for aspiring British pop groups. The Beatles wanted to teach the world that pop music could be intelligent and that British groups could do that just as well as American music groups. Some could argue that the Beatles did not start a phenomenon, they somehow perfected the cultural significance of 1950’s musicians before them like Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Before settling with their signature rock sound, The Beatles started in the Skiffle genre, a type of music with jazz, blues and roots influences. By 1960, Lennon wanted to move away from Skiffle to more of a Rock n Roll sound. Lennon and McCartney perfected their writing skills and relied less and less on on outside material. This was a groundbreaking ideal in the music industry and it had a lasting impact on culture. It urged other big name music acts such as the Rolling Stones to start writing their own music. Lennon and McCartney would eventually become one of the most famous songwriting partnerships in music history. The Beatles first appeared on American television on February 9, 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show. 40 % of the country, about 73 million viewers tuned in to see Paul, John, George and Ringo perform for the first time in America. This is still considered one of the most important moments in television history. Now one may ask, how did so many people know about this little band from Britain? The record I Want to Hold Your Hand was leaked in advance to American radio stations. The record label could not prevent DJs from the playing the record therefore the album was officially released on December 26, 1963. 250,000 copies were sold in the first three days of its release. It’s unclear who actually leaked the record beforehand, but this publicity stunt was hugely successful for the Beatles. Mobs of people were waiting for the Beatles when they arrived at JFK airport. When asked how did you find America, Ringo Starr jokingly said â€Å"Turn left at Greenland. † The media took to covering this frenzy as best as it could. Newsweek printed an article on February 24 ,1963 reviewing the Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The last paragraph ended with this, â€Å"the odds are they will fade away, as most adults confidently predict. † No one could predict the upcoming effects that the Beatles would have on American culture. The Beatles had arrived in America during a confusing time. President Kennedy had been assassinated just a few months prior, the threat of a war in Vietnam was eminent and Americans needed something new. And the Beatles were just what they needed. They rejuvenated pop music for Americans. They were seen as modern and sleek. â€Å"Beatlemania was so strong because the times and the youth of America were simpler and more naive. † This simplicity of society would play a big role in the Beatles influence on culture because it would allow them to change their style so freely without doubt from the nation. Society would accept it as popular no matter what. When the Beatles arrived in America, parents of teenagers hated them. They hated their relationship themed lyrics, their sex appeal, etc. The Beatles influenced a generation to not do what their parents told them to and helped Rock n Roll gain its rebellious reputation. Naturally, The Beatles are best known for their music. Not only did they have a large number of hit songs, but their music also evolved very rapidly through the group’s brief career, embarking on territory not previously explored by pop music groups. Released in 1967, â€Å"Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band† was a huge breakthrough album in pop music with its use of orchestras, harpsichords, circus sounds and other effects that were largely created in the studio. No longer did pop groups just have to be guitars, a bass, drums and vocals — nor were they limited to what could be performed live. The Beatles still influence music years after their breakup. â€Å"Beatlesque† is â€Å"a term used by critics to describe music that has one or more traits or characteristics of the music made by the Beatles. There are also hundreds of Beatles tribute bands out there paying tribute to the Fab 4. â€Å"The Beatles sold a lot of records not because they were the greatest musicians but simply because their music was easy to sell to the masses: it had no difficult content, it had no technical innovations, it had no creative depth. They wrote a bunch of catchy 3-minute ditties and they were photogenic†. Th e Beatles were immensely popular during the 1960s and they helped feminize a culture. The baby boom began in 1946 and ended in 1964 which meant that ? f the nation’s population was in the teen or pre teen bracket. When the the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, hundreds of teenage girls were lined up, screaming. An important factor to Beatlemania was the fans. There was something slightly feminine about the Beatles. Their slightly tousled hair, their tailored suits. The Beatles had the perfect mix between masculinity and femininity. The Beatles persistent feature of women and love in their songs left teenage girls swooning and a culture that was more sexually driven than ever. As Steven Stark points out in his book Meet The Beatles, they also â€Å"challenged the definition that existed during their time of what it meant to be a man. †   Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The Beatles were not only selling records, they were selling trends. † Featured in the Time All Time 100 Fashion Icons, the Beatles were always evolving when it came to style. You could say that it’s normal for musicians to change their appearance to keep up with society and the latest trends. The Beatles were the trend. Whatever they did, society copied. When the Beatles first traveled to America, they wore black collarless suits. They even popularized a haircut called the â€Å"moptop† The moptop was a straight cut, collar length in the back and over the ears on the sides. The public went crazy for this cut. McCartney writes in a letter, â€Å"George explained in a 60s interview that it was John and I having our hair cut in Paris which prompted him to do the same†¦. We were the first to take the plunge. † The Beatles were not afraid of taking risks. They took what they liked from popular culture and took it to a new extreme. Towards the end of Beatlemania, the Beatles embraced more of a psychedelic style, with bright patterns and colors. They even let their signature hairstyles grow out and even experimented with facial hair. John Lennon even established his own trend, wearing tea shade glasses which ended up being called â€Å"Lennon† glasses. The Beatles were not hesitant when it came to change, even when it dealt with changing their own fads and this is important to their success as culture icons. The Beatles did not merely stay in the music industry. They dabbled in the movie business too. Their film, Yellow Submarine was a colorful trendsetter in the world of animation. Producers used techniques that had never been used before. Although Yellow Submarine was produced on a small budget, the film was met with mostly positive reviews. Talking about the film, Time Magazine stated that it, â€Å"turned into a smash hit, delighting adolescents and esthetes alike†. The aftermath of Yellow Submarine was that animation was being taken as a more serious form of art. Previously, animation had been described as silly or goofy. The Beatles changed this perspective. Josh Weinstein, a former writer for the animated series The Simpsons wrote an article describing how Yellow Submarine affected modern animation today. Weinstein states, â€Å"Without Yellow Submarine there would never have been The Simpsons, no Futurama, no South Park, no Toy Story, no Shrek No animated anything that enables us to laugh at ourselves while being highly entertained. †   As you can see, The Beatles accomplishments in popular culture are still talked about today. The religious allure of the Beatles was a vital factor in allowing the group to endure. John Lennon was onto something in 1966 when he compared the group’s popularity with that of Jesus Christ. Multitudes flocked to them and even brought sick children to see if the Beatles could somehow heal them. Thus, those who have seen elements of religious ecstasy in Beatlemania are not wrong. â€Å"Religion, it must not be forgotten, has its roots in spiritual bonding. And the Beatles had a powerful appeal to a generation in calling forth a spiritual bonding. It was so intoxicating that it created mass hysteria. In this way, the Beatles—especially with their elevation to a kind of sainthood—have become modern counterparts to the religious figures of the past†. John Lennon once stated that, â€Å"The Beatles are more popular than Jesus† and this remark caused quite the controversy in the United States. It led to fans to protest the band and to burn their albums. This was different than the attitudes of society during Beatlemania. Society was actually challenging something the Beatles did. This was a momentous event because it showed that the Beatles were immune. They made mistakes too. They didn’t have a perfect image. But that lack of perfect image was the catalyst to the Beatles success. Society saw the Beatles as four men trying to change he face of music. The Beatles did not only influence religion, but political views as well. Lennon in an interview to Rolling Stone talks about the song â€Å"Revolution†, â€Å"I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this ‘God will save us’ feeling about it, that it’s going to be all right (even now I’m saying ‘Hold on, J ohn, it’s going to be all right,’ otherwise, I won’t hold on) but that’s why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say ‘What do you say? This is what I say. † Revolution was the Beatles first overtly public political song. Revolution dealt with the War in Vietnam. New Left publications called the song a â€Å"betrayal†. Besides it blatant political undertones, Revolution went on to become a hit single. The Beatles were and still are so successful because of their infiltration of different media outlets. Music, television, movies, magazines, radio, etc. They knew that they needed not only to sell music but to sell a legacy. The Beatles influenced a whole generation during the 1960s and they are still influencing new generations to this day. This multi decade success is a clear example of their powerful grasp on American culture during the 1960s. Bibliography http://www. guardian. co. uk/film/2012/nov/19/beatles-yellow-submarine-simpsons-shrek http://www. edsullivan. com/artists/the-beatles/ http://www. beatles-tribute-band-uk. co. uk/history. htm http://www. time. com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2110513_2110627_2110708,00. html http://www. scaruffi. com/vol1/beatles. html#sgt http://beatle. wordpress. com/2008/08/23/history-the-beatles-started-a-revolution-that-changed-us-all-forever/ http://www. thebeatles. com/ How to cite How the Beatles Changed a Generation, Papers

Al Azhar University free essay sample

Al-Azhar University Brief Description Al-Azhar University also known as Jamiat Al Azhar al Saif, meaning the noble Azhar, is a center of learning in Cairo, Egypt. It was established as an Islamic Institute or a madrasa in 972 and specialized in offering courses pertaining to the field of Arabic Literature and Sunni theology and sharia. It is regarded as the second oldest University both around the world and in Egypt. It was initially established as the Al Azhar mosque. However, it slowly developed into an Islamic educational institute over the years.Al Azhar’s main aim involves spreading Islamic faith and culture around the world. To this day, Islamic scholars at the institute issue fatwas based on arguments and situations put forward to them from around the Sunni world. These fatwas cover a wide range of topics such as Islamic law, appropriate behavior for individual Muslims, etc. In 1961, following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and the establishment of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s government, Al Azhar started offering programs apart from Islamic subjects such as science, engineering, pharmacy medicine, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Al Azhar University or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That same year, a women’s department was also established as part of the university. Today, al-Azhar has positioned itself as a profoundly significant institution in Egypt and around the world. History Initially established as a mosque by the Fatimid dynasty, it slowly evolved into a university over the years. Its construction was authorized by the fourth leader of the Fatimid Dynasty, Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah, in Cairo which at that time was the newly founded capital city of Egypt. It was the first mosque to be constructed in Cairo, and took approximately two years to build.It was completed in the year 972, after which it opened for prayers during the month of Ramadan. Since the Fatimid dynasty was descendant from Fatima, daughter of the Prophet P. B. U. H. , it is widely thought that the university was named after her. Fatima was also known as Az Zahra (the brilliant or the shining one), thus, giving the university its name. Another theory regarding how the institution got its name is that the mosque was surrounded by large mansions and palaces during the year it was established. Al Azhar was originally established as a base for spreading the Ismaili sect of Shiite Islam.The Fatimid Dynasty used it as a means to publicize the teachings of the Ismaili school of law. This sect of Islam was taught at both the caliph’s palace and at al Azhar. It became a leading institution for Islamic learning in the world and was used as a center for issuing all religious judgments. In 973, the mosque was designated as the official place of congregational gathering for the Eid ul Fitr prayers in Cairo. In 988, Al Muiz appointed Yaqub ibn Killis, a person with extensive knowledge of Islamic law as one of the prominent instructors at Al Azhar.Yaqub bin Killis is mainly credited with advancing Al Azhar as a center for Islamic learning. The next year, the authorities at Al Azhar appointed several other instructors and religious scholars to teach at the mosque, thus, forming a base for the institution to become the most prominent Islamic university in the world. From 975 to 996, during the reign of Al Muiz’s son al Aziz, the mosque expanded even further. These expansions were carried out till the remaining of the Fatimid dynasty. The Fatimid dynasty is also credited with establishing Al Azhar’s library by providing it with numerous Ismaili manuscripts.A Mamluk leader However, following the overthrow of the Fatimid dynasty by the Ayyubid Empire led by Saladin in 1171, the mosque saw a period of negligence. The Ayyubid dynasty was a firm Sunni empire and disapproved of the Shiite teachings taught at the university. The manuscripts provided by the Fatimid dynasty were destroyed, and funding for the students and professors was stopped. However, the policies of this dynasty are regarded as a key factor for converting Al Azhar to a Sunni center of learning.Following the disestablishment of the Ayyubid Empire, the mosque saw large advancements and expansions during the Mamluk Sultanate as a key Sunni educational institution. The Mamluk and Ottoman leaders sought political rulings from the institute, whereas the general public sought security and solutions during the time of economic and political turmoil. Area of specialization Classes commenced at Al Azhar during the month of Ramadan in 975. According to some sources, the university is said to have added faculties in Islamic law and jurisprudence (sharia), Islamic astronomy, Islamic philosophy, logic and Arabic grammar durng the same year.However, the academy mainly offered subjects regarding Arabic Literature and Islamic jurisprudence (sharia). The main purpose of Al Azhar was to advance everyone’s knowledge of the Islamic faith and help them become stronger Muslims. In its syllabus and academic activities, Al Azhar sought to reinforce the sacred ties and bring about a religious sense of pride among the Muslim nation. Today Al Azhar’s syllabus mainly consists of religious studies which include Quranic sciences and the Sunnah of the Prophet (p. b. u. h). Furthermore, it offers other subjects such as science, medicine, etc.In 1961, faculties of medicine and engineering, among other faculties, were added to the university. These departments are unique in the sense that they teach all non- religious subjects from an Islamic perspective. Al Azhar’s student population includes students not just from Egypt but also from all over the world. The University of Al-Azhar seeks to endow the Muslim world with religious scholars and experts, by providing them with extensive knowledge about Islamic laws, culture and morals so that they can serve their people better, and help develop their nations on the foundation of faith and science.Important Islamic Events During this Time The university was established sometime in the midst of the golden age of Islam. A few centuries before the university was set up, the Abbasid dynasty had conquered the Umayyad dynasty and rose to power in the year 750 AD. The Abbasid dynasty also managed to conquer some parts of Europe, hence, spreading Islam to those areas. The Islamic civilization is said to have prospered most during this reign and was, thus, called the golden age of Islam (750 AD – 1258 AD). This period saw several developments in Arabic literature, commerce and industry, arts and sciences, and medicine among other areas.Furthermore, there were a lot of scientific and technological achievements witnessed during this period. During the Abassid rule, a lot of the Umayyad rulers fled to Muslim Spain. The following centuries witnessed some of the Umayyad rulers rise back to power in Spain. Towards the end of the 10th century, the Umayyad dynasty eventually took control of the Iberian Peninsula (then known as Al Andalus), by running the region from Cordoba, Spain. During the period 912-961 AD, Abd al Rahman III became the emir of Cordoba, succeeding his grandfather after his death.This era witnessed the development of Cordoba across several fields such as economic, agricultural, etc. However, the Umayyad dynasty fell apart again in 1031 resulting in the division of Al Andalus into smaller independent states. Around the same time, the Shiite Fatimid Empire was founded in 909 by Ubaid Allah al-Mahdi Billah. This dynasty claimed to be descendent from the Prophet (p. b. u. h)’s daughter Fatima Az Zahra. Their reign soon expanded to several parts of North Africa and, in addition, included countries like Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, the Red Sea, Africa, Yemen Hejaz, and Sicily.