Facilitated Communication Essay

PsycINFO Article: This article is about a study that was conducted to determine if there is any positive correlation between behavioral deficits and facilitated communication (FC). In the study 12 students with Autism where tested before and after FC therapy, to examine if there was any benefit from the therapy. The results showed no positive correlation between FC and social interactions. The intended audience of the article would be anyone who wants to know more information about FC. Both of the main authors are from the Department of Special Education at The University of Kansas. The motive of the article is to show that is no direct benefit of FC when treating children with autism. ABC News Article: This article provides information about what FC is and how is works. In the article the author explains that there is no evidence for FC’s reliability or validity. It also points out the problem of the facilitator being the only person, who is communicating, not the children. I think the intended audiences of the article are parents who have autistic children. The author is Dr. Lori Warner from HOPE Center for Autism. Her motive is to provide information to parents who have concerns about FC. APA Web Article: This article explains what FC is and how it was thought to be a new breakthrough treatment method for people with autism and other mental handicaps. The article explains the faultiness of FC through evidence that facilitators were sometimes answering questions for the patients when they were not looking. It also mentions that after many studies there has been no evidence that supports any positive correlation between FC and autism. This article’s intended audience is anyone who is truthful information about FC. This is an extremely credible article because the APA wrote it. Its motive is to provide facts about FC and its fallacies. Client Brief: In the articles that I read, I found no evidence supporting positive benefits of FC. In my opinion, I do not believe that FC will benefit a child with serve mental handicaps or autism. However, I do not see any problem with  using keyboards and other forms of FC to communicate better with your autistic child. If you were making some progress in communication skills, then I would continue exploring ways to better communicate with your child. I would also recommend looking into some other options that might have better results and validity. Works Cited American Psychological Association. (2003, November 20). Facilitated communication: Sifting the psychological wheat from the chaff . Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/research/action/facilitated.aspx Myles, B. S., Simpson, R. L., & Smith, S. M. (1996). Collateral behavioral and social effects of using facilitated communication with individuals with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 11(3), 163-169, 190. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/618883072?accountid=14556 Warner, L., (2008, October 23). What is facilitated communication, and will it help my child with autism?. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismTreatment/story?id=5387585

Management accounting questions

Decision makers are variably constrained by the environmental factors, their education, and mental ability. Besides these, decision makers may be constrained by the deficiencies in the information that Is available to them. Required Elaborate this statement with reference to Information deficiency with regard to Information timeliness, Information accuracy and clarity, Information relevance, and Information aggregation levels.Cite examples to support your points Jam Ltd is a manufacturer of a fertilizer product which is packed in 50 keg bags. The following report for year ended 31st December 2013 based on account analysis classification is availed to you Manufacturing costs Account Nature or Classification Amount in This 000 Direct Materials All variable 360,000 Direct Labor 200,000 Overhead costs: Electricity and water 60% variable 60,000 Managerial salaries 20% variable 1 o,oho Maintenance costs variable Depreciation 0% variable Indirect labor 50% variable 120,000Non manufacturing costs Accounts Administration expenses Marketing expenses 40% variable Depreciation costs 80,000 During the year 2013, Jam Ltd produced 80,000 bags. Management is forecasting sales price for the year 2014 based on 2013 cost data. The following additional data is available for the year 2014 compared to the data for the year 2013 1 . Price for direct materials are expected to increase by 10% 2. Under the terms of labor contract, both direct and indirect labor rates are expected to increase by 0% 3. All depreciation costs are expected to increase by 10% 4.Administration and marketing expenses to increase by 20% 5. Electricity and water, maintenance costs and managerial salaries are not expected to change 6. Jam Ltd expects to produce and sell 96,000 bags of fertilizer in the year 2014 Required (I) Estimates price per kilo of fertilizer in the year 2014 if gross profit margin of 201% is targeted (it) Outline advantages and limitations of cost based pricing technique ) For the year 2014 the following projected company data is made available to you for planning purpose 1.Estimated manufacturing costs when production level is 190,000 units is: fixed costs This 180,500,000 and per unit variable costs This 2,800. This cost behavior is maintained at all levels 2. The annual fixed advertising costs of This 190,000,000 and per unit uniform marketing costs of This 800 at all levels 3. A market survey carried out shows that for a change in privet

A contrast between opposing values in Hard Times Essay Example for Free

A contrast between opposing values in Hard Times Essay ? The first incident that involves the circus and circus people that I would like to talk about, and that clearly demonstrates the contrast between opposing values is on page 34 onwards. Mr Gradgrind, the absolute pinnacle of fact in the book, goes to visit the Circus people to tell them that the fanciful Sissy Jupe can no longer attend the school. I have chosen this incident as it involves more of the circus characters than really at any other time, secondly the description of the circus shows just how far from the world and values of fact it is. The circus is the best symbol for representing the alternative to all that is fact in the book; the circus is seen as a world of mystery and wonder almost of magic and idea that completely goes against the idea of facts. Gradgrind and Bounderby go to see Sissy’s father only to find out he has abandoned his daughter, it is then that Mr Gradgrind decides on the possibility of taking Sissy to his own home, and educating her in the ways of fact from there. Mr Bounderby and Mr Gradgrind get together during this time and have a conference of opinions based upon the fact and laws they have always followed, Gradgrind being softer at heart but still the fact machine at this point wants to take Sissy home, but Gradgrind can be heard to be saying â€Å"No. I say no. I advise you not. I say by no means.† He does this as he is the metaphor for fact throughout the book and to take someone else’s child on as your own and teach them the ways of fact, when she has been living the life of fancy for many years seems absurd to Bounderby. However, at the same time that Gradgrind is having a debate about the matter with Bounderby, â€Å"†¦the various members of Sleary’s company gradually gathered together from the upper regions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The circus people are described in this chapter as being â€Å"†¦remarkable gentleness and childishness about these people, a special inaptitude for any kind of sharp practice, and an untiring readiness to help and pity one another, deserving often as much respect, and always as much generous construction, as the every-day virtues of any class of people in the world.† Unlike the likes of Bounderby and Gradgrind, who cannot be described as emotional or passionate or anything of the sort just â€Å"plain hard facts† Sleary in this chapter is the real philosopher on the ideas of fancy he even says it â€Å"†¦I lay down the philothophy of the thubject when thay to you, Thquire, make the betht of uth: not the wurtht!† This chapter clearly show the contrast between opposing views and values in Hard Times, the circus shows a whole new world but is representative of a whole new set of values the ideas of fancy are represented in the themes and scenes with the circus. The thing is with the circus is that it has almost dreamlike status things happen there that cannot happen anywhere else and it appears to be an almost illusion, for example â€Å"The father of one of the families was in the habit of balancing the father of another of the families on top of a great pole.† These are the things that you would only expect to see in dreams and so therefore it is fanciful, a complete contrast to the ideas of fact displayed throughout the rest of Hard Times. A good example of how far opposed to the ideas of fact the circus is takes place on page 12 and 13 when, Mr Gradgrind the keeper of facts and bringer of knowledge to Thomas and Louisa Gradgrind’s lives, catches them sat watching the circus people, he takes the view that the circus was bad news, as it opposes everything he stands for â€Å"Now to think of these vagabonds attracting the young rabble from a model school.† He sees the idea of the circus so fanciful and alien to him, he feels that to watch a circus act would be to debase himself or a well-educated child. It even says â€Å"his own mathematical Thomas abasing himself on the ground to catch but a hoof of the graceful equestrian Tyrolean flower act!† This sentence shows what the opposing values are fully in Hard Times, it is obvious from the statement that anything mathematical or just plain practical is in direct opposition to the fanciful nature of flower shows and the like. Thomas when caught does not even protest but knows that to obey his father’s principles he must â€Å"[give] himself up to be taken home like a machine.† That is clearly the way of fact to be machine like, and that is why the circus is such a good opposition and symbol of everything fact isn’t, Gradgrind condemns circus like ideals when he says â€Å"In the name of wonder, idleness and folly!† apparently to dream or to be imaginative is lazy in Gradgrind’s books. Which is why the factual way in which Gradgrind has based his life upon is so offended by the ideas of fancy as he doesn’t like the thought of being considered as being not lazy but that there can be other ways to work hard in life. Gradgrind is so full of the idea that facts are right, that he even questions and believes that with all these thoughts at the disposal they could make the wrong decision, when surely it isn’t a case of right and wrong? Just opposing views and they do oppose each other! Gradgrind does say though â€Å"Thomas though I have the facts before me I find it difficult to believe that you with your education and resources should have brought your sister to a scene like this.† This makes it seem as though education is supposed to kill the imagination, which clearly conflicts with the views of the circus, which believe that you should work hard and perform in life, but never let the dreams die. A contrast between opposing values in Hard Times. (2017, Nov 15).

Nursery School Teachers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursery School Teachers - Essay Example The two observations were based in a nursery in East London; the setting provides a safe learning environment for over 200 children. The observation was done on children aged from 4 years upwards, three boys, three girls from different backgrounds and culture. The activities were based on drawing, writing, painting and finding insects in the school garden. One activity was done inside the premises and the other activity was done both outside and indoors. Each of these two activities had to link emergent literacy. According to Sulzby, (1989) that emergent literacy is the reading and writing behaviours.. According to Sulzby & Teale (1996, p.728) that, "Emergent literacy is concerned with the earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and write conventionally. The term emergent literacy signals a belief that, in a literate society, young children even 1 and 2 year-olds is in the process of becoming literate." The observations The re ception class had been working on a topic about mini beasts which had involved searching for wildlife in the school garden and examining the animals closely in order to help the students identify and name them. The purpose of the session was to develop the children’s observation, social and reporting skills. ... Once the children placed the woodlice, snails and spiders in their bug boxes, the children they took out their microscopes and then started to put them against their eyes while they looked through it to see their bugs. Some children counted the number of legs on the insects, the eyes, colour, size and shape of the insects. While the children were sitting outside, they started talking about how some insects live in the dirty and how cold the insects must feel. The children responded to this with a wry and why do not they live in a house. After the session in the garden with the microscopes and the bug boxes, the children were encouraged to write about their investigations. Identifying and developing the different skills She implemented strategies for both the mini beast and painting activity to encourage independent writing from the pupils, this was done by valuing children’s emergent writing. This strategy valuing children’s work and theory is called a Humanistic Approa ch. According to Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, John Holt, Malcolm Knowles and Kolb all believed in this approach to learning. According to Bill Huitt, it is the approach upon the development of the child’s self concept; if children feel good within themselves then this is a positive start for progression to self development, which Maslow, recognised this as the â€Å"self actualisation†. She explained to the children before allowing them to start the two activities, what they both consisted of and then read out the task instructions. This was read out clearly, stimulus and from that it allowed children to be able to follow it easier. Freud’s, psychoanalytical theory states that emotional stimulation is the important aspect that

Sustainable Management Futures of Ford Motor Company Essay

Sustainable Management Futures of Ford Motor Company - Essay Example Globalisation had increased the trade flow between countries by liberating trade barriers which had helped Ford to expand their sales in foreign countries. Several governments of foreign countries had developed good technological collaboration and permitted foreign ownership which had helped Ford to increase their resources and develop latest model to manage with the current market condition (Ivory Research Ltd, 2011). Economic Economical factor can influence the automotive industry. The GDP growth rate can determine the purchasing power of any country which is the most crucial factor for operating any business. Ford Motor Company operates in major economies such as China, America, the UK, India, Australia and others where the GDP growth rate and vehicle market condition are good (Ivory Research Ltd, 2011). Social Social factors such as customer attitudes, demographic factor play a vital role in automotive industry. For example, in countries such as America, people prefer large comfo rtable car, while on the other hand, people of the UK usually prefer small vehicles. These factors can affect the attractiveness of vehicle market in a particular country. From the graph below it can be seen that the demand of large vehicle had increased by 202% between the year 2003 and first quarter of 2004. Source: (Ivory Research Ltd, 2011). Technological In this era, the preferences of technological improvement had increased rapidly. People prefer more advanced and technological features in their cars. The Ford Motor Company always utilises good technology in their vehicle and it provides high quality vehicle for efficient use. It also allows customers to view the product’s features online and... The researcher states that in the 21st century, Ford Company had experienced several issues and most important issues are economic recession, usage of energy and other environmental aspects. This essay focuses on the discussion of how Ford had responded every issue and proved as one of the top car manufacturers in the world today. It has developed new technology and decreased the CO2 emission along with increased sales. It is stated that Ford is concerned for both green environment and global economy and thus it develops car which has less impact on environment and is affordable by most customer. Ford focuses on developing solution to resolve global issues and help customer live better life. Ford strives to be a leader in fuel efficient technology. The researcher states that Ford aims to create electric vehicle in order to capture the electric vehicle market. Over the years, Ford has decreased the usage of energy by initiating various programs, mentioned in the essay. Ford had made c ontinuous progress with regards to product quality, durability and security of vehicle and continued good progress in various environmental issues. In 2010, Ford was awarded as the ‘World’s Most Ethical Company’ because of good corporate social responsibility attempts and sound business practices. The researcher then concluds that Ford always provides product according to customer choice and with their convenient strategic business policy, Ford is determined to rank among the leaders of global automobile industry.

The effectevnice of the green building evaluate & labing system Article

The effectevnice of the green building evaluate & labing system - Article Example ilding formulated the green building evaluation and labeling system (GBELS) which uses nine indicators to evaluate if a building project is environmentally viable. After implementation in 1999, the government mandated that all state building should undertake the green building design. Green building labels were awarded to building fulfilling at least four indicators. Differing feedback have been received with some claming that some GBELS indicators cant be used at the initial design stages, neglects the designer, clients and contractor needs and is not effective. However, some positive feedback indicates that GBELS helped in power conservation, improvement of project life cycle and promotion of green building. In light of these, this research work evaluated GBELS by examining its effectiveness, implementation, application, scope, current practice as well as reveling its merits and demerits for the purposes of recommending on the methods of improving it and using it internationally. ( Chinese architecture and building center, 2007; Lin et al, 2006 and Vivian, 2007) The main aim of the research work was to evaluate and analyze the effectiveness and implementation of GBELS its terms of its applicability, suitability as compared to other environmental assessment tools, its merits and limitations as well as its applicability on an international level. After collecting the data, selection was done to discard wrongly filled questionnaires. For the comparative analysis the author compared GBELS with BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), HKBEAM (Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) (CET, 1999). Where W was the weight given by each factor by the respondent {1(least important)-5(most important)}, A was the highest weight, N was the total number of the sample and was the relative importance index. Administering of questionnaire provides for an adequate means of

The Revolutionary Context of the Constitutional Convention Essay

The Revolutionary Context of the Constitutional Convention - Essay Example e revolutionaries believed that â€Å"proper constitutions†¦depended on consent, but governments existed in order to protect the liberties of all†¦[the revolutionaries searched for a] governmental structure in which liberty and representative democracy could be combined.† While there were undoubtedly fundamental problems with creating the sort of government where the officials held little to no power, Banning argues that â€Å"whatever the Revolution was or would become, its essence lay originally in these thirteen problematic experiments in constructing republican regimes† (PAGE #). As such, it is evidenced that the State Constitutions of the individual colonial governments was a precursor to the greater Continental government establishment, and provided an ideal staging ground for the revolutionaries to experiment with the idea of new government. Arguably, the most significant accomplishment of the Articles of Confederation was establishing â€Å"a permanent confederation presided over by a Congress whose authority would be confined to matter of interest to all† (Banning, PAGE #). The Articles of Confederation, according to Banning, â€Å"did not issue from a systematic, theoretical consideration of the problems of confederation government† (PAGE #). Rather they merely emulated the government practices that had evolved in the State Constitutions over the years. While it was popularly taught that the Articles of Confederation were characterized by a chaotic period in the early colonies, recent scholarship attributes greater credit to the Articles than in times past. For instance, Banning points out that the Confederation years, aside from consolidating the thirteen states, â€Å"secured their independence and won a generous treaty of peace†¦weathered a severe post-war depression†¦and organized the are a northwest of the Ohio for settlement† (PAGE #). The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, in fact, became the basis for â€Å"all the rest of the continental expansion of the

Issues in the Field of Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Issues in the Field of Engineering - Essay Example The carbon dioxide laser cutting and wielding machines applies the use of energy state transition which occurs between the rotational states and the vibration states of the carbon dioxide molecule to help in the emission of light long infrared. This wave1lengths often occurs at about 10 Â µm. The carbon dioxide lasers helps in the maintenance of continuous and high levels of the power applied, making them suitable in cutting and marking applications. They are often applied in the cutting of steel and super alloys at various power levels ranging from 1 to 5 kW. The lasers are also applied in the laser eye and in the correction of the laser vision. (Krar 51) Some of the specifications for the cutting and the laser wielding machines which includes the transverse speed, power, Y-axis travel, X-axis travel and the Z-axis travel. Usually there are three different types of carbon dioxide lasers: transverse gas flow, axial gas flow and the sealed tube. For the various sealed tube lasers, the power output is 40 to 80 watts (W) per meter of the each of the tube length. The lasers are usually pumped by flash lambs, near IR laser diodes and also the gas discharge lambs. A number of the specialty laser cutting and welding laser cutting machines are applicable in the cutting of pipes tubes, films, adhesives and composite materials. The laser cutting and welding machines helped in the cutting of machines are specifically designed in the cutting of rubber, plastic, stone, marble, metal, foam, granite and the composite material. Some of the laser cutting and welding machines include integral interface and computer interface. Other systems include moto rized heads, robotic arms, guidance modules, pallets, gantry tables, monitoring systems, cabinets, sensors and laser optics. Various laser cutting and welding machine helps in the designing of applications with highest demand on the cutting speed. The fields of application

Morgan State University professor convicted of fraud scheme Essay

Morgan State University professor convicted of fraud scheme - Essay Example In 2011, the prosecution alleges that the professor cunningly falsified documents in a desperate attempt to hide the fraud he had committed. In addition to the fraud, Jha also obtained funds from students through false utterances. He misinformed them that part of the Department of Defense grants was to be handed back to him. He received a total of $36000, which he later deposited into his personal bank account. Although there is overwhelming evidence against Jha, he has pleaded not guilty. His sentencing has been scheduled for July. The Manoj Kumar Jha’s case is not the first fraud case at Morgan State University. Robert Lee Terrell, an employee of the University, is alleged to have stolen $66,000 in state funds. He is waiting to be arraigned in court later this month. Morgan State University issued a statement about the Jha’s case. It announced it had done everything within its power to aid cooperation with the federal investigation. Furthermore, it announced that its mechanism of identifying potential fraud had been upgraded, and this new system will quickly arrest any potential fraud before it

Meaning of life Human Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Human Essay Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust. Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing appetite for what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart, there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you are young. When your aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you’ve grown old, even at 20; but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there’s hope you may die young at 80.  · : Three Days to See(Excerpts) ( ) Three Days to See All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year, sometimes as short as 24 hours. But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed hero chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited. Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. What events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings, what regrets? Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean motto of â€Å"Eat, drink, and be merry†. But most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death. In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune, but almost always his sense of values is changed. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values. It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do. Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life. The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without concentration and with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until we are ill. I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.  · :Companionship of Books ( ) Companionship of Books A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men. A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age. Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, ‘Love me, love my dog. † But there is more wisdom in this:† Love me, love my book. † The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them. A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time have been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive e but what is really good. Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see the as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe. The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which on still listens.  · :If I Rest,I Rust , If I Rest, I Rust The significant inscription found on an old keyâ€Å"If I rest, I rust†would be an excellent motto for those who are afflicted with the slightest bit of idleness. Even the most industrious person might adopt it with advantage to serve as a reminder that, if one allows his faculties to rest, like the iron in the unused key, they will soon show signs of rust and, ultimately, cannot do the work required of them. Those who would attain the heights reached and kept by great men must keep their faculties polished by constant use, so that they may unlock the doors of knowledge, the gate that guard the entrances to the professions, to science, art, literature, agricultureevery department of human endeavor. Industry keeps bright the key that opens the treasury of achievement. If Hugh Miller, after toiling all day in a quarry, had devoted his evenings to rest and recreation, he would never have become a famous geologist. The celebrated mathematician, Edmund Stone, would never have published a mathematical dictionary, never have found the key to science of mathematics, if he had given his spare moments to idleness, had the little Scotch lad, Ferguson, allowed the busy brain to go to sleep while he tended sheep on the hillside instead of calculating the position of the stars by a string of beads, he would never have become a famous astronomer. Labor vanquishes allnot inconstant, spasmodic, or ill-directed labor; but faithful, unremitting, daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Just as truly as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, so is eternal industry the price of noble and enduring success.  · :Ambition Ambition It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a kinder world: with out demands, without abrasions, without disappointments. People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collectivity. Competition would never enter in. conflict would be eliminated, tension become a thing of the past. The stress of creation would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling, but purely celebratory in its functions. Longevity would be increased, for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct. Time would stretch on and on, with ambition long departed from the human heart. Ah, how unrelieved boring life would be! There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth, and ambition therefore a sham. Does this mean that success does not really exist? That achievement is at bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events now not all success, obviously, is worth esteeming, nor all ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one’s own. But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists; that achievement counts for a great deal; and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging. It is, in its implications, to remove all motives for competence, interest in attainment, and regard for posterity. We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with purpose or in drift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.  · :What I have Lived for What I Have Lived For Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair. I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasyecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves lonelinessthat terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is whatat lastI have found. With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved. Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always it brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer. This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.  · :When Love Beckons You When Love Beckons You When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to our roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. But if, in your fear, you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but it self and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving; To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy; To return home at eventide with gratitude; And then to sleep with a payer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.  · :The Road to Success The Road to Success It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself. Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is â€Å"aim high†. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself, â€Å"My place is at the top. † Be king in your dreams. And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it. The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. â€Å"Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. † is all wrong. I tell you to â€Å"put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket. † Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration. To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm’s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, â€Å"no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves. †  · :On Meeting the Celebrated On Meeting the Celebrated I have always wondered at the passion many people have to meet the celebrated. The prestige you acquire by being able to tell your friends that you know famous men proves only that you are yourself of small account. The celebrated develop a technique to deal with the persons they come across. They show the world a mask, often an impressive on, but take care to conceal their real selves. They play the part that is expected from them, and with practice learn to play it very well, but you are stupid if you think that this public performance of theirs corresponds with the man within. I have been attached, deeply attached, to a few people; but I have been interested in men in general not for their own sakes, but for the sake of my work. I have not, as Kant enjoined, regarded each man as an end in himself, but as material that might be useful to me as a writer. I have been more concerned with the obscure than with the famous. They are more often themselves. They have had no need to create a figure to protect themselves from the world or to impress it. Their idiosyncrasies have had more chance to develop in the limited circle of their activity, and since they have never been in the public eye it has never occurred to them that they have anything to conceal. They display their oddities because it has never struck them that they are odd. And after all it is with the common run of men that we writers have to deal; kings, dictators, commercial magnates are from our point of view very unsatisfactory. To write about them is a venture that has often tempted writers, but the failure that has attended their efforts shows that such beings are too exceptional to form a proper ground for a work of art. They cannot be made real. The ordinary is the writer’s richer field. Its unexpectedness, its singularity, its infinite variety afford unending material. The great man is too often all of a piece; it is the little man that is a bundle of contradictory elements. He is inexhaustible. You never come to the end of the surprises he has in store for you. For my part I would much sooner spend a month on a desert island with a veterinary surgeon than with a prime minister.  · :The 50-Percent Theory of Life The 50-Percent Theory of Life I believe in the 50-percent theory. Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they re worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future. Let’s benchmark the parameters: yes, I will die. I’ve dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale. Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son’s baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he’s swimming with the dogs, discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos. But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle, where the bad and the good flip-flop acrobatically. This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory. One spring I planted corn too early in a bottomland so flood-prone that neighbors laughed. I felt chagrined at the wasted effort. Summer turned brutalthe worst heat wave and drought in my lifetime. The air-conditioned died; the well went dry; the marriage ended; the job lost; the money gone. I was living lyrics from a country tunemusic I loathed. Only a surging Kansas City Royals team buoyed my spirits. Looking back on that horrible summer, I soon understood that all succeeding good things merely offset the bad. Worse than normal wouldn’t last long. I am owed and savor the halcyon times. The reinvigorate me for the next nasty surprise and offer assurance that can thrive. The 50-percent theory even helps me see hope beyond my Royals’ recent slump, a field of struggling rookies sown so that some year soon we can reap an October harvest. For that on blistering summer, the ground moisture was just right, planting early allowed pollination before heat withered the tops, and the lack of rain spared the standing corn from floods. That winter my crib overflowed with cornfat, healthy three-to-a-stalk ears filled with kernels from heel to tipwhile my neighbors’ fields yielded only brown, empty husks. Although plantings past may have fallen below the 50-percent expectation, and they probably will again in the future, I am still sustained by the crop that flourishes during the drought.  · :What is Your Recovery Rate? What is Your Recovery Rate? What is your recovery rate? How long does it take you to recover from actions and behaviors that upset you? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? The longer it takes you to recover, the more influence that incident has on your actions, and the less able you are to perform to your personal best. In a nutshell, the longer it takes you to recover, the weaker you are and the poorer your performance. You are well aware that you need to exercise to keep the body fit and, no doubt, accept that a reasonable measure of health is the speed in which your heart and respiratory system recovers after exercise. Likewise the faster you let go of an issue that upsets you, the faster you return to an equilibrium, the healthier you will be. The best example of this behavior is found with professional sportspeople. They know that the faster they can forget an incident or missd opportunity and get on with the game, the better their performance. In fact, most measure the time it takes them to overcome and forget an incident in a game and most reckon a recovery rate of 30 seconds is too long! Imagine yourself to be an actor in a play on the stage. Your aim is to play your part to the best of your ability. You have been given a script and at the end of each sentence is a ful stop. Each time you get to the end of the sentence you start a new one and although the next sentence is related to the last it is not affected by it. Your job is to deliver each sentence to the best of your ability. Don’t live your life in the past! Learn to live in the present, to overcome the past. Stop the past from influencing your daily life. Don’t allow thoughts of the past to reduce your personal best. Stop the past from interfering with your life. Learn to recover quickly. Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Reflect on your recovery rate each day. Every day before you go to bed, look at your progress. Don’t lie in bed saying to you, â€Å"I did that wrong. † â€Å"I should have done better there. † No. look at your day and note when you made an effort to place a full stop after an incident. This is a success. You are taking control of your life. Remember this is a step by step process. This is not a make-over. You are undertaking real change here. Your aim: reduce the time spent in recovery. The way forward? Live in the present. Not in the precedent.  · :Clear Your Mental Space Clear Your Mental Space Think about the last time you felt a negative emotionlike stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with thoughts? Or was it paralyzed, unable to think? The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse yourself in the negative emotion. Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minutebut only one minuteto do nothing else but feel that emotion. When the minute is over, ask yourself, â€Å"Am I wiling to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day? † Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really fell it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly. If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion. When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all that negativity with your breath. This exercise seems simplealmost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task. Try it. Next time you’re in the middle of a negative emotion, give yourself the space to feel the emotion and see what happens. Keep a piece of paper with you that says the following: Stop. Immerse for one minute. Do I want to keep this negativity? Breath deep, exhale, release. Move on! This will remind you of the steps to the process. Remember; take the time you need to really immerse yourself in the emotion. Then, when you feel you’ve felt it enough, release itreally let go of it. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move on from a negative situation and get to what you really want to do!  · :Be Happy Be Happy! â€Å"The days that make us happy make us wise. †-John Masefield when I first read this line by England’s Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it. Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear. Active happinessnot mere satisfaction or contentment often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision. Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles. The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you-people, thoughts, emotions, pressuresare now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.  · :The Goodness of life The Goodness of Life Though there is much to be concerned about, there is far, far more for which to be thankful. Though life’s goodness can at times be overshadowed, it is never outweighed. For every single act that is senselessly destructive, there are thousands more small, quiet acts of love, kindness and compassion. For every person who seeks to hurt, there are many, many more who devote their lives to helping and to healing. There is goodness to life that cannot be denied. In the most magnificent vistas and in the smallest details, look closely, for that goodness always comes shining through. There si no limit to the goodness of life. It grows more abundant with each new encounter. The more you experience and appreciate the goodness of life, the more there is to be lived. Even when the cold winds blow and the world seems to be cov ered in foggy shadows, the goodness of life lives on. Open your eyes, open your heart, and you will see that goodness is everywhere. Though the goodness of life seems at times to suffer setbacks, it always endures. For in the darkest moment it becomes vividly clear that life is a priceless treasure. And so the goodness of life is made even stronger by the very things that would oppose it. Time and time again when you feared it was gone forever you found that the goodness of life was really only a moment away. Around the next corner, inside every moment, the goodness of life is there to surprise and delight you. Take a moment to let the goodness of life touch your spirit and calm your thoughts. Then, share your good fortune with another. For the goodness of life grows more and more magnificent each time it is given away. Though the problems constantly scream for attention and the conflicts appear to rage ever stronger, the goodness of life grows stronger still, quietly, peacefully, with more purpose and meaning than ever before.  · :Facing the Enemies Within Facing the Enemies Within We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o’clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won’t need to live in fear of it. Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us. Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you’ve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is! â€Å"Ho-hum, let it slide. I’ll just drift along. † Here’s one problem with drifting: you can’t drift your way to the to of the mountain. The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy. The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there’s room for healthy skepticism. You can’t believe everything. But you also can’t let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities nad doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I’m telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it. The fourth enemy within is worry. We’ve all got to worry some. Just don’t let conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you’ve.

Belbins Team Roles theory in classroom activity

Belbins Team Roles theory in classroom activity The main axiom of this assignment is to study the group theories and leadership theories and explore different styles of leadership and group behaviour in different situations. I am supposed to identify my own behaviour with that of the leadership behaviour so that this study will give me an proposal in the direction of the encouragement of real life experience and the absorption of leadership theories it tells that working in group will fetches us to have a have a significant memorandum of our character and behaviour on a team and individual point of view as a follower ,as a leader or as a management executive .This task will also tells the appropriate issues of the following group and leadership theories and its characteristics in diverse aspects. 1. Introduction:- Instead of going openly into the topic i.e., reflecting my own behaviour in the group Situations and quoting examples of my experiences in team working in an organization or classroom activities ,what I felt is to tell something about organization ,organizational behaviour, Group and Group characteristics. Why I felt like this means in order to know about leadership, management, group processes, team working first I should know about organization after that I should know about organizational behaviour .After this only I will get a familiar opening to see the aspects like group, group characteristics, leadership and management because in my Opinion, Organization is a nucleus which generates all the above issues. An Organization is a coordinated unit consisting of at least two people who function to achieve a common goal or set of goals. (GIBSON,1994).In my estimation, by looking into the organization at the people we can find out many new things like working styles, behaviours, management approach towards the their workers. Now I would like to talk on the importance of organizational behaviour. 2. Importance of Organizational Behaviour:- Edward E.Lawler says that Organizational Behaviour is a field of study that draws on theory, methods and principles from various disciplines to learn about individual perceptions, values, learning capacities while working in a group. In my view, Human performance influences efficiency of an organization. Psychology tells that each individual is poles apart. Each people have different cultural origins, matchless awareness, qualities, life experiences, mind-set, and life styles and objectives. Management should assume about that each and every employee as unique embodiment of all these behavioural and cultural factors to be effective. In an organization, each and every individual has to play a specific role. Some plays the role of a leader and some acts the role of a follower while some plays the role as a manager and this all depends upon their individual behaviour in an organization. Some individuals join together and form as a group and this group also have a powerful impact on individual behaviour and organizational performance. So, now I wish to talk about group, group characteristics, and individual behaviour in a group. After conducting a proper investigation on the group processes and group behaviour, what I understood is that there is no specific universally accepted meaning for the word group. Different authors had different views on the definition of group. A group is defined in psychological terms as any number of people who interact with each other, psychologically aware of each other, perceive themselves to be a group and purposefully interact towards the achievement particular goals or aims (SCHEIN, 1980, p.317). After this, I planned to tell about how a group forms in an organization and the types of groups .In an organization groups are created as a consequence of model of organization structure and schedule for the partition of work. We cannot say that groups are formed only on the above basis .In my opinion, groups can also be formed in order to fulfil their need, to achieve certain goals, and to represent individual closeness. After the group has formed it will develop and this group development will occur in five stages, according to Tuckman Integrative Model and they are namely Forming, Storming, Forming, Performing and Adjourning. Forming:- This is the initial stage in the group development. In this stage, individuals, who formed as a group were interested in knowing others mannerism and conditions. All individuals will try to have own feeling on others. All members rely on some head to present them arrangement in forming of ground rules. Storming:- This is a inconsistency stage in group development. Individuals may refuse to agree to the have power over of other group members and may show unfriendliness. The important individual relations topic in this stage is the management of unfriendliness. Norming:- This is the consistency stage in the group development. In this stage, the individuals of the group tend to widen behaviour of functioning to develop nearer relationships with others in the group. Issues like how to do and what to do and who will do are arise and group working rules are developed. Performing:- In this stage the group is full efficiently structured and individuals in the group are anxious with getting on with the job and achieving objectives. In this stage, the group is fully established group. Adjourning:- This is the final stage in the group. After this the group may discontinue or continue and discontinuity may be because the task given to them was achieved or individuals leaving the group may also be the reason for discontinuity of the group. After this, now I would like to discuss about types of groups in an organization. There are two types of groups namely formal groups and informal groups. Formal groups are created by managerial decision to accomplish stated goals of organization and informal groups arise from individual efforts and develop around common interests and friendships rather than deliberate design. (MARVIN E. SHAW, 1981). Again formal groups are sub-divided into two types namely command group and task group and Informal groups are again sub-divided into two types namely Interest groups and Friendship groups. 3. My Class-Room Activity:- In this circumstance I would like to quote an example of my experience in working in a group in a classroom activity that was conducted in my university. On that day, my tutor had made all of us to form as a group. Each student was given a alphabet to him and the alphabets are from A to G so that all students with alphabet A together formed as group A and those with alphabet B clubbed together to form as group B and those students who are possessing alphabet C are joined to form as group C and those students who are having alphabet D are gathered to form as group D and those with alphabet E are joined together and formed as group E and those with alphabet F are clubbed together to form as group F and those who are having alphabet G are gathered to form as group G. So, on that day the class was formed into seven groups and the groups are named as group A, group B, group C, group D, group E, group F and group G.I was placed in group C on that day. All the groups received instructions f rom our tutor to do certain tasks as a team. We were given a package and in that package we had resources to do our task. There was a time limit for us to complete the task .Now I will tell u how we did that task on that day. Actually each student is new to each other student in the group. Before my tutor told us to start the task, we had ten to fifteen minutes to discuss about the task .So, initially what we did is, in order to get a friendly environment in working as a group, each student was asked to introduce themselves to the group quickly .Later we studied the instructions and got a clear cut idea what to do. We openly discussed how to do and came to an idea to assign roles to each student in the group. So, every issue was discussed openly in the group. One student who is elder than all of us in our group innovatively told that he is interested in leading a team and undisputedly, he became the leader of the group. One student then told that he was interested in marketing and he will take the role of doing marketing i.e., to bargain resources from other teams if we are in scarce of any resources. Then one student had taken the role of tester and the other student had taken the role of task assigner a nd another student had taken the role of monitor and I am assigned a role as Evaluator. We are six students in a team. Our tutor was assigned a task to cut papers into certain measurements and different shapes and a layered shape .Our tutor provided all groups with some resources so that we should not use our own resources and utilize the provided resources only. We worked as a group and worked dedicatedly to achieve the task. As a result we managed to be the First group to finish the given task in a given time. Now I would like to relate this experience with that of Belbins Team- Roles theory. 4. Analysis of Belbins Team- Roles Theory on My Experience in Classroom activity:- Actually I didnt know what Belbins Team-Roles Theory is about while we worked as a group to do that task assigned by my tutor. After reading several theories on group processes and behaviour, I had an opportunity to relate my class room activity with that of Belbins Team-Roles Theory. Belbins Team-Roles Theory was developed by Meredith Belbin and his colleagues in the late 1970s. It was widely accepted theory for understanding the roles with in a group or a team. This theory states that in an organization, individuals are appointed normally on the source of their capability or experience. This theory tells that we see organizations rarely selecting individuals to perform additional task in a group. David Buchanan (1991) cites the work of Meredith Belbin (1981) as Personal characteristics of an individual fit them for some roles within a team while limiting the likelihood that they will be successful in other roles. The members in a team tend to acquire one or more roles comparatively and without fail. Individuality evaluation, team role survey identifies an individual preference. The evaluation, assortment, appointment and supervision of individual employees by organization are key tools for improving team effectiveness. Meredith Belbin had listed nine roles in his self-perception theory as Plant, Resource Investigator, Co-ordinator, Shaper, Monitor-evaluator, Team worker, Implementer, Completer, Specialist. This is not mean that each team had to consist of nine people .A single member can double-up and play several roles, thereby enabling the overall size of the team. (DAVID BUCHANAN, 1991) In my point of view, I compared my class room activity ,with that of Belbin Team Role Theory because we, In order to achieve the task on time, we assigned ourselves some specific roles so that leader in our team will do his role in observing and guiding us and tester can test the output whether it is appropriate or not and marketing executive will provide us resources by bargaining from other groups when we are in scarcity and monitor and task assigner will do the task of monitoring and assigning the tasks effectively so that every student in the group contributes his own preference role working and contributes for the achievement of the task on time .So my team did exactly the same and managed to be the first team to finish the task on time. While working in that group what I experienced is , since our group is an informal and task oriented group which have to complete the task on time, I felt some seriousness in doing my role correctly because it will be awkward if the team fail to achieve the task due to my negligence. So, I managed to work in that group by paying attention. What I experienced with other fellow members of the group is everyone managed to do their work by showing some interest and happiness towards it because the roles assigned was by ourselves on our interest only. So, we got fruitful success by finishing on time. 5. My Work Experience in 4c Solutions:- After finishing my graduate course in the department of Information Technology, I am recruited by 4c solutions. I joined that company in the year 2009. I got training for 3 weeks and I had placed in a team of 7 members, among which I am the fresher with no experience and the remaining all are with more than 3 years of experience as technical Analysts .The first project we got after I joined that group was pervasive computing project and I am totally new to that concept. My project leader first he had taken tutorial for us and then he assigned our individual tasks .My project leader was 45 years old, with 20 years of experience and sound knowledge of the subject. His way of teaching was very difficult for me and two others members of my team to grasp the concept. At that moment, my age was only 23 years old and entirely new to the work environment. I cannot understand how to connect two computers by pervasive computing technology .For my project leader, this kind of issues are easy be cause he had a vast knowledge of subject and always he feels difficulty with me and the other three members in my group because we are unable to catch his fastness and we many times had late submission of our assigned tasks. Project Leader expects us to think us very uniquely like him and tells us to write some thousands of lines of code on our own. Since my project leader was very experienced, he is handling another couple of teams who are working on cloud computing and cluster computing so, he controls totally 3 teams and he maintained very less supervision with our team because he was the only one who monitors all the three teams which works on computing concepts. Moreover I had some inferiority complex to ask any questions regarding my task because he says that why I am asking such a small doubts. But I dont understand why he cannot feel that doubt is very small to him not for me. Although we achieved how to connect two computers by using pervasive computing concepts, my group f ailed to submit the task of connecting more than 2 computers in a room by using pervasive concepts .So, as a result the client was upset and after our prior request, he had extended another week to submit the project and then we submitted our project to the client .So we failed as a tem to submit the project on time. Now I would like to relate this experience in relation to that of Trait theory. 6. Analysis based on Trait Theory on my experience in 4c solutions:- Trait theory attempts to identify specific characteristics like physical, mental, personality associated with leadership success. It relies on research that relates various traits to certain success criteria. (GIBSON, IVANCEVICH, DONNELLY, 1994). Intelligence:- Gibson (1994) cites the work of Ralph Stogdill as Leaders were more intelligent than followers. One momentous judgment was that intense intelligence variation among leaders and followers might be unfunctional. A leader with an fairly high Intelligence trying to manipulate a group whose members have usual intelligence may be incapable to understand that why followers are not realizing the problem. Personality:- Some traits like attentiveness, innovation, confidence are connected with successful leadership. Gibson (1994) cited the work of Edwin Ghiselli as person who exhibit individuality were the most effective leaders. Physical Characteristics:- There are some organizations that deem that a physically big person is needed as a leader to safe compliance from his members of a team. But studies of the relationship between physical characteristics and leadership gave contradictory result. There are examples of leaders like Napoleon, Stalin, and Gandhi with small posture but also proved effective leadership. Supervisory Ability:- There is a optimistic association between supervisory ability and level in organizational ladder. Ghiselli stated that Effective utilization of whatever supervisory practices are indicated by the particular requirements of the situation. In my point of view, I related my work experience in 4c solutions, with that of trait theory because actually my group had failed to submit the project to the client on time and that situation made us to request our client to prolong the submission for another week .why I choosed to relate this experience with that of Trait theory means I can tell that our group had failed to submit the project to the client on time duet o ineffectiveness of the project leader .Ineffectiveness means not that he had no concept my project leader had vast knowledge and is very intelligent and it made me and some of our group members to follow him and moreover he didnt maintained a strict supervision our team because he handled three teams which are working on computing concepts. So I found my experience, similar to that of the rait theory and thus related my experience with that of traits of leadership. So, after working in that group seeing that failure what i experienced is Leader of the group should be effective and should be friendly with the group to answer doubts of group members and he should govern the group on regular basis. In my point of view, my project leader, instead of doing like that if had done like that of Action Centred Leadership then we had finished the task on time. 7. Action- Centred Leadership model:- Action Centred Leadership is a highly successful method of leadership , developed by John Adair in the year 1984.This theory tells that effective leadership must contain three sets of interconnected needs, which give rise to three functions and they are as follows:- Task-related function:- Leader should meet the needs of the group and by helping its group members, the leader should relay on task completion so that the group overcomes barriers of task completion. Team -related function:- The leader should meet up the needs of the group to hold together as a unified unit. Individual Oriented functions:- The leader should ensure whether individual needs are met or not. Leader should not only focus on the task highly but he should consider individual needs like if a group member needs assistance in one concept, the leader should be in a position to clarify his doubts. DDEREK ROLLINSON.2008 Organizational Behaviour and Analysis,4th edition. London: Prentice hall gives us the diagrammatical representation of Action -Centred Leadership is represented as follows:- So, in my group, If my Project leader if had done the above three tasks i.e.,task-related function, team-related function and individual oriented function, then we may achieved the task on time. My project leader ignored individually oriented function because he ignored fresher group members who are new to the work environment .If he had solved my doubts patiently instead of saying me that why I am asking some small doubts and governed the team by encouraging us to finish the task on time, we may achieved result on time .So, I related this Action centred leadership if had followed, my group and my project leader may achieved success. After this I would like to tell about the qualities of an effective leader. 8. Who is a Efficient Leader:- In general, a leader is a person who is in a higher position than others in a group .The main important management skill to be developed in each and every individual is Leadership quality. BELLA BANATHY, 2010.A manager who is leading a team should have qualities like giving information to his subordinates on their doubts, understanding their group needs, controlling the group, representing the group, planning and also motivating the group. 9. Distinction between Leaders and managers:- The word Leader and manager although has same meaning I dont know why some authors makes difference of the roles that were performed by leaders and managers respectively. The difference between leaders and managers was stated by Abraham Zaleznik, a professor at Harvard business school as those leaders put up with confusion and lack of arrangement and is thus equipped to keep answers in suspense. Managers look for order and control and are in a position to solve the problems even before they recognize their consequence.(Gibson,1994). 10. Conclusion:- This assignment helped me to know about many group behaviour theories, leadership theories and Process theories and made me to realize the faults that I had done in past. So, I got a framework of the theories in my mind now and I came to know how to behave while working in a group .After studying leadership concepts, we taught that the most important skill that each and every individual should possess is Leadership quality and I got an idea of qualities to possess to become a effective leader .Finally I conclude that a leaderless group or an organization is like pie-in-the sky propaganda. References:- 1. DEREK ROLLINSON.2008.Organizational behaviour and Analysis an Integrated approach .4th edition.England:Pearson.pp.317-326. 2. GIBSON,IVANCEVICH,DONNELLY.1994.Organizations:Behaviour,Structure,Processes.8th edition.America:Irwin.p.5. 3. MARVIN E.SHAW .1984.Group Dynamics.Newyork:McGeawhill.pg.310. 4. ANDRZEJ HUCKZYNSKI and DAVID BUCHANAN.2001.Organizational Behaviour.4th edition. England: Prentice Hall.p.297 . 5. BELLA BANATHY, 2010.Leadership skills. The Eleven skills of Leadership. [online Journal] http://www.whitestag.org/skills/index.html 6. J GEOFFREY RAWLINSON .1981.Creative Thinking and Brainstorming. England: Gower

A Comparison Of Contemporary And Romance Literature :: essays research papers

A Comparison of Contemporary and Romance Literature   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contemporary literature in the form of a short story consists of a plot, characters, point of view, setting, and theme (2). These elements can vary a great deal from one story to the next. An author of a short story also reveals a tone and a mood shown by his or her style of writing. Although romance literature contains the elements mentioned above, they are very different than those in short stories and are somewhat static from one tale to the next. Romance literature is about the adventures of knights and the organization of chivalry (794). A romance does not take place in a normal setting, but in idealized worlds such as imaginary castles, gardens, or forests (794). A romance contains mysterious and supernatural events (794). Although there are many differences between contemporary and romance literature, the one difference that distinguishes them the most is the characters. A main character in contemporary literature leads a very different life than one in romance literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neighbor Rosicky is a short story of an old farmer, Anton Rosicky, reflecting back on his life. Early in the story, when Anton Rosicky is in the doctor's office, he learns that he has a bad heart and doesn't have much time left to live. He then returns home, plunges into a chair, and begins to sew. While he sews, Rosicky lets his mind run back over his life. He has had many memorable experiences. Rosicky has lived in London, New York, and now in Nebraska. Rosicky, formerly a tailor, now makes a living farming with his children. Rudolph, Rosicky's oldest son, has some trouble supporting his wife, Polly. Rosicky makes many sacrifices to help Rudolph's marriage stay together. He loans the family car and gives some money to Rudolph, even though Rosicky is very poor himself. Spring arrives, and his children are busy working the fields. When no one else is around, Rosicky, disregarding his doctor's orders, rakes some thistle plants out of one of his alfalfa fields, but the work is too tough on his heart. Rosicky dies the next day (48-71).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets is another short story of someone analyzing his life. Tom Benecke is a workaholic who has a month's worth of his work scribbled on a yellow sheet of paper. The wind blows the sheet of paper out of his eleven story apartment window onto the ornate corner ornament of the ledge about five yards away. Tom climbs out of the window onto the ledge. Immediately after he reaches the sheet of paper, Tom looks down and becomes

Kurt Cobain :: essays research papers

Kurt Cobain The number one cause of death in teens is suicide? Looking back to one of the most commonly known and most devistating suicides, of Kurt Cobain lead singer of the former band Nirvana. In his time of music he had the world in his hands. He used personal turmoil as fuel for great music. Suprisingly, he seemed unusually tortured by success. The author of Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana said, "He was a very bright, sweet, generous, and caring person, perhaps a little too sweet and sensitive for the business he was in." One of Cobain's biggest worries was that his band had sold out. In one line of a not-so-popular song he says, "I'd rather be dead than be cool." It seemed like the once unknown punkish Seattle band moved mainstream overnight. Nirvana caught on fast and changed rock and roll music forever. Nirvana, along with a few other Seattle bands, molded the music of the 90's, alternative. Where did it all start for Kurt? Kurt Donald Cobain was born February 20, 1967. He was a happy child living with his mother and father in Aberdeen, Washington. But the happiness, soon interrupted in 1975 when Kurt's parents got divorced. Kurt was ashamed. He longed for the typical "Brady Bunch" family, but instead he lived in a trailor with his mother. In result of this Cobain became extremely anti-social, he had few friends, and was beat up alot. On his 14th birthday Kurt recieved his first guitar. He had been writing poetry since he was 13, so he started using his poetry to write songs. He was in several bands throughout highschool, some of them were named Fecal Matter, Skid Row, Brown Cow, The Sellouts, and Pencap Chew. Around the time of Kurts senoir year he formed Nirvana with high school friend, Krist (Chris) Novoselic. A few drummers of their's fell through and then they found what kurt called "the worlds best drummer", Dave Grohl. His drumming style was exactly what nirvana needed. Two months before Kurt's high school graduation he dropped out. This move made his mother angry so she kicked him out of the house. He lived with friends, and for a time he even lived under a bridge of the Wishkah River in Aberdeen. A few years later, in June of '89, Nirvana's first album was released, entitled Bleach. They did short US tours and European tours to promote their album with bands such as Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Death penalty Essay -- essays research papers

I believe that capital punishment has its benefits and can prevent murders when used and understood correctly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The death penalty given to people judged to have committed extremely heinous crimes such as murder has been a practice since before the beginning of Christianity. Since the 1800s most executions have resulted from convictions for murder. The United States is the only Western industrialized nation that still proceeds in capital punishment. War crimes, spying and murder are the only three offenses that have the possible penalty of the death sentence. In recent years, capital punishment has become a very controversial issue in the United States and other countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Opposition to the death penalty says that states that have capital punishment have a very high crime rate. What they do not take into consideration is that all the states are different and have different populations, different numbers of major cities, and different crime rates. There is currently no capital punishment in Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. --Almost all have lower populations and a low crime rate. In otherwords, the states that have capital punishment have it because of the high crime rates, not the other way around.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studies have shown that capital punishment deters murders. In 1985, a study published by economist Stephen K. Layson at the University of North Carolina showed that every execution of a murderer deters, on average, 18 murders. The study also showed that raising the number of death sentences by one percent could prevent 105 murders. It does not seem fair to me that a murderer can live while innocent people are dying, especially when it can be prevented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Violent crimes are capable of being deterred by lethal consequences for their actions if only on a sub-conscience level. If the death penalty were just as consistent, lethal, and as unstoppable as the AIDS virus, criminals would have reason to back down. Following on from that, is the fact that abolitionists may claim that most studies show that the death penalty has no effect on the murder rate at all. That is only because those studies have focused on inconsistent executions. Capital punishment like all oth... ...penalty is not cruel or unusual, and is a Constitutionally accepted remedy for a criminal act. In Trop v. Dulles, Chief Justice Eark Warren, no friend of the death penalty said, â€Å"Whatever the arguments may be against capital punishment, both on moral grounds and on grounds and in terms of accomplishing the purpose of punishment†¦ the death penalty has been employed throughout our history, and in a day when it is still widely accepted, it cannot be said to violate the concept of cruelty.† So the constitution does allow capital punishment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As for the penal system accidentally executing an innocent person, that is a problem with the court system not capital punishment. It is up to the jury and judge in a murder case to decide whether or not a person is guilty or innocent, and if the murderer should be put to death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So capital punishment is very capable of deterring murder if we allow it to, but the legal system is so slow and inefficient, criminals are able to stay several steps ahead of us and gain leeway through our lenience. Several reforms must be made in the justice system so the death penalty can cause positive effect.

Reflective Paper Organisational Dialogue

Huhtamaki – Reflective Paper During the interview, the Chief Executive Officer (Brad) and plant manager (Simon) devoted a considerable amount of time to our communication analysis of their plant. I hadn’t expected two executives to become so involved with a University case study, and to discuss their credo, mission statements, strategies, and—of critical importance to me—internal communication strategy, in so much detail. Gerard & Ellinor (2001) stress that authentic leaders need to practise and execute dialogue, and to me, this was what Brad and Simon were doing: showing their authentic leadership through dialogue.I thought this may have been purely for our benefit, but after four hours, beginning with introductory meetings and followed by interviews and a shop floor tour, it became apparent that management was striving to develop a learning culture. I began to understand that management is about creating an environment to communicate through different me diums: verbal and visual in varying forums; formal meetings, face-to-face meetings, and graphical representations of key messages on the shop floor and around the offices.This essay will reflect my case study experience of the role of dialogue as a tool within Huhtamaki for fostering dialogic communication and developing a learning culture within the organisation. Furthermore, I will highlight the limitations associated with dialogue and with resistive employees who refuse to engage. I had a preconceived idea that management would have a top-down hierarchal structure, with a ‘closed door’ communication policy based on research from Swink & Way (1995), Downs & Adrian (2004) and Clarke (2006).On the contrary, I found management offered an ‘open door’ policy. For example, Brad and Simon understand that organisational effectiveness is dependent upon communication across subcultural boundaries. Therefore, they offer an open door policy, where any employee could approach them to discuss any issues without consequences. Given the traditional hierarchal structure of a typical manufacturing plant with leading hands, supervisors and union delegates, I thought allowing shop floor employees to communicate directly with management an unconventional approach.Schein (1993) states that dialogue begins with creating a sense of equality, and this is what Brad and Simon are striving to achieve within their organisation. According to my understanding, they are creating an environment where employees feel comfortable in communicating, and moving away from the erstwhile problems associated with communication via union delegates, which has often caused industrial disputes and created subcultural differences between management and shop floor employees. Amy (2008) states in her research study that management needs to adopt an informal and approachable communication style.I found it interesting that this is the strategy that Brad and Simon have adopted to aid in changing the organisational culture. In order to move away from a ‘them and us’ attitude, they focused on creating an open, trusting environment which fosters learning. Simon in particular encourages employees to be upfront, and to discuss problems or issues. However, he does not merely provide solutions: he fosters dialogic communication by engaging the employees with questions until they come to realise the answers themselves. I thought this might create awkward situations if the employees could not find answers.But my concern was dismissed; Simon coaches and mentors employees to think about issues or mistakes, and ensures they develop a solution for themselves, thus creating a learning environment. Management’s ‘open door’ policy was not the only means for communication. Management scheduled a daily team meeting, weekly production meetings, and monthly ‘tool box’ meetings, where organisational issues were discussed in more detail. My first impression was that there were too many meetings. When would employees have time to get any work done, if they were continually involved in meetings with colleagues from different departments?I soon learned that this was a necessary step, as not all employees have access to email. Management has to rely on face-to-face verbal communication to ensure that messages are communicated, received, and most importantly, understood. Furthermore, to communicate with employees with no access to email, management used the hallway between the cafeteria and shop floor as a ‘communication corridor,’ posting organisational information alongside safety, quality, production efficacy and operational information.I recall seeing very detailed graphs, charts and statistics, and wondered whether the average shop floor employee would be able to interpret and analyse this data. Simon stated that it was necessary to communicate the same messages continuously in order to engage employees , both verbally in meetings and visually around the work place. I discovered that during most meetings, unless an employee was directly involved in the conversation, he or she would not engage in dialogue. This concerned me; as Schein (1993) states, leaders need to motivate to engage, as employees may not volunteer to engage in dialogue.I now struggled to understand why was it so difficult to engage the employees in dialogue. They would not engage in dialogue during formal meetings and relied on informal face-to-face meetings, where quite often, they needed to be coached to engage in a two-way conversation to find solutions. I felt that management was providing every possible opportunity for employees to be able to communicate with employees, but nonetheless, a communication culture had not successfully been created.Gerard & Ellinor (2001) state that dialogue is not something that can be forced upon employees; they need to participate willingly, and if dialogue is introduced into a hostile environment, it can fail. I could see that management was creating a safe environment in which to communicate, but soon realised that other parts of the workplace provided a different type of ambience. Part of our communication analysis was a tour around the shop floor, and one of the first things I noticed was the difference in body language between various employees.It was very evident as we walked past their workstations that some employees were open and approached management, while others ignored our presence, creating a feeling of tension. It was obvious that although management was trying to dilute the ‘them and us’ attitude, some employees were still bitter from past experiences of management. I now started to fully comprehend the views put forward by Gerard & Ellinor (2001): that dialogue is a tool that requires time and knowledge of the working process. It needs to grow within the organisation.Although Brad and Simon have created a safe environment, the y now need to focus on educating their employees in the process of dialogue and the benefits of dialogue in order to create a learning culture. Furthermore, I support the recommendations of Dixon (1998) for management to engage employees and involve them in the decision-making process. I would expect the employees to thereby see their input as valid and valued; consequently, they would have a personal interest in creating a greater understanding of issues and solutions.In consideration of the fact that Simon has had some success with the ‘open door’ policy, and that Brown & Isaacs (1997) propose that learning is not happening during scheduled meetings or organised forums, but in less formal places, I still recommend developing dialogue during formal scheduled meetings. Management needs to focus on encouraging honest dialogue and transparency within formal meetings, as per Mazutis & Slawski (2009). I feel this is a valid point, as face-to-face meetings are limited to cer tain employees with whom management has good rapport.Employees who are resistive to change and still foster a ‘them and us’ attitude will simply not approach management. I came to believe that Brad and Simon are authentic leaders, and have the capabilities to shape the culture of their organisation through dialogic communication. Reference List Amy H. Amy, 2008, ‘Leaders as facilitators of individual and organizational learning', Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 212? 234. Brown, J. & Isaacs, D. 1997, ‘Conversation as a core business process', The Systems Thinker, vol. , no. 10, pp. 1? 6. Clarke, S. 2006, ‘Safety climate in an automobile manufacturing plant: the effects of work environment, job communication and safety attitudes on accidents and unsafe behaviour’, Personnel Review, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 413? 430. Dixon, N. M. 1998, Dialogue at Work. Making Talk Developmental for People and Organizations, Center for Creative Leadership, London. Downs, C. W. & Adrian, A. D. 2004, Assessing organizational communication audits, Guilford Press, New York. Gerard, G. & Ellinor, L. 001, Dialogue at Work: Skills for Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Mazutis, D. & Slawinski, N. 2008, ‘Leading organisational learning through authentic dialogue', Management Learning, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 437? 456. Schein, E. 1993, ‘On Dialogue, Culture and organizational learning', Organizational Dynamics, vol. 22, pp. 40? 51. Swink, M. & Way, W. 1995, ‘Manufacturing strategy: propositions, current research, renewed directions’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 4? 26.

Early learning studies Essay

In the first five years of life, a child has gone through rapid development in physical, cognitive, and social/emotional characteristics. Around the time these children start kindergarten, their growth has slowed down. However, it is still vital for the kindergarten teacher to know how their students have developed and what they can do to further develop their students as a whole. According to â€Å"Educating Children in Nursery Schools and Kindergartens† by Lillian L. Gore, by the age of 5 children are learning how to relate to others in a positive manner. This skill forms the basis of all human relations (16). In general, kindergarten-aged children are beginning to develop their own self image and their likes and interests through sensory and other experiences (Gore 16). To a kindergarten-aged child, the world is big and mysterious. The combination of physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development allow these children to explore and begin imposing basic order and control over their environments (Gore 16). Overall, these experiences allow children to understand and appreciate the world around them. When the teacher looks at the overall development of their kindergarten students, the physical, cognitive, and social/emotional aspects are relatively similar across each child. That is to say that each child experiences relatively the same development in all three areas. Physically, a kindergartener has two distinct developmental characteristics. #1 is the individual characteristics such as rate of growth, body build, and eye color (Gore 17). The teacher should respect each child’s unique characteristics and teach others to respect them as well. #2 is each kindergartener has a wide output of energy (Gore 17). A kindergarten teacher should expect their students to be fully active one day and inactive the next. Similarly, the activities the children participate in receive different levels of energy from day to day (Gore 17). Cognitive development in kindergarten in vital for a child to understand and experience all that school and the world have to offer. In Gore’s book, she notes two important cognitive developments that a kindergarten child experiences. #1 is the development of hand-eye coordination (Gore 17). At this stage, children are developing awareness for everything that needs both hands and eyes in order to function properly. As the teacher, you should be aware of the students and their surroundings. Particularly on the playground, the teacher should know the students inability to judge speeds and distances properly (Gore 17). To aid in the development of proper hand-eye coordination, the teacher should incorporate hand-eye coordination lessons and activities into the daily schedule. The second important cognitive development in kindergarteners is that they want to grow and learn (Gore 19). Kindergarten is a stepping stone into what school will be like for the rest of their lives, and the fact that each student wants to grow and learn makes the teacher’s job easier because the students are intrinsically motivated. To further their enjoyment of learning it is important for the teacher to provide conditions for each student to explore, discover, and feed their sense of wonder at their own pace (Gore 19). Teachers should also allow students to think and solve problems at their own pace as well (Gore 19). By letting each student work at his or her own pace, the student feeds their desire to grow and learn and also learns that they are capable of many things. One of the most important developments that kindergarten children make is social and emotional developments. Both these developments aid children in forming friendships, relationships and emotional maturity as their lives continue. Two social developments are highlighted in Gore’s book. #1 is that children will fluctuate their patterns of social growth and they may regress at times (Gore18). This is a natural process that children go through and navigating it can be tricky. As a teacher, we should encourage children to proceed in and out of groups at will (Gore 18). This will allow children to experience many different people and form many friendships. As teachers we should also encourage students to relate an experience with one group of students to experiences with another group (Gore 18). This will allow each student to mentally process each experience and decide which experiences they prefer to have, which in turn leads to them having friends of similar beliefs and interests. Above all, kindergarten children learn how to cooperate with others when they choose which group of students to associate with. The second social characteristic that kindergarten children develop is their preference of children of the same sex as playmates and friends (Gore 18). As a teacher we should support this development and help each child learn appropriate sex role with their peers. In addition, kindergarten teachers should also encourage children of the opposite sex to interact. When it comes to emotional characteristics of development, the #1 characteristic is that children in kindergarten are learning how to accept and give affection (Gore 18). This developmental characteristic is vitally important because if children do not learn how to give and accept affection, then all their relationships with others will be short-lived. We as teachers can help foster this important characteristic by providing warm relationships for emotional growth in the classroom and individually with your students (Gore 18). In addition to the developmental characteristics, a kindergarten teacher must also be aware of how they arrange their classroom. Utilizing space and organizing the classroom to best suit the needs of the students allows each kindergartener to maximize their use of the classroom. In Doris Fromberg’s book â€Å"The Full-day Kindergarten†, it is important to know both the teacher’s and the student’s views on four elements relating to classroom organization. Those four elements are; â€Å"Choice: what the students will be doing. Space: where the students will be engaged. Pacing: when the students will be participating. Social Activity: how and with whom the students will interact† (Fromberg 62). These elements are also applicable to what the students are doing in a kindergarten classroom and what activities they participate in. By understanding when and where to implement these four elements, the classroom experience will be enhanced for all the kindergarten students. In a kindergarten classroom, the students are capable of making choices that are relevant to the school-day procedure (Fromberg 62). When a kindergarten student, or any other person, chooses what to do, their attention is higher to that activity than if they had not chosen. However, this is not to say that kindergarten students enter into an â€Å"anything goes† classroom (Fromberg 62). The teacher has preselected and screened everything that is already in the classroom to ensure that it is safe and educationally-sound. The teacher also screens the materials that students bring from home on the same criteria (Fromberg 62). By ensuring that all materials in the classroom are on the same level and that the children decide what they want to do, they will establish a routine of making independent choices knowing that what they choose will spark their interests and be educationally appropriate. The space and organization of the classroom is an important concept to consider when in a kindergarten classroom. Kindergarten students enjoy moving around and being independent, but also need a sense of stability and security. How the classroom space is organized reflects four characteristics about the teacher and the classroom in general: 1) How independent the students are expected to be. 2) How responsible the students are expected to be. 3) Relays what activities are valued in the classroom. 4) How students will spend their time in the classroom (Fromberg 64). When organizing the classroom, it is important to keep materials where they will be used and in limited-use sections. By creating a section of the room only for writing, or art, or reading, children will be more focused on that activity or feel part of a small group (Fromberg 64). Limited-use sections also help the students answer the question, â€Å"What will I do next? † (Fromberg 64) For example, a child that is finished at the writing center will know that there is nothing more they can accomplish at this center; they decide that they want to work on their art project and move to the appropriate section. By utilizing limited-use sections, the students are minimizing procrastination and are maximizing their ability to select their own choices. By using these elements, Fromberg describes a properly organized kindergarten classroom. In a kindergarten classroom, all materials are stored where they will be used; books are in the reading areas, writing supplies are in the writing area, and art supplies are in the art area. The students work in the areas where the materials are stored. This not only keeps them focused on their tasks, but also eliminates the possibility of misplacing materials. These active work areas should be located away from student desks or other areas where students are meant to concentrate and reflect (Fromberg 64). In addition, the teacher should always organize their classroom where they and the students are visible to each other at all times. This not only allows the teacher to monitor behavior, but it also allow students to see what model behavior looks like. In addition to the organization of the room, there also needs to be proper time management as well. Proper time management can help reduce the issues that arise in those students who have ADHD or other unpredictable behavior patterns (Fromberg 66). In a full day kindergarten classroom, it is beneficial to have a whole-class planning session in the morning and afternoon, with a small gathering before lunch or around 11:00 AM according to Fromberg (66). Kindergarten instructors have found it helpful to provide at least two long activity blocks of 30 minutes or more each day (Fromberg 66). In this time, the students will be engaging with the different sections of the room; art, writing, reading, etc. at their own choice and pace. From having this time to select which activity to do and how long to do it for, the students are inspired to make long-range plans and increase their sense of control over their environment (Fromberg 66). Within the kindergarten environment, the lessons and activities should emphasize academic content but also personal relationships and social behaviors. While kindergarten does prepare students to â€Å"do school† and everything that comes with it, I believe that lessons and activities that stress proper relationship techniques and social behaviors are just as important. For example, kindergarteners may not realize what they say sometimes and although they find nothing wrong with it, the teacher or others students will. Having several lessons on how to talk to other students in a nice and polite way will not only benefit the students in class, but they can take that knowledge and apply it to other situations as well, such as talking to adults. Lessons that demonstrate proper social behaviors and etiquette will also benefit kindergarteners. For example, how to stay quiet and listen while another person is talking or how to solve conflicts in a respectful manner will again not only benefit the students in the classroom, but also prepare them for the world as they grow older. Finally, classroom management is very important in a kindergarten class. A teacher could have a perfectly organized room and excellent lessons, but if they cannot manage their students they will never get a chance to utilize their room or lessons. Firstly, the kindergarten teacher should make a set of class rules for the school year. In addition to their professional opinion, the teacher should ask the students themselves what rules should be followed during the school year. This serves two purposes: 1. it reinforces the element that children are capable of making relevant choices pertaining to school and 2. It allows the students to feel that they have a say in how the classroom is to be run. By having this sense of control, the students are more likely to follow the rules and provide less argument when disruptions arise. Secondly, student behavior accountability should be established. In her article â€Å"Classroom Management†, Jody Camp describes her accountability system. She has four circles displayed in her room, each a different color and face. All the students have a clothes pin with their name on it. Every morning each student starts on the green smiley face. If a student breaks one classroom rule, they move their clothes pin to the yellow face. The yellow face is a warning for the student to start acting correctly. In addition to that, the student loses 5 minutes of recess. If the student breaks another rule, they move to the red face, which means the student needs to stop and think about what they are doing. The student also misses an entire recess. The last face in Jody Camp’s management system is the blue sad face. This means that the student needs to go to the principal’s office (Classroom Management). By implementing these or similar classroom management techniques, any teacher will be successful and be able to focus the majority of their time on educating the minds of America. As a student moves through elementary school and into middle school many changes occur so fast that they may, to the frustration of teachers and parents, act like kindergarteners once more. However, it is important to realize and understand the developmental characteristics of middle school students so they still have a positive educational experience. Similar to kindergarten students, middle school students have their own unique set of physical, cognitive, and social/emotional characteristics. Physically, middle school students are in transition between their childhood bodies and their adult bodies. This leads to three main physical characteristics. Susan Robinson, Guidance Counselor at Southern Columbia School District in Catawissa, PA, nicely lays out physical characteristics of middle school students (5th-8th grade) on her webpage. The first physical characteristic is large muscle development (5th Grade Characteristics). In boys, this means that their arm and leg muscles are becoming more defined, as well as their abdomens. In girls, muscle development leads to growth spurts and gaining weight. The second physical characteristic is the desire to be outdoors and physically challenged (5th Grade Characteristics). It is at this time that both boys and girls become very interested in sports and physical activity. This characteristic can also lead to a decline in school performance because the students are more interested in playing outside than doing homework. The third physical characteristic is that they become restless and in constant motion (6th Grade Characteristics). The need to move and be active can also lead to declining performance because the students won’t be as focused. This can also lead to more discipline because the students can’t stay in one place for extended periods of time. Cognitively, middle school students are now open to more abstract and logical reasoning than ever before. The first cognitive characteristic is that 5th grade students have is an increased memory and ability to abstract (5th Grade Characteristics). The increase in memory potential allows the students to remember more academic information, but also helps them remember social activities like birthday parties and phone numbers. The second cognitive characteristic is the affinity for logical reasoning and problems solving (5th Grade Characteristics). 5th and 6th grade students are now using more of their brain in every aspect of life which allows them to solve and reason more than ever before. Similar to how kindergarten students like to impose control on their environments, middle school students enjoy the feeling of being able to solve a problem or think logically with classmates and teachers. The third cognitive characteristic of middle school students is their increased concentration in all aspects of school (5th Grade Characteristics). With the increase of concentration students are able to read, focus on homework, and participate in activities for longer periods of time. This cognitive gain can help balance out the need for movement during physical development. Middle school is the time when every student starts to define who they are and who they want to be. Socially and emotionally, each middle school student is becoming more mature as they grow older and it is important to know what developmental characteristics these students face. When a student is in 5th grade they are more socially and emotionally sound than 6th graders. The first developmental characteristic of 5th graders is that they are generally content with themselves and others (5th Grade Characteristics). At this stage they are in a state of equilibrium in terms of social and emotional growth. This is not to say that 5th graders are void of anger. When this age group gets angry, they tend to get angrier faster than usual but they also are faster to forgive (5th Grade Characteristics). The second characteristic of 5th graders is that they work well in groups and enjoy team-oriented activities such as sports and clubs (5th Grade Characteristics). Because they are generally content, it boosts 5th graders abilities to work cooperatively. This age group would benefit greatly from pods in the classroom and team-oriented competition. Lastly, 5th graders are mostly truthful and are developing a larger sense of right and wrong (5th Grade Characteristics). At this age, students want to be taken seriously because they feel that they have valuable opinions. They realize that they can’t lie and be taken seriously so they tell the truth. Also, as they are telling the truth more, they are expanding their sense of right and wrong. It is at this point when crucial right/wrong situations should be explained to the students such as drugs and alcohol. When a child hits 6th grade, they change once again and sometimes not for the better. There are three main characteristics of 6th graders from Susan Robinson’s website. The first is that 6th graders become more moody and sensitive (6th Grade Characteristics). 6th graders are starting to hit puberty and this messes with their normal selves. The hormones set off mood swings and sensitivity towards almost any situation. It is important to know this because it could be the cause of many problems with your students. The second characteristic is that 6th graders are becoming more autonomous and with that comes more opposition to rules and punishments (6th Grade Characteristics). As they get older, the students begin to realize that they are held to higher standards but still try to get around those expectations. This inevitably leads to confrontations between teacher and student(s) and the student(s) will test your patience at this age. The third characteristic is more positive. As the students age and grow during 6th grade, they will start to take on an adult personality (6th Grade Characteristics). They will lessen their oppositional behavior and become more respectful and dutiful in school work and social activities. While their bodies are going through a massive amount of change in a short period of time, it is important to layout the classroom, lessons, and management techniques to keep up with these middle school learners. First off, it is important to keep the students in groups when at their desks. This helps the students remain social with others and it helps the students to keep working in teams. As they are older, each student should be given their own desk. This allows the student to become more independent and it allows for individuality to show through if they are permitted to decorate their desk. Similar to the kindergarten room, there should be sections of the room where students can go to complete different assignments. Especially at this time, the movement will allow these students to relieve some tension from their growing bodies. Overall, the classroom at the middle school level starts to become similar to that of high school and college classrooms, but should still represent a sense of home and security for 5th and 6th graders. The lessons and activities that these students participate in should also be developmentally appropriate. At this stage of life, the students are beginning to think and reason logically. Therefore, lessons in math and science can enhance the individual student’s ability to think and reason logically. In addition to logic and reasoning, social skills are key to a healthy development. In 5th and 6th grade, it is important to teach and model proper social etiquette and behaviors. One way to accomplish this is to have the students sit in pods when at their desks. This serves two purposes: 1) it allows each student to work in close proximity to other students and 2) it allows students to practice proper social behavior on a daily basis. Lastly, students at this age are going through major physical changes and it is important to keep that in mind when designing lessons and activities. When possible, incorporate some form of physical movement into your lesson plans. This will allow the students to move their bodies and retain focus in school. If you simply let the students sit at their seats all day, they will become restless very quickly and will lose focus and interest in what you are trying to teach them. Similar to the kindergarten classroom, without successful classroom management techniques, the teacher will struggle to maintain focus and interest in their lessons. With this age group, routines are essential to having successful classroom management. As noted by many teachers, routines help the students to know what is coming next in the school day and how to proceed from one task to the next. With a regular routine, students won’t need to be told to take out their reading materials or their math books; they will already know what is coming. By establishing successful routines, the teacher can minimize distractions and maximize learning time. Another management technique that I remember from 6th grade was the use of a money management system. My teacher, Diane Dale, set up a management system that revolved around the use of a weekly â€Å"allowance† for each student. Each student started the week with a predetermined amount of â€Å"money†, i. e.$100. Actions in class had either a positive or negative effect on the student’s allowance. For example, if one student got a perfect on their math test, they may get $25 added to their account. If another student starts a fight on the playground, besides the consequences of the principal, they may lose $75. At the end of each week the students with the 3 highest allowances got to pick a prize from the â€Å"Class Treasure Chest†. To my recollection, this system worked well in our class and I plan on modifying this management system to create my own. All in all, as an elementary teacher it is important to know and be able to work with students from all age groups. By understanding the characteristics of the students in your class, you will be able to maximize the effectiveness of your lessons because they are aimed to work with their developmental characteristics, not as a substitute. In addition, to knowing developmental characteristics, a teacher should also institute effective classroom management techniques and proper lesson plans that will maximize the learning experience for each student. Works Cited Gore, Lillian L. , and Rose Koury. Educating Children in Nursery School and Kindergartens. Washington: U. S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, 1964. Print. Wills, Clarence Dechent, and Lucile Lindburg. Kindergarten for Today’s Children. Chicago: Follett Educational Corporation, 1967. Print. Fromberg, Doris. The Full-Day Kindergarten. 1995. eBook. Camp, Jody. http://www. atozteacherstuff. com/Tips/Classroom_Management/Managing_Behavior/index. shtml Robinson, Susan. http://www. scasd. us/ms/RobinsonPage/grade5. htm White, George. Incoming 6th Graders. http://www. ringwoodschools. org/files/ryerson/parent_orientation_booklet. pdf.