What Are the Statistics on Cooperative Learning

WHAT ARE THE STATISTICS ON COOPERATIVE LEARNING ANYWAY? Cooperative learning has been debated by educators for a long time and continues to be questioned today. Many educators feel that cooperative learning strips students of the benefits of direct instruction. Proponents of homogeneous learning tend to stray from cooperative learning because it seems to deprive gifted students of learning with their gifted peers.Five studies will be summarized that look at different aspects of cooperative learning: effects with the learning disabled, the advantage of helping behaviors, math achievement, strategic reading in groups, social support, and heterogeneous vs. homogeneous grouping. A study was conducted to find out if students with learning difficulties interacted positively in cooperative learning groups. This study also looked at the importance of training students to work together as opposed to just putting them in groups to complete tasks (Gillies & Ashman, 2000). The study looked at 15 2 third grade students from Australia.Twenty-two of those students had learning difficulties (12 boys and 10 girls). The students were randomly placed in cooperative learning groups of five to six students consisting of one high-ability student, two medium-ability students, and one low-ability student. The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test measured learning ability and grade level readiness. An ANOVA test showed no significant difference between the structured groups (those trained to work cooperatively) and the unstructured groups (those not trained to work together) at the onset of the study.During the study period the structured group received the treatment of cooperative learning training before completing a social studies unit (independent variable). The unstructured group was encouraged to work together as a group and given the same time period to complete the social studies unit, but they never received training for such group work. The students were videotaped twice during the study to observe behaviors and interactions, and they were given comprehension and word reading pre- and posttests. The researchers focused their findings on the students with learning difficulties.There was no significant difference in the behaviors of students in the structured or unstructured groups. However, there were significant findings regarding group interactions. Those students in the structured groups interacted and benefited from interactions significantly more than students in the unstructured groups. Students in the structured group also reached greater achievement on the comprehension posttest than those from the unstructured groups. No significant findings resulted in the word reading posttest between the two groups.The authors did find that this study supported that students with learning difficulties do benefit from working in small, structured cooperative groups (Gillies & Ashman, 2000). Nattiv’s study of cooperative learning (1994) focused on four topics: Do helping behaviors found in cooperative groups have a link to achievement gains in third, fourth, and fifth grade math students? Did gender, grade, or ability level within cooperative groups affect achievement? Do all helping behaviors benefit academic achievement? Does gender, grade, or ability level have an effect on the helping behaviors exhibited? Nattiv, 1994)). The subjects included 36 third-grade students, 34 fourth-grade students, and 31 fifth-grade students. Fifty-four of those students were male and the remaining 47 were females. The children were ability grouped from the results of the California Test of Basic Skills and the Southwest Regional Lab (both math assessments). Males and females were separately grouped as high-, medium-, and low-ability. The author states that these pretest results could be seen as achievement rather than ability, but the teachers of the students were consulted about the placement of the students (Nattiv, 1994).All of the students received d irect instruction, modeling, and practice of helping behaviors in cooperative group learning. Teachers also received training in this area. The groups, then, participated in grade-level appropriate math units. Students were further encouraged to work cooperatively because individual improvement on assessments also earned team points. Data was collected by audio and video recordings. The research team hypothesized that helping behaviors would be related to achievement. Achievement gain would be used as the dependent variable and would be measured by an ANCOVA test.The team found that there was a significant relationship to students using helping behaviors in cooperative learning groups to academic achievement gain. The only behaviors that did not show significant growth were the giving and receiving of answers without explanation (Nattiv, 1994). Another study conducted in Southeastern United States focused on a different type of cooperative learning called Collaborative Strategic Rea ding. Klingner, Vaughn, and Schumm (1998) sought to discover if this program would be effective in a heterogeneous classroom.They further wanted to analyze reading comprehension, social studies content, and student interactions in conjunction with this technique (Klingner, Vaughn, & Schumm, 1998). The participants included 141 students. Eighty-five students were split into three classes to represent the treatment group (or intervention condition), and 56 students were split into two classes to represent the control condition. To ensure equal groupings the students were assessed with the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, then paired and randomly assigned to conditions.Both conditions received the same instruction, number of sessions, time periods per session, and homework activities. The intervention condition received instructions on how to use specific reading strategies to read strategically. The strategies were modeled, practiced, used in small groups, and then encouraged wh en students broke off into their cooperative groups of five to six students. The control condition received direct instruction for the same social studies material and participated in all lessons as a whole group.Sessions within the intervention condition were audiotaped to hear student interactions. The Gates-MacGinitie Standardized Reading test and a social studies unit test served as dependent variables to measure student achievement. The researchers of this study did find these strategies to be successful. The strategies caused the students of the intervention condition to participate more and discuss more academic content. The students also received higher achievement gains in reading comprehension, while also finding success on the social studies testing.LD students and LEP students did not show statistically significant growth, but did show some growth. Not all of the strategies proved to be successful for the intervention condition, but most did serve their purpose (Klingner , et al. , 1998). Johnson, Johnson, Buckman, and Richards (2001) were only interested in the social aspects of cooperative learning. â€Å"The purpose of the present study was to determine whether cooperative learning experiences are related to social support in the classroom,† (Johnson, Johnson, Buckman, & Richards, 2001).The researchers used The Classroom Life Instrument to measure their data. It included 59 Likert-type questions rating statements on a five point scale of truthfulness. The measure was taken in November and January of the same school year. The sample included five eighth-grade classes with 45 girls and 46 boys. They were divided by those who reported being in cooperative groups less than half of the time (35 students) and participating half of the time or more (56 students). The hypothesis was that students would feel more social support in classrooms experiencing cooperative learning more often.Between November and January, research found that students did indeed feel more support with more exposure to cooperative learning. Support was felt by teachers and other students. Students felt more comfortable with materials presented and felt less alienated in the classroom. Students felt more responsible for what they were doing and had a better relationship among classmates both academically and personally (Johnson, et al. , 2001). Grouping students heterogeneously is typically a cooperative learning â€Å"must. Watson and Marshall (1995) wanted to test that theory in a study comparing the effectiveness of heterogeneous grouping and homogeneous grouping in cooperative task structures (Watson & Marshall, 1995). Thirty-five undergraduate elementary education students in a life science class were chosen to participate in this study. In this 13 week treatment, the independent variable was in the grouping of students. Six of the groups were arranged heterogeneously and six groups were arranged homogeneously.All groups were exposed to cooperati ve task structures, cooperative incentive structures, and individual accountability. Control was measured by the National Association of Biology Teachers/ National Science Teachers Association test (form A) before the treatment began. The dependent variable was taken from the results of the NABT/NSTA (form B) posttest. A five-item, five-point Liken scale was used to measure student response to the cooperative learning experiences. The authors felt that greater achievement would be gained by students heterogeneously placed in cooperative learning groups. They were rejected.Findings indicated no significant difference in test results from the heterogeneous groups to the homogeneous groups. In fact, in measuring the students’ perceptions of their experiences the homogeneous groups rated their experiences higher than those of the heterogeneous groups. The authors concluded that further studies should be done to find out if heterogeneous grouping is the most beneficial in all coop erative learning tasks (Watson & Marshall, 1995). I am a strong supporter, and user, of cooperative learning. I feel that students best learn from the modeling of those they can relate to most: their peers.After reviewing these studies I have not only gained a better understanding of what might be needed to strengthen cooperative learning in the education of my students, but I also feel validated in my use of cooperative learning as an effective learning tool. While some of the researchers did reject initial hypotheses, all of them showed value in the practice of cooperative learning. It is important to teach students how to work cooperatively, model good helping behaviors, and help students to receive not only strong academic support but strong social support as well.Finally, heterogeneous grouping may not be best in every experience in the classroom. Different group experiences may be needed to enhance the benefits. References Gillies, R. M. & Ashman, A. F. (2000). The effects of cooperative learning on students with learning difficulties in the lower elementary school. Journal of Special Education, 34(1), 19-27. Johnson, D. W. , Johnson, R. T. , Buckman, L. A. , & Richards, P. S. (2001). The effect of prolonged implementation of cooperative learning on social support within the classroom. The Journal of Psychology, 119(5), 405-411.Klingner, J. K. , Vaughn, S. , & Schumm, J. S. (1998). Collaborative strategic reading during social studies in heterogeneous fourth-grade classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 99(1), 3-22. Nattiv, A. (1994). Helping behaviors and math achievement gain of students using cooperative learning. The Elementary School Journal, 94(3), 285-297. Watson, S. B. & Marshall, J. E. (1995). Heterogeneous grouping as an element of cooperative learning in an elementary education science course. School Science & Mathematics, 95(8), 401-406.

Howard Zinn: Use and Abuse of History Summary

Response to Howard Zinn article History is something we constantly refer to progress ourselves as humans, we learn from our mistakes and continue to strive from our successes. But who is to say what is a horrible mistake or a courageous act of valor? That which was documented about what happened so long ago, was done by a person who spread the story or wrote it down from their perspective. Howard Zinn’s argument that there is no such thing as impartial history clearly illustrates that when history is recorded there is always two sides to the story, that things are either left out or kept in to sway the reader to one side or the other. Everyone is biased, whether they know it or not, in possessing fundamental goals, purposes and ends. † (Zinn, Use and Abuse of History,51) Not only can history be recorded partially but also it can be preached partially. By that I mean that in today’s society many things are censored, not published or not publicized. If they don†™t share a view that the government doesn’t like, that a publisher knows will not sell a book or that will cause negative controversy the history probably won’t make it to the eyes of the public. (Use and Abuse of History,62).History is partial because no matter who tells it, all the details cannot be accounted for, things are left out or over emphasized to prove a point or show a certain view. In today’s school system children learn history the way it has been mandated by the government not out of teacher’s discretion. The way history is taught in America is very partial, the idea that America is this country that is oh so glorious and built on the fundamentals of a perfect and morally strong society is over-glorified. The story of Christopher Columbus is a great example that Zinn uses.American’s teach their youth about the courageous sailor who founded the new world and the glory he brought. But leave out the side notes of the genocide he had s tarted and the ruthlessness of slavery all for his own personal glory. (Use and Abuse of History 56-57) Two sides of the same story, though both sides are never told. The idea that the founder of a country was a ruthless murderer would never swing in elementary schools, no matter how much of a reality it is. â€Å"One must inevitably omit large chunks of what is available in historical information. But what is mitted is critical in the kind of historical education people get† (Use and Abuse of History 56). It is insane to think that children should be taught every shred of history in school, they focus on the main points but again these main points are synthesized to show what a regulated counsel of officials decides is appropriate knowledge to learn. The books however that detail accounts that hold a darker look at the events or people like Christopher Columbus are not hidden or burned. Instead they are out there but they are not brought to students in silver platters and sh oved down their throats.Rather they are off to the side and are available to those who look but if the schools do such a good job and proving how much of a hero Christopher Columbus was who would ever look for such a book? History is partial because society’s elected officials choose what is put in the public eye, the officials decide what the social norm for history will be and they over emphasize glory and nationalism for the sake of our their nation’s pride not because it is the right side of the story, but what the public will perceive as the right story. Whenever someone says, ‘history proves†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and then cites a list of historical facts, we should beware. We can always select facts from history (there are lots to choose from) to prove almost anything†¦ † (Violence and human nature 41) The way we can use and abuse history is as easy as putting someone’s name into Google and hitting search. People can pick and choose what facts ab out something they wish to argue, again pushing for the partial use of history to make a point. An extreme example of course would be Adolph Hitler, you ask a student about Hitler their immediate response would be he was a monster.Many would agree, but what he did for the economy of Germany and how he brought a starving and poor country back to power can be considered in respects a tremendous act of great leadership and planning. (Trueman , The Nazis and the German Economy) The way history is presented is in a way that makes the presenter (the government) look good in the eyes of its citizens. The picking and choosing of facts only furthers the stereotype that â€Å"the world had good guys and bad guys, good countries and bad countries, and ours was good† (Violence and Human Nature 41).It makes sense in a way that it keeps the masses satisfied with their style and way of government. If the complete history of the U. S. governmental flaws and acts of murders were to be publish ed and used in schools of course the reaction would be to demand change and seek a new way of doing things. But that in itself would be using history in a partial way and again proving history his used to prove points and emphasis ideas based on who is telling them.Zinn’s idea that being partial is inevitable (Use and Abuse of History 51) cannot be denied, history is always told to prove a point and a point cannot be proven unless ideas are supported with the right facts chosen by those who document them. The ideas, beliefs and values we hold so strong to ourselves dictate the way we see art, literature and the world. The way we see history and record history is also based again on our values and beliefs, what we set in our mind to be so great, honest and true such as our country can be clouded by how attached we are to these values and beliefs we have. The chief problem in historical honesty is not outright lying. It is omission or deemphasis of important data. The definitio n of important, of course depends on one’s values. † (Use and Abuse of History51) The values that we hold to ourselves have come from our upbringing, from what we are taught growing up. It is no wonder that American’s see their country as beautiful, free and the birth of the ideal American business dream. Taking into my own perspective, â€Å"The Ludlow Massacre† (Use and Abuse of Hitory, 51-53) I initially held the idea that the American government always promoted the growth of its economy in positive measures.From what was taught to me in history class the only struggle I had known about in the America’s regarding the economy was the great depression and slavery. After reading that part of the article it seems very clear to myself why that was kept away from the public. The stock market crash, the great depression and slavery are all pieces of American history that are unavoidable that are known by the general public, but the Ludlow Massacre becau se of the scale and the remoteness of the incident, the American government was able to sweep it away out of view of the public eye.The depression and slavery were both triumphed by the government of America, where it was able to lead their country to economic prosperity and end slavery. But as for the massacre, they burned children and killed hundreds. If this were made general knowledge it may perhaps alter some beliefs of values held in the economic pride of the United States. I see that values lter how you view things because they’re essentially what you believe to be true, and the way history is portrayed it is clear to see that it is partial and that it does take sides. Zinn is very clearly telling the readers that history cannot be told as a whole, bits and pieces are left aside at the discretion of the author. A tiny part maybe left out, but the moral value it can hold can be tremendous even belief altering, that is why history it seems in a sense is regulated and a p roduct that is designed for the general public.The concept that history â€Å"inevitably takes sides† (Use and Abuse of History 51) is a main point in how Zinn argues that history is partial. A bias is always present no matter who the scribe is because the scribe themselves is on a side, or he/she has certain views that alter how they record or present the event they have witnessed. (Use and Abuse of History 51) If this bias is always present is there really a right and wrong way to see two sides given in history?There is also countless other factors that are prevalent in regards to a bias opinion; is this the idea the publisher wants to display, will this spark controversy, will this get my point across, will this show we are superior? (Use and Abuse of History, 59) Zinn brings forward many ways that would sway a historian to push one side of the story more than the other. â€Å"there is a conservative bias to history a tendency to emphasize what previous generations have e mphasized. The motive for that is safety, because the historian who breaks the pattern causes stares and suspicions. (Use and Abuse of History,59) The social norm stands dominant in the way history is engineered for the public, I think that it is harder for historians to avoid certain tendencies in what is written because of who will publish it and what controversies it will cause, and especially who will pay for it. History it seems today is more of a business to promote ideas and beliefs that are inside the box, it promotes uniformity in the believers of the past, that those who learn about history’s dark secrets must choose to, that nothing beyond the social norm will be willingly presented to them in fear that their ideologies and beliefs will change.History’s partial system of facts and the idea that entire civilizations are morally horrid or angelic is so biased because that is the way history has always been. Every story told is nothing but a point of view, that one side of a story always remains dominant to another that portrays a negative outcome for the storyteller. Howard Zinn’s idea that there is no such thing as impartial history because of how it is twisted to either include or ignore things or to emphasize or deemphasize certain ideas seems to do nothing but prove valid.History is something that has always been partial to emphasize values and ideas to prove something and make sure people interpret it in a certain way. The idea that you cannot ignore the past has a different meaning to me now, you can choose to ignore certain pieces of the past. History’s conservative outlook constantly pushes the same values and ideas this is because we specify which ideas and values should be pushed. The way history is sliced and diced reflects what the government and publishers think how we should view history.Events of the past are pushed to the side so that ideas of morality and righteousness still stand strong, even though our el ected leaders of the past commit crimes it isn’t in the best interest of the general public that this information become readily available. (Use and Abuse of History 56-62) Zinn’s arguments prove to show that history is partial, that things are left out for certain reasons and things are emphasized to prove points.History can never be impartial because there will always be a degree of bias in whoever records it, neutrality can never really present when describing a conflict because even the idea of neutrality is a personal opinion. History itself is a product to be consumed by the masses, the ideas are ingested and regurgitated so the social norm remains strong and that certain ideologies are always held. Bibliography: 1. Trueman, Chris. â€Å"The Nazis and the German Economy. † The Nazis and the German Economy. History Learning Site, n. d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. . 2. Zinn, Howard. The Use and Abuse of History. Coursepack

Business Culture Of Russia English Language Essay

Business Culture Of Russia English Language Essay Imagine that you work for a multinational IT company and have been transferred to Japan for five years on a project. You want to adjust yourself culturally to the new environment so that you do not have cross-cultural problems. Which aspects of the local culture would you wish to observe and understand in order to avoid problems of cross-cultural communication? Hello!! My name is Agnes. I am from Russia. I work in a multi-national company there as Sr. Manager in Marketing Department. For the completion of a project, I have been transferred to Japan for five years. Being two different countries, there are a lot of differences between the business cultures of them. Business Culture of Russia Russia, being one of the fastest growing economies of the world, is an inspiration for international business relations. People who are looking forward to break into a new business or attempting to grow their European presence enjoy their success by the development of new Russian clients and partn ers. Meeting Etiquettes Russians value patience and appreciate time for discussion, consideration and digesting negotiations. Never try to impose a decision through high-pressure talk. It will only make you look impatient, rude and incapable of professional business communications. Although it is acceptable for your Russian colleagues to be late to the business meetings, but, as a foreigner, you are expected to be punctual. Also, do not let your late Russian colleagues to apologize, as their behavior is considered to be a test of your patience level. If your business meeting is based on a technical topic, be sure that you bring technical experts and a Russian interpreter along with you. Your Russian colleagues will expect a thorough presentation associated with your topic. Bringing experts establishes your credibility, foresight and general expertise. Although most Russians speak English, be sure that you have a Russian translation of your business card on the other side, as this in dicates your enthusiasm for doing business with your Russian colleagues. Greeting Etiquettes Initial greetings may come across coolly. Do not expect friendly smiles. A handshake is always required when greeting or leaving, regardless of the relationship. Remove your gloves before shaking hands. Dress Codes Business dress is formal and conservative. Wearing very light or very bright colors may make you appear lazy or unreliable to a Russian person. MEN: They should wear business suits. WOMEN: They should wear subdued colored business suits with skirts that cover the knees. Body Language Russians are very demonstrative people, and public physical contact is common. Hugs, backslapping, kisses on the cheeks and other expansive gestures are common among friends or acquaintances. Russians stand close while they are talking. Making an â€Å"OK† sign in Russia is considered to be very rude gesture. Corporate Culture Russians appreciate punctuality. Business meetings generally begin o n time in Russia. Business cards, in Russia, are always exchanged at business meetings. The ceremony of presenting and receiving business cards is very important. Do not treat it lightly. Hand your business card in a way that the Russian side is readable to the recipient.

A close reading of a fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A close reading of a fiction - Essay Example Sensibly saying, his family and society had affected his style to evolve imaginative provocation in most of his literary works. ‘The Metamorphosis’ is focused at the terrific change that occurs to the protagonist Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman. One morning he finds himself astonishingly changed into a strange large insect. His ambush was more about finding himself more hopelessly unable to continue with his sales work than mere physical change. He was the only financial support for the family and the happiness of the family depended much on his ability to work. His new look terrifies his employer who runs way at his very sight. The family now controls his motions or calls him with ‘Shooos’ rather than his name. His room has become his hiding place. He develops fears of a cockroach like being stamped by people or attacked by cats or other animals. His sister Grete, however, feeds him with milk and stale, rotten fruits or remains of edible things. He manages to remain affectionate to his family members and hides himself behind the sofa or bed whenever someone enters his room. Now his only amusement in the loneliness is looking out through the windows and crawling up on the walls and ceiling. In the mean time, the family lets out a portion to lodgers and Gregor’s room changes into a dumping area for unwanted things. He then realizes that he was no more Gregor and that he should leave the family for their better prospects. Gregor, utterly dejected to stay longer, dies in his room. The family upon finding his corpse feels relieved of a great burden and starts planning for the future. The family improves their living standards and shifts to a smaller flat to delete the memories of Gregor. The dà ©nouement (The resolution of the plot of a literary work) of this work is of a mixed trend. The narration changes the denouement with the development of the story. A person loved very much by the

Frozen 13;20-17;00 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Frozen 13;20-17;00 - Essay Example When she accidentally harms her own sister, Anna, with the power, she is forced to spend a life of isolation, hiding the secret from her sister. During this ordeal, further tragedy strikes as their parents die in a shipwreck. When Elsa comes of age to take the throne, she accidentally loses control of her power again and turns the whole town into ice and runs away. What follows after is the struggle of the younger sister Anna, to find her sister and bring her home. The song shows the naà ¯ve optimism and happiness of Anna for the coronation day. She is shown celebrating and roaming around the courtyards relishing over the fact that both sisters, who had kept themselves isolated from the outside world, finally get to meet and talk to people. The song shows Anna’s delight over the socializing. In the same song, when the third verse arrives and focuses on Elsa, Elsa is shown to have a completely opposite reaction towards coronation. She sings in a counterpointing melody, expressing her fear about her powers. The song is cut off in between in the end as Anna crashes into a horse. The soundtrack is a fluffy and nicely light accompaniment to the scene that it is featured on. While the songs look perfect with the plot itself, on its own, it falls flat. While it is unfair to separate the music from the story, analyzing it is more important. The song has a few evident poor decisions of performance, for example before Elsa orders to open the gates, there is a ham-fisted pause, and then Anna follows it with meaningless harmonization. This makes the song go sliding downhill and land face-first on mud. The music itself is obstinately and ironically derivative, employing the use of a ballad with the combination of uplifting strings and piano, that seems as if it has only been made to sell copies. Disney sticks to its Broadway-like musicals which is clearly evident in this song as well. Keeping the quality of the music aside, the song has its positive

Crime Analysis Why Does Detroit Have Such a High National Murder Rate Assignment

Crime Analysis Why Does Detroit Have Such a High National Murder Rate - Assignment Example In addition, the media placed Detroit as the 2nd city in terms of murder cases in the entire U.S (Fisher, 2013). However, in 2013 the city’s rate abridged significantly though this still equaled with New York statistics whose population is far beyond that of Detroit by 11 times (Crime statistics, 2013). Hence, has become Murder City having 333 homicides of all kinds in 2013 despite analysts contending that was the lowest figure compared to other studies (The Washington, 2014). Most murders occurred between acquaintances, with people involved either in criminal activities or in domestic violence as evidenced by statistics from previous years. Based on already compiled data, reports cite it is a common scenario for gang members to turn on each other. Drug deals going bad were another reason for murders between people who knew each other. For instance, two teenagers were shot and found dead lying on a field facedown after having purchased marijuana from their local supplier. There were reports of domestic violence whereby spouses killed each other, parents killing their children or children terminating lives of their parents. Logan, a police chief in Detroit, gave an example of a woman who stabbed her eight-year-old girl and cited it as a typical scenario experienced in 2012 (Fisher, 2013). Logan further contended America currently experiences increased cases related to gun shootings but Detroit is the epicenter. Gun violence is something very ordinary in Detroit as most people own guns either legally or illegally. According to FBI reports, gun assault increased tremendously over the past years whereby 532 armed crimes were reported for every 100, 000 residents in 2010. The city’s respective authority went ahead to devise a policy whereby people were to hand over their guns at a fee, no questions asked. Its purpose was to reduce the number of guns in Detroit. It was a great failure as gun-related crimes are still a big problem in the

The Effect of Clinical Simulation on Student Self Efficacy in Learning Research Paper

The Effect of Clinical Simulation on Student Self Efficacy in Learning at NSU - Research Paper Example Health care profession demands high standards of work ethics and faultlessness. Therefore, if these standards are not met self confidence tends to deteriorate. In such conditions, one tends to feed anxiety because failure is anticipated, which undermines one’s self-efficacy (Watt & Stewart, 2008). Examining the social learning theory proves to be valuable in discussing the effect of clinical simulation on self efficacy of students. According to the social learning theory, self efficacy refers to an individual's belief that he or she is capable of performing a task, in terms of organizational behavior; the higher the self efficacy, the more confidence one has in one’s capacity to perform a duty (Robbins, 2010). To explain the importance of clinical simulation, one needs to collect data regarding the incorporation of this method in teaching curriculum. Focusing on this point, clinical simulation has become an essential part of learning; state boards of nursing approve spe cific substitutions count between 10% and 25% of simulation time as clinical experience (Gaberson, Gaberson & Oermann, 2010). Nevertheless, complete comprehensive data and the performance of students need to be collected for complete analysis of the effects of clinical simulation. This study targets the students or health care professionals currently training in programs which include dealing with clinical simulation. It will give an in depth insight about the effects of clinical simulation on the future medical practice of students. Simulation is a goal-directed experimentation with dynamic models, which has time-varying characteristics and can be mathematical, symbolic or physical (Sokolowski & Banks, 2009).... This essay approves that the following exposition revolves around the basic idea, advantages, disadvantages and its probable effects on self efficacy of students and professionals of one of the methods widely used in practical learning; Simulation. For decades, research on the ways to make teaching methods more effective has been carried out around the world. Whether it be health, sports, law, politics or any other profession, incorporation of practical work is now essential in educating students belonging to diverse professions. The purpose of this study is to closely evaluate the pros and cons of clinical stimulation and all the possible ways in which one can affect the students under medical training. In depth to the whole idea of clinical simulation, emphasis is based on the self-efficacy of the medical professionals trained through clinical simulation and whether this routine has a positive or negative effect on it. Furthermore, we explore whether using artificial means of clinical education, in contrast to an actual interaction with a patient, can successfully prepare students for challenging medical emergencies they shall encounter in professional careers. This report makes a conclusion that health care simulation is therefore, a very effective way of preparing medical professionals for their medical practice on real-life patients and serious practical problems, since students can practice skills in a simulation laboratory without the constraint of a real-life situation. Since medical simulation gives an opportunity to experience a diverse range of situations, it helps enable medical professionals to deal with sudden unfamiliar complicated situations arising in real-life.

Professional Development Plan (PDP) & Review - Developing new skills Assignment

Professional Development Plan (PDP) & Review - Developing new skills and behaviours - Assignment Example Since the cycle of development is a continuous process, it is only via reviewing the plan effectively in order to formulate appropriate plans for the future steps. Furthermore, the effective review of the plan can also identify the effectiveness of one’s plan, and that their direction is aligned to their future ambitions. Objectives/Goals Students, just as professionals, require a professional development plan to monitor their academic progress. This tool enables the student to devise a plan which to follow in ensuring their success and development into a sort-after employee (Barrett, 2008). A student’s learning environment is central to their success and as such they must be provided with suitable physical and mental environment from which to grow their academic ambitions. The recent past has seen huge developments in technology that has seen some technologies like the iPad rise into prominence. As a result, Barrett (2008) believes that it is vital to keep up to date w ith such technological advancements in order to keep by the CPD standards as well as improve the personal performance of the student, team performances as well as inflict organisational or institutional excellence. In order to achieve this, it is essential to set SMARTe goals. The set goals should be strategic and specific with respect to the student’s needs, they can be measured, they are attainable, they should be results oriented or relevant, they can be achieved within a specific period of time and they must also accommodate everyone. The major objectives include: i. To ensure that the students have a supportive, safe, and equitable environment for learning their activities. ii. To explore as well as implement different instructional strategies in order to increase the achievement of the students. iii. To increase the achievement of the students via the use of technological applications in the classroom as well as in the instruction and management of data in the instituti on. Professional Development Plan A professional development plan (PDP) is a tool that enables students to identify their existing skills as well as help them develop new plans for the further development of other skills in desired and or relevant fields. Employers all over the globe are placing greater emphasis on skills and their advancement or development. As a result, it vital that students be able to lay bare that the skills they possess have been acquired and developed actively over a relatively long time. The development of such skills enables students to develop into productive professionals as well as placing them into better positions to compete for the ever reducing opportunities for employment after successful completion of their academic courses. Day and Sachs (2004) define CPD as â€Å"a term used to describe all the activities in which professionals engage during the course of a career, which are designed to enhance their work† (p. 3). Progress Review Among the underpinning stones of long-term learning is the ability to self evaluate as well as update personal skills and knowledge. Critical skills for students’ development are the abilities to learn via experience and become progressively more self critical and self aware (Luzinski, 2011). This can be determined via evaluation and reflection

Letter to the Instructor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Letter to the Instructor - Essay Example Language reflects a culture and changes the meaning of words! My main objective in joining the course was to improve my basic writing and communication skills. I am glad to say that I am now able to express myself effectively and write clearly and to the point. I can state my opinions and argue about an issue. I now understand the meanings of things left unspoken in a conversation. Earlier, I was more interested in mastering simple English speaking skills than in writing. ENG 126 has made me realize that writing a language is the best way to begin â€Å"thinking† deliberately in that language. It is only when you set down words on paper that you learn to organize your thoughts and link them together. Seeing a word on the page impresses it in the memory and improves spelling skills too. I particularly love our textbook. It is so well organized that I find it very simple to use. I find the readings particularly appealing. As a person, I like to read and write about several subjects and not confine myself to a single domain. The variety of subjects the readings include make them very interesting and fun to read. The language of the readings is pretty simple. This gave me confidence and it was very easy to relate to the readings. I am also glad that the essays were not too long. The essays required for the class were of various levels of difficulty. I am most pleased with my persuasive research paper. I learned to collect material and to organize it effectively. I not only gained writing skills but also extended my vocabulary and gained in-depth knowledge on the subject of vegetarianism. I see that two opposing viewpoints can appear absolutely correct at the same time! A lot depends on the writer’s presentation. The essay I am least pleased with is my Letter to the Editor. While I am happy with my choice of subject, I now see that the letter could have been better organized.  

Myself the Writer Essay Example for Free

Myself the Writer Essay One of the reasons why I love writing is because it is my desire to progress in writing through setting more achievable objectives, building on novel ideas, in addition to developing new skills. Through writing I am able to advance my knowledge on a variety of subjects. Every time I write I am able to learn something new. I take writing as a way through which I can express my feeling. However, writing is a challenging task due to the fact that it calls for extra caution. There are many rules and regulations that surround writing. Some of these rules limit the extent to which one can express himself in writing (Elbow p, 12). There are various challenges that I come across in the process of writing that tend to slow me down. Finding the right words is the hardest of these challenges. Sometimes it is very hard to find the most appropriate words to make my writing sound the way I would like. Writing can also be a boring as well as demoralizing task when a writer fails to get the necessary information (Elbow p, 26). Trying to figure out the words that will follow the work I have already completed is the other challenge that I face as a writer. Lack of knowledge concerning a particular topic is the other challenge I face as a writer. Along with lack of knowledge, lack of information from various sources is the other factor that negatively impacts on my writing. Writer’s block is the other challenge that I face in writing. However, I have learned that in order to overcome writer’s block I need to put down what is in my head. Work Cited: Elbow P. , (edn 2), (1998). Writing with power: techniques for mastering the writing process, ISBN 0195120175: Oxford University Press US

How to approach a child with autism properly

How to approach a child with autism properly The idea of being polite or that which designate the point of politeness to others is a great virtue to begin with. In that essence, when dealing and attending to or with people or a child with autistic disorder, politeness and understanding their sentiments is also very important. Not all people are blessed or lucky to live a normal life. That is where we can derive the sentimental value of politeness to make its presence as far as approaching a child with autism in a proper way is concerned. What we can comprehend and understand from the general assimilation of the facts, especially when it concerns child with autistic is that people who behaves with them politely is often not only respected by autistic child, but also loved by them in great many ways. In that context again, a child with autism also in any given occasion responds to people who are polite and who understands them in the other way round. That is to say, a child with autisms most commonly is often known to be impaired by brain disorders or that which impaired the part of the brains, and are children with special needs and care. Thus, extra attentions have to be given to them to improve their way of living in a better way. This is where the question of being polite to them also come to fore, because it bring into the occasion the consideration for the feelings of others. When we look at these features in contention, a child with autisms we feel is characterized by certain aspects of impairment that prevent them to interact and communicate socially in the way a normal child does. Behavioral aspects of a child with autism also often prevent them due to repetitive behavior that a normal child does or is expected of. Hypothesis: Proposal and Issue in Contention Understanding autism is important in a sense that it can provide us a gist about the disease in general and what are the salient factors attached to it. Autism as one of the commonest diseases is spreading fast and affects millions of individuals, especially childrens. To have a clear and precise understanding of it is very beneficial for an informative understanding of the diseases. Emphasizing the valuable aspects attached to children that are affected by autism and understanding the significance of how to approach such children also can provide us with an idea about what should be and what should not be the factors while making a way to approach children with autism, because as we know children with autism have a general disorder to understand and view things as normal people does. As one aspects of human disability, autism as diseases is rather hard for general people to understand, especially when it matter to approach child with autism, given that their behavior at times are a sore for the sight. However, we should not make it look so bad. Given that childrens who are affected with autism also are humans, so does we. Hence, every notion to have a feeling for them and their needs is one significant point to build a society based on understanding, sharings, helping people in needs and most importantly contributing to limit the plight of those less fortunate. In that essence, we feel that to general the objective of this study is to view into the salient aspects encompassing factors of the subject matter that attempts to trace how to approach child with autism in order to do away with any misgivings and misunderstanding. As we know children with autism are childrens with special needs and care. Thus, every aspect to understand their behavior for example can be an ample foreground for us to feel for their plight or to make a contributing hand in helping such childrens and their cause. Thus, it should be clarified that in order to have a clear understanding of autism, a thorough understanding of a child with autism also readily calls for attention, which this projects attempts to address and exemplifies the crucial points. In doing so, a literature review of the subject matter that limits its analysis to factor on defining autism and how to approach child with autism is a necessity, which the following paragraph details. Literature Review: The idea and notion of Autism As we can derive from a general accumulation of the facts, autism is a general disorder that affects the behavior of person affected by it. Most often than not, people or a child with autisms is restricted by certain neural disorder that prevent them to behave and act normally in most occasions. It is heartening to experience in that capacity. However, point of it also should looked and extrapolated in which the salient and special characteristic of a child with autism also should be acknowledged. In that regard, experts are of the opinion that autism like all mental disorders are phenomenological based diagnosis. That is to say, autism is a form of mental disorders that is observable to predict through an experiment. Altogether, autism can directly be defined as a disease based on observable and reproducible behavioral phenomenon, and composed a complex biological system or that which medical experts calls end point in psychiatric illness. (Casanova, 2005, p. 198) Thus, when we begin to this comprehension of the facts and subject matter arguments again, we feel that medical experts opinion on the same also should be taken in a discourse. Although much of the definition of autism herein and as defined above is medically grounded, that is to say, all aspects of the features attached to autism are defined in medical and clinical sense. In that capacity and as sources can be derived from our study, the IDEA Act in US (Individual with Disability Education Act) defines the notion attached to autism as one of the developmental disability in a person that significantly affects the way of people behavior and their responses to certain social interaction process. That is to make it simple, autism has a direct affect upon an individual verbal and non-verbal communications processes. Together with it, individual who are affected with autism and its disorder also often find the social interaction to be close to impossible. What we can relate further is that autisms are generally evident in any given child affected by it before the age of three years. The effect of autisms also adversely affects a childs educational performance, given that as a neural disorder, the affect of learning disability also directly comes to fore. (Anonymous, 2008) Thus, when we interpret and accumulate to the notion that can be derived from the above definition in brief, it comes as a direct representation of the sociological aspects that can be emphasized again. That is to say, a close knot understanding in brief can be derived as to what composed the meaning of autism in general term; rather than the previous idea that is medically grounded. How to Approach Autistic Childrens? When we come to this part of the study, what we can cum up from the above definition, its terms and characteristics attached to autism also provided an avenue to understand the meaning of autism. In that regard, it is crucial to understand autism in a sense that it can further enable us to derive the salient aspects as and when it matter to dealing with autistic people. The question that arises also is how to approach children with autism? To begin with in this regard, we feel that a thorough understanding of the behavioral aspects and in particular the characteristic associated with autism is important as a measure to approach with them in day to day life and interaction process. Hence, experts feel that as far as approaching an autistic child goes it is to be sensible and vitreous enough to understand who they are, because autism is just one part of their characteristics. Yet a child with autism is also a unique creation of God and with unique character and gifts. (Wong, 2009) Thus, the best way to approach a child with autism is to give them enough space to be what they want and to express their humanness as to who they are, not by what we make think of otherwise. To put it in simple terms, approaching a child with autism is all based on the things that we can encounter, and how we response to each one of it in a cordial and virtues way. Secondly, autistic child and their characteristic of neural disorder prevent them from imaginative thinking. Hence, in that regard, expert opinion in that respect is to approach a child with autism with due care and attention to details. That is to say, identifying with them is the best way possible, because child with autism are hypersensitive to certain things that are beyond their imagination to grabs a thing or two being said or conversed. Thus, a cautious approach to the language used, and individual willingness to identify with them and their capabilities as well as doing thing to them in one sense give greater details and a good basis to approach a child with autism, (Wong, 2009) because as we can emphasize to the meaning of it, the fact is that that often actions speaks louder then word with children affected by autism. Together with it, and from a professional way on emphasizing to the notion of approaching a child with autism, that is to say, teaching a child with autism defines many foregrounds of the do and donts. As far as the subject topic goes in that regard, it is widely undertaken with due care and cautious approach. Expert opinion of the point to approach a child with autism and while teaching an autistic child is to give greater details and focus on two significant areas as far as it goes with the use of functional activities, and in particular an effort to make programs appropriate enough for student development level that also attends to their chronological age. (Raymond Le Blanc, 2007, p. 102) Hence, as we have related in the introductory note to the subject matter arguments, we feel that being polite to children with autism can be a great virtue indeed. That is why we see an extensive empathizing that is given attention toward children with autism. Altogether such move is also a good social cause, given that it gives the child that are affected with autism greater details to explore and experiment their life in a meaningful way, especially with people who understand them in a better way. Understanding the Characteristics of Autistic Childrens As far as autism goes, a prominent attribute or aspect of something that is related is also relevant to trace as a measure to understand in general the characteristic attached to the diseases and its symptoms in any. In that regard one of the common characteristics that are most often associated with autism can be exemplified towards the components attached to repetitive activities among autistic child. In that notion, autism and is characteristics as can be observed reflects the stereotyped movement of autistic individuals or a child. (Anonymous, 2008) Most importantly, autistic characteristic also are most often than not resistance to change. Hence, when autistic individual are subject to environmental change or change in daily course of life and routines to be precise, a direct instance of resistance also can be observed. Such characteristics as can be explained are unusual responses to sensory or neural experiences attached to autism and individual affected by it, (Anonymous, 2008) says experts in the fields of autistic study and child development welfares. Further down the line, we often feel that to define autism correctly is hard, because it all depends on interpreting the traits that are relevant to autistic individual or childrens. In that reasoning, and as far as expert opinion and their idea of autism goes, it directly relates to people who often have difficulty in three major areas, namely social interaction, communication, either can be (verbal or written) or both, and flexible and imaginative thinkings, which medical experts such as Lorna Wings have referred on the condition attached to autism and autistic behavior and characteristics. (Pittman, 2007, p. 4) In context of the above definition of the characteristic attached to autism, we can directly trace the features as to what composed imaginative thinking as well. Let say, autistic adversely affect the child learning capacity but it does not mean that a childs educational performance in such situation or occasion as such is adversely affected due to or primarily because of the child emotional disturbance, but it is a direct insistence of the disorder attached to neural or psychological diseases. (Anonymous, 2008) That is why; characteristic attached to children with autism is rather complicated to register readily with a layman. Once again, from the interpretation of this term, a concise meaning to autism and its spectrum also can be derived. What we can drive home the idea is that regard as well can be further stated that autism is rather a complex disorder as far as social interaction and cognition of term goes. In that capacity as well, we feel that autistic childs are individuals that calls for special attention and special care, wherein all the components and characteristics that posits a child with autism should not be taken for granted to accumulate who they are, since it is only one part of them and their disability. Conclusion Going back to the overall discussion, we are of the opinion that understanding autism and how to approach autistic child with such a disorder calls for extra measure and efforts to be made. Hence, to conclude in that regard and what we can drive home the idea that erupts from politeness with autistic child as well has some sentimental value, which we feels defines the notion that parts of it also comes readily, and registers with people who have been trained to handle or responds to children with autistic behavior in a better way. For a layman, understanding a child with autism can be close to impossible, because as some experts have maintained is the fact that autistic disorder in a child does not in a way explains or defines who the child is, which in a sense it only give a clear impression and natural accumulation of the fact that autism is one part of the character and being of childrens with autism. (Wong, 2009) Recommendations In the current state of affairs, extensive researches are being carried out to understand the many variables attached to autism and its characteristics in particular. As human and scientific knowledge increases, so does the awareness and attention that is given to certain fields of study as a measure to reaps the benefits in facilitating a better way of life to children with autism also automatically arises. There are many components that make it hard to define autism, which in any capacity is what we call a diseases. Measure initiated in the study and research thus is to bring into contention the idea to understanding and tracing the salient aspects of autism so that a progress can be channelized to treat the disorder in a better way, because it is one aspect of concerns that medical experts encounters. (Casanova, 2005, p. 198) Thus, when we relate to the above statement as well, and accumulating the overall discussions, we can derive as to where the idea in the medical fields that is interrelated to autism and its study can be emphasized for further research and study. After all, medical research initiated in context of autism is a measure that comes as a means to an end in enabling medical experts to find a befitting solution to treat the disorder and to facilitate the channel of life bearing examples. Such insistence and initiation is a good move and designate an attempt with great virtue and a great cause.

Defining Good Advice :: Defintion Essays

Defining Good Advice Good advice started out as something that I could grasp. It was something I was able to understand. But that all changed. What is it exactly that constitutes good advice? When we started this discussion a couple weeks ago, I knew what good advice was, or at least I thought I did. Good advice was something that came from the mouth of someone I respected and looked up to. It came from my parents, grandparents, and Davey, the man I wrote about in my narrative. Good advice usually lead to something good, but sometimes bad things were the result of that good advice. Consider the situation of me telling on my best friend for drinking. Davey told me, â€Å"stick to your guns, Perp.† And I did. I told on my best friend. â€Å"Everybody turned their heads when I walked by in school.† That couldn’t have been â€Å"good advice†. So if good advice can lead to bad things, then how can it be considered good advice? Well, I have tried to look at it in a simple way, but it just got more and more complex. Maybe it can be related to Douglas Crane’s comment about example C on contractions. â€Å"This part I would love to toss out and never consider, but it’s impossible to deny the information given.† And, as I said in our discussion on contractions, â€Å"I have no need for example C because it is way too much information for me right now. But who knows, maybe later I might need that much info, but as for now I don’t.† Was I really ready for his advice? Looking back, I don’t think I was, being sixteen and all. And that is what made his good advice so hard to understand. My mind could not comprehend the â€Å"big picture†. But Davey’s mind could. He had already been sixteen. He absolutely knew that it would help me in the future. I am now twenty years old and a little more wiser, which made me come to the conclusion that Davey was right, because even though his advice ended up hurting me, I am a stronger person now because of it. I still use his advice today, even with the negative consequences involved. Some people have told me I am stubborn. I just tell them that I am â€Å"sticking to my guns†. Advice can be given in any manner, but that doesn’t make it good or bad advice.

The Modernization of America Essay -- essays papers

The Modernization of America The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869. The telephone was invented in 1876. The first practical system for a radio was developed in 1895. The Wright brothers created a flying machine in 1903. The first gas powered automobile, the assembly line and the refrigerator were produced in the early 20th century. These are all very important steps in laying the foundation for the modernization of America, but I would argue that the first truly modern period in American history would have to be the 1920s. The 1920s brought a capitalistic population who, as a nation, leaned toward isolationism. In two main fields, the 1920s modernized American society to reflect the America of the 21st century more than any era before it. These fields are media and business. Along with a new decade came a new attitude from the media. By 1922 there were 22 magazines in circulation and by the end of the 1920s, 40% of Americans owned a radio. The first tabloid magazine appeared in 1919. The media that we know today spawned from this growth in the 20s. This new type of mass media permitted the spreading of national trends or obsessions, such as flagpole sitting. A 21st century equivalent to this type of rather bizarre behavior of national trends could be the Christmas â€Å"Tickle me Elmo† or â€Å"Furby† craze over the last few years. The national connection that the mass media provided also allowed for fashion to become important and for heroes in th...

Roles of the Housekeeper and Nursemaid in Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre essays

Roles of the Housekeeper and Nursemaid in Bronte's Jane Eyre    Just as servants played an essential role in Victorian England, they also played an essential role in the novel Jane Eyre. Bronte uses servants in a variety of ways. For example the housekeeper is used to bring terror and utter rejection on Jane. The nursemaid is used to teach Jane to love and nurture without neglecting discipline. The housekeeper was most often a widow, working for her kin (Hill 119). Mrs. Fairfax falls under the category of the widowed older lady working for her kin (107; ch. 11). It is Mrs. Fairfax who responds to Jane’s ad and hires her (96; ch. 10). It is also Mrs. Fairfax who warns Jane before her wedding to Rochester that she should not trust him. Being the housekeeper as well as kin Mrs. Fairfax knows a lot about Rochester. She suggests that Jane "keep Mr. Rochester at a distance: distrust yourself as well as him" ( 263; ch. 24). Bronte uses the stern housekeeper in the novel to influence Jane. The stern and disproving Mrs. Fairfax signifies the distress and turmoil that is soon to take place with the pending wedding. The housekeeper was often a terror to other servants in the home, and is the character of many stories haunting (Huggert 33). Mrs. Fairfax adhering to her role as housekeeper attempts to stir terror in Jane about marrying Rochester by telling her to distrust him (263; ch. 24). We find that Mrs. Fairfax’s warning does indeed take a toll on Jane’s behavior toward Rochester. After treating Rochester coolly for weeks, Jane says, "Mrs. Fairfax, I saw, approved me" (272; ch. 25). The same kind of attributes are displayed by Hannah the housekeeper at Moor House. The same kind of close loyal bond is also displayed by Hannah. When Jane knocks on the door of Moor House , it is Hannah who answers and turns her away. Hannah’s loyalty to the family causes her to distrust strangers and attempt to protect their interests. She refuses to allow Jane to even speak to her mistresses (329; ch. 28 ). Jane continues claiming she will die if turned away. Hannah responds: Not you. I’m fear’d you have some ill plans agate, that bring you about folk’s houses at this time o’ night. If you’ve any followers- housebreakers or such like- anywhere near, you may tell them we are not by ourselves in the house; we have a gentleman, and dogs, and guns.

Performance Appraisal Essay

Performance appraisal is a universal phenomenon with the organization is making judgement about one is working with and about oneself. It serves as a basic element of effective work performance. Performance appraisal is essential for the effective management and evaluation of staff. It aims to improve the organizational performance as well as individual development. Performance is an employee’s accomplishment of assigned work as specified in the critical and as measured against standards of the employee’s position. The term â€Å"Performance Appraisal† is concerned with the process of valuing person’s worth to an organisation with a view to increasing it. EXERCISE : STEP 1: Divide participant in group of 3. STEP 2 : Let them to select upon themselves a manager, an employee and an observer. STEP 3 : Assign each group with one scenario to begin with. STEP 4 : Each scenario will take approximately 5 min to play. STEP 5 : manager and employee has to take part in play and observer has to write down the Observations. STEP 6 : Observer has to focus on following questions – †¢ What worked? †¢ What didn’t? †¢ How did the â€Å"manager† shows caring during the play? †¢ How did the â€Å"employee† react to a caring approach? †¢ Was the manager candid with the employee? How? †¢ How did the employee react to the candid approach? †¢ Did a collaborative effort surface? Describe it? Different scenarios are : Scenario 1 : Was it that important? Manager : You’ve missed the three of those meetings during the last two quarter. Employee : But I thought they were optional. I’ve been missing meetings all week†¦. I never realise it as a problem Manager : Well I am telling you now your attendance is mandatory. But that’s not the only reason you scored low in this category†¦.. You also been consistently coming to work late. Employee : But I am always here by 8:15. The switchboard doesn’t even open until 8:30. Manager : ( Ad lib from here, and see where it takes you! ) Employee : ( Ad lib from here, and see where it takes you! ) Scenario 2 : Are you done yet? Manager : I know you are working hard on this report I assigned, but you keep getting them to me late. I can’t prepare next year’s budget unless I know exactly how much money each contract brought in this year. So you are going to have to get them into me by tomorrow afternoon, Okay? Employee : Sorry, sometime I have trouble prioritizing†¦.. I didn’t realised they were that important. Manager : Well, they are important, and I need your report on time from now on. Okay? Employee : ( Ad lib from here, and see where it takes you! ) Manager : ( Ad lib from here, and see where it takes you! ) In that manner we can assign different scenario to different groups. STEP 7 : Now the manager and employee are going to provide with a paper and they were asked to write down the behaviour of one other in role play. ( In this way manager appraise their employees performance and employee appraise their managers performance. ) STEP 8 : Finally observer has to share his observation with others.

The Gambia and the Movie Industry

Table of Contents The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries 3 The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment 8 The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment, Case Study: The Gambia 13 Bibliography18The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries Movies, films, cinema, the big picture; all of these are terms used to describe an industry that has captured the minds and imagination of billions of people throughout the world. And what an evolution process this industry has gone through. Video recording has been around since the late 1800’s, and back them the videos seemed more like Claymation technique than anything else. The videos were grainy, stopped a lot, and had no sound. Of course through time improvements have been made. As th e 20th century moved forward, so did the movie industry.Videos became clearer and longer, and so people decided to shoot movies and charge people money to see said films. The early ones of course had no sound and had to use cue cards, but as time progressed so did technology. In just a few short years not only was sound added to the films, but also color, and even 3d technology. So what comes next for this billion-dollar industry? The industry is now taking its business throughout the world; to countries that one would not expect the movie industry to set up camp due to the increase in technology and decrease of technological costs.The movie industry is also becoming less localized, in that the movies that are being produced in any of these countries are not simply made for the local audience, but rather are made for a global audience. Of course, almost everyone in the world knows about Hollywood, and Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood in terms of movies produced, though may not be as well known in the world. Nollywood is a well-established movie-producing powerhouse. In the past, when Hollywood was the main movie-producing powerhouse, Nigeria was probably one of the least places experts in the industry thought would take begin producing movies.Now, Nollywood is a main staple in movie productions each year. It appears as though these â€Å"woods† are beginning to pop up all over the world. Countries, regions, cities, are all beginning to see the benefit to having their own movie producing location. What is causing this trend of areas wanting to set up their own movie producing locations? The main aspect that is leading the way for this increase of â€Å"woods† throughout the world is the fact that movies are now being made in a less localized fashion. There are not nearly as many movies produced that are made specifically for a certain region.A movie producer is no longer going to fund a movie that will only do well in the country that it is made in. No, producers want to make the most money on the films, and that means relating the films to a global audience. Nigeria can be looked at as an example. Nigeria has a decent sized population, but how many people of that population would be willing to pay money to see a film. Not many, there are many other problems that need to be fixed before going to see a movie. So why produce movies in Nigeria for a population that would not sustain the industry? It is because the production costs have gone down so drastically.It no longer takes $50 million to make a movie. Nollywood thrives on its many producers providing small capital to many different movie projects (Haynes). The old movies that were created in, for lack of a better word, developing countries have always been inferior to those created by the US, England, and France. The technicality, special effects, costumes, and so on were never able to compete with the powerhouse countries (Callimanopulos). Now, however, with the lower cost of these techniques, these less fortunate countries are able to use the same technique, or at least those of equal quality.Sure, these countries may not be able to use the newest of filming technology (such as 3d or Imax), however these improvements give these countries a greater edge in the market. In fact, the average cost of a Bollywood film is $1. 3 million, whereas the average cost of a Hollywood film is $13. 6 million (Factoids). No longer are countries following Hollywood’s style of producing blockbuster after blockbuster. Nigerian producers realized that by dividing capital amongst many different projects, the income from each project may not be as great, however the total revenue from the combined projects is plenty to sustain Nollywood.That is why Nollywood has become the third largest movie producing area in the world. The same case can be made for Bollywood. India was an emerging market where movie producers took an opportunity to produce many movies at a che aper cost, and the effect was the same. This style of movie producing is what is allowing these developing countries to, basically, take over the market. A few decades ago the US was producing 5% of the movies in the world, however these US movies occupied 50% of the screen time in the world (Callimanopulos).While these numbers have not changed drastically, they are still beginning to take a new form. The world is producing more movies in general, and the US movies are occupying slightly less screen time than before. This decrease, however, is the forefront to what is expected to be a greater change as time progresses on. In fact, what is happening is that the major studios are begin to see how successful these â€Å"guerilla† movie making tactics is, that they are beginning to want to get into the market as well. For example, Warner Brothers is now financing French films and Fox is financing Latin American films (Toward).This just adds to why the movie industry is globalizin g so quickly, and why it is beginning to reach these developing countries. As these big companies continually invest more money into these less than fortunate countries, then the movie makers will be able to use the newest equipment to make technical better films, ensuring their spot in the global film industry. These movie producers, directors, and writers are now realizing that even with this increase of lower budget films being produced, they need to make sure that the movies produced are made for a global audience, rather than simply a local audience.France is actually experiencing the negative side of low budget film production. The number of French films produced is well over 200 a year now, however with so many of these low budget films being produced, the audience is beginning to see fewer films because of the repetitive nature of the films (Hayes). What French filmmakers failed to do was to look ahead at the big picture. Instead of writing scripts and backing films that the French society will only understand, they should have been producing films that a global audience can enjoy. By continuing to produce movies that can only be relevant in France, the audience gets bored.If these movies were more globally friendly, then there is less of a chance of the audience getting â€Å"bored† with the same predictable movies. It is this thought of less localized more globalized filmmaking that has opened the door to new areas of film. For example, 20 years ago China and Korea films were unheard of. The movies that they made there were made specifically for those countries. Now, it is very common to see Chinese or Korean films in theaters around the world (Toward). The movie industries within these countries realized that simply producing movies for their citizen’s alone is not enough.In order to stay relevant they would need to begin to produce movies that the global audience can enjoy. Specifically, South Korea has taken this attitude and run wit h it. A decade ago, South Korea was hardly in the movie scene. The current system of localizing the films was flawed. Instead, the film industry began producing movies with less nationalism so as to appeal to the global audience. As a result, the country produced The Host, the most successful movie in South Korean history, beating out worldwide famous movies like Titanic (Lee).The reason this movie did so well is that it did not focus on issues simply related to South Korea. It was a contemporary look at a monster attacking a city. Before this movie was produced, most South Korean films depicted the lifestyle of problems facing South Korean citizens. By taking on a movie that appeals to the global audience, they were able to reach a larger number of people, resulting in a much more successful film. This concept of producing fewer localized movies is allowing these smaller film industries to compete with the likes of Hollywood and Bollywood.If these smaller nations were to simply pro duce films that appealed to their own country, there would not be enough demand to sustain it. There are a lot of people in the world, and by reaching out and connecting with that audience, the smaller film industry nations are able to thrive as efficiently as the leading film industries. The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment This shift in the production of films affects the business industry in many ways. Being such a large industry, a multibillion-dollar industry. This industry is also very versatile.It does not take a lot to have the industry fall apart one year and bounce back with record numbers the following year. Since the movie industry is so big an impacts so many people, this versatility can drastically affect the business that is done in the entire country. This may not be true in the United States since there is so much other business that gets done in the country, however just th ink about the impact it could have on a small country. If the country loses small country without a high GDP loses another couple billion dollars form a poor movie year, then that country will suffer directly from that poor year.The opposite is also true. If that same country has a magnificent year in terms of movie productions and sales, then the entire country’s GDP and way of life will improve directly due to the movie industry. Since the movie industry is so vast and covers so many different areas of the business sector, including marketing, management, and finances, a country’s entire economic well-being could depend directly on the success of that movie industry, which relies on the experiences of the marketers to sell those films. Most people would consider actors, directors, and producers to be the most important part of filmmaking.Of course, these aspects are very important, but it is hard to admit that those aspects are the most important part. Just thinking about it for a second. If a movie were to have the best director of all time, director the best actor of all time, acting the best scrip of all time, it would seem like it would be the formula for an extremely successful film. The problem is, if no one knows about the film how is anyone going to be able to see it. If there are no ads, promotions, or tours, how is the movie going to make a profit.The muscle behind the movie could be the actors and directors, however the brains behind the revenue and eventually profits are the marketers. This becomes especially important when thinking about the shift of localized films to globalized films. It is one thing to be able to market a movie properly to one country, but it is entirely different to market the same movie in 5 different regions across the globe. The first place to look is towards Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world, located in India. The films produced in India are unique to their own country.These movies tend to b e, a lot of the time, musicals, which can be difficult to introduce into new territories. Recently, however the Bollywood film industry has looked toward producing more global friendly film. Just look at the success of Slumdog Millionaire. This movie stars unknown actors from Bollywood, and went on to be a huge global success, even going as far as winning at the Oscars. Similarly, one year later Bollywood released a period-epic movie entitled Jodhaa-Akbarr, which was the most successful Bollywood film at the time, being released in 26 other countries.The following year, My Name Is Khan was released in 70 countries, taking over as the most successful release from Bollywood in terms of release countries and revenue (Mahmood). This clearly shows that Bollywood is following the trend of trying to release more globally friendly films, but the important part that always gets overlooked is that marketing of these globally friendly films. It is put best when it was said, â€Å"In Bollywood today, if the box-office is King, then marketing is the Queen† (Bollywood). This seems to put Bollywood in the best perspective.Of course, box-office and revenue are the ultimate goal of any movie being released in Bollywood, which is why box-office can still be considered king. On the other side, these movies could never reach those revenue streams without marketing. The two go hand-in-hand. With countries such as India trying to release produce globally friendly movies, marketing becomes even more important. This can include creating a trailer that will attract the attention of the most consumer, to actually doing the market research to find out which country’s would be the best to release the film in and which countries the film would not fare well in.This is connecting the film to the audiences that are most likely to create a large return on profits (Arons). The cost to market a movie properly has gone up. The audiences are expecting to see more trailers, more app earances, more billboards, more everything, and as inflation and prices begin to go up, it is easy to see how expensive it can become to promote a movie (Bollywood). This again details the importance of picking the right countries to release the movie/market in. If a marketer fails to pick the right country, it can be a large expense on the film company.It is the marketers job to put in the time and money to promote the movie in the best way possible on the smallest budget possible. These movie companies in areas like India do not have the amount of spending that US film companies have, which is why it is so important to count every penny. In addition, Bollywood continues to find new markets in which to export. In fact, in the past 4 years there has been a 60% growth in overseas sales (Lorenzen). As these sales continue to rise, there will be more need for marketers.The importance of all of this is that as more countries, like India with its Bollywood, begin to improve their movie i ndustries, they are going to need marketers. As the movies that these movie industries produce, such as in South Korea and Taiwan, begin to look towards the global market with their movie productions, their marketing tactics need to improve. Since most countries with a film industry are making globally friendly films, the need for marketers, accountants, and the likes will increase. A company will need a lot more employees to promote a movie abroad as compared to promoting one in a single country.The need of so many new employees to keep up with the demand of overseas promotion can vastly help the economies of any country, especially those that are less fortunate than our own, which is where many of these new film industries are popping up. A little over a decade ago, Nigeria was a crime-ridden country that where people were afraid to leave their homes. This was before the time of Nollywood (Obhafuoso). This, obviously, would lead to a problem with the economy. If people were afraid to leave their homes, how would people spend money? How does an economy survive without money being spent?The short answer is that it cannot. To make matters worse, the reason people were turning to crime was because there was no work to make money at. It was a vicious cycle that seemed to have no end. Nollywood became Nigeria’s answer to these problems. If the country could get people jobs, and give them a decent wage, then that would (at least in theory), reduce the number of people who would have to turn to crime to support themselves and their family. Did the theory work well in the business world as well as it was suppose to? In short, yes.To put it into scope, Nollywood is considered the second largest employer of labor. Each film that is made employs, on average, 130 people (Obhafuoso). So how many movies are made each year? Well, each week, there are 30 new movies that hit the market. That is 4,500 movies each year (About Nollywood). This is a drastic change from the late 80’s to early 90’s. Back then it was extremely dangerous to walk around and even harder to find work. Now, with the growth of Nollywood, not only are the streets safer, but the way of life of the citizens is improving because of the money that is generated from the movie industry.These employees of these 4,500 films are going home with a minimum of 5-10,000 naira per film, but can make up to 20-25,000 naira. That is equal to about 128 US dollars (About Nollywood). It may not sound like a lot, but that kind of money really can change the lives of a family, economically and socially. By raising a kid on a fair day’s wage, that same child will see that it is possible to make a living without the crime that seems to plague the country at the moment. It is a turning point for the country.Nollywood injects the country with $250 million dollars a year (About Nollywood). In a country that was not well off to begin with, that is a huge difference. This one industry has single handedly changed the economic downfall of a country. There are of course still problems, still crime, still unemployment and poverty in the country, but there always will be. This film industry can be an example of a tool that can be utilized by a country to fight poverty and crime, and vastly improve the economy and standard of living throughout the country.The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment, Case Study: The Gambia Now the question turns to where to next open a movie industry. Africa seems to be the newest location where these new film industries (like Nollywood and Bollywood) are being created. A movie industry is exactly what many of these African countries need. There is not a lot of stability in these countries, both politically and, more importantly, economically. As shown earlier, a film industry can pump a large amount of money into an economy as ell as employee many ci tizens with jobs and a steady income. One country in Africa that seems to be looking at these statistics is The Gambia. Gambia is located on the western shore in Northern Africa. In Gambia, about 60% of the population falls below the overall poverty line. This can be due to the fact that the unemployment rate in the country is over 40% (The Gambia: An Assessment). With such a high unemployment rate, it is difficult to maintain an economy. The introduction of a national film industry in Gambia would allow for the economic growth that the country seems to be in need of.If a country wishes to be economically successful, it is important to be a part of the global economy. A country does not need to be a part of the global economy to sustain itself, but of course life can be made easier for the citizens of global economy countries. It appears that Gambia, and its 1. 8 million citizens, are struggling with their economy (History). If 60% of those 1. 8 million people are out of work, then there is clearly a need for the creation of new jobs. As stated earlier in the paper, many countries have had similar problems with their economies, and needed to change something.These countries saw the film industry as an opportunity to help its citizens. The film industry can be made extremely global if done correctly, which would allow for greater demand for films and create more jobs. Gambia is following suit by attempting to also start its own economy. There was once a short lived film industry in Gambia, but was shut down by the government in 1994. Since then the government has had major control of media outlets such as radio and television (History). Over the years the country has been slowly switching to give the people more power and control over their lives.It is this slow shift in power that is allowing Gambia and its citizens to have another go at creating a film industry. The government is also beginning to understand the need for change in such an impoverished country . Since the citizens are now able to vote for their leaders, it is now of more importance of these leaders to keep the citizens happy. If the country is not making any money for its citizens, then these leaders will not be re-elected. This is extremely important because the creation of such a big industry in a country of poor economic standard would require support from the government (Kasumaye). In order to get movie roducing off the ground, there needs to be investments. How can people invest if no one has enough money? That is where the government needs to step in and begin to financially back this industry. As the movies begin to take off and sell and make profit, then the industry will be able to sustain itself. Until then the government needs to understand the effects such an industry can have on Gambia. It seems strange to think that the government should back an industry such as filmmaking. Would it not be better to back things such as farming? Farming is important, but farm ing will not bring the country into the global economy.The film industry in Gambia has a large impact on the citizens of the country. It creates commerce throughout the entire country and teaches the individuals in the country new skills (The Gambia and its). Any kind of film costs a lot of money. In fact, simply look at The Hobbit. The new movie was filmed in New Zealand, and contributed more than 2. 4 billion dollars to the New Zealand economy (Child). That movie is an exception, since they are such large production unites, however it just goes to show that one movie really can make a difference in the economy.The film companies need to feed their workers, hire clean up crews, etc. , and if Gambia creates a major film industry with many movie companies, then the economy will reap the benefits as much as the CEO’s. Going hand in hand with an increase in commerce is that fact that a new industry will create many new jobs for the citizens. In fact, it is estimated that a film industry created in The Gambia would employ, at a bare minimum, 5,000 Gambian youths (Janko). This does not include the actors, directors, or any of the business aspects (such as marketers, accountants, financers, etc. . This is simply extra people needed on set to help with set up, tear down, dining, and every other aspects involved with filmmaking. As the industry begins to take off, so will the amount of jobs available. The more movies that are made, the more jobs will have to be filled. These 5,000 jobs can increase to 20,000 if the film industry grows. Nearly 20,000 new jobs can be a huge benefit to an economy that is suffering from high unemployment. Clearly as more people get jobs and begin to receive a steady income, the more money families will be able to spend on the market. The ore money that is spent on the market, the faster the economy will turn around. The faster the economy turns around, even more jobs will be created to keep up with the improvements. In fact, a well organized film industry could not only help the standard of living in Gambia, but also the surrounding areas as well (Sankanu). As the industry grows, it is very possible for citizens of surrounding countries to migrate over to Gambia in order to be apart of the industry. This influx of new people also means that these same people will be spending their money in the Gambian economy.Also, as the Gambian film industry creates more and more globally friendly movies (if they continue to follow the current trend in movie making), then the surrounding countries could be big importers of these films. Countries closer to Gambia may find Gambian films more appealing than, say, a Hollywood blockbuster. These imported movies can clearly help both video stores and movie theaters in these bordering countries to survive. As stated earlier, marketing is one of the most important factors in the film production process. The consumers need to know about the movie in order to see it.That being said, a Gambian film industry would open the door for all sorts of marketing professionals, both local and global marketers. It would seem pretty obvious that the locals of the country would work on the local promotion of the film. It would not be too far fetched to think that a movie company would want to hire a professional marketer from an already well-established company overseas. It can be a safe assumption that these kind of professionals will most likely have more experience with this global marketing than a native individual from Gambia. Normally, marketing a film globally would be extremely difficult.However, due to the established tourism industry and breathtaking scenery, Gambian movies may be easier to promote to the world than, say, a movie from Chad (Kasumaye). If the world has a basic understanding of The Gambia, then people will be much more open to watching a film from Gambia. This makes the jobs of whatever marketing professional get the job that much easier. The Gambia is currently struggling to improve its economy and standard of living. The unemployment is too high and their economy is not sufficient enough to give its citizens a proper standard of living. Nigeria was in a ery similar situation, and by adding a film industry, hundreds of millions of dollars was expelled into the economy, creating jobs, and improving the standard of living. The Gambia has a similar opportunity, in that there are plenty of actors, directors, and writers that want to create films, there just does not seem to be enough capital to truly get the industry off the ground. The government needs to realize this opportunity, and fund (at least for the beginning) the creation of this industry so as to create a greater flow of cash and employment throughout the country.This will create a large number of new opportunities for marketers to jump into the new industry to become a part of the growing phenomenon. A Gambian film industry can not only help the economy and business th rive in the country, but can also create new business opportunities on a global scale as well. Bibliography â€Å"About Nollywood. †Ã‚  This Is Nollywood. N. p. , 2006. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. . Arons, Marc. â€Å"Five Key Drivers of Global Marketing. †Ã‚  Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Bollywood Goes over the Top with Marketing Bollywood, Updated Feb 25, 2012 at 03:10pm IST. †Ã‚  Http://ibnlive. in. com/. CNN, 25 Feb. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. . Callimanopulos, Dominique. â€Å"Film and the Third World. †Ã‚  Cultural Survival. N. p. , 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. .Child, Ben. â€Å"The Hobbit Boosts New Zealand Film Industry. †Ã‚  The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 04 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Factoids. †Ã‚  : Bollywoodcountry. N. p. , 2011. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. . Hayes, Graeme, and Martin O’Shaughessy. â€Å"French Cinema: Globalization, Representation, And Resistance. † French P olitics, Culture, & Society 23. 3 (2005): 1-13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Nov. 2012 Haynes,

Baldwin & England Your England

England Your England while poking fun at the English way of life, also prides the quirky nature of England. In a way, Orwell tries to reach out to the English people by telling them what makes them unique and why they ought to stand up against an enemy trying to threaten its sovereignty. He elucidates English patriotism by stating â€Å"the tendency of nearly all its inhabitants to feel alike and act together in moments of supreme crisis† (Orwell III). He mentions the points of view of the different classes in England, thereby providing a neutral perspective.He neither commends blind loyalty to the Royal family nor does he agree with the far too pacifist views of the intellectual elite. He also mentions that business class was actually too ignorant to understand that fascism does not necessarily equate to anti-communism. Although Orwell did not entirely support England’s War with Germany, he felt that it was essential to curb the spread of Fascism at any cost. He even f eels that the anti-war sentiment of the English majority is viewed as hypocrisy by rest of the world, since the English Empire was built by waging wars.He also states that â€Å"this war, unless we are defeated, will wipe out most of the existing class privileges†, thereby appealing to the common man about the importance of England winning the War against Germany (Orwell VI). James Baldwin shows appreciation for the Nation of Islam (NOI) movement for having united a lot of African-Americans. However, he does not entirely agree with the NOI, instead of spreading the ideal of race equality, tried to instill feelings of black superiority and hatred of the White race.He states that the Nation of Islam propagated â€Å"historical and divine proof that all white people are cursed, and are devils, and are about to be brought down† (Baldwin 315). Moreover, the Nation of Islam demanded absolute control over the society, rather than sharing equal rights. Baldwin felt that love f or one another was much more significant than racial identity and could never concur with the ideals of the NOI. He stood for mutual co-existence of all races, rather than the separation of society into whites and blacks and therefore did not join the NOI movement.Baldwin condemns the White society for debasing all the other communities including African-Americans. He states that White America is afraid of being â€Å"judged by those who are not white† and therefore fails to love others. He also believes that White America is scared of African-Americans bringing â€Å"new life to the Western achievements and transform them. † He felt that American society had to treat everyone equally and renounce the craving for White superiority, if they wish to avoid facing the same plight.He feels that Whites have gotten used to being superior and racial equality will never occur until White America overcomes the fear of sharing power. In Act One, Hamlet witnesses the ghost of his father telling him that the newly crowned King Claudius actually murdered him to capture the throne. The ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death and forgive his mother for remarrying Claudius. Horatio, a friend of Hamlet, says â€Å"tis but our fantasy† when he sees the ghost. This suggests that the ghost is actually nothing but an inner feeling that manifests as a mental image.Hence, it would not have been justified if Hamlet killed Claudius immediately after seeing the ghost of his father. It would have meant that the rage of losing his father had blinded Hamlet’s moral judgment. However, Hamlet bound by his principles does not kill Claudius until Polonius’ son Laertes finally confesses that the Claudius murdered his father. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross. † 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347. Orwell, George. 1941. England Your England. I-VI.