My Week as a Room-Service Waiter at the Ritz – Customer Service that Puts the “Ritz” in Ritzy

The phrase â€Å"the customer is never wrong,† has been attributed to Cesar Ritz, the founder of the Ritz-Carlton empire. Needless to say, the man knew from customer service. How does this luxury hotel keep its customers content—and coming back?Paul Hemp, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, stepped into the shoes of a Ritz-Carlton room-service waiter to find out. One observation: Empowering your employees to provide top-notch customer service is not enough. You must also inspire them to exercise that power. by Paul Hemp  Reflecting on the experienceOne element of the Ritz-Carlton training is a follow-up session, known as Day 21. It typically takes place about three weeks after the initial orientation. The aim is to review the Gold Standards after new employees have had a chance to put them into practice. Though I didn't work the full twenty-one days, I sit in on the half-day session (which, amidst the frenzy of the hotel's early months, actually takes place on the 49th day after our orientation). Training director Tim Kirkpatrick starts with another mock lineup.He discusses the new-employee job certification test that department managers should have administered. He announces a new guest recognition hotline, which employees can use to call in guest preferences. And he unveils an updated version of the company's principles, now in the form of a three-dimensional pyramid. This supplements the existing Gold Standards with an additional category of seven â€Å"key success factors. † But for staff to delight customers, managers must do more than grant their employees the freedom to do what is necessary; they must motivate employees to exercise that freedom.— Paul Hemp Employees are asked about their experiences on the job. Erin Garrity, the new front-desk clerk from Johnson & Wales, is disappointed she has been assigned the overnight shift but looks on the bright side. â€Å"I get to see a lot of celebrities† at that time , she says. Her goal for the year is to be named one of the hotel's select five-star employees, and she intends to continue being the â€Å"friendliest person I can be. † John Rolfs reinforces his message from orientation that our sole job is to â€Å"make guests feel good so they come back.â€Å"The hotel's 320 employees have countless interactions with guests, he says, and it takes just one interaction to make a guest feel bad. â€Å"If you're thinking about doing your job well, trying to understand and master your day-to-day routines but not thinking about how guests feel, they'll have a difficult time forgiving you. They'll probably forgive us if the air-conditioning fails. But they won't forgive us for failing to make them feel good—because that's why they selected Ritz-Carlton. † Tim's final announcement concerns the results of the first monthly Gallup survey of Ritz-Carlton guests, released to managers earlier that day.The Ritz-Carlton/Boston Common lea ds the company's hotels in overall customer satisfaction. There is a stunned silence—after all, this is a new hotel still smoothing out the rough spots—followed by loud applause. As I leave the hotel and walk across the Boston Common in the gathering dusk, I reflect on what I've learned about teaching and motivating employees to provide truly memorable service. One thing seems clear. Great customer service should be based on dynamic principles rather than a rigid formula.You don't demand that employees say, â€Å"Certainly, my pleasure,† until it feels right to them. You don't mindlessly assume every guest wants to be pampered; some people just want to eat their dinners. I also ponder Ritz-Carlton's efforts to win the hearts and minds of its employees by, for example, making them feel part of a proud heritage. A recent study of hotel workers by researchers at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration found that, while job satisfaction plays a major role in employ ee retention, it isn't the key factor in a hotel's ability to provide excellent customer service.Rather, it is employees' emotional commitment—which is achieved in part through symbols and rituals that enhance employees' sense of identity with the company—that contributes most to superior performance. Ritz Carlton certainly has an unusually rich tradition to draw on in creating that feeling of identity. But every company, even a two-year-old startup, has traditions and even legends that can be tapped to help build employee commitment. Great customer service should be based on dynamic principles rather than a rigid formula.— Paul Hemp That kind of commitment serves as a driver of excellent customer service only when employees are empowered to take initiative. And that sort of empowerment has no potency unless employees are motivated to seize it. I am haunted by my failure to point out the confusing bin numbers on the hotel wine list, which led my guest to mistake nly order that half-bottle of burgundy. Certainly, I was encouraged during my time at the hotel to point out problems that needed fixing. Why didn't I follow through in this case? I'm not sure.But for staff to delight customers, managers must do more than grant their employees the freedom to do what is necessary; they must motivate employees to exercise that freedom. Doing that depends in part on the kinds of people you hire. Ritz-Carlton has an elaborate system for assessing in job candidates the qualities the company believes are crucial to its success. One night while I was working at the hotel, I went through the basic interview to see how I'd do. I was fairly confident I was just the sort of caring, conscientious person the Ritz was looking for.In fact, though, even after fudging my answers to a few questions, I got only ten points out of a possible fifteen in the composite hospitality assessment. Tim said that wasn't bad—†though, honestly, we'd shoot for someone w ith a twelve. † I later discovered that I fell short in my response to a question asking me to cite an instance when I took care of someone else. I said I'd often provided emotional support to my sister during tough times. But the company was looking for something more than this, an â€Å"extraordinary† example of caring. â€Å"Helping your sister? You better,† Tim said with a laugh.â€Å"Now, if you'd moved out of your house for a month and let her move in, that would be different. † Since instituting its candidate assessment system in 1991, Ritz Carlton says it has reduced its annual turnover rate from 55%, roughly the industry average, to 28%. Certainly, a genuine concern for the well-being of guests is key to providing superior customer service. But that isn't enough to truly anticipate customer needs. Another component of the Ritz Carlton's hospitality assessment is empathy—being able to imagine guests' emotional responses to their experience i n the hotel.I am reminded of Steve's care in preparing the champagne setting for the newlyweds that night and how he thought back to his grandparents' wedding seventy-five years before. To truly achieve empathy, however, I wonder if you need to jettison at least some of your personal perspective. One of John Rolfs's comments during the Day 21 session—about the dangers of employees focusing solely on the successful fulfillment of their duties—resonated with my experience as a waiter.If you're constantly assessing how well you're doing in your job—even in your genuine efforts to satisfy guests—you, not the guest, become the point of reference. Your self-consciousness, natural though it may be, distracts you from providing superior service. It's getting dark. And this train of thought risks hurtling far beyond the practical demands of a frenetic evening of room service. But, when you get down to it, my musings don't seem all that far from the Ritz-Carlton ph ilosophy.Companies dedicated to providing what might be called â€Å"extreme† customer service may need to recognize that—like great military, government, or religious service—it is, in the end, a truly selfless endeavor. They may need to establish such practices as the formal inculcation of a customer-centered credo. They might even consider providing workers with a weeklong immersion in the experience of being a customer! Whatever the means, the aim would be getting employees to leave their egos at the door and adopt the mind-set of the people they're serving.

Leadership: Invictus Movie Report Essay

Clint Eastwood, with his movie Invictus, notches another success which uses a rugby championship as a means for examining South Africa’s transition from apartheid. Two characters are highlighted: Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) the new president of South Africa (1994-1999) and the captain of the Springboks, Franà §ois Pienaar (played by Matt Damon). After being locked up for 27 years, Nelson Mandela returns to politics. He symbolizes the new South Africa in which Black and White have the same rights, and the same opportunities. Mandela is calm and confident, but fully aware that his country could erupt into political violence with the least provocation. Mandela’s strategy is to embrace his opposition, a tactic that distances him from his core supporters. But some of his fellow compatriots disagree with that. The main example is when the chief of his bodyguards, who asked more men, refuses to work with the white bodyguards of the former president Frederik de Klerk. Part of being a great leader is setting your organization on a new course well before anyone else can see it. At that moment in the movie Nelson Mandela surprises his bodyguard by showing integrity and by saying: â€Å"The Rainbow Nation starts here. Reconciliation starts here. Forgiveness starts here too.† Black people think that they will get revenge from all the persecutions and all the acts of racism. But Nelson Mandela as their leader has already a new plan for his Nation: gather these two populations and create a modern country without racism. To achieve his goal he uses the white population symbol, the Springboks team, as the key factor. He demonstrates here his ability of visioning. Since South Africa is hosting the 1995 World Cup, Mandela throws his support behind the Springboks, who are representing the country. Those who don’t oppose the sport’s racist undertones have little regard for the team’s ability to compete on a world stage. Nelson Mandela uses the rugby team to change mentalities. The president wants the team to be good enough to impress other rugby nations. However it’s composed by a majority of white players who don’t care about Nelson Mandela’s plan, except for one, Franà §ois Pienaar. Pienaar is the captain of the Springboks, and has a role of leader. He wants to inspire his teammates with the use of the right techniques. â€Å"How do we get them to be better then they think they can be? That is very difficult, I find. Inspiration perhaps. How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do? How do we inspire everyone around us? I sometimes think it is by using the work of others.† Nelson Mandela, with these words, wants Pienaar to lead by examples and to become a source of inspiration for his teammates but also for his nation. Mandela says some of the most powerful words to achieve convincing Pienaar â€Å"This country is hungry for greatness†. Black people want to change the name of the rugby team, but Mandela shows up at the committee meeting. Mandela explains that removing the name and colors would merely reinforce the fears of the country’s white minority. Besides, he has a bigger plan: to turn a symbol of apartheid into a unifying force. Brenda Mazibuko knows that’s a risky move and she confesses her thoughts to the president â€Å"You’re risking your political capital, you’re risking your future as our leader.† Great leaders make the right choice, even when it is not the most popular one. A popular choice is what the crowd wants, what they understand. That’s why Mandela goes against the unanimity to impose his opinion, and he is not afraid of doing so: â€Å"The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead† Nelson Mandela’s answer to Mazibuko’s fear. He accepts his responsibilities and changes the majority’s opinion, especially when he talks about â€Å"Our enemy†, when he emphasis the importance of rugby for Afrikaners. â€Å"You elected me as your leader. Let me lead you now†. Franà §ois Pienaar receives the message loud and clear and tries to inspire his teammates by asking them to learn the new national anthem, by visiting Mandela’s cell, by taking them all over the country to play with black children. Some of them don’t want to go there and don’t want to learn this anthem. Pienaar has one sentence that impacts people minds: â€Å"Times change, we need to change as well†. That’s the start of this new fighting spirit that leads the Springboks to the World cup championship game. In this movie we have the feeling Pienaar learns from a great leader, Mandela, and he gets how to be one in the last game. All the team is defeated. The Springboks don’t succeed to stop Lomu, the best New Zealand player. Pienaar takes his responsibilities and leads the others to victory. â€Å"Come boys. What the heck are we doing? Lomu is killing us. Forwards, we must start scrumming. We must disrupt them at the first phase. Can’t allow Lomu to get the ball in space. He’s freaking killing us. But listen, if Lomu gets the ball, whoever’s there†¦ James, Joost†¦ hit the fucking guy, hold onto him, hold him. Help will come, help will be there. He may break my arm. He may break my leg. He may break my neck. But he is not going to get past me.â€Å" Franà §ois Pienaar becomes what Mandela was expecting him to be before the World Cup. He is the captain of the new symbol of South Africa. He has not only inspired his teammates but also all the white population. He is now an example for everyone. Francois’ last speech is an inspirational one. During the final game against New Zealand, Pienaar impresses his teammates with his communication skills and his energy. â€Å"Heads up! Look in my eyes. Do you hear? Listen to your country! Seven minutes. Seven minutes. Defense! Defense! This is it! This is our destiny! Kom Bokke.† These few words go way beyond the game. It’s not a normal game. He wants to help his new family, Mandela’s family which is composed of 42 million people. And they both achieve building this rainbow nation.

Drinking and driving Essay

On Jan.8, 2002, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) that became the education-reform bill. The No Child Left Behind is most sweeping education-reform bill since 1965 that made changes to the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The No Child Left Behind plays a big part in the life’s of students, parents, teachers, and the future of the educational system. â€Å"No longer content to provide access to education for traditionally extended students populations, we are now demanding that these students receive equally good educations.† In other words, administrations are now demanding equality of quality. President Bush thinks that all students are title to high quality education, treated equal, fair, and to be safe while at school. The No Child Left Behind places significant responsibilities on state educational agencies, school districts, principals, and the teachers. â€Å"In 2002 the federal government returned to the force front in potentially historic fashion.† With the passage of No Child Left Behind, supported by bipartism majorities in Congress, the nation committed itself to the achievement of every student in America. The No Child Left Behind in the federal system the United States for every education state and school districts fail to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind Act that will be held accountable, with the opportunity to improve their down fall. Each state makes their own standards for what a child should know and learn for grades, for math and reading the standards should be developed first. Every student should be tested by the standards. All school districts should make adequate yearly progress toward meeting their state standards. Schools that fail need all the support they can get to improve their progress. The school or District shall come up with an idea that’s going to meet all necessary to make higher goals. The No Child Left Behind has a standardize by making sure that all teachers were high. The No CLB Act has In the article (Teacher’s Views on No child left behind) teachers was the no child left behind law â€Å"The federal legislation provides considerable discretion to states that can develop their own academic content standards, choose the tests they will administer, and specify the minimum scores students must obtain to be declared â€Å"proficient†. The no child left behind law increased the attention to many schools that pay to academic achievement and to disadvantage children that make it better. â€Å"As a result, the skills, and knowledge of the subgroups of children that historically have not increased as rapidly under many state tests would suggest. Second, no child left behind has increased the efforts of schools scores, third, adequate yearly progress rules; some states increased the migration of experienced teachers out of school serving high concentrations of low – performing students. No child left behind represents that parents of students who are attending title I schools are given the option to transfer their students to another school in the district for improvement status, If a student requested to be transferred shall be allowed to transfer. The No Child Left Behind, has two new educational options, -supplemental educational services and school choice for title I schools for restricting, improvement, and corrective action by the options depends on parental decisions. Parents will know their student assessments. If the school needs improvement the parent will be informed. Conclusion: The No Child Left Behind Act is great. Every child should have the right to receive an education, and be safe while in school. There so many jobs and opportunities will be required to have a college degree in order for a student to have success in life they need an education. The No Child Left Behind Act helps and gives students the impossible they did not have. The No  Child Left Behind made school districts accountability achievement. ON January 8, 2002 President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Act the reform bill improves student’s goals on the state- wide testing, and The No Child Left Behind has admirable goal of improvement in the educational system. President Bush thinks that no child should be left behind and that all children are entitled to education, treated fair and to be safe. No matter what the student is, their race, where they live, they should be entitled to an equal education. References’ Abernathy, S. (2007). No child left behind and the public schools {electronic resource} / Scott Franklin Abernathy. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, c2007. Michigan Press. In 2001 the author researcher at Ann Arbor: University of President George W. Bush’s education reform legislation, the no child left behind act (H.R. 1). Testing and accotability provisions Chubb, J.E. (2009). Learning from no child left behind {electronic resource}: how and why the nation’s most important but The Author research stand ford, California. : hoover institution Murnane, R., Papay, J. (2010). Teacher’s views on no child left behind: support for the principles, concerns about the practices. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(3), 151- 166 Programs, all other Miscellaneous Schools Believes that the school should not be accountable for teaching all children well. The No child left behind is to improve all students’ performance. Put students’ performance in data gives the parents opportunity to see the child’s performance. Students that attend low-performing schools start to develop discipline issues, their want to be transferred to a better – performing school. School that doesn’t need their goals will offer including free tutoring, and after school instruction. Randolph, K., & Wilson – Younger, D. (2012). †Is No Child Left Behind Effective For All Students?† Parents don’t think so. Online submission. The author’s researchers Database: ERIC. Since the No child left behind is to discuss the advantage of the core requirements for its implementation. Parents have concerns whether the children are really learning. Zimmer, R., Gill, B., Raquin, Booker, K., Lockwood, J., & Department of education, w.c (2007). State and Local Implementation of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† (Nls-â€Å"nclb†). The author researchers us department of  education. The key component the no child left behind for the parent children that were attending title I school options for corrective action, improvement, failure achieve toward meeting state standards.

How internal and external forces affect organizational behavior Essay

How internal and external forces affect organizational behavior - Essay Example mies and free sourcing of materials and labors, competition became tougher because other similar companies with the same objective of making profit are finding ways to offer its good and services at a lower price and better quality. This puts pressure on any company to perform, to become efficient, to be able to produce and provide the better goods and services at the least cost possible. Unlike before, the pressure is greater today because with the globalization of business, competition is not only confined within the domestic players but also other companies abroad. It is an imperative that every business should remain competitive otherwise competition will eat its share in the market and push the business out to oblivion. This external pressure necessitated the change from within, to institute changes that would make it lean and efficient. Globalization of business however is not only about the intense pressure which resulted from the increased competition. It also afforded opportunities to explore other markets which were unavailable before. Globalization brought down the restrictions on trade and companies with better products and services at lower prices can enter into markets and expand its market base. This has unintentionally affected organizational diversity as it immerses into new borders with different culture and perspective and in a way widen its horizon. The restrictive organizational now opens not just because of its exposure to foreign market but due to market imperative to adapt to the perspective of new markets in order to be more

Health and Safety Executive Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Health and Safety Executive - Assignment Example The passers-by who use the main road are also in danger. The cattle and sheep may be potentially exposed to serious peril if the chamber suddenly explodes. (c.) Evaluation of Risks: Due to the impending peril of a potential explosion of the chamber brought about by the cracks, it is best that immediate remedy shall be effected swiftly. The toxic pollutants found in the sewer system can cause a critical threat to public health. In the event that it explodes, the water system shall be affected which can harm the community that uses the sewer system. (d.) Implementation: A simple solution to fix the cracks by applying a sealant to the cracked edges is just a temporary relief. There is a need to upgrade the sewer system management plan. In order to prevent sewer overflows, it suggested that some guideline should be followed: 5. Verify the wastewater collection system has adequate capacity to convey sewage during peak flows". Details on how to achieve a sewer system management plan can be found on this website http://www.ci.san-Luis-obispo.ca.us/utilities/download/ssmpgoal.pdf. (e.) Review of Assessment : The grave problem must be acted upon immediately. There is no need to wait for the operation to take place in June. The sewer system issue must be resolved in the soonest possible time as many people shall be exposed to the danger of spreading diseases and toxic pollutants in the water system which can be caused by a broken subterranean chamber of the sewer system. (a.) Hazards: The maintenance and upkeep of growing trees, grasses and hedgerows along highway and in the vicinity of a junior school in the suburbs of a small town has become a refuge of drug traders living in the area. The possible menace that the drug dealers can cause to the innocent children, the people who reside in the community, and the motorists who traverse the highway, should be prevented. (b.) Who may be harmed: The safety and well-being of the students attending the junior school and the entire school community are in jeopardy for they may encounter misfortune with the members of the drug syndicate.  Ã‚  

Self interest rightly understood VS altruism Essay

Self interest rightly understood VS altruism - Essay Example Although everybody has his or her own life, the principle of self-interest rightly understood underlies the concept of mutual interdependency among a democratic American society. Another important point is the admirable conformity of self-interest to human weaknesses. It is easy to learn and retain the traits of altruism and combine personal interests towards a common good that override selfish interests of individuality. An example of the concept of self-interest rightly understood is its self-regarding nature that connects a person’s private life with that of others in the society. The article mentions that it is a remedy to unnecessary individualism and self-centeredness. Self-interest rightly understood encourages collectivism regarding altruism in a way that convinces people that their actions in the society still come back to them and affect their private life. The article cites Montaigne who mentions that virtuousness results in happiness in the society. This confirms that a person’s private interest should be to do well and adhere to the traditional doctrine of interest towards common

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Criminology - Essay Example Of course, there is a general societal consensus that certain things are wrong and should be discouraged or criminalized, but for proponents of the Nanny State, the government should seize control of actions and issues where there is no consensus and unilaterally impose its view of morality on these issues. Why is this happening more and more these days? Many experts believe that in an increasingly complex world people are more willing to turn over power to the government in order to make their own lives easier. There is a sense the world can be and should be completely ordered and that government is the right body to do this. This is an unfortunate state of affairs as it tips the important balance between liberty and order far to the side of order. There are so many examples of this way of thinking that it is hard to know where to begin. One of the most shocking examples from recent years is the following headline: â€Å"Chicago Prohibits Foie Gras.† In 2006, Chicago city council voted to ban the delicious appetizer foie gras from the city’s restaurants. Proponents of the ban said the production of foie gras was inhumane. Opponents had a different view. "Government shouldnt be dictating what we eat," said the chef at one French restaurant. The Mayor too was unhappy. "We have children getting killed by gang leaders and dope dealers," he said. "We have real issues here in this city. And were dealing with foie gras? Lets get some priorities."1 These opponents are right. In an era where people expect to be coddled and protected from everything that could possibly harm, they are allowing things as personal as menu choice to be dictated by the government. If an individual does not like to eat foie gras no one will forc e them to eat it; but the Chicago city council went a step further by eliminating this choice completely and limiting the rights of those who do like foie gras. The Nanny State continues to expand, rolling

Effective negotiation skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effective negotiation skills - Essay Example (Lewicki and Hiam, 2006, p. 42) In business situations we very often know when a negotiation situation is likely to happen and this allows us to gather information both on our own position and that of the other party. It is very important to have clear what the goal of the negotiation is. People often forget this, and get trapped into winning the argument for its own sake, without considering whether all the effort is going to bring the desired results in the end. In fact there may be times when winning the argument is not the best outcome: â€Å"There is no value in driving the best deal if it causes resentment and a desire for revenge that will sour business and could cost you more in the future than you could have saved in the short term.† (Steele and Beasor: 1999). It is wise also to consider what the alternatives would be if this proposed deal is not successfully resolved. A company which has many different suppliers, all offering good products at competitive prices will not need to bargain so hard with one particular customer because the fall back position is to go elsewhere. This means that before going in to a negotiation situation we should weigh up how strong our own position is in this respect, and try to figure out how much the other party needs and wants to make this agreement. In the opening phase of a negotiation it is important to try and build a good relationship with the other party and make the discussions pleasant and polite. In personal situations, however, this can be quite difficult at times. In my own personal life, for example, I recall having a very difficult discussion with my parents about going on holiday with my friends. I was in a weak position, because I desperately wanted to go, but relied on my parents for a part of the money, since I was still a teenager with only a part time job which did not pay well. My parents took, in my view, a very hard line and said that I was too young to go on holiday without supervision and t hey refused to give their permission. At the time I got angry and this started a huge family row. I told them that I felt they were old fashioned, out of date, and had fascist rules which were unfair to me. Due to the influence of my sister, who was, and still is, smarter about human relationships, I realized that my parents actually did not want to cause me pain, but were worried about my safety driving south in my friend’s car, and a possible bad influence from a particular boy in my circle of friends. I followed my sister’s advice, apologized to my parents about the outburst, and explained that this was important for me as a step towards independence. My parents clarified their concerns, and I told them, truthfully that the boy they were concerned about was not going on the holiday. They agreed to support my holiday, and I agreed to keep away from drugs and to telephone home every three days. My mistake in this negotiation was in demanding rather than asking, in an aggressive way, and in failing to establish what the reason for my parents’ objections were. I also failed, at first, to understand where my parents were coming from: â€Å"We must start a negotiation thinking about the pictures in the heads of the other party† (Diamond, 2010, p.135). Once I had understood their fears, the facts were clarified and a more respectful tone was adopted, we each put

Comparison Between Traditional Education and Montessori Education in Research Paper

Comparison Between Traditional Education and Montessori Education in U.S - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that as opposed to traditional education where teachers select the learning pace on behaviour of the children, the Montessori education gives children an opportunity to identify their own learning pace. The selection of individual learning pace plays a vital role in improving the level of education in the United States learning institutions. Involving children in making decisions on matters such as their learning pace therefore ensure that children are responsible for their action in future. In addition, children are trained on the most effective means of making informative decisions that have a considerable level of impact on their future activities and development. This paper makes a conclusion that unlike traditional education where teachers enforce lesson plans on students, Montessori education allows children to be free in discovering and exploring their own lessons. An opportunity to select topics that meet their interest helps in improving children performance and in enhancing the selection of individual career choices. Granting students an opportunity to explore and discover their lessons also offers learners the required skills of conducting constructive researches and evaluations. As opposed to traditional education in the United States where children do not have control over their future career, Montessori education gives children an opportunity to make informed and constructive decisions on their future careers.... Granting students an opportunity to explore and discover their lessons also offers learners the required skills of conducting constructive researches and evaluations. As opposed to traditional education in the United States where children do not have control over their future career, Montessori education gives children an opportunity to make informed and constructive decisions on their future careers (Martin, 2012). Cons of Montessori education in U.S As opposed to traditional education where disorderly conducts are regarded as children faults, Montessori education holds the perception that misconduct in class is the fault of teachers. Under this system, teachers are expected to adjust their approaches to address children misconducts in class and in school environment. Although in this system teacher are denied an opportunity of making decision on behalf of their children, they are forced to take responsibility of the students’ unacceptable behaviours. The act of compelling te achers to take responsibility of children unacceptable behaviours therefore kills the morale of teachers in undertaking their core obligation. In addition, the system denies children an opportunity of taking the responsibility of the actions thus increasing the level of impunity among students. Contrary to traditional education, Montessori education is characterised by endless disturbance and conflicts between teachers and children. Through this method, there is no distinctive separation between the role and powers of the teachers and the responsibility of students, creating conflicts of interests in classroom settings. Due to their excessive control, children undermine the contribution and powers of teachers thus posing a serious in the managing

Meteorites Evidence in Support of Solar Nebular Hypothesis Research Paper

Meteorites Evidence in Support of Solar Nebular Hypothesis - Research Paper Example This theory has been widely accepted because it is thought to provide a worthwhile explanation of the orbital properties of the solar system and the way planets orbit less or more in the same plane (Abruzzo 44). According to this theory, originally, there existed a big cloud of gas and dust, which became unstable, probably because of the shock waves originating from the nearby density waves or supernova. The part of the cloud, which was the densest begun collapsing under the force of gravity. This force of gravity, then pulled the gas and dust towards the center point of the cloud. The cloud was forced to take a spherical shape, thereby becoming a protostar. Increased centrifugal force or rotation of gas and dust caused this cloud to form a flattened shape or accretion disk around it (Abruzzo 46). According to this hypothesis, this explains why the rotating disk if gas and dust is solar Nebula. A number of studies have sought to confirm this hypothesis, however, the practically of th is hypothesis has never been illustrated as it has been illustrated in the American Museum of national History (AMHH). American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) has been one of the world prominent scientific institutions, known for its exhibitions and collections, which illuminate of the Earths evolutions, right from the origin of the present planet to its present form. AMNH is New York Icon. I have always wondered how everything came into being. The mystery of life and therein has been a closely contested subject. Besides, it has always been my dream to visit AMNH and learn of the scientific evidence located in meteorites supports Solar Nebula Hypothesis. Recently, I made my way into the AMNH. The Museum is located at Central park West on the 79th Street and is easily accessed by public transport. Driving to the museum, I got inclined to give a benefit of doubt, though I had no basic grasp of the real evidence for the Solar Nebular Hypothesis. The main entrance to the Rose Center for Earth and Space is situated at 81st Street between the Columbus Avenue and Central Park West. Although I have a perso nal car, I chose public transport perhaps to evade the huge parking fees. When I arrived at 10 am, I was surprised to find many uniformed police at the entrance, directing traffic. The heavy police presence depicted the 9-11post security situations. Perhaps, this shows the importance of the structure under close security. I marveled at the structure  it was huge yet with a modern style. While, at the museum, I sought direction to the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites. The hall is situated on the far end of the AMNH bordering Sacker Educational library to the south and The Hall of Minerals to the East. First, we watched a movie in the Meteorite Theater, located in the Hall along the Planet Wall display. The movie was breathtaking. It brought into perspective the events that took place million years ago. In essence, the film presented the role of meteorites and their connectedness to the history of the solar system. This offered a solid foundation for the understanding of the concepts later presented in the exhibition. I came across one of this displays which stated that meteorite were rocks from space, which had survived their passage in the universe to land to the surface of the Earth. Some meteorites, are often heard or seen, when they fall and are collected afterwards while other are discovered later. The size of meteorites varies, in that some are large to cause craters upon falling while others are small and one need a help magnifying equipments to vie them. They take different forms, where some resemble igneous rocks, and others are metals. Despite their variation in terms of appearance, size, and manner of discovery, they are all pieces of different bodies in space,

DQ's 10 & 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ's 10 & 9 - Essay Example Considering only diagnose and design model elements, explain how you as a manager would assist the team or group of employees starting the change management process regarding a specific process at work. Ans.: There is no ‘one-fit-for-all’ approach in formulating a change management strategy though each proposed management change is expected to be successful. Given only diagnose and design model elements to work on, a Manager can help introduce and manage the change by knowing the characteristics of this change like its purpose, scope, time frame, its possible effects on the impacted group, etc. Second, he must have prepared tactical solutions addressing anticipated resistance like communication and education. â€Å"From an individual level especially if these changes bring fear of the unknown, threat to one’s security, cause threat to economic stability and cause selective information processing to keep perception clear. On the organizational level, resistance to change may be caused by structural and group inertia, threat to expertise, threat to established power relationship and the limited focus of change in the organization whereby other subsystems will be declared obsolete or ineffectual† (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 580). Ans.: Diversity plays a major role in managing change in an organization. According to Robbins & Judge, this may be categorized to be â€Å"surface-level diversity (referring to thoughts and feelings) or a deep-level diversity which differentiate individuals through their inner self, inner values or their personalities, in general† (Robbins, 2013, p.42). â€Å"Contributing to the diversity are the following: age, country of origin, race, ethnicity, religion, physical abilities and sexual orientation, among others† (p.43). Components of diversity pose a greater and significant challenge for company leaders. Ans.: To achieve effective work diversity,

The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Essay Example for Free

The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Essay William Gibsons play, The Miracle Worker, illustrates how people who triumph over hardships can succeed in achieving their goals. The play follows Annie Sullivan, a half-blind northern young woman, as she travels to Post-Civil War Tuscumbia, Alabama in order to teach Helen Keller, a blind and deaf little girl. When she arrives in Alabama, Annie meets Helens family members; her father, Captain Keller, is a stubborn, commanding former Civil War captain and her mother, Kate Keller, is a young, overly protective woman, both of them have kept Helen almost as a pet because they did not know what to do with her or how to treat her. In order for Annie to succeed in teaching Helen, she has to battle with Captain Kellers stubbornness, Kates overly protectiveness, and Helens combativeness. For instance, Annie is forced to show her combative side as she repeatedly faces off with Captain Keller to be able to teach Helen better. For example, Annie and Captain Keller argue at the breakfast table over how to teach Helen, and Captain Keller exclaims, I fail to see where you have taught her anything yet, Miss Sullivan! to which Annie responds angrily, Ill begin this minute if youll leave the room, Captain Keller! (Gibson 668). Captain Keller desperately wants to have peace at the breakfast table; however, Annie interrupts that peace by demanding that he leave the room. Annie knows that, in order for her to be able to discipline Helen, Captain Keller and Kate must leave the room so that they cannot interfere. In addition, Annie requests another week to teach Helen without the interference of her family, and Captain Keller exclaims, And what would one more week accomplish? We are more than satisfied, youve done more than we ever thought possible, taught her constructive(691). Captain Keller is more than satisfied because Annie has taught Helen manners and how to behave. Annie is frustrated with the Kellers because she knows that Helens learning manners is only the first step in her education; Annie wants to teach Helen communication, but knows that this skill is unattainable with Kate and Captain Kellers frequent interferences. Furthermore, at Helens welcome home dinner, Helen tests her parents and throws a water pitcher on Annie, Captain Keller tries to stop Annie from disciplining Helen, but Annie rounds on him and yells, Dont smooth anything else out for me, dont interfere in any way! I treat her like a seeing child because I ask her to  see, I expect her to see, dont undo what I do! (700). Helen has been in the garden house with Annie for the past two weeks, following rules day and night, and Captain Keller wants to make Helens welcome home dinner more enjoyable by allowing her more freedom than she has had in the past two weeks. Annie knows that if Captain Keller allows Helen to get her way, even once, all the progress she has made over the past two weeks will have gone to waste and she will return to her previous bad habits and distasteful manners. Annies being obstinate and her sheer will power help her to stand up to Captain Keller, insure that Helen can succeed in her learning and becoming able to communicate with a world from which she has been closed off. Moreover, Annie is driven to a constant battle of wills against Kates blinding love for Helen because this love interferes with Helens being able to learn from Annie, her teacher. For example, Annie turns indignant when Kate gives Helen a sweet after Helen stabs Annie with a needle, and Kate explains, We catch our flies with honey, Im afraid. We havent the heart for much else, and so many times she simply cannot be compelled (664). All Kate realizes is that Helens bad behavior stops when she is given candy, thus Kate accidentally rewards her for misbehaving. Annie feels frustrated because she knows that if Kate carries on rewarding Helen for bad behavior, Annie will never be able to rid Helen of her bad habits. In addition, when the Kellers are taken aback by Annies proposition of spending two weeks alone in the garden house, Annie explains, Mrs. Keller, I dont think Helens worst handicap is deafness or blindness. I think its your love. And pity (667). Annie knows that Mrs. Kellers love and pity for Helen has caused Kate to distort Helens differentiation between right and wrong, and Annie realizes that being alone with Helen will allow her to be taught without the interference of her mothers love. Annie thinks that this love and pity from Kate is Helens worst handicap because it prevents her from learning language and keeps Helen closed off from the world around her. Furthermore, Helen tests her family, and her teacher, when her welcome home dinner after her two weeks alone with Annie, repeatedly dropping her napkin, Kate tries to make excuses for her and supposes, Will once hurt so much, Miss Annie? Ivemade all Helens favorite foods, tonight (699). Kates desire to make Helen happy on her first night back blinds Kate to the  realization that if she allows Helen misbehave even once, the progress that Helen has made in the time she spent with Annie in the garden house will diminish and Annie will have to start teaching Helen all over again. Annie knows that if Helen realizes that she can get away with misbehaving, now that she is reunited with her family, she will revert back to her old ways and continue misbehaving. Because Annie fights with Kate to keep Helen in line, Annie is able to teach Helen how to act and behave like a seeing child, and begin to break through Helens shell that prevents her from learning language. What is more, due to her stubborn, fiery attitude, Helen forces Annie to battle with her in order for Annie to make Helen understand that everything has a name. For Example, upon first meeting Helen, Annie shows her a doll and immediately spells d-o-l-l into Helens hand, Helen, wanting the doll, rejects the spelling and whacks Annie over the head; as Annie gets up looking for Helen the narrator reveals, But rounding from the mirror she sees the door slam, Helen and the doll are on the outside, and Helen is turning the key in the lock, Annie darts over, to pull the knob, but the door is locked fast. (655). Helen has no desire to spell back to Annie, and when Annie will not give her the doll until she spells back she hits Annie with a haymaker and flees out the door. Due to her injury, Annie immediately realizes the difficulty she is going to have teaching Helen, and she becomes ever more determined to succeed in making Helen learn. In addition, Annie tries tirelessly to get Helen to eat her breakfast with a spoon, but the narrator reveals, She tries again this time Helen accepts the food. Annie lowers the spoon with a sigh of relief, and Helen spews the mouthful out at her face (672). Helen resents the attempts that Annie makes to teach her how to use proper manners and fights back bitterly with her entire arsenal of tricks. Annie, instead of being discouraged by the insult, is only more determined to succeed in teaching Helen table manners after having food spewed into her face. Furthermore, Helen proceeds to misbehave once she is reunited with her family, accumulating in her deliberately flinging a water pitcher at Annie; the narrator reveals, Annie gets her breath, the snatches the pitcher away in one hand, hoists Helen up bodily under the other arm, and starts to carry her out, kicking Annie takes Helen to the water pump  to refill the pitcher and it is there the miracle happens as Helen says Wah. Wah (and again with great effort) Wah. Wah' (701). Annie grabs Helen to take her outside to refill the water pitcher and, is rewarded when, once outside, Helen comes to the realization that the letters Annie has been spelling into her hand are indeed the names of the things around her. Helen, although originally furious at being dragged outside, is astounded when she comes to the realization that the things Annie has been tapping into her hand mean water, and she is even able to think back to before her disability when she could say Wah Wah. All of Annies efforts with Helen are finally rewarded when Helen is opened up as she realizes that everything does have a name. Annie succeeds in teaching Helen the meaning of language because she stubbornly battles Captain Keller, Kate, and Helen. Annie knows that Helens worst handicap is not her deafness or blindness, rather that she has been kept as a pet out of her parents love and pity. Captain Keller tries to stop Annie from disciplining Helen, but Annie ferociously demands for him to get out of the way and stop interfering. Annie triumphs over the difficulties she faces and succeeds in her goal of teaching Helen language and opening her up to let the world know the treasures she holds in her imagination.

An Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Tourism Tourism Essay

An Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Tourism Tourism Essay In this project I would like to take a look at the relationship between tourism and the people living in popular tourist locations; specifically the deep impact tourism has on local culture. This topic interests me as although I have never visited the global south myself, many of my friends and acquaintances travel there frequently for vacations. Tourism is sure to have many effects on these destination type communities. I know that many of these destinations are in poorer areas of the world. Some significant effects that tourism has on these areas manifest themselves economically, socially and culturally. Though tourism may create jobs and stimulate the local economy there are some downsides to tourism and aspects of the influx of visitors that may be harmful to local cultures. In my research paper I will analyze the benefits that tourism has on local economies in relation to the social and cultural impact on the community. I hope to evaluate just how beneficial potentially short-te rm economic stimulus is in the face of potential harm to the economy in the long term, local people and local culture. I will discuss this topic globally but with a focus on Southeast Asia and specifically India. My paper will emphasize the important question: is vacationing in a third world country potentially unethical? Or does the stimulus to a developing countrys economy justify the social and cultural implications of tourism and the development that tourism brings in the area. Looking at the ethical issues surrounding this will also be an important factor in determining whether the cultural impacts of tourism is acceptable or justifiable by the economic benefits. In my opinion, although tourism does support economic growth in many communities there is deep and irreversible cultural impact. In Tourism in Destination Communities Shalini Singh looks at an idea by Jafar Jafari the author of Encyclopedia of Tourism. Jafari created the consolidated platforms of tourism. One of Jafaris four platforms is advocacy- that is to say that tourism is capable of economic good. Another platform, the cautionary platform, emphasizes the importance of noting the complex interactions at the local level. The other two platforms are Adaptancy (which is described as pro community tourism) and Knowledge based which is a holistic treatment for community-based tourism (Jafari cited in Singh 2003). Singh and S.W. Boyd (26-30) discuss relationships between tourism and destination communities in terms of win-win, win-lose, lose-win or lose-lose paradigms (Carter and Lowman, 1944; Nepal, 2000). Examples of win-win situations do exist and this indicates that tourism can indeed be economically beneficial to a destination community. The example given by Boyd and Singh is that of Ayers rock (Uluru) wh ich is one of Australias most famous tourist attractions. Although Australia is not a country typically considered to be part of the global south I believe this example is relevant as the aboriginal communities in the area could easily be marginalized and exploited by tourism. The community however takes an active role by defining their relationship with tourism as having control and choice. (Mercer cited in S.W. Boyd and S. Singh: 1994:37). The community participates by providing educational services, which allows them to convey that the religious and cultural significance of Uluru is something to be respected. (Wells, cited in S.W. Boyd and S. Singh 1996:37). The local businesses in the area benefit and are owned by the people of the aboriginal community. This example is congruent to Jafaris platforms of Advocacy and Adaptancy and it shows tourism in this scenario as pro community and capable of economic good. As this situation is economically beneficial to this area, without comp romising or de-valuing the local culture, it is an excellent means of development. Another example where the local community benefits is the win-lose situation, a very salient example being Cuba. The community benefits economically, although mass tourism does not. This is achieved through policies and marketing that emphasizes quality tourism by restricting the number and type of tourists (high spenders, low numbers). The tourism is marketed for exclusivity and affluence and this is done through selective marketing and catering the services towards wealthier people. Cubas tourism industrys markets strategically to target Canadian snowbirds who also take long-term vacations in Florida (Peters 2002:4). Their vacationing for long periods of time in a US location and their ability to spend US currency indicates their affluence. Another strategy is the development of golf courses in the area. Miguel Figueras, a tourism ministry economist and advisor in Cuba, says that golf is a feature t hat can attract higher spending tourists (Peters 2002:5). Strategic tourism planning allows a country to tap into the wealth of the global norths wealthiest tourists allowing maximum economic benefit without mass sharing of what they have to offer. However there are many situations in which local economies lose. This is especially common in coastal-resort based tourism along the Mediterranean coast. These developments only offer short term economic gain and result in long term loss in terms of the community as well as the environment. Although tourism does create many jobs, including direct employment (jobs in hotels and restaurants), indirect employment (jobs not a result of direct tourist spending- such as laundries and banking), and induced employment (jobs created in the community as a result of increased income of members in the community) the majority of jobs are seasonal and part time (D. Ioannides 2003). In addition often much of the money spent by tourists leaves the country. The majority of the money spent by tourists on their vacations goes towards their travel costs and their accommodations. This means the money leaves the country and goes to airlines and transnational corporations who run hotel chains. This can res ult in a good portion of local people sharing their surroundings with tourists without ever actually seeing or experiencing any economic benefits themselves (Krotz 1996:215). Although tourist spending may add an influx of foreign currency to an economy, as well as create a bigger market in terms of demands for goods, which in theory can lower prices, it is important to consider that while tourism receipts rise, agriculture output declines (James Mack, Tourism and the Economy). This is a result of fewer people working in the agricultural sector. In that case the net profit of tourism is actually less than it initially seems, once the loss from agriculture is taken into account. Although some economic benefits resulting from tourism are apparent, there are definite burdens placed upon the destination community. A very prominent challenge is the residents view of visitors and their relationship with them, as outlined by M. Fagence (Tourism and Local Society and Culture). Residents have a negative attitude towards tourists if they do not see immediate and clear economic benefits of their presence, especially in the form of jobs and income. Contrary to James Macks theory that the tourists create a larger market for goods, thus lowering the prices, residents blame tourists for a rise in the price of goods. In a qualitative study by Neha Kala (2008) findings show that tourists are also seen as the cause of increased criminal activity and reduced moral standards by the host community. This is where we have to consider tourism beyond the impacts to the economy. In communities with rich traditional backgrounds some residents see the influence of visiting tourists as compromising to traditional values, as the affluent lifestyles of visitors can be appealing and seductive to the younger generations in the area. The influx of visitors brings the possibility of sometimes unwelcome social or cultural change. In Rajasthan traditional elders often scold children for speaking to tourists. (Joseph 2007:204). Locals see tourism as an exporter of Western lifestyle. (Kala: 2008) Across India, Western dress is popular amongst young males who wear jeans, shirts and baseball caps. (Joseph 2007:211). This is the result of many youth trying to emulate Western tourists (Kala: 2008). Some facets of Western lifestyle however not only replace traditional culture, but also are directly contradictory to them. A priest in Pushkar was quoted in India Today saying The youth here find the openness in foreign girls too tempting. (Joseph 2007:211) This problem is amplified if the host community does not recognize that the behaviour of most tourists are atypical to how the y normally behave and that the behaviours displayed by tourists are reserved for times of recreation, and are not the tourists usual behaviour or even their usual moral standards. Most concerning of M. Fagences findings are that residents blame tourists for reducing the significance of local culture by trivializing and making a commodity of it. In an article by Rosaleen Duffy this idea of culture as a commodity is expanded on. Duffy outlines how tourists are often looking for an authentic cultural experience; however what is considered authentic is nearly always defined by the tourist, resulting in the tourist not really looking for cultural understanding but to serve some other self-serving purpose. Tourists conceptualize their travel stories in a way that assists them in narrating their self-identity. Tourists travel as a means to escape, to broaden the mind, or for self discovery. An illustration of Duffys view that our society uses travel for self-defining and self-narrating purposes, as well as a means to understand culture and for self discovery is the popular movie Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts. In the movie, Liz sets outs after her divorce to e xperience the culture in Italy, India and then Bali. The trailer includes many consecutive images of Liz eating authentic Italian pizza, praying in an old stony temple, touching a painted elephant, brightly coloured flowers being thrown at an Indian wedding, and biking through farmland past villagers carrying baskets on their heads. Liz in the movie is desperate to marvel at something and this is the very notion that Duffy presents in her research as motives that are a felt need for respite from the exigencies of modern life, and/or as authentic projects of self-discovery. In her article, Duffy cites Urry (1994:236-238) who argues that tourism can be reduced to the consumption of signs, images and texts. Evidence that tourism is the consumption of pre-conceived images is in Hillary Brenhouses article (July 22nd, 2010- prior to the release of the movie) where she describes recent vacation packages marketed by luxury hotels and spas to recreate the transformative Eat Pray Love journey . By defining an entire culture into consumable signs and images, tourists participate in the further manifestation of orientalism created by the tourism industry reinforcing images that create a sense of placelessness and even timelessness (Dann, 1996b: 125, cited in Duffy). A demonstration of tourists being consumers of discourses of placelessness and timelessness is the popular tourist destination Rajasthan, in India. The two most marketed marquees of Rajasthan are Royal and Colourful. (Henderson 2007:72). These are the two main features the tourists are looking to consume when they visit. These discourses are prominent in the naming of different locations of the province by tourists and tourism industry. Jaipur is referred to as the Pink City and Jodhpur is known as the Blue City. Royalty links Rajasthan back to the past. Medieval India is romanticized and guests will experience an encounter with a royal past. In this way the Authentic Rajasthan experience is reduced to a few signs and symbols. The most prominent example of a marketing of placelessness and timelessness is the Chokhi Dhani Resort. Located throughout the province of Rajasthan with a few locations elsewhere in western India, this resort is chaired by a NRI (Non-Resident Indian) statione d in Dubai. The Government of India heralds the chain of Chokhi Dhanis as Indias most innovative Tourism Project (official website). The resort is described as a Five-star village resort and includes fifty-five Royal cottages and eight Haveli suites, Havelis being the traditional residences of local royalty. This ethnic village includes conference rooms, spa, fitness, and accepts all major credit cards. What we can conclude from this is that the desire of foreign tourists to experience a sense of timelessness and placelessness is understood and capitalized on. Although this may be trivializing of local culture and history it is important to consider here that many locals are directly participating- and in a way heritage tourism gives them a type of ownership. The foreigners desire to see something that they preconceive as authentic is understood and cashed in on. Most respondents of Kalas study agreed that tourism encourages the mass production of pseudo-traditional arts and that ma ny non-traditional artisans are attracted to this work. This propagates tourists misconceptions because these traditional arts often bought as souvenirs allow the tourist to physically carry the discourse home with them. In some ways however this type of activity increases a communitys sense of pride. The revitalization of some traditional arts such as dance and the propagation of traditional fairs are deemed to be a positive effect of tourism. An example of this is festival of Teej; tourists interest in the festival ensures that every year it continues to be extravagant. Tourists also have a positive effect on the up keeping of historical and religious heritage sites as a result of tourist interest in them. (Kala: 2008) A preserved site is the Ghats in Pushkar, a Hindu pilgrimage site. An increase in popularity of eastern spirituality in the Western world brings many tourists here. Although this creates some inconvenience for Hindu devotees, ownership is taken through religious rhe toric aimed at tourists. Many signs around the Ghats include instructions about how tourists should and should not behave in this place of religious significance. The local priests, similar to the aboriginals at Ulurru, define the significance of this site. However concerned the priests are for the sanctity of the area they are still willing to commodify the religious experience and often perform simplified prayer service or puja for western tourists at four times the price of a native pilgrim. (Joseph: 2007) Although this active role is taken by the locals, religious devotees, and the government, the culture and tradition here is still made available to a consumer for a price. The government protecting the area for the economic benefit can also be seen as the ultimate commodification. This puts a sticker price on the countrys religion, culture and history. Nothing indicates ownership more than putting a price on ones belonging. Although many of these destinations are places of esca pe for tourists, and tourism may introduce some economic benefits to the local area. I believe that the degradation and trivialization of the local culture that ensues is not worth the price. It is however important to remember that as residents of the global north we are poor judges of what is truly beneficial to these regions.

Problem Based Learning PBL

Problem Based Learning PBL Introduction Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical tool in which students engage in a problem without introductory knowledge; they work to solve the problem by using existing knowledge and applying it to the situation in order to reach a solution (Wirkala Kuhn, 2011). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics describes technology as an essential element in teaching and learning mathematics (NCTM, 2000). The use of computers influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students learning (2000). When implemented effectively, technology can be a tremendous tool for learning. Computers can be usedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as an environment for exploring mathematical concepts through interaction (Huetinck Munshin, 2008, p. 87). In this study, students will explore mathematical concepts using computers via a problem-based learning approach. Specifically, this research study will investigate how computer-assisted PBL effects student interest and achievement in a high school mathematics co urse. Much research has been done to investigate PBL in medicine and science. There has been more research in mathematics education that investigates the effects of PBL on achievement than of PBL and interest. I would like to examine both of these factors. The question of interest is as follows: How do using computers to teach problem-based learning (PBL) in high school mathematics classrooms increase student interest and achievement in mathematics? Following the introduction, in section 2, relevant literature about PBL will be discussed. In section 3, the statistical methods will be stated. In section 4, the analysis of the data will be presented. In section 5, my conclusion and discussion will be given. Literature Review PBL in Medicine Various researchers in the medical field have studied problem-based learning for quite some time. In the 1980s and 1990s, PBL was used in medical schools and began to be accepted by schools in North America and Europe (Savery, 2006). Researchers have studied how PBL effects achievement and/or knowledge. One group of researchers studied academic achievement of students in two medical schools (Verhoeven, Verwijnen, Scherpbier, Holdrinet, Oeseburg, Bulte, Van Der Vleuten, 1998). One school had a PBL instructional design and the other used a non-PBL instructional design. Test results showed no significant differences on total test scores. After the test was split into three categories, a few, non-systematic differences were found (p. 310). Hmelo (1999) studied how PBL in medical education can affect cognitive skill. The study found that the PBL students increased the accuracy of their hypotheses more than the nonPBL students (p. 197). The conclusion of the findings show that using a PBL approach in medical education does make a difference in what students learn. Another study examined students performances on Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination(USMLE) following the implementation of a problem-based learning curriculum (Blake, Hosokawa, Riley, 2000, p. 66). This study analyzed scores and found that students in the PBL classes scored higher on USMLE Step 1 than did students in the traditional classes. For the USMLE Step 2, the average test score for students in the PBL classes were above the national mean. In contrast, score were below the national mean for classes in the traditional curriculum (p. 66). Based on the data, the study concluded that the use of a PBL curriculum as a major educational method during the first two years of medical school does not compromise performance on standardized tests (p. 69). Other researchers found that in a PBL program; there were significant knowledge gain (Schwartz, Donnelly, Sloan, Young, 1994, p. 148). Knowledge gain was measured by giving students a pre and posttest. Students were administered an NBME surgery shelf examination on the first day of the clerkship (pretest) and a different one of the last day (posttest) (p. 148). Another study compared clinical performances in a medical clerkship of students who were enrolled in a class that used a PBL approach versus students who were enrolled in a class that used a traditional style approach (Richards, Ober, Cariaga-Lo, Camp, Philp, McFarlane, Rupps, Zaccaro, 1996). The PBL participants consisted of 88 third year internal medicine students. The lecture-based learning (LBL) participants consisted of 364 students in the same program. The researchers compared examination scores between the two groups. The results reveal that the students who had completed two years in the PBL curriculum had a higher medicine clerkship rating (p. 189). Thus, this study determined that a PBL curriculum may enhanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦clinical perfo rmances (p. 187). A similar study was performed in a postgraduate medical education program in The Netherlands. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of problem-based learning in comparison with lecture-based learning (Smits, de Buisonje, Verbeek, Dijk, Metz, Cate, 2003, p. 280). Knowledge, in terms of achievement, was measured by tests. They found that under PBL instruction, performance increased more. In the conclusion, the researchers state that this study shows evidence that the problem-based program has some small extra value for the participants in improving their performance (p. 285). Although there is a limited amount of research on the impacts of PBL on interest, there have been a few researchers to study this situation. Biley (1999) studied PBL in a nursing program. The study found that there were both advantages and disadvantages of using PBL in instruction. A disadvantage the study found is that tension occurred during the process of changing from more traditional forms of education to PBL (p. 587). The findings also showed benefits of PBL which coincide with previous studies; the benefits include the recognition of increased self-motivation, team work, and a more accurate theoretical representation in the classroom (p. 588). Smits, et. al (2003) studied students satisfaction in addition to knowledge. Satisfaction was measured by a rating. Researchers found that the problem-based group was significantly less satisfied than the lecture-based group (p. 284). Another study found dissimilar data relating to interest and enjoyment. Sobral (1995) found that PBL stu dents had a higher level of enjoyment and reported that they enjoyed their learning experience and would be more likely to look for studies in the same field (99). The researchers concluded that the PBL approach can improve the quality of the learning environment in both cognitive and emotional ways (p. 93). PBL in Science Education Researchers in science education have also studied the impacts of problem-based learning on achievement. One study (Gà ¼rses, Aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±kyÄ ±ldÄ ±z, DoÄÅ ¸ar, Sà ¶zbilir, 2007) examined the impact of PBL in a physical chemistry laboratory class. Researchers looked at students attitudes towards a chemistry laboratory course, scientific process skills of students, and their academic achievement in relation to PBL (p. 99). They found that after students were exposed to PBL, their test scores were considerably higher. A similar study was done in a chemistry class. Tarhan and Acar (2007) examined how effective PBL is in increasing student achievement. Results from the post-testà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦showed that PBL is effective on students achievement (Tarhan, Acar, 2007, p. 351). One group of researchers investigated the effects of PBL for female students enrolled in a STEM program (Lou, Diez, Tseng, 2011). They found that students tended to gain more solid science and mathematics knowledge through STEM learning in PBL (Lou, Diez, Tseng, 2011, p. 195). Another study investigated PBL in science by conducting research using an experimental (PBL group) and control group (textbook group) (Inel Balim, 2010). Researchers examined how PBL affected academic achievement; they found a significant difference between the groups. Specifically, researchers concluded the problem-based learning method in scienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦teaching is more effective in enhancing students academic achievement than simply using the scienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦curriculum (Inel Balim, 2010, p. 16). Similarly, Sungur, Tekkaya, and Geban (2006) conducted a study to examine the effect of PBL on academic achievement and performance in a biology class. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control or experimental group. Students were given a pre- and post-test that measured academic achievement and performance. Researchers concluded that PBl instruction caused a si gnificantly better acquisition of scientific conceptions than the traditional instruction (Sungur, Tekkaya, Geban, 2006, p. 158). AkinoÄÅ ¸lue and TandoÄÅ ¸an (2007) investigated PBL in science education. They gathered research to determine how PBL effects achievement, attitude, and concept learning. Researchers concluded that the implementation of problem-based active learning model had positively affected students academic achievementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [in] the science course (AkinoÄÅ ¸lue TandoÄÅ ¸an, 2007, p. 71). Chang (2001) conducted research in several 10th grade science classes to study how problem-based computer-assisted instruction (PBCAI) impacts science achievement (p. 147). The researcher compared the PBCAI to a direct-interactive teaching method (DITM) (p. 147). He determined that more students in the PBCAI group had higher scores than the DITM group in terms of achievement. Chang concluded, the PBCAI was more effective in promoting students achieve ment than was the DITM (p. 147). Liu, Hsieh, Cho, and Schallert (2006) studied self-efficacy, attitudes, and achievement in a computer-enhanced PBL class. This study is similar to the research of the present study. The participants of interest in this study were middle school students. Researchers collected data from 549 sixth graders from two middle schools. Data was collected from a pretest/posttest, questionnaire, and interviews. Data indicated an increase in students science achievement and self-efficacy for learning science after their engagement in a computer-enhanced PBL environment (Liu, Hsieh, Cho, Schallert, 2006, p. 225). Researchers in science education have also studied the impacts of problem-based learning on student interest in and attitude of science. Gà ¼rses, Aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±kyÄ ±ldÄ ±z, DoÄÅ ¸ar, and Sà ¶zbilir (2007) collected data from a physical chemistry lab regarding students attitudes towards the class through a PBL treatment. They found students attitudes towardsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the course were not changed significantly after PBL treatment (p. 109). Liu, Hsieh, Cho, and Schallert (2006) found an increase in science achievement in a computer-enhanced PBL class. They also collected data about students attitudes towards science. Based on their findings, they found no significant change. Besides studying achievement in a PBL class, Tarhan and Acar (2007), also conducted student interviews and found that students enrolled in the PBL class were more motivated (p. 351). Motivation relates to attitude in and interest of science. Another study, by Ferreira and Trudel (2012), inves tigated how a PBL curriculum in science impacts student attitudes toward science. Participants answered survey questions, wrote in student journals, and took an assessment. Data was gathered from these instruments in addition to teacher observations (Ferreira Trudel, 2012). Researchers found that there was a significant increase in student attitudes towards science (Ferreira Trudel, 2012, p. 23). Lou, Diez, and Tsend (2011), who studied the effects of PBL for female students enrolled in a STEM program collected data related to student attitudes (Lou, Diez, Tseng, 2011). Researchers found that the participants from the PBL curriculum attitude towards STEM improved. AkinoÄÅ ¸lue and TandoÄÅ ¸an (2007) investigated the effects of PBL in science education. They collected data to determine how PBL effects students attitude towards science. Researchers concluded that the implementation of problem-based active learning model had positively affected studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦attit udes towards the science course (AkinoÄÅ ¸lue TandoÄÅ ¸an, 2007, p. 71). Nancy Cerezo (2004) examined PBL in middle school math and science classes. The study investigated students perceptions of PBL in regards to its effectiveness and students interest in the content. Results from the study indicated that students perceived problem-based learning encouraged their interest and provided a more in-depth understanding of the concepts. Students indicated that problem-based learning helped them learn more about a topic and created a feeling of excitement about coming to class. (Cerezo, 2004, p. 9) This study related to the present study since it investigated PBL in mathematics and how students interest in mathematics changes. All research pointed to increased achievement or improved knowledge when a PBL curriculum was implemented in a science classroom. Gà ¼rses, Aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±kyÄ ±ldÄ ±z, DoÄÅ ¸ar, and Sà ¶zbilir; Liu, Hsieh, Cho, and Schallert; provided conclusions that were contradictory to the findings of Tarhan and Acar; AkinoÄÅ ¸lue and TandoÄÅ ¸an; Lou, Diez, and Tseng; Ferreira and Trudel; and Cerezo in regards to interest in the subject or motivation. Specifically, the latter being the researchers who saw a significant difference in interest towards the subject. That is, that they found that there is a relationship between PBL and increased interest in a subject. PBL in Mathematics Education In mathematics education, PBL is relatively new, but many researchers have found that it is effective in increasing achievement. One team of researchers found no statistically significant data in favor of PBL (Tarmizi, Tarmizi, Lojinin, Mokhtar, 2010). Researchers conducted a study to investigate the effects of PBL on mathematical performance, measure of instructional efficiency, and perceived advantages or disadvantages of the approach (Tarmizi, Tarmizi, Lojinin, Mokhtar, 2010, p. 4683). They used a quasi-experimental design and gathered data via a posttest. Each variable of interest of the study was measured using a specific tool. First, scores from tests measured mathematics performance(p. 4685). Next, researchers collected data for mental effort via a nine-point symmetrical category scale (p. 4685). Efficiency index is a term which shows the relationship between learning and test (mental) effort and performance (p. 4685). Researchers used a mathematical formula to calculate dat a for this variable. Last, affective attributes were measured using Likert-style questions. Researchers found that the average scores for the overall achievement for the PBL group were greater than the control group. After researchers statistical analyzed the data, they determined that the mean difference was not statistically significant (p. 2685). Another group of researchers, Clarke, Breed, and Fraser (2004), studied participants at three high schools in California. Researchers investigated how a problem-based mathematics curriculum, the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) were related to student achievement (p. 8). Researchers also collected data to measure achievement or mathematical performance. They compared PBL/IMP students to their peers in conventional classes. This data came in the form of test scores from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Findings show that IMP students averaged higher SAT scores than did pupils of conventional classes (p. 14). PBL was studied in ano ther area of mathematics, Statistics (Tarmizi Bayat, 2011). Researchers compared data between a PBL group and a conventional group. Two posttests were administered and the scores were analyzed. They concluded that there was a significant difference between the mean performance of the PBL group and that of the conventional group indicating PBL efficacy (p. 344). Bostic and Jacobbe (2010) studied PBL in a fifth grade mathematics classroom. Researchers collected data by administering a pre-test, posttest, and student interviews. Data from the pre-test and posttest showed statistically significant growth in students ability to solve problems correctly (Bostic Jacobbe, 2010). Similarly, there has been some research to investigate the relationship between PBL and interest in mathematics. An indication that students are interested in mathematics is the students level of engagement. Tarmizi, Tarmizi, Lojinin, and Mokhtar (2010) also studied the effect of PBL and student engagement. Student engagement was measured by an open-ended survey. The mean average rubric engagement score was a 2.08, which indicated that the PBL group had benefited from the learning experiences with a proficient level (Tarmizi et al., 2010, p. 4687). Another research team studied the relationship of PBL in mathematics and student perceptions of mathematics (Clarke, Breed, Fraser, 2004). A problem-based mathematics curriculum, the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP), was implemented in three California high schools (p. 7). Researchers collected data from two questionnaires. The Mathematics Belief questionnaire examined student perceptions of their mathematical competence, and student beliefs about mathematical activity and the origins of mathematical ideas (p. 9). The Mathematics World questionnaire required students to identify the extent to which specific everyday activities were mathematical (p. 9). In comparison to traditional Algebra classes, researchers found that IMP students help a significantly more positive attitude towards mathematics (p. 14). The IMP participants also felt more mathematically able than their peers (p. 14). Use of computers in mathematics In mathematics, using computers and other related technologies to enhance instruction can greatly affect student achievement. Computers can be usedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as an environment for exploring mathematical concepts through interaction (Huetinck Munshin, 2008, p. 87). When students are actively interacting with new ideas, their level of engagement and knowledge increases. Computers enable students to quickly explore many varied examples to generalize about the underlying characteristics of mathematical entities (p. 89). If students can make more generalizations, they will be more likely to be able to apply the concepts later. One group of researchers investigated how implementing a dynamical geometric software such as Geometers Sketchpad (GSP) affects mathematics teaching (Nordin, Zaharia, Mohamed, Embi, 2010). They found that this exploratory learning method and the discussions involved in understanding the mathematical concepts adopted from the gsp digital module can help boost hi gher order thinking skills (Nordin, Zaharia, Mohamed, Embi, 2010, p. 116). OCallaghan (1998) found that a computer program implemented in Algebra had greater achievement than their peers did in traditional algebra classes. Palmiter (1991) conducted research with university students and compared achievement between students enrolled in a class taught using a computer algebra system and students enrolled in a class taught using paper-and-pencil computations (1991). The researcher found that students enrolled in the class that was taught with the computer system had higher test scores for both the conceptual and computational exam (1991). Ragasa (2008) investigated the effects of computer-assisted instruction on achievement of college students in a statistics course. The researcher found that the mean score of the posttest of the achievement test for the computer-assisted group was significantly higher than that of the control group (Ragasa, 2008). In mathematics, the use of computers to aid instruction can improve students attitude and interest in mathematics. Ragasa (2008) also studied students attitudes in response to computer-assisted instruction. The researcher was unable to conclude that there was a significant effect on student attitude. OCallaghan (1998) studied the effects of Computer-Intensive Algebra (CIA) and traditional algebra curricula on students understanding of the function concept (p. 21). Among other findings, OCallaghan discovered that the CIA students attitudes were significantly different higher (1998). Another study examined college students attitudes towards using computers as an instructional aid in an Algebra class (Ganguli, 1992). The researcher determined that the attitudes of the students in the computer group were significantly increased. I hypothesize that in high school mathematics, problem-based learning, through the use of computers, will increase student interest and achievement. Previous studies have demonstrated similar findings. In the following section, methods will be discussed.

Financial Management Notes Essay -- GCSE Business Management Studies

ROLE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial management is one of the functions of management -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial management is concerned with o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Profits and losses of operations  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Control over funds o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensuring appropriate cash flow is available o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chas management o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raising funds / controlling internal funds o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Investment of funds o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost control / pricing o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forecasting / measuring financial performance against expectations -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounting is a subset of financial management. Financial transactions must be recorded, classified, stored and eventually reported to the managers. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OBJECTIVES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liquidity Refers to cash reserves being held, or to the ability to turn and investment into cash with little or no delay or loss of capital o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Solvency Refers to a business ability to pay its debts when due, and remain a going concern o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Profitability Refers to how profitable the business is from the perspectives of profit on sales, assets and shareholders equity o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Efficiency Examines how well working capital is managed, that is how quickly cash is collected from debtors, inventory sold and creditors paid. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growth Once a business is formed and operations commence, it enters a growth phase, where there should be an increase in the number of goods or services sold -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  THE PLANNING CYCLE o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategic or corporate plans involve how the business can accomplish its objectives, generally to create a strong competitive advantage o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organisational planning processes involve   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The formulation of mission, goals and objectives,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An analysis of key environmental variables that present opportunities, threats, and constraints. It is known as an environmental audit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An organisational audit to evaluate strengths and weaknesses and identify where change needs to be met   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The formulation of strategies within deadlines to achieve specific objectives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monitoring and review to ensure that the mission is on target and that performance indicators are being met o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tactical plans focus on the most efficient resource use by a business unit or department o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Operational plans are concerned with implementing the strategic plan through day to day processes, procedures, workflow and efficiency o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial plans represent the dollar quantification of the stra... ...e lease agreement come to an end. Here the emphasis is on rental, rather than what is effectively deferred purchase. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The lessee may be responsible for paying all or any of the maintenance, insurance operating costs etc ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Factoring †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is the selling of accounts receivable or debtors ledgers to a third party for less than the book value ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sale and leaseback †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Refers to a transaction in which the seller retains the use of an asset such as occupancy of a building, by simultaneously signing a lease, with the purchaser of the asset at the time of sale -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EFFECTIVE CASHFLOW MANAGEMENT ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Source of funds = use (application) of funds ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sources include †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Injection of new capital †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raising new loans †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reductions in stock ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Applications include †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pay out of loans †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tax paid †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Purchase of fixed assets ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Management strategies for cash flow problems include †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shortening the operations cycle †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increasing net profit margins †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increasing trade payable †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Borrowing money †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maintaining a minimum cash reserve

Psychoanalysis Essay -- Essays Papers

Psychoanalysis When people think of psychoanalysis, usually one name comes to mind. This would be Sigmund Freud. Freud, along with Carl G. Jung and Alfred Adler, has impacted the history of psychoanalysis. Further, he has influenced the lives of the men and women during the early 1900s. In today's society, the history of psychoanalysis is continually being discussed among many scholars. Paul Roazen, author of Encountering Freud: The Politics and Histories of Psychoanalysis, has dedicated his professional career to researching the "impact of Freud and his followers not only on politics but on the cultural and intellectual life of this century" (Chodoff 132). One main theme that Roazen emphasizes is the relationship between history and psychoanalysis. In the United States, the term psychohistory has become increasingly popular since about 1945. Psychohistory is the blending of history with the psychoanalytical theories (Gilderhus 129). This idea has raised many questions among scholars and is still a controversial discussion piece at this time. Sigmund Freud: One may question Freud's ideas and wonder what made him so popular during the early 1900s. Many attribute this to the idea that Freud, along with Charles Darwin, is viewed as a critical contributor to our concepts of present day man. Freud saw man as am incomplete product of nature. Further, he proposed that "man at his best and man at his worst is subject to a common set of explanations: that good and evil grow from a common process" (Roazen 24). Many scholars feel that Western society was ready for something to fill the gap that had been formed between religion and the sciences at that time. During the late 1800s, there was extreme controversy o... ...world. Lastly, by 1926, there were psychoanalytic societies in Vienna, Berlin, Budapest, London, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Moscow, Calcutta, and two in the United States. At the same time, three journals had been formed that focused on psychoanalysis. Works Cited - Brill, A.A., ed. The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud. New York: Random House, 1938. - Chodoff, Paul. "Psychoanalysis: Encountering Freud: The Politics and Histories of Psychoanalysis by Paul Roazen." American Journal of Psychiatry 149.1 (1992): 132- 133. - Gilderhus, Mark T. History and Historians: A Historiographical Introduction. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996. - Lauzun, Gerard. Sigmund Freud: The Man and His Theories. Trans. Patrick Evans. New York: Fawcett, 1962. - Roazen, Paul, ed. Sigmund Freud. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1973.

Personal & Practical Applications Essay

The purpose of this paper is to afford you the opportunity to express your understanding and appreciation of psychology as it relates to your own experiences and aspirations. In other words, this paper will assess how well you can relate various psychological theories, concepts, and principles to real life – specifically, your own life You are to briefly describe A) the kind of work you are currently doing and/or the kind of work you plan to do in the future, and/or B) any personal/family issues you may currently have and/or plan to have in the future and/or have had in the past (and would care to share), such as your past or present relationship with your parents, present or future relationship with a significant other, present or future child-rearing plans, etc. Then, in some detail, describe how things you have learned in this course have given you the kind of information and insight that will contribute to your happiness and success in life. Make sure you explain which specific theories, concepts, or principles are particularly relevant and precisely how and why they are important. Do not simply copy terms and definitions. Demonstrate true understanding through application rather than recitation. If you have any questions about this assignment or any problems completing in by the due date, make sure to consult with me well in advance of the due date. Your paper must be at least 5 full double-spaced typed pages in  length, and this sheet should be stapled (not clipped) to the top of it prior to submission. Please do not place your paper in a special folder or use a special cover. Thank you. HOW TO DO WELL ON THIS PAPER Submit your paper on the due date. Make sure your paper is at least 5 full double-spaced pages. Do not make your margins more than 1 inch and do not use a font larger than 12. Remember that this is a psychological paper. Do not talk about anything if you are not going to relate it to a specific psychological theory, concept, or principle. Keep in mind that anything and everything you have done, are doing, or plan to do is fair game for this paper. You may focus on work or family, you may focus on the present or the future, or you may spread your discussions across several aspects of your life. That is entirely up to you. But do not fill up pages with long descriptions of your experiences, plans, relationships, etc. Instead, provide specific explanations of how an understanding of those specific psychological theories, concepts, or principles will help you be a better   professional/parent/friend/partner/spouse/student or whatever out there in the real world. For example, do not write something like â€Å"My boyfriend and I are so much in love and we’re going to get married and live happily ever after.† Instead, write something like â€Å"Learning about Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love helped me realize why my past loves didn’t last, and has given me confidence that my current relationship, which contains all three elements, will in fact be as successful as I think it will be.† There is no set number of theories, concepts, or principles you must apply in this paper. However, if you do not identify a least 6 different theories, concepts, or principles in your discussions, that will result in a major loss of points. Also keep in mind that the asterisks in the notes are there to help you study for the exams and are not tied into your papers. Therefore, you should feel free to use any theory, concept, or principle you feel is relevant whether or not it is marked with an asterisk. Attend class and pay at tention. Read the assignment and keep it in mind as we cover all of the material in class. It is strongly suggested that from the beginning of the semester, you make indications on the notes or on a separate piece of paper every time we go over something that you feel will be relevant to this  paper. If you do this, putting together the 5 pages at the end of the semester will be easy. If you wait until the last minute and have not really thought about this paper until then, you may have a great deal of difficulty. As you write your paper, make sure you understand what you’re talking about. Throwing in meaningless garbage and gibberish will not get you any points and is likely to result in your losing several points. If you don’t understand what you need to do, if you’re having trouble writing 5 full pages, if there is a problem submitting the paper on the due date, and/or if you are having any other kind of difficulty, then call me, e-mail me, or see me before or after class well before that due date. There is no excuse for not getting whatever help you need. Psychology has always been an intriguing subject for me. It can be applied in many different aspects of life. It can help understand the world around us more clearly; people we interact with, and can contribute to self-improvement. Even though we might not be always aware of that, we engage in psychological principles and concepts on daily basis. People are social creatures. We live with others and the effect that other people have on the behavior of individuals is tremendous. As a strong example I will refer to Bystander apathy. In theory this psychological concept sounds frightening; when you witness it with your own eyes and experience it, it gets even more disturbing. When a person who faces a situation of another person in distress but does so with the knowledge that others are also present and available to respond is slower and less likely to respond to the person in distress than is a person who knows that he or she is the only one who is aware of the distress. I once found myself in that situation when I was in eleventh grade. We were having a 10 minute break and there was a confrontation between two if my classmates. The two boys began to fight and there was no teacher in the classroom. They were beating and slamming on each other outrageously. Even though everyone knew what was happening was not good, nobody acted, nobody tried to stop the fight or even to call a teacher. Learning about this phenomenon as a psychological concept, I understood how in such setting the responsibility is being diffused among the bystanders and the more people are present during an emergency, the less likely someone is to become involved in the problem. I am at the point in my life that I have to make a major decision about my future as far as my career goes, and I have chosen to follow a path in the field of medicine, more particularly dentistry. Having a goal like that means I have to be extremely motivated, ambitious, and have a drive to succeed. After the publishing of a book titled â€Å"Type A Behavior and Your Heart† in 1974, which was a result of 3 decades of research into the influence of certain personality characteristics, numerous researchers have explored what Mayer Freidman, one of the two medical doctors who published the book, called Type A personality. Type A people are workaholics – they are very competitive, ambitious, hate to waste time, and are easily annoyed. They feel a constant sense of pressure. Often successful but frequently unsatisfied, they always seem to want to go faster and do more. Furthermore, type A person finds it difficult to relax and do nothing. In this sense I refer to myself as a Type A Personality. There is something behind my thoughts that always reminds me I should not spend a single day that’s not worth, or without any purpose, and if I do so, I feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied, almost depressed. I can never imagine myself doing anything different in the future than what I wanted since I was 4 years old, and I have a clear resolution on what I have to do to accomplish my goal, therefore, I strive for it with every move I make. I was surprised to know that there is a â€Å"type† of personality that describes my personal feeling about the individual I am. Having a goal to become a Doctor in a specific area of study from a very young age, and keeping that goal in mind as I greatly succeeded in High School, with the hopes of having good transcripts when I’m applying to Medical Schools years into the future is evidence enough of my personality type. With aspirations of becoming a Dentist, my specialty areas of study are the sciences and mathematics. I have a calculating, and very observational mindset at all times. I am going to discuss several people with whom I have personal relationships. Throughout the span of time I have known the individuals I will discuss, I have basically been collecting data on them through the method of natural observation. I suppose we all are doing so with those closest to us, whether we are conscious of it or not. I have a fourteen month-old Niece named Scarlett. From a Developmental  Psychology standpoint, my relationship with the cutest baby on planet Earth is a goldmine of opportunity to witness a child’s development from birth. Sensory Development is a joy to see grow in my niece. It seems that every day she is doing something new, and displaying that she is becoming more and more aware of her environment, her body, her physical limitations (or lack thereof), and her relationship with other people. As she grew from infancy to her current age, we have meticulously documented her every move. There exists thousands of hours of digital video showing her progress. Since she is the first grandbaby in the family, she gets all the attention, however, my sister is six months pregnant with the next one already! She is in the stage of pregnancy known as the fetal period, until she has him (it’s a boy) by her due date in February. However, by assessing the documentation of Scarlett and the milestones in her life, I have compared her physical development to all the data in the most common books and websites. Scarlett most definitely falls within The Average Range Vs. Normal Range for Developmental Milestones, in fact, she is ahead on most of them, even though it supposedly has no predictive power, we are still proud. Scarlett displays proof of Observational Learning. My sister is also a Nanny for 2 other babies, and she sees her mother feeding, changing, holding, putting kids in high chairs and baby seats, etc. She has a doll that is actually a 2 foot tall representation of Jerry Garcia from the band The Grateful Dead. We could not figure out for the life of us why she kept removing Jerry’s pants, or why Jerry’s pants were removable for that matter. One day the pants came off, and we saw her attempting to put a diaper on Jerry. As soon as we realized what she was doing, and why, we started to enco urage the behavior, and now Jerry always has a clean diaper, his own little baby seat, an old broken high-chair that was around so he can sit at the table, and most importantly, Jerry has his pants on. Scarlett witnesses her mother doing these things every day, and she wants to mimic her. The theory that Piaget suggested; that children start with no way of dealing with the world, no way to think. They have to make it up and develop the skills in their minds about how to get what they want, express what they don’t like, figure out this authority and power thing, and so many other factors that I’m not going to get into because it is a long list. He proposed that children develop in stages. I perceive Scarlett to be in the Sensorimotor Stage,  which starts at birth and spans until about the age of two years, when the Preoperational Stage begins. However, although she is technically in the Sensorimotor Stage, where her senses, motor skills, problem solving skills, and response to authority are all developing, she is starting to display some onset tendencies of Preoperational Stage traits. She is beginning to show ego-centric personality traits, like not sharing, thinking the world revolves around her, screaming when she doesn’t get her way, and other such self-centered thought patterns, which is completely normal for someone her age. Another aspect of watching Scarlett grow is watching her problem-solving abilities. Watching her play certain games, and engaging in activities with her that require her to go from point A to point B by using different strategies has helped her develop earlier than a child normally would. She displays strong strategy use in the form of Algorithm, and Heuristic models. She is now capable of using toys that require going through steps to finish, such as putting all the blocks in the box with the holes shaped like the individual blocks, and putting the different sized colored rings on the holder that stacks them in order from largest at the bottom in descending order up to the smallest at the top. Heuristically, she displays more and more clever ways to achieve the same results. Before, she would dig in the toy box and cry until she found what she wanted, now she’ll just dump the whole thing out, grab what she wants, and put everything else back. Scarlett has a strong will, and will actually perform things that we did not know she was capable of when she thinks nobody can see her, and when we are consciously present, she’ll pretend she can’t do something so someone will do it for her, and other self-centered behaviors. Discussing her Ego-Centric, Self Centered, and Strong-Willed Temperment leads me into yet another set of Psychological Principles that are starting to be used around their house. I’m talking about the development of Scarlett’s character as described under the umbrella of Social-Emotional Development, which includes how she is parented. She has just passed a phase where she had a serious Attachment issue with her Mother. If she was apart from her mother for one second, it was like a capital offense, and the screaming would begin forthwith. Thank God that’s over. My sister and Brother-in Law take an assertive, Authoritative Parenting style. Scarlett is still in her Preconventional Stage of Moral Development, and doesn’t  understand why she can’t do certain things, and from time-to-time, they use different forms of Discipline. Even though Scarlett doesn’t understand why she can’t flush random objects from the house down the toilet, but she does understand things Pavlov’s way, because she responds to Classical Conditioning, having things she likes taken away, in a Negative Punishment fashion, and Positive Reinforcement when she behaves. Operant Conditioning seems to work as well. Skinner proposed that behaviors that are reinforced will continue, and so far it seems to be true when dealing with Scarlett. She understands what you say to her, even though she can’t respond with words. This is known as Receptive Language Development. Scarlett is a doll, and the cutest child alive. Watching her grow is an unprecedented joy. However, as a Doctor I will be confronted with people from all ends of the age-spectrum. Another psychological concept that I want to talk about is the Adulthood; more particularly Late Adulthood, and Theories of Psychological Development in Late Adulthood. Since I have been in a close relationship with my great-grandfather and great-grandmother, and at present I live with them under the same roof, I have witnessed the transformation in their personalities during the years. The final psychological conflict of Erikson’s (1950) theory, ego integrity versus despair, involves coming to terms with one’s life. My grandparents have arrived at a sense of integrity, feel whole, complete, and satisfied with their achievements. They have adapted to inevitable triumphs and disappointments and realize that the paths they followed, abandoned, and never selected were necessary for fashioning a meaningful life course. The capacity to view one’s life in the larger context of all humanity contributes to the serenity and contentment that accompany integrity. â€Å"We will hope for 30 more years of life, and it is in God’s hands how much he will decide to give us,† my great-grandfather says. He has accepted his life course as something that had to be the way it was, and the only thing left to do is simply enjoy the rest of his life by seeing his accomplishment he achieved raising his children and grandchildren and get a charge out of their achievements. He and his wife aged gracefully, felt satisfied with their achievements, and could often be seen walking hand in hand, deeply in love. In addition to the concepts related to the Late Adulthood I have another example concerning the theory of Reminiscence. One of my close friend’s grandfathers was a junior Sergeant in the Balkan war, and he has told stories about people and events from that time since I know him. Every time I try to start a conversation on a different topic, his brain finds a way to relate it to his past as a soldier on the battlefield. Clearly, life review is not essential for adapting well to late adulthood. Reminiscence that is self-focused, engaged in to reduce boredom and revive events in which the person felt important and significant, is linked to adjustment problems. As I have observed everyone close to me in life, had our ups and downs, seen people go through changes, and gone through major changes myself, I now see how just about all of the principles, concepts, and theories of Psychology weaved in and through my life. I know as a Dentist, that I will still be responsible to the Board that will license me to practice, the people that uphold the integrity of the medical profession. If I’m not well-versed enough in all aspects of medicine I know I won’t be able to practice, so that’s one reason this is important. Having an understanding of certain concepts and applying them in my relationships with others has helped me tremendously, and I am grateful.