Presentation of Sex and Sexuality in Brave New World

presentation of sex and sexuality in Brave New World brave new world is a dystopian novel about an authoritarian regime and how they control people, in it there are characters that resist the leadership. Huxley’s Brave New World is a darkly satirical novel that uncovers and shows the weaknesses of society (mainly American) in 1932 with ‘pneumatic flappers’ and jazz clubs which, in Huxley’s mind, lack meaning and are too casual. The society uses sex and sexuality as a force to control the masses by removing all ‘love' in the act, by making it commonplace losing all meaning so they ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’.Science In Huxley’s novel plays a key role in how the sex and sexuality is portrayed in the book, it seems that science removes all emotions in everything. In Brave New World children are put through an extensive conditioning process where they are subject to ‘erotic play’ and hypnopaedia. In the 189 0’s the psychologist Sigmund Freud said that if you repress your sexual desires it builds up inside of you and can divert itself into damaging channels.I think that in this novel Huxley is satirising him saying that if everyone had sex like he is saying then this is what it would be like:- On page 26 a little boy and girl of seven and eight respectively, ‘were playing gravely and with all the focussed attention of scientists’ Huxley describes the children as playing ‘gravely’ or without emotion, I think that this is him trying to show us what this society has become: one where children are forced to have erotic play, as seen when the little boy is crying because he doesn’t want to play; and secondly that these constant sexual encounters have dimmed the excitement, passion and love in the act of sex to a point where it has become mundane and un-magical.Another thing that Huxley satirises Freud about is his theory about how the family is the pri me source of this inner conflict. In Brave New World there are no families and loose living is encouraged, men and women are made in factories. I think ‘the week’s supply of ova’ and ‘standard men and women in uniform batches’ describes perfectly how Huxley thinks the world would be without families. Without them it would dehumanise so much so that we lose our identities and become ‘standard men and women’ Men and women have a complicated relationship in brave new world. Men are usually Alpha plus’s and women are usually beta minus’s, I think that that in itself shows Huxley’s entirely chauvinistic attitude. Her smile flashed readily at him’ (pg13) ‘flashed readily’ portrays an image of automation, she does it without thinking showing an instant submission to him and that with that submission she is readily available. Again, ‘and giving her two or three little pats, received in exchange a ra ther deferential smile for himself’ the director pats her on the bottom because in this society ‘everyone belongs to everyone’ and he fancies her. This is another example of Huxley’s inbuilt and unconscious chauvinism, he has made it so the female characters all respectfully submit to the men. In 1932 when Huxley wrote this hitting a girl on the bottom was shunned and offensive but in Brave New World it is accepted by everyone including Lenina because they are conditioned to have sex with everyone.When Huxley went to America he encountered what he described as ‘the city of dreadful joy’ in Los Angeles where everyone had a hedonistic lifestyle and went to jazz clubs and there were ‘pneumatic flappers’ I think that Huxley is satirising them and giving a warning to us because that is what might happen in the future and Huxley believe that promiscuity like this is morally wrong and take all meaning out of sex. The Act of Sex in Brave New World is encouraged as much as possible because it is a particular, ‘for particulars, as everyone knows, make for virtue and happiness’ On page 58 some girls invite Helmholtz to a ‘picnic’. The ‘picnic’ replaces the word ‘sex’ which shows how amalgamated sex has become in society. Sex has been integrated into everything: thought, religious ceremonies, music, cinema, picnics etc. the society is very much so recreational and the people have become hedonistic.Huxley points this out because this kind of society – American society – has very loose morals too and is perhaps no the best way to go about progressing. The girls invite only him and not anyone else; it’s quite a suggestive thing to say, even desperate and they only invite him because he is ‘hot’. The society in this sense is very shallow and childlike. Sex is also practiced in mass orgies. Huxley uses metaphors to represent sex a lot like on page 66. The orgy is described using music which rises and climaxes with their climax. Huxley also employs a clever use of sibilance, in which the ‘du’ sound is repeated to give a sense of heartbeats and increasing rhythm to show excitement. I think that Huxley writes about it in this way rather than being explicit is ecause when this book was published the content would have been shunned, but also to show again how sex has been integrated into everything It may seem odd that the government in Brave New World encourages sex, I think that the reason that they do is because the world motto, ‘COMMUNITY, IDENTIY, STABILITY’ with its main point being stability believes that happiness = stability and then sex = happiness. It is used as a measure to keep the people in line because whilst having sex and being happy they ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ which is more subtly put with the slogan, ‘for particulars, as everyone knows, make s for happiness and virtue’ which basically means that they shouldn’t be able to see the bigger picture and stop being happy.To ensure that they only really focus on sex they have installed it into every aspect of their life. On page 66-67 Bernard goes to Westminster Abby in London where they sit around in circles of twelve and then start dancing and then having sex. I think that it is quite a disturbing scene, and is definitely something that most people back in 1932 and now would find disgusting. Huxley seems to be satirising everything now including religion with the twelve disciples and it being in Westminster. The whole book I think is satirising the Roman Catholic Church with the ‘conditioning’ of people to believe something without question and how it leads to false happiness or happiness that is fabricated by someone else and not of your own making.

Computer Uses Essay

Today’s technology has changed the view of world. Among them computers are one of the best creations of the technology. Computers are the best closer look of new era’s technology. Computers are very useful in our routine life as a source of entertainment, as a medium of education and as a one way of business. First, Computers play a role of entertainer in our life. We can play a game on the computer. We can also download and upload games from the internet or from the game DVD. We can also enjoy music and movies too. For example, If you want to see movies, you can see it online through internet or you can see movie on DVD. Same way, if you like to listen music, you can upload songs from the CD or you get songs from online from the particular music sites. There are so many sites available on the internet like youtube.com, videoshare.com for the movies and video songs. This way we can get relaxation by using computers. Second is as a source of an education. Computers are the best companion for the students. Computer has many kind of services which can be helpful for the students for instance microsoft word, power point, HTML, java, etc. We can use microsoft word for writing purpose, we can use power point to make slide shows. Moreover, there are so many study sites available for online tutoring. It is really a very easy and cheap way for the study. You can find your any type of study related question to study online. In short, computers make study easy and interesting. Last but not least use of computer is as a medium of e-commerce. Today in our busy world people avoid to waste time for their shopping. Now a day consumers like to buy and sell their stuff online. Best example of online shopping is e-bay. On this particular site you get all necessary things like books, electric and electronic items, clothes etc. Moreover from e-bay, you can sell stuff too. I particularly love this site.

Brand Loyalty - Thesis Proposal Essay Example for Free

Brand Loyalty – Thesis Proposal Essay Loyalty (12) , interesting proposal (5) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints The current financial crisis has spread around the world and no consumer has stayed untouched. In economic downturns, consumers are trying to better manage their expenses due to uncertainty for the future. In such cases, their brand loyalty might be shaken. Especially for UK consumers, whose purchasing power is lower than the other nations, the situation in the beginning of 2010 seems to be much more difficult. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of the current recession on UK consumers’ brand loyalty. A quantitative method will be employed and the empirical data will be collected through questionnaire survey with a sample of fifty UK consumers from the area of Thessaloniki. The questionnaire survey will be distributed to different people regardless of age and demographic characteristics, backgrounds and attitudes. The results of the study will aim to show that not all consumers’ brand loyalty has been shaken the same by the recession but some types of consumers were more affected compared to others. Furthermore, the research will aim to indicate that brand loyalty varies over products so some product and service categories lost a big part of their market share. The findings might be interesting and useful to several companies that would like to be aware both of the profiles of the customers that are more likely to switch to cheaper brands and the products that will easily lose a part of their market share during a recession so that can formulate the appropriate marketing strategy. In the highlighted part right the name of the area where it will be easier for to distribute fifty surveys and get them back. What Influences brand loyalty towards cigarette brands in the UK market? Brand loyalty has been a one of the biggest issues in the world of marketing over the last years. The two topics of brand loyalty and cigarette smoking have rarely been linked. A possible reason for this is that researchers might feel that it is in some way unethical to provide managerial suggestions for tobacco producers. The aim of this study is to clarify that matter and get knowledge about which product-related, psychographic, health-related and demographic factors influence the brand loyalty among smokers and to what extent. By examining brand loyalty towards cigarette brands, those factors which in fact decrease brand loyalty can be identified. In the literature review, the necessary background will be referenced to answer the research questions. The research will be conducted on a quantitative basis. The main research method used will be questionnaire survey. It is the researcher’s belief that this study will provide new and interesting perspective on the topic of brand loyalty, as well as the researcher hopes that the results will be beneficial for social marketers in their fight against cigarette smoking. What effect does sponsorship have on brand loyalty: A case study of Vodafone customers An increasingly larger marketing budget is allocated to sponsoring in companies. This has triggered the attention of the academics to research what the exact effects of sponsorship on a sponsoring brand are. This study fills a gap in the sponsorship literature by focusing on both current customers and looking at sponsorship from both negative and positive perspective. It researches what the effects of sponsorship are on brand loyalty for current customers concerning a sponsored party. Prior literature on both sponsorship and brand loyalty is explored to establish a sound theoretical reference. The review will demonstrate that negative and positive incidences as the context has a negative and positive effect respectively on attitude change toward the sponsored party, which in turn influences change in brand loyalty. The established theoretical reference is tested by means on a questionnaire survey. The sample will consist of Vodafone customers, which are tested on the change in attitudes toward the sponsored team (McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 team for Vodafone) and on the change in attitudes and behavior toward the sponsoring brand. Brand Loyalty – Thesis Proposal. (2017, Jan 22). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Performance Management Problem Solving Research Paper

Performance Management Problem Solving - Research Paper Example This may occur when an organization releases products to the market without carrying out satisfactory tests for quality. This can cause considerable loss to market share of an organization. Performance management system is important in addressing such organizational problems. Benchmarking forms one of the most crucial components of the performance management system of many organizations. The benchmarking of performance index of products and services, processes, and performance gauges is effectively done using the statistical process control (SPC). The paper will present a discussion of performance index benchmarking by considering the statistical process control (SPC), Six-Sigma concept, and total quality management (TQM), in an effort to realize customer satisfaction. A case example of Hills Industries is discussed to emphasize performance-related problem solving tactics. Problem statement The problem to be addressed was indentified through the process of undertaking a study on the major factors that helps business managers in monitoring and managing their businesses. The study indicates that customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is the major indicator of market perceptions and trends (Draghici & Petcu, 2010). This leads to the identification of customer dissatisfaction, as a problem, which can be addressed through the six-sigma methodology approach of problem solving. Managers can also identify a problem through time-evaluated approach by visiting places where actual production take place, delivery points or customers’ facilities to gain first-hand observation of how production is carried out and use of manufactured products. The organization can conduct consumer surveys on its products. The organization can select its customers on a random basis and administer questionnaires or conduct telephone interviews in order to gauge its satisfaction with its latest products or services. The company must respond to customer complaints. This is because custom ers tend to evaluate the complaint response in the current condition of dissatisfaction with organizations transactions. Even for customers who are satisfied, failure of transaction can occur. This is an indication that there exists overall evaluation of satisfaction with relationship when the customer encounters a problem transaction or a company’s response to complaint (Riesenberger & Sousa, 2010). Addressing customer dissatisfaction problem requires a problem identification technique that gives an analysis of the current product status. This helps in developing a management intervention useful in guiding the organization towards achieving the desired state in the future. The customer dissatisfaction problem can be identified using the benchmarking, statistical process control (SPC) or a time-evaluated management-by-walking around. SPC is more useful in recurrent manufacturing settings although can also be applicable to any service delivery organization. An effective SPC pr ogram helps managers become aware of how operational processes are performing and anomalies that may arise during the production process, which ultimately affect process outputs. SPC helps to identify flaws in performance. Identification of performance outliers in the course of production may inspire the organization to make necessary changes in the process and product in order to improve customer satisfaction. The SPC helps to benchmark a performance index. The statistical approach must take into account the effects of

The Role and Issues of Performance Management in Compensation Term Paper

The Role and Issues of Performance Management in Compensation Decisions - Term Paper Example Apart from the impact that performance management can confer towards the organization, other essential issues associated with performance management will also be discussed in this paper. Effectiveness of Performance Management towards Compensating Decisions Performance management is such a phenomenon, the effective implementation of which leads towards creation of appropriate environment for strategic management in Coca-Cola on a global basis. Effectiveness of performance management assists in evaluating as to whether the performances of the employees are in accordance with the standard level set for their performance. The process of performance management duly takes into consideration the regular review of the results being achieved through performance of the employees of Coca-Cola. In the modern context, not only the results, the behaviors of the employees towards their peers and senior members are also reviewed. Moreover, the attitudes, skills, features and manners are also evalua ted through the approaches of performance management. ... Performance Management and Organizational Objectives The concept of performance management can be directly aligned with specific objectives of the organizations. The process of alignment can be effectively accomplished mainly thorough three fundamental areas within the company i.e. Coca-Cola in this case. These are the alignment among various divisions or departments within the organization, alignment among capabilities of the workforce within the organization and alignment among financial performance of the organization in various dimensions. Throughout the conduction of the process of these three essential alignment processes, the performance management aspects get associated with the specific organizational objectives. There are a number of functions that the organizations can effectively undertake after effective implementation of performance management that ultimately assists the organization in achieving its strategic goals (Schuster, 2010). The results of performance managemen t help in recruiting and appointing skilled and efficient staffs for Coca-Cola. Compensating planning can be accomplished in the most competent manner through proper evaluation of the results of performance management. The incentives for the employees are successfully calculated for the employees through performance management. Learning management can even be planned within the organization as a result of implementation of performance management. The impact of performance management upon the above mentioned list of activities, aimed at the fulfillment of organizational objectives, is actually the indication that the performance management has been effectively implemented within the selected organization (Schuster, 2010). Favorable Condition for

How would you explain the popularity of the cakewalk in the late Essay

How would you explain the popularity of the cakewalk in the late nineteenth-century United States - Essay Example This kind of song and dance competition took place among the slaves in the southern part of the US mainly before the emancipation but it is needless to say that even after emancipation the dance and song style did not die off. This paper seeks to explain the popularity of the cakewalk in the late nineteenth-century United States. Most of the facts of cakewalk dance and song were not extensively documented as at 1981. However, there existed a myriad of accounts about the dance. Brooke Baldwin in his 1981 articles (in the Journal of Social History) the Cakewalk: a Study in Stereotype and Reality submitted a nearly complete compilation of the already existing accounts of the dance (Baldwin, 1981: pp203-212). The compilation was, to larger part, accounts of the eye witnesses of the dance. These eye witnesses were the ex-slaves who may have also took part in the dance. The accounts by the Virginia and Georgia ex-slaves had already been verified by the WPA researchers in the 1930s. Baldwin clearly notes in his article that after the 1930 WPA research, it became immensely difficult to hide the happier side of slavery (Baldwin, 1981: pp207). One of the respondent recalled how she used to sing the songs and cakewalk. She also added how cakewalk was indeed fun among the slaves during the slavery times. According to this specific respondent, the women wore long dresses which were often ruffled and the men wore not only high hats but split tailed coats. They sometimes used walking sticks during the dance. The dance was done in couples and the couple that danced the best would receive the prize. It is interesting to note that the white slave owners would attend the cakewalk dances and they enjoyed a lot watching the slaves dance. Actually, the slave owners decided the winning couple. This account was a first hand account from a former slave in Virginia. Besides the first hand accounts, Baldwin also

Deaf History During Medieval Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Deaf History During Medieval Europe - Essay Example There were only few deaf people of that period, they were famous, successfully, well educated for those times, some of them inherited titles of their ancestors despite their "disease", and some of them had strong positions in society, they took part in political life of their countries. It was only the one side of this problem. The following problem of medieval deaf people were in association of them with evil, witchcraft, and even the Devil. Children born with deafdisabilities were often perceived as the consequence of their mothers' support for satanic beliefs, illustrating both the ableist and patriarchal values of the era. However, it is also the case that under feudalism, deafdisabled people were generally able to make a contribution, in varying degrees, to a largely rural production process. If disabled people were hospitalized, it was in relatively small medieval hospitals where the focus was on palliative care rather than a cure. Such attitudes to deafdisabled people can be explained by the role... The church and feudal orders were meant to reflect heaven on earth - obedience to God via one's superiors: children obeyed their parents, their parents were their lord's vassals and had to obey him, the lord was the king's vassal, laymen obeyed the clergy, monks obeyed their abbot, clergy and laymen obeyed bishops who themselves were feudal lords, bishops and kings obeyed the Pope-at least in theory. Originality and creativity had to await a commission from the church or a lord, otherwise it was anathema. The church had created itself as a reborn "Imperium Romanum" with the Pope as its emperor and Latin as its language. And Church concidered that disabled people, and deaf ones too, were marked by Evil, by Demon. So, that was the thinking that people had: if you were different you were somehow marked. It is also important to say about the extention of the idea that Christ healed the disabled, so if you were disabled Christ did not favor you.The church alsoused this fear of disabilitie s as a threat to join the church or sickness and disabilities would affect you. Thus they hadtoconvince the people thatthose who were disabled or diseased must not be good Christians. The Church had such influence because medicine and science were in their infancy. Since the Church forbid dissection on humans, scienceandmedicine never really grew. People followed mostly a cause and effect approach. But to the end of Medieval period the attitudes to such people became to change, because among them there were very intelligent and talented people. What was the Hearing peoples view of Deaf during this period The industrial system of those times included weaving and artusaning. This required workers to complete tasks in accordance with

Authenticity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Authenticity - Research Paper Example To neutralize gender norms, most women deliberately assume traits related to masculinity, and hence turn away from associations with women sets that may be alleged as being separatist or divisive. Women should stop shunning particular jobs due to gender norms. Women should grab their papers and join the world of manly jobs. Look, for instance, at Hollywood, engineering firms and pilots – women have fit into these industries in style. What women need is to believe in themselves and avoid the cultural beliefs which do no good to them (Uhl-Bien et al., 2012). Managers should assist their subordinates in discovering their talents as well as themselves by being a role model to them. Being a role model helps the subordinates borrow a leaf from the manager. By mentoring them â€Å"be like me† helps in discovering themselves since they try to imitate their bosses’ style. Through close monitoring, the managers are able to know their subordinates’ talents, thus knowing where they work best (Lubit,

Adopting Linear Wireless Sensor Networks for Border Monitoring Literature review

Adopting Linear Wireless Sensor Networks for Border Monitoring - Literature review Example Any gap or monitoring loose within the borders might cause a severe damage to security of that country. In modern times the border patrolling has become a challenge and requires high degree of accuracy. It is a matter of national security and safe borders make up for safer cities. In past the border monitoring was conducted through manual means of physical check posts or the placing of an entire military unit. Technology has made things easier. The best form of border surveillance involves minimal human intervention which comes in form of installing of wireless sensor networks that detect the motion in the vicinity and respond accordingly. The border monitoring is done in various forms through use of technology. It is either done in form of satellite monitoring, or the cameras attached to the sensors, or in form of towers and other material being installed across the borders which serve as concrete obstacles and at times are contained with explosive materials. However these all need some sort of improvements and there is margin for increasing the efficiency on the borders. There are many existing systems that meant to be for border monitoring starting from fence and wall to very complex systems such as There is emerging interest in developing intelligent border monitoring systems to help countries protect their citizens Modern monitoring systems have much more demanding requirements: Large, busy and complex landscape, the use of heterogeneous technologies, the real-time acquisition and interpretation of the evolving landscape; instantaneous flagging of potentially critical situations in any weather and illumination conditions Real-time monitoring of landscape Variable topography: coastal plains, high mountains, dune, and large deserts. Existing Systems: Helios – Sponsored by British company Fotech Solutions. It consists of fiber-optic cables, lasers & detectors. Hellios is being implemented and proposed for surveillance across Southern Arizona borders in specific and other parts of America as well. It has number of features that separate it from the other existing border surveillance devices. It minimizes the hassle of wires, has considerably larger scale and accuracy along with synchronization with the G.P.S. GPS based Surveillance System: Global positioning system can either operate independently or in collaboration with the sensor networks. In the first case, through the satellites, the motion can be detected, and traced into forward positions, and in case of sensor networks, the alarms are being sent through the nodes which are tracked through the G.P.S devices and they enable further tracking of material across the no go areas. The use of GPS based surveillance system can be extended to the internet and HTTP protocol which will enable finding the record in the data base and hence reach the exact details of individuals. A general characteristic of G.P.S based surveillance system is the ability to detect weapons and other metal based material which might not be traced through conventional forms of surveillance devices. They enable identifying and detecting the movement done from the starting point and hence and tell what might be hidden inside the vehicles and other covered parts of the caravans in form of the business and trade goods that normally go pass the borders(Haggerty, 2010). Change detection Phenomena: This mode of the border monitoring system involves capturing and recording of image and information of a particular place at two different instances, mostly done through a satellite that monitors the activity and place constantly and records any difference that has occurred in a

Project cost management article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project cost management article - Essay Example y because of the fact that not many people all over the world are aware of the value that the project cost management profession adds to a particular project. The study also highlights that the international construction industry has a history of projects which overran both in terms of time as well as cost. This highlights the necessity for an enhanced approach towards effective project control and cost management. With regards to the facts that have been mentioned, this scholar, in his paper, has endeavoured to review literatures in the field of global project cost management issues as well as the researches undertaken by number of professional cost management associations all over the world. The researcher caters to stress the need for the worldwide recognition of the project cost management profession as well as the development of international standards in this profession. This has been done on the basis of strategies and recommendations provided by global organizations such as t he World Bank and the UN with the underlying aim of developing ISO cost management standards as well as the development of various project cost management certification program, thereby, enhancing the professional standards in mostly developing countries. It is indeed true that the profession of project cost management is not internationally recognized which in turn leaves no scope of development for personnel who choose to work in this profession. Moreover, given the fact that there is no common definition of this job type, not much people are aware of the aspects of this profession (Smith, 2014). The profession of project cost management is known by different names in different countries (for example cost engineering in the Americas, quantity surveyor in the Europe and Asia) and therefore lacks a global identity. There is a hue disparity in the way project cost management is carried out in the developed countries such as the US and the US when compared to the way it is done in the

Photosynthesis Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Photosynthesis Lab Report Essay An experiment to investigate the effects of carbonate concentration in water on the rate of photosynthesis. Aim: The aim is to investigate how increasing carbonate in water can affect the rate of photosynthesis. Introduction: The rate of photosynthesis can be increased or decreased in many different ways. For example, by adding substances like alkaline or salt to the water, you can increase or decrease the acidity or basics, if the water has too much acidity, it can often delay the rate of photosynthesis, often stopping the rate of photosynthesis in the plant, which will possibly lead to killing the plant. Another option is to control the strength of the light by controlling the distance of the light from the plant. If the light is a far distance from the plant, the strength of light for the plant would be very weak, therefore decreasing the rate of photosynthesis. Another alternate but simple way is to change the colored light by comparing different colored ï ¬ lters and their effects to change the rate of photosynthesis. Some colors like red and blue increase the rate of photosynthesis, while colors like yellow and green decrease the rate of photosynthesis. Many people would choose the factors that have just been listed, however there are so many other interesting possible factors when investigating other ways in which you can affect the rate of photosynthesis, Therefor, for this experiment the independent variable chosen is the amount of carbonate in water. Hypothesis: Carbonate is known to increase the rate of photosynthesis when mixed with water, this is because plants inhale carbon dioxide which is what carbonate is made from along with other bases. By diluting carbonate in the water, this increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the water, which then increases the rate of photosynthesis, technically increasing the amount of bubbles within the experiment. However, too much carbonate might slow down the rate of photosynthesis within the plant. This is because, if too much carbonate is added within a small concentration of water with only one small plant, the amount of carbon dioxide released might be too overwhelming for one plant to handle, increasing the rate of photosynthesis to such a high extent can eventually make the plant loose itÊ ¼s energy to photosynthesize. Apparatus/Materials †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Science apron Large Beaker (1000mls) Tap water Long wooden ruler(preferably 30cm) Scissors 12cm of  fresh Elodea plant Large lamp- 60wat bulb Carbonate powder Mettle spoon/spatula Skewer Scale Paper stop watch book or laptop to collect data Method 1. Find a clean, safe and flat working space to do your experiment, leave your workbook or laptop used to collect data on your working space 2. Put on a safety lab apron or coat 3. Grab all the equipment thats on the equipment list and place it on your working space 4. Take a large beaker(1000mls) and carefully fill it with 500mls of tap water 5. Place the large beaker on your working space, bend down at eye level in line with the water and check that the bottom of the waters meniscus curve is touching the ‘500mls’ point 6. If there is too much water, pour out some of the water into the sink, repeatedly doing step 3 to check if the measurement is correct 7. Turn on your lamp and make sure the bulb is 60 wats 8. Take your ruler and make sure the length distance between the lamp and the beaker is 1 cm, and make sure the height distance between the bulb and the beaker is 0 cm 9. Take the Long wooden ruler (preferably 30cm) and some scissors to measure and cut 12cm of fresh Elodea plant 10. Turn on the lamp 11. Get ready your stop watch and your source used to collect data 12. Drop the 12 cm Elodea plant into the water 13. Quickly start the timer when you see the first bubble and record it in your data table for ‘Trail 1’ 14. When watching the plant, watch it from birds eye view(above the beaker) so that you can see the whole plant 15. Let the stop watch run for three minutes(1 minute for each trial) and record how many bubbles there are for each trial for each trial. 16. After finishing the three trials, if the plant floats to the top, push the plant down with a skewer 17. For the next test, rip a section of paper thats about the size of your palm, place it on the scale 18. Turn on the scale 19. Take a spatula and the tub of carbonate powder and spoon some carbonate onto the paper that is sitting on the scale. 20. Keep on adding and taking away till you get 0.5 grams 21. Take the paper with the 0.5 grams of carbonate and pour it inside the water 22. Quickly stir the carbonate with a spatula so that it is fully dissolved into the water equally 23. Start the timer when your done stirring and repeat from step 14 to step 22 24. Once the data is finished collecting, add up the data for the 3 trials  for the first test, divide the sum by 3 to get your average. Do this for a the rest of your tests till you get 5 averages for each of the 5 tests 25. Make a table on ‘Exle’, write test 1, 2 and so on in each cel and the amount of carbonate, then write the averages for each of the tests under 26. Highlight all of this then click whatever graph you think would be best Fair Testing Variables Independent variable Variable details Variables you will change Description †¢ The Mass of carbonate powder increases by 0.5grams within each test †¢ To Count the amount of bubbles released within each trial †¢ Time frame for each trial 60sec †¢ Distance in length and height between the lamp and the beaker is 0cm in height and 1cm in length. †¢ Bulbs wattage-60wats †¢ Mass of water in the beaker for every test is 500mls

Leadership Styles in Operations Department

Leadership Styles in Operations Department Introduction. This assignment is aimed at evaluating the leadership styles within the operations department of Robert Wiseman Sons Ltd and determining if senior managers are performing more as managers or leaders. These evaluations will also be assessed to determine if the Managers styles and behaviours maybe impacting on succession planning. In the Last Ten years Robert Wiseman and Sons Ltd (RWD) have delivered excellent growth in sales volume and financial turnover, to cope with this increased demand within the last 3 years alone they have built 1 production facility and 3 distribution sites as well as purchasing 2 combined production and distribution facilities, the following vacancies exist currently across the 22 sites for the following key roles, 4 Quality Managers, 2 Shift Managers, 2 Engineering Managers, 2 Manufacturing Managers, 2 Regional Quality Managers (RQM), 1 Group Continous Improvement Manager and 2 Regional Operations Managers (ROM).The Manufacturing Managers. RQMs and ROMs roles are new positions however arguably the skill set required to fulfil these positions could and should be developed internally. See Appendix 1 and 2 for relevant company organograms As well as the current vacancies, 5 of the last 8 Site managers vacancies have been filled with external managers or managers who had less than 2 years experience within RWD. The Quality manager and Engineering Manager Vacancies are as a result of employees leaving for other positions out with RWD. Given the phenomenal growth over the last 5 years in particular it is feasible to assume that this is the reason for the vacancies and lack of internal candidates with the skills and knowledge to fulfil them, however this assignment will evaluate the general way that the senior management team are performing, the predominant styles of this team and the assumptions they have regarding followers. This all will be summarised in a way that allows conclusions to be drawn on whether the business growth alone is responsible for the lack of developed leaders or wwehetehr thare are opportunities for the senior team to be developed and or change their style and approach to allow more efficient leadership development and as a result improved succession planning. The Literature review (1100 words): There is no single best â€Å"formula† for developing leaders, in fact leadership development is a complex subject with many factors to be considered. Reviewing the literature I have identified some elements that are likely to impact on leadership development for instance the conscious effort the organisation puts into identifying leaders, the type of work that leaders are expected to perform, what the leaders within the organisation think motivates followers, and the dominant leadership styles within the senior management team. All of these to varying degrees affect the development of leaders of the future. Table 1 represents the theories and models I have explored in more detail. Leadership Models Styles Model/Theory Behaviour Leadership Styles Zaleznik, A 1977 Managers Leaders: Are they Different? Kotter, John P 2001 What leaders really do? Blake Mouton: Initiating structure / consideration The leadership of production through people Autocratic / Democratic Hersey Blanchard : Situational Leadership Concern for people / Concern for tasks Directing/Coaching/Supporting/Delegating Macgregor: Theory X Theory Y What managers assume about followers. Autocratic to Democratic Bass: Transactional Tranformational Leadership Autocratic/// to Participative Table 1 There are different strategies that can be adopted to encourage the development of leaders of the future (Zaleznik, 1977), some companies that are successful at developing leaders use different approaches and one successful way to develop leaders is to assign Senior executives as mentors to Junior executives, this approach provides the budding leaders with direct contact to an influential leader within the organisation, access to the experienced leaders knowledge and opinions in a safe and risk free environment. This also allows the opportunity for the senior executive to practise and develop their mentoring skills, a crucial skill that all leaders should be able to practise. Kotter, J (Kotter, 2001), clearly defines the difference between leaders and managers in that Leaders, identify the need for change, create a vision to mobilise and align the organisation and inspire and motive the followers within the organisation to achieve the vision, where as managers create the plan to deliver the vision, set objectives to monitor progress, create procedures and processes to train the people, achieve the objectives and monitor the plan for deviations and problem solve to bring the plan back on track. Given that if leaders are being effective and followers are truly inspired and motivated this could result in not only the achievement of the work but also followers willingness to accept more responsibility and have higher levels of engagement that if properly identified could highlight followers with the necessary talent to become leaders themselves. (Blake and Mouton, 1967) theory of Initiating structure, how much value and effort the managers places on achieving the tasks that will increase production levels and thus profit, and Consideration, the amount of emphasis and effort the manager exerts in meeting the needs and expectations of the individuals. Managers styles can be evaluated using the Blake Mouton leadership grid. The grid categorises managers styles into one of five different types ranging from 1.1 (the impoverished manager who has little concern for production or people) through 9.1 (the authority compliance manager, who has high concern for task completion and production, with little concerns for the needs of the individuals) to 9.9 (the Team manager, who has both high concern for task completion and high concern for the expectations and needs of the individual). 9.1 Managers would be categorised as having an Autocratic leadership style with 9.9 type managers practising a more Democratic leadership style. (Blake a nd Mouton, 1967) state that there is a 3rd dimension to the grid that looks at the managers resistant to change and highlights that managers dominant styles can change under stress or pressure if the manager has a low resistance to change, i.e. a Democratic 9.9 type manager can change to be more Autocratic 9.1 when faced with stressful or pressure situations. This theory is important in my investigation as it relates to the managers attitudes towards the followers and how that attitude may or may not encourage followers to develop. Hersey Blanchard (Blanchard and Hersey, 1996), life Cycle theory which was later renamed as Situational leadership theory suggests that to achieve the task it is necessary for the leader to apply different leadership styles depending on the situation, the attitude and abilities of the followers and the type of tasks or jobs to be performed. This theory also allows for the leadership styles to be practised to develop followers to achieve the task and as the followers develop then it allows for different styles of leadership to be used to support their continued development. Using these styles of leadership are important when relating them to employee development particularly if the leaders are consciously aware of this theory and are purposely applying the appropriate leadership style with the aim of developing the followers whilst achieving the tasks. Macgregor Theory X Theory Y, describes the assumptions that managers have about people, this affects how the manager behaves towards the employees. If the manager has assumptions based on theory X he is likely to apply a more Autocratic leadership style as his assumptions will be negative towards the employee, he will assume that employees will only deliver performance expectations if they are pushed and controlled and that they have little to offer in terms of creativity or initiative. By contrast managers who have assumptions based on Theory Y which is the opposite of theory X assumptions will encourage employees to take responsibility, work autonomously, and participate in solving business problems and deliver higher than expected performance. Managers with theory Y assumptions will be more likely to apply a Democratic or Participative leadership style. Manager assumptions may also create the Pygmalion affect Kopelman (ADD CITATION), if the manager has high expectations of employ ees ability to deliver high levels of performance then he behaves in a manner that will encourage and support these feelings, this then positively affects the followers attitude and they will try and respond in kind. However this also applies to theory X assumptions in that the employees may only deliver the managers expectations and thus if those expectations assume low performance levels then the employees may deliver just that. Macgregors theory is an important aspect in relation to developing leaders as theory X type behaviours and the subsequent leadership style applied are likely to result in lower levels of motivation as defined by Maslows hierarchy of needs where as leadership styles rooted in theory Y assumptions will open up the possibility of higher levels of employee motivation perhaps for employees to achieve self actualisation and thus deliver their potential, this potential may result in the employees becoming leaders themselves. BM Bass , Transactional leadership (Add CITATION) , is a relationship between the leaders and followers which is based on a transaction, the manager provides, pay and rewards such as promotion or favourable working conditions in return for the follower delivering satisfactory levels of performance. This style of leadership is unlikely to produce anything other than average performance levels, particularly if the manager only interacts with the followers if performance levels or standards arent achieved. Transformational leadership by contrast requires leaders to inspire followers by creating a vision, applying a charismatic style and good communication skills to engage and inspire followers to achieve performance levels in excess of expectations. This style also calls for leaders to build relationships with followers as individuals and have genuine concerns for their well being and development. If Transformational leadership is practised properly then the organisation will benefit fr om greater performance levels, obtained by having followers whos effort is far greater than they are contractually obligated to provide, as well as creating an organisational culture that encourages individuals to be developed to allow them the opportunity to fulfil their potential, this may also result in the followers becoming leaders. Findings In the following section I will present general background about Robert Wiseman Sons Ltd (the company) including its origins, geographical coverage, annual turnover and annual sales. The section will also cover the methods I used to gather my information, including techniques, sources and the outcome of my investigation. Robert Wiseman Dairies is a UK based liquid milk processing company, established in 1947 in East Kilbride, just outside Glasgow in Scotland. Founded by Robert Wiseman Senior, the business increased in size and profitability when Robert SNRs two oldest sons, Alan and Robert Jnr took control of the company. The business was floated on the stock market in 1994; however Alan Robert remain the majority share holders. The company employs 4700 employees, has 22 sites based throughout the UK ranging from Keith in the north of Scotland to Pensilva in the south of England. The 22 sites consist of 7 production facilities (Dairies) of which 2 are combined Dairies and distribution depots, 14 Distribution depots and 1 milk reload site. The company deliver product to customers throughout the whole of the UK. To obtain my evidence I interviewed 9 different leaders from within the Operations department, 2 Operational board members ,4 group or regional managers (responsibility for multiple sites) 3 Site managers. These individuals were chosen for their long length of service and seniority within the organisation, this seniority allows for the ability to develop managers to fill senior positions. The average age of the senior managers is 47years old, with an average length of service of 20 years ,and an average length of time in a senior postiton, Site manager or above of 11 years, this ranged from 4 years to 16years. The interview consisted of a question and answer section, the questionnaire was created by myself and focused on trying to identify leadership or management tasks along with questions regarding different leadership theories and 3 leadership style questionnaires, Blake and Mouton Leadership grid sourced from the internet, Macgregors assumptions about people questionnaire sourced from the Manufacturing institute along with a task-Person Leadership questionnaire also sourced from the Manufacturing institute. Using the companys automated library I obtained a copy of the company mission statement along with the personal development plans (PDPs) for most salaried staff, these PDPs were created in 2003 and have not been used for managers development for the last 5 years. No written or communicated company vision exists. Company Mission Statement: Be the recognised supplier of choice to the fresh liquid milk market Understand Customers needs Deliver the highest quality products Build a culture of continuous improvement Be the best fresh liquid milk processors and suppliers. Leadership or Management: Vision Creation, Communication and Organisational alignment: I began the questionnaire by asking each of the senior managers what they did in their job, half of the individuals mentioned that a large proportion of their time was either spent fire fighting or getting the product to the customers. The majority mentioned the need to achieve targets and objectives as well as looking for opportunities for continuous improvement all with a short term view. Only one of the Leaders suggested that they took a strategic view of the company direction as well as keeping abreast of the company competitors and world class organisations through benchmarking. At first I was interested that no one mentioned communicating the company vision or aligning their depts. to achieve the vision which led me onto my next question: Does the company have a vision? All of the leaders confirmed there is no documented vision with only two of the leaders able to confirm that the company actually had a vision, this currently is only discussed informally at board level. The remaining leaders had a guess at what they thought the vision was with 7 different visions being proposed. In response to my next question, do you have a vision for your dept or site? The majority of the senior managers did have a vision however they were on the whole not directly linked with the company vision, they were not aligned with each others vision and either had not been communicated at all or discussed only with each of their senior teams. None of the senior managers had communicated their vision with each other. Succession planning Mentoring. To establish if the senior team spent time on identifying the leaders of the future and their successors I began with the following question, do you identify the leaders of the future for your area? 2 of the team responded that they do identify future leaders within their area and had informal discussions regarding their development. The others either did not actively or specifically seek out future leaders for their areas. My next questions was, do you mentor any junior member of your team or any other team? 2 of the team are official mentors to junior employees; this is as a result of a new initiative that RWD is involved in where they are sponsoring employees through a foundation degree in Dairy technology. No other senior manager is currently participating in an official mentor/mentoree relationship, several of the team felt that they were unofficially mentoring at least 1 junior member of their team or had done in the past however in general this had not been communicated with the mentoree and was not structured in any way I then asked, is there any obligation on you from anywhere to develop your successor? All answered that there was no official or direct expectation from the organisation that they identify and develop their successors, some felt that they where personally obliged to identify their successors, all felt that they should be obligated to develop their successors. The majority of the interviewees felt that they would be happy to accept an agreed objective with their line managers to identify and develop their successors and some of the interviewees had recognised individuals within their teams who had potential to develop into their successors. No one had agreed formal development plans with these individuals. Most of the interviewees had recently been involved in or been given objectives to create a new competency framework for certain key roles. These documents are to be progressed to allow gap analysiss to be performed with individuals and these would then generate Personal development plans. So whilst there has been little or any use of PDPs for the last 5 years the company have recognised this and are acting to improve the situation. Leadership Styles: Using the Blake Mouton leadership grid questionnaire all the senior team where evaluated, two of the team emerging as Authoritarian and the, majority emerged as Team Leaders based on their answers. The results ranged from 4.6 to 7.6 for consideration for people, with consideration for task ranging from 5.2 to 8.2. This indicates that with regards to consideration of people versus consideration for task completion there is no strong bias, however the majority of the results are closer to the 5.5 middle of the road manager style which may only result in adequate performance results a. If the aim is to have high performing teams producing high performance then there is an opportunity for improvement. Insert BM Grid. To investigate whether the senior management teams assumptions about people are impacting on their leadership styles and thereforemaybe impacing on developing leaders each manager completed an assumptions about people questionnaire to establish where they fit on Macgregors theory X and Y concept. The average results where 21 for Theory X, individual results varied from 9 to 34. Average results for Theory Y were 79. Individual results ranged from 66 to 91. In general the senior teams assumptions about people are generally positive, this allows for the possibility of the team influencing higher levels of motivations within their within their followers Discussion (1100 words) Format it/write it and re read it many times. This section ties together the whole assignment!!!!!!!!!!, needs to show my ability to link theory with the real world CHECK THE TOP TIPS FOR THIS AS IT IS DIFFICULT. Conclusion and recommendations   One way of improving the development and performance of followers is to apply a more transformational leadership style approach within the organisations. This approach has proven to some extent to improve the motivation, and empowerment and thus the performance (Avolio,Eden Shamir) ADD ENDNOTE CITATION) of followers. Providing training to the senior management team within operations beginning with the Top MANAGEMENT TEAM Supply chain director, GOMs ROMs and to Site Mgrs on transformational leadership to expand the knowledge of the team may help to engage the leaders more in leaders activities as oppose to management activities. The implications and cost of this approach would need to be reviewed and agreed before commencing this approach. BLAKE, R. R. MOUTON, J. S. 1967. MANAGERIAL GRID IN 3 DIMENSIONS. Training and Development Journal, 21, 2-5. BLANCHARD, K. H. HERSEY, P. 1996. Life-cycle theory of leadership. Training Development, 50, 42-47. KOTTER, J. P. 2001. What Leaders Really Do. Harvard Business Review, 79, 85-96. ZALEZNIK, A. 1977. Managers and leaders: Are they different? Harvard Business Review, 55, 12.

Theories of How Individuals Interact in Groups in HSC

Theories of How Individuals Interact in Groups in HSC 2.1 Write an assay explaining theories of how individuals interact in groups, particularly applying them to teams that work in your Health and Social Care setting. The relationship between classical Grounded Theory (Glaser, 1978; Glaser Strauss, 1967) and the interpretive tradition of Symbolic Interactionism is strong and historical. Although this relationship has been discussed in previous publications as a given limited literature has explained the connections between their silent assumptions and concepts precisely and thoroughly (Chenitz Swanson, 1986; Crotty, 1998; Speziale Carpenter, 2007). Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a 4-stage model of group development, this is his theory on how Health and Social Care professionals should be working effectively in managing human resources. The four stages of his theories are; Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing and also added a fifth stage of model to group development after 10 years which is Adjourning. The fifth model is when a professional breaks the knot and leaves the group without informing anyone. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. Forming is when a new set of Health and Social Care professionals are introducing one another by communicating and interacting in a group. They exchange information and set a target to be met as successful team work. The manager will need to set a clear guild to the Health and Social Care workers and it must be followed effectively so the colleagues avoid any misbehaviours and prevent from problems arising between each other in a team work. Forming is where a big group of Health and Social Care professionals are depending on one particular individual whom is a team leader or their role model, this person will have a huge responsibility in guiding the group of Health and Social Care professional to the right path in their carer to pass their activities. An agreement on team aims other than received from team leader. In this team individuals are not certain of their own role or responsibilities as they are all depending on one person who is the team leader. The team leader has skills and knowledge and must be willing to answer all the questions about the team purpose, activities and external relationships. Individuals test tolerance of system and leader directs to telling mode as he is in charge of the team and tells everyone to do what he wishes. Storming: A chaotic vying for leadership trialling of group processes. Storming is when a group of members dont agree with each others decisions, team members attempt to establish themselves in relation to another member in the team or team leader, who might receive challenging behaviour from a team member in disagreeing with decisions made. At this stage issues are developed over members having their own views rather than a whole team agreeing to one point of view. A team will only have conflict rising when they are not working effectively and the team leader is managing the group following the guild lines.   The improvement guide: a practical approach to enhancing organizational performance (GJ Langley, RD Moen, KM Nolan, TW Nolanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 2009 books.google.com). Norming: Eventually an agreement is reached on how the group operates (norming) The third step, norming, is where the team members fall into agreement over the solutions for their team. In this step, the team members are able to talk openly about their opinions and have the ability to adjust their behaviour to avoid conflict. The team members agree on the teams values, rules, professional behaviour and methods of work (Armstrong, 2006). Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives. The final step, performing, is where the team fully understands, co-operates and supports one another, thereby working as a single unit rather than individuals. Teams that have reached this step display high levels of motivation, knowledge, competence and autonomy (Armstrong, 2006) Adjourning: The process of without informing the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. This is the fifth and last step Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed which breaks the team apart without any signals showing. References Aldiabat, Khaldoun M; Le Navenec, Carole-Lynne. The Qualitative Report; Fort Lauderdale16.4 (Jul 2011): 1063-1080. http://search.proquest.com/openview/55df192e1247c417cbc00ba1b141ca1d/1?pq-origsite=gscholarcbl=55152 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01933928808411771?src=recsys

Mars landing and probes :: essays research papers

Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War. The planet probably got this name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red Planet. (An interesting side note: the Roman god Mars was a god of agriculture before becoming associated with the Greek Ares; those in favor of colonizing and terraforming Mars may prefer this symbolism.) The name of the month March derives from Mars. Mars has been known since prehistoric times. It is still a favorite of science fiction writers as the most favorable place in the Solar System (other than Earth!) for human habitation. But the famous "canals" "seen" by Lowell and others were, unfortunately, just as imaginary as Barsoomian princesses. The first spacecraft to visit Mars was Mariner 4 in 1965. Several others followed including Mars 2, the first spacecraft to land on Mars and the two Viking landers in 1976 (left). Ending a long 20 year hiatus, Mars Pathfinder landed successfully on Mars on 1997 July 4 (right). In 2004 the Mars Expedition Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" landed on Mars sending back geologic data and many pictures. Mars' orbit is significantly elliptical. One result of this is a temperature variation of about 30 C at the subsolar point between aphelion and perihelion. This has a major influence on Mars' climate. While the average temperature on Mars is about 218 K (-55 C, -67 F), Martian surface temperatures range widely from as little as 140 K (-133 C, -207 F) at the winter pole to almost 300 K (27 C, 80 F) on the day side during summer. Though Mars is much smaller than Earth, its surface area is about the same as the land surface area of Earth. Except for Earth, Mars has the most highly varied and interesting terrain of any of the terrestrial planets, some of it quite spectacular: Olympus Mons: the largest mountain in the Solar System rising 24 km (78,000 ft.) above the surrounding plain. Its base is more than 500 km in diameter and is rimmed by a cliff 6 km (20,000 ft) high (right). Tharsis: a huge bulge on the Martian surface that is about 4000 km across and 10 km high. Valles Marineris: a system of canyons 4000 km long and from 2 to 7 km deep (top of page); Hellas Planitia: an impact crater in the southern hemisphere over 6 km deep and 2000 km in diameter.

Kelly and Sale: Persuasive Or Pointless? Essay -- Kelly Sale Argumenta

Kelly and Sale: Persuasive Or Pointless? Unarguably, since technology has been introduced, it has had profound effects, permeating not only onto society, but our entire ecological system. To categorize the effects of technology as predominantly beneficial or detrimental, as Kevin Kelly and Kirkpatrick Sale claim in their interview, is difficult. "Interview With The Luddite" captures and vividly illustrates their seemingly pointless and underdeveloped ideas. Kelly, protechnology, and Sale, a contemporary neo-Luddite, discuss many technological issues, including the automation of the labor force, oral tradition, literacy, and civilization. Later, they go on to present often radical and unrealistic solutions to the issues. While at times I can fathom certain aspects of the arguments, their solutions are predominantly too idealistic. In this paper, I plan to explore the physical setting of the interview, important nonphysical aspects including the intentions of the participants, and the ideas presented, while incorporating my o wn perceptions of their persuasiveness and effectiveness. The atmosphere of the June 1995 interview between Kelly and Sale is of essential importance to the initial impressions of the audience. Firstly, Kelly and Sale agreed to the interview which was published in Wired magazine. "This popular on-line magazine lacks any in-depth discussion of even the most problematic issues surrounding digital culture" (243). Obviously, the magazine offers a purely biased perspective and presents only the positive effects of technological innovations. Appearing in such a biased magazine may seem initially beneficial to the conversion intentions of Sale, the Luddite, but with deeper analysis it becomes clear that the c... ... convincing. Still, I cannot fathom the motivations behind the interview for either participant. Perhaps Kelly's goal was to persuade Sale, which he did, and perhaps Sale's goal was to attract publicity. Nevertheless, neither was very effective or intriguing in their arguments. I propose we invite technology and essentially the future. But we should never overstep our boundaries in this world. Instead, accept our role, have regard for nature, respect the Higher Being, and finally consider the consequences of our actions. If all aspects are considered, the undeveloped and seemingly pointless analogies illustrated by Kelly and Sale can be thankfully avoided. Works Cited Kelly, Kevin. "Interview With The Luddite." Andrea A.Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, The Presence Of Others: Voices That Call For A Response. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. (243-253)

Foster Care Essay examples -- non-parental custodians

Foster Care INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An ideal environment for the social, emotional, and developmental growth of children does not always exist in today’s society. Family units that have become separated due to family or behavior problems often contribute to delays in these areas. In order to promote continuity in the social, emotional, and developmental growth of children who have been victims of family disruption, children are often removed from the home and placed in foster care. Placement in the foster care system affects children in a unique, individual fashion. The affects of child-care by non-parental custodians, though subjective in nature, have common parameters that must be addressed and examined. Understanding foster care placement is crucial in order to fully evaluate both its advantages and disadvantages. WHAT IS FOSTER CARE?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, â€Å"Foster care means 24-hour substitute care for all children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the State agency has placement and care responsibility.† Though this definition excludes children in privately funded foster care arrangements, placement in a facility not governed by a state agency is often sought for children. Placement with either a state agency or a privately funded program can either be short-term lasting several months, or extend for a period of years as in long-term placement. The duration of time spent in the foster care system is dependent upon the existing home environment and the ability of the caregivers in the home to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the child. An evaluation of both the present and pre-existing home environment is crucial in making the decision of whether to remove the child from foster care and reunite them with their parental custodians or to continue placement in the foster care system. FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though it is difficult to separate a child from his parental custodians, foster care placement is deemed necessary in situations of abuse or neglect. Severe behavioral problems on the part of the child as well as a variety of parental problems, including abandonment, illness (either physical or emotional), incarcerations, alcohol/substance abuse, and death, are also reasons deemed legitimate to warrant removal from the home. A child, who has been sub... ... has been victimized in his or her home environment. It can, however, with proper placement, provide a safe and nurturing environment that will encourage self-growth and self-achievement. The ultimate goal of foster care placement is reunification with the family. Plans must be implemented so that this goal can be achieved. The problems leading to foster care placement need to be rectified before a safe return home is possible. Failure to fully assess the situation will reap only negative results and problems may escalate. The welfare of the child must be the primary concern. BIBLIOGRAPHY Berrier, Selena. â€Å"The Effects of Grief and Loss on Children in Foster Care.† Fostering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perspectives. November 2007. Conn, R. A. â€Å"Developmental Issues for Young Children in Foster Care.† Pediatrics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5 November 2004. Hueber, Ruth A. â€Å"The Effects of Foster Care on Children.† Child Welfare Research.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  9 November 2005. Marshner, Connie. â€Å"Reform the Nation’s Foster Care System.† Family Research Council.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10 January 2008. Stewart, Gordon. â€Å"Safety and Stability for Foster Children: A Developmental   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perspective.† Journal of Pediatrics. February 2007.

Philosophy of Teaching Essay

Philosophy of teaching is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. It discuss how you put your beliefs in practice by including concrete examples of what you do or anticipate doing in class. My teaching philosophy is ‘participatory learning’. It a type of learning process whereby learners are put in the centre of every learning situation, in other words pupils take active part of the lesson presentation. . I hold this belief in the sense that, when children are involve actively in the lesson delivery with the relevant teaching methods and techniques and also appropriate learning materials, it’s inspires them to explore and take up their own responsibility. This belief once again, gives children the opportunities to discuss, talk and ask questions. It also allow the teacher to listen to the children and see how their understanding is developing, it makes learning permanent in any learning situation. Validity of my philosophy To validate my philosophy, James Hartley (1998) said that activity is very important in learning. Learning is better when the learner is active rather than passive; therefore learning by doing is to be applauded. My teaching style can best be described as one that incorporates different methods and techniques that encourages learners to be active participant in the delivering of lesson. By engaging students in variety of activities that address each child’s learning style, I believe that they will achieve academic success and build the self confidence. Learning occurs when a student is fully encouraged in the process, make a personal connection with the information taught and apply the knowledge to variety of experiences. When this happened the child is inspired to become engaged over and over again, make connections and apply his or her knowledge. Application of my philosophy I understand the importance of using participatory learning to appropriately address the different learning styles and needs of students in order to become effective in the near future. Consequently, it is extremely important to determine each child’s dominated learning style and continually monitor each student’s academic progress through a variety of assessment in order to plan instructions that draw upon each child’s strength to improve academic development. With my teaching philosophy in mind, I try my best to prepare my lesson before time, rehearse on my own base on the teaching and learning materials prepared and available. Introduction of which is an important part of lesson delivery is done first based on the relevant previous knowledge of student then proceed to tell them objectives of the lesson and the future benefit of the topic. In doing so the learner become informed of what would be discussed as the lesson proceed, they think critically and consciously about each objectives. For example I taught the topic shapes and space with the sub topic solid shapes. I used variety of relia like Milo tin, milk tins paper boxes, match boxes, etc. During the presentation stage l allowed pupils to have a look at the TLMs. Teacher then assisted pupils to explore the materials and came out with their own findings. Pupils discussed their findings to identify the shapes as solid shapes while teacher served as a facilitator. Teacher also assisted pupils to identify the parts of the various solid shapes talked about. Likewise in all the topics I treated during the program I used methods and techniques that allowed pupils to fully participate in the lessons. Such techniques include activity method, demonstration, discussion, games, etc. As a teacher I only served as a facilitator and guide to all the activities that went on during teaching and learning process. Effectiveness This philosophy â€Å"participatory learning† with the needed teaching and learning materials is very effective as it enhance pupils taking part fully in the lesson that is they communicate, ask questions, write down points and share ideas with friends. Conclusion I will therefore conclude that when a teacher impact knowledge by involving pupils in every activity or lesson, with appropriate, adequate and suitable learning materials using a variety of teaching techniques such as demonstration, dramatization and role play, the teacher will achieve his or her set goals and get the needed feedback from pupils. This also makes learning more practical and permanent.

Survey Report

The aim of this report is to present the findings of a survey carried out in order to determine the public opinion and performance of Lambshorne Town Council. The data included in this report was obtained from a random sample of 1,000 people. Services On the whole, the ratepayers of Lambshorne expressed dissatisfaction with the services provided by the Council. A significant percentage felt that neither refuse collection nor recycling facilities are adequate, as illustrated by the fact that over half of those questioned felt that these are poor. On the other hand, a large proportion of the public was of the opinion that maintenance of public buildings is satisfactory, which is shown by the fact that forty-nine per cent of those questioned expressed their approval. This is further emphasized by the fact that fifty-one per cent of those surveyed commented favorably on the restoration of the Corn Exchange building. Amenities It is generally felt that public facilities are of high standard, as shown by a large proportion of those surveyed expressed satisfaction with amenities. Furthermore, sixty-eight per cent of those questioned indicated the excellent condition of the new sport center. The fact that only eleven per cent of respondents gave a negative response concerning public parks indicates that ratepayers are mainly satisfied with its conditions. Opinion was mixed regarding other amenities, with an almost equal number of â€Å"Good† and â€Å"Poor† assessments. In particular, thirty two per cent of those surveyed mentioned that Maplegrove Housing Estate needs more street lights. Council Efficiency On the one hand, it is generally felt that staff efficiency is not adequate which is shown by the fact that majority of people expressed dissatisfaction with staff efficiency. On the other hand, the significant percentage of those who responded expressed satisfaction with cost efficiency of services. Opinion was mixed regarding the helpfulness of staff, with an almost equal distribution of â€Å"Good† and â€Å"Poor† assessments. The sixty-four per cent of people were of the opinion that Council has too many employees for work done. Recommendations On the bases of the findings on services, it would seem that services provided by the Council need to be improved. The main weaknesses of services are the lack of refuse collection and recycling facilities. As the assessments of amenities indicate, public parks and recreation facilities are satisfactory. My recommendation is, therefore, that more street lights should be set up. Based on the opinion regarding the efficiency, I would recommend that staff efficiency should be revised.

Natural Disaster and the Retail Business Owner Essay

Disaster and the Retail Business Owner Natural Disaster and the Business Owner People make difficult decisions in business everyday. People that make these decisions have to stand by them. The situation in this assignment, speaking of hurricane Katrina, I have mixed feelings on the business owner Brian decision. From a person on the outside looking in perspective, I felt he was wrong for raising the prices of the hotel rooms. But in reality, I had to put myself in the shoes of the business owner. In this situation I believe Brian should not give Lilly’s job back. It was Lilly’s decision to quit her job because she felt that Brian choice to raise the prices was wrong. Due to Brian being the owner of the motel it was his prerogative to raise the rates. Lilly told Brian if he was going to raise the rates then she would quit. I think Brian’s response by telling her by telling her to do what you have to do was more than fair. I felt Lily disrespected Brian telling him she quit and hanging up on him. That helps support my decision to not give her job back. Also, what happens when Brian makes a decision she doesn’t like? What says she won’t react and quit again? If I understand these terms correctly, I fell Lily falls under Deontology. She spoke her mind because it her decisions to do so and it was her right to do so and it was not for the greater good. I believe Brian falls in the category of Deontological Ethics as well. It was his right to raise the rates of his motel rooms. It was also his right to le Lilly go if she didn’t agree with his decision. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect opportunity to make money of a natural disaster. Many businesses took the opportunity to raise prices to profit of natural disasters. The decisions to profit off natural disaster are not happiness based. These higher prices will affect the hurricane victims. If Brian’s decision was to lower rates to accommodate hurricane victims, he would be bombarded with customers and most likely lose money. This would cause unhappiness to the business owner and happiness to the customer. I believe Lilly did not support her decision because if she did she would have not reapplied for the job. Brian did raise the rates regardless of Lily’s argument and threat to quit. So why did she quit if she was going to try to get her job back. References https://cdad. trident. edu/CourseHomeModule. aspx? course=17&term=110&module=1&page=bkg

Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers Essay

Abstract This study explores teacher education programs and preservice teacher dispositions. The study examined the dispositions of two sections of a reading methods course populated by preservice teachers. A dispositions checklist was used to collect data in three phases and from two audiences. The findings of the study strongly suggest that preservice teachers have a positive view of their own dispositions as well as their peers’ dispositions. The study also shows that the perception of preservice teachers’ dispositions of themselves differ greatly from the perception of the instructor of the course. Implications from this study suggest further development of practices that surface disposition and strategic use of data to improve teacher dispositions within teacher education programs. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 3 Introduction As the push for effective teachers persists, many teacher education programs, and professional development administrators are left speculating about the part dispositions perform in effective teaching. Johnson & Reinman (2007) sought to explore the definition of dispositions as teacher professional judgment and professional action in the moral/ethical domain of adult cognition. By assessing beginning teacher judgment both quantitatively and qualitatively, convergence between predicted and observed patterns was found in addition to congruence between teacher judgment and action. Based on the findings of convergence and congruence, implications for teacher education and development are made. They mirror what Jung (2009) found in the study of teacher technology. Jung studied technology teacher dispositions and found education significantly increased competence level and disposition measures. The study also found there are no statistically significant differences in technology proficiency level in terms of age or gender, female and older students should be strongly encouraged to use technology without fear of failure. Since the major difference in the technology disposition score was due to the male students’ stronger selfconfidence level toward technology, teacher educators should pay attention for female students to be more self-assured through repeated contact to the technology experience. Jung made the following recommendations: (1)The importance of technology should be stressed frequently and intensely throughout the curriculum. (2) Future teachers should see successful role models continuously for adopting technology. (3) Numerous technology literacy and integration classes, and other forms of technology education need to be included in the curriculum- to make them competent and perceive themselves technologically competent. (4) Future teachers Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 4  should be exposed to the experiences, which repeatedly connect the value of technology with their career, which enable them to see and to experience the value of using technology and living with technology, which let them frequently use technology for their learning, problem solving, and future instruction. Disparate to the literature on some dispositions, the dispositions cited in the teacher education literature (e. g. , INTASC) have almost no illuminating value and very little significance presently. This conclusion comes from an examination of the cited teacher dispositions in  terms of Underwood’s levels of meaning in the behavioral sciences and shows that these dispositional paradigms are little more than labels for particular behaviors. Although the construct, disposition, in teacher education may be redundant now, it is not entirely inadequate as it may provide a pilot hypothesis for further investigations (Murray, 2007; Windschitl, 2003). The implications from the previous studies provide the groundwork for exploring teacher dispositions. In order to effectively investigate this, a definition for dispositions by our governing bodies must be identified. â€Å"NCATE now defines Professional Dispositions as: Professional attitudes, values, and beliefs demonstrated through both verbal and non-verbal behaviors as educators interact with students, families, colleagues, and communities. These positive behaviors support student learning and development† (2007). Institutions take their own stab at defining dispositions in many ways. The National Association for the Education of Young Children states in order to enact and examine surface disposition: â€Å"All teaching staff evaluates and improve their own performance based on ongoing reflection and feedback from supervisors, peers and families. They add to their knowledge and increase their ability to put knowledge into practice. They develop an Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 5 annual individualized professional development plan with their supervisor and use it to inform their continuous professional development†. The National Association for the Education of Young Children also states that disposition is defined through: â€Å"All teaching staff continuously strengthening their leadership skills and relationships with others and works to improve the conditions of children and families within their programs, the local community or region, and beyond. Teaching staff participate in informal or formal ways in local, state, or regional public-awareness activities related to early care by joining groups, attending meetings, or sharing information with others both at and outside the program (2005)†. The University of West Georgia surfaces disposition through its conceptual framework. â€Å"The Conceptual Framework is the rationale and organizing principle that guides the curriculum for Developing Educators for School Improvement. The Conceptual Framework is grounded in research, knowledge, and experience that describe what undergraduate and graduate candidates should know and apply to foster transformational systemic change. Our Conceptual Framework incorporates the standards and principles established by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC), and Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs). The following beliefs give credence to our professional commitments—the 10 descriptors used to describe the qualities and dispositions that we feel educators must possess to positively impact school improvement—and provide further delineation of the Conceptual Framework: Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 6 1. Decision Makers: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills when making decisions that will influence effective transformational systemic change. 2. Leaders: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate effective leadership skills to initiate and facilitate transformational systemic change. 3. Life Long Learners: We believe that candidates should seek continually to improve their knowledge, disposition, and skills to influence transformational systemic change. 4. Adaptive: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate flexibility and strategic planning appropriate to a wide variety of learners for effective transformational systemic change. 5. Collaborative: We believe that candidates should be able to develop skills to work effectively with various stakeholders involved in the educational process that will bring about transformational systemic change. 6. Culturally Sensitive: We believe that candidates should be able to develop awareness and understanding of individual and group differences when diagnosing and prescribing transformational systemic change. 7. Empathetic: We believe that candidates should be able to develop the sensitivity for individual, family, and institutional needs that will embrace transformational systemic change. 8. Knowledgeable: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate general knowledge inherent in a liberal arts curriculum, advanced knowledge in content areas, and specific knowledge in professional education for the implementation of transformational systemic change. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 7 9. Proactive: We believe that candidates should be able to advocate for the removal of barriers that impede life long learning and hinder transformational systemic change. 10. Reflective: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills in the diagnosis and prescription for transformational systemic change. According to Merriam-Webster (2010), disposition is defined as a â€Å"prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination b : temperamental makeup c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances†. Katz (1985) defines disposition as â€Å"the notion of disposition was defined as an attributed characteristic of a teacher, one that summarizes the trend of a teacher’s actions in particular contexts† (p.301). Now that the definitions for this context have been identified, let us examine what the research says about them. What Does Research Say about Disposition? The arena of literature on dispositions in the field of teacher education is one of great concern. In light of the fact that our professional organizations and accrediting bodies are constructing disposition requirements for graduate and undergraduate levels, universities are now being required to provide concrete evidence as to how dispositions are being addressed. At the same time, teacher education programs are continuously providing opportunities for reflection in induction, courses, field and clinical placements. If we are considering reflection in action as Schon (1987) defines it, we must marry this concept with teaching dispositions. Within action, reflection has the ability to surface. This study seeks to examine this relationship within the coursework through three points of view: the students themselves, their view of each other and the instructor. In the context of this study, the researcher defines preservice teacher as â€Å"a teacher education student working to attain an. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 8 undergraduate degree in education or initial certification after receiving a four-year degree in another field†. Disposition Origin â€Å"The study of dispositions had its roots in the 1960’s when Arthur W. Combs began a series of studies on the personal perceptions of effective helpers, which he called perceptual characteristics† (p. 96). Teacher education programs over the last 30 years have been implicit and explicit in including them in their conceptual frameworks. In issues of accreditation, dispositions play an important role in the making of teacher candidates. Similarly, Giovannelli (2003) stated that dispositions serve as an accurate measure of teacher effectiveness. On the other hand, Beyer (2002) stated that accreditation mandates, such as dispositions, emphasize a â€Å"technical-rational† approach to teaching and ignore â€Å"social, philosophical, and political understandings† needed by educators† (p. 96). The major teacher accrediting bodies have battled with this for a while now. McKnight (2006) states, â€Å"Where as before NCATE held college of education faculty accountable for proving each preservice teacher had mastered certain knowledge and skills, new policies and standards now dictate faculty must generate evidence as to whether the teacher candidate is the right sort of person† (p. 213). National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has been criticized regarding the dispositions that are highlighted in its’ standards. They should be assessed at the college level, or taught in a manner that would guide the teacher candidate to alter his or her already established dispositions. Time and opportunity may be in question. There is also the concern of whether dispositions towards virtues such as social justice, caring and honesty, which NCATE standards present as attractive, will fall short of leaving a mark on teacher candidates. McKnight (2006) found, â€Å"These dispositions have been reinforced in the general process of schooling, as Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 9 part of the hidden curriculum and academic achievement discourse, according to those who analyze schooling from a critical lens (e. g. Bowers and Flinders 1990; Cherryholmes 1988; Doll 1993; Zeichner 1991, p.214)†. Presence of Dispositions In order to be aware of the facilitation of dispositions, preservice teachers must be open to interaction and experience in the learning and teaching environment. This would denote presence. Raider-Roth and Rodgers, (2006) defines this â€Å"engagement as ‘presence’- a state of alert awareness, receptivity and connectedness to the mental, emotional and physical workings of both the individual and the group in the context of their learning environments and the ability to respond with a considered and compassionate best next step † (p.266). The authors also hold that reflective teaching cannot be compacted to a set of behaviors or skills, but is a practice that requires presence. â€Å"It requires self-knowledge, trust, relationship and compassion† (p. 266). Research from past studies confirm that the relationship between teacher and student is a cornerstone in student achievement, motivation, engagement and in their ability to depend on what they know (Midgley & Urdan. , 2001; Pianta, 1999; Roeser Eccles & Sameroff. , 2000; Rodgers, in press; Raider-Roth, 2005a,b). This research illustrated that the quality of these relationships is not a light or surface factor of schooling; it is a critical feature of learning. What allows this relationship to burgeon is intricate and calls upon the mental, physical, emotive and related capital of the teacher†. If this is the case, preservice teachers must be prepared and primed for such a relationship. â€Å"Maxine Greene (1973), lifting the semantics of Merleau-Ponty, wrote on ‘wide-awakeness. ’ Through the act of reflection the human being confronts and becomes aware of ‘his relation to his surroundings, his manner of conducting himself with. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 10 respect to things and other human beings, the changing perspectives through which the world presents itself to him† (p. 269). Teacher educators anticipate this permeating exchange in the classroom. Schulz (2003) and Heshusius (1995) illustrated a similar position when they articulated the power of listening. Schultz, categorized listening at the crux of what it is to teach, defined listening as â€Å"an active, rational, and interpretive process that is focused on creating meaning† (p. 118). As with other thinkers and practitioners mentioned here she saw the teacher’s job as one of attentiveness. Attending to students in this manner, implies becoming deeply engaged in understanding what a person has to say through words, gesture, and action. â€Å"Listening is fundamentally about being in relationship to other and through this relationship supporting change or transformation† (p. 270). Transmission of Dispositions Oftentimes, dispositions are aligned with skills. For example, critical-thinking skills include the ability to create justification for via analysis, evaluation, and interpretation in reasonable, effective, careful, and serious ways, but these skills are powerless if certain dispositions are not in place. Attending to concepts and enacting these skills requires openminded and prejudice-free dispositions. â€Å"Thinking skills rely on disposition to imply knowledge transfer within domains and the impetus to apply those skills (Harpern 1998; Wright 2002)†. There are multiple approaches to this. The author suggests: â€Å"Creating learning experiences for students that foster the development of dispositional commitments including incontrovertible and democratic rights of liberty, opportunity, and dissent, as well as freedoms of participation, inquiry, expression, and worship, are mush easier to prescribe than enact. Developing these dispositions is central to the charge Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 11 of democratic education: creating widening and enlarging experiences (Barton and Levstik, 2004; Dewey, 1916)†. Instead of attempting the edification of dispositions via transmission of instruction, learners can instead appropriately surface them habitually when students have continued exposure to various kinds of learning experiences Reinforcement of Dispositions Battalio and Morin (2004) share that teachers react to reinforcement similarly as students do. In this case, strategies that engage disposition need to be reinforced. A teacher who meets with accomplishment with a strategy will more than likely use the approach at another opportunity. If the success is a lasting one, then the teacher gets consistent confirmation about the usefulness of his or her practice. Regrettably, the reverse is also true. If a teacher uses a strategy that does not appear to operate, he or she is likely to employ the approach again. Achieving enduring change is often slow and seemingly unresponsive to initial positive interventions. Teachers need to be capable and ready to interpret preliminary intervention outcomes in the full framework of the student’s milieu while also resisting the temptation to follow subjective appraisals of the intervention’s effectiveness. The authors describe such teachers as having high personal teaching efficacy (PTE; Guskey & Passaro, 1994). This high personal teaching efficacy springs from a candidate who has the opportunity to explore and develop teacher dispositions for such behavior. Problem with Dispositions Due to concerns with the students’ communication to the instructor, and the nature of the language in that communication, the question of disposition arose. This is based on Schon’s definition of reflection in action. Reflection-in-action is defined by Schon (1987) as the ability of Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 12 professionals to ‘think about what they are doing while they are doing it’. Schon views this as a fundamental skill. He emphasizes that the only way to manage the ‘indeterminate zones of (professional) practice’ is through the ability to think on your feet, and put into operation previous experience to new situations. Students often equate a score on an assignment of project with a positive teaching disposition. This is not an automatic correlation and is often misinterpreted in various areas; student-instructor communications, classroom discussions, instructional conversations, group assignments, presentations, field placements and lesson planning; as well as the instructional environment at large. In this particular case, dispositions manifest themselves in all of the previously mentioned areas in this course. Because of a cohort of students in the first block of the program from the previous semester experienced major problems with maintaining the teacher dispositions as indicated by the College of Education’s Conceptual Framework, the instructor soon discovered that a more explicit system for aiding students in surfacing and monitoring their own dispositions was critical. The next semester the instructor taught the course and took a proactive approach to the situation. She instituted a simple instrument that served a three-pronged purpose: to engage students in assessing themselves, each other, and assisting the instructor in assessing the student’s disposition as well. The review of literature and the instructor’s concerns of developing the â€Å"whole† teacher raised an essential question. How and under what conditions do preservice teachers assess dispositions in terms of themselves, each other, and in the eyes of the instructor? Methodology Research Questions 1. To what degree do preservice teachers assess their own dispositions? Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 13 2. To what degree do preservice teachers assess the dispositions of their peers? 3. To what degree does the instructor assess the dispositions of the preservice teachers in the reading methods course? Population The sample consisted of forty-seven students enrolled in two sections of the reading methods course instituted in the first of four methods block courses in the undergraduate teacher education program at the university. There were forty-three females and four males. Thirty-six were early childhood education majors, eight were middle grades education majors and three were special education majors. The study was voluntary and this population, and its sequences through the methods course blocks, was appropriate for this study because this is the structured progression of the undergraduate teacher education program. Convenience sampling was utilized (Salkind & Rassmussen, 2007). Though convenience sampling has been stated in the literature not to be as strong a method as others, this method is essential to the study because of the nature of the candidates to this institution’s program. If these candidates are to continue in the program as a cohort, monitoring them will be essential to teacher quality and program expectations. Measurement Measures The Likert Scale is an ordered, one-dimensional scale from which respondents choose one option that that most appropriately supports their view. There are usually between four and seven options. An advantage is that questions used are usually simple to understand and show the way to consistent responses. A disadvantage is that limited options are presented; with which respondents may not completely agree. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 14 Construction of measures The instrument was a 4-point likert scale with three major response categories: satisfactory, areas of concern, and not observed. With in the category of satisfactory were two response subcategories: exemplary performance and expected performance. Within the category of areas of concern was below expected performance. Finally, there was the category of not observed. This makes for four responses in total. Exemplary performance was rated as a three, expected performance was rated as a two and below expected performance was rated as a one. The dispositions being assessed were belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. Within the category of belonging were samples of descriptors. Descriptors included: relates easily, positively, and tactfully with others, is friendly, courteous, and professional; actively seeks opportunities for personal and professional growth; appropriate professional appearance and personal hygiene. Within the category of mastery were samples of descriptors. They were: demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and reflection; exhibits an interest in and a commitment to teaching and learning; responds with a positive attitude when receiving feedback. Within the category of independence were samples of descriptors. Descriptors included: demonstrates initiative and positive attitude; is responsible, reliable, dependable, & well organized (meets deadlines, reliable, prompt, attends classes, appointments, meetings, etc. ), and demonstrates flexibility and adaptability. Within the category of generosity were samples of descriptors. They were willingly, actively and cooperatively participates in collaborative situations; shares ideas and concerns, and appreciates multiple perspectives. There was also an open-ended comments section for those responses that students felt were important to the survey but not included in the checklist (See Appendix A). Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 15 Procedures The instrument was administered twice to the students and completed once by the instructor. The students completed the checklist based on their observation of themselves at the middle of the semester. The students then completed the instrument anonymously on a group member at the end of the semester. Finally, the instructor completed the disposition checklist on all of the students at the end of the semester. Each checklist was submitted the day it was completed and all of the data were compiled ten days after the last checklist was collected. Though this was a mixed methods study, the research chose to address the quantitative aspect of the study at this time. Results The data was subject to descriptive statistical analysis, by way of percentages. Self-Reporting In the category of belonging disposition, all of the participants rated themselves as displaying satisfactory performance; with 39 (83%) reporting exemplary performance and 8 (17%) reporting expected performance. In the category of mastery disposition 27 (57%) of the participants rated themselves as exemplary performance, 17 (36%) reported expected performance, and a small percentage; 3 (7%) rated themselves an area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of the independence disposition, 100% rated themselves as satisfactory in the area with 25 (53%) of them rated as exemplary performance and 22 (47%) at expected performance. Finally, in the disposition of generosity, 39 (83%) of the participants rated themselves with an exemplary performance and with 8 (17%) of preservice teachers rated themselves with expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 1). Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 16 Figure 1. Number of Students 50 40 30 20 10 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed on gi ng M as te ry In de pe nd B el Peer Reporting In the category of belonging, 40 (85%) of the participants rated their classmates as exemplary performance with 5 (10%) of the students citing expected performance. Five percent of the participants rated their peers in the area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of mastery, 39 (83%) of the participants rated their peers at exemplary performance. Fifteen percent of participants rated their peers with expected performance and a small percentage of participants reported 1 (2%) of their peers at an area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of the independence, 39 (83%) of the participants rated each other with exemplary performance in this area. Of the preservice teachers, 5 (10%) were rated by their peers as meeting expected performance. Seven percent of the participants rated each other in the category of belowexpected performance. In the category of generosity, 41(86 %) of the participants rated each other with a score of exemplary performance. Seven percent of participants rated their peers with expected performance. Finally, 3 (7 %) of the participants rated their peers below expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 2). G en er os ity en ce Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 17 Figure 2. Number of Students 50 40 30 20 10 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed er y nd en ce gi n B el on. In de pe Instructor Reporting In the category of belonging, the instructor rated 12 (25%) of the participants as displaying exemplary performance. Fifty-seven percent of preservice teachers were rated as displaying expected performance. Seventeen percent of the participants were rated belowexpected performance. In the category of mastery, the instructor rated 7 (15%) of the participants as exemplary performance. Thirty-two percent were rated as expected performance and a smaller percentage; 25 (53%) of the participants were rated as below expected performance area of concern. In the category of independence, 9 (19%) of the students were rated as displaying exemplary performance. Twenty-five percent of participants were rated as having expected performance and 26 (55%) of the participants were rated as below expected performance. In the category of generosity, the instructor rated 7 (15%) of the participants as exemplary performance and 33 (70%) at expected performance. Fifteen percent of the participants were rated at area of concern-below expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 3). G en er os M as t ity g Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 18 Figure 3. Number of Students 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed on gi ng M as te ry In de pe nd B el Figure 4. Comparison of Students’ Scores 3. 5 3 Mean Score 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 Number of Students Reported by instructor Reported by self Reported by peer Discussion This tool provided three views of major disposition categories. The most marked difference was between the instructors view of the participants’ disposition of independence (Figure 4). The discrepancy solicits questions about the definition of independence based on objectives and the context provided by the program’s conceptual framework. It is possible that the proactive descriptor could be part of this definition. G en er os ity en ce Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 19 Mastery was another disposition that elicited conversation and conflict. This, like independence, was controversial as well. Participants tended to view completing assignments as mastery whereas the instructor looked at issues of quality. Belonging was a disposition that was actually consistent across all three reporting groups. This disposition is critiqued because it sets the stage for collegiality; an essential part of teacher life. Generosity was also consistent across all three reporting groups. This disposition too, is critical for planting seeds of empathy; a descriptor in the university’s conceptual framework. As far as limitations are concerned, the research acknowledges a few of them. First of all, of the university’s descriptors are not discreetly measured or assessed. Secondly, the number of students is a relatively small number. Third, these students are in the first methods block of the teacher education program. The researcher questions what this data would reveal if the students were assessed towards the end of the program. Conclusion The study found a significant difference between the instructor’s view of the student’s disposition and their view of themselves. The research found this to be of importance and planned to examine this phenomenon qualitatively. Independence was the one disposition where students were actually aligned with the perception of that disposition with the instructor. Implications This small, yet informative study delineates three relatively important points. First, we must make the importance of dispositions explicit in each course, not just listed in the course objectives. It must be surfaced in the courses and monitored qualitatively and quantitatively. Secondly, we must teach students how to surface dispositions and understand the total Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 20 commitment associated with the conceptual frameworks of each institution’s teacher education program. Third and finally, we must continue to create and fine tune a more concise process for creating banks of comparative disposition data in our accreditation and institutional reports that inform a dynamic curriculum. As issues of teacher quality and student performance continue to avail, we must make the examination of the potential and power of disposition a part of the deliberate conversation. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 21 References Battalio, R. , Morin, J. (2004). Constructing Misbehavior: The Efficacy Connection in Responding to Misbehavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Vol. 6. 251-254. Barton, K. C. , and McCully, A. W. (2004). History, identity, and the school curriculum in Northern Ireland: An empirical study of secondary students’ ideas and perspectives. Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol. 37, 85-116. Beckham, L. ; Julian, K. ; Roberson, T. ; Whitsett, G. (2007). First Year Teachers’ Reported Levels of Functioning on Selected Professional Dispositions. Education. Vol. 128. 95102. Beyer, L. E. (2002). The politics of standardization: Teacher education in the USA. Journal of Education for Teaching, 28, 239-246 PD. Bowers, C. A. , & Flinders, David J. (1990). Responsive teaching: An ecological approach to classroom patterns f language, culture, and thought. New York: Teachers College Press. Cherryholmes, C.H. (1988). Power and criticism: Poststructural investigations in education. New York: Teachers College Press. Combs, A. W. ; Avilz, D. ; Purkey, W. (1971) Helping Relationships-Basic Concepts for the Helping Professions. Allyn and Bacon, Inc. Boston, MA. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: Free Press. Doll, W. B. (1993). A postmodern perspective on curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press. disposition. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved January 17, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/dis.