Developing yourself Essay

Findings: The CIPD profession map is a tool used to support the profession as a whole to develop products and services, yet it also accelerates the professional development of individuals. The map was created and is used by individuals and organisations; it’s a vital resource if you are working or connected in the HR profession. Whatever sector and/or size of an organisation the professional map is a great help, whether you are a specialist or generalist in talent, reward, learning development, employee relations and engagement. There are three key components to the map, which are: professional areas, behaviours and bands and transitions. The core professional areas show how a HR professional should think and look at tasks, then how to influence the relevant employees to the best outcome. There are then eight further areas surrounding the professional areas and when they are all combined, create the role of a great hr employee. Each area is essential to any business. The eight areas are: service delivery and information, organisation design, organisation development, resourcing and talent planning, learning and development, performance and reward, employee engagement, employee relations and service delivery and information. Once professional HR areas are covered, behaviours are the next vital key to becoming an effective HR professional. There are eight behaviours and they require an employee to be a strong character that leads by example and is confident when advising and influencing all levels of staff from entry to high level. Each behaviour is divided into four bands of professional competence. Each behaviour also lists a number of contra indicators which illustrate negative behaviour. Comment on the activities and knowledge specified within any 1 professional area, at either band one or band two identify those you consider most essential to your own or other identified hr role. Conclusion: A HR practitioner should ensure the services they provide are timely and effective. Different customers have different needs in a HR role and you need to prioritise conflicting needs. Shown below are different customers to  a HR practioner and examples of what needs they may have. Managers look to human resources for sound business advice on how to review, analyse and address people issues. They expect the HR services to be timely and accurate. Supervisors expect human resources to be available on an as-needed basis to help solve people issues. They expect, and frequently demand, help interpreting company policies, expediting personnel matters and preparing or completing paperwork. Most importantly, supervisors expect to learn from their interactions with human resources in order for them to return to their work unit and handle personnel matters. Associates look to human resources to provide, explain or confirm information about company policies and procedures. They expect human re sources to be an empathetic ear to their concerns and to help them solve work-related problems. They expect human resources to anticipate problems and to provide sound recommendations to management. To the applicant, human resources are the company. Applicants expect accurate information about employment opportunities, fair consideration of their qualifications and courteous treatment. An example of how you would prioritise conflicting needs is shown below: When in a HR role a supervisor may need a report by the end of the day completing, a manager may need you to sort a conflict between two members of staff and a member of staff may be dealing with bereavement and is upset. You would then organise how and who or what task is the priority and arrange how it will all be dealt with or completed. In this situation I would delegate the report to another member of staff, I would then arrange a time to address the issues between the two conflicting members of staff then I would then deal with the member of staff with bereavement as I would see them as the highest priority. Then all issues and tasks should be completed/ resolved by the end of the day. This shows how you have an empathetic ear to concerns, you are helping solve work related problems and you are completing tasks under a time scale with organisation and delegation. Communication methods: Employee communication is about the HR aspects of communication from management to employees and of course employees to management. The first aspect is downward communication this is where management communicate to employees the second aspect is upward communication and this is when  employees communicate to management. Managers have to communicate with employees all the time that they are at work it is impossible not to, plentiful communication with employee’s has been shown to be linked to good company performance. Communication could be formal or informal. Smaller company’s often rely on informal methods and have few formal methods of communication with employees. In some cases they prefer to encourage social events for promoting mutual communication. Shown below are some examples of communication: Downward communication: Upward communication: Workforce briefings for all or part of the workforce on key issues Employee attitude surveys Quality circles, regular meeting with all or part of the workforce Suggestion schemes Appraisal interviews Employee forums Newsletters, electronic circular and dvds Project teams With communication you can come across issues these are: Subject What is communicated is the most important issue. HR can send a message to employees only on subjects which they choose to communicate with them. For example, certain information may not be passed on to certain employees because the organisation may not want to disclose this information. Quality You do not want to give too much information as employees may have problems digesting it. You need to make sure the quality of communication is high. Depth The depth of the information must be fit for purpose for example it may be too detailed and confusing for those who it is aimed at as it may have initially been designed for a management circular, re-worked slightly and the circulated to part time workers. Receptiveness Employees should feel that they are being listened to; they may voice their  ideas but feel that they are not listened to, and this would then create a negative effect amongst them and actually demotivating them. Action on their views may or may not be considered a good idea, but employees should then receive feedback on their views. Regularity Employees learn to trust the communication if it is regular and tells them important information. Regular communication means it is less likely rumours which are incorrect circulate in workplaces. A balance must be made between giving people information so regularly that they are swamped with it, and too infrequently so that uncertainty arises. Timing Information may be released when leaked information has already reached employees as rumour and it may then be treated with contempt. Information may be released too early or too late. A good example of this is redundancy information. Employees themselves are sensitive when they read about their own redundancy in the newspaper or see it on the news. You should inform employees of this information at the relevant time so they find out from you first. In the HR role you are likely to have an important role in building managers presentational and communication skills, since operational managers are often appointed mainly for other skills that they have, they may need help in developing their interpersonal skills. HR professionals have people issues at the forefront of their minds, they may advise on where and when sensitive meetings such as appraisals or disciplinary meetings might be best held. HR professionals can act as advisors to individual operational managers on how to communicate to employees on issues such as their pension or legal rights, or alternatively communicate directly with the individual employee’s on such subjects. These matters are of vital importance to employees, for whom areas like pensions and benefits packages are central issues. Getting communication right in these areas is therefor also at the centre of HR professional jobs. HR professionals sometimes have to advise both senior and operational managers on employee’s feelings on different subjects. It is usually the HR professionals who are called on to run or at least source and oversee employee attitude surveys, forums etc. to some extent they may also try to act as employee advocates in order to maintain employee commitment and motivation. HR has a key role to play in improving  communication including by providing training and coaching for other managers and workers which can improve their informal and formal communication. Effective Service delivery is a vital key in a HR role shown below are the key points of how to achieve it to a high standard. Delivering service on time: Delivering service on a budget: Dealing with difficult customers, Handling and resolving complaints: When dealing with difficult customers that may have a complaint or issue there are certain ways to deal with the situation so that it does not escalate and gets resolved. Firstly you need to identify the complaint and get as many facts together as possible. You always need to listen and empathize whilst clarifying that you both understand. Then you would log the complaint and investigate why, who, how and what evidence. Once that is achieved I think it is best to identify an end goal so there is something to aim for and the issue should then be resolved. When trying to resolve the situation always keep the complainant updated with any progress and also make sure you are following the company’s policy and try and keep it to the smallest time frame. Once the situation is resolved I would then try to investigate why it happened and how to prevent re-occurrence. In a HR role I believe you should be committed to treating customers with courtesy and respect at all times, responding promptly to all enquiries made by telephone, email, post, fax, or in person, ensuring accuracy of administration, respecting and maintaining confidentiality, equality of opportunity in employment, updating skills through continuous professional development, regularly and systematically seeking, listening to and acting upon the views of customers. I think a HR function should obtain much more thorough feedback from its internal customers these are line managers, senior managers and employees. This should cover both what they need from HR, and their user experience of current services. Such feedback, as this study illustrates, can generate a clear overview or ‘footprint’ of the HR function in a particular organisation. It can provide fresh insights and help the HR function to focus its efforts in areas that add value to the  business. Bibliography: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/professional-areas/service-delivery-information.aspx

Contemporary Management Essay

The Classical Management approach attempted to apply logic and scientific methods to management of complex organisations, such as factories. It assumed that there was â€Å"one best way† to manage an enterprise. Classical Management comprises three different approaches: Scientific Management, which represents Frederick W Taylor’s work, developed scientific principles of management, focusing on the individual, rather than the team and aimed to improve efficiency through production-line time studies, breaking each job down into its components and designing the quickest and best methods of performing each component. He also encouraged employers to reward productivity. Employees did the physical labour, managers did the planning and organising. According to Taylor, employees were motivated by money. From Taylor’s research emerged time studies, work studies and industrial engineering, making an important contribution to the central procedures of many organisations.  · Bureaucratic Management emerged from the work of Max Weber, who developed an â€Å"ideal model† organisation, hierarchical in structure, governed by a set of impersonal, formal rules and policies. Weber believed this was the most efficient way to organise and govern an enterprise.  · Henri Fayol’s Administrative Management assumed that 14 general principles of management could be applied to any situation or circumstance: 1. division of work 2. authority 3. discipline 4. unity of command 5. unity of direction 6. subordination of individual interest to the common good 7. remuneration 8. centralisation 9. hierarchy 10. order 11. equity 12. stability of staff 13. initiative 14. espirit de corps Fayol divided managerial activities into five functions: planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. This idea set the basis for many modern management techniques stressing rational central planning. The Human Relations approach, focusing on work relationships as the key to improving workplace productivity, was inspired by the Hawthorne studies performed by Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger. They studied the effects of physical working conditions on employee productivity and fatigue. These studies suggested that leaders are able to positively influence employee motivation and productivity by showing concern for employee relationships. Mayo discovered that a work group would establish its own informal group performance norm, which represented what it considered to be a fair level of performance. The work group would convince ratebusters to slow down and slackers to work faster. Mayo’s conclusion that â€Å"work is a group activity† had a profound influence on modern individual management. Two key aspects of the human relations approach are employee motivation and leadership style. Pay can motivate only lower level needs and once those are satisfied, non-monetary factors such as praise, recognition, and job characteristics motivate human behaviour. Fayol’s Management approach emphasised maximum efficiency and productivity through standard operating procedures; viewed money as the one true motivator for workers; stressed the need for managerial control; and viewed organisations as machines. Taylor’s Scientific approach over-simplified the issues, emphasised the individual rather than the team and was hostile to trade unions and labour organisations. Whereas Fayol and Taylor both emphasised the production process and adjusted humans to this process, Mayo’s Human Relations approach emphasised the coordination of human and social elements in an organisation through consultation, participation, communication and leadership. However, the equation merely replaced â€Å"rational economic man† with â€Å"emotional social man† and this approach merely shifted the blame for poor performance from structural to personal attitudes and emotions. Both approaches held that there was â€Å"one best way† to manage all organisations. Assess the relevance of Classical Management theorists to the management of contemporary organisations. The modern assembly line pours out finished products faster than Taylor could ever have imagined. This production efficiency is just one legacy of Scientific Management. Its efficiency techniques have been applied to many tasks in non-industrial organisations, ranging from fast-food service to the training of surgeons. However, Taylor’s emphasis on productivity and speed placed undue pressures on employees to perform at faster and faster levels. This led to exploitation and resulted in more workers joining unions. Modern management is still viewed as a process that enables organisations to achieve their objectives by planning, organising and controlling their resources, as advocated by Fayol, but views gaining the commitment of their mployees through motivation as a key element. Hierarchical organisation (introduced by Fayol) has become the dominant, traditional mode of structure in large corporations and civil/public service departments. In some cases this â€Å"mechanistic† model works best, however, the emphasis is on efficiency and control, whereas a greater balance between people and performance is generally considered the more des irable approach nowadays. Although the Classical Management (vertical/hierarchical) approach dominated organisational structure for decades, the Human Relations Movement (horizontal/inter-departmental), encouraging adaptation to external changes, seems the more relevant approach for modern management. Contemporary management builds on the Classical and Behavioural approaches and goes beyond them. The Systems approach of â€Å"different strokes for different folks† finally put the â€Å"one best way† theory to bed and has dominated modern organisational analysis since the 1980s. The Contingency approach views the organisation as an organism, segmenting as it grows, each segment specialising in knowledge and activity, all of which must cope with their external environment and integrate harmoniously. The main difference between Classical and Contemporary approaches is the modern belief that it is futile to search for â€Å"one best way† to manage an organisation. Instead, managers must take into account the internal and external environment to match the appropriate management practices to the surrounding circumstances for an effective outcome.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices In Relations To Students

The National Association for the Education of Young Children ( NAEYC ) defines developmentally appropriate pattern ( DAP ) as the â€Å" model of rules and guidelines for best pattern in the attention and instruction of immature kids † ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . DAP draws on cognition gained from research on the development of kids and besides on the cognition of effectual educational schemes in order to advance maximum acquisition and development in kids ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . DAP ( 2009 ) is of import because, when used, it helps instructors make educational determinations that are appropriate for the pupils ‘ age group, set ends for pupils that are both disputing and accomplishable, and guarantee intentionality in all their instruction patterns. The determinations that instructors make in their schoolrooms can potentially hold a great impact on pupils ‘ acquisition experiences. Positive larning experiences lead to future positive larning behaviours such as continuity and flexibleness ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . When doing determinations sing the instruction of their pupils, instructors must take into history the general developmental features and larning capablenesss of kids in the age scope that they are learning and besides the single features and larning capablenesss of pupils within his or her schoolroom ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . All aspects of development and acquisition are of import and interconnected, and it is non until a instructor to the full understands where his or her pupils stand physically, cognitively, and emotionally that effectual determinations sing their instruction can be made ( Spano, 2004 ) . The determinations being made by instructors lead to the scene of ends in the schoolroom. Not merely do instructors necessitate to guarantee that pupils achieve these ends, but they besides need to dispute pupils to construct on the cognition they already possess to make a higher degree of understanding and development. These challenges must ever be presented as the following logical measure harmonizing to the kid ‘s phase of development ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . In general, the phases of kid development are well-documented and follow a predictable sequence ( Spano, 2004 ) . However, it is true that each single kid reaches each phase of development at a different clip which makes it of import for instructors to cognize the general features of the age group every bit good as the single pupils ‘ features. If a instructor is non cognizant of their pupils ‘ single developmental degrees, ends may be set either excessively high or excessively low, and larnin g will non happen ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . Another ground that DAP is of import is that DAP ensures intentionality ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . Intentional instructors use their cognition of their pupils ‘ development to be after all facets of their category, from the schoolroom set-up to the usage of assorted learning schemes to the types of appraisals administered. Teachers must understand that development and larning take topographic point best in state of affairss where the kid is unafraid in his or her milieus and that positive acquisition experiences shape their motive ( Helping your kid, 2005 ) . They should besides maintain in head that kids learn in a assortment of different ways, so assorted attacks to the stuff should be made. When instructors design their categories with developmentally appropriate purposes in head, a much more effectual acquisition environment is created ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . Now that the importance of developmentally appropriate patterns has been defined, a elaborate description of the features of the cognitive, affectional, and psychomotor development of striplings runing from age 12 to sixteen will be reviewed while discoursing the impact that these features have on instruction and acquisition. The developmental psychologist, Jean Piaget, classified the phases of cognitive development in kids ( Anderson, 2004 ) . In his theory, there are four phases of cognitive development ( sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational ) ( Anderson, 2004 ) . Early striplings ( approximately ages 11 to 13 ) , says Piaget, see the passage from the concrete operational phase to the formal operational phase ( Anderson, 2004 ) . Adolescents at this phase should be traveling off from the construct of egocentricism, or the apprehension that one ‘s position is non needfully the position of person else ( as cited in Malerstein & A ; Ahern, 1979 ) . Another facet of this passage is that striplings move from concrete idea to more abstract idea, intending that they are able to believe about inside informations that do non refer to an existent object or event. Concepts such as love are more apprehensible to striplings than to younger kids ( as cited in Malerstein & A ; Ahern, 1979 ) . Besides, persons in the formal operational phase of development are able to believe more scientifically ( Anderson, 2004 ) . This means that, when presented with a job, the person will travel about work outing the job by organizing hypotheses and proving each hypothesis until the right result is reached ( as cited in Malerstein & A ; Ahern, 1979 ) . Adolescents in this age scope become progressively concerned about the hereafter instead than the present with early striplings being concerned chiefly with the close hereafter while in-between striplings ( age 14 to 16 ) are more concerned with future callings and life programs ( Spano, 2004 ) . These persons are going more interested in their ain potency, and besides in the sentiments of others ( Helping your kid, 2005 ) . The thought of adolescent egocentricism is fundamentally the development of uneasiness ( Elkind, 1967 ) . Adolescents usually have ideas that everyone is watching them, known as the fanciful audience ( Elkind, 1967 ) . This may stem from the physical alterations that they are sing ( i.e. , pubescence ) , which will be discussed in more item subsequently on. Another signifier of adolescent egocentricism tied to physical development is the thought of personal fabrication, where persons perceive themselves as finally alone and perchance unbeatable ( Elkind, 1967 ) . The deductions of cognitive development on acquisition and instruction at this age scope are rather of import. Because striplings now have the capacity for abstract idea, their verbal problem-solving accomplishments are much greater ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . Teachers can now utilize inquiry-based acquisition at a more advanced degree ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . For illustration, in the biological science schoolroom pupils at this degree of cognitive development may be take a relevant subject, develop a research inquiry, signifier hypotheses, test the hypotheses, observe the consequences, make decisions, and pass on the importance of the findings to other schoolmates ( Mississippi Science Framework, 2001 ) . Socially and emotionally, adolescence is a really disruptive clip ( Helping your kid, 2005 ) . During pubescence, sex endocrines, bodily alterations, and nervous pruning ( the cutting dorsum of fresh nervous tracts ) lead to incomprehensible temper swings ( Helping your kid, 2005 ) . This is besides a clip when striplings are developing a personal individuality and sense of ego ( as cited in Hamachek, 1988 ) . Erik Erikson ‘s theory of the eight phases of development provinces that the most of import phase for this age scope is stage five: individuality versus individuality confusion ( as cited in Hamachek, 1988 ) . In this phase, persons are get downing to set up a stable self-concept that does non alter. However, Erikson besides says that persons in this phase can hover between being certain of themselves and uncertainness which may be due to the rapid alterations that adolescents experience during pubescence ( as cited in Hamachek, 1988 ) . In phase four of Erikson ‘s theory, the single begins to develop a sense of industry and lower status ( as cited in Hamachek, 1988 ) . This means that by age about age 12, striplings should be cognizant of their ain capacity to bring forth things every bit good as the fact that they may non be every bit good at some things as others ( as cited in Hamachek, 1988, Helping your kid, 2005 ) . A sense of lower status creates self-aware feelings about oneself which may take the stripling to move shyly or sharply but besides to derive or lose motive in academic enterprises ( Spano, 2004 ) . Besides at this age, striplings are traveling off from dependance on parents and closer to interaction with equal groups ( as cited in Hamacheck, 1988 ) . They begin to value the sentiments and involvements of their friends over the sentiments and involvements of their parents, and they besides begin to take involvement in edifice stronger relationships with people outside their immediate household ( Spano, 2004 ) . Therefore, peer force per unit area can be a major factor in behaviour ( Helping your kid, 2005, Spano, 2004 ) . Even though striplings are seeking independency from their parents at this age and finding their single personalities, they can besides return back to Acts of the Apostless of childish in times of emphasis ( as cited in Hamachek, 1988 ) . One must maintain in head that merely because striplings have the visual aspect of immature grownups, they are still slightly kids cognitively and emotionally ( Kipke, 1999 ) . So in the schoolroom, instructors should retrieve to put ends that are disputing but non excessively disputing ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . Showing a challenge that can be accomplished with some attempt gives the pupil a sense of assurance in his or her ain abilities which can take to a greater sense of individuality, whereas showing impossible challenging can hold negative effects on self-esteem and deter positive acquisition behaviours ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . Teachers should besides maintain in head that pupils are extremely societal at this clip, so concerted acquisition is a positive instruction scheme ( Developmentally Appropriate, 2009 ) . For illustration, in the biological science schoolroom, have pupils work together on an assignment such as dissecting a toad while the instructor acts as a facilitator and moves about the room to assist groups when they can non reply the inquiries on their ain ( Mississippi Science Framework, 2001 ) . Just retrieve that, in the schoolroom, societal interaction should non roll excessively far from the content. The most apparent signifiers of development in striplings are psychomotor and physical development. Approximately between the ages of 11 and 15, adolescents undergo pubescence, or the development of secondary sex features ( Kipke, 1999, Spano, 2004 ) . At this point in their lives, striplings become capable of reproduction which entails a figure of physical alterations such as an addition in height and weight and organic structure hair, etc. ( Spano, 2004 ) . This drastic alteration in bodily proportions, coupled with the phenomenon of nervous pruning ( which is the decrease of fresh neural tracts in the encephalon during adolescence ) , sometimes leads to awkwardness and shortages in coordination every bit good as alterations in affect ( Coch, Fischer & A ; Dawson, 2007 ) . Physical alterations interact closely with emotion and knowledge ( Coch, Fischer & A ; Dawson, 2007 ) . Due to all the physical developments, striplings spend a important part of clip focused upon themselves which gives grownups the feeling of egoism ; and because they are so focussed on themselves, they feel like others are focused on them as good which is the impression of the fanciful audience ( Elkind, 1967 ) . These rapid alterations make them experience self-aware and over-concerning about their physical visual aspect ( Spano, 2004 ) . Although pupil may be awkward or clumsy at this age, implementing schemes that require honing of all right motor accomplishments is a good thought ( Coch, Fischer & A ; Dawson, 2007 ) . Having pupils fix their ain moisture slides in a biological science category is a valuable tool because it requires pupils to pay attending to item and develop concentration and a new accomplishment set that can be used subsequently on ( Mississippi Science Framework, 2001 ) . All of these new developments in striplings lead to new chances in larning. Cognitive development allows immature striplings to finish more in-depth job state of affairss and focal point for longer sums of clip ( Helping your kid, 2005 ) . Adolescents are besides developing a sense of ego and personal involvements, so they are capable of ramifying out into extracurricular activities that they enjoy such as music or art ( Hamachek, 1988, Helping your kid, 2005 ) . This is besides the clip in life where persons form womb-to-tomb reading wonts, so encouragement to read is of import ( Helping your kid, 2005 ) . In drumhead, the old ages of adolescence ( ages 12 through 16 ) are a clip of major development non merely cognitively but emotionally and physically every bit good. For instructors, structuring content around developmentally appropriate patterns is highly of import. Without maintaining in head the degree of cognitive ability of their pupils, instructors run the hazard of making lessons that are either excessively long and advanced or excessively easy and short. Teachers need to understand what their pupils are traveling through emotionally and socially every bit good. Implementing learning schemes where the pupils get to interact with one another is a positive incentive for adolescent pupils. In the scientific discipline schoolroom, all these deductions are merely every bit valid as in any other schoolroom. Designing lesson programs that allow the pupils to develop an involvement in different subject and work out jobs that are disputing will assist them to make a high degree of development, and showing the stuff in assorted ways helps pupils with changing personalities learn the stuff. Without usage of developmentally appropriate patterns, effectual instruction is non possible.

The Accidental Tourist- Why and how Muriel Changed Macon Essay

The Accidental Tourist- Why and how Muriel Changed Macon - Essay Example Out of the blue Macon recognizes that he is on the brink of insanity. One reason for the change in Macon’s character is his sudden realization of how he failed to use his mental power to repel his pain. Another reason is his realization of the uncultivated emotional strength that he is pushed away from. The changing character of Macon is perplexing to his brother, Charles. Macon responds to Charles’s confusion (Tyler 2002, 228): â€Å"I’m more myself than I’ve been my whole life long.† Before the fated rendezvous with Muriel, Macon is a generous but anxious individual with a traditional sense of decency and refined fairness. Macon is a neurotic, overwhelmed with particular fears about being killed by lead-poisoned canned orange juice. All about him is contained. Even the manner in which he mourns over his deceased son is contained, hence at the surface it appears more like apathy. When his wife wrongly blames him for not truly loving their son and walks out of the restaurant, Macon musters his pride and pushes himself to eat his meal. His wife wants to face their son’s killer. She would force the killer to grasp the terrible nature of his action and afterward would kill him on the spot. Macon, who is not at ease with obsessive sentiments, says to his wife, â€Å"We can’t afford to have these thoughts† (Tyler 2002, 21). His wife retorts: â€Å"Easy for you to say†¦ pretend it never happened. Go rearrange your wrenches from biggest to small est instead of from smallest to biggest; that’s always fun† (Tyler 2002, 21). This confrontation is one of the defining roots of Macon’s change, propelling him to the path of Muriel who changes him significantly. The first meeting of Macon and Muriel is a clash of two completely dissimilar characters, compelling the change in Macon’s character. As Muriel deepens her place in Macon’s heart, he recognizes that, with her bright clothes and flowery fragrance,

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 62

Marketing - Essay Example I believe that the leap from use of synthetic drugs to natural supplements among many customers will make the product highly sellable. Since the drug is made from natural products, it can be taken by children and adolescents or those who have no osteoporosis for the prevention of bone problems. The product is safe for all ages and genders as well as patients with other ailments so that a large number of customers is promising. The forecast for the product is positive with people largely embracing alternative medicine because of the side-effects of many synthetic drugs. The product guarantees no similar side-effects except for allergic reactions to a limited number of products. Since some of the ingredients are from animal products, the possibility of allergic reactions should be considered but not seriously because the drug has more benefits than disadvantages. Therefore, some customers may not buy the product for this reason. However, the number is minimal so that there would still be more than ninety percent success for the

International marketing of Safari motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International marketing of Safari motors - Essay Example Advancement in technology including communication efficiency and better international relations has contributed to the promotion of the international trade. Competition has however become a great challenge to the success of international trade but most companies are rising to the challenge. To achieve greater investments and better market opportunities in the international market, it is necessary that primary and secondary market research is done to ensure that information regarding the country is achieved. (Hollensen, 2004) This paper will therefore look into the requirements and plans needed for a company (Safari Ltd) to enter market successfully. The main issues that will be addressed by the paper will be; marketing across borders, risks and opportunities that the company will face and country analysis using SLEPT and size of the Chinese computer manufacture market. Safari motors is computer manufacturing company in the United States located in Texas. This company offers a wide variety of products including the manufacture, assembly, and maintenance of computers. The company has risen from being a retailer of used computers to become one of the improved companies in the sector. It boasts of a financial base of $ 120Million. The company has been for the past two years getting recognition and that it believes it has met the needs for the domestic market and now it needs to explore the international market. Changing nature of international environment There have been many changes on the way international market environments have been behaving especially in terms of diversity. The international marketing environments are usually done through the use of a STEP or PEST analysis procedure. (Hollensen, 2004) This analysis is worth because it determines whether the organization will be fairing well or not. For the purposes of this paper we shall use SLEPT marketing tool to analyze the Chinese market China China is the fastest economically-growing country in the Asia currently and is considered to be very developed come the next decade. Accompanying a rapidly growing economy is the increase in environmental pollution and this pollution is contributed by foreign companies which have heavily invested in China. Currently it is number two economy in Asia. (Lee and Carter, 2005) Ready market With an increase in the economic growth rate of the Chinese economy, most sectors will require computers to improve on its technology and service provision. The manufacturing sector in Chinese has grown bigger in the last few years demanding more usage of the computer software and hardware. The introduction of internet and other communication services such as the mobile phone sector, has taken the country by storm. With an increase in the need for internet access, comes an increase in the need for computer hardware and software. A study conducted by Coopers limited (UK) in China has shown a rise in the need for internet among the Chinese urban population especially the youth. (Lee and Carter, 2005) SLEPT analysis This is an analyzing tool which is used to examine a business environment it stands for social, legal, economic, and political. Social Forces within the society such as media, family and friends have affected the way an organization sells its products. Most of the customers in china believe that products made from America are of high quality or low quality or any other

Community Nutrition Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community Nutrition - Research Paper Example Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unhealthy nutritional patterns impact the health of family members and can potentially lead to health problems such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or Type 2 diabetes. To achieve their optimal health, family members need to have a healthy nutritional intake. Nutrition is defined simply as the nutrients the body needs for the body to function. The effectiveness of body functioning depends on which nutrients a person takes in and whether the nutrients meet the physiological needs of the body. Family members living together in a household have access to the same foods, influencing the nutritional intake of family members, so it is important to address nutrition and nutrition promotion from a family perspective and not limit it to individual family members. All families experience some form of cost constraints, yet families with limited resources may find it more challenging to access adequate nutritional resources. Typically, low-nutrient, low-density foods—high in carbohydrates—are less expensive than foods with greater nutrient density. Families who cannot afford nutritionally sound, energy-dense food are more likely to be overweight or obese, which can lead to secondary health problems (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, & U.S. Department of Agriculture,www.healthierus.gov). Cultural factors can also influence the nutritional intake of families, impacting food selection, meal preparation, and portion sizes. In some cultures, specific food items are on the table with every meal, such as tortillas or potatoes. Specific types of meat or vegetables may not be served or may be limited based on cultural or religious views. The family structure has been changing in America as well as globally. A variety of factors have led to alterations in family structure, including shifting parental roles, single-parent homes, and economic

Was Che Guevara a true hero Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Was Che Guevara a true hero - Coursework Example Although a Gemini according to the birth certificate, that predicted a grayish character for him and his life to be of an uneventful kind, Che was in reality a Taurian who a strong and decisive character 1. The trip on La Poderosa Ernesto Che Guevara lived a comfortable life in Alta Gracia in his growing up years2. He was a medical student at the Buenos Aires University and already had travel experiences to many places in South America. He had a keen interest in exploring the land where he lived and had made a six weeks long tour on a bicycle enhanced by a motor. During this tour he got the opportunity to meet the common people of Latin America. At Cordoba Ernesto met his friend Alberto Guevara, who was a biochemist. Along the way Ernesto closely saw the lives of the lepers, the hospital patients and the suffering men and women of the country. The realization dawned upon him that a very big gap existed between the affluent class and the people living on the margins. In January 1952, when Ernesto was in his last semester of his medical studies, he along with his friend Alberto set out on a motorcycle tour. It was a six month long tour that was planned across the continent of South America. They had traveled across â€Å"Argentina, Chile, Peru, Columbia and Venezuala†3. ... At one place in the book The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Guevara the author mentions the worst crash that they faced in whole expedition: â€Å"Alberto came out unscathed, but the cylinder trapped my foot and scorched it, leaving an unpleasant souvenir for a long time because the wound didn't heal†4. The motorcycle soon broke down and they continued with their journey by hitchhiking or on foot. In some places they also traveled on boat. Ernesto at times faced health problems due to serious asthma attacks and at such times they halted for Ernesto to recover at some hospital. Besides the two young men ran out of their stock of money and faced difficulties on the road. Yet they continued traveling and depended mostly upon the hospitality of the people they met on their way. Both Ernesto and his friend maintained diaries. The account of the incidents taking place that Ernesto kept in his diary later became the phenomenal book by the name The Motorcycle Diaries. This book is far from being the diary of a revolutionary famous by the name Che Guevara. The records give accounts of the first-hand experiences of a twenty-three year old medical student and exuberant observant with an eye for detail in his six month long journey with a twenty nine years old friend across thousands of miles. The transformation of Ernesto Guevara Guevara was since childhood a jovial person. In spite of his illness due to asthma, as a child he was always quite cheerful and displayed leadership qualities on playground in school. In parts of the year when he did not suffer from the disease he used to engage himself in sports like â€Å"soccer, table tennis and golf†5. He also practiced riding horseback, swimming, shooting and occasionally rock fighting. He always

Gene Therapy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gene Therapy - Research Paper Example During this period, there was the discovery of cell lines which were genetically marked. Additionally, the cell transformation and how it occurred was clarified during this period as well. Developments in gene therapy were motivated by the later arrival of the recombinant DNA techniques. Clone genes were also developed which were valuable in the demonstration of how foreign genes can be used to male corrections to various defects in genes. This also revealed the importance of DNA in correcting the disease phenotypes which emanated from defective cells. Gene transfer methods and efficient retroviral vectors have shown that in vivo and in vitro phenotype correction is an effective gene therapy approaches (Dolly and Hunt 28). This is the reason why gene therapy has been justified and accepted to be applicable in clinical genetic studies which involve human subjects. Gene therapy techniques are likely to have positive impact in future scientific discoveries. This is because of its postul ated future use in the replacement of faulty genes and the introduction of new genes for treatment or modification of the clinical direction of a specific medical condition. Technical Aspects on how Gene Therapy Works Genetically altered material is delivered via three major methods. The first method involves retrotransposons or retroviruses (Murray 15). Retroviruses are commonly used due to their ability to transfer their own DNA or genetic information. Additionally retroviruses are able to alter the human gene genetically. Cell DNA has parts which are able to make copies of themselves into other sections within the cell genome (Rudolph and Aslam 44). These parts which are exemplified by the yeast transposon can be used in gene therapy. However the application of transposons in alteration of genes is still under research (Judson 40). Secondly, gene therapy is made possible through blasting DNA or genes by the use of pressurized guns which are filled with helium (Bryant, Duker and R eichel 90). The helium gun is used to fire gold bullets of very small size that are coated with genes which are genetically altered (Garber 60). This technique was performed on rats with tumors in gene therapy experiments. The results revealed that the tumor cells which successfully received the inoculated altered cells demonstrated activation of coding for cytokines which played a role of activation immune cells. The third aspect of gene therapy includes liposomes (Hogan 10). This method is still being investigated where hollow molecules of fat within a solution are used in gene therapy. This methodology is used in attempts to genetically treat cystic fibrosis (Fackelmann 239). Cystic fibrosis is a respiratory tract disease which results from the buildup of chloride ions. In the gene therapy for this disease, liposomes which are coated with genes that are genetically altered are inhaled. The genetically altered genes are designed to prevent chloride ion buildup. The experiments of gene therapy have revealed that the ion levels within the respiratory tract decreased significantly with the inoculation of the genetically modified genes. The advantage of this method is that it poses less potential risk as compared to retroviruses. Positive Aspects of Gene therapy Gene therapy is advantageous because it can be used to treat individuals who have congenital genetic disease. This can be achieved through the replacement of the

Acknowledgement Examples Essay Example for Free

Acknowledgement Examples Essay * First and foremost, we would like to thank to our supervisor of this project, Miss Shyamala for the valuable guidance and advice. She inspired us greatly to work in this project. Her willingness to motivate us contributed tremendously to our project. We also would like to thank her for showing us some example that related to the topic of our project. Besides, we would like to thank the authority of Multimedia University (MMU) for providing us with a good environment and facilities to complete this project. Also, we would like to take this opportunity to thank to the Centre of Affiliated Diploma Programme (CADP) of Multimedia University (MMU) for offering this subject, Computing Project. It gave us an opportunity to participate and learn about the operation of flights ticket reservation. In addition, we would also like to thank Malaysia Airline System (MAS) which provide us valuable information as the guidance of our project. Finally, an honorable mention goes to our families and friends for their understandings and supports on us in completing this project. Without helps of the particular that mentioned above, we would face many difficulties while doing this * Apart from the efforts of myself, the success of any project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this project. I would like to show my greatest appreciation to Prof. James Geller. I cant say thank you enough for his tremendous support and help. I feel motivated and encouraged every time I attend his meeting. Without his encouragement and guidance this project would not have materialized. The guidance and support received from all the members who contributed and who are contributing to this project, was vital for the success of the project. I am grateful for their constant support and help. * I would like to gratefully acknowledge the enthusiastic supervision of Dr. Ali Rezazadeh during this work. I thank Prof. Garth Swanson for the technical discussions on the spectral response model and Dr. S. E. Kanellopoulos for the help with optical measurements and relevant discussions. Postgraduates of the Physical Electronics Research Group are thanked for numerous stimulating discussions, help with experimental setup and general advice; in particular I would like to acknowledge the help of Dr. Jim Luck for his support. Sean Wootton, Kevin Smith and Nick Nicola are thanked for their assistance with all types of technical problems at all times. I am grateful to all my friends from International Hall, University of London, for being the surrogate family during the many years I stayed there and for their continued moral support there after. From the staff, Donald Mann and Margaret Wilson are especially thanked for their care and attention. Finally, I am forever indebted to my parents and Anita for their understanding, endless patience and encouragement when it was most required. I am also grateful to Naela and Tanvir for their support.

English language student teachers pedagogical content knowledge

English language student teachers pedagogical content knowledge My study aims to analyze the relationship between English language student teachers pedagogical content knowledge learnt from the university coursework and their practice of teaching during the practicum in schools. By pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) here, I mean the knowledge to teach English as a second language at secondary level. The focus of my study is to find out what PCK student teachers learn during their English language teaching course at the university and how they apply that knowledge in the classroom during the practice teaching. In this literature review I discus the concept of teacher education programmes, the practicum, link between theory and the practicum, gaps between theory and the practicum, how to strengthen the link between theory and the practicum and brief review of research on practicum in teacher education and English language teacher education programmes. In the end I state the aim of my study and the potential research questions. The purpose of this literature review is to provide an introduction to and grounding for my study. 2. Teacher Education Programmes Teacher education programs are designed and organized to train prospective and in-service teachers. These programmes educate teachers to teach at various levels of education such as pre-primary, primary, elementary, secondary and higher secondary levels. Two common types of teacher education programmes are pre-service teacher education which is also called initial teacher education (ITE) and in-service education and training (INSET). Initial teacher education prepares the new trainee teachers to teach at different levels whereas in-service teacher education provides training to the already working teachers. (Although there is a conceptual difference between the concepts teacher education and teacher training, in this document I will be using both these concepts in the same meaning. Generally in this document, teacher education or teacher training means pre-service teacher education. If I talk about in-service education of teachers, it will be mentioned in the text). Aldrich (1990) says that teacher education programmes are important to prepare future teachers to develop their professional competencies. Laczko-Kerr and Berliner (2002) argue that university teacher preparation courses prepare better quality teachers. The objective of the teacher education programme is to equip student teachers with a set of competencies to teach in the school context (Banks et al. 2001), to cope with the complexity of challenges in their everyday teaching work (Cheng, 2010). The challenge is to help student teachers put their learning from the teacher education programme into practice. Most teacher education programmes include different components: general education; subject-matter studies; foundation of education studies; methods studies; and field experience (i.e. teaching practice) (Stuart Tatto 2000; Zeichner Gore 1990). The general education, foundation courses and methods studies comprise the theoretical component whereas field experiences focus on the practical component of teacher education programmes. Korthagen et al (2006) argue that teacher education finds itself in a difficult position in the 21st century. He presents three reasons for dissatisfaction with the teacher education programmes. First reason is the irrelevance of teacher preparation for the reality of everyday practice in schools. It has generated pressure on teacher educators to rethink about the structure and practices of teacher education. Secondly, research evidence during the final decade of 20th century shows that new teachers appear to face severe problems during their first period in the profession. Wideen, Mayer-Smith, Moon (1998) also supported this view and said that the transfer from theory (presented and learnt during teacher education courses) to practice in schools is often meager. Thirdly, new concepts of teaching and leaning have emerged and developed overtime. Constructivist (Williams Burden, 1997; Roberts, 1998; Arends, 2004; Osterman Kottkamp, 2004) and social constructivist views (Roberts, 199 8; Beck Kosnik, 2006) have dominated the theory and practice of teaching and learning. These views argue for learner-centered approaches to learning and teaching and challenge the traditional practices in teacher education. It poses challenges for teacher educators. Teacher educators have attempted to respond to this challenging phenomenon to fulfill the demand of producing effective teachers in the 21st century. Zeichner (2010) argues that the old paradigm of teacher education where academic knowledge is viewed as the authoritative source of knowledge about teaching needs to be changed to the one where there is interlink among academic, practitioner and community expertise. As knowledge is constructed and shared by learners in constructivism and social constructivism, he argues that this new epistemology of teacher education will create expanded learning opportunities for prospective teachers that will better prepare them to be successful in enacting complex teaching practices (Zeichner 2010, p. 89). Darling-Hammond, Hammerness, Grossman, Rust Shulman, 2005) concluded that research on effective teacher education programs shows that where field experiences are carefully linked with coursework and carefully mentored, teacher educators are better able to accomplish their goals in preparing teachers to successfully enact complex teaching practices. In view of the complexity of the teaching-learning process Korthagen, et al. argue that the most basic problem which is still not being addressed adequately in teacher education programmes is how to connect theory and practice in such a way that teachers would be able to handle the problems of everyday teaching through theory-guided action (Korthagen, et al. 2006, p. 1021). My research focuses on the issue of analyzing the link between theory and practice of English language teacher education in the context of Pakistan. This analysis will help to understand what student teachers learn during coursework at the university, how they learn it and how they put that learning into practice during thee practicum. In the next part I discus the concept of practicum. 3. The Practicum Practicum (also termed as teaching practice/internship/induction or field experiences) may be defines as learning by doing (Schà ¶n 1987), learning from action (Hutton 1989) or work-based learning (Foster and Stephenson 1998). Stanton Giles (1989, 180) define the practicum as field experiences that focus on professional practice and activities that are explicitly focused on pre-professional practice. The ultimate goal of the practicum is to let student teachers demonstrate specific competencies that they are expected to have mastered at different stages in their pre-service stage (Yan, 2010) Practicum placements in schools are considered to be a significant component of pre-service teachers education program (Touchon Gwyn-Paquette, 2003; Leishem 2008). Practicum plays a major role in student teachers learning. Much of what teachers need to learn must be learned in and from practice rather than in preparing for practice (Ball Cohen, 1999; Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, Bransford, 2005). Teaching practice provides opportunities for student teachers to develop a contextualized understanding of the complexities. It also provides opportunities to develop classroom management skills, lesson planning and the ability to interact with students (Richards Crookes, 1988; Farrell, 2001). According to Huling (1997), practicum experiences offer teacher candidates a place to observe and work with real students, teachers, and curriculum in natural settings (p.1). Student teachers are able to apply their theoretical knowledge in the real classroom setting. Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin (1996) note that professional development opportunities are criticized for being non-contextual and isolated from the world of practice. Practicum in teacher education programmes provides opportunities of practice in the context of school. Zeichner (2006 p. 333) says that extended teaching practice can give the student teachers exposure to practices of experienced teachers. Student teachers may observe experienced teachers and can learn from their practices. It can also develop interaction among student teachers and the other school teachers. It is clear form the above that practicum is an important component of teacher education programmes. It not only provides opportunities for applying the theoretical knowledge the strudent teachers have gained from the teacher education institutions but also develops a sense of professionalism in them. It introduces the teaching profession to the prospective teachers. They can also interact with experienced teachers and can learn from them. 3.1. Linking Theory and the Practicum (Korthagen Kessels, (1999) argue that in application of theory model of pre-service teacher education in the United States, prospective teachers are supposed to learn theories at the university and then go to schools to practice or apply what they learned on campus. (Darling_Hammond (2006, p. 307) observes that one of the perennial dilemmas of teacher education is how to integrate theoretically based knowledge that has traditionally been taught in university classrooms with the experience based knowledge that has traditionally been located in the practice of teachers and the realities of classrooms and schools. Zeichner (2010, p. 90) also supports the view that one of the most difficult tasks is to strengthen the connections between what our student teachers do in their school and community placements and the rest of their teacher education program. The inter-relationship of theoretical knowledge and practicum is further elaborated by Lewis (2007). He uses the terms conjunction and disjunction to refer to the presence or absence of the relationship between what is taught in teacher education and what is practiced in schools. By conjunction, he means that there is no clash between the knowledge gained in teacher education institutions and what is to be practiced by trainee teachers in schools. Lewis argues that disjunction or the difference between university advocated practice and what actually occurs in schools, presents the prospective teacher with a dilemma. He quotes a student teacher who in doing the practicum in school who says: the course at university emphasizes engagement and use of constructivist oriented activities however the majority of classes I am doing have teaching that is fairly teacher oriented and content focused (Lewis 2007, p. 6). This type of confusion may be common in a number of contexts. It may happen when teacher education institutions do not take into account the contextual factors in schools. Russell (1988) identifies three types of tensions in theory-practice relationship: firstly is between campus-based course work and school-based relevance; secondly, between child and teacher-centered approaches; and finally, between what a student teacher can be told and what that person does in the classroom. Such tensions can be addressed by carefully designing and implementing the teacher education courses keeping in view the context of real school teaching and student teachers previous experiences. 3.2. Gaps between Theory and the Practicum Lack of connection between campus-based teacher education courses and field experiences has been a perennial problem in teacher education programs (Bullough et al., 1997, 1999; Zeichner, 2007, 2010). Studies show that student teachers feel there is a lack of connection between the teacher education programme and the school-based teaching experiences (Hobson et al. 2008, 414). Different reasons may be attributed to the gap between theoretical and the practical component of teacher education programmes. Ashcroft Griffiths (1989) say that it is very hard to preserve the unity of theory and practice during a short teaching practice period in schools. It is very common that cooperating teachers in schools know very little about the methods courses the student teachers have completed on campus and the course teachers in the university know very little about the specific practices used in the classroom where student teachers are placed. (Zeichner, 2010). Lack of well planned supervision and guidance on the part of cooperating teachers may also lead to disconnect between what the students have learnt and what they actually practice. It is often assumed that good teaching practices are caught rather than taught (Darling-Hammond, 2009). Zeichner and Tabachnick (1981) found that many newly learnt teaching theories or conceptions developed during teacher education programmes are diluted by the initial confrontation during their teaching practice and it raises doubts whether insights from teacher education had actually been achieved (Cole Knowles, 1993). As a result of the falling short of the expected practice of the theoretical knowledge, the student teachers may adapt to the common habit of teachers to consider teacher education too theoretical and useless (Elliot, 1991). Sometimes, the courses taught at the university may not be context specific to prepare teachers. In Australian context, Commonwealth Department of Education, Science Training (2002, p. 104) reported that the theoretical components of teacher education programmes are distant, irrelevant and inaccessible. The disconnect may be in various types like the disconnect between university coursework and the teaching context, gap or lack of cooperation between the student teachers and the supervisors or/and cooperating teachers, conflict between student teachers perceived competencies and their actual performance in the practicum etc. The gaps need to be minimized if teacher educators want to produce effective teachers for complex teaching tasks. In the next part I discuss how to minimize the gaps and strengthen the link between theory and the practicum. 3.3. Strengthening the Link between Theory and the Practicum Darling-Hammond (2006) suggests that carefully constructed field experiences coordinated with campus courses are more influential and effective in supporting student teacher learning than the unguided and disconnected field experiences. Evidence shows that traditional and loosely planned and monitored model of field experiences may create obstacles in student teachers learning (Feiman-Nemser Buchmann, 1985; Zeichner, 1996). One way to prepare student teachers for actual classroom is simulative teaching in which simulations of classroom situation are enacted (Cohen, 1981). Simulative teaching sometimes proves to be a fallacy and student teachers may encounter with reality shock when teaching in actual classrooms (Korthagen et al. 2006, p. 1027). Zeichner (2010) suggests that some portion of the methods courses can be taught in partner schools to mediate the gaps between their campus courses and the students school experiences. The course tutors should deliver model lessons in the actual classroom in the partner schools where the student teachers are required to do the practice teaching. Ball Forzani (2009) also support the notion that clinical experiences should be the central focus of pre-service teacher education from which everything else in a program emanates. Cheng et al. (2010) examined theory-practice gap as perceived by student teachers in Hong Kong. On the basis of their findings, the researchers propose four strategies to close the gap and strengthen the link between theory and practice. They recommend: student teachers need to develop their own competencies and reflect on their pedagogical practice; promoting self leaning or independent learning; encouraging teacher educators to model lessons and; arranging study abroad programmes for non-native student teachers to some English speaking countries. Darling-Hammond (1994, 1999) Fullan et al. (1998) recommend more involvement of university faculty in the student teachers supervision so that they may get detailed feedback and guidance on the practicum experiences. Casey Howson (1993, 365) suggest a three-person teaching team who should meet to discuss goals and strategies and attempt to build a strong scaffolding for pre-service students. The team includes education professors, field supervisors, and cooperating teachers. Korthagen et al. (2006) argues for a close cooperation not only in the sense of school-university partnerships, but also in three-way cooperation among teachers in schools, teacher educators in universities, and those who are learning to teach. Goodlad (1990) also recommends including teacher candidates perspectives in the mentoring process. In the next part I review literature on how to improve the practicum in teacher education programmes. 4. Improving the Practicum Student teachers perceive the practicum to be the most valuable part of their teacher education for its strong influence on their views of the roles of teachers (Smith Snoek, 1996). Organizing and conducting well planned and effective practicum may better help teacher education institution to realize their objective of producing more effective teachers. There can be number of problems which reduce the effectiveness of the practicum. Yan and He (2010) identify six problems in the practicum as perceived by English language student teachers in Chinese EFL context. These are: tension between vision and reality, unreasonable schedule of the practicum, practicum schools distrust, lack of supervision, student teachers lack of motivation in preparing lessons plans and lack of sound assessment system. These problems are associated with organization of the practicum, role of supervisors, assessment system and level of motivation among student teachers to teach. As teacher educators, we will n eed to address such issues to make the practicum more effective. Some of the most significant factors which can contribute to improve the practicum in schools are school-university partnership, role of the faculty in preparing student teachers for the practicum and supervising their practice and support and cooperation of the cooperating teachers. I will discuss these separately. 4.1. School-University Partnership School-university partnership does not mean that schools are only the practice fields for student teachers. This view limits the collaboration and cooperation between schools and universities. (Korthagen et al. (2006) argues that common view of learning to teach includes the assumption that the university-based components of teacher preparation offer the theoretical underpinnings of teaching and that school teaching experience (practicum) offers a situation in which those previously learning principles of teaching are practiced. This view creates many difficulties, including the fact that the expertise of teaching practice is often assumed to reside largely in schools with teachers. Further Gorodetsky, Barak, and Hadari (2007) pointed out that even in the current wave of school-university partnerships in teacher education, colleges and universities continue to maintain hegemony over the construction and dissemination of knowledge, and schools remain in the position of practice fields where student teachers are to try out the practices provided by the university. This view implies that schools are always at the giving end. Why should the head teacher and the cooperating teachers spar enough time to mentor the student teachers and collaborate with the faculty supervisors if they are not involved in any other component of teacher education programmes? The exclusion of school teachers from designing and pedagogy of teacher education courses also limits the actual training needs of the student teachers and the scope of the practicum. The practicum in particular and teacher education programme in general can be strengthened if experienced school teachers are involved in the university programmes. Zeichner (2010) gives an example of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where teachers with evidence of a high level of competence in the classroom spend 2 years working in all aspects of the pre-service teacher education program, including student recruitment, general education, professional education sequence, ongoing program evaluation and renewal ef forts, and in supporting graduates in their early years of teaching. University faculty may also join the partner schools to teach the actual classroom for some period of time to refresh their knowledge of school teaching. This sort of useful partnership may help improving the practicum. 4.2. Role of the University Faculty in the Practicum In addition to working as course developers, course tutors, examiners, evaluators, managers etc. teacher educators serve as role models for the actual practice of the professional (Korthagen, Loughran, Lunenberg, 2005). This role model may be intentional or not. Loughran (1997) is of the view that modelling behaviour by the educator gives the student teachers an opportunity to experience and understand some likely outcomes of teaching. Research shows that explicit modelling of teacher educators can facilitate the translation into the student teachers own practice (Lunenberg, Korthagen Swennen 2007). Modelling is an effective tool to prepare student teachers for actual classroom teaching. The teacher educator can also deliver model lessons in the partner schools instead of creating simulative classrooms in the university. Supporting the concept of modelling, Russell (1999, p. 220) goes on to say that Universities generally, and university-based teacher educators particularly, have no right to recommend to teachers any teaching practices that they have not themselves used successfully at the university. Korthagen et al. (2006) argues that if teacher educators advocate some innovative practices that they do not model and explain in their own teacher education classrooms, teacher education reform will continue to elude us. University faculty can use modelling as a powerful strategy to prepare student teachers for the practicum. There can be some implications of model lessons as it may not be possible for trainee teachers to adapt themselves to the model lesson after some period of t ime. Furthermore, there may be more than one method of teaching the same lesson; sometimes it can be ridiculous to confine the student teachers to the method/methods used by the faculty in his/her model lesson. 4.3. Cooperating Teachers and the Practicum Support from cooperating teachers may be useful for student teachers during the practicum. But sometimes, cooperating teachers are overburdened because they also need to do their routine teaching and other school assignments simultaneously. In such a case it is likely that they do not take the practicum seriously and may not assist student teachers as they should have or would have wanted to help them. Guyton McIntyre (1990) emphasise the role of the cooperating teacher, who is most available, in developing student teachers practice. Farrell (2001) argues for support from the practicum school and cooperating teachers. He further contends that student teachers should be placed with competent cooperating teachers. If the cooperating teachers are not competent enough, they are likely to be less effective in student teachers development. Randall (1992) says that the cooperating teacher may heavily influence student teachers teaching styles through direct contact. He can provide on the s pot guidance to the student teacher. It is very common that cooperating teachers in schools know very little about the methods courses in the universities (Zeichner, 2010). Cooperating teachers need to be involved in the university courses and also trained by the university faculty for mentoring of the student teachers. It can help them perform their role more effectively in helping student teachers. In the next part I review research on the practicum in teacher education and English language teacher education and also argue for my proposed study. 5. Research on Practicum in Teacher Education and English Language Teacher Education Darling-Hammond (2006) states that there has been much discussion about the structure of teacher education programmes but there has been less discussion on what actually goes on in the teacher education courses and the clinical experiences that student teachers encounter and how the programmes add up to the knowledge and skills of the student teachers to prepare them for classroom. Yan (2010) argues that research on the practicum is mainly limited to general higher education programmes from the Western world, and the English language teaching practicum has received scarce attention. Little is known about how learners conceptualize their initial teaching experiences, and about what impact these experiences have on their professional development as teachers (Johnson 1996, 30) and what actually occurs during the practicum (Richards Crookes 1988; Freeman 1989). Snoek (1996) claimed that student teachers perceived the practicum to be the most valuable part of their teacher education for its strong influence on their views of the roles of teachers. Hodge et al. (2002) reported that the practicum had a positive impact on the student teachers attitude towards their work. Yan, (2010) contends that most second-language teacher preparation programmes simply assume that once pre-service teachers have completed their required coursework, they will be able to transfer their knowledge into effective classroom practices. It is, therefore, well worth investigating complexities and problems arising from the practicum to enhance its effect on student teachers professional growth and teacher education programmes. Cheng et al. (2010) examined the theory-practice gap by reporting a study that researched the inconsistencies between student teachers best teaching strategies and their most commonly employed ones. They conducted this study in the context of Hong Kong. A questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used to generate data. Total 228 final year student teachers of 4 years B. Ed programme completed and returned the questionnaire. In addition to it, 31 Year 4 student teachers enrolled in these programmes participated in in-depth interviews. Findings revealed three main dimensions of consideration attributing to the inconsistencies in the conceptions of teaching: pre-training experiences of student teachers, teaching context of the partner school and student needs. These considerations lead to expansive or constraining impacts on the student teachers selections of teaching strategies. Nevertheless, teacher education programmes are expected to have an expansive impact on the student teachers conceptions of teaching as well as to help them overcome constraining impacts from other sources of influence. Koeppen (1998) observed that student teachers face multiple difficulties in classroom instruction as theory versus practice occurs. Her case study of a student teacher found that the student had problems in linking university courses and classroom context during the practicum. What the student had studied for example, planning instruction and modeling did not match the reality he found in school. This student teacher struggled to reconcile himself to the teacher-centered teaching he was doing which was totally against the theory of teacher-centered learning which he had learned in his course. In the context of Pakistan, no such study has been conducted on the link between theory and teaching practicum in English language teacher education. Keeping in view the above cited literature, the present study aims to analyze the link between English language student teachers pedagogical content knowledge learnt from the university coursework and their practice of teaching during the practicum in schools. By pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) here, I mean the knowledge to teach English as a second language at secondary level. The focus of my study is to find out what PCK student teachers learn during their English language teaching course at the university and how they apply that knowledge in the classroom during the practice teaching. I pose the following questions to achieve the aim of the study: What type of pedagogical content knowledge the student teachers learn during English language teaching course at a selected teacher education department in Pakistan? How and to what extent English language student teachers apply/practice their pedagogical content knowledge to teach during the practicum in schools? What is the relationship between student teachers pedagogical content knowledge and their practice of teaching English at secondary level in Pakistan?

Escape to the Impossible - Original Writing :: Papers

Escape to the Impossible - Original Writing They’d been crawling for what seemed like days, or hours. How could they know? They could no longer contemplate the time, it seemed a long time ago when something as alien as time came into their lives. Even if they cared how would they know anyway? It was always dark down here, darker than anything the pair had ever known. Always on your sore hands and knees trudging through sewage pipes holding the faeces of an entire city’s population, each of them blissfully unaware of what was going on in their own spotless backyard. Simon accidentally sniffed before a sneeze, he instantly regretted it, the smell hit him like a shock wave, and he gagged, then explosively threw up into the suffocating darkness. But nothing came out, just a dribble of what was left of his acidic stomach juices, they had not eaten in days and were both famished and weak. â€Å"Simon, are you all right?† said Jasmine, his younger sister, who used to be very pretty until the day they had taken her and Simon away to the Camp. Now her eyes spoke of wordless horrors and her sleep was tormented by the private tortures she had endured. Now her cheeks were thin, her beautiful blonde hair straggly and dirty, and she had bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep her nightmares produced. â€Å"Yeah, in a minute.† Simon croaked, his throat burning still from his vomiting. They carried on crawling in silence. Oh and the silence, they dreaded it, imagine silence in the pitch black and then hearing the distant echo of footsteps, squelching through the unpleasant remains of dead rats and drunken takeaways. Not knowing whether they were real or unreal and that these might be the footsteps of someone tracking them – they too may be lost in the underground maze of pipes and sewers. Sometimes one of the two would try to hum a tune, but the silence like an animal instantly smothered them, until their humming

Comparing Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, is a futuristic look at a man and his role in society. Bradbury utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in addition to various occupations and technological advances, to show what life could be like if the future takes a drastic turn for the worse. He turns man's best friend, the dog, against man, changes the role of public servants and changes the value of a person. Aldous Huxley also uses the concept, of society out of control, in his science fiction novel Brave New World, WHICH deals with man in a changed society. Huxley asks his readers to look at the role of science and literature in the future world, scared that it may be rendered useless and discarded. Unlike Bradbury, Huxley includes in his book a group of people unaffected by the changes in society, a group that still has religious beliefs and marriage, things no longer part of the changed society, to compare and contrast today's culture with his proposed futuristic culture.(THIS IS A RUN-ON WHICH NEEDS FIXING!) But one theme that both Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 HAVE IN COMMON is of individual discovery BY refusing to accept a passive approach to life and refusing to conform. In addition, the refusal of various methods of escape from reality is shown AS a path to discovery. In Brave New World the main characters Bernard Marx and the "Savage" boy John come to realize the faults WITHIN their own cultures. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag begins to discover things could be better in his society, but DUE to some uncontrollable events his discovery happens much faster than it would have. He is forced out on his own, away from society, to live with others like himself who think differently that the society does. Marx, from the civilized culture, seriously questions the lack of history that his society has. He also wonders as to the lack of books, banned because they were old and did not encourage the new culture. By visiting a reservation, home of an "uncivilized" culture of savages, he is able to see first hand something of what life and society use to be like. Afterwards he returns and attempts to incorporate some of what he saw into his work as an advertising agent.

Declining Air Quality :: Environment Environmental

Declining Air Quality Section A The declining air quality can be held responsible for many things such as city smog and the greenhouse effect. Such problems are very definite in America since they are one of the top air–pollutant–creating countries in the world. The original list of air pollutants created by US industries was made up of arsenic, asbestos, benzene, beryllium, coke oven emissions, mercury, radionuclides (radioactive isotopes), and vinyl chloride. In the 1990’s this list was expanded to include 189 substances, and by the end of the 1990’s regulations were put in place for the â€Å"major sources†, which require the emission of no more than ten tons of any of these substances and no more than twenty five tons of any combination of them per year. Air pollution that worsens the global air quality is mostly generated by the wealthier, more populated nations. America has a population of 275,372,000, making it one of the most populated countries; it is also the most powerful nation in the world. As a result almost every household in the United States own a car or two. Cars are major contributors to the ozone hole and when almost every household in one of the most populated countries in the world own one, the level of air pollution emitted would be paramount. As a result, many of the major cites in the US such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles have very bad smog that reduce visibility and increase health risks. In Los Angeles, for example, the smog causes eye and chest irritations for residents and exacerbates asthma. Attempts have been made to clear the smog, but no reasonable success has been achieved. There have been measures taken to stop the problem from getting noticeably worse, but it is not a long term option. The smog in LA is caused fundamentally by the Californian sun. The heat of the sun creates a layer of warm air that acts as a seal, trapping the cold air in the basin of the Los Angeles harbour. This effect traps all of the industrial pollution and the car exhaust above the city. The millions that live there are all exposed daily to harmful levels of carbon monoxide. It is not yet known what the long term effects of this will be. Due to this hazard to human health the Los Angeles authorities have been urged to cut down on pollution, which means burning fossil fuels more completely and restricting the industries, all at the cost of millions of dollars.

Econ Syllabus

I will spend most of the time going through the theory and ideas that form the fundamentals of labor economics. However, it is important that students are aware of the simple facts of labor market in the US. Using the theory and facts, it should be possible to evaluate labor market policies.II. Prerequisite: The course is designed for economics majors and others who are already seriously interested in economics. Economics 301 Is a prerequisite. Ill. Evaluation: There are two methods used to calculate the course grade; I will choose for you at the end of the term whichever method gives you the higher grade. Method 1 Is designed to reward students who show consistent progress throughout the course, while Method 2 rewards those students who show improvement over the semester. Methods : Quizzes Homework and participation First midterm Second midterm FinalDate: Swept. 25th, 2014 class time Date: Date: Deck. 14th, 2014, Methods: Homework and participation 45% IV. Textbook (required): Labor Economics, George J, Boras (McGraw-Hill 6th edition) You can also use the 5th edition, which is much cheaper, and the content is much the same. V. Course outline: My lecture will be based on the textbook, highlighting fundamentals of labor economics that students should grasp. I plan to cover the following topics, but changes could be made, subject to the progress of the course. 1. The basics The subject of labor economics Theory and facts 2.Labor Supply (1) The basic static individual labor supply The labor/leisure choice and indifference curve The budget constraint The hours of work decision Income and substitution effects Individual labor supply Effects of taxes and subsidies (2) Extensions Life cycle labor supply Labor supply over business cycle Retirement Family labor supply Fertility and labor supply 3. Labor Demand Inputs and the production function Employment decision: short-run and long-run Elasticity of substitution Derived demand 4. Labor market equilibrium Equilibrium i n the competitive labor marketNon-competitive labor markets: monopoly and monopoly 5. Wage differentials The hedonistic wage function Labor supply and risk Safety and health regulations 6. Human capital Education and income Present value calculations Costs and returns to schooling Training Age-earning profile Policy 7. Wage structure Earning distribution Why do wages differ? Changes in the earning distribution International income distribution 8. Labor Mobility Mobility and migration Immigration in the US Models of immigration Benefits and costs of immigration Immigration policy.

Crisis in Rwanda Brief Background Essay

The pre-colonial Rwanda was characterized by a fluid of ethnic divisions between the majority of the population (Hutus, comprising of about 85% of the population in 1999) and the minority of the population (Tutsis, comprising of about 8-14% as per the time of the genocide in 1994), and could not reportedly be considered as separate tribes. Inter-communal conflict did not exist. These existed even though Tutsis were dominant in the small Rwandan aristocracy. According to Wrage (2000), mass murder similar to the one in 1994 was unheard of and there were no common ethnic lines before 1960. The records of Belgium indicate that Rwandans had a sense of belonging to their nation. The Belgians, who took over the country during the World War I from Germans who had colonized the country from 1894-1916, ruled the country until their independence in 1962. The Belgians granted preferential status to the Tutsis and this was the root cause of the massive killing which led to a loss of about 800,000 people (Jones, 2000). According to Prunier, the Belgians highlighted the differences that existed among the two tribes and Tutsis (who had an appearance more like the Europeans’ compared to the Hutus) were considered the master race and were granted preference in the Belgium’s Rwandan auxiliaries by 1930. This earned them hatred from the Hutus. The identity cards introduced by the Belgians in 1933 designating people as Hutu, Twa or Tutsi played a role in the genocide because it helped genocide architects distinguish their Tutsi victims. The more educated and prosperous Tutsis led struggle for independence after the World War II and the Belgians switched to allege to the Hutus. In between 1959 and 1962, revenging Hutus murdered about 15,000 Tutsis and made more than 100,000 to flee to the neighboring countries. The assassination of the President Habyarimana on 6 April 1994 seemed to have been because of his acceptance to accommodate the Tutsis’ Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in the Rwandan government by signing a peace treaty, which was not welcome by some Hutus including those powerful in the government. RPF was formed by Tutsis in Uganda and had plans to invade Rwanda and overthrow the president. The opposing Hutus seemed to give a solution to the problem, instead of welcoming them. Tutsis were killed massively, and some Hutus who were assumed to be Tutsis. The daily death rate is said to have been at least five times that of the Nazi death camps and the most concentrated incident of genocide in human history, together with that of the Soviet prisoners-of-war (Prunier, 1995; Gourevitch, 1998). Implications of the genocide: Current issues that are affecting Rwanda to date that need more attention The Rwandan government released figures of a first major census in February 2002, aimed at an effort to establish the number of those who lost their lives during the genocide. The findings asserted that about a seventh of the population-1 million, and seventy four thousand people-lost their lives. Among these, 94% comprised of Tutsis. Men were the major target in this genocide. The number of men can only be estimated and there are suggestions that they were 75-80% (Jones, 2000). The Rwandan work force was affected whose effects on economy may be felt to date. According to Prunier, the Rwandan economy stills remains badly hurt and no signs of quick recovery. Many teachers died in the genocide and this has led to suffering of the education sector. Hutu and Tutsi extremists link solution to annihilation of the other, and this could lead to another wave of killings. Issue 1: Loss of human labor necessary for growth of the Rwandan economy, due to the massive killing in the 1994 Genocide killings †¢ An estimated number of males killed consisted of 75-80% of those who died in the genocide. There are reports that indicate low percentage of adult male, such as the 20% of adult men consisting of 20% of the whole population in Gitamara district in Central Rwanda (Gough, 2000). This was because of the gendercidal killings which have led to demographic imbalance which may continue for longer (El-Bushra; cited in Jones, 2000). It is obvious that the killings resulted to loss of human labor in all sectors of the Rwandan economy. Low food productivity in highly attacked areas has been linked to physical inability of women. Issue 2: The number of the HIV and Aids victims in the present Rwanda is partly because of the genocide killings †¢ Women were forced into sexual relationships with the killers with the threats that they would be killed if they refused (Jones, 2000). This resulted into transmission of the killer disease. Rapes, forced â€Å"marriages† and mutilation of the vagina and pelvic areas with weapons was also experienced by women (‘Shattered Lives: Sexual violence During the Rwandan Genocide and its Aftermath’, 1996). According to McGreal (2001), orphans whose fathers were killed by machetes and mothers by HIV would be in tens of thousands. In 2001, two thirds of the tested 1200, of the 25000 Tutsi women belonging to the Widows of Genocide organization (Avega) were HIV-positive (McGreal, 2001). Issue 3: The current indication of lack of trust, and suspicion may indicate that there is potential for another massive killing like that experienced in the 1994 †¢ According to Jones, many Hutus feel proclaimed guilty by association, many Tutsis’ convictions that repressing Hutus will assure them of their survival, and the belief by extremists on both side that annihilating one another is the only solution. The situation may spark another wave of killings. Recommendation Regarding Crisis in Rwanda The following are recommendations that may alleviate the current situation in Rwanda, regarding the economy, security stability and sexual violence and HIV and AIDS illnesses. †¢ Recommendation for the sexual violation 1. The families of those whose rights were sexually violated continue to suffer to date. The government should strengthen its support for the children of the families where rape cases were witnessed resulting in the contrasting of the HIV and Aids. The government should put in place a national program to search for the victims regardless of their tribe and support their children by funding for their education to completion. 2. The government should encourage and fund support programs by the local authorities for the women who were mutilated on their genitals and who experienced gang rape. The support program must include compensation to the victims which will help them establish business and other self-help ventures. The people who were the sources to root causes of the genocide event like Belgians, and who participated in one way or the other must come in and support the country in compensating for the victim. †¢ Recommendation for the shortage of labor 1. The government should continue to invest on current-technological labor force while the population balance is set to increase in the near future. The government should identify areas that were massively affected and launch special programs to ensure production of food and other labor shortages are catered for. 2. The government should look for outsourced labor from the neighboring countries to take care of the human power shortages like lack of enough teachers and other personnel in other fields. Besides, the government should focus more resources on funding the education system to raise more professions. This is by funding education for the poor and the economically disadvantaged that form the majority of the population. 3. The government should ensure that the public and the private sectors have arrangements to work through out for 24 hours to increase man hours for production and rendering of quicker services. The government should also look for the possibilities of removing all the barriers affecting or delaying production processes and investments in any way. †¢ Recommendation on potential for another genocide event 1. The government should have institutions that are all-inclusive in all sectors for different social groupings. The government must always venture into constructive consultative means of making its major decisions in order to avoid conflicts on political issues and defiance by the masses which may be linked to certain interest groups like the tribe groupings. Besides, criminals must be deals with as provides the law without any discrimination, favor or fear. Those who were involved in the genocide and are yet to be prosecuted must be made to carry their own cross without any consideration to their political inclinations and background. This is by ensuring that the country has an all-inclusive, proper constitution and judicial system. Bibliography Chris McGreal. â€Å"A Pearl in Rwanda’s genocide horror†. The Guardian. UK, December 5, 2001. Retrieved 15 November 2008 from http://www. gurdian. co. uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4313577,00. html Gough. â€Å"Husband-hiring hastens the spread of Aids in Rwanda†. The Guardian. February 8, 2000. UK Gourevitch Philip. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998, p. 3 Jones Adam. â€Å"Case Study: Genocide in Rwanda, 1994. † 2000. Retrieved 15 November 2008 from http://www. gendercide. org/case_rwanda. html Prunier G. â€Å"Rwanda’s Struggle to Recover from Genocide,† Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99 Prunier G. The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide. Columbia University Press, 1995. p. 261 Shattered Lives: Sexual Violence During the Rwandan Genocide and its Aftermath. Human Rights Watch, 1996. Retrieved 15 November 2008 from http://www. hrw. org/summaries/s. rwanda969. html Wrage. (2000). â€Å"Genocide in Rwanda: Draft Case Study for Teaching Ethics and International Affairs. â€Å"

Inadequate Qualified Nurses Essay

HealthCare industry in United States and across the globe carried so much responsibility that they are often referred to as â€Å"god† because of the relevance, power and most importantly, their job as lifesaver. Health Care industry is a very lucrative industry in United States and they constitute the large workforce. Despite of all their numerous duties and the entire good job, they are doing, â€Å"The problem Lies Within: Inadequate Qualified Personnel. Health Care industries in United States constitute of a large workforce and most importantly, it is an essential service that carries duty non-stop. The inadequacy of the Nurses, the qualified ones, have been blamed on many factors such as working environment, societal attitude about the profession, to mention but few. The shortage of Nurse appears to be heading towards a path of decline unless an urgent measure is taken to address the situation. That not only the majority of nursing professional are aging but many young people are choosing other careers. This could be because of the hours of work put into the job, as well as the stress involved. In view of this, the experienced among them are opting out and look for less stressful and more lucrative careers. According to the statement, by the House of Education and Workforce Committee, â€Å"The nursing workforce is aging and there are not enough new nurses entering the profession to replace those retiring or leaving† (Heinrich, 2001). A survey conducted shows that half of the current employed RNs by the Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals had considered leaving the patient care field for reasons other than retirement over the past two years (Heinrich, 2001). The implications is that less qualified personnel will be handling most of the health issues which is very dangerous and most importantly all the administrators and other facilities will be affected. Meanwhile, the economy will be affected as well as social issues. The statistical rates of the birth and death rate will be affected as well. The Death rate according to the statistical data released by the United States Census bureau shows a significant increase in death rate since 2008. Most aged people and our seniors will have to be the ones that bear the great effect of this, as they need the attention as well as the touch of our Nurses. The shortage of Nurses is the issue that affects anyone who is a provider or consumer of healthcare services in United States. From the foregoing, it is clear that â€Å"Problem Exists†- Inadequate Qualified Nurses. There is no problem without a remedy or a solution. Having identified the problem, the next thing is to look for the ways out. The first thing is to improve the working conditions and the workplace environment; government should encourage the students with tuition assistance and grants as this would serve as a motives for the intended ones who will like to enroll in nursing school, though the present administration have promised to invest in education and training, this is a good step in a right direction. We should also develop a strategy for awareness and respect for the profession; this they can do to uplift the profession. Government should invest in this noble venture as well and thereby encouraging people to have an interest in the profession. There should be incentives to the new and old among them, as this would put a stop to frequent occupational mobility moving from one job to other. The incentives such as tuition reimbursement, employee’s stock purchase plan, and other incentives that improve the working environment. Finally, improving the workplace environment starts from within the profession itself. We have to take pride in whatever we are doing and this is very significant as willingness to do things come from the inside and not when someone are forced or coerced to do so. References Heinrich, J (2001, July 10). Emerging nurse shortages due to multiple factors. FDCH government account reports. Retrieved from http://ehostvgw20.epnet.com Nursing Shortage: It is likely to get worse before it gets better (Electronic Version) (2001 August) Occupational Health Management, 11(8). 85 The Evolving Nursing Shortage: A Study of Nursing Shortage in America Retrieved from: http://www.ayatravelnursingjobs.com/nursingshortage/ Facts on the Nursing Shortage in North America: Why is there a Nursing Shortage? Retrieved from: http://www.nursingsociety.org/Media/Pages/shortage.aspx