Funding a New Biotechnology Firm Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Funding a New Biotechnology Firm - Assignment Example Bragg notes that this may be advantageous as the entrepreneurs are able to maintain ownership of the enterprise. He contends that tax deduction is another merit for using this approach. However, the demerit includes repayment of the principal amount accompanied by interest. The gain is that the entrepreneurs are able to acquire additional funds and develop from start up. Angel investors are yet another way within which one can acquire financing. This according to Hill & Power (2002) is acquiring venture capital from individual investors. It is more appropriate for start up business that has yet to get revenues or sales. The individual investors may be willing to invest if conditions of relinquishing control are accepted. They also may want to invest if they have prior knowledge of success in that particular field, which in these regard is the biotechnology enterprise. In his article, DeBaise (2009) observes that angel investors are wealthy individuals who may want ownership in the en terprise. In 2007 angel investors invested around $26 billion, which amounts to around 57,120 ventures that breaks down to $450,000. This is according to the research carried out by venture research at the University of New Hampshire in the year 2007. This, it contends, leads to a powerful resource for new entrepreneurs (DeBaise 2009). Self funding is another way through which the entrepreneurs can acquire funds. This is where they can decide to raise the required amount through contributions from own funds (Megginson 2004). Examples of ventures that started in this way include Dell Company that had its founder Michael Dell start with his own savings. To a large extent, this is very encouraging as the advantage is that the entrepreneurs are able to maintain control of the... This essay stresses that the decision to start any business is exciting and encouraging to the growth of the economy of any country. However, many entrepreneurs blow up their dreams of starting up businesses due to lack of finances to develop their ideas. It is with this view that the above paper has offered the various ways the entrepreneurs can solicit for funds. The prospects of acquiring funds from any of the proposed funds strategy are exciting but what is required is caution in whatever choice one takes. Recommending any particular funds strategy may deem inconsiderate but making a preference is rather fair so as the entrepreneurs can be able to contemplate what they want. This is to be backed by evidence that indeed that particular funding strategy has been successful. Angel investors are yet another way within which one can acquire financing. This paper makes a conclusion that the United States is ranked top as a biotechnology leader with many investors in that particular venture and the highest funding strategy at an 80 percent is venture capital. This stands out then as the most appropriate funding strategy due to the nature of venture. Biotechnology venture is known to be a high risk venture thus requiring alot of capital and investors who have the knowledge of the market. Venture capital in this perspective appears to be the solution for the entrepreneurs.

American Born Chinese Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Born Chinese - Essay Example They are intended to change the whole viewpoint that the readers have about that particular scenario. These writings are always radical in nature and tend to convince the reader to see things from the same viewpoint. One such text is American Born Chinese, a 2008 graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang and Lark Pien that contains a great deal of protest. It can be easily noticed in the plot development of the story, and this will be the basis of discussion in this paper. The story begins with the monkeys hanging on the trees; generally, one would say that this is the nature of monkeys. They are supposed to live on trees. However, according to Yang, there is one monkey, the king of monkeys that has ruled the other monkeys for many years. At this time, he has mastered the ways of the gods; these ways are the eight Kung-fu disciplines. As a result of his reaching, he yearns to leave the monkeys behind and join the ranks of the gods. This is the first act of protest that we encounter. One could comfortably say that it is part of monkeys’ nature to stay on trees and behave like any other animal (Yang 4). However, here we encounter a monkey that wants to protest against all that and elevate itself to another level. It wants to behave like a god. In addition to this, the monkey wants to protest against the true nature of the monkeys by passing a rule that all monkeys must wear shoes just like human beings. This is another protest because generally, monkeys and all other animals do not wear shoes. For the monkeys, this would even make their life harder since they cannot climb trees while wearing shoes. The monkey becomes arrogant to other gods when he starts to demand that he should be treated like an equal. The leader of the gods, Tze-Yo-Tzuh, tells him, ‘you are what I created you to be.’ Tze-Yo-Tzuh further tells him that he made him from the rock (Yang 7). The monkey challenges the gods’ king to prove this and tries to run away, but the king catc hes him. After learning that he cannot change who he is, he still refuses to repent, and the king of the gods buries him under a mountain rock till a time when he realizes and accepts who he is. Here, Yang tries to prove that when we try to be different persons from what we are we will only end up hurting ourselves. Another protest that we encounter in this comical novel arises from a character, Jin Wang. At this point, Yang introduces us to a boy born of immigrant parents in the United States. His life in the states is virtually peaceful; however, when his family moves from San Francisco to a white dominated suburban region, his life changes. He finds that he is the only Chinese in the whole school, and this fact makes him a subject to the prejudice (Yang 31). This is the point where he begins protesting against his culture. He constantly has to tell the other children in the school that he was born in America, and that his family does not eat dogs. Yang, at this point exhibits ano ther protest, which is against his culture. Jin Wang does not want to be associated with the Chinese way of life yet this is his culture (Yang 31). Jin Wang struggles to fit in his white peers’ way of life in every aspect. He even eats sandwiches (Yang 37), food that is not common for his culture. Jin struggles to be like the whites even when he is not in the school environment. This is evident in the conversation that he has with an old lady about being what he wants to be. The lady replies by telling him, ‘

The Legal System and ADR Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Legal System and ADR Analysis Essay Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) refers to any means of settling disputes outside of the courtroom. ADR typically includes early neutral evaluation, negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration. As burgeoning court queues, rising costs of litigation, and time delays continue to plague litigants, more states have begun experimenting with ADR programs. Some of these programs are voluntary; others are mandatory. While the two most common forms of ADR are arbitration and mediation, negotiation is almost always attempted first to resolve a dispute. It is the preeminent mode of dispute resolution. Negotiation allows the parties to meet in order to settle a dispute. The main advantage of this form of dispute settlement is that it allows the parties themselves to control the process and the solution. Mediation is also an informal alternative to litigation. Mediators are individuals trained in negotiations, who bring opposing parties together and attempt to work out a settlement or agreement that both parties accept or reject. Mediation is used for a wide gamut of case-types ranging from juvenile felonies to federal government negotiations with Native American Indian tribes. Mediation has also become a significant method for resolving disputes between investors and their stock brokers. Arbitration is a simplified version of a trial involving limited discovery and simplified rules of evidence. The arbitration is headed and decided by an arbitral panel. To comprise a panel, either both sides agree on one arbitrator, or each side selects one arbitrator and the two arbitrators elect the third. Arbitration hearings usually last between a few days to a  week, and the panel only meets for a few hours per day. The panel then deliberates and issues a written decision, or arbitral award. Opinions are not public record. Arbitration has long been used in labor, construction, and securities regulation, but is now gaining popularity in other business disputes. Title 9 of the U.S. Code establishes federal law supporting arbitration. It is based on Congresss plenary power over interstate commerce. Where Title 9 applies, its terms prevail over state law. There are, however, numerous state laws on ADR. Forty-nine states have adopted the 1956 version of the Uniform Arbitration Act as state law. The act was revised in 2000 and subsequently adopted by twelve states. The arbitration agreement and award is now enforceable under both state and federal law. In 1958, the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards was drafted to aid in the enforcement in domestic courts of awards granted in foreign countries. As of August 2007, there were 142 countries participating in the convention. In 1970, the United States joined the UN Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. Reference Robbins, S. P. Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Principles Of Crop Science Environmental Sciences Essay

Principles Of Crop Science Environmental Sciences Essay The increasing population of the world has led to great issues dealing with demand and supply. This in turn leads to advancements in various scientific and cultural techniques to use the limited available resources in an effective way. The alarming issue in the recent days like urbanization, scarce area for agriculture, limited availability of resources and food security has led to development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to resist against pest and weeds. Among various issues coming up, this paper mainly discusses about the major crop management practices to improve crop for high yield and profit which is equally as important as GMOs. Crop management practices There are various methods of crop management practices, varying according to the types of resources used, climate and various other natural factors that involves the type of management to choose. Crop management involves growing crops on a massive scale, by involving methods like tillage, crop rotation, inter cropping, culling, composting, pest control and weed management, effective resources capture, irrigation techniques and hybridization. Few of the major management techniques are discussed below. Weeds, Pests and Disease control The European Weed Science Society defines weed as any plant or vegetation, excluding fungi, interfering with the objectives or requirements of people. Reduction of crop yield is the major reason for attempts to reduce weed population in arable crops. The first attempts at controlling weeds used manual labour and hand-hoeing which, at present days is a time consuming process. Thus a major development was the development of herbicides (Naylor, 2002). The worldwide efficacy in controlling weed (68%) was considerably higher than the control of animal pests or diseases (39% and 32%, respectively). The continuous use of herbicide and pesticides led to the appearance of resistant biotypes of weeds and pests, playing major role in contamination of the environment [2]. In the recent days the integrated weed management (IWM) approaches plays a vital role as they incorporate multiple tactics of prevention, avoidance, monitoring and suppression of weeds, undergirded by the knowledge of agro ecosystem biology. The development of IWM was motivated by a desire to provide farmers with systematic approaches to reduce reliance upon herbicide and retard the selection of herbicide-resistant biotypes. [5] Worldwide, pre-harvest and post-harvest losses to insects, weeds, and plant pathogens are estimated at 45 percent additional losses can be attributed to vertebrate pests. Selection of resistant varieties, rotation crops, crops for inter plantings and cover crops is important for successful crop production with minimal inputs of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Studies say that the use of pesticides has not solved the pest problem completely and in the past 50 years, insecticide use has increased tenfold, while crop losses from pest damage have doubled. Thus still there are studies being carried on pest control. The natural methods of control is more preferable for three major reasons like cost, safe to people and safe to environment also has no side effects. [4] Pests and diseases impact on crop yield and quality, and also reduce resource-use efficiency. Improved crop protection strategies to prevent such damage and loss can increase production and make a substantial contribution to food security. (Advances in plant disease and pest management, J. A. LUCAS,2010) Irrigation technique Irrigation is the method of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and rejuvenation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. The basic principle of irrigation is to help plants on evapo-transpiration process which plays a vital role in transportation of nutrients from soil to any part of the plant. In simple words it is expressed as More water supply More transpiration More CO2 More dry matter More yield More Profit There are various types of irrigation techniques varying upon the climate, nature of soil, nature of vegetation. In general, the goal is to supply the entire field uniformly with water, so that each plant has the amount of water it needs, neither too much nor too little. The earliest methods of irrigation were the perennial, basin and the terrace irrigation and the recent days developments were the sprinkler (gun sprinkler, portable solid-set sprinkler, pivot systems, side-roll sprinkler etc) and micro irrigation (drip irrigation). The type of irrigation technique plays a major role in the crop yield. But each irrigation systems have its own limitations and thus it is very important to choose the most suitable irrigation technique for particular variety of crop, after studying its various properties on its growth and development. For example, a study made in the western United States corn belt showed variation in the yield differing between the pivot and surface irrigation. Therefore choosing the right way of irrigation method is also an important way of crop management [3] 2.3. Resource capture The principle of resource capture is to provide a framework through which the productivity of vegetation can be analysed through the capture and conversion of environmental resources. The most basic resources that a plant would obtain are from the atmosphere and soil. The plants obtain carbon dioxide, light, temperature, and humidity from the atmosphere, whereas obtains water and other mineral nutrients from the soil. So resource capture is classified as the above ground and below ground resource capture. The crops depend on light for growth and depend on day length and temperature for its development. In the below ground resource capture, key natural resource which provides the most essential forms of nutrients for the plants growth which is associated with the integrated effect of management on most properties of soil that determines the sustainability and crop productivity is the soil. Good soil quality not only produces good crop yield, but also maintains environmental quality and consequently plant, animal and human health.. Growing of crops one after another without giving due consideration to nutrient requirement has resulted in decline in soil fertility, especially of nitrogen. Studies say that Zero- or reduced tillage crop production practices, coupled with proper residue management can maintain or improve soil organic matter and has the potential to substantially increase long-term crop production in semi-arid rain fed regions. [1] Conclusion Naylor, [1] Long-term soil management effects on crop yields and soil quality in a dryland Alfisol K.L. Sharmaa,*, Uttam Kumar Mandala, K. Srinivasa, K.P.R. Vittala, Biswapati Mandalb, J. Kusuma Gracea, V. Ramesha , Soil Tillage Research 83 (2005) 246-259 [2] Advances in weed management strategies C.M. Ghersaa,*, R.L. Benech-Arnoldb, E.H. Satorreb, M.A. Martà µÃƒâ€šnez-Ghersaa, Field Crops Research 67 (2000) 95 ±104 [3] High-yield irrigated maize in the Western U.S. Corn Belt: II. Irrigation management and crop water productivity Patricio Grassinia, Haishun Yangb, Suat Irmakc, John Thorburnd, Charles Burre, Kenneth G. Cassmana,à ¢Ã‹â€ -, Field Crops Research 120 (2011) 133-141 [4] Some agrometeorological aspects of pest and disease management for the 21st century Joyce Fox Strand, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 103 (2000) 73-82 [5] Targeting the farmer decision making process: A pathway to increased adoption of integrated weed management R.S. Wilson a,*, N. Hooker e, M. Tucker d, J. LeJeune c, D. Doohan b, Crop Protection 28 (2009) 756-764

The Cause And Effects Of Acid Mine Drainage Essay -- essays research p

The Cause and Effects of Acid Mine Drainage INTRODUCTION Imagine going fishing on a cool Autumn day, the trees are all different shades of orange, brown and red and the birds are singing their beautiful songs, but their is a serious problem because when you arrive at the river all plant and animal life are gone. This is by no means a recent phenomenon. This is due to the effects of acid rock drainage (ARD). This is a problem that has been occurring since ancient times, but it was not until the 1800's when fast growing industrialization and heavy mining that it caught alot of attention. Acid rock drainage is the term used to describe leachate, seepage, or drainage that has been affected by the natural oxidation of sulfur minerals contained in rock which is exposed to air and water. The major components of ARD formation are reactive sulfide minerals, oxygen, and water. Biological activity and reactions is what is responsible for the production of ARD. These reactions make low pH water that has the ability to mobilize heavy metals contained in geological materials with which it comes in contact. "ARD causes a devastating impact on the quality of the ground or surface water it discharges to. (Ellison & Hutchison)" ACID MINE DRAINAGE Within the mining process there are several sources that cause ARD. No matter what activities occur, ARD usually occurs when certain conditions are met. These conditions are the factors that limit or accelerate the release of ARD. The initial release of ARD can occur anywhere from a few months to many decades after the sulfide containing material is disturbed or deposited. ARD has been associated with mines since mining began. When ARD occurs due to the effects of mining it is called acid mine drainage, or AMD. The coal mining industry here in the eastern United States has been associated with a major source of AMD for decades. When water comes in contact with pyrite in coal and the rock surrounding it, chemical reactions take place which cause the water to gain acidity and to pick up iron, manganese and aluminum. Water that comes into contact with coal has a orange-red yellow and sometimes white color. The metals stay in the solution beneath the earth due to the lack of oxygen. When the water comes out of the mine or the bor... ...ansform organic material and nutrients.(Bastian 1993) Natural and constructed wetland have been used to treat wastewater. The first one that was ever constructed was in 1982. There are over 200 systems in Appalachia alone.(Bastian 1993) Even though this is safer for the ecosystem it is found that at most sites, chemical treatment is still necessary to meet efficient standards, but the costs of chemical treatment is greatly reduced with the initial biological treatment. Most operators find that the costs of the construction of the wetlands are made up within one year due to the money saved on chemicals. CONCLUSION In conclusion, acid rock drainage is a big problem all throughout the world due to alot of industrialization and mining. This is not only a serious problem around the world, it touches home here, especially here in Appalachia, but it seems to be under or getting under control with all the new regulations and standards the EPA is setting. Low pH and a high acidity level is harmful to us our wildlife and our plants. With the help of more education and more research it will not have to be a problem for our future.

I Need To Know Where I Came From To Know Where I Am Going Essay example

Growing up I learned the stories of my ancestors and how all of them were immigrants. I felt a need to learn their stories because I thought â€Å"I need to know where I came from to know where I am going†. I believe I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors and my accomplishments are not my own but resulted due to what they accomplished in their lives. I view my family history as building blocks with each generation improving, if only in millimeters. My ancestors came from Germany, Sweden and Bohemia. Three of my great-grandparents were immigrants. My parents both knew their grandparents and had a relationship I find it amazing to be so close to the immigrant generation yet so far away. I say far away because the language and customs are gone. We are completely â€Å"American† but in writing this paper I realized the values of the old countries remain alive and well within the current generation. The maternal side of my family contains Swedish and Bohemian ethnicities. My maternal grandmother was 100% ethnic Swedish. My great-grandparents arrived in America in between 1874 and 1888. The section on parenting issues for parents of color in Diller (2011) while my grandparents were not people of color they were immigrants which made them different. I wonder what experience my grandmother had growing up in a home with parents who were born in another country, spoke a different language and had different customs. I knew Grandma was raised by immigrant parents but I never thought how that would affect their parenting style and if the children were teased because their parents were different and how their parents helped the children deal with it. I now wish I had spoken to my grandmother about this and how it was to grow up in... ...ow my great-grandfather’s ethnic identity, his self-image of being German, was impacted (Diller, 2011). I can’t begin to understand how my great-grandfather must have felt during this time knowing the country he chose to become a part of and was a upright citizen in thought he was suspect in some way just because he was German. Knowing someone in my family was forced to assimilate, to give up his native language to take on English the language of the domnianat culture, made me angry and sad (Diller, 2011). I myself would personally love to be able to speak German along with the other native languages of my ancestors. I know the values I have written about provide mere snapshots of the cultural values of my ancestors but I believe they impact the way I live my life and view the world. So how does all of this affect my identity and place in American society?

The Historical Biography of Martin Luther

It is obviously important to note that society has evolved and that the issues of the sixteenth century although dictated by time are not all that different than what our schools face today. There may not have been a separation of church and state but there was a need for educational reformation. â€Å"It is sometimes forgotten that the Reformation was as much concerned with school as it was with church and home. Appreciating the role of education in directing church and society back to the source of the Christian faith, the reformers were committed to the schooling of the young. (Faber, 1998) There is no doubt that Martin Luther appreciated the structured approach of schools since one of his first official acts as a reformer was an attempt to convert existing monasteries schools. â€Å"For Luther, of course, education was grounded in the study of Scripture, a study that was to take place both within homes and schools. Committed by the First Amendment to separation of church and state and to freedom of religious expression, pluralistic America of the twenty- first century is very different from Luther†s Germany of the sixteenth century. (Harran, 2004) Many of the underlying foundation of the modern public schools systems around the world owe a great deal to the sixteenth century Reformation and Martin Luther. â€Å"In home, school, church, and community, fostering that awareness and understanding is the purpose of education and the responsibility of educators. No challenge is more urgent than empowering young people courageously to step into the stream of human events, refusing to stand upon the shore as bystanders. (Harran, 2004) Who better to use as a scholar for this particular work. I believe that Martin Luther would agree with the notion that our graduates should not only have a desire for collaboration, but should also strive to develop the bonds within a school†s collaborative learning environment. Luther lived in a time where only the wealthy or well connected received an education. This class isolationism went against the philosophies of today where diversity and interdependent social cultures strive to exist. In opposition to those who saw education as the privilege of only a few, Luther argued vociferously for compulsory education for all, recognizing the value of each individual before God. In an age in which only a few could afford to attend school and women received little if any education, Luther eloquently argued for expanding educational opportunities. † (Harran, 2004) Luther believed that a universal educational opportunity offered more to society and that mass education would be more advantageous because of the fact that it offered more collaborative opportunities. In the words of Martin Luther, â€Å"My dear sirs, if we have to spend such large sums every year on guns, roads, bridges, dams and countless similar items to insure the temporal peace and prosperity of a city, why should not much more be devoted to the poor neglected youth? † (Harran, 2004) Luther believed that society would benefit if more individuals were given the opportunity to improve themselves and he also seemed to understand that this process should include more collaborative educational methods. I also agree with the idea of collaborative educational methods and goals. I also believe that as teachers, we should promote the idea of students working together so they can learn from one another and at the same time extend their willingness and ability to interact and learning outside of the classroom. Today†s kids need PDA†s and other technology just to keep up with their own and friend†s busy schedules. Between commuting, extra curricular activities and homework, students may find that it is hard to coordinate with their peers. That is why we as teachers must create scenarios that promote togetherness through properly applying classroom settings, the use of technology and sound planning to eliminate the barriers of collaboration. It is a teachers responsibility to create an atmosphere that provides a comfortable setting for contribution by all, enable collaboration without regard to time or place and to help students learn from each other no matter what their diverse backgrounds might be. Luther was an advocate of a well conceived educational process. Writing in times far different than ours, Luther underscored the importance of a curriculum that truly engages young people and that inspires them to a genuine love of learning in all its many forms. † (Harran, 2004) This atmosphere can only occur if the teachers and administrative entities support critical self-reflection by the teachers. Teachers can only provide curriculums that engage if they themselves are up to date in their personal reflections and educations. I also agree with the fact that self awareness, professional development and personal achievement by teachers are areas that are critical to the success of the entire educational process. Professional development for example can be considered important in the realm of critical self-reflection because it is a vital piece of the teaching puzzle. Teachers who evaluate their needs and performance can use professional development opportunities to stay current with the new or available practices in teaching, learning and presentation. Consider that a large number of math teachers simply place far too much influence and credence on outdated text books and techniques. â€Å"Even while educators work to reduce the dominance of text-based learning in mathematics classrooms, publishers and teachers need to explore new modes of publication that will enable good innovative ideas to enter expeditiously into typical classroom practice. † (National Research Council 1989, p. 67) Self reflection will provide opportunities to change. Martin Luther and his reformers were the most social conscious individuals of their time. The reformations that he promoted were basically social justice reformations. Luther believed that the existing class system was not fair and that all classes should receive the opportunity for an education. â€Å"Not only would the state benefit from a reformed education, but also – and especially – the church. † (Faber, 1998) In the sixteenth century, those who could not read or write were forced to learn their religious scriptures form the religiously factions thus putting the poor and uneducated at a distinct disadvantage. Luther promoted that all individuals be educated and therefore eliminate those social injustices. Similar to the unfair class separation of Luther†s times, I believe we must address the social injustices of our times. â€Å"Schools in the United States face a multiplicity of challenges, from gaining adequate funds to hiring well-qualified and dedicated teachers to meeting the ever-increasing obligations of state-mandated testing to determining policy about such complex issues as bi-lingual education. † (Harran, 2004) We today face the distinction of having schools in poor urban areas that have no books, are literally unsafe, have no clean running water and certainly few to no good teachers while less than a mile down there could be an affluent school with a plethora of extras and well manicured lawns. Social justice always boils down to the haves and the have not†s. Consider the differentiation with the technology have line today. Schools that can afford new technology have it in abundance and every child has access to the internet and other educational tools. But, in our urban communities there are whole high schools that may only have five or six computers and those are for administrative applications. Today we are more adept at working with the special needs of race, ethnicity, class, cultural and linguistic diversity, religion, gender, sexuality and special needs. In Martin Luther†s sixteenth century, diversity was focused more on the differences between rich and poor and religious preference was a one way street. So when he wrote or worked to reform the system, he was trying to incorporate those who were considered to be the minorities of their time. Yet, whether the differences were color or religion is not relevant. The key is that there was a need for reform with the existing process just like we have a need for change in our modern day educational process. â€Å"The need for educational reform was urgent at the beginning of the sixteenth century. At that time there existed no school system as such, and teaching was often limited to the children of wealthy merchants and city rulers. In many places the Roman Catholic church supervised the training of the youth in monasteries, cloisters, and other church-run institutions. But these were falling into disrepute and disrepair, as the populace reacted against the corruption and abuses among the clergy. † (Faber, 1998) Today, research covering the effects of diversity in the classroom show how and why effective teaching can be linked to the ability of instructors to incorporate diversity into their classrooms. These studies repeatedly show that there is a direct correlation between a child†s attitude towards his or her race and ethnic grouping and other cultural groups from as early as the preschool years. In other words, young children develop their stereotypes in the classroom or in the home environment at very early ages. Teachers can therefore help reduce or hopefully even eliminate negative stereotypes by being diversity conscious themselves. Through the use of culturally sensitive class initiatives for example, teachers have an opportunity to establish more positive examples for their students. â€Å"Researchers agree that new models of professional development are needed, and that such models must include a focus on the development of local cultures of interest if they are to be sustainable. (Swan, Vargas, & Holmes, 2004) In conclusion, this paper was on Martin Luther and also my interpretations of his views on the treatise of scholarship and education. From Luther†s point of view, this report attempted to propose possible reforms in the area of curriculum. The report was formatted in the form of an action plan that articulated my personal philosophies of teaching and identified with Martin Luther as my selected scholar. Issues addressed were the educational and conceptual frameworks of collaboration, social justice, diversity and critical self-reflection. Obviously Martin Luther appreciated the structured approach of schools since one of his first official acts as a reformer was to convert existing monasteries into schools. This may even be the underlying foundation of all modern public schools systems around the world. Who could be a better scholar for this particular project. â€Å"There is no denying the huge gap between the sixteenth century and the twenty- first. Luther†s Germany was overwhelmingly Christian; he could look to the state to further the agenda of Christian education, although he insisted that the responsibility for education was not solely, or even primarily, the responsibility of government. We live in a very different world from that of Luther. The United States is rich in cultural and religious diversity, and, from an early age, children experience that diversity and multiplicity of religious traditions and values in school and community. † (Harran, 2004)