Friday, December 27, 2019

ESL and an Introduction to Suggestopedia

This method was developed by Dr. Georgi Lazanov and is basically (very basically, this is all pretty new for me) on a teaching approach that seems to throw the traditional, grammar based - left brain approach out the window, and advocates a holistic, right brain approach. I wont try to describe the method in this feature. This approach is new for me (although I did write a short feature a while back based on some of its principles). I would prefer to lead you to some introductory articles on the Net discussing this technique as it is quite novel (at least for me) and, I think, has quite a lot of potential.To start off lets take a look at this introduction to using this technique in second language acquisition.Libyan Labiosa Cassone is President of the Society for Accelerative Learning and Teaching, and in this interview gives quite a detailed overview of how the teaching method works. This method can be employed for any type of learning. For more information regarding the various app lications of this technique take a look at the followingFinally, here is an article that discusses the use of suggestopedia in a classroom environment and more specifically in a language teaching environment: SummaryI find myself quite attracted to this method as it seems to reflect my own experiences with language learning. While learning German and Italian my best learning always seemed to take place while immersing myself in tasks that were less analytical and caused my brain to work on the language as an entire unit rather than in bits and pieces. Of course, Im speaking about the experience of living in the country where one doesnt have the time to analyze everything and therefore, begins to absorb and learn on a completely different level.The only reservation that I have about this technique is that the people I have come in contact with who use this approach tend to be rather fanatic about its being the only way. While conviction can be quite persuading, I find it difficult to throw everything overboard.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Sexism in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare...

Sexism in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare is an introduction in the everpresent battle of women to be loving and caring wives, while at the same time holding on to our independence. Its plot is derived from the popular war of the sexes theme in which males and females are pitted against one another for dominance in marriage. The play begins with an induction in which a drunkard, Christopher Sly, is fooled into believing he is a king and has a play performed for him. The play he watches is what constitutes the main body of The Taming OfThe Shrew. In it, a wealthy land owner, Baptista Minola, attempts to have his two daughters married. One is very shrewish, Katherine, while†¦show more content†¦Others have asserted that the roles of women in his plays were prominent for the time and culture that he lived in,his intent in creating characters to inspire much controversy. Two works, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night, stand out particularly well in regards to Shakespeares use of female characters. If you could examine these two plays, you would see that Shakespeare, though conforming to contemporary attitudes of women, circumvented them by creating resolute female characters with a strong sense of self. The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeares most famous plays, and has weathered well into our modern era. For all the praises it has garnered throughout the centuries, it is curious to note that many have considered it to be one of his most controversial in his treatment of women. The taming of Katherine has been contended as being excessively cruel by many writers and critics of the modern era. George Bernard Shaw himself pressed for its banning during the 19th century. The subservience of Katherine has been labeled as barbaric, antiquated, and generally demeaning. The play centers on her and her lack of suitors. It establishes in the first act her shrewish demeanor and its repercussions on her family. It is only with the introduction of the witty Petruchio as her suitor, that one begins to see an evolution in her character. Through an elaborate charade of humiliating behavior, Petruchio humbles her and by the endShow MoreRelatedSexism in Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespea re626 Words   |  2 PagesSexism is the stereotyping and discrimination based upon gender. Typically steered towards women, it has played a large part in not only our society today but in the past as well. In the play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, it is shown in the treatment of the women by their male counterparts. It is most prevalent in the way that fortune-seeking Petruchio goes about taming his aggressive and sharp-tongued wife Katharina. By examining Petruchio’s actions and Katharina’s reactions towardsRead MoreSexism in Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew 726 Words   |  3 Pages How would you feel if you were thought as incompetent towards the other sex? The play, â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew,† by William Shakespeare leans towards a sexist viewpoint. It was written in the 1500’s, a time where women were seen as property to men. Many other Shakespearean plays were also considered sexist, because Shakespeare writes all o f his plays around the central story of a man, and a woman’s relationship. It was rare that anyone during this time period was not sexist because thisRead MoreDiscrimination of Women During the Elizabethan Era: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare941 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout the Elizabethan era, men had more advantages than women. William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew has characters such as Petruchio, Baptista, Katherine, and Bianca that show how men overpowered women. During the Elizabethan era, there was heavy sexism. Women were discriminated. Through Shakespeare’s language, men could speak to and about women in a disrespectful and derogatory manner. Women were voiceless and deprived of their right to speak. Women were inferior to men. DuringRead MoreDehumanization Of Women In Shakespeares The Taming Of The Shrew795 Words   |  4 Pagesinfluence of money is widely know and is still manipulating humans in many ways. The Ta ming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare should not be performed to RBHS students because it sends a detrimental message to the audience that women are dehumanized through another’s desire for money. The dehumanization of women should not be shown in a play because it is against the common morals of today’s society. In The Taming of the Shrew, the objectification of women is shown through the story of Petruchio’s searchRead MoreHamlet: a Feminist Approach Essay examples1224 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet: A Feminist Approach Sexism: the belief or attitude that one sex is inherently superior to, more competent than, or more valuable than the other (most commonly used for male superiority). This idea that women are weak is not a new one in the modern world. It has been studied for countless years along with the concept of a patriarchal society. A patriarchy is defined as a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. Such systems currentlyRead MoreInterpreting Katherinas Speech in William Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew1997 Words   |  8 PagesInterpreting Katherinas Speech in William Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew Kate’s changes in Shakespeare’s play, ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ are going to be examined here. I will look at Elizabethan attitudes towards women and see if Kate resolves to conform to these views or to retain her shrewish persona. Additionally I will examine Shakespeare’s use of devices in her final speech (to see whether she is tamed) and how she is portrayed in Zeffirelli’s film. Women

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Josef pieper essay free essay sample

Contemplation is the essence to being happy. It is a set way of thinking which embraces having a plan or observing our future actions. We are happy because we have a plan through contemplation. We cannot achieve happiness with out thinking how to accomplish it. Completion or fulfillment means no more changes. This is completed through potential. Our potentials are our talents and as long as we can keep them running we will be happy, but these talents need to have time and space to practice them to be perfected.Happiness is the good, which Peppier brings to attention, we find the good In our talents, and by practicing these talents we can achieve happiness. We are not born happy people It Is something that needs to be attained. Peeler highlights that we want to be complete perfect actual beings. Man craves nature by happiness and bliss (Peppier 20). I agree with Peppier that happiness is achieved through contemplation but I disagree with his statement that only a person is capable of being happy-and unhappy-at all (20). We will write a custom essay sample on Josef pieper essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Even though animals live by instinct and thats what defines them, Peppier was wrong in saying that they cannot achieve happiness. Perhaps animals dont need contemplation to achieve happiness but I believe they can be happy. Any living thing that has the capability to have emotions is capable of feeling some sort of happiness. Animals are capable of a range of emotions, such as happiness, sadness, empathy, grief, curiosity, anger, anxiety and fear. We live by individually planning our lives, by nature we can not have a plan with out thinking (contemplation).To want happiness, happens without knowing our reason. It Is an act of the mind, also as nature Intended the desire for happiness Is of precisely this character; It Is willing by nature, .. An act of the mind and a natural process at one and the same (Peppier 22). Contemplation is necessary for happiness. All human beings will be happy if they contemplate. We are thinking animals something that we identify ourselves with the ability of thinking. Contemplation is a loving attainment of awareness. Consciousness is crucial to being human its a principle, which we identify ourselves with. Awareness is where our human identity is. Our happiness is dependent on our awareness. It is our defining property that defines who we are. Works Cited Peppier, Josef and Richard Winston. Happiness and Contemplation. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. Up 128. London: Faber Faber, 1958: Print. Josef Peppier does an invigorating Job defining how Happiness comprehends a peppiness consists in contemplation (Peppier 13).

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Stories Barn Burning Written By William Faulkner And Pauls Case W

The stories "Barn Burning" written by William Faulkner and "Paul's Case" written by Willa Cather both have two separate characters with very similar troubles. Each has a uniquely sad narrative. "Barn Burning" is a sad story because it not only shows the classical struggle between the underprivileged and the privileged classes, but also the struggle between a father and his son, Sarty. Together, these two boys share comparable lifestyles. Each has conflicts with his father, fantasize of a wealthier existence, and flee from the tribulations in his life. Sarty's main dilemma is his loyalty to his family, which collides with his disappointment and suppressed dislike for his own father. He tends to hide his feelings by denying the facts, "our enemy he thought in that despair: ourn! mine and his both! He's my father!" (Faulkner 171). Sarty appears to be fearful of his father: "If I would have said they wanted only truth, justice, he would have hit me again. But now he said nothing. He was not crying. He jut stood there." (Faulkner 173) In comparison, Paul and his father also have conflicts and Paul too seems to be afraid of his own father. He decides that he would much rather spend the night in the cellar of his house than go inside and face his father. Paul does not feel as much at home when he is at his father's house as he does at Carnegie Hall where he works as an usher and spends most of his time. Paul's teachers and his father believe his working at the theater affects his schooling. As a result, Paul's father takes him out of school and forces him to work for a company referred to only as the firm of Denny and Carson as an office boy. Paul's dream to live like the stars is taken away when his father forbids him to work, visit, or go anywhere near the theater. It is at Carnegie Hall that Paul became struck by the glitter and the starlight of the stage. He is not star struck in the sense that he wanted to perform in any way; he is simply content to observe others' performances. He is struck in the sense that he wants to live the way the characters in the plays do. He imagines them living to all the extent of their money, glutting on beautiful music, art, and life. Sarty, like Paul, is somewhat materialistic. He dreams of a large house and the comfort of money. He desires to be in a higher-class distinction despite his father's bitterness regarding the upper class. Sarty views the de Spain mansion as a citadel protected against momentary stings from his father, "the buzzing wasp." (Faulkner 174) His father sees the house as "pretty and white," built on "sweat, nigger sweat. Maybe it ain't white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he (de Spain) wants to mix some white sweat with it." (Faulkner 175) Paul pocketed nearly one thousand dollars from the cash in the deposit belonging to the company his father made him work for. His dream is shorted by his crime when the story of his theft and his father's search is published in quite a few large newspapers. Instead of facing his crimes and his father, he jumps in front of a train, thereby, of course, committing suicide. Paul's last thoughts are on the things that he will never get to do, because he ended it all before his time. Like Paul, Sarty runs away from the only life he has ever known and all of his family. Sarty wants to live out his dream, which consists of a moral life according to his own values.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

University of Illinois Admission Essay Help

University of Illinois Admission Essay Help Essay Prompts Admission Essay requirements Explain your interest in the major you selected. Describe an experience  related   to   this   area   of   study,   what   first   introduced   you   to   this   field,  and/or   your   future   career   goals.   If   youre   applying   to   the   Division   of  General Studies,   explain   your academic interests and   strengths or your  future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study youre  currently considering. Limit your response to 300 to 400 words. Admission essay / personal statement essay prompts The essay part of the application is important because it gives us more  insight into who you are and who you want to be.  Take   time   to   think   about   and   brainstorm   your   message.   Create   an  outline, write a good first draft, and edit multiple times.Instead   of   making   broad   statements   about   what   you   want   to   do,   give  specific   examples   from   high   school   or   extracurricular   activities.   And  don’t be afraid to add your personal style and voice to your writing! Its not necessary for you to repeat information that’s already elsewhere  in   your   application.   Stay   focused   on   explaining   how   those   credentials  and qualifications will lead to a successful future here.  Submitting   a   sloppy ­looking   essay   with   spelling   errors   and   glaring  mistakes   sends   us   the   message   that you’re   not   serious   about   Illinois.  Proofread your essays and ask your counselor, your English teacher, or a  parent to take a second look. Office of Admissions Contacts Fax: 217 ­244 ­4614 LinkedIn University Ranking for Accounting ProfessionalsUndergraduate #9 for Accounting ProfessionalsGraduate #9 for Software Developers at StartupsGraduate #9 for Software DevelopersUndergraduate #12 for Software Developers at StartupsUndergraduate #14 for DesignersGraduate #18 for Software DevelopersGraduate #20 Alumni statistics Where they live Greater Chicago Area   91,056 Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Area   28,331 San Francisco Bay Area   10,359 Greater New York City Area   7,411 Greater St. Louis Area   5,938 Where they work Caterpillar Inc.   917 Deloitte   710 Intel Corporation   704 Google   695 Microsoft   683 What they do Education   25,837 Engineering   24,774 Research   18,301 Sales   15,596 Operations   15,476 Entrepreneurship   14,097 Information Technology   12,025 Finance   11,798 What they studied Computer Science   11,437 Finance, General   11,362 Economics   11,301 Psychology   11,202 Electrical and Electronics Engineering   10,141 Accounting   9,339 Business Administration and Management, General   8,789 Mechanical Engineering   8,038 What they’re skilled at Microsoft Office   46,559 Leadership   40,711 Public Speaking   38,669 Research   37,875 Management   36,335 Microsoft Excel   34,845 Customer Service   32,185 Project Management -28,790 Adam Lashinsky Asst. Managing Editor, Fortune Magazine contributor at Fox News Channel Reporter The Nikkei Weekly at Nikkei Silicon Valley columnist at San Jose Mercury News B.A., history and political science  1985 – 1989 [grid w=full][writers]

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Sodium Element (Na or Atomic Number 11)

Sodium Element (Na or Atomic Number 11) Symbol: Na Atomic Number: 11 Atomic Weight: 22.989768 Element Classification: Alkali Metal CAS Number: 7440-23-5 Periodic Table Location Group: 1 Period: 3 Block: s Electron Configuration Short Form: [Ne]3s1 Long Form: 1s22s22p63s1 Shell Structure: 2 8 1 Discovery of Sodium Discovery Date: 1807 Discoverer: Sir Humphrey Davy [England] Name: Sodium derives its name from the Medieval Latin sodanum and the English name soda. The element symbol, Na, was shortened from the Latin name Natrium. Swedish chemist Berzelius was the first to use the symbol Na for sodium in his early periodic table. History: Sodium does not usually appear in nature on its own, but its compounds have been used by people for centuries. Elemental sodium was not discovered until 1808. Davy isolated sodium metal using electrolysis from caustic soda or sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Physical Data State at room temperature (300 K): Solid Appearance: soft, bright silvery-white metal Density: 0.966 g/cc Density at Melting Point: 0.927 g/cc Specific Gravity: 0.971 (20  °C) Melting Point: 370.944 K Boiling Point: 1156.09 K Critical Point: 2573 K at 35 MPa (extrapolated) Heat of Fusion: 2.64 kJ/mol Heat of Vaporization: 89.04 kJ/mol Molar Heat Capacity: 28.23 J/mol ·K Specific Heat: 0.647 J/g ·K (at 20  °C) Atomic Data Oxidation States: 1 (most common), -1 Electronegativity: 0.93 Electron Affinity: 52.848 kJ/mol Atomic Radius: 1.86 Ã… Atomic Volume: 23.7 cc/mol Ionic Radius: 97 (1e) Covalent Radius: 1.6 Ã… Van der Waals Radius: 2.27 Ã… First Ionization Energy: 495.845 kJ/mol Second Ionization Energy: 4562.440 kJ/mol Third Ionization Energy: 6910.274 kJ/mol Nuclear Data Number of isotopes: 18 isotopes are known. Only two are naturally occurring. Isotopes and % abundance: 23Na (100), 22Na (trace) Crystal Data Lattice Structure: Body-Centered Cubic Lattice Constant: 4.230 Ã… Debye Temperature: 150.00 K Sodium Uses Sodium chloride is important for animal nutrition. Sodium compounds are used in the glass, soap, paper, textile, chemical, petroleum, and metal industries. Metallic sodium is used in manufacturing of sodium peroxide, sodium cyanide, sodamide, and sodium hydride. Sodium is used in preparing tetraethyl lead. It is used in the reduction of organic esters and preparation of organic compounds. Sodium metal may be used to improve the structure of some alloys, to descale metal, and to purify molten metals. Sodium, as well as NaK, an alloy of sodium with potassium, are important heat transfer agents. Miscellaneous Facts Sodium is the 6th most abundant element in the Earths crust, making up approximately 2.6% of the earth, air, and oceans.Sodium is not found free in nature, but sodium compounds are common. The most common compound is sodium chloride or salt.Sodium occurs in many minerals, such as cryolite, soda niter, zeolite, amphibole, and sodalite.The top three countries that produce sodium are China, United States,  and India. Sodium metal is mass produced by electrolysis of sodium chloride.The D lines of sodiums spectrum account for the dominant yellow color of the un.Sodium is the most abundant alkali metal.Sodium floats on water, which decomposes it to evolve hydrogen and form the hydroxide. Sodium may ignite spontaneously on water. It does not usually ignite in air at temperatures below 115 °CSodium burns with a bright yellow color in a flame test.Sodium is used in fireworks to make an intense yellow color. The color is sometimes so bright it overwhelms other colors in a firework. Sources CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics, (89th Ed.).Holden, Norman E. History of the Origin of the Chemical Elements and Their Discoverers, 2001.â€Å"National Institute of Standards and Technology.†Ã‚  NIST.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

BUS Unit 4 DB SA FWP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BUS Unit 4 DB SA FWP - Essay Example India was the founding member of the GATT i.e. the world trade organization in 1947 as well as WTO i.e. World Trade Organization in 1995 and the main objective was to decrease the barriers of international trade through the decrease of tariffs, quotas plus subsidies (Krueger, 2002). The drift in Indian economic trade policy is a response to the spaghetti bowl effect which is often cited as a problematic of free trade agreements. It refers to the development of overlapping bilateral as well as regional trade agreements (Mukherji, 2011). Nevertheless the average tariffs overdid 200 percent, quantifiable restrictions on imports were widespread, as well as there were stringent restrictions on foreign investment (Mukherji, 2011). India is pushing for extra liberal global trade since protective tariff and of free trade is the foundation of classical economics, it has anticipated a leadership role amongst developing nations (Krueger, 2002). An analysis of trade restrictions in Saudi Arabia displays that various restrictions besides challenges regarding regulatory and bureaucratic management in this country occurs up to now (House K, 2013). It is true that Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Greater Arab Free Trade Area GAFTA, it is an executive program to stimulate the Trade Facilitation as well as Development Agreement (House K, 2013). Import tariffs are only useful for products from third countries. Saudi Arabia also restricts or prohibits importation of certain products and needs licenses for products too. Prohibited items are for example firearms as well as alcohol (House K, 2013). Some examples for products that need licenses from Saudi Arabian authorities are medical devices and religious material that does not relate to Islam (House K, 2013). The procedure for applying for a license can be long-lasting and poses a test for applying in companies. Restrictions that apply to the exercise of certain professions

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 35

Marketing - Essay Example Buzz.greatfxbusinesscards.com). It also helps to minimize risks associated with business operations and also enables the creation of benchmarks to help measure progress. Marketing research is often outsourced to different companies and this functions as a disadvantage because the data obtained may be too general and may not reflect the elements that only an organization can collect based upon its intimate knowledge of its customers (Gordon, 2008). Contemporary research suggests that companies allot the lion’s share of their resources towards marketing their products rather than on doing research. (Gordon, 2008). Most companies also use third parties, i.e, market research companies, to carry out their research which helps to prevent bias but may also have disadvantages, as indicated above. There is a general tendency to use electronic methods for data collection, through the use of surveys. Additional qualitative research methods may be used to gather general information about companies, while quantitative studies may focus upon quarterly, half yearly or annual measurement of key metrics in assessing changing customer trends over time.(www.lifestyledynamics.com) The process of marketing requires considerable thought and a comprehensive study of the market. Firstly, there must be an adequate level of consumer demand for the product. Secondly, knowledge about the product needs to be communicated to consumers through the use of effective advertising. A product is likely to succeed if it is able to address a demand and is priced reasonably but if consumers are unaware of the availability of the product, or if it is priced too high, it may fail to garner adequate levels of sales. The sale of certain products will also depend upon the place where they are sold, for example, warm clothes sell in cold locations. If a product is to be successful, Price, Promotion and Place must all be considered. Kotler has identified ten

Sunday, November 17, 2019

How Do I Build A Legacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How Do I Build A Legacy - Essay Example The first step of legacy-building is to understand your legacy and why it is important to leave it in the first place (Ottinger, 2008). You will need to know yourself, identify the value of your legacy, and your target group so as to create the vision and develop goals for achievement. Since legacies come in different forms and shapes with varying levels of commitment and effort, you will choose the legacy you want to live. After that, you focus on the legacy; design it to meet your dreams, values and ideas, and gather the required resources. It also involves identifying your strengths by talking to the friends, family, or colleagues for an insight. By having a plan of action, you can now live your legacy or actualize it. The implementation pulls together the plan, design and resources. Bringing a project to life may take various aspects such as character development, behavioral changes, or relationship building. Creating a legacy does not end at the actualization stage. You need to keep it alive by harvesting the rewards and building on the joy and inspiration it creates on the people. During this last stage, you will need to put in place the succession planning for transition to other generations (Ottinger,

Friday, November 15, 2019

Leadership Styles of Middle School Principals

Leadership Styles of Middle School Principals PART 1 Introduction of the Problem The main aim of Professional Development is influencing the students’ results. From the thesaurus of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database, professional development involves the activities tha enhance the growth of a career professionally.This is effected by impacting the teachers level of practice and their level of knowledge (Robinson and Carrington, 2002). With its implications on learning skills, professional development is beyond teacher training since it encompases formal and informal means of assisting teachers in their development of new insights into their own as well as in the exploration of new and advanced resources that aid them in improving students performance. From the above statement it is clear that professional development requires the principals to support the teachers as they deal with the challenges that come along with new needs of their work. This support help the teachers to continually grow in their understanding of their nature of work as well as professional skills. According to Fullan (1991), it has been observed that in the last decade, the role of a principal has been increasingly involving, become more complicated and the roles are not clearly defined. He also noted that the principles roles have been through a kind of metamorphosis. Initially, the roles of the principle were limited and involved instruction leadership or a master teacher. With time these roles changed to transactional leadership and, most recently, to transformational leadership. This brings out the importance of examining the way principles deal with professional development of teachers, being one of the most pressing issues. The extent to which the quality of professional development of middle school teacher is influenced by their administrators’ leadership styles is not known.   According to Jackson and Davis (2000), one of the most important components in accomplishing great achievements in schools and ensuring high quality teachers is instructional leadership. For a high achieving school, an administrator should be able to supply instructional leadership. To make this possible, the administrator should have specific leadership characteristics which ensure effectiveness in professional development of teachers and also heip in sustaining an educational environment that fosters high achievement   vision in students (Jackson Davis, 2000). In the past few years, middle schools have become more and more all-encompassing (Hoy et al, 1996). In the American education systems, the notes being appear to be a replacement of the traditional junior high schools.   According to the Maryland State Department of Education (2008), the academic, social and emotional progress of a student is greatly influenced and evident in middle school. This requires educators to be highly equipped when it comes to addressing the changes undergone by students in middle school and this makes the professional development of the teachers a very critical and sensitive process.   According to (Robinson and Carrington, 2002).   Ã‚  In cases where progressive and extensive involvement of the schools administration and teachers is emphasized, their results of professional development are likely to be effective. During this stage, an adolescent’s process of education is characterized by a change in the line of thought, and also developments wh ich are both psychological and physical, and these changes may influence the student in terms of their achievement.   For example in middle school, students have more academic responsibilities than in the elementary school. There is involvement in extracurricular activities and restructuring after school may be required. There is also a change in the educational environment which is brought about by the fact that the environment is more structured and not as nurturing as the elementary school environment. This means that the students have to adopt to the riles and regulations set and that they are held responsible for their actions. Therefore, it is very important to equip the middle school teachers with   quality leadership skills as well as quality professional development so that they meet the advers social,educational and emotional needs of all their students. (Maryland State Department of Education, 2008). Most studies done on the impact of the principal-teacher relationship show that there is a possible correlation between supportive leadership style and the involvement and dedication of teachers.(Theo Wubbel, Jack Levy, 1993).   Leithwood and Montgomery say that the approval and a support of a teacher from the administrator were positively related to the satisfaction of the teacher. In a later study, (leithwood 1990) repoted tjhat a principals support and the teachers professional development were highly correlated. It is therefore very important for the principals to be involved in the activities of the teachers so that they can be able to provide the support the teachers when they need. This will aid in motivatimg teachers which will improve their commitment amd this will lead to improvement of the performance of the teachers and consequently, the students. Johnson (1986) noted that discovering the most important thing to teachers as well as motivating them to improve their work was a very complicated task and has not yet been figured out. He also wrote that the specific contribution of instructional leadership styles to professional development was not fully explored. Stepans, 2001 stated that the role of the principal was to support the professional development activities appeared to be crucial ti the   crucial professional growth of teachers since it assisted in its success. When there is a full discussion on issues and problems in a school between the teachers and the principal, the process contribute a lot in the carrer development   and professional expertise.(Hopkins 1990) This study will discuss the specific characteristics   instructional leadership styles necessary in the enhancement of quality professional development in middle schools. It will also look at the ways that the principals can try and motivate teacher by researching on what teachers find important and using it to motivate them. The research is also geared towards the evaluation of the relationship between the   characteristics leadership styles and the overall teacher performance   and higher student achievement improvement in middle schools. Further research may be done in order to evaluate whether or not the characteristics of leadership have a direct correlation to overall improvement in teacher performance and higher student achievement in middle schools. Background of the study Wiles (1983), notes that the quality of leadership that a principal exhibits determines the   success of a school system. Previous research has been carried out to determine if there was a relationship between principals leadership styles and the teachers motivation. Brown-Howard’s research carried out in 2007, identified the teachers   motivation levels were determined by teachers by age, gender and experience. He also indicated that principals leadership styles has little to no impact on motivation based on the age, gender or experience of the teachers (Brown-Howard, 2007). According to Raines (2004) the overwhelming responsibilities and demands of the   principals   professional positions   are constant challenge. In this age of increased accountability, he adds, principals are expected to manifest exemplary performance in an ever-increasingly number of fronts. One such front is the area of professional development of teachers under their command. Jurasaite-Harbison (2009) in a study of the way teachers learn it was found that teachers are put under immense pressure by the current edicational policies.thse pressurs involved the teachers having to concurrently modify their practices.   For such changes to be effective, it is very important for the professional development to enlarge areas of scope so that it can capture a wider range of areas that are within their unique epistemology that is teaching resources and instructional practices(Elmore, 2000).   On the other hand, Jurasaite-Harbison (2009) stresses that for the reforms to to be a success, various learning opportunities continuous professional growth is necessary for the teachers. According to Jurasaite-Harbison (2009)   Within schools context, this professional growth takes place under the schools administrators guidance and is part of daily workplace learning. Other researches including (Maehr and Midgeley, 1991; 1996; Maehr and Anderman, 1993; Maehr and Fyans, 1989) have come up with a considerable empirical evidence that suggest that the culture of a school can motivate both the teachers and students to learn by instilling a positive feeling in the teachers about their work.   High achieving and motivated students as well as improved teachers attitude towards their jobs and collaboration amongst themselves are factors that are highly associated to a positive school culture(Stolp and Smith, 1995). Research done by (Sashkin and Sashkin, 1990; Sashkin and Walberg, 1993; Ogawa and Bossert, 1995; Leithwood, 1994) proposed that for a school culture to operate effectively and for its creation and maintenance, the principals leadership practices used are very important. Further, evidence obtained from several studies (Leithwood and Jantzi, 1990; Sashkin and Sashkin, 1990) provides a strong base in supporting the suggestion that transformationa l leadership leads to relatively more desirable school cultures. There are other concerns ot teaching teaching principals that have been focused on in research. These concerns are; inadequate professional preparation and support, inadequate time for instructional leadership, isolation, and few opportunities for career advancement (Murdoch and Schiller, 2002). It was further discovered that principals are often overwhelmed and frustrated by the usual heavy workload and felt guilty about it to an extent that these frustrations adversely affect their family relationships and also their physical health. According to(Lashway, 2003; Lester, 2003; Wildy and Clarke, 2005) it was realized that most teaching principals lack the necessary skill to deal with the challenges, tensions and dilemmas that result from and those related to instructional leadership and management, the high system and local community expectations as well as personal and community values. However, Southworth (2002) discovered that success in principal ship came along with some signific ant development and growth in confidence and an individual’ sense of self.   These findings clearly show that a principles ability to cope and survive the challenges and trials of organization leadership helped in building their self esteem. Findings suggest a positive correlation between principals’ transformational leadership and the presence of school social organization associated with effective schools (Evans, T.J 1996).   Research studies strongly support the fact that the leadership of the school principal impacts directly on the climate of the school and, in turn, on student achievement (Norton 2003). From these findings, it is evident that   the leadership stlyles of a principal are very important in defining the success of a school and also that these styles describe the kind of climate that will be prevalent in the school. Mickey (2000) in a case study of a middle school on institutional leadership found that the principal as an instructional leader used an approach to leadership that was systematic. According to more finding, the principals realize their roles’ importance and use the position and positional power to in influencing change. The study also discovered that organizations that are successfully restructured insisted on and practiced shared leadership.   As Mickey (2000) writes, shared leadership involves a lot of teamwork and collaboration between the principle and the staff and also among the the staff themselves. In this case, the principal has to realize the need for a safe and disciplined environment. From the case study it was revealed that in shared leadership, the teachers professional development was highly facilitated. From the principals point of view ,such professional development is perceived to be an important means to an end. The end results that were intended, impleme ntation of change and teachers were found to be a useful vehicle of such change, as â€Å"empowered leaders†. The study revealed that principals provided the teachers with extensive professional development to enable the them to be empowered leaders. In 1995, a study by Kristine Hipp and Paul Bredson was published and it was about the relation ship betweenthe self efficacy of teachers and leadership styles of principals. The basic assumption of this study and two more that were done later (Hipp 1996,1997) was that the leadership style of a principle and the self efficacy of teachers were linked directly. From this study, there was empirical evidence that connected the aspects of transformational   leadership and principle teacher efficacy. This led to the conclusion that transformational leadership led to self efficacy of teachers. The importance instructional leadership responsibilities of the principal   has been emphasized in research done(Brookover Lezotte, 1982; Duke, 1983; Edmonds, 1979 and Kroeze, 1984). On the other hand, according to (Flath, 1989), literature has seemingly come to a consensus that instructional leadership is rare practice.   Stronge (1988) found out that most time of the principal is concentrated on school management and only a few of their hours are allocated to program issues. In reference to his computation,62.2% was the time used in school management , and only 6.2% of the time was allocated to program issues. He adds that in a principals typical day, out of the many tasks carried out,only11% of those tasks is instructional leadership related. Berlin, Kavanagh, and Jensen (1988) say that for schools to progress ,principals should be able to plan their tasks in a way that their daily activities come in between their leadership role in the curriculum.   McNally (1992) argues t hat there are certain middle-school principals who are effective but   Fullan (1991) says that effective institutional leaders are a rare group to find. The above cases try to identify the various attempts that have been made to explain and clarify the various relationships that exist between the principal and the teachers. Mickey (2000) case study that aimed at provide empirical evidence about a specific approach to leadership and the resulting effect on the teachers, this paper has not identified any study that focused on the leadership styles and their impact on quality professional development of teachers. The study therefore, by presenting empirical evidence, seeks to find the impact of administrators leadership styles on the professional development of teachers, focusing on middle schools. In a study by leithwood 1990, it was conluded that a principals support and the teachers professional development were highly correlated. Statement of the Problem According to the Maryland State Department of Education (2008), middle school marks a significant change in the way in which a student progresses in learning.   In order to equip the teachers to properly address the school students changes, their preparation needs to be extensively and professionally addressed.   This is a stage where adolescents change how they think   and view thinking, and there are also developments that are both psychological and physical and these changes influence the students achievements. Therefore, it is very important that the middle school teachers undergo extensive and quality professional development in order to meet the educational needs of the middle school population (Maryland State Department of Education, 2008). It is not known however, to what extent the leadership styles of middle school administrators have an impact on quality professional development of teachers in middle schools.   According to Jackson and Davis (2000), the instructional leadership in middle schools is one of the most essential components to accomplish a high achieving school and quality teachers.   This leadership in high achieving schools is supplied by an administrator who has specific characteristics which assist in effective professional development of teachers as well as the sustainment of an educational environment fostering a vision of highest student achievement (Jackson Davis, 2000). This paper therefore seeks to explore the link between middle-school administration and professional development and high student’s achievement by addressing the following questions: To what extent do leadership styles of middle school administrators affect quality professional development of teachers in middle schools? Which specific leadership style or styles contribute to effective professional development for middle school teachers? What are the experiences of middle school administrators during the process of teacher professional development? Wiles and Bondi (1994) observed that most research carried out has been directed towards gaining knowledge about and understanding leadership styles. Yet, despite the considerable thought, extensive writings and a large body of empirical research, leadership remains a rather mysterious concept. This study is aimed at contributing greatly to understanding the specific characteristics of instructional leadership styles that have influence on the quality of professional development in middle schools.   Further research may be carried out to evaluate whether thecertain characteristics of leadership have a direct or indirect correlation to overall improvement in teacher performance and higher student achievement in middle schools. Purpose of the study In 1995, a study by Kristine Hipp and Paul Bredson was published and it was about the relation ship betweenthe self efficacy of teachers and leadership styles of principals. The basic assumption of this study and two more that were done later (Hipp 1996,1997) was that the leadership style of a principle and the self efficacy of teachers were linked directly. From this study, there was empirical evidence that connected the aspects of transformational   leadership and principle teacher efficacy. This led to the conclusion that transformational leadership led to self efficacy of teachers. Continued professional development of middle school educators and their quality preparation is imperative for middle school educators.   Fo adolescents, this timeframe within the educational process is marked by changes in how student’s think about thinking, as well as other physical and psychological development that may affect students’ achievement.   Therefore, it is crucial that middle school teachers receive quality professional development in order to meet the educational needs of the middle school population so that these students are prepared to progress from middle school to high school (Maryland State Department of Education, 2008). Findings suggest a positive correlation between principals’ transformational leadership and the presence of school social organization associated with effective schools (Evans, T.J 1996).   Research studies strongly support the fact that the leadership of the school principal impacts directly on the climate of the school and, in turn, on student achievement (Norton 2003). This study will contribute to understanding the specific characteristics of instructional leadership styles that are most likely to enhance the quality of professional development in middle schools.   This research will identify high achieving schools characteristics as well as the instructional leadership styles that contribute to their success as evident from the students achievement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a study by leithwood 1990, it was conluded that a principals support and the teachers professional development were highly correlated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rationale This study will use qualitative research methods in the identification of   instructional leadership of middle school administrators in the Guam school district.   Guam,is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is the largest, in terms of size, of the Mariana Islands. It also has an organized established civilian government (DOI Office of Insular Affairs, 2007). In the United states, education is to a large extent provided by the public sector. The federal government, state and local government. are responsible for the funding and the control of schools. It is compulsory for all children to attend primary(elementary school) and secondary (high school.)levels. At these school levels there are locally elected school boards that se the school curricula, funding and teaching and these boards also have juriction over school districts. The School districts have distinct jurisdictions from other local bodies, and have independent budgets as well as officials. The governments are left with the role of making educational standards and standardized testing decisions.. Different states have different ages for mandatory school attendance, and mostly the beginning ages are five to eight and ending ages are between fourteen to eighteen. Increasingly, states are now requiring school attendance until the age of 18 years (U.S. Network for Education Information: U.S. Department of Education). Attending a public school, a state-accredited private school, or a certified home school program meets the requirement for compulsory education.. In most public and private schools, there are rhee levels of education;; elementary school, junior high school and high school. The junior high school level is the one that is usually referred to as middle school. Children are divided by age groups into grades, starting from the kindergarten for the youngest children in elementary school. The kindergarten is followed by first grade. The last grade is the twelfth grade which should correspond with the final year of school. However, the exact age range of students in these grade levels varies slightly from state to state (U.S. Network for Education Information: U.S. Department of Education). The entire island of Guam is served by the Guam Public School system. High rate of school dropouts and poor performance in test is a problem common in Guam Public Schools. Guam has a very diverse student body which includes many students from backgrounds that do not use the traditional United States education. In addition Guams educational system has always faced other unique challenges as a small community located 6,000  miles (9,700  km) from America mainland. The island went through an economic downturn in the mid-1990’s and this led to the education problem (Pacific Stars and Stripes, 1993; DOI Office of Insular Affairs, 2007) The U.S. Department of Defense initially partnered with the Guam Board of Education but in September 1997 the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) opened its own schools which were initially for   the children of military personnel but later started serving the children of some federal civilian employees. DoDEA schools had an attendance of 2,500 in 2000. In Guam, there are three elementary/middle schools and one high school   that are operated by DoDEA.(http://www.gdoe.net) This study will discuss two out of the three middle schools on study in the Department of Defense Education Activity in Guam and which both are in close proximity.   The participants are two male administrators with 35-40 teachers.   One middle school is on a Navy base, while the other is on an Air Force base.   Both schools follow the same district professional development, face to face interviews and observation will form the basis Research Questions 1 According to Bennis Nanus (2003) an organization a vision and the mechanism for translating the vision into a reality is given by leadership.. This study will examine the impact tht a principal’s style of leadership has on professional development of teachers which is   aimed at ensuring high achievement of students. The following research, grounded on the leadership literature, the educational institutions’ organization culture–highly focusing on middle school and professional development. Specifically, the study will require answer to the following questions; To what extent do leadership styles of middle school administrators affect quality professional development of teachers in middle schools? Which specific leadership style or styles contribute to quality professional development for middle school teachers? What are the experiences of middle school administrators during the process of implementing quality professional development? Is there a relationship between the principals leadership stlles and teachers motivation? If there is a relationship between the leadership style and teachers motivation, what is the extent of the relationship? What is the impact of teachers motivation on their performance at work and also in their professional development process. What is the impact of techers professional development on their performance and the performance of the students. What is the impact of an schools culture on professional development of teachers and their relationships in the school. Significance of the Study According to the Maryland State Department of Education (2008), middle school marks a significant change in the manner in which a student progresses in learning.   Quality preparation and continued professional development of middle school educators is imperative in order for middle school educators.   For adolescents, this timeframe within the educational process is marked by changes in how student’s think about thinking, as well as other physical and psychological development that may affect students’ achievement.   Therefore, it is crucial that middle school teachers receive quality professional development in order to meet the educational needs of the middle school population so that these students are prepared to progress from middle school to high school (Maryland State Department of Education, 2008) Other researches including (Maehr and Midgeley, 1991; 1996; Maehr and Anderman, 1993; Maehr and Fyans, 1989) have come up with a considerable empirical evidence that suggest that the culture of a school can motivate both the teachers and students to learn by instilling a positive feeling in the teachers about their work.   High achieving and motivated students as well as improved teachers attitude towards their jobs and collaboration amongst themselves are factors that are highly associated to a positive school culture(Stolp and Smith, 1995). From this research principals will know the importance of mitivating teahers as well as the ways that best motivate the teahers and student so as to improve the performance of a shool. Research done by (Sashkin and Sashkin, 1990; Sashkin and Walberg, 1993; Ogawa and Bossert, 1995; Leithwood, 1994) proposed that for a school culture to operate effectively and for its creation and maintenance, the principals leadership practices used are very important. The principals leadershot stles that are necessary in the creation and operation an effective school culture will be discusssed in this study. Further, evidence obtained from several studies (Leithwood and Jantzi, 1990; Sashkin and Sashkin, 1990) provides a strong base in supporting the suggestion that transformational leadership leads to relatively more desirable school cultures. Southworth (2002) discovered that success in principal ship came along with some significant development and growth in confidence and an individual’ sense of self.   The study will also focus on a principals individual characteristcs that help them in their leadership of the school as well as in their role of proffesionaly devoloping the teachers. These findings clearly show that a principles ability to cope and survive the challenges and trials of The importance instructional of leadership responsibilities of the principal   has been emphasized in research done(Brookover Lezotte, 1982; Duke, 1983; Edmonds, 1979 and Kroeze, 1984). On the other hand, according to (Flath, 1989), literature has seemingly come to a consensus that instructional leadership is rare practice. Findings suggest a positive correlation between principals’ transformational leadership and the presence of school social organization associated with effective schools (Evans, T.J 1996).   Research studies strongly support the fact that the leadership of the school principal impacts directly on the climate of the school and, in turn, on student achievement (Norton 2003). Previous research has been conducted to determine if there was a relationship between leadership styles of principals and the motivation of teachers. In 2007, Janet Brown-Howard’s research identified the motivation levels of teachers by age, gender and experience and indicated that leadership styles of principals has little to no impact on motivation based on the age, gender or experience of the teachers {{221 Brown-Howard,Janet 2007}} the relationship between the principles leadership styles and teachers motivation will be expounded and the extent to which it influences the techers professional development and the overall performance of the teachers.   Definition of terms3pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through out the research, the following key words will be used and their meanings are expressed below. These words include: Instructional leadership styles of principals; These are the directional forms of authority that the heads of middle schools use. transformational leadership styles. Middle school student; any scholar in the middle school is refer to as a middle school student Middle school teacher; these are the untrained or trained instructors of academics in middle school. Their involvement with the middle school students is usually direct. Middle school administrator; this is an office bearer in middle school and is charged with the responsibilities of administration of the middle schools Professional development; this refers to the growth in knowledge of an individual in a certain field or profession Quality professional development; excellent development of   an individual in middle school in terms of   a particular professional skill The process of implementing quality professional development: these are the method(s) used in seeing through development of quality professional development motivation teachers satisfaction correlation school culture school climate leadership literature educational institutions adolescents physical development psychological development empirical evidence   Assumptions Some assumptions have to be laid in place to assist in tackling the above questions.. These assumptions are just as a result of the common issues that are found within several middle schools namely; most middle schools are faced by similar shortcomings, most principals of middle school use similar educ[‘ational policies to oprete, students, teachers and parent in most middle school experience similar limitati

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Aztec Food and Agriculture Informative Speech Essay

Informative Speech Outline I. Introduction of cultural component: How does it reflect the culture as a whole? Food is considered to be an important part of Aztec society since the Aztecs had no type of currency for their economy. According to allabouthistory.org, the Aztecs had a barter system, basically a trading system where they used foods, primarily cacao beans to trade one another for items such as clothing, eggs, and etc. for daily use. The amount of beans traded would vary from item to item depending on its value. Central Idea: How food influences the culture. Preview Main Points: 1. Diet 2. Agriculture 3. Influence on foods today Transition to Body: II.Body Main Point #1 The Aztecs only ate two meals a day, unlike people today. Since the ancient Aztecs had no access to livestock such as cows and pigs, which were later introduced to them by the Spanish, their main diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, avocados, and etc. Though they did have domesticated turkeys, ducks, and dogs for food, they only played a minor contribution to the diet. According to foodtimeline.org, the Aztecs also hunted and ate fish, insects, iguanas, and deer but these sources were also very limited like the turkeys and dogs. The Aztecs’ number one staple food was corn, specifically a type of corn called maize. It came in various shapes, sizes and colors and was eaten by  all classes of the Aztec people. Maize is so important to Aztec society that it played a large part in their mythology and religion and was considered as precious as their flesh and bones. It is like the rice in Asia and the wheat in Europe. A meal would not be called a meal unless they had corn in it. There are various ways to eat corn such as corn tortillas, tamales, corn soup also called pozole, and many other ways. One particular method of preparing maize is called nixtamalization where a salty flavor and aroma is added to maize. Apart from maize, other staple foods would be beans and squash. To help add flavor into the food, they would be mixed with tomatoes, fruits, and spices such as chilies and herbs. That way, the food would be nutritionally satisfying and there will be no need for animal protein. The Aztecs also had a very special drink made from cacao, you could say that the origin of chocolate came from the Aztecs. This chocolate drink was spicy unlike the hot chocolate we have today and was intended only for the warriors and nobles of the empire. Main Point #2 Because the lands that the Aztecs lived in were not suitable and fertile enough for farming, they had to invent new methods and use them to increase productivity of foods and crops. That led to a very special way of farming. The Aztecs invented and built Chinampas also called raised fields, which were floating agricultural gardens where they produced their crops. These Chinampas used to be swamps that were turned into highly productive fields for farming. Building Chinampas was a lot more complex than growing their crops because it uses many advanced techniques and methods never seen before during the pre-contact New World period. Other than the Chinampas, they also built irrigation systems for fields of land where water or rainfall could not reach and used fertilizers on fields that didn’t have enough nutrients. According to foodtimeline.org , a Chinampa is built by first finding a swamp/lake near a town or city. Then ditches are dug through the marshes and swamps to drain excess water from the soon to be Chinampas, these ditches will also become the canals where the Aztecs will be traveling through to get from Chinampa to Chinampa. After that, the mud and muck from the ditches and vegetation will be placed on mats, which were made from weeds and straw between the ditches where they will become long artificial islands for farming purposes. The Aztecs would then drive wooden stakes/fences down into the lake to hold the field together. Then trees would be planted in the corners of the island to help stabilize the Chinampa. Once that is done, the Chinampa will be ready to be used for farming corn, squash, beans, etc. The muck and vegetation would act as fertilizer for the crops while the mats would be piled high enough to prevent the roots of the crops from being waterlogged. Fertility is easily maintained by periodically adding more muck and fertilizer to the fields. Since these floating gardens were very productive, they always led to a surplus of crops that would be stored and used during hard times. Main Point #3: Influence on foods today The foods that the Aztecs grew and ate are still used in traditional Mexican food today. Maize, the key ingredient of ancient Aztec food also became the most important ingredient to Mexican food. Other food ingredients in the Mexican diet today would also include beans, squash, chilies and tomatoes that the Aztecs also ate. The Aztec tacos for example, were filled with acocil, a type of crayfish but now, the tacos we have are filled with beef instead. Nixtamalization, is another influence that came from the Aztecs that is still used today. According to threestonehearth.com, what nixtamalization does is that it cooks and steeps dried corn kernels in an alkaline solution then they are cooked until tender. That way, it can be mashed and be made into a dough-like substance where it can be made into tortilla, tortilla chips, tamales, and many other items. Aztec food culture also expanded into many other countries because cacao beans which were the main ingredient of chocolate were brought over to Europe thanks to the Spanish quickly became a delicacy everywhere. III.Conclusion Review Main Points: Overall, the Aztec diet consisted of mainly corn. Without corn, the meal  wouldn’t be considered as a meal. Agriculture techniques was recreated with the invention of the Chinampa. With the newly invented Chinampa, Aztecs were able to dramatically increase the amount of crops they could grow unlike how they were struggling with growing crops on the unfertile lands. The Aztec food culture had inspired many countries today. Look at how chocolate, once a hot and spicy drink, was made into a global phenomenon.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Lead And Manage A Team Within Health And Social Care Essay

Explains the features of effective team performance An effective team which performs at the highest level, whilst completing their work efficiently to the best of their ability. An effective team will always consist of certain features enabling effective team performance. Some of these features are as follows; develop goals and plans, i.e. an effective team will always devise a development or goal plan, which will describe the specific purpose for the team. The team will work towards implementing plans to achieve the set goal. Team member should also be clear about these goals and their priorities and consistently work in ways that will support the team’s goals. Communication between the team is so important, team members should feel comfortable with sharing information, listening and provide each member with positive feedback. Team meetings should be held on a regular basis, you could also provide a newsletter with such information. Team meetings should be productive and well managed, they need to be focused and timely and used for team problem solving, decision making, distributing information and also developing the team’s skills. Effective teams maintain positive relationships by supporting, cooperating, respecting and trusting each team member. These relationships can be enhanced by proactively working to build these positive relationships by providing opportunities for social interaction. Problems need to be solved in a timely manner, the same as decision making. An effective team will identify a problem/issue and resolve it promptly with the involvement of all the team. Obviously there is always going to be conflict, an effective team will identify and resolve these conflicts in a promptly and timely manner, which will also be mutually beneficial. This will then minimise the occurrence of conflicts, effective teams will need to continue to communicate positively. Conflict training or conflict strate gies can also be used, in order to provide ongoing team building activities, which will encourage positive and active participation within the team. Read more:  Methods of Addressing Conflict Within a Team On the job training, coaching, and mentoring are all a must. 3171/1.2 identify the challenges experienced by developing team Challenging will be experienced in new teams such as communication and relationship issues. Effective teams will always have a strong and decisive leader at the helm. A lack of effective leadership will most definitely  challenge positive team building and development. All members of the team need to be aware of their own specific roles within the team, by explaining each members specific role will avoid confusion, team members should be monitored. Staff training on conflict is imperative for effective team working, enabling the team to work without constant interruptions. According to Bruce Tuckman, teams that have been developed will go through stages, which Tuckman identified as; forming, storming, norming and performing. 3171/1.3 identify the challenges experienced by established teams Working within an effective team is an ongoing process and it very may well be that the challenge could be maintaining that effective team. Another challenge could be that a team member leaves and moves on and a new member is now needed. This can have an impact on the team’s development, which emphasises Tuckman’s theory of reforming, which literally means going back to the very beginning and working through the whole process again. All teams need to be able to share ideas and sustain a team identity; ongoing support, confidence building and improving working relations can assist with challenges experienced. Dr Meredith Belbin argues a ream works best when there is a balance of roles represented within the team and all team members know their own roles and then work to their strengths and actively manage their weaknesses. 3171/1.4 explain how challenges to effective team performance can be overcome The University of Victoria (2008) have produced a team effectiveness model that teams could use by a means of improving their effectiveness by focusing on improving their functioning in 5 key areas which are as follows; the team should have clear goals, vision, mission, values and plans that the whole team as pires to achieve. Clear responsibilities and roles, the structure of the team, job descriptions, competencies, accountabilities, resources, tools and equipment should all be provided. Problem solving, communicating, managing conflicts, tasks, planning meetings, performance evaluation, managing change and decision making should follow clear procedures ensuring effective team working. Positive relationships, mutual respect and trust, continuing support and inclusion, valuing diversity and listening to feedback can overcome challenges to effective team performance. A strong credible leader with clear expectations can also overcome challenges to an effective team. 3171/1.5 analyse how different management styles may influence outcomes of  team performance. All management styles are to a certain extent determined by the given situation and the needs of the workers and the culture of the organisation. There has been a notable shift away from authoritarian style management where control is the key concept to a more empowering team working style. Managers that direct, control the work of their staff and co-ordinate have recently been replaced with managers who coach and council who are team leaders. A successful manager develops effective teams and works on building positive relationships, developing and motivating others. The participative management style involves information sharing and involving employees in decision making. Staff are encouraged to run their own departments, making decisions regarding their policies and procedures. This style of management is often regarded as the quick cure for low morale. However is not always appropriate for every organisation. The theory X management style makes the assumption that employees are lazy and do not really want to work (Douglas McGregor, 1960). This theory implies that the average employee does not like work and will do anything to get out of it. Employees must be controlled, directed threatened or even punished to get them to be productive. The average employee will prefer to be directed and will avoid all responsibility and will have little ambition. The total management is a style which involves all aspects of the company in order to achieve quality. This type of management consists of customer satisfaction; quality is seen as the employee’s responsibility and team work. This style of management will encourage employers to learn and grow within the company and allows them to take part in improvements. 3171/1.6 Analyse methods of developing and maintaining trust and accountability 1.6a This will mean always being honest by telling the truth and keeping any promises you may have made. This will encourage employees to have more faith in you and believe in the company. The businesses values and their vision will need to communicated to all employees. The staff will feel valued and part of a team regardless of their status. The manager will need to be seen and ask the opinions and ideas of their staff and they must ensure they acknowledge the contributions made by their staff and showing genuine respect. In order to maintain this, the manager will have to avoid withholding information and telling white lies, more importantly they will have to avoid acting or communicating inconsistently and also seek shared achievements rather than  personal achievements. 1.6b Businesses that trust employees are usually successful; integrity begins with trust and the manager sets an example and will develop within the business. A manager will have to establish and then maintain integrity within the business; integrity must start with those above and then move down. 3171/1.7 compare methods of addressing conflict within a team Conflicts will arise from time to time in your business and the mostly stem from difference in terms of power amongst the team or different values and attitudes. Managers can take a direct approach when dealing with conflict which will consist of confronting the conflict straight away, whilst looking at it objectively and looking at it as it is. A manager must ensure any criticism used will be constructive. Taking the direct approach emphasises problem solving and will in most cases leave everyone involved with a feeling of the issue being resolved. A manager can use a bargaining technique if employees have different ideas to a solution and cannot agree. This would involve helping the people come to some kind of compromise which is give and take and in most cases the people will be all be satisfied. On occasion someone may just be having a bad day and create a problem. An experienced manager may just avoid this and work around it, until the person with the issue as calmed down this is called retreat. Conflicts can be positive they are not always negative, co-operative conflict can help people solve problems together and this can be motivating. 3171/2.1 To maintain a positive culture within my home I actively encourage team working, effective clear communication and effective leadership skills. Promoting development within my team keeps my staff motivated and enthusiastic regarding their job role and responsibilities. Employees appear to be maintaining their integrity and enjoy their jobs. You can also encourage communicating with their colleagues and using a feedback system which will enhance the effectiveness of your team. A manager will need to set good examples, carry out tasks and make themselves visible. 3171/2.2 demonstrate how own practice supports a positive culture in the team One of my main responsibilities is the ability to promote a positive working environment for my team. I openly encourage others to come up with new ideas, communication is key in any business. I also like to think I make  myself approachable to my staff, and will listen to any criticism. Any issue need to be dealt with confidently and in a timely manner. I recently had to put in quite a few hours working the floor of my residential home as we had an outbreak of DVT, I found by doing this others followed suit and helped out when they could. 3171/2.3 Use systems and processes to support a positive culture in the team Regular handovers within our home are vital, with an emphasis on our service users needs and clear hones input from staff. Monthly meetings are also set up on a regular basis, where we can review and plan any courses of action we may have taken, or need to be taken. I also ensure I put aside time to carry out practice supervisions and regular supervisions monthly with my staff which highlight any problems which may need rectifying. Service user meetings are also vital and provide so much information and feedback for our service which ensures we are producing positive outcomes. All policies and procedures need to be adhered to and these are updated regularly. Appraisals are carried out to assess my staff and help them set targets that they would like to aim for. Developing staff and supporting them are all factors when encouraging a positive culture. 3171/2.4 Encourage creative and innovative ways of working within the team Different skill mixes within teams are vita for any successful productive team and people need to be given specific roles to match their abilities, always ensuring further development is available. Businesses will most certainly have a complaints procedure to adhere to, alongside this a comments policy with a feedback system is an effective way of recognising the importance and contributions made by your team. 3171/3.1 identifies the factors that influence the vision and strategic direction of the team Strategic planning is vital in ensuring we are prepared for different challenges. Your team will be better equipped to deal with these challenges if they are able to identify factors which may impact the business e.g. resources, skill mixes, partnerships with contractors. A mission statement within the home defining the homes values, and promoting a positive team spirit. Quality assurance surveys play a big part in determining where the home needs to improve or set new objectives. 3171/3.2 communicates the vision and strategic direction to team members Effective teams will have the ability to create a meaningful strategy which will enhance the likelihood of producing positive results. All the team will need to have  clear communication as to what changes or challenges they may face preparing them to make the changes needed. You will need to ensure the strategy planned is viable and will the team have the skills needed to take the strategy on, extra resources may also be needed. Set up a meeting with your team and discuss the vision planned. Clearly outline the vision at your meeting enabling you and your team to put a clear strategic initiative in place. You will need to set very clear expectations and then constantly monitor and review any progress that is made and make any necessary adjustments.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Tips on Measuring Distance on a Map

Tips on Measuring Distance on a Map A map represents a portion of  Earths surface. Because an accurate map represents a real area, each map has a scale that indicates the relationship between a certain distance on the map and the distance on the ground. The map scale is usually located in the legend box of a map, which explains the symbols and provides other important information about the map. A map scale can be printed in a variety of ways. Words Numbers Map Scale A ratio or representative fraction (RF) indicates how many units on Earths surface are equal to one unit on the map. It can be expressed as 1/100,000 or 1:100,000. In this example,  1 centimeter on the map could equal 100,000 centimeters (1 kilometer) on Earth. It could also mean that 1  inch on the map is equal to 100,000 inches on the real location (8,333 feet, 4 inches, or about 1.6 miles). Other common RFs include 1:63,360 (1 inch to 1 mile) and 1:1,000,000 (1 cm to 10 km). A word statement gives a written description of map distance, such as 1  centimeter equals 1 kilometer or 1 centimeter equals 10 kilometers. Obviously, the first map would show much more detail than the second, because 1 centimeter on the first map covers a much smaller area than on the second map. To find a real-life distance, measure the distance between two points on the map, whether inches or centimeters- whichever scale is listed- and then do the math. If 1 inch on the map equals 1 mile and the points youre measuring are 6 inches apart, theyre 6 miles apart in reality. Caution The first two methods of indicating map distance would be ineffective if the map is reproduced by a method such as photocopying with  the size of the map modified (zoomed in or reduced). If this occurs and one attempts to measure 1 inch on the modified map, its not the same as 1 inch on the original map. Graphic Scale A graphic scale  solves  the shrink/zoom  problem because it is simply a line marked with the distance on the ground that the map reader can use along with a ruler to determine scale on the map. In the United States, a graphic scale often includes both metric and U.S. common units. As long as the size of the graphic scale is changed along with the map, it will be accurate. To find a distance using a graphic  legend, measure the legend with a ruler to find its ratio; maybe 1 inch equals 50 miles, for instance. Then measure the distance between the points on the map and use that measurement to determine the real distance between those two places.  Ã‚   Large or Small Scale Maps are often known as large scale or small scale. A large-scale map refers to one that shows greater detail because the representative fraction (e.g., 1/25,000) is a larger fraction than a small-scale map, which would have an RF of 1/250,000 to 1/7,500,000. Large-scale maps will have an RF of 1:50,000 or greater (i.e., 1:10,000). Those between 1:50,000 to 1:250,000 are maps with an intermediate scale. Maps of the world that fit on two 8 1/2-by-11-inch pages are very small scale, about 1 to 100 million.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Role of DNA in Evolution

The Role of DNA in Evolution Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint for all inherited characteristics in living things. It is a very long sequence, written in code, that needs to be transcribed and translated before a cell can make the proteins that are essential for life. Any sort of changes in the DNA sequence can lead to changes in those proteins, and, in turn, they can translate into changes in the traits those proteins control. Changes at a molecular level lead to microevolution of species. The Universal Genetic Code The DNA in living things is highly conserved. DNA has only four nitrogenous bases that code for all differences in living things on Earth. Adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine line up in a specific order and a group of three, or a codon, code for one of 20Â  amino acids found on Earth. The order of those amino acids determines what protein is made. Remarkably enough, only four nitrogenous bases that make only 20 amino acids account for all diversity of life on Earth. There has not been any other code or system found in any living (or once living) organism on Earth. Organisms from bacteria to humans to dinosaurs all have the same DNA system as a genetic code. This may point to evidence that all life evolved from a single common ancestor. Changes in DNA All cells are pretty well-equipped with a way to check a DNA sequence for mistakes before and after cell division, or mitosis. Most mutations, or changes in DNA, are caught before copies are made and those cells are destroyed. However, there are times when small changes do not make that much of a difference and will pass through the checkpoints. These mutations may add up over time and change some of the functions of that organism. If these mutations happen in somatic cells, in other words, normal adult body cells, then these changes do not affect future offspring. If the mutations happen in gametes, or sex cells, those mutations do get passed down to the next generation and may affect the function of the offspring. These gamete mutations lead to microevolution. Evidence for Evolution DNA has only come to be understood over the last century. The technology has been improving and has allowed scientists to not only map out entire genomes of many species, but they also use computers to compare those maps. By entering genetic information of different species, it is easy to see where they overlap and where there are differences. The more closely species are related on the phylogenetic tree of life, the more closely their DNA sequences will overlap. Even very distantly related species will have some degree of DNA sequence overlap. Certain proteins are needed for even the most basic processes of life, so those selected parts of the sequence that codes for those proteins will be conserved in all species on Earth. DNA Sequencing and Divergence Now that DNA fingerprinting has become easier, cost-effective, and efficient, the DNA sequences of a wide variety of species can be compared. In fact, it is possible to estimate when the two species diverged or branched off through speciation. The larger the percentage of differences in the DNA between two species, the greater the amount of time the two species have been separate. These molecular clocks can be used to help fill in the gaps of the fossil record. Even if there are missing links within the timeline of history on Earth, the DNA evidence can give clues as to what happened during those time periods. While random mutation events may throw off the molecular clock data at some points, it is still a pretty accurate measure of when species diverged and became new species.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

How Germany's Hospitality Has Changed During the Olympic Games in 1936 Essay

How Germany's Hospitality Has Changed During the Olympic Games in 1936 Compared To the WM In 2006 - Essay Example World War 2 is considered to be a black mark in the history of the mankind. This was the war which changed the geo-political scenario of the world. Even today in some or the other form we still face the repercussions of this war. Germany bid for the 1936 XI Olympics in 1931, year in which Hitler had not surfaced so strongly. There were only two countries which bid for the hosting of the Olympic Games, Spain and Germany, out of which Germany won the bid with good voting margin. It is interesting to note that there were only two countries who bid for the games. The year 1931 was extremely depressing for the world. The crash of 1929 affected almost all the countries in a real adverse way. Germany was no different. Economic crisis is a phenomenon in which the society crumbles faster and deteriorates more than any other calamity. We have to understand this background to understand the extreme nationalism that rose to the surface. Adolf Hitler came to power 2 years prior to the Olympic Games in Germany. The racial and anti-Semitic policies adopted by him were becoming well known. Due to treaty of Versailles the size of the German military was restricted. The pretext of athletic training was used for military training. All these areas were banned for the Jews to participate in. It was not difficult for any political party for that matter to ignite the already inflammable conditions. In the third edition of his textbook (with E. Baur and E. Fischer), professor Fritz Lenz writes: "We must of course deplore the one-sided anti-Semitism of National Socialism. Unfortunately, it seems that the masses need such anti feelings... we cannot doubt that National Socialism is honestly striving for a healthier race. The question of the quality of our hereditary endowment is a hundred times more important than the dispute over capitalism or socialism, and a thousand times more important

Friday, November 1, 2019

Assignment critical thinking questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical thinking questions - Assignment Example ast part of the paper is an analysis of a problem in my workplace and a summary of how I can implement a change that will bring solution to the problem. The problem in discussion is the allocation of shifts among nurses. There have been occurrences of inexperienced nurses being allocated shifts together affecting the effectiveness of the hospital. My recommendation is that a more balanced should be used where experienced nurses are combined with nurses who have little experience. 1. According to Bleach’s tasks of management and Bleach’s tasks of followership, what are the differences? Where do the two tasks overlap? Give specific examples from your workplace for each task and support your answer with scholarly resources. In nursing and generally health care, management skills are very crucial as well as the relationship people in management create with the rest of the staff. According to Grossman & Valiga (2012), the aspects of management and fellowship both are associated with behaviors of either the general organization and that of the individuals in the organization. It is important to know the difference between these two aspects. A better understanding can be established by understanding their different tasks. Management, in a more clear definition are behaviors as well as activities that create a structure and guidance in carrying out patient care as well as organizational functions where the objectives and outcomes to be attained and achieved are known, and where an intended sequence to achieve these outcomes is detailed, either in writing or through past practices founded in the culture of an organization. According to (Roussel, 2013) management in nursing involves constructively using professional power to guide the accomplishment of tasks that are instrumental to clinical as well as organizational success. This success can be achieved through managerial tasks which were outline by Bleich and they include; On the other hand fellowship in nursing

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Automobile Industry in the US in 1920s Essay

The Automobile Industry in the US in 1920s - Essay Example In 2009, China successfully challenged its position, taking over as the second largest producer. Currently, America stands third in mass production of automobiles [1]. At the onset of the American automobile industry, a large number of manufactures came on the scene, and vigorously vied for the domination of the local market. However, towards the end of the 1920s, only three major companies had managed to control the market. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler were the big players in the country. These companies continued to thrive strongly, even after the Great Depression and the advent of the World War 2. In the 1970s, a mishmash of rocketing oil costs, fervent competition from foreign brands, and tightening government laws greatly affected the companies negatively. From then on, the companies experienced widely fluctuating fortunes, but by 2008, the business was undergoing severe havoc. This resulted to the fall of General Motors and Chrysler, who had to file for bankruptcy. The Fo rd Company managed to stay afloat all through these trying periods, and is currently gaining momentum to regain its lost glory [2]. The Ford Company came into being from the original idea of its owner and founder, Henry Ford. Currently, the company stands second among the world’s biggest automobile producers. The multinational conglomerate is now currently worth about $167 billion dollars. Though the company specialized in automobiles, it now also runs Ford Credit, a venture that rakes in around $3 billion dollars annually. In addition, it also possesses The Hertz Corporation, which is the biggest car-rental company in the world. The corporation now produces a wide range of vehicle brands. These include Ford, Mercury,... This essay discusses the automobile industry, that is a huge part of the engineering sector and is involved in the devising, growth, production, and selling of vehicles. It is one of the major industries in the world in terms of economic worth and revenue. The definition of the industry, though broad, is limited to the production and sale of automobiles, and does not include after-sales services like repair and maintenance. The industry is laden with events and milestones that marked its start and evolution to what it is currently. Firstly, the researcher dicusses the onset of the American automobile industry and mentiones companies, such as Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, that were the big players in the United States in the 1920s. The researcher discusses the Great Depression that happened in the late 1920s and severely depleted General Motors’ financial strength. This was what that gave the Ford Company a much-needed lifeline. The General Motors’s market share al l but disappeared, thereby greatly depleting its income avenues. The market stake of the Ford Company shot up drastically. In conclusion, the researcher states that Ford company managed to survive through the trying times mainly due to the backing of its continuous perfect performance of its financial services sector. However, reclaiming its position as the world’s biggest automotive producer is not an easy task. The frequency of changing technology and fluctuation of markets will certainly be a problem for most companies.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Race Relations Essay Example for Free

Race Relations Essay Humanity has been enduring an ongoing battle for centuries: the strained relations among the races. Despite efforts to put the past behind, signs remain at nearly every juncture that there still exists a strong sense of racial dissension. While many Caucasians do not see the problem being as severe as it is represented, African-Americans angrily reply that the lighter skinned race has not had to endure such prejudice and, therefore, cannot begin to identify with the situation. Frank Newport, vice president of the Gallup Poll Organization, says Caucasian Americans do not interpret racism as a big problem, therefore, they do not see a need for government intervention (Anonymous, 1997; 04A). Similarly, Asians, Hispanics and other United States minorities believe they often receive unfair treatment because of their race. However, President Clinton and several organizations including the National Multicultural Institute, whose main focus is to sort out the jumble of expectations and fears that swirl around the initiatives struggle to reconcile ethnicity and difference with the notion of one American nation (Green, 1998; PG) are pushing hard to mend racial tension with a comprehensive program that is designed to bring all races together. Will it work? Or will minorities look upon the effort as nothing more than a Band-Aid covering a much larger issue? To some extent, concepts such as affirmative action have their place in society, yet they will do nothing to alter an individuals perception of one race or another. In the past, children’s racial viewpoints have routinely been shaped by their parents perceptions. This is precisely how racial prejudice is passed down from generation to generation. However, todays teens appear to be breaking free of the antiquated procession by voicing their own opinions about race relations. While racial hate crimes continue to run rampant, the newer generation tends to believe there is less interracial tension than do their parents (Farley, 1997). What has instigated this considerably lax attitude among the younger generation is not quite clear; yet a TIME/CNN poll has discovered that the adolescent population is far more forgiving of racial prejudices than their adult counterparts. Of twelve hundred, eighty-two adults and six hundred one teenagers aged twelve to seventeen; the younger sect demonstrated a considerable amount of racial tolerance toward one another when compared with the older respondents (Farley, 1997). If given the opportunity, children and young adults will not adopt negative views of other races if they are not placed in such an environment that encourages such thought. However, with the deep-seated hatred that has been bred into so many generations, it has become difficult for some of those prejudice intentions not to trickle down the family line. Yet the TIME/CNN poll was instrumental in establishing that a good number of adolescence of all races have successfully moved beyond their parents views of race (Farley, 1997; 88+). To the kids with such an open mind, race is no more important to them in either a social or personal level; yet it is not to be overlooked that these same respondents were still able to recognize the fact that racism was one of Americas biggest problems today. Even so, over one-third said the problem though it exists is insignificant (Farley, 1997; 88+). As it relates to their own lives, eighty-nine percent of the African-American adolescents who responded said the problem was small or did not exist at all. Amazingly, the Caucasian respondents – both young and old considered racism a more dominant issue (Farley, 1997; 88+) than did the African-American adolescent respondents. What does that say about the varying impressions of race relations? Depending upon which race is viewing the issue, it appears the seriousness of the problem could be considerably damaging or an insignificant obstacle. Still, optimism is high that the younger generation deems race relations as being in good standing. This may be a sign of hope (Farley, 1997; 88+) or nothing more than youthful naivete (88+); regardless, it demonstrates a long awaited shift in the social climate relating to race relations and its consequences. Sociologist Joe R. Feagin says the answer may lie with both options. His interpretation of the lack of adolescent racism is that reality has not fully set in for those who have not yet experienced the real world. You have to be out looking for jobs and housing to know how much discrimination is out there (Farley, 1997; 88+). Feagin contends that those who have a better grasp of racial reality are those who are over the age of nineteen. Reasoning behind this is that comparatively few African-American teenage respondents said they had been victimized by discrimination; contrarily, half of the African-American adults admitted they had (Farley, 1997). Experts are concerned that adolescents are being too gullible when it comes to realizing the truth of the matter. Others contend that perhaps they are willfully setting a precedence for others to follow that will ultimately initiate a genuine improvement in race relations. It is not as though contemporary teenagers do not have knowledge of history and its negative treatment of minority races; rather, it appears they have more faith in their own future than their parents did before them. Additionally, todays youth are trying to move away from the typical scapegoating (Farley, 1997; 88+) that has become so commonplace in society. Suspicions arise with poll results, however, in that they do not always reflect the truth; many people are more apt to give socially acceptable (Farley, 1997; 88+) answers rather than what is truly in their hearts. Yet this is not likely to be the contention of teenagers who, for the most part, speak more freely and true to form than adults. A believer in this concept is sociologist Howard Pinderhuges, author of Race in the Hood: Conflict and Violence Among Urban Youth, who firmly contends that teenagers are genuine. Teenagers are a mirror of our souls. They speak plainly about things that adults would like to hide. Political correctness isnt an issue to them. Youre more likely to get what they think unfiltered (Farley, 1997; 88+). Still, through all this optimism, there exists an invisible boundary line that, even though race relations seem to be improving, keeps the races separated. Seventeen-year-old Danny, one of the TIME/CNN respondents, commented that his friends consisted more of African-Americans than Caucasians. This, in and of itself, was not as enlightening as was his admission of the fact that we just talk in school (Farley, 1997; 88+), not allowing the relationship to progress into ones personal territory. It was a normal occurrence for none of Dannys African-American friends to visit him at home or for him to go to theirs; the lines of separation were clearly drawn. Experts consider this to be accountable in large part to the amount of violence that takes place in the crime-plagued housing projects (Farley, 1997; 88+) where many of his friends live. The situation is far from unusual. Even among African-American youths, the interpretation of neighborhood safety has its variations. According to the TIME/CNN poll, forty percent of African-American teenagers claim to have known someone in their age group who has been killed, whereas just fifteen percent of Caucasian teenagers said they had experienced the same. Interestingly, African-American youths believe they are treated unfairly by enforcement officers, while one-third believe they are at risk (Farley, 1997; 88+) of receiving unfair treatment. Just one of five Caucasian youths feels the same. John Hope Franklin, head of President Clintons race relations task force, claims genuine racial betterment will not arrive until you have improvement in the home conditions of kids of all kinds (Farley, 1997; 88+). An intriguing informal study gives an indication of how racial difference runs deep within an individuals psyche. Psychologist and author Beverly Tatum, who recently wrote Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? , routinely poses the following question to psychology students: I am _______. What is most interesting about the answers she receives is the fact that Caucasian students fill in the blank with an adjective describing their personalities or characters, whereas students of other races are more apt to finish the sentence identifying their ethnicity. According to Tatum, such racial recognition is born out of adolescent peer pressure, societal influences and self-reflection (Farley, 1997; 88+). Polls are regularly put to use to determine the public climate on race relations. A recent USA TODAY survey of more than two thousand college freshmen from around the country reported that forty-five percent perceived race relations as having a positive stance within society; in all, two percent thought relations between African-Americans and Caucasians were excellent (Kohen, 1998; PG). A poll in The Independent, a British publication, noted that one-third of the Caucasians believed one should marry only within ones race (Forna, 1998; 1, 2). Granted, views of younger generations may be quite a bit more diverse than those of the older sect, but those younger views are what will ultimately shape the future of the country. Being on campus allows people the opportunity to intermingle more frequently with those of other races, which may give them the false impression that the rest of the world is as friendly with one another as they are at school. Unlike out in the real world, campus life encourages the fraternization of racial groups, attempting to overthrow the narrow- mindedness often found on the streets of reality. Noel Barrion, Asian American Student Union president, observes this difference each and everyday he looks to see who is sitting next to one another in the school cafeteria. Racial discrimination is out there. People just arent aware (Kohen, 1998; PG). Barrion says the AASU works hard to bridge the gap that separates the races as they exist on campus. Naima Stevenson, Black Student Union President, says the solution to combating racial discrimination (Kohen, 1998; PG) is to keep the lines of communication as wide open as possible in order to confront the complexity and richness of in the United States (Delgado, 1997; 39A). Because of this forward moving attitude, the relationship between the two campus racial organizations is in good standing. Says Barrion: The vehicle between us becoming friends is the desire to be involved (Kohen, 1998; PG). Both Stevenson and Barrion admit to the difficulty of establishing just how much race relations have changed for the worse or better during their short stay at college, but they both have reason to remain positive that future change will be for the better. For Stevenson, looking back after several years to find a marked improvement in campus race relations would be ideal. They both believe that if relations continue in the manner they currently are, this would not be such an unexpected occurrence (Kohen, 1998; PG). However, it is not uncommon to find just the opposite opinion from other students. The USA TODAY poll revealed that far more African-Americans sense the negativity with regard to race relations than does any other race. Yet despite actions in place to bridge the racial gap, those like Barrion and Stevenson believe far more can be done than the efforts currently available on American college campuses. While the opportunity is there for expansion, there is just not enough diversity on campus (Kohen, 1998; PG). It looks like it will still be the same problem going into the new millennium. Theres plenty of opportunity to meet someone of another culture or that you would have never known about before (Kohen, 1998; PG). President Clinton has set his sights on bridging the racial gap in an effort to improve the countrys deteriorating race relations (McFeatters, 1997; 68). By using his clout as Chief Executive and standing behind the affirmative action policy, Clinton hopes to turn around some of the prejudice that continues to spread across the land. A speech he gave at the Million Man March in Texas in 1995 effectively forecasted Americas situation as one where an inordinate number of people fear deep down inside that theyll never quite be able to see each other as more than enemy faces, all of whom carry a sliver of bigotry in their hearts (McFeatters, 1997; 68). Clinton contends that America must clean its house of racism; that a house divided against itself cannot stand (McFeatters, 1997; 68). While these words ring true, it is not clear as to what the President intends to do in the long run to curb racism in the United States. One thing he does propose is a more fair system of dispersing wage earnings among African-Americans, of who only one-fourth make upwards of thirty-five thousand dollars a year compared to one-half of all Caucasian Americans (McFeatters, 1997; 68). Speaking on the topic of integration, President Clinton agreed with Franklin who proposed the only way to clear the cloudy air of racism was to encourage open and honest dialogue (McFeatters, 1997; 68) among the races; that it was, indeed, the critical first step (68) in the direction of genuine racial integration. Other critics say it is time to end the reliance on racism as an explanatory concept (Wortham, 1996; 253) for all racial problems and move beyond the black-white paradigm (Gold, 1998; B-2) when the topic turns to race relations. When we say true integration, we mean the opportunity of every American to develop to the fullest extent of his capacity. We mean that every individual regardless then of regardless of religion, regardless of ethnicity, every American has an opportunity, should have an opportunity to move forward as rapidly as his talents, his or her talents, and as rapidly as the opportunities open (Page et al, 1998; PG). BIBLIOGRAPHY Introduction to Psychology; Inner Reality, Outer Reality in Diversity, Jennifer Iljas ISBN: 0-7575-2864-3 Anonymous (1997, June). Poll finds pessimism on status and future of U. S. race relations// Perceptions are black and white. Star Tribune, pp. 04A. Delgado, Richard; Perea, Juan F. (1997, November). Racism goes beyond black and white. Rocky Mountain News, pp. 39A. Farley, Christopher John (1997, November). Society: Kids and race: A new poll shows teenagers, black and white, have moved beyond their parents views of race. TIME, pp. 88+. Forna, Aminatta (1998, August). Bridge over troubled water. Independent on Sunday, pp. 1, 2. Gold, Matea (1998, February). L. A. shares its experiences with race relations panel; Diversity: Video points out what the city has learned and seeks to widen presidential advisory groups discussion beyond black-white issues. Los Angeles Times, pp. B-2. Green, Sharon (1998, May). Washington, DC, Presidents initiative on race: Progress. Talk of the Nation (NPR), pp. PG. Kohen, Rochelle (1998, February). USA Today survey reveals poor perception of race relations. University Wire, pp. PG. McFeatters, Ann (1997; May). Clinton hopes to close racial divide. Rocky Mountain News, pp. 68A. Page, Clarence; Hansen, Liane (1998, June). Race Initiative. Weekend Sunday (NPR),pp. PG. Wortham, Anne (1996, January). Distorting the Dilemma. The World I, vol. 11, pp. 253.