Infusing Technology in the Classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Infusing Technology in the Classroom - Essay Example At the departmental meeting a group of teachers presented on more effective means of constructing ‘word walls’ – these are walls of relevant terminology that go up in all the classroom. They opened their presentation with an attention grabbing video and then proceeded to demonstrate ways world walls could be constructed daily through videos instead of the traditional way. There are also other development opportunities. There is even now a site called TeacherTube that is formatted much like YouTube, except that the uploaded videos are a related to teacher development. Many teachers report personally using this for professional development purposes on a number of occasions, and believe that its pool of communal knowledge could be implemented by teachers throughout the nation in developing more efficient means of instruction. Other uses of educational technology through the internet have occurred in the growing use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) among students and teachers. The institution has implemented Ning.com in a number of projects. Ning is a social networking tool that allows students and teachers to create their own social networking site and designated whether it will have a closed or open invitation policy. This technology has been used with great success in a number of classrooms. In some of the humanities classrooms throughout the nation, it has been implemented extremely effectively as students are required to develop a site that corresponds to a particular character, for instance, Hamlet.

International Terrorism Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Terrorism - Coursework Example Iran, Syria and Libya are together considered to be the main backbone of Middle East terror (Charles, 1986a). And the Islamic fundamentalists, pro-Syrian nationalists and Palestinian extremists carry out the lead roles (Charles, 1986a). The objective of these groups is not peace with Israel but peace with no Israel (Charles, 1986a). Terrorism would outlive peace not only due to the Arab-Israeli dispute but for two other reasons of instability, war and murder (Charles, 1986b). The idea of anti-Western, anti-modern and anti-secularist movement in the Islamic world, specially Iran exhibits a serious threat (Charles, 1986b). The only way left for achieving some lasting peace in the Middle East is a steady, unwavering application of all forms of pressure against terrorists and their more easily found sponsors (Charles, 1986c). It calls for the use of every available means to hunt down today’s machine gunners and deter tomorrow’s (Charles, 1986c). Hezbollah, also known as Hizbullah or Hizballah is a religious organization whose only mission is to terrorize and assassinate non-Muslims, chiefly Americans and Jews (Hizballah, 2007). OPEC provides the financial backing to this millions of militants association founded and supervised by Shiite Islamic clerics in Iran (Hizballah, 2007). Islamic Jihad is a Hizballah alias whereas Hamas is a Hizballah ally (Hizballah, 2007). While Hezbollah’s objective like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the complete liberation of Mandate Palestine while Hamas are ready to accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza with Jerusalem as its capital (Hizballah, 2007). From a theological aspect, the literature and the statements of Hamas and Islamic Jihad do not talk about jihad as a religious concept to the same extent as that created by Hezbollah (Hizballah, 2007). While the marjiiyya (frame of reference) of Hamas follows the global Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Jihad is deeply influ enced by the marjiiyya of Iran, the

Mosquito: Diseases and Control

Mosquito: Diseases and Control Mosquitoes: The Diseases They Carry and Methods of Controlling the Populations   People who live in Alaska are definitely aware of the tiny insect known as the Mosquito. Most people do not realize the deadly diseases that they may carry and the possible effects that commonly used repellants may have. There are three main diseases carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, they are: West Nile, Malaria, and Dengue. Although these diseases are more prevalent in tropical areas, there is still a high risk for the citizens of Alaska of contracting one of these deadly diseases. Many people drench themselves in repellants, many containing N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), but are there alternatives? There are as many as 230 products containing the chemical DEET known to the EPA, but there are many alternatives to using DEET, such as citronella and essential oils (Hayhurst). DEET has been approved by the EPA for years to help deter mosquitoes from biting. One of the most widely used ways in which modern society tried to control mosquitoes was by spraying dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) over the Island of Sardinia, and island off the coast of Italy. Malaria had been present, but not prevalent until World War II malaria raged to the status of a full on epidemic. The Italian government and a private foundation enlisted the help of 25,000 people working in the field, 5 air craft, two helicopters, countless automobiles, and many field offices. The mosquito that was the subject of the extermination was the Anopheles labranchiae, the known carrier of malaria on the island. This species of mosquito has a soft body, brow coloring, and four dark marks on each wing. Not only did the workers attack the breeding locations of the mosquitoes, but they also sprayed homes, rivers, ponds, and fields with the DDT. In the extermination effort the workers used around 256 tons, 260,000 kilograms, of DDT. The effort was only partially successful. The number of reported malaria cases dropped to just 4 reported cases four years after the dusting, but when scouts went out to search for the Anopheles labrachiae they found that both adults and the larvae in the brackish streams and swamps. In the minds of the Italian government this was a failure (Andrew Spielman Sc.D 148-49). Although the mosquito extermination was seen as a failure, the initial consensus in Greece, where 16% of children tested positive for malaria parasites, was that the use of DDT was a success. There were very few accidental deaths of other insects. Around 1942 over 50 percent of the population of Greece had been infected with malaria. In 1947 the government set out to eradicate the local carrier of malaria, Anopheles sacharovi. The citizens of Greece welcomed the workers who dusted the country as a liberating army (Andrew Spielman Sc.D 149) There were also positive effects on crops. Olive farmers were fortunate to get their olive trees dusted, which killed off the caterpillars that in previous years had destroyed the crops. They were able to have a much larger harvest. Many towns experienced a reduction in all pests, including cockroaches, lice, and fleas, along with the mosquitoes. Soon after the dusting began malaria was gone from the islands. The citizens couldnt be happier, until something unexpected happened (Andrew Spielman Sc.D 149). The scientists were having lunch out in the country, and began to notice the flies returning. They were not overly concerned until they saw the dreaded Anopheles sacharovi flying around them. They scientists could not understand how the mosquitoes were surviving in a place that had been dusted with DDT. It was soon realized that the deadly malaria carrying Anopheles sacharovi had adapted and become DDT resistant. After this discovery scientists discovered how to use the pesticide to upset the cycle of malaria infections (Andrew Spielman Sc.D 149-50). Although DDT was widely used all across the world, a successful mosquito eradication campaign was started in 1900 in New Jersey. Before the start of this rigorous campaign certain low lying areas of large metropolitan areas were uninhabitable because of the high populations of mosquitoes. A scientist by the name of John B. Smith began the campaign and only had rudimentary knowledge of the mosquito behaviors and species in the state. The first state was to identify the dominant species transmitting the malaria. He then identified the most common breeding areas of the mosquitoes of the area, the Ochlerotatus sollicitans and the Anopheles quardrimaculatus. This kind of mosquito particularly liked to breed in brackish water and swamps. Smith termed this effort mosquito control instead of extermination. At first this idea was completely rejected until the results of this revolutionary idea started to appear. Smith sent his crews all over the state to dig drainage ditches that would attrac t the mosquitoes for breeding. After the mosquitoes had laid their eggs in the ditches, the workers went back and filled them with oil. This caused the population of malaria carrying mosquitoes to drop dramatically in the areas where this technique was utilized. This had a positive secondary effect on the economy of the larger cities such as Newark and Elizabeth. There was a housing boom in the formerly unlivable areas and a population growth. In addition to these effects, the cases of malaria were diminished to only a few. These original ditches are still in use today across the states of New Jersey and New York (Andrew Spielman Sc.D). Malaria is one of the most widespread diseases transmitted by mosquitoes carrying the parasite. There are as many as 50 types of malaria carrying Anopheles mosquitoes around the world (Major mosquito-borne diseases). The Anopheles mosquito tends to bite at night, why every person needs to sleep under a mosquito net in areas ravaged with malaria (Brody). The parasite that causes malaria is the Plasmodium. There are four kinds of Plasmodium that affect humans. They are: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale. The most common are Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. One of these happens to be the most dangerous, Plasmodium falciparum (WHO). Even though malaria is a parasitic disease, it is 100 percent preventable and also can be cured with the proper medication. The first symptoms of malaria tend to begin about ten to fifteen days. After the ten to fifteen days the first symptoms tend to be a fever, headache, chills, and vomiting (WHO). Tra velers who do not have immunity and pregnant women, even those who have partial immunity, are at the highest risk for contracting malaria from an infected mosquito (WHO). The most widely used medication to cure malaria is artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). The best chance for curing a patient is early diagnosis and treatment with these medications. Not only is curing the already infected important, but disease prevention, especially in low income countries, is key. In the developing nations of malaria, the disease has a large impact on the economy and but a burden on the country as a whole. The one down side to these widely used drugs is that the Plasmodium parasites are quickly developing a resistance to them. To avoid the resistance people are now using ACTs as well as artemisinin monotherapy (WHO). According to Jane Brody, in recent years there has been a large increase in the number of cases of dengue fever. This mosquito-borne disease is not directly transmitted from human to human, but is transmitted through mosquitoes. If a mosquito bites an infected human, and then bite a non-infected human, the disease will be spread. The main mosquito that transmits the dengue fever is the Aedes aegypti, which likes to bite during the day especially in the morning and late afternoon (Brody). There are four kinds of the virus that cause dengue fever. They are a flavivirus and all vary slightly, but the four kinds are DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. Once a human being is infected with one of the four kinds of dengue fever, they have a life time of immunity to that particular type, but are still susceptible to a secondary infection from any of the other 3 types. Research shows that it is most likely the second infection, instead of the third or fourth, that can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which is much more deadly. When this happens a persons capillaries begin to leak fluid. The person does not die from dengue hemorrhagic fever, but rather dengue shock syndrome due to extreme blood loss (Brody). According to the author of an article in Natural History Magazine, dengue fever may be deadly; the mortality rates are not high. The virus can only live for a short time in a human host and only has an incubation period of between four and seven days. The kinds of mosquitoes that are carriers of the virus are Aedes aegypti, Aedes polynesiensis, and Aedes albopictus. As the Aedes albopictus begins to spread into the western hemisphere, there is a greater risk for people in the United States of contracting this virus. After a person has been infected with a form of dengue they have some immunity against yellow fever and vice versa (Major mosquito-borne diseases). The West Nile virus was first seen in Uganda around the West Nile region, hence the name, in the mid 1900s. Although this disease has been recognized for over 70 years, the first cases appeared in the United States in 1999. Once the disease hit America, the virus spread at an alarming rate across the country and is now reported in almost every state. Even though the virus is wide spread, it is rare to contract this disease. If it is contracted, the symptoms are usually not severe and tend to manifest like a mild case of the flu. The virus become deadly when a person is elderly or has a compromised immune system. If a person with such a condition becomes infected with the virus West Nile becomes deadly because the risk of encephalitis, also known as swelling of the brain, occurring goes up (Tufts University). Certain birds in the United States are the main carriers of the West Nile virus. Those birds are crows and jays. The mosquitoes pick up the virus when they bite an infected bird and the virus then goes to the insects salivary glands. Once an infected mosquito bites a human, the virus incubates for between two and fourteen days. There are other ways, although extremely uncommon, that West Nile can be transmitted. They are: organ transplant, blood transfusion, mother to unborn child, breast-feeding, and laboratory acquisition (Mayo Clinic Staff). The mosquito is a vector of many different diseases, the most common being malaria, dengue fever, and West Nile virus. Many people over the years have tried to eradicate the tiny insect in an effort to prevent disease. Today a solution is needed for the growing mosquito problem across the globe that has not only killed millions in Africa, but is beginning to claim lives in the Northern Hemisphere, including lives in the United States. If steps are not taken to address this problem, tens of millions of people will fall victim to the diseases carried by this tiny insect benign in appearance. The mosquito may seem nonthreatening, and the bite an annoyance, but the itchy welt may spell out disaster for humans in every country of the world.

The Internet: Fad or Fortune? :: Computers Technology Web Essays

The Internet: Fad or Fortune? Many people have rushed to Internet much like the gold diggers rushed to California in search for the illusive gold that laid hidden in the hills somewhere. People have come to view the Internet almost as a money tree where all they need to do is put up their business site and within weeks they will be making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much like the siren’s songs in sailors’ legends, consultants, venture capitalists, and others have painted a picture of how the Internet was going to change the world and make everyone who was a part of it rich. A few success stories were all that it took for everyone to jump in and take their stab at it. Now that many dot-coms have crashed and the dust is starting to settle a bit we can take a better look at what has gone wrong with this overly simple and optimistic paradigm. The Internet is an amazing and powerful business tool if it is used in a way that will help an existing or new business become more profitable than it would be without it. There are four basic things that a company or person must keep in mind when trying to take their organization or idea online. These considerations are to 1) know exactly what you want out of your website, 2) know how this website connects to every other part of your business (internal environment), 3) know how this website meets your customers / suppliers needs (external environment), and 4) know when to say â€Å"when.† This list is not meant to be an exhaustive list or a complete set of criteria by which to judge a company’s integration into the World Wide Web. Rather it is a list that is meant to invoke some careful reflection on the part of the business owners or managers before jumping into the shark tank because every body else is. Each of the four considerations will be discussed below. Know what you need first Far to many people jump into the Internet game not really knowing what it is they are after or what they are going to accomplish (aside from some pipe dream to be the next internet millionaire) with their Internet presence.

Wikipedia: the Basis of Unreliable Sources

Over the years that Wikipedia has been running, there has been a continuous debate on whether it is a reliable resource or not and no one has been able to come up with a conclusion. However, there are many people who think that they have come up with a compromise, which includes Wikipedia being a good source for basic information but not for the sole information of any given topic. Especially for college students, Wikipedia can get tricky in the sense where it is easy to just read through and agree with; however, it may be misleading and have incorrect information.People including college English instructor Jenny Meister, Marquette University Law School student blogger Jessica Slavin, and Internet executive Mark Moran can all agree that Wikipedia is helpful in college research but only for basic knowledge, not for sole information. Throughout college, students must do a lot of book and computer research in order to do papers, class work and home work. The computer research is what sc ares professors the most because they know how easy it is for the students to click the first link that comes up on Google-Wikipedia.These students seem to get all of their information from the website, which can be edited by anonymous sources at any time. This means that the information is not always correct which can be frustrating to professors. â€Å"As someone who's been there and done the grading thing, I can tell you that when a professor flips to your Works Cited page and glances over your list of sources, a page full of Wikipedia entries is going to spark a frenzy of eye-rolling and red pen† (Meister).College students not only have to worry about having the wrong information in their school work, but also need to consider Wikipedia in their future careers. They must ask themselves how they should use it and the proper way to use it without hurting themselves. For example, law student Jessica Slavin had stated she was only going to use Wikipedia for background informa tion. â€Å"I will admit that I sometimes read a Wikipedia entry if I want background information about a topic. I do not think, though, that I would cite an entry as proof of anything in court† (Slavin).Wikipedia can be useful at times for background information about a topic, however, it can not be trusted because you are never sure who is writing it, if it is from a reliable source, or if the information is completely accurate. In Mark Moran’s blog about how Wikipedia is not reliable he makes one important point on why it should not be trusted for sole information. â€Å"In March 2009, Irish student Shane Fitzgerald, who was conducting research on the internet and globalization of information, posted a fake quotation on the Wikipedia article about recently deceased French composer Maurice Jarre.Due to the fact that the quote was not attributed to a reliable source, it was removed several times by editors, but Fitzgerald continued re-posting it until it was allowed to remain† (Moran). Moran is making the point that it is the contributor with the strongest agenda who â€Å"wins† and it is not always the one with the most correct information, which makes the site less reliable. For many years, Wikipedia has been known as an unreliable source and to be unused in school, although, it can be useful at times for basic information.Throughout college, students use Wikipedia as a main source which is giving them the wrong information in papers, class work, and school work, which is extremely frustrating for the professors to see. The students need to consider their future and if they would use Wikipedia as a primary source when they are at their future careers. College students should be allowed to use Wikipedia, but only as a basic information source in order to get background knowledge on a topic.

Assessing your own leadership capability Essay

Understand leadership styles within an organisation 1.1 Review the prevailing leadership styles in the organisation There are a range of leadership styles that can be adopted by organisations in order to try to achieve their goals. Each of these is often suited to certain situations and has drawbacks preventing any one style being the best style of leadership for all situations. Even within organisation different styles of leadership can be identified with this being more prominent in larger organisations with a longer chain of command. One â€Å"study suggests that differences in the leadership styles practised by managers may be blurred in organisations with short chains of command, while it will tend to be pronounced in organisations with long chains of command, other things being equal.† (Oshagbemi T & Gill R, 2004) Within Dacorum Borough Council there are different prevailing leadership styles present at different levels of the organisation. On a corporate level senior management are trying to adopt a transformational style of leadership, which would reflect the changing nature of the organisation. However a trait style of leadership is far more prevalent, with this being of a task orientated nature. This is due to that although ambitious new projects are planned and underway, often work is set in a very formal manner or very inflexible due to the demand of the politicians who have a large influence on how work is undertaken. This is reinforced by the way telling, rather than selling, or preferential gaining true buy-in, has been adopted with very little staff engagement within the senior levels of the organisation. Even since major management changes four years ago when 50% of the senior management team were made redundant the council has still struggled to fully move to the transformational leadership style that it is clearly trying to establish. When the senior management team was reorganised managers were kept who were flexible and could identify and act on opportunities. However given the political constraints I have mentioned above this is often  problematic with the council needing to fulfil often bureaucratic processes. Although much of the work directed from senior management levels is task orientated, once these have been set the middle managers vary across the organisation in their own styles of leadership. The amount these vary is quite dramatic with some areas adopting a laissez-faire approach and others taking a much more autocratic approach to the leadership style that is used. Much of this can be down to personality and the types of work that are being delivered. Tannenbaum & Schmidt looked at the issue of leadership styles within organisation and developed a leadership continuum. The model demonstrates the relationship between the level of freedom that a manager chooses to give to a team and the level of authority used by the manager. (Tannenbaum, Robert and Schmidt, 1973) This model assists leaders and managers in their choice of leadership pattern by making them aware of the forces which are most relevant. At a middle manager level there are different levels of freedoms within the organisation corresponding to the leadership styles that have been adopted and the service area staff work in. Within my service there is less freedom, as the head of service has a very hand on attitude to certain elements of work, often meaning that rather than having full control over a situation that at best this is done via consultation and more frequently direction. There are three sub teams in my area and even between these different approaches are taken as the head of service is a specialist in one of the areas but has very little interest in another which is reflected in the way that they interact with the managers below. This allows some mangers in the team more freedoms and others less so, thus restricting their own abilities to do there jobs. 1.2 Assess the impact of the prevailing leadership styles on the organisation’s values and performance The task orientated leadership that is demonstrated by Dacorum Borough Council effects the values and performance of the organisation, with the two heavily linked together. With Dacorum being a large complex organisation, which needs to fulfil statutory responsibilities to the tax payers, the senior management need to establish a leadership style that then can both do this but also strive to establish the vast changes that are planned for the organisation in the coming months and years. However this is sometimes at odds with the values that Dacorum have recently been promoting of becoming more innovative and transformational, to match the way in which future working and the physical surroundings themselves will be changing. The task orientated approach leads work and key projects being defined at a senior level with often one of the senior managers taking an active role in the project to oversee these. This has led on occasion to middle managers being disillusioned by having little say over decisions they could be involved in and being told what action is required. This approach may have more positive impacts in areas such as finance and benefits, as this approach would be more suited to a more highly regulated service area which would add certainty in the way work is carried out. One of the core values that the council is fostering is that of creating a high performance culture. However, as I have mentioned above, the style of leadership shown by the senior management can be stifling to the middle level managers below them and not motivate them to want to work towards the vision that they have very little influence over. Middle management at Dacorum has adopted democratic and bureaucratic styles within different areas of the council. Input is taken from lower level managers and a selling approach, rather than telling, used when setting goals and targets. This has a better impact on employees with an understanding of what is trying to be achieved and gains some buy in from those expected to deliver the work programme. This approach will harness better results as the performance of staff under a task orientated or autocratic style when not in a time of crisis. (Unknown (2013)) Be able to review effectiveness of own leadership capability and performance in meeting organisational values and goals 2. 1 Assess own ability to apply different leadership styles in a range of situations Different leadership styles are required for different situations as each style has its own benefits and drawbacks. Examples of when different styles would be required can be seen through Tuckmans (1965) model where teams are forming, storming, norming and performing. As a team is forming, this can be a new team or when new employees have joined the team, the employees need to be given clear direction with reliance upon the leader for both guidance and instruction. During this stage it would be appropriate to adopt a more autocratic approach to leadership; this would be shown towards the left hand side of the Tannenbaum & Schmidt model. Once formed the team would then move to the storming stage where individual’s roles are established. This stage requires coaching to help with uncertainties that could exist within the team and the leadership style to start moving towards the right on the Tannenbaum & Schmidt model. After the storming stage the team will enter the norming, this is where the roles and responsibilities are understood and the team encourage each other with the leader gaining respect. At this stage a democratic style of leadership can be adopted where the leader acts to facilitate rather than give firm direction. The final stage, which some teams may never achieve, is the performing stage. During this stage instruction is no longer required as independence is achieved and the team moves towards shared goals. At this stage a laissez faire style can be adopted where each team member knows what they are doing and needs little guidance. FORMINGSTORMINGNORMINGPERFORMING Team Focus Inclusion: â€Å"Why are we here?† Control: â€Å"I want to have my say.†Openness: â€Å"Let’s do it.† Success: â€Å"Wow, we’re great!† Typical Team Behaviors Dependent on leader/facilitator Uneven/tentative participation Quiet defiance Polite conversation Conflict Question leadership, authority, rules Verbal/nonverbal resistance Dysfunctional behaviour Frustration Give/receive feedback Encourage others Active listening Recognize and discuss differences Trust and comfort Task appears to be effortless Interdependence develops Balanced, supportive participation Differences valued and discussed candidly Facilitator Focus To model openness, disclosure, and active listening To help the team recognize group dynamics and address conflict positively To uncover unspoken issues and encourage self-critique To teach the team to self-facilitate Facilitator Behaviors Listen, especially to what is not said. Be attuned to nonverbal cues that signal apprehension. Intervene. Demonstrate disclosure by expressing your feelings. Ensure objective, goals, and agenda are clear. Use icebreakers to encourage disclosure. Ask team members to clarify their assignments at close of meeting. Pay particular attention to group dynamics. Be specific when describing behaviours. Encourage team members to discuss their feelings. Encourage team members to discuss their interests versus their positions. Immediately point out non-conformance to ground rules. Encourage self-critique. Encourage the full exploration of ideas. Explore inferences. Plan with the team leader how to share leadership role. Coach the team in facilitator skills. Plan brief sessions for the team to recognize progress. Encourage reinforcing and redirecting feedback. As well as this different styles may be appropriate for other reasons, such as adopting a more autocratic approach in times of crisis to speed up decision making without dissent, such as in times of war. When I first started out as a manager I was managing three members of staff, all of which were new to their roles, with two new to the council. The team at this point was very much in a forming stage where clear direction was  needed from all members of the team and a decisive autocratic style was needed to give stability and assurance to the team. Of the three employees it was clear that each had different strengths and weaknesses as well as goals and ambition within their roles. Naturally I have a tendency towards a theory Y (McGregor, 1960) style of management which offers more coaching rather than taking such an autocratic approach. This situation required this firm approach and it was only was each team member was confortable in their roles and the storming process had finished that I was able to move towards my natural tendencies. It was noted that while all team members joined at approximately the same time some settled and became familiar with their responsibilities and objectives quicker than other team members. This meant I could take different approaches when dealing with different members of the team, as some where still storming while others had a clear grasp on their role and were now performing. Moving forwards the team will be changing as will how we work at the council. While we move through this process a transformational style of leadership will be of most benefit to the team, who are now well formed. Rather than continue to use a situational style, the team understand how their work fits in to the organisation goals and with the wider vision. By fostering the feelings of trust, admiration, loyalty and respect, and because of the qualities of the transformational style of leadership, staff are willing to work harder than originally expected (Bass & Riggio, 2006). This style requires the leader to act as a role model for followers, to inspire them while challenging them to take greater ownership for their work. This will be explored in more detail under section 3.1. 2.2 Assess own ability to communicate the organisation’s values and goals to staff in own area Dacorum Borough Council has both clear values and goals. The goals are set out through the corporate vision as well corporate documents by both senior management and middle managers. The values come through from the vision of the council as well as more formalised values within corporate policy documents, although many values, such as performing a good public service  are not explicit in corporate documents. To communicate these values and goals to staff within my own area I use range of communication tools and methods. The most important thing to establish is the individual needs of each member of staff to make a judgement on which methods will work best to get the messages through that I would like to deliver. With all staff in my area who I manage I hold regular 1-2-1’s and appraisals, This helps me understand what types of communication and interaction suits them best as well as giving a clear opportunity to talk about their objectives and demonstrate how these fit in to the wider goals and then to the vision of the organisation. Commitment to goals & values are built through these meetings, where action plans are linked to the key delivery documents (PID’s) which are focused around delivering the organisation goal, which creates the ‘golden thread’ through all the work we do. Feedback through these 1-2-1’s is an important mechanism as this can reinforce positive behaviours that are in keeping with the corporate values and goals although once again the level of feedback will need to be different for different members of staff depending on how they like to be managed. Another method that I regularly use to help communicate the key goals is through regular team meetings. At these meetings it is also important to recognise that the way one speaks to a group may need to differ from interacting with individuals, as it is important to find the best method that helps communicate the goals and values to the group as just using the same techniques may alienate some members of staff. To reinforce the values it is important to ensure that when the goals are set they are grounded in the values of the organisation. This helps that when setting individual objectives with staff that the link between all of this work is clear and easy to identify and understand. Gaining the buy in from the staff ensures that they will By using the corporate values in the work we set it helps to create a consistency and fairness when dealing with all members of staff so that one approach is adopted. As well as this we also hold annual or bi-annual service events where the key messages and values from the organisation are reinforced, with this giving members f staff to not only give feedback on their objectives but also ion the goals which have set. 2.3 Assess own ability to motivate others and build commitment to the organisation’s values and goals In motivating a team the first aspect is to identify what it is that motivates the individuals. When holding regular 1-2-1’s with staff I would look to establish what motivates them so I can look to develop a framework for how I can create the conditions for them to be motivated. It is important to remember that rather than trying to motivate staff we should be trying to create the conditions where staff will be motivated. Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfil the next one, and so on. This model can be used to assist in the understanding of human behaviour and understanding motivation by listing the key driving forces for individuals. Following this framework it shows how manages nee to create the correct environment for their staff and the staff will then act to motivate themselves. Now the team I manage is settled, with all the members of staff settled in their roles, I am able to identify mechanisms that will help create the conditions to motivate each member of staff. Although each member of staff is an individual it is possible to sometimes group individuals together if they share the same individual motivations, e.g. if two members of the team were both seeking further social needs through work then it may be possible  to use the tools to help achieve a situation to motivate both of these employees. Setting clear goals which jointly created objectives can feed into helps in this process of staff understanding why certain tasks are being carried out and helps to create greater ownership of the work they are doing. The CMI motivating the demotivated checklist offers other examples of how staff can be addressed to increase motivation within the work place. The checklist includes offering help with planning, involve the unmotivated, try to get buy in, and make sure the rules are clear. These examples have been carried through to help identify when these approaches can be used to address individual situations. Be able to adopt an effective leadership style to motivate staff to achieve organisational values and goals 3.1 Justify the most effective leadership style to motivate staff in own area, to achieve the organisation’s values and goals While one needs to ensure in a given situation the leadership style that is chosen be explicit in order to remain consistent and ensure that a clear message is delivered, the leadership style chosen must be correct for the situation and be able to be reviewed as a situation changes. Given the range of leadership styles that have been identified it will be important that the correct style is chosen by a leader in order to get the most out of staff. Theories have evolved from the â€Å"great man† notion of heroic leaders, through trait theories, behaviourist theories, situational leadership, contingency theory and on to transactional and transformational leadership. As I have described in previous questions the team are currently in a state where each member knows their roles and are comfortable in the job they are doing. Dacorum Borough Council will be changing the way we work over the  next two years and this will affect all staff in the council including those who work in my area. This will mean that the leadership style that I take on will need to be able to accommodate these changes and motivate staff to get the best results in a time of change. Given the changing nature of the team and the changes due to take place in the future a contingency-situational theory may be appropriate. These theories were developed to indicate that the style to be used is contingent upon such factors as the situation, the people, the task, the organisation, and other environmental variables. (Boulden & Gosling (2003)) A situational style of leadership, such as through the Hersey-Blanchard model of leadership, allows the developmental levels of a leader’s subordinates to play the greatest role in determining which leadership styles are most appropriate. From here four leadership styles develop: Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating. This approach was used when the team first formed and as the team matured and moved towards performing, on the Tuckman stages of team development, so I could change my style to reduce task behaviour and increase relationship behaviour until the followers reach a moderate level of maturity A more recent approach would have been to use a situational model as described by Tannenbaum & Schmidt. Rather than responding to the maturity of subordinates they view leadership along a continuum from one extreme of autocracy to the other as democracy with subordinate’s participation and involvement increasing as you move along. This approach allows you to change based on the situation you are in and more readily respond to changes in the environment. The theories mentioned previously describe ways in which could be used to successfully manage my team, however the leadership style that has the potential to motivate staff in my area most will through a transformational style of leadership. Employees in my area are now well established and performing well but in the future more will be expected from each of us and I feel that this form of leadership has the most potential to give  subordinates genuine self-esteem and self-actualisation. This style of leadership requires me, as the leader, to take actions to increase employees awareness of what is right and important to raise their motivational maturity and to move them to go beyond their own self-interests for the good of the group and the organisation. Transformational Style Leader Behaviour 1) Idealized Behaviours: living one’s ideals †¢ Talk about their most important values and beliefs †¢ Specify the importance of having a strong sense of purpose †¢ Consider the moral and ethical consequences of decisions †¢ Champion exciting new possibilities †¢ Talk about the importance of trusting each other 2) Inspirational Motivation: inspiring others †¢ Talk optimistically about the future †¢ Talk enthusiastically about what needs to be accomplished †¢ Articulate a compelling vision of the future †¢ Express confidence that goals will be achieved †¢ Provide an exciting image of what is essential to consider †¢ Take a stand on controversial issues 3) Intellectual Stimulation: stimulating others †¢ Re-examine critical assumptions to question whether they are appropriate †¢ Seek differing perspectives when solving problems †¢ Get others to look at problems from many different angles †¢ Suggest new ways of looking at how to complete assignments †¢ Encourage non-traditional thinking to deal with traditional problems †¢ Encourage rethinking those ideas which have never been questioned before 4) Individualized Consideration: coaching and development †¢ Spend time teaching and coaching †¢ Treat others as individuals rather than just as members of the group †¢ Consider individuals as having different needs, abilities, and aspirations from others †¢ Help others to develop their strengths †¢ Listen attentively to others’ concerns †¢ Promote self-development 5) Idealized Attributes: Respect, trust, and faith †¢ In still pride in others for being associated with them †¢ Go beyond their self-interests for the good of the group †¢ Act in ways that build others’ respect †¢ Display a sense of power and competence †¢ Make personal sacrifices for others’ benefit †¢ Reassure others that obstacles will be overcome Transformational Leadership Styles and Behaviours (Bass and Riggio, 2006) This approach allows for the elevation of the needs for employees (from security needs to needs for achievement and self-development) which in turn will allow for greater productivity with well-motivated staff and allow for high performance. 3.2 Implement the most effective leadership style in order to motivate staff in own area to achieve the organisation’s values and goals As there are significant barriers that exist in order to implement a change in leadership style at the senior management level within the organisation this approach will be first adopted within my service to use as a test case for the wider organisation. Based on whether this style of leadership is successful this can then be reported back through the organisation through the various senior management meetings. A first step to adopting this within my service area will be to meet with other managers of people, as this approach will need to be adopted across the service area to become effective. Once the buy-in of front line managers and the middle managers has been secured I will meet with staff to discuss the organisational values and see how these fit with theirs. At these meetings I will also again set a clear direction of where and what we want to achieve and reiterate how their specific objectives are working towards our goals of making Dacorum a better place to live and work. These themes will then also run through team meetings and 1-2-1’s to further reinforce this message. The next step will be to set the example of a positive new direction and embracing the changes that we are about to face both for the team and for the council as a whole. Regular communication of these messages will be made through regular meetings and as the changes draw closer team days to look at how we can take the most out of these future opportunities. Some of my time will be allocated towards both mentoring and coaching of staff to help bring out their strengths and to work on any areas which the staff feel require further development. References: Bass B M & Riggio R E (2006). Transformational Leadership (Second ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Bolden R & Gosling J (2003), A review of Leadership theory and competency frameworks, Centre for leadership studies: University of Exeter. Hersey P & Blanchard K H (1969), Life cycle theory of leadership, Training and Development Journal, 23 (5), pp 26-34 Maslow A H (1943), A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), pp370-96. McGregor D (1960), The human side of enterprise. McGraw Hill Higher Education Oshagbemi T & Gill R (2004), Differences in leadership styles and behaviour across hierarchical levels in UK organisations, Emerald 25. Tannenbaum R & Schmidt W (1973), Choosing a leadership pattern. Harvard Business Review, May-June 1973, Cambridge, Mass Taraschi R (1998), cutting the ties that bind, Training and development USA, Nov vol. 52 no. 11, pp. 12-14. Tuckman B (1965), development sequence in small goups. Psychological bulletin. 63, pp 84-99, Bethseda Unknown (2013), Various ILM 5 course handouts, May-July

How Relevant Are the Issues Raised In Educating Rita In the Year 2000 Essays

How Relevant Are the Issues Raised In Educating Rita In the Year 2000 Essays How Relevant Are the Issues Raised In Educating Rita In the Year 2000 Essay How Relevant Are the Issues Raised In Educating Rita In the Year 2000 Essay Essay Topic: Literature In this essay I am going to go into full detail how an unconfident working class women (Rita) and a middle class tutor who is on the bottle get there life together and Im going to write about the issues surrounding them. In the first couple of scenes Frank appears to be the person in control as he is a middle class man and Rita is unsure of what she wants out of a higher education. Frank doesnt really want to tutor Rita and states yes I suppose I did take it on to pay for the drinks. Rita is a less formal person to Frank and you can tell that as soon as she walks into franks office speaking slang saying Its that stupid bleedin handle on the door. Rita took up schooling, as she didnt want to learn whilst at her upper school as learning was for wimps and you should be buying new clothes be into music and chasing fellers when youre a teenager. People dont want Rita to change but she feels she has to and says y have to decide whether its gonna be another change of dress or a change in yourself. Then Frank says But you erm you managed to resist another new dress. This part of the scene has a lot of tension in it but then Willy Russell uses humour to break the tension by using the previous quote. -This is part of an informal education because Rita has learnt from the mistake she made not to learn at school that she wasnt perfect and needed re educating. Rita doesnt know what she wants from her tutor as he asks her what do you want to know and she replies everything. Later on the script Rita wakes up Frank to a bit of life as theyre in a conversation Rita asks What y lookin at me for and Frank replies Because-I think youre marvellous. This is the start of continuous flirting between Frank and Rita. Rita Is a bit self-conscious of what people think about her being twenty-six, married and she still hasnt got a baby. Her husband wants her to have a baby and she has lied to him saying she has come off the pill but she hasnt. She states I dont wanna baby yet. See I wanna discover meself first. I think this is part of the changing role in society because in the twenty first century you wouldnt expect that married twenty-six year old women should certainly have a child. Frank is low in confidence and believes hes not the right tutor for Rita because he says Im actually an appalling teacher and then says appalling teaching is quite in order for most of my appalling students he then says you want a lot and I cant give it. Coming towards the end of the second scene the fist bit of noticeable flirting starts when frank says Right now theres a thousand things Id rather do than teach; most of them with you, young lady. Then Frank asks why didnt you walk in here twenty years ago? This is the start of continuous flirting from Frank. Willy Russell uses this hint of romance between Frank and Rita to keep the audiences attention because from my point of you it kept me reading just to see if the two finally did fall in love. In the third scene Frank waves Ritas essay in the air and asks whats this then Rita replies its a bledin piece of paper isnt it? Again Willy Russell attracts the audiences attention this time by using sarcasm. At the end of the first act Frank tells Rita that if she wants to write essays the way she does shes got to change. Rita wants to change but Frank doesnt want her to change because he likes her the way she is. The second act has just started and Rita has just come back from summer school and has gained a lot of confidence and knowledge. This act is a huge turning point for the relationship between Frank and Rita because Rita got together with a few pupils and she mentions a man called Tiger. They have invited her to go to the South Of France for the Christmas holidays with them. Frank gets very jealous and says is there much point in working towards an examination if youre going to fall in love. Frank tells her she cant go because of her exams even though her exams are before Christmas. Rita trys to change her dress style and the ways she speaks to a more posh way just like her new flat mate. Frank feels that he and Rita are drifting away and turns to the bottle. At the point Tyson is the centre of jealousy and Frank doesnt want Rita to change. Ritas new flat mate then commits suicide and Rita realises she wasnt so special and realises theres no reason why she would want to be like her. Rita then takes her exam and says I never thought there was anythin I could give you anything. But there is Rita then gives frank a haircut and the story is over. The end of the story is left open, which is a good ending because it lets you give your own opinion on what happened after the story finished. I think Willy Russell used romance in the story to get the audiences attention because even though nothing serious happened between the two it just kept you reading to see if anything did. Willy Russell used many techniques to get the audiences attention such as humour, and sarcasm.