An Analysis of Witi Ihimaera’s Whale Rider Essay

In Witi Ihimaera’s novel â€Å"Whale Rider† we follow Rawiri as he goes through his life watching the growth, incidents and magic of his niece Kahu. Kahu is destined to be the next chief of the Maori in Whangara, New Zealand, a tribe that has descended from the legendary â€Å"whale rider.† However, Kahu is, as Nanny Flowers says, â€Å"Hungry for [her grandfather’s] love,† (Ihimaera 34) and struggles to receive it because she is a girl. The author presents this story through Kahu’s Uncle Rawiri’s point of view, and this outside view of Kahu is brilliant because it creates tension between what the reader, author, Rawiri and Kahu are thinking and allows the reader to fill in the gaps themselves. The story would lack suspense and motivation if we knew Kahu’s thoughts and would lose all aspects of mystery. Whale Rider creates a distorted medium between reality and the character’s minds, which is what keeps the reader guessing, second-guessing and questioning all the way up until the moment of truth in the end. Ihimaera makes it the reader’s job to presume Kahu’s thoughts as opposed to actually providing them. Rawiri comes into play in that that he has had a special connection with Kahu since her birth, and being in a first-person perspective with Rawiri makes Rawiri like the reader in that they mutually want all of the answers. If the novel were from the point of view of Kahu, the main focus, the plot would lose all curiosity. It was thought provoking and interesting to see Kahu strive for her grandfather’s acceptance from before she could even walk. If Kahu narrated then we wouldn’t be able to experience her development from birth, and would lose all of her toddler years. Those years keep Kahu a â€Å"question† and make us, like Rawiri, unable to wait for her to come of age and either become the whale rider or not. Whale Rider carries itself primarily on motivation towards â€Å"the end†. For the readers it is for the book’s climax. For Rawiri, Nanny Flowers, and even Kahu herself, it is for the end of Kahu’s childhood and for the answers to be revealed. Ihimaera does a great job of manipulating the motivation of the reader and intertwining it with the motivation of the characters while also leaving a prism in the middle of reality and literature where some of the  gaps and missing pieces are left to be filled with the reader’s empathy, curiosity and imagination.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 4

FOUR IT BEGAN. At first, things weren't too different from any other day. Dhampirs and Moroi attended separate classes in the first half of the school day, then joined up after lunch. Christian had most of the same afternoon classes I'd had last semester, so it was almost like following my own schedule again. The difference was that I was no longer a student in these classes. I didn't sit at a desk or have to do any of the work. I was also a lot more uncomfortable since I had to stand at the back of the room the entire time, along with other novices who were guarding Moroi. Outside the school, this was what it was usually like. Moroi came first. Guardians were shadows. There was a strong temptation to talk to our fellow novices, particularly during times when the Moroi were working on their own and talking amongst themselves. None of us cracked, though. The pressure and adrenaline of the first day had us all on good behavior. After biology, Eddie and I started using a bodyguard technique called pair guarding. I was near guard and walked with Lissa and Christian for immediate defense. Eddie, being far guard, walked farther away and scanned the larger area for any potential threats. We followed this pattern for the rest of the day, up until the last class came around. Lissa gave Christian a quick kiss on the cheek, and I realized they were parting. â€Å"You guys don't have the same schedule this time?† I asked with dismay, stepping over to the side of the hall to stay out of student traffic. Eddie had already deduced that we were parting and had stopped far guard duties to come talk to us. I hadn't known how Lissa and Christian's schedules lined up for this new semester. Lissa took in my disappointed look and gave me a sympathetic smile. â€Å"Sorry. We're going to study together after school, but right now, I've got to go to creative writing.† â€Å"And I,† declared Christian loftily, â€Å"have to go to culinary science.† â€Å"Culinary science?† I cried. â€Å"You elected culinary science? That's like the most brainless class ever.† â€Å"It is not,† he countered. â€Å"And even if it was †¦ well, hey, it's my last semester, right?† I groaned. â€Å"Come on, Rose,† laughed Lissa. â€Å"It's just one class period. It won't be that – â€Å" She was cut off when a commotion broke out farther down the hall. We and everyone near us stopped and stared. One of my guardian instructors, Emil, had practically appeared out of nowhere and – playing Strigoi – reached for a Moroi girl. He swung her away, pressing her to his chest and exposing her neck as though he would bite her. I couldn't see who she was, just a tangle of brown hair, but her assigned protector was Shane Reyes. The attack had caught him by surprise – it was the first one of the day – but he fumbled only a little as he kicked Emil in the side and wrested the girl away. The two guys squared off, and everyone watched eagerly. A few even whistled and shouted, cheering Shane on. One of the catcallers was Ryan Aylesworth. He was so fixated on watching the fight – which Shane, wielding his practice stake, had just about won – that he didn't notice two other adult guardians sneaking up on him and Camille. Eddie and I realized it at the same time and stiffened, instinct readying both of us to spring forward. â€Å"Stay with them,† Eddie told me. He headed toward Ryan and Camille, who had just discovered they were being set upon. Ryan didn't react as well as Shane had, particularly since he faced two attackers. One of the guardians distracted Ryan while the other – Dimitri, I now saw – grabbed Camille. She screamed, not faking her fear. She apparently didn't find being in Dimitri's arms as thrilling as I did. Eddie headed toward them, approaching from behind, and landed a blow on the side of Dimitri's head. It hardly fazed Dimitri, but I was still amazed. I'd barely ever been able to land a hit on him in all our trainings. Eddie's attack forced Dimitri to release Camille and face this new threat. He spun around, graceful as a dancer, and advanced on Eddie. Meanwhile, Shane had â€Å"staked† his Strigoi and jumped in to help Eddie, moving around to Dimitri's other side. I watched, fists clenched in excitement, intrigued with the fighting in general and with watching Dimitri in particular. It amazed me that someone so deadly could be so beautiful. I wished I was part of the fray but knew I had to watch the area around me in case any â€Å"Strigoi† attacked here. But they didn't. Shane and Eddie successfully â€Å"finished off† Dimitri. Part of me was a little sad at this. I wanted Dimitri to be good at everything. However, Ryan had tried to help and failed. Dimitri had technically â€Å"killed† him, so I felt a twisted comfort in thinking that Dimitri had still been a badass Strigoi. He and Emil praised Shane for being fast on his feet and Eddie for realizing we had to treat this as a group endeavor rather than one-on-one trials. I got a nod for watching Eddie's back, and Ryan was chastised for not paying attention to his Moroi. Eddie and I grinned at each other, happy over getting high marks on this first test. I wouldn't have minded a slightly bigger role, but this wasn't a bad start to the field experience. We high-fived, and I saw Dimitri shake his head at us as he left. With the drama over, our foursome split up. Lissa gave me one last smile over her shoulder and spoke to me through the bond, Have fun in culinary science! I rolled my eyes, but she and Eddie had already rounded a corner. â€Å"Culinary science† sounded pretty impressive, but really, it was just a fancy term for what was essentially a cooking class. Despite my teasing Christian about it being brainless, I had some respect for it. I could barely boil water, after all. Still, it was a lot different from an elective like creative writing or debate, and I had no doubts Christian was taking it as a blow-off class and not because he wanted to be a chef someday. At least I might get some satisfaction out of watching him mix a cake or something. Maybe he'd even wear an apron. There were three other novices in the class who were guarding Moroi. Since the culinary science room was large and open, with lots of windows, the four of us worked together to come up with a plan to pool our efforts and secure the whole room. When I'd watched novices do their field experiences in past years, I'd only ever paid attention to the fights. I'd never noticed the teamwork and strategizing that must have been going on. Theoretically, the four of us were here to only protect our assigned Moroi, but we'd slipped into a role where we were protecting the whole class. My post was by a fire door that led outside of the school. Coincidentally, it was right by the station Christian was working at. The class normally cooked in pairs, but there was an odd number of students. Rather than work in a group of three, Christian had volunteered to be by himself. No one had seemed to mind. Many still regarded him and his family with the same prejudice that Jesse did. To my disappointment, Christian wasn't making a cake. â€Å"What is that?† I asked, watching him take out a bowl of some kind of raw, ground-up meat from the refrigerator. â€Å"Meat,† he said, dumping it onto a cutting board. â€Å"I know that, you idiot. What kind?† â€Å"Ground beef.† He pulled another container out and then another. â€Å"And this is veal. And this is pork.† â€Å"Do you have, like, a T.rex that you're going to feed?† â€Å"Only if you want some. This is for meatloaf.† I stared. â€Å"With three kinds of meat?† â€Å"Why eat something called meatloaf if you aren't actually going to get some meat out of it?† I shook my head. â€Å"I can't believe this is only the first day with you.† He glanced down, focusing on kneading his tri-meat creation together. â€Å"You sure are making a big deal out of this. Do you really hate me that much? I heard you were screaming at the top of your lungs back in the gym.† â€Å"No, I wasn't. And †¦ I don't hate you at all,† I admitted. â€Å"You're just taking it out on me because you didn't get paired with Lissa.† I didn't answer. He wasn't that far off. â€Å"You know,† he continued, â€Å"it might actually be a good idea for you to practice with someone different.† â€Å"I know. That's what Dimitri says too.† Christian put the meat into a bowl and started adding some other ingredients. â€Å"Then why question it? Belikov knows what he's doing. I'd trust anything he says. It sucks that they're going to lose him after we graduate, but I'd rather see him with Lissa.† â€Å"Me too.† He paused and looked up, meeting my eyes. We both smiled, amused at how shocked we were to have agreed with each other. A moment later, he returned to his work. â€Å"You're good too,† he said, not too grudgingly. â€Å"The way you handled yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish the thought, but I knew what he was talking about. Spokane. Christian hadn't been around when I killed the Strigoi, but he'd been instrumental in helping with the escape. He and I had teamed up, using his fire magic as a means of letting me subdue our captors. We'd worked well together, all of our animosity put aside. â€Å"I guess you and I have better things to do than fight all the time,† I mused. Like worry about Victor Dashkov's trial, I realized. For a moment, I considered telling Christian what I'd learned. He'd been around the night it had all gone down with Victor last fall, but I decided not to mention the news just yet. Lissa needed to hear it first. â€Å"Yup,† Christian said, unaware of my thoughts. â€Å"Brace yourself, but we aren't that different. I mean, I'm smarter and a lot funnier, but at the end of the day, we both want to keep her safe.† He hesitated. â€Å"You know†¦I'm not going to take her away from you. I can't. No one can, not as long as you guys have that bond.† I was surprised he'd brought this up. I honestly suspected that there were two reasons he and I argued a lot. One was that we both had personalities that liked to argue. The other reason – the big one – was that we were each envious of the other's relationship with Lissa. But, as he'd said, we really had the same motives. We cared about her. â€Å"And don't think the bond will keep you guys apart,† I said. I knew the link bothered him. How could you ever get romantically close to someone when they had that kind of connection with another person, even if that other person was just a friend? â€Å"She cares about you. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't bring myself to say â€Å"loves.† â€Å"She has a whole separate place for you in her heart.† Christian put his dish in the oven. â€Å"You did not just say that. I have a feeling we're on the verge of hugging and coming up with cute nicknames for each other.† He was trying to look disgusted at my sentiment, but I could tell he liked being told that Lissa cared about him. â€Å"I already have a nickname for you, but I'll get in trouble if I say it in class.† â€Å"Ah,† he said happily. â€Å"That's the Rose I know.† He went off to talk to another friend while his meatloaf cooked, which was probably just as well. My door was a vulnerable position, and I shouldn't have been chatting away, even if the rest of the class was. Across the room, I saw Jesse and Ralf working together. Like Christian, they'd chosen a blow-off class too. No attacks occurred, but a guardian named Dustin did come in to make notes on us novices as we held our positions. He was standing near me right when Jesse chose to stroll by. At first, I thought it was a coincidence – until Jesse spoke. â€Å"I take back what I said earlier, Rose. I figured it out. You aren't upset because of Lissa or Christian. You're upset because the rules say you have to be with a student, and Adrian Ivashkov's too old. The way I hear it, you guys have already had a lot of practice watching each other's bodies.† That joke could have been so much funnier, but I'd learned not to expect too much from Jesse. I knew for a fact that he didn't care about Adrian and me. I also suspected he didn't even believe we had anything going on. But Jesse was still bitter about me threatening him earlier, and here was his chance to get back at me. Dustin, standing within earshot, had no interest in Jesse's idiotic teasing. Dustin would probably have an interest, however, if I slammed Jesse's face into the wall. That didn't mean I had to be silent, though. Guardians talked to Moroi all the time; they just tended to be respectful and still keep an eye on their surroundings. So I gave Jesse a small smile and simply said, â€Å"Your wit is always such a delight, Mr. Zeklos. I can barely contain myself around it.† I then turned away and surveyed the rest of the room. When Jesse realized I wasn't going to do anything else, he laughed and walked away, apparently thinking he'd won some great victory. Dustin left shortly thereafter. â€Å"Asshole,† muttered Christian, returning to his station. Class had about five minutes left. My eyes followed Jesse across the room. â€Å"You know something, Christian? I'm pretty happy to be guarding you.† â€Å"If you're comparing me to Zeklos, I don't really take that as much of a compliment. But here, try this. Then you'll really be glad you're with me.† His masterpiece was finished, and he gave me a piece. I hadn't realized it, but just before the meatloaf had gone in, he'd wrapped it in bacon. â€Å"Good God,† I said. â€Å"This is the most stereotypical vampire food ever.† â€Å"Only if it was raw. What do you think?† â€Å"It's good,† I said reluctantly. Who knew that bacon would make all the difference? â€Å"Really good. I think you have a promising future as a housewife while Lissa works and makes millions of dollars.† â€Å"Funny, that's exactly my dream.† We left the class in lighter moods. Things had grown more friendly between us, and I decided that I could handle the next six weeks protecting him. He and Lissa were going to meet in the library to study – or pretend to study – but he had to stop by his dorm first. So I followed him across the quad, back into the winter air that had grown chillier since sunset seven hours ago. The snow on the paths, which had turned slushy in the sun, had now frozen up and made walking treacherous. Along the way, we were joined by Brandon Lazar, a Moroi who lived in Christian's hall. Brandon could barely contain himself, recapping a fight he'd witnessed in his math class. We listened to his rendition, all of us laughing at the thought of Alberta sneaking in through the window. â€Å"Hey, she might be old, but she could take on almost any of us,† I told them. I gave Brandon a puzzled look. He had bruises and red splotches on his face. He also had a few weird welts near his ear. â€Å"What happened to you? Have you been fighting guardians too?† His smile promptly disappeared, and he looked away from me. â€Å"Nah, just fell.† â€Å"Come on,† I said. Moroi might not train to fight like dhampirs did, but they got in brawls with each other just as often as anyone else. I tried to think of any Moroi he might have a conflict with. For the most part, Brandon was pretty likeable. â€Å"That's the lamest, most unoriginal excuse in the world.† â€Å"It's true,† he said, still avoiding my eyes. â€Å"If someone's screwing with you, I can give you a few pointers.† He turned back to me, locking eyes. â€Å"Just let it go.† He wasn't hostile or anything, but there was a firm note in his voice. It was almost like he believed saying the words alone would make me obey him. I chuckled. â€Å"What are you trying to do? Compel me – â€Å" Suddenly, I saw movement on my left. A slight shadow blending in with the dark shapes of a cluster of snowy pine trees – but moving just enough to catch my attention. Stan's face emerged from the darkness as he sprang toward us. Finally, my first test. Adrenaline shot through me just as strongly as if a real Strigoi were approaching. I reacted instantly, reaching out to grab both Brandon and Christian. That was always the first move, to throw my own life before theirs. I jerked the two guys to a halt and turned toward my attacker, reaching for my stake in order to defend the Moroi – And that's when he appeared. Mason. He stood several feet in front of me, off to Stan's right, looking just as he had last night. Translucent. Shimmering. Sad. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I froze, unable to move or finish going for my stake. I forgot about what I'd been doing and completely lost track of the people and commotion around me. The world slowed down, everything fading around me. There was only Mason – that ghostly, shimmering Mason who glowed in the dark and seemed like he so badly wanted to tell me something. The same feeling of helplessness I'd experienced in Spokane returned to me. I hadn't been able to help him then. I couldn't help him now. My stomach turned cold and hollow. I could do nothing except stand there, wondering what he was trying to say. He lifted one translucent hand and pointed off toward the other side of campus, but I didn't know what it meant. There was so much over there, and it wasn't clear what he was pointing at. I shook my head, not understanding but desperately wishing I could. The sorrow on his face seemed to grow. Suddenly, something slammed into my shoulder, and I stumbled forward. The world suddenly started up again, snapping me out of the dreamy state I'd just been in. I only barely managed to throw out my hands in time to stop myself from hitting the ground. I looked up and saw Stan standing over me. â€Å"Hathaway!† he barked. â€Å"What are you doing?† I blinked, still trying to shake off the weirdness of seeing Mason again. I felt sluggish and dazed. I looked into Stan's angry face and then glanced over at where Mason had been. He was gone. I turned my attention back to Stan and realized what had happened. In my distraction, I'd completely spaced while he'd staged his attack. He now had one arm around Christian's neck and one around Brandon's. He wasn't hurting them, but his point was made. â€Å"If I had been a Strigoi,† he growled, â€Å"these two would be dead.†

Araling Panlipunan

Central Bank is the bank of a country a nation. Its main function is to issue currency known as ‘Bank Notes'. This bank acts as the leader of the banking system and money market of the country by regulating money and credit. These banks are the bankers to the government, they are bankers' banks and the ultimate custodian of a nations foreign exchange reserves. The aim of the Central Bank is not to earn profit, but to maintain price stability and to strive for economic development with all-round growth of the country There is now hardly any country which does not have a Central Bank of its own.It acts as a great engine of growth of a State. In India, the RBI was established in 1935 and this Bank has since been functioning as the Central Bank of the country (this is not to be confused with ‘Central Bank of India', which is only a commercial bank). The Central Bank of different countries is known by different names like Reserve Bank in India, Bank of England in U. K. , Feder al Reserve System in U. S. A. , etc. (ii) Commercial Banks: A bank, which undertakes all kinds of ordinary banking business, is called a commercial bank. It is so called because it provides money and credit for commercial and trade activities.They receive short and medium term deposits from the public and grant short-term loans, and advances. They supply working capital to industries and enable them to carry on production and manufacturing activities. They grant loans and advances on the stocks of agricultural commodities, industrial goods, etc. They discount internal and foreign bills and thereby finance the International trade. They also perform certain agency services such as collection of cheques, dividends, interest on investments, issue of drafts, letter of credit, Travelers' Cheques, Investment Advisory Services, etc.(iii) Industrial Banks or Financial Institutions: An Industrial Bank is one which specialises by providing loans and fixed capital to industrial concerns by subs cribing to share and debenture issued by public companies. They play an important role in the establishment and growth of industries. The block capital required for the acquisition of fixed assets, etc. , is supplied by investment banks. They provide long-term loans and credits for periods varying between 5 and 15 years for industries to acquire fixed assets.They may serve as catalytic agents in mobilisation of capital in other forms of assistance such as, underwriting, guarantee, etc. These banks are nowadays grouped as ‘Development Financial Institutions'. These banks are very popular in Germany and Japan. In India, we have several Industrial Finance Corporations in addition to the â€Å"Industrial Development Bank of India†. Both, Development Financial Institutions and Commercial banks, nowadays, finance infrastructural development activities, which include construction of transport facilities, building of power-supply stations, etc.(iv) Exchange Banks (Authorized De alers in Foreign Exchange): These types of banks are primarily engaged in transactions involving foreign exchange. They deal in foreign bills of exchange import and export of bullion and otherwise participate in the financing of foreign trade. They do a number of incidental services such as opening of letters of credit, issue of Foreign Currency Drafts and Travellers' Cheques and supply of information about foreign customers. They provide credit and loans in foreign currency and also accept deposits in Foreign Currency.They require huge capital and trained staff as it is a risky business. They maintain branches in foreign countries at important trade centres. In the past foreign banks operating in India would deal in foreign exchange and were known as exchange banks. Nowadays, many Indian banks deal in foreign exchange with special authorisation from Reserve33ank of India and known as Authorised Dealers in Foreign Exchange. As per Foreign Exchange Regulation Act banks dealing in For eign Exchange related activities require the permission of Reserve Bank of India.This is applicable to both Indian and Foreign Banks. (v) Co-operative Banks: They are organized on co-operative principles of mutual help and assistance. They grant short-term loans to the agriculturists for purchase of seeds, harvesting and for other cultivation expenses. They accept money on deposit from and make (vi) Land-mortgage Banks (Presently known as Agriculture and Rural Development Banks): They are agriculture development banks. The Land-mortgage banks supply long-term loans for a period up to 15 years for development of land to improve agricultural yields.They grant loan for permanent improvements in agricultural lands. They create negotiable bonds out of real estate like land, buildings, etc. They raise funds by floating debentures and by borrowing from the government. The Agriculture Finance Corporation was the first Indian Institution to set up finance for development of Agriculture. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was constituted by the Government to promote rural development. (vii) Indigenous Banks:The Central Banking Enquiry Commission defined an indigenous banker as an individual or firm accepting deposits and dealing in indigenous lending of money to the needy. They form unorganised part of the banking structure, i. e. , these are unrecognised operators in receiving deposits and lending money. In India the Marwaris, the Multanis, the Jains, the Sowcars, the Nattukottai chettiars are some of the leading indigenous bankers who charge high rates of interest on their lendings. In rural areas, they still provide substantial finance to agriculturists and small traders.(viii) Savings Banks: These are institutions which collect the periodical savings of the general public. Their main object is to promote thrift and saving habits among the middle and lower income sections of the society. They have certain restrictions on number of withdr awals in a year to discourage spending. In almost all countries, postal authorities also run savings bank accounts and their working is regulated by the government. The first savings bank was started in Hamburg in 1765. In India, we have postal savings accounts. These days separate savings banks as such are very rare.In India, all commercial banks have savings accounts. The minimum balance which is required to be kept in the accounts differs from banks to banks. The rate of interest payable on the accounts by banks is determined by RBI. Presently it is 4. 5 per cent per annum. Co-operative banks are normally allowed to pay an additional 0. 5 per cent interest per annum. Interest rate on savings accounts with post offices is determined by Government of India. (ix) Supranational Banks: Special Banks have been created to deal with certain international financial matters.World Bank is otherwise known as International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) which gives long-term l oans to developing countries for their economic and agricultural development. Asian Development Bank (ADB) is another Supranational Bank which provides finance for the economic development of poor Asian countries. They generally provide finance at concessional interest rates and for long-term needs. These institutions are the creations of World bodies promoted by various countries or central banks of different countries.The European Central Bank established in June 1998 by countries in the European Union is another example of Supranational Bank. (x) International Banks: International Banks are those which are operating in different countries. While, the registered office/head office is situated in one country, they operate through their branches in other countries. They specialize in Banking business pertaining to foreign trade like opening of letters of credit, providing short-term finance in foreign currency, issue of performance guarantee, arranging foreign currency credits, etc. They are the main traders in International Currencies like US ‘dollars', Japanese ‘Yen', the new-born European Currency ‘Euro', etc. They also perform Currency Risk Management functions for clients. These banks are also known as Multinational Banks since, they operate from many countries. These banks make possible the flow of money/credit from one country to from the above, it can be understood that the classification of banks cannot be rigid. We find that banks are providing finance in more than one field that is why, it is rightly said that they are â€Å"Departmental stores of Finance†.

Justification Report Part 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Acer case about real strategic decisions - Essay Example The company ensured that they occupy space just as they needed. They guaranteed quick turnover by making sure their products are priced with low profits and evaded tying up their income with debt. The company wanted to evade redundant costs and able to take full advantage of their capital. Thus, their operations department ensured that cash collected are directly reinvested into the production. Shih gave importance to employee education and development by promoting that their employees should learn, train and develop and the managers are responsible in teaching their subordinates. Shih also encourage his employees to participate in the process of decision making. He believed that his employees will help him improve the company. The company ensured that their employees exert their best effort by offering them ownership. Lastly, Acer’s sales were increased without investing an enormous amount of capital through joint projects. With this, the company does not have to be anxious about losing its capital. As soon as the company decided to venture abroad, Shah opened in small markets to study and gain international experience first. 2. After a strong decade, why did Acer’s growth and profitability tumble in the late 1980s? How appropriate was Stan Shin’s response to the decline? How do you evaluate Leonard Liu’s performance? The major reasons why Acer’s profitability declined in the late 1980s are overexpansion and the deficiency of professional management. Many of the new employees applied to gain Acer’s ownership without considering and understanding the culture of the company. Because of this, these new employees had difficult time managing the company. Aside from these reasons, the competitive dynamics in the market of personal computers is one of the external factors that helped pull down the company’s profitability. In response to the decline, Shin decided to step down as CEO and hired

Morley paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Morley paper - Essay Example This paper gives an evaluation of the effect on the historic preservation on the Denver, Seattle and Albuquerque cities as well as a comparison of the different projects that were started in the cities. The historic preservation and the imagined West are intriguing story which had a great impact on the people who came from the three cities. As the narration describes, there was a focus on urban preservation which in turn led to architectural preservation of certain symbolic buildings such as chambers of commerce, boosters and city planners (Morley, 30). The focus on this showed how the city developers had taken initiative on how to re-create the Western past into a shopping center as well as tourist trips. In a close examination of the three cities, Morley (45) describes that the detail of the historic preservation campaigns in the cities of Albuquerque, Denver and Seattle proposes that economic development was the main mover behind any project that was implemented. However, as it may be perceived in the story of Morley, the common theme of identity that is running with Morley story is economic and not cultural as it may appear. In as much as the narration of the Morley (49) story may be based on the historical preservation but the fundamental goal for the preservation was always to attract more people from outside. The essence of this was to compensate for the industrial decline and commercial stagnation. Also, another effect of preservation led to persuasion by reluctant politicians as well as property owners on the importance of refurbishing old buildings as more profitable that the act of demolishing them (Morley, 60). The successful implementation of this move led to the commencement of many projects with the attempt to reward higher property values, rents, business income and general beauty especially in the historical buildings (Morley, 111). The trademark of the three

BUS303 MODULE 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BUS303 MODULE 2 - Assignment Example Our divisions and a few other departments are faced with a 25% budget reduction this year. We need to come up with different ways to work with the budget cuts. The intension of our teams is to ensure that your relationship with the students is not impacted in any manner. We understand how difficult it can be to develop a strong rapport with the students and also the efforts put in by each one of you. Hence we have come up with one simple move, which will contribute to the overall issue to a great extent. Since we do not wish to impact any of the academic aspects of the university, hence one of the closest means to manage this issue is close to your office desk. Our aim is to work together as a team and to save money by working on our recycling efforts. One simple step by each one of you can help the university sustain itself and keep up its excellent performance. All staff is requested to empty their own trash baskets into the recycle bins in the basement. This will not only assist us as a team but will also prove to be beneficial for you as well in terms of small exercise. A simple step like this will reduce the overall departmental custodial costs to a great extent while also helping the environment by efficient recycling. This approach has been adopted by the Business Division team and has proved to be very effective for the cost-saving project. A sincere request is for you to empty your trash on a weekly basis or as often as you require. Unlike other universities we do not wish to cut down on any other services, and wish to be able to effectively cut costs by recycling. The approach used here is to appeal to the sense of reason in the organisation. Here since this mail is being sent out to well-educated individuals, with strong education background and knowledge of sustainability, the most effective approach is to use logical reasoning (Camp). The explanation in the memo will provide a

System of judging the plays in Ancient Athens Essay Example for Free

System of judging the plays in Ancient Athens Essay Do I think the system of judging the plays in Ancient Athens was a good one?  In Athens, theatre was a very important aspect, both of religion, and life for the Athenians. As it was a competition, every play would need a Judge. Or 10. Judging the plays was a very democratic system, and one that I feel was very effective.  To choose the judges, each tribe put names of citizens into a sealed urn. There were 10 tribes, each named after a mythical hero. They were:  Erechtheis – This tribe was named after the eponymous hero Erechtheus who was an early King of Athens, he was killed by Poseidon. Aegeis – Aegis was named after the hero Aegeus who was another early King of Athens, and the father of Theseus.  Pandionis – This tribe was named for the hero Pandion, who, once again, was an early King of Athens.  Leontis – Leontis was named after Leos, who was the son of Orpheus.  Akamentis – Named after Akamas who was the son of Theseus. Oineis Named after Oeneus, who was son of Dionysus.  Kekropis – Kekropis were named after the hero Kekrops who was another early King of Athens.  Hippothontis – Named for Hippothoon, who was a hero at Eleusis.  Aiantis – Aiantis was named after the great hero Aiax/Ajax who was a hero in the battle for Troy.  Antiochis – Named after Antiochos, son of Herakles. At the beginning of the Festival of Dionysia, the urns were broken open, and a name selected at random from each. The 10 people whose names were drawn, would become the Judges. This was a very good way to choose in my opinion, as it eliminated bribery (unless you were extremely rich) and you could choose to vote for yourself, or others. On the 5th day of the festival, after all the Tragedies had finished, each Judge would write down the names of the Playwrights in order of merit. The tablets were then placed in a sealed urn (again), and an Archon would draw out 5 of the 10 tablets. The Playwright with the most votes was declared the winner. There would be a separate judging for Comedy.  Overall, I think it was a fair, unbiased and very modern way of judging the plays. The democratic style of judging reflected on the City’s politicians, and was very clever, much like many other things accomplished by the Athenians.

The Effectiveness Of Heterogeneous Grouping

The Effectiveness Of Heterogeneous Grouping As EFL teachers we are concerned with two main issues in language learning. The first issue addresses the skills students should acquire in EFL classes as a result of teaching-learning experiences. Such skills are often measured by students achievement. The second issue takes account of the strategies EFL teachers use to help students acquire such skills and in turn increase their achievement. Writing is a skill which requires efforts from both the student and the teacher. It is one of the four language skills which are given emphasis in second language learning. Writing is one of the skills which need to be mastered by the learners to meet the secondary school graduation requirements (Panofsky et al 2005). They learn different genres of writing like descriptive, expository, recount and narrative based on the prescribed syllabus of their providers. Language learning involves learning the language code as well as the culture associated with the language (Becket Gonzales 2004). Students writing abilities are affected by the type of instructions teachers use within their classroom practices. It is one of the productive skills that learners are expected to achieve in order to ensure their communicative competence. While learning writing, students are supposed to get involved in many activities that enable them to produce a piece of writing at the end. They can be engaged for example in class discussions, act in role playing or get involved in peer editing (Hensen, 2002). While engaged in classroom activities students build up experience and have more practice that may finally give the chance to reach a proper product of writing. In teaching writing, teachers strive hard to find strategies to facilitate increasing students achievement. There are many methods adopted by the teachers in teaching EFL writing in the classrooms. One of the methods recommended in teaching writing is the incorporation of cooperative learning (Kagan 2002). Students can be grouped in a variety of more flexible ways so that they spend some portion of a school day in heterogeneous groups and some portion in homogeneous groups. (Grady et al 2007). Supporting students writing involves providing some form of assistance that helps them carry out one or more processes involved in writing. These procedures include structuring how students carry out a particular writing process, having peers to help one another as they compose a piece of writing , providing students with feedback on their performance, focusing students attention on specific aspects of tasks, and providing a model of what the end product should look like (Graham Perin 2007). In most EFL classes, some learners perform better beyond grade-level, others struggle with target language, while another great part of the class falls somewhere in between. In their effort to meet the needs of such a diverse students, educators tend to assign pair and group work with students of different ability levels finding ways to involve all students in the activities. These ways could include communicative and cooperative tasks to allow scaffolding of less advanced students. In such a classroom environment, advanced level learners perform as a bridge to assist the learning process and lower level classmates show a readiness to cross that bridge (Sean, 2002).   As a general rule, it seems reasonable to propose that classroom harmony might better be achieved in a group of motivated students who are allowed to take part and cooperate. Statement of the problem Teachers as well as educators seem to have struggled to find answers to questions about heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping: Are they of certain benefits for learners? Do they harm anyone? Who gets the benefit or the harm the most? And why? (Kulik 1992). The answers to such questions are not always clear-cut and often depend on whom you ask and what learning outcomes are considered important. To many educators, grouping is considered as an proper response to academic diversity. To others, the practice has harmful unintended consequences and should be abandoned (Ansalone, 2001). Statement of the purpose Consequently, this study aims to investigate the effect of homogeneous grouping versus heterogeneous grouping on EFL students achievement in writing in the hope that it may settle the argument on which is better for both high and low achievers. Homogeneous grouping can be defined as dividing students into small groups which include students of the same ability or level for example high achievers together and low achievers together. While heterogeneous grouping can be defined as dividing students into groups that include mixed or different levels, high and low achievers together. Theoretical Framework When tackling the issue of cooperative learning or grouping it is useful to draw upon the theories of social constructivism and multiple intelligences so as to view intelligence from a multi-dimensional perspective. Social constructivism emphasizes the significance of the social environment in cognitive development. Vygotsky, as reported by Seng et al. (2003), wrote: Every function in the childs cultural development environment appears twice: first, on the social level, and later on the individual level, first between people (interpsychological), and then inside the child (intrapsychological). Vygotsky (1978) supposed that intelligence starts in the social environment and directs itself inward. Other writers on constructivism elaborated on this theme. Students must interact with other students as well as materials in order to learn. The conventional ways of teaching through lecturing and recitation do not work effectively (Hillocks, 2002). Teachers must allow a learning environment i n which students search for meaning, appreciate uncertainty, and inquire responsibly (Brooks, 1993). Gardner (1993), in his work on multiple intelligences (MI), highlighted the importance of precisely understanding the profile of intelligences of the individual learner to provide a more enlightened search for remedies for difficulties. Edward (2004) stated that the problems students encounter at school are because of the fact that they have different kinds of minds and therefore remember, understand, perform, and learn in differently. Gardner identified 8 separate intelligences; two of them are linguistics and interpersonal intelligences. Armstrong (199) stressed the need to provide learning experiences which may accommodate those 8 intelligences through a variety of multi-spectrum experiences. Moreover, there are two cognitive theories that are directly applied to cooperative learning, the developmental and the elaboration theories (Slavin, 1987). The developmental theories presume that interaction among students around appropriate tasks raises their mastery of critical conceptions (Damon, 1984). When students interact with other students, they will need to explain and discuss each others perspectives, which lead to greater understanding of learning targets. Also the effort to resolve potential conflicts within collaborative activities develops higher levels of understanding (Slavin, 1990). The elaboration theory proposes that one of the most effective means of learning is to explain the material to someone else. Cooperative learning activities improve elaborative thinking and frequent giving and receiving explanations, which increases the depth of understanding, the quality of reasoning, and the accuracy of long term retention (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1986). Thus, the use of cooperative learning methods should lead to the improvement of students learning and retention from both the developmental and cognitive theoretical perspectives. Cooperative learning has its roots in the theories of social interdependence, cognitive development, and behavioral learning. Some research provides remarkably strong evidence that cooperative learning results in greater effort to achieve, more positive relationships, and greater psychological health than competitive or individualistic learning efforts (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1994( Cognitive growth springs from the arrangement of a variety of perspectives at the time individuals work to reach common goals. Both Piaget and Vygotsky saw cooperative learning with more able peers and instructors as resulting in cognitive development and intellectual growth (Johnson, et al., 1998). The assumption of behavioral learning theory is that students will work hard on tasks that provide a reward and that students will fail to work on tasks that provide no reward or punishment. Cooperative learning is one strategy that rewards individuals for participation in the groups effort. Slavin (1987), highlighted two main theoretical perspectives related to cooperative learning, motivational and cognitive. The motivational theories of cooperative learning stress the students motivation to accomplish academic work, whereas the cognitive theories emphasize the effects of working with others. A major element of cooperative learning is positive interdependence, as students perceive that their success or failure depends on working together as a team (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1986). From the motivational theories perspective, cooperative goal structure creates such a situation in which the only way group members can achieve their goals is when the group is successful (Slavin, 1990,). As a result, for the reason of attaining certain goals, students are likely to encourage their group members to do whatever helps the group to succeed and to help one another with a group task. Review of Literature A number of studies examined the effects of cooperative learning techniques on student learning. Humphreys, Johnson, and Johnson (1982) compared cooperative, competitive, and individualistic strategies and concluded that students who were taught by cooperative methods learned and retained significantly more information than students taught by the other two methods. Sherman and Thomas (1986) reached similar findings in a study which involved high school students taught by cooperative and individualistic methods. Slavin(1983) based on a review of 46 studies related to cooperative learning found that cooperative learning resulted in significant positive effects in 63% of the studies, and only two studies reported higher achievement for the comparison group. Johnson, Maruyama, Johnson, Nelson, and Skon (1981) conducted a meta-analysis of 122 studies related to cooperative learning and concluded that there was strong evidence for the advantage of cooperative learning in promoting achievement over competitive and individualistic strategies. Johnson and Ahlgren (1976) investigated the relationships between students attitudes toward cooperation, competition, and attitudes toward education. The results of the study pointed out that student cooperativeness, rather than competitiveness, was positively related to being motivated to learn. Humphreys, Johnson, and Johnson (1982) also found that students studying in a cooperative learning treatment group rated more positively in their learning experience than did students in competitive and individualistic treatment groups. In a study involving elementary and secondary students Wodarski, et al., (1980) concluded that 95% of the elementary students enjoyed the cooperative learning activities and that they had learned a lot about the subject. Cooperative learning can result in positive effects on student achievement (Devries Slavin, 1978; Cohen, 1986; Davidson, 1989; Johnson Johnson, 1989; Okebukola, 1985; Reid, 1992; Slavin, 1990). Academic benefits include higher achievement in reading comprehension, writing (Mathes, Fuchs, Fuchs, 1997) and mathematics (Ross, 1995; Whicker, Nunnery, Bol, 1997) and improved conceptual understanding and achievement in science (Lonning, 1993; Watson, 1991). Social benefits include more on-task behaviors and helping interactions with group members (Burron, James, Ambrosio, 1993; Gillies Ashman, 1998; McManus Gettinger, 1996), higher self-esteem, more friends, more involvement in classroom activities, and improved attitudes toward learning (Lazarowitz, Baird, Bolden, 1996; Lazarowitz, Hertz-Lazarowitz, Baird, 1994). Emmer and Gerwels (2002) stated that some research on cooperative learning addressed instructional components. In a number of studies students were taught interaction skills, such as how to question or to help each other so that they did not give answers but facilitated each others thinking (Fuchs, Fuchs, Kazdan, Allen, 1999; Gillies Ashman, 1996, 1998; Nattiv, 1994; Webb, Troper, Fall, 1995). When students are taught these skills, positive outcomes like increased intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, and liking for school can result (Battistich, Solomon, Delucchi, 1993). Ability grouping can be carried out between-class or within-class (Dukmak 2009). Between-class ability grouping refers to a schools practice of forming classrooms that contains students of similar ability. Within-class grouping refers to a teachers practice of forming groups of students of similar ability within an individual class (Gamoran, 1992; Hollified, 1987). A review of the literature on cooperative learning shows that students benefit academically and socially from cooperative, small-group learning (Gillies, 2002). Mixed-ability grouping is based on cooperative learning which demonstrates positive success related to students achievement. In this type of grouping, students work collaboratively to successfully achieve a desired educational outcome and develop a greater understanding and respect for individual differences. All forms of diversity within the learning environment are embraced (Felder Brent, 2001; Freeman, 1993; Saleh, Lazonder, DeJong, 2005). Moreover, in a mixed-ability, teachers respond to the individualized needs of all learners (Kulik Kulik, 1992). The most compelling argument against ability grouping is the creation of academic elites a practice which goes against democratic ideals (Slavin, 1987). Johnson and Johnson (1999) and Johnson, Johnson and Smith (1998) say that cooperative learning has five basic elements positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, appropriate use of social skills, and periodic processing of how to improve the effectiveness of the group (Johnson Johnson1999 ). When these elements are properly implemented, the research has shown that group collaboration in the classroom can increase learning and achievement, social skills, self-esteem, and attitudes toward classmates and school (Slavin, 1990 as cited in Webb, Nemer Zuniga 2002). Placing students in teams or cooperative learning groups has many advantages. It helps to build a students communication skills, can help increase tolerance and the acceptance of diversity, promotes higher level reasoning, promotes increased generation of new ideas, promotes greater transfer of information from one situation to another, increases retention, builds teamwork skills, reduces stress , and increased willingness to attempt challenging tasks (Baker Campbell, 2005; Huss, 2006; Lin, 2006; Payne Monk-Turner, 2006; Patrick, Bangel, Jeon 2005; Kim 2004; Vaughn, 2002; Johnson Johnson, 1999; Johnson, Johnson Smith, 1998; Slavin, 1996). The cooperative learning experience also [gives] students the opportunity to review and learn information that they did not understand before the cooperative learning activity (Webb, 2002). According to Lin (2006 ), research has concluded that cooperative learning is the top ranked teaching model that promotes greater higher-order thinking, problem solving, and achievement. Students can remember 75-90% of materials when they learn it in cooperative learning situations (Lin, 2006). In a survey of college students after an experiment involving group work, Payne and Monk-Turner (2006) found that 90% of students favored group work and that 90% learned from their group members. Since 1924, 168 studies have been conducted that compare cooperative learning to competitive and individual learning. These studies have shown that cooperative learning yields higher academic achievement than individual and competitive learning (Johnson, Johnson Smith, 1998). Cooperative learning groups are also said to be particularly beneficial to low academic achieving students and students of color (Huss, 2006; Vaughn, 2002). Cooperative learning groups appear to be effective in many ways. Students work as an influential part of the group when they believe their efforts will add to the success of the group (Baker Campbell, 2005). Students are successful and learn in cooperative learning groups because they learn by doing rather than listening (Payne, Monk-Turner, Smith 2006 ) They are also actively using the material and information (Zimbardo, Butler, Wolfe, 2003). Cooperative learning also strengthens students social interactions, it gives them the desire to achieve, to develop more positive interpersonal relationships, and have greater psychological health than competitive or individualistic learning efforts (Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1994 as cited in Morgan, 2003,). Cooperative learning can teach students that knowledge can be, or should be, shared with fellow students; that differences in opinion can be rationally negotiated even under conditions of test pressures; and that cooperative learning pr ocedures can be enjoyable and productive (Zimbardo et al., 2003, ). These types of lessons enable students to learn how to work well with others. The interdependent relationships that develop within a group help to facilitate the groups success. Everyone feels the goal of the group will be met if everyone achieves their individual goals (Vaughn, 2002; Morgan, 2004). According to Morgan (2004), group members should also be aware of the fact that a single group member can affect how and/or if the goal is achieved. The cooperative learning experience is most effective when the participants work well together and they successfully achieve their goal. There are many characteristics to successful teams. Some of these characteristics include open communication, effectively listening, open-mindedness, clear roles, an established leader, clearly defined tasks, teamwork where everyone works together and contributes, there are well developed attainable goals (Payne, Monk-Turner, 2006; Baker Campbell, 2005), and a timeline (Payne Monk-Turner, 2006). In a classroom, there are also many things a teacher can do to help insure the success of a group activity. The teacher should provide strong guidance (Payne Monk-Turner, 2006; Baker Campbell, 2005), model the desired behavior, provide immediate feedback, and reward desired behavior (Lin, 2006; Baker Campbell, 2005). The teacher can also use checks and balances to monitor productivity, employ various problem solving strategies (Friend Cook, 2007), leng then the amount of time the group spends together, provide proper group behavior training, establish ground rules (Mitchell, Reilly, Bramwell, 2004) and allow group members rate each other (Lin, 2006). If the teacher monitors, provides rewards and allows the students to rate each other, it may reduce the effects of a slacker and keep students from getting a grade they do not deserve (Payne Monk-Turner, 2006). Students that slack off can demotivate hard working students and give them a negative feeling about group work (Ashraf, 2004). Many studies have been conducted that demonstrate the success of teaming. Robert Slavin has conducted extensive research on the implementation of cooperative learning models in schools. He has examined the effects schools becoming complete cooperative learning centers on their academic achievement. He has found many successful situations where lower performing schools were transformed because they converted to a cooperative learning format (Slavin, 1999 22-23). Payne and Monk Turner (2006) conducted a study that examined how students felt about teams. In this study, they assigned students to groups, gave them an assignment, and then asked them how they felt about the assignment after the group project was completed. They found that 90% of the students had a favorable experience, 90% of the students learned from their group members, and 85% of the students felt they learned teaming skills that could be transcended into business. Baker and Campbell (2005) conducted a study in which stu dents were placed in groups and observed that the students who worked in groups, as opposed to working individually, were more successful because they had more access to knowledge, they felt pressured to succeed to keep the group from failing, and the various personalities helped alleviate the stress of the problems. For example a member often told jokes to help lesson the tension. Additionally, members often provided positive reinforcement and motivation. Placing students in groups to take tests is another way to use cooperative learning and group work. Morgan examined the benefits and non benefits of college students completing exams using cooperative learning groups. She concluded that The increased depth of understanding, the feelings of support, respect for others contributions, and the clarification of information produced more students with a greater awareness of the material and more developed social skills to be contributing members of teams (Morgan, 2004 ). The understanding of successful cooperative learning group models not only affects groups in grade school; it also affects groups in jobs and college. According to Payne, Monk-Turner, and Smith (2006) employers want college graduates that have developed teamwork skills. Miglietti (2002) says that group work is commonly used in the workplace and employers want to hire people with these skills. Furthermore, these skills can be learned when students are placed in successful t eams where the goals have been reached. Socialization and communication are examples of skills that students learn in groups that can help their transition into the business world (Payne et al., 2006). In a survey of college students, after a study involving group work, Payne and Monk-Turner (2006) found that 85% of college students admitted that doing group work would probably work on teams in future jobs. Homogeneous grouping Homogeneous grouping has been proposed and implemented as a potential solution for meeting the needs of the mixed ability classes, suggesting that students of different abilities can be gathered in groups of same ability for the purpose of facilitating teaching (Slavin, 1987). This type of grouping is based on the pedagogical belief that the teacher has the advantage of focusing instruction at the level of all students in particular groups (Ansalone, 2000). An extensive research has been conducted on ability grouping suggesting that academically, high-achieving students achieve and learn more when they are grouped with other high-achieving students (Gentry Owens, 2002; Grossen, 1996; Hollified, 1987; Page Keith, 1996). In mixed-ability grouping it is difficult to provide an adequate environment for teaching to everyone. Since students differ in knowledge, skills, developmental stage, and learning rate, one lesson might be easier for some students and more difficult for the others (Slavin, 1987). In ability grouping, high-achieving students view their own abilities more realistically and feel that they are appropriately challenged with their peers (Fiedler, Lange, and Wine-Brenner, 2002). It is suggested that teachers of mixed ability classes can raise instruction level for high achievers and increase the pace of teaching whereas low level students can have individual attention. As a result advanced pupils can be taught more difficult concepts while low achievers can deal with simple and fewer things. Advocates of homogeneous grouping opine that it is an outstanding means of individualizing instruction. Achievement is thought to increase as teachers would adjust the pace of instruction to students needs. Kulik and Kulik (1982) and Slavin (1987) carried out meta-analyses of studies at the elementary school level, finding benefits of within-class ability grouping. Both low ability students and more advanced ones placed in separate groups, benefited from instruction addressed to their level. More recently, Mulkey et al (2005) found that same ability grouping has constant instructional benefits for both high and low level students. Marsh (1987) supports homogeneous grouping as a technique to cope with mixed ability classes assuming that grouping children homogeneously enables those in lower ability groups to profit with respect to self-evaluation by being isolated from advanced peers. Furthermore, Allan (1991) supports that pupils model their behaviour after the behaviour of similar ability children who are coping well with their school work. The proponents of homogeneous grouping conclude that research fails to support that homogeneous grouping doesnt accomplish anything (Loveless, 1998 ). Although teachers of mixed ability classes seem to have positive attitudes towards homogeneous grouping (Scherer, 1993, Mulkey et al, 2005), a severe criticism of ability grouping has been raised in the last quarter of the 20th century. It has been stated that this type of grouping stigmatizes lower ability students, providing them with inferior instruction. A number of researchers attack homogeneous grouping for not guaranteeing that all advanced or all weak students are alike. Matthews (1997) conducted a relevant research with students in grades 6 through 8 and concluded that gifted students are noticeably more diverse than they are homogeneous. They are of different degrees in their abilities, their learning styles and interests, their advancement, their social/emotional development and their test-taking skills. Ability grouping may reduce the self-esteem and aspirations of low ability children and therefore slow down their academic progress. Welner and Mickelson (2000) carried out an extensive research review and found that low ability children are exposed to lowered expectations, reduced resources and rote learning. Childrens self-concept is affected and expectations are internalized (Ireson and Hallam, 1999, Gamoran, 1987). This implies that students of low ability in mixed ability classes are provided with low expectations if placed in same ability groups causing them feelings of inferiority. This is confirmed by Ansalone (2001) and Hallinan (1994) who demonstrated that children assigned to lower ability groups, are exposed to less and more simplified versions of the curriculum whereas high ability groups have broader and more challenging material covered. In this sense, Oakes (1992) and Wheelock (2005) support that educational benefits in mixed ability settings are not provided by homog eneous grouping but rather by a challenging curriculum and high expectations. Heterogeneous grouping Heterogeneous grouping, that is gathering children of varying abilities in same groups has been proposed by many researchers as an effective strategy to promote academic development of students having diverse background knowledge and abilities. Brimfield, Masci and Defiore (2002) believe that all students deserve an academically challenging curriculum (p.15). So, our goal is to find a way to engage all pupils of the mixed ability classroom in the lesson irrespective of their abilities. The authors point out that by creating mixed-ability groups, we send the compelling message that everybody is expected to work at the highest possible level as high and low ability students deal with the same challenges. Disadvantaged pupils are at reduced risk of being stigmatized and exposed to a dumped-down curriculum in a mixed-ability setting. Teachers expectations for all pupils are maintained at higher levels and less able students have opportunities to be assisted by more able peers. It is assumed that heterogeneous grouping provides pupils access to more learning opportunities. Johnson and Johnson (1987) recommend assigning children of high, medium, and low abilities in the same group maximizing the heterogeneous make up of each group. Such ability diversity within the same group creates an effective learning environment (Manlove and Baker, 1995) providing learning opportunities for low-level students as well as opportunities to more advanced children to provide explanations to others revising, consolidating and using some things they have encountered before. The teachers can use cooperative tasks among high and low achievers of mixed ability groups or pairs in order to promote task engagement of all students in the mixed ability class as advanced children can provide explanations and guidance in carrying out a task. Cooperative tasks among high and low achievers are valued by the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky (1978). Pupils of mixed ability classes differ at their competence level and prior linguistic experiences. Vygotsky supports that children who are exposed to books and other out-of-school factors which contribute to linguistic development i.e .prior knowledge of English from private institutional instruction, are expected to have already run through a large part of their ZPD. On the other hand, pupils with poor literacy opportunities i.e. without prior knowledge of English may possess a larger Zone of Proximal Development (Van der Veer and Valsiner, 1991). So, they may benefit greatly from peer interactions which are likely to help low level students reach higher levels of performance. In this framework, Lyle (1999) showed that both low and high achieving students value the opportunity to work together as all pupils believed that they benefited. It was concluded that peer interactions can facilitate literacy development especially of low ability students. In this vein, Guralnick (1992) points out that social competence acquired in group work affects the elaboration of all students cognitive competencies, implying that both low and advanced learners of mixed ability classes may gain from such settings. The role of peer learning as contributing to language development has also been emphasized by Mize, Ladd and Price (1985) Webb (1989), Jacob et al (1996) and Slavin (1996). Rogoff (1993) refers to childrens social sharing of their cognition through interaction. When pupils participate in collective activities, they guide each others efforts. According to Tudge and Winterhoff (1993) advanced children give constant feedback through conversation forcing peers to strive for reaching higher levels of performance. Various studies have indicated a positive correlation between cooperative learning and achievement in mixed ability classes. For example, Walters (2000) asserts that cooperative learning is suitable for teachers dealing with increasingly diverse classrooms as it easily accommodates individual differences in achievement. Accordingly, Fulk and King (2001) support that class-wide peer tutoring improves all students learning. They add that serving in the role of tutor seems to be particularly beneficial for improving the self-esteem of students with low achievement while they may, for example, grade their partners reading. Therefore, it appears that CL may satisfy the needs of a mixed ability class. Studies conducted by Pica and Doughty (1985), Porter (1986), and Cotterall (1990) indicate that learners of different abilities produce more in mixed ability pair and group work by helping one another to overcome cognitive obstacles. This conclusion is consistent with Urzuas (1987) finding that the mixed ability children in the observational study conducted, appeared to have developed a sense of power in language through the process of working with trusted peers i.e. writing and revising. The benefits of cooperative learning are more touchable

Many Factors That Affect Communication Social Work Essay

Many Factors That Affect Communication Social Work Essay Interpersonal skills, majority of the managers chose interpersonal skills as their greatest strength. Managers must have a good communication skill in dealing with their stakeholders. In Catherine Lodge, our manager has effective communication skills in dealing with the entire situation with regards to residents needs if it is being met, staff, and residents families. A good company wouldnt have a very strong foundation without a team that helps in problem-solving. Care workers must be careful in recognising a problem by assessment, know the possible cause and effect, and plan for the procedure thoroughly. Team work will set in, as the person who recognises the problem will report to the team, to assess, collect all the data, and to plan the best action. Communication is still there as they are following a process of solving a problem, and in decision-making. (http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2629217?uid=3738032uid=2129uid=2uid=70uid=4sid=21101226337883) The aim of the policy is to ensure that the effective channels of communication are established, supported and maintained. It believes that the communication of good information promotes quality care, offers clients assistance in making informed choices and plays a vital role in motivating and supporting staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢To enable us to fulfil our statutory responsibilities to provide information. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To communicate effectively with staff about ongoing issues, policies and procedures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To provide opportunities to consult with staff and for them to express their Views and offer ideas and suggestions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To communicate effectively with clients and their representatives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To promote the quality of service that we provide to our clients. Technology is moving so fast nowadays that we have many electronic aids to help us communicate. For example, smart phones can used to make calls, send text messages and emails; can used to make video call where you can see the person on the other line, can leave a voice message if its not available. There are many factors that affect communication. They are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sensory deprivation when someone cannot receive or pass information because of visual and hearing disabilities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreign language when someone has different accent, different pronunciations, and/or uses sign language that the other person does not speak, or understand. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Jargon Using of medical terminology to a patients, service users, and family members that they may not understand, it is better to explain things according to the level of their understanding because understanding the facts can make something appear less scary. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Slang when a care worker uses a language that is not everyone uses, or familiar with. Cultural differences there are some things that has the same meaning but could mean different in two cultures. For example, keeping an eye contact whilst communicating is seen as being respectful, and being truthful, but for some culture like in East Asia for them it is a sign of being rude and defiant. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distress everyone can experience distress, this can be difficult for them to clearly understand what is being said due to lack of focus. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emotional difficulties every one of us has emotional difficulties at times and can make us upset. The negative effect is not to hear or understand clearly what the other person is is telling you and can lead to misunderstanding. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Health issues when the person is ill, he/she cannot be an effective communicator, especially service users that suffering from Parkinsons disease or Multiple Sclerosis affect an individuals ability to communicate properly, care worker should be trained and aware on how to work with these people. Communication Audit it is a method use to identify the Strengths and Weakness of your current and external communications. Organisations recognise the benefit of keeping their customers, clients, investors, partners and/or members aware of happening with in their organisation. The techniques they choose are varied, ranging from the tried and true e.g. e-mailings, and website postings, variant of high technology tools. Placing a suggestions box at the front door gives the residents family to write their comments and suggestions anonymously or they can name their names, and/or they can even go straight to the managers, seniors for their comments. Making quarter year survey that requires family member of clients to answer a questionnaire, and they are free to add their comments. When Stakeholders reach out: developing and implementing a promotion plan We go into developing a promotion plan. We offer steps and examples. From there we look at what a communication plan entails. Emerging from this we look at relating to the media. We highlight the importance of identifying key messages and who your target audience is for different promotion work. Finally, we offer lots of suggestions for nervous speechmakers. Promoting your organisation: when people reach in: A large part of an organisations work happens through telephone contact and with visitors coming to your office. If you put people off with a negative attitude when people phone in or visit, you will probably end up having an organisational image not to your liking. So, we look at promoting your organisations image in this context. We give ideas about your reception area, how you receive people, handling phone calls and e-mails. And we end off looking at how you can monitor and evaluate your organisat ion. Task 2 Report Catherine Lodge is a residential care home that aims to provide continuous professional care to all its residents within a safe, friendly and relaxed environment. It caters up to 39 elderly residents providing each individual with a personal form of service derived from a carefully formulated care plan that meets their needs. This is provided both in short and long term basis depending on each individual. Since each resident has specific needs that range from physical, psychological, social or spiritual needs on a 24 hour basis it requires a certain level of personnel to facilitate this. Show me the money! Well, thats what financial data do. They show you the money. They show you where a companys money came from, where it went, and where it is now. There are four main financial data. They are: (1)  balance sheets; (2)  income statements; (3)  cash flow statements; and (4)  statements of shareholders equity. Balance sheets show what a company owns and what it owes at a fixed point in time. Income statements show how much money a company made and spent over a period of time. Cash flow statements show the exchange of money between a company and the outside world also over a period of time. The fourth financial statement, called a statement of shareholders equity, shows changes in the interests of the companys shareholders over time. A balance sheet provides detailed information of companys asset, liabilities and shareholders equity. Assets are things that company owns that have value. They can either be sold or used by the company to provide services that can also be sold. It also includes physical property of the residents that can/cant be touched but nevertheless exist and have value. Liabilities are amounts of money that a company owes to others e.g. all kinds of obligations like borrowed money from a bank, payroll a company owes to its employees, environmental costs, taxes owed, and obligations to provide good quality of services. Shareholders equity or capital Income statements is a report that shows how much revenue a company earned over a specific period, it also shows the companys net earnings and losses. Cash flow statement report a companys inflows and outflows of cash. This is important because a company needs to have enough cash on hand to pay its expenses and purchase assets. While an  income statement  can tell you whether a company made a profit, a cash flow statement can tell you whether the company generated cash. It shows the net increase or decrease in cash for a period. In Residential home, we have enough staff to work in the morning, in the afternoon and at night. We have a monthly staff meeting to raise our concern at work, problems with our colleagues, and suggestions on resident/s care plan, and we also have a separate Senior Carers meeting, the Manager/Owner and the Deputy Manager always presents the Carers the needs of good communication, and team work. We have supervision every 3 months, the manager is giving feedback to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and if they think the staff needs to be trained, and appraisal every 6 months in which we rate ourselves, and the Deputy Manager is rating the staff as well in our performance, we can voice out our own opinion, about the job, colleagues and if we are getting support from the Managers. The company also provided us mandatory training, manuals, booklets, presentation from the lecturer and a questionnaire that we need to answer at the end of the training. Catherine Lodge has a seasonal newsl etter where they introduce new staff member, residents who celebrated their birthday, and about the achievements of the company. A good communication skill is very important, specially working in care settings. Working with vulnerable adults requires more understanding, must have different techniques and strategies use in supporting communication between the individual with specific communication needs. Good communication with vulnerable adult is essential. This includes identifying behaviour triggers, by means of visual prompts and speaking in short, clear sentences. I considered that the social workers used verbal and non-verbal forms of communications and applied the principles of active listening. Some people with disabilities are not able to use speech as their principle means of communication. They may however be able to use an alternative method of communication such as symbols and symbolic languages. It is vital to recognise that symbols are different from pictures. Pictures generally convey a lot of information at once but their focus is often unclear. Symbols, on the other hand, are often designed to convey a particular meaning. Symbols or symbolic languages can be applied to signify many aspects of verbal communication. Symbols can be presented through visual, auditory and/or tactile media and can take the form of gestures, photos, manual signs, printed words, objects, reproduced spoken words or Braille. Symbols help understanding which can increase involvement, choice and confidence. It helps support creativity and self expressions. Using mobile phones at work is strictly prohibited, as it may interfere in whatever the carer is doing or it may cause accident e.g if the Carer is feeding, doing morning care. Some residents may have challenging behaviour that sometimes affects the carer itself, they best react in a calm, quiet environment, Carer must consider the Residents preference, cultural difference, language and environment, assumptions, judging, noise, and distraction. The use of technology helps the care workers by having an easy access by just typing the residents name all his/her information daily report will come out in one click, comparison graph of residentials weight incomparable from past to present will easily available in one click, not unlike if it is just written and filled you have to search for it and check the book where you filed it. Make work a lot easy, report will neat and tidy, because it is easy to edit if you accidentally misspelled. Disadvantage of it is if the computer got virus and/or the system got hacked all the information will wipe out, that will give an extra work for the manager, care workers, and andmin. Code of Practice sets out the minimum standards and guidelines for hygiene, fire building safety, and the level of care required , which aims at ensuring that residents in the homes receive services of acceptable standards that are of benefit to them physically, emotionally and socially. (http://www.swd.gov.hk/doc/downsecdoc/code_rchpd.pdf)I will assess the workplace strategies, policies and procedures that should be in place to ensure good practice in relation to all forms of communication in health and social care setting. The health and social care industry mainly focuses on the heart of care. Since it involves people, communication takes a very important role. Effective communication is not only significant to the health care professionals in ensuring the improvement of clients quality of life by addressing their needs. It is also the clients and support systems right in the promotion of their equality and diversity as people. Workplace strategies, policies, and procedures for good practice in communication focus on ensuring privacy, and confidentiality, disclosure, protection of individuals, rights and responsibilities, and equal opportunities. Moreover, a practice on disciplinary procedures, complaints policy, and flexible working also benefit the entire health care team. If all these flow efficiently, there will be no hindrance in the system of communication. For example, one of our residents had a GP appointment and I escorted her. When we arrived in the GP surgery, the receptionist asks the residents loudly for the reason that I am in the GP surgery in which other patients can hear, there is a break in the policy of ensuring privacy. Whenever I start expressing my concerns at her pace, then I will definitely not have my privacy. It establishes a barrier between us personally and professionally. As a patient, I might start complaining with regards to her action. Effective communication is a key factor in success may it be in work or association. It is always a part of personal and professional progress. Therefore, to master communication skills and techniques is a very important area to develop in each individual. In the given scenario its implication is to render a quality health care service which benefits the service providers and the service users. Data Protection is designed for person responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of information and of the person giving his or her own information. One of its purposes is to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals. This act governs the right storage and processing of personal data held in manual records and on computers. Under this act, the rights of the individual are protected by forcing organisations to follow proper and sound practices, known as data principles (DPP). Reporting and recording of information is a vital form of communication needed to ensure the safety of vulnerable adults. Parts of a carers daily routine should include making notes in a care file, as well as using communication books, forms and documents. Make sure that the writing is legible and clear, that is signed and dated, and that where necessary copies are made. http://transparency.dh.gov.uk/dataprotection/information-charter/ Health and Safety inspections are an important monitoring tool to help ensure that workplace hazards are controlled and that risk to employees and others are eliminated or minimised. Inspections should be carried out regularly.  Carers must inspect the equipment/s before using it, report and record all faulty equipment/s to the Manager e.g. heating, lightning, and ventilation. Charter is for anyone who has dealings with the Department of Health whether through correspondence, involvement in public policy consultations or if for any other reason we hold personal information about the resident. Communication and listening gives clues to a better understanding of an individuals preferences and wishes. Gathering information about an individual will lead to creative and supportive ways of providing care. Carers must exercised active listening and having the ability to empathise with the residents by paraphrasing what the others saying to her and understand it. So that, she will increased the trust and gain more information from the individuals. Communication itself is influenced by individuals values and culture. Carers should always make sure of eye contact; focus on what they are saying and acknowledged what is being said to her by paraphrasing or nodding her head. Carers must also use different technique to enhance their social culture, beliefs and values. Like for instances, I usually greets and chat with the individuals by smiling , Carers must apply the sense of touch in her communication. I believes that by means of touch can be a very positive form of communication in that it can provide comfort and re-assurance when someone is distressed making them feel safe and secure, it can also be a signed of love, respect and affection to somebody or it may calm someone who is agitated. In this case carers show that they met the desires of the human beings to their client which are love, purpose and self expression. Carers should be warm and caring in nature and she has the ability to connect well with others. Fine qualities and having a good communication skill plays important role in the delivery of care in whatever ethnicity, sex, education or social care they may be. Saving face is saving your credibility, dignity and ethics by means of being honest, getting out of the situation by means of good explanation. Theories of Organisational communication Attraction- selection attrition framework; In Attraction, everyone is different, people are differently attracted to a career for different reasons, this could be their passion, helping and/or looking after people could make them happy and fulfilled, even if they just want to try different job, and this is depending on their personality to choose the organization they want. In Selection, in organization the Manager chooses who she thinks will qualified for the job, with the same interest, goals, and personal reasons. Attrition, this is the complete opposite of attraction, where the people who didnt qualify, or found that they are not happy with the organization, management, job tend to leave, only those people who have the same ideas, interest, fits in the job chose to stay. A very good example is in the residential home I used to work, Id chose that residential home to apply because of a good reputation. The manager hired me because she thinks have got the qualification they are loo king for, and I can contribute to the organization. I and the other lady started working as a Induction carer, 3 days after the manager talked to me, and told me my colleagues are happy working with me and I can start working as a regular carer, working on my own. The sad part was, the new lady didnt appear two days after. http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Public%20Relations,%20Advertising,%20Marketing%20and%20Consumer%20Behavior/Attraction-Selection-Attrition_Framework(ASA).doc/ There are many types of organizational communication. Individuals communicate with peers, superiors, and subordinates within the organization. Managers manage through communication. Employee communication departments attempt to inform and/or secure cooperation; from employees. Labour relations specialists deal with labour unions. Formal and informal communication takes place between departments and role occupants throughout the organization. Public relations specialists communicate to external audiences about the organization in general,and advertising departments communicate to consumers about the organizations products and services. Change agents; and other organizational representatives communicate with clients and community representatives. Finally, organizations communicate with other organizations which generally share common problems or values. In groupthink or team work, a manager or team leader should be sensitive, open to accept suggestions from your subordinates in order t o meet the target goal. Working in groups are building blocks for meeting organization goals.   Managers should also consider ways to develop leadership in team members.   Training for versatility in leadership styles through workshops could encourage this growth.   Encouraging self-growth through concept of motivation. It is very important to have an effective communication at shift turnover; Care workers should give this a high priority. Shift turnover should be included in the safety-critical topics supervised and audited periodically by management. They should identify its importance in policy and procedures, assign responsibilities and set minimum standards. A description of how to conduct an effective handover should be available so individuals can assess and improve their own practice. High risk handovers needing extra attention should be flagged up. The importance of effective communication skills during shift handover and throughout other work activities suggests this attribute should be amongst the selection criteria for key posts. Furthermore, opportunities should be available for existing staff to develop their communication skills if required. To be able to motivate a care worker is to identify his strengths and weaknesses, and by giving him feedback. Being open to accept negative feedback is the key for being productive by improving, and being eager to learn, and update skills. Team work and good communication with one another will make each others work easy. Task 3 Interpersonal communication How the use of ICT in health and social care benefits service users? The Information Communication Technology aims to the efficiency of the health care services. This means to b a better outcome for the same or a lesser use of resources. ICT also helps and empowers the health and social care staff, it improves positive patients experiences and facilities research and development relevant to health and social care, the legal consideration in the use of ICT is the Health and Safety. How the ICT supports and enhances the activities of care workers and care organisations? As aforementioned, the ICT supports and enhances health and social care activities of care workers and care organisations. It is through administrative, financial, clinical, infrastructure applications, etc. That the needs of staff are met; and there is a high regard innovation in business administration, efficiency and quality of service. It also helps in meeting requirement of other agencies, accountability, and audit . For example, the use of a computer screen is an indication of a patients arrival makes the work of the receptionist lighter and easier. Imagine if there was no such thing then the receptionist will have to entertain every person coming in a queue. She will not have enough have time to do other things. Working with vulnerable adult, Professionals must shows different techniques and strategies used in supporting communication between the individual with specific communication needs. Good communication with people with vulnerable adult is essential. This includes identifying behaviour triggers, by means of visual prompts and speaking in short, clear sentences. I considered that the carers must use verbal and non-verbal forms of communications and applied the principles of active listening. Some people with disabilities are not able to use speech as their principle means of communication. They may however be able to use an alternative method of communication such as symbols and body language. It is vital to recognise that symbols are different from pictures. Pictures generally convey a lot of information at once but their focus is often unclear. Symbols, on the other hand, are often designed to convey a particular meaning. Symbols or body language can be applied to signify many aspect s of verbal communication. Symbols can be presented through visual, auditory and/or tactile media and can take the form of gestures, photos, manual signs, printed words, objects, reproduced spoken words or Braille. Symbols help understanding which can increase involvement, choice and confidence; it helps support creativity and self expressions. Theories of Interpersonal Communication Uncertainty reduction model People have an urge or need to reduce uncertainty about individuals that they find attractive and this motivates them to communicate In Social network theory closeness develops if people proceed in gradual and orderly fashion from superficial to more intimate levels of exchange. People consciously and deliberately weigh the costs and rewards associated with a relationship and seek relationships that reward them and avoid those that are costly. People connect with others because they believe that rewards or positive outcomes will result. Expectancy value model People believe according to their expectations, and evaluation. The behaviours they perform in response to their beliefs and values are undertaken to achieve some end. However, although expectancy-value theory can be used to explain central concepts in uses and gratifications research, there are other factors that influence the process.  Attribution theory is significantly driven by motivational dri ves, looking at how the person constructs the meaning of an event based on the persons motives to find cause on persons surroundings. Personal development planning is the lifelong process of nurturing, shaping, and updating persons knowledge. It is about allowing individuals to improve and develop in line with the industry in which they engage or aspire to engage. It is about widening or broadening their knowledge and skills in order that they will continue to have a place in the flatter structures of todays organisations. The benefits of personal development planning are that it provides a schedule to work to motivate the individual and suggests a framework for monitoring and evaluating achievements. A good example is If you are currently working as a first line manager or senior administrator and aspire to the position of your manager, you may need to acquire new skills or develop your lower level skills to a higher level in, for example, budgeting, managing people, performance review, report writing and chairing meetings. You would need to planhow you are going to acquire these skills and over what time frame. Personal development planning can also be the basis for: Assessing where you want to be and how you can get there ,keeping skills up-to-date through meetings, trainings, reading the record book of the residents, updating it via computer, particularly in IT and technical areas, Continuous learning, gaining satisfaction from achievements through feedback from colleagues and management whether it is formal or informal, Building up transferable skills, such as time management, adaptability to change, self-awareness, and supporting future employability. You have to set yourself a SMART objective; they must be attainable, viable and realistic time-frame. A good example of SMART objective is; Within the next 12 months (time-bound), I will devise and implement a system (specific) which will enable the team to communicate more effectively with each other (achievable and realistic) through monthly group meetings and three-monthly one-to-one meetings (measurable).