Since the late 1980s through the early 2000s social media and texting have started booming and becoming well known communication avenues around the world. Every year since these platforms have continued to gain popularity and is one of the most common ways to communicate today. This has played a role in the rise of unprofessional communication within the business world. This article examines the past and new data on if social media and texting are to blame for the gap of unprofessional communication in the workplace, focusing mainly on written communication. In addition, a project-based learning project is summarized to help high school students, who are taking business courses for college credit, understand the importance of having professional communication within a business setting, while creating a professional email and sharing their findings on why professional communication is important with their classmates throughout the school.

Note: This book was written in 1999 and last updated in 2003. Since then technologies have changed so the non-conceptual and more technical parts of the book may be out of date.Why Yet Another Textbook (WYAT)?There are many excellent introductory information systems (IS) texts on the market. Why then produce our own text? Interestingly enough, when we sat down to critically review the first year Information Systems curriculum, the very last thing that we wanted was to get involved in writing yet another text. But after we had set the broad educational goals, the curriculum content and educational approach, we found that no textbook fitted our objectives or approach. Briefly, the following considerations forced us to fire up our word processor and compile the text you find in front of you.Technology Bias. A frequent criticism of the introductory information systems curricula is that many have a very strong technological bias: many courses are an in-depth treatment of hardware and software concepts with an avalanche of buzzwords, often reflecting some computer science origins. Although a sound understanding of the technology that underlies information systems is critical, this technology is subject to significant change and seems to receive a disproportionately large amount of attention. This is particularly prevalent in many of the American textbooks that we considered for this course: they all seem to be an "Introduction to Computers" rather than an "Introduction to Information Systems". We wondered where the broader scientific contexts are in these, admittedly very well illustrated but quickly out-dated, documentaries of computer technologies. This is in sharp contrast to a number of European and Australasian texts, some of which relegate all the technology concepts to a single chapter or even a mere appendix at the end of the book! We needed something of a balance between these two extremes. We hope that the three roughly equal sections (scientific, technological and organisational contexts) in this will provide a sufficiently balanced approach to the study of information systems. We wish to provide students with a sound technical understanding but also let them take into account the more philosophical, scientific and organisational aspects of information systems.Depth of Treatment. We needed a text where the conceptual or theoretical component would be equivalent to roughly half of a one-semester course. Most textbooks on the market are intended for full or half-year courses. A frequent comment, even of the newer "trimmed-down editions", is that there is just too much material. Students with little or no previous exposure to computer jargon especially despair when confronted with the many new terms and acronyms. In addition, many of these technologies may be outdated by the time the students have completed their studies. By limiting ourselves to twelve chapters and setting strict limits to the length of each chapter, we hope to stem the "information overload" without compromising the academic standard. We carefully considered "need to know" versus "nice to know". A good example of the latter are the typical detailed historical notes on historical devices such as the abacus, Babbage or ENIAC.Educational Approach. Contrary to our expectations, past student evaluations showed that the textbook previously use, a well-written American one with excellent colour photographs and illustrations, was not well received and lectures based on the textbook were judged to be "boring". It is clear that a different educational approach was needed, perhaps due to our unique South African circumstances. Based on our experiences, we hope that a participatory learning approach will make the "theoretical" section come more alive and replace the rote learning with genuine understanding. The integral part of this text is therefore in the supporting materials: readings, case studies, class assignments and group exercises.Cost. Although not a decisive factor, we also considered the fact that many students face financial constraints. By producing a local textbook, we hope to beat the exchange rate fluctuations.This text consist of twelve chapters, which can be grouped roughly into the following three sections.The scientific context: a review of the fundamental scientific concepts on which IS builds: what is information, what is a system and what are information systems.The technological context: an overview of relevant technology: hardware, software and communications technology.The organisational context: the development and deployment of information systems as well as some wider societal concerns.It is important that this text not be seen separate from the practical worksheets, case studies, videos and group work, which will be provided in the lectures. The intention of these additional materials is to enhance the educational process through participatory learning units: you learn best when doing.It is also our conviction that university students need to be introduced from the first year to academic pluralism: too often undergraduate students get the impression that there is a single correct approach or, even worse, that most problems have only one correct solution or answer. This text is therefor supplemented with additional readings, culled from the world-wide web, in which we hope to expose students to different views of the material presented in the concepts part.

This collection of excerpts from legislation and court decisions documents key phases of the legal struggle to gain and implement equal education.

EVhype is a highly authoritative portal to obtain data about the EV industry. It has an interactive EV charging stations map where you can find, check in and rate all us pumps. EVhype also provides strong statistical research data about the electric vehicles industry.This Plug In Hybrid vehicles buying guide stresses out the key pros and cons of owning a PHEV. 

In the growing season, farmers and ranchers keep a watchful eye for any sign of drought. Early warning information can increase their range of options for dealing with the lack of water.

AbstractBackground: Oscillation and pulmonary expansion (OPE) therapy can decrease postoperative pulmonary complications in a general surgical population, but its effect after cardiac surgery has not been reported, to our knowledge. We hypothesized that using an OPE device after cardiac surgery before extubation would decrease pulmonary complications. 

During Hurricane Sandy, as the storm surge incapacitated buildings all along the New York and New Jersey coasts, Seagate Seagate Rehabilitation & Nursing Center functioned precisely as planned. At the peak of the storm, floodwaters filled the parking area and reached the lobby door, but did not enter the building. Emergency power generators remained safe and supplied backup power for four days despite an area-wide power outage. The nursing home’s emergency plans for food and medical supplies enabled staff and patients to shelter in place despite limited transportation for incoming supplies. Seagate not only provided continuous care to its residents during and after Sandy, it also assisted local community members seeking food and shelter.

Sea level rise is changing the shoreline of San Francisco Bay, endangering homes, habitats, and vital infrastructure. Stakeholders from a diverse array of sectors around the Bay are participating in preparations through a regional partnership.

This educator resource provides insight on how to build upon student understanding by using real life objects and examples in order to better understand area and perimeter.

In Massachusetts, Manchester-by-the-Sea's wastewater treatment plant is located right on the coast. The town's water utility is working with the EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities program to consider its adaptation options.

Practical info for farmers, fishers and landowners in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin

A well rounded source for finding data sets and case studies related to Wisconsin (and surrounding states) lands and waterways.

When given video feed data from a working animal production farm, students will be able to explore, analyze and assess animal behavior, health, handling and safety procedures.

Extensions- Students would evaluate reproductive readiness behaviors or even track each step of the gestation process.

After 90 percent of the town was damaged or destroyed by a tornado, Greensburg, Kansas, and Kiowa County Memorial Hospital developed a Long-Term Community Recovery plan to rebuild for resilience.

Trees within a city can help reduce urban heat, control stormwater, and provide habitat to local wildlife. As climate conditions change, a Chicago group is working to enhance its urban forest so that the city can continue to receive these benefits.

Genrefying a library’s fiction collection is a common practice in school libraries. However,
there is little research to explain the benefits or drawbacks of this practice. Using a withinsubjects/time-series action research design, this study was conducted to understand more about
the impact of genrefying the fiction collection in a single library. This study found that
elementary students could locate fiction books faster and to greater satisfaction with a genrefied
collection than in a collection in which fiction was arranged in a FIC label format, which is
typically seen in standard Dewey Decimal classification.

Student and Teacher Project files for Global Business Project from Cengage, Principles of Business

What distribution of adjustment costs for climate change mitigation is fair, and should be acceptable to the most (important) countries? Are there ways of framing the issue that could be more effective in galvanizing effective action?

Lying directly south of New Orleans on Louisiana’s coast, Grand Isle often bears the brunt of strong waves and storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico. To protect this town and inland parishes from flooding, engineers constructed a first line of defense.

Faced with the potential of a large expense related to water quality, the Portland (Maine) Water District performed a thorough analysis of their options. Their choice came down to making an investment in conservation or concrete.

When smoke from wildfires swirls around health care facilities, prepared hospitals in California and Colorado use air quality tools to keep the indoor environment safe for patients and staff.