The Red Badge Of Courage Essay :: essays research papers

The Red Badge of Courage isn't a war novel. It is a novel about existence. This tale represents the hardships of regular daily existence. Stephen Crane utilizes the war as a correlation with regular day to day existence. He is semi-saying that life resembles a war. It is a battle of warriors—the consistently people—against the chances. In these clashes of regular day to day existence, individuals can change. In The Red Badge of Courage, the primary character, Henry Fleming, experiences a character change that shows how individuals must conquer their feelings of trepidation and the undetectable obstructions that keep them away from being the best people—warriors, as in life is war—they can be. Henry has a character change that speaks to how all people have general feeling of dread of the obscure that must be survived. Â Â Â Â Â In the initial segment of the novel, Henry is an adolescent that is unpracticed. His intentions were unclean. He was an egotistical and self-serving character. He enters the war not for the premise of serving his nation, yet for the achievement of brilliance and esteem. Henry needs to be a legend. This speaks to the regular human trait of narrow-mindedness. People have a need and a need to fulfill themselves. This was Henry's principle thought process all through the initial segment of the novel. Over and over Henry is made plans to that regular self-centeredness of people. After Henry understands that the fulfillment of greatness and courage has a cost on it. That cost is by wounds or more terrible yet, passing. Henry at that point becomes self-serving in the way that he needs to get by for himself, not the Union armed force. There is numerous when Henry needs to legitimize his regular dread of death. He is at a point where he is addressing abandoning the fight; so as to legitimize this, he asks Jim, the tall officer, on the off chance that he would run. Jim announced that he'd pondered it. Without a doubt, thought Henry, if his partner ran, it would be okay on the off chance that he himself ran. During the fight, when Henry really took flight, he supported this childish deed—selfish in the way that it didn't assist his with controlling hold the Rebs—by normal sense. He announced to himself that if a squirrel took flight when a stone was tossed at it, it was okay that he ran when his life was on the line.

I tried to eat healthy for two weeks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I attempted to eat well for about fourteen days - Essay Example Additionally cheap food is likewise made out of such fixings which can be unsafe to the body. So as to have a solid existence one needs to adjust his wholesome admission with the goal that he doesn't expend unfortunate nourishments. These are the principle reasons as a result of which I attempted to eat well nourishment for about fourteen days by eliminating my eating routine. In my act of devouring solid nourishments I looked to remove on the things which I thought about undesirable for my body. To begin with I cut out on my every day soft drink utilization so as to evade any kind of carbonated beverage. I devoured water and tea as an option in contrast to soft drink as them two are equivalently more advantageous in my view than pop. Sound food was my point so I needed to remove on my utilization of cheap food. I was unable to accomplish this point in the event that I didn't cook at my home so I favored cooking at home as opposed to going out which end up being a fruitful arrangemen t in chopping down my eating routine of inexpensive food. I favored plate of mixed greens over different things as it has basic vegetables which are sound for my body.

SIPA offers new coding class to help students augment policy analysis COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

SIPA offers new coding class to help students augment policy analysis COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Computing in Context, a course in Columbia University’s Computer Science department, has added a new track designed for SIPA students that will teach computational concepts and coding in the context of solving policy problems. Enrolled students will be taught by both a computer-science professor, who lectures on basic computer and programming skills while teaching students to think like computer scientists, and by a SIPA professor who shows how those skills can augment traditional policy analysis. Projects and assignments will be geared for the policy arena to give students a command of technical solutions for problems they are likely to encounter in their classes and future work. SIPA’s is the first new track to be added since Computing in Context debuted in spring 2015 with tracks in digital humanities, social science, and economics and finance. Aimed at liberal-arts majors who might not otherwise take computer science, Computing in Context is the first of its kind to provide a contextualized introduction that combines algorithmic thinking and programming with projects and assignments from different liberal-arts disciplines. How much should students in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) know about computer science? In a digital world when information is being collected at unprecedented rates and as government decision-making becomes more data driven, computer science is fast becoming fundamental to policy analysis. Computational methods offer an efficient way to navigate and assess a variety of systems and their data, and make it possible to comb even massive data sets for subtle patterns that might otherwise go undiscovered. A relatively small amount of code can replace tedious, time-consuming manual efforts to gather data and refine it for analysis. As machine learning and text mining turn texts into data analyzable by a computer, computational methods once reserved for quantitative data can now be applied to almost any type of documentâ€"emails, tweets, public records, transcripts of hearingsâ€"or to a corpus of tens or hundreds of thousands of documents. These new methods for computationally analyzing texts and documents make computer science relevant to humanities and social science disciplines that traditionally have not been studied computationally. Social science majors may analyze vast numbers of social media posts, English majors may automate stylistic analyses of literary works, finance students may mine data for new economic trends. Liberal-arts students have been increasingly skipping the cursory computer-science class intended for non-majors (1001) and enrolling in computer-science classes alongside computer-science majors.  Adam Cannon,  who has been teaching introductory computer science for 15 years has watched the number of liberal-arts students in his classes climb to the point where they have surpassed the number of computer-science majors. “These students want more than an appreciation of computer science,” he said. “They want to apply computer-science techniques in their own fields.” Computer science within a context Algorithmic thinking is critical for designing solutions to new problems and analyzing new data sets, but the nature of the problems and the data sets depends on the particular field of study. Different liberal-arts disciplines require different kinds of computational proficiency; for this reason, Computing in Context maintains separate tracks for each discipline, with each track taught by a different professor. The class debuted with three tracks: social science, digital humanities, and economics and financing. All students take the computer-science component and learn the same basic concepts, but then divide into separate tracks to learn how those concepts apply to their particular discipline. It’s a modular design that makes it easy to insert additional tracks as more departments and professional schools act to make computer-science part of their students’ curriculum. The first time a new track is offered, a professor from that department lectures live, and then records those lectures for future semesters. This flipped classroom approachâ€"where students view videos of lectures outside class and use classroom time to discuss the content of those videosâ€"helps make the class financially sustainable since each new track represents a one-time expense. SIPA’s is the first track to be added since Computing in Context was introduced and is being taught by  Gregory Falco, a Columbia adjunct faculty member who is also an executive at Accenture and is currently pursuing his PhD in Cybersecurity of Critical Urban Infrastructure at MIT. With an MS in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, Falco specializes in applying data, analytics, and sensors to solve complex sustainability and security policy problems. Having Falco teach a track within Computing in Context is part of SIPA’s commitment to deeply integrating technology courses into its curriculum and equipping students with a robust tech and computer-science skill set. It is one way Deans  Merit Janow  and  Dan McIntyre  are helping Falco pioneer the next generation of policy education. What SIPA students can expect For the first six weeks of the course, SIPA students will attend the twice-weekly lectures on computer science along with all other students. At the halfway point, the track lectures kick in, and SIPA students go to lectures given by Falco, who will also assign homework and projects geared specifically to public policy. While economics and financing students price options and digital humanities students run sentiment analysis on tweets, SIPA students might be troubleshooting sources of environmental pollution, evaluating the effectiveness of public housing policy, or determining the impact of local financial markets on international healthcare or education. Considering SIPA is a professional school, Falco’s lectures and assignments are aimed at helping students integrate and transition what they learn in the classroom to the professional setting and job market. Unlike other tracks, the SIPA track will always have live lectures each time it is given. The changing relevance of policy problems requires a class constantly evolving for current events. Also, the skills SIPA students learn in Computing in Context will be integrated into their capstone research projects that serve as graduate theses; since Falco teaches both Computing in Context and will advise research projects, his constant, in-class presence will provide a more continuous resource of expertise on data and computing for SIPA students. “This is a one-of-a-kind, very cool policy class because it enables SIPA students to think like computer scientists and see the art of the possible in relation to how technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence can be used to address policy problems,” says Falco. “Beyond coding, the class helps foster the language of digital literacy which is invaluable in the professional world for policy practitioners.” The SIPA track will be the first test of how well Computing in Context can scale to meet demand, which is only expected to grow as more departments and schools like SIPA integrate computer science into their curricula. â€" Linda Crane Thanks to the Department of Computer Science. This article has been adapted from the longer  original version.

How a Behavior Intervention Plan Improves Bad Behavior

A BIP, or Behavior Intervention Plan, is an improvement plan that lays out how an Individual Education Plan (IEP) team will better difficult behavior that is inhibiting a childs academic success. If a child cant focus, doesnt complete work, disrupts the classroom or is constantly in trouble, not only does the teacher have a problem, the child has a problem. A Behavior Intervention Plan is a document that describes just how the IEP team will help the child improve his or her behavior. When a BIP Becomes a Requirement A BIP is a required part of an IEP if the behavior box is checked off in the Special Considerations section where it asks whether communication, vision, hearing, behavior and/or mobility affects academic achievement. If a childs behavior disrupts the classroom and significantly interrupts his or her education, then a BIP is very much in order. Furthermore, a BIP is generally preceded by an FBA or Functional Behavior Analysis. The Functional Behavior Analysis is based on the Behaviorist Anagram, ABC: Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence. It requires the observer to first pay attention to the environment in which the behavior occurs, as well as the occurrences that happen just before the behavior. How Behavior Analysis Gets Involved Behavior Analysis includes the antecedent, a well defined, measurable definition of the behavior, as well as a standard for how it will be measured, such as duration, frequency, and latency. It also involves the consequence, or outcome, and how that consequence reinforces the student.   Usually, a special education teacher, a behavior analyst, or a school psychologist will perform an FBA. Using that information, the teacher will write a document that describes target behaviors, replacement behaviors, or behavioral goals. The document will also include the procedure for changing or extinguishing the target behaviors, measures for success, and the people who will be responsible for instituting and following through on the BIP. The BIP Content A BIP should include the following information: Proactive Manipulation of the Antecedent.Teachers should consider whether they can structure the students learning environment in a way that will eliminate the antecedent. Making changes in the environment that will eliminate or decrease the things that may trigger a behavior permits the teacher to spend lots of time reinforcing the replacement behavior.Targeted Behaviors.Also known as the Behavior of Interest, a BIP should narrow the behaviors of interest to a few that may be interrelated, typically three or four or at the most.Reinforcement Plan.This plan provides a description of the proactive means of supporting replacement or appropriate behavior. A replacement behavior for calling out would be to raise their hand and a means of reinforcing or rewarding that activity would be part of the BIP.  Protocol for Addressing Dangerous or Unacceptable Behavior.This protocol may be called different things in a teachers district or state form, but it should address how to respond to dang erous behavior. Unacceptable should be defined, as it isnt to promote punishment when the teacher, bus driver, or paraprofessional is angry at a student. The purpose of the BIP is to keep adults away from reactive and counterproductive behaviors of their own, like screaming at the child or punishment.

Freakonomics Essay - 1424 Words

The book Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, is designed to pose fundamental questions concerning economics using a variety of imaginative comparisons and questions. Examples of these comparisons and questions can be seen in the list of contents, with chapter titles such as â€Å"How is the Ku Klux Klan like a group of real-estate agents?† and â€Å"Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?† Not everyone is interested in economics, but with titles that grab attention, it is almost impossible not to pick up the book and read it for yourself. The two chapters of Freakonomics I will be analyzing are â€Å"What do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers have in common?† and â€Å"Perfect Parenting, Part II; or: Would a Roshanda by any other†¦show more content†¦Often, cheating is used to try and win, however there are several sport institutions that use cheating to lose on purpose. In Japan, a wrestler’s rank determines how much money they make, how much they are allowed to eat, sleep, and take advantage of successes. The top sixty-six ranked wrestlers in Japan make up the ‘sumo elite,’ and have significantly better lifestyles and luxuries than the wrestlers below them. To raise their ranking, a wrestler must win at least eight of the fifteen bouts (rounds) at one of six tournaments per year. If a wrestler does not get eight wins, their rank is lowered, and they can even be removed from the ‘sumo elite.’ Since getting at least eight wins is so crucial, seven wins is the tipping point for many wrestlers to make deals, bribes, and promises. For example, a wrestler with a 7-7 record fighting a wrestler with an 8-6 record on the final day of the special tournament would be desperate to reach eight wins. The predicted chance of the 7-7 wrestler winning is 48.7%, however the data reflects the actual chance of winning at 79.6%. When the wrestlers return to normal tournaments, the data shows the 8-6 wrestlers almost always win when fighting the former 7-7 wrestlers. This data suggests that wrestlers who are desperate to raise their ranking and stay in the ‘sumo elite’ collude with opponents to ensure themselves a win during the special tournaments. Sumo wrestling is the national sport of Japan,Show MoreRelatedFreakonomics Essay737 Words   |  3 Pagesthe result was Freakonomics, a book that claims to explore the hidden side of everything, using real-life examples such as studi es and polls conducted by Levitt to explain how economics is everywhere, that economics is how the world really functions. Through everything from analyzing the inner thought processes of real-estate agents and crack dealers, to predicting the next popular baby names, Levitt and Dubner guide readers to think differently, ask questions, and to use â€Å"Freakonomics† in their dailyRead MoreFreakonomics Book Review Essay630 Words   |  3 Pagesat math, I don’t know a lot of econometrics, and I also don’t know how to do theory.† This marks right away Lennits to a different approach of ways to get his audience attention, he steps outside of the boundaries most people in society live by. Freakonomics, is a book that really triggered my imagination as a kept on reading, I really loved it. I myself started asking myself a great amount of questions that I had never looked at before. Especially toward the end that he asks the importance of onesRead MoreFreakonomi cs and Misconceptions of Economy Essay1244 Words   |  5 PagesA number one bestseller many say is grasping in amazement: Freakonomics is said to unravel the untold stories of life. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner break common misconceptions of economics by revealing its true science. Freakonomics shatters the view of economics being an arid study of finance and markets. They pull in information to make inferences on past occurrences subtly influence on the present. Freakonomics packs punches with its countless number of tables and figures, serving asRead MoreEssay Freakonomics chapter 1 summary688 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Freakonomics Chapter 1 Summary In chapter one of Freakonomics, Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt describe how when incentives are strong enough, many usually honest people from different walks of life will cheat in order to gain financially or climb the ladder in their careers. The authors define an incentive as â€Å"a means of urging people to do more of a good thing or less of a bad thing.† This chapter covers three varieties of incentives: Economic, Social and Moral. Economic incentives motivate peopleRead MoreFreakonomics Essay811 Words   |  4 PagesFreakonomics Book Report In chapter 1, Levitt and Dubner describe how many people in different cultures and walks of life, which are otherwise inclined to be honest, find subtle ways of cheating to advance their position or increase monetary awards when incentives are strong enough. The authors define an incentive as â€Å"a means of urging people to do more of a good thing or less of a bad thing,† and identify three varieties of incentives. Economic incentives are those, which a person responds toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Freakonomics By Steven D. Levitt1195 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, is made up of a series of scenarios in which an economist and a journalist apply basic principles of economics to demonstrate that information can often expose interesting truths about how the world operates. It uses the science of economics and specific data to challenge our assumptions about everything. In the book Freakonomics by Levitt Dubner, com pares and contrasts two groups of people or things by using their informationalRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Freakonomics By Steven D. Levitt750 Words   |  3 PagesThe last section in chapter two of Freakonomics, written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, attempts to answer the following questions; â€Å"How forthright (and honest) are people when it comes to sharing their personal information,† and â€Å"what kind of information in personal ads is considered the most (and least) desirable† (74)? Throughout this section the authors provide statistical data from an online dating site, which encompassed more than 20,000 users. This data showed that not only areRead MoreThe Importance Of Faulkners Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech By William Faulkner1405 Words   |  6 Pageswriters that Faulkner was speaking to, they would fulfill his wishes. Over 50 years later, University of Chicago economist, Steven D. Levitt, and New York Times journalist, Stephen J. Dubner, combined their knowledge and skills and created the book, Freakonomics. The book follows an economist, Levitt, as he explores the â€Å"hidden side of everything† and explains it all in a different, unconventional perspective. It takes on the topic of morality and economics as he, along with Dubner, ask and answer manyRead MoreEssay on Review of Freakonomics1663 Words   |  7 PagesReview of Freakonomics This chapters main idea is that the study of economics is the study of incentives. We find a differentiation between economic incentives, social incentives and moral incentives. Incentives are described in a funny way as means of urging people to do more of a good thing or less of a bad thing, and in this chapter we find some examples Ââ€"publicRead MoreThe Book Freakonomics By Steven D. Levitt2418 Words   |  10 Pages The book Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner consists of a series of essays in which a journalist and an economist work collectively to find, by applying everyday economic principles, how the world truly works, which reveals some fascinating truths about the world. Some background history of the authors, Steven D. Levitt interviewed Stephen J. Dubner for New York Times Magazine and this is where they initially met and became good friends. With them having similar ideals about

Functional Areas in Business Free Essays

Task 1: Research different functional areas, provide definitions of each of these functions: * Customer Servise Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation. Its importance varies by products, industry and customer; defective or broken merchandise can be exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. We will write a custom essay sample on Functional Areas in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now Retail stores often have a desk or counter devoted to dealing with returns, exchanges and complaints, or will perform related functions at the point of sale; the perceived success of such interactions being dependent on employees â€Å"who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest, customer service plays an important role in an organization’s ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. A customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer has of the organization. * ICT Stands for â€Å"Information and Communication Technologies. † ICT refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums. In the past few decades, information and communication technologies have provided society with a vast array of new communication capabilities. For example, people can communicate in real-time with others in different countries using technologies such as instant messaging, voice over IP (VoIP), and video-conferencing. Social networking websites like Facebook allow users from all over the world to remain in contact and communicate on a regular basis. Modern information and communication technologies have created a â€Å"global village,† in which people can communicate with others across the world as if they were living next door. For this reason, ICT is often studied in the context of how modern communication technologies affect ociety. * Distribution Distribution means ensuring that goods are delivered to the right place on time and in the right condition. Commerce: The movement of goods and services from the source through a distribution channel, right up to the final customer, consumer, or user, and the movement of payment in the opposite direction, right up to the original producer or supplier. Securities: Payment of principal, interest, or dividend by the issuer of a security to the security holders, on a regular (typically monthly or quarterly) basis. Statistics: An order or pattern formed by the tendency of a sufficiently large number of observations to group themselves around a central value. The familiar bell-shaped curve is an example of normal distribution in which the largest numbers of observations are distributed in the center, with progressively fewer observations falling evenly on the either side of the center (average) line. See also frequency distribution, normal distribution, and standard distribution. * Marketing The management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. As a practice, it consists in coordination of four elements called 4P’s: (1) identification, selection, and development of a product, (2) determination of its price, (3) selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer’s place, and (4) development and implementation of a promotional strategy. As a philosophy, marketing is based on thinking about the business in terms of customer needs and their satisfaction. Marketing differs from selling because (in the words of Harvard Business School’s emeritus professor of marketing Theodore C. Levitt) â€Å"Selling concerns itself with the tricks and techniques of getting people to exchange their cash for your product. It is not concerned with the values that the exchange is all about. And it does not, as marketing invariably does, view the entire business process as consisting of a tightly integrated effort to discover, create, arouse, and satisfy customer needs. † * Human resources The division of a company that is focused on activities relating to employees. These activities normally include recruiting and hiring of new employees, orientation and training of current employees, employee benefits, and retention. Formerly called personnel. * Sales The activity or business of selling products or services. Contract involving transfer of the possession and ownership (title) of a good or property, or the entitlement to a service, in exchange for money or value. Essential elements that must be present in a valid sale are (1) competence of both the buyer and seller to enter into a contract, (2) mutual agreement on the terms of exchange, (3) a thing capable of being transferred, and (4) a consideration in money (or its equivalent) paid or promised. Finance Finance is the study of how investors allocate their assets over time under conditions of certainty and uncertainty. A key point in finance, which affects decisions, is the time value of money, which states that a unit of currency today is worth more than the same unit of currency tomorrow. Finance aims to price assets based on their risk level, and expected rate of return. Finance can be broken into three different sub categories: public finance, corporate finance and personal finance. * Production The processes and methods employed to transform tangible inputs (raw materials, semifinished goods, or subassemblies) and intangible inputs (ideas, information, knowledge) into goods or services. * Research and development Systematic activity combining both basic and applied research, and aimed at discovering solutions to problems or creating new goods and knowledge. RD may result in ownership of intellectual property such as patents. In accounting for RD costs, the development costs may be carried forward but the basic and applied research costs are often written-off as incurred. Administration Management: The interpretation and implementation of the policy set by an organization’s board of directors. The administration of a business is synonymous with the performance or management of business operations, maybe including important decision making. Thus it is likely to include the efficient organization of people and other resources so as to direct activities toward common goa ls and objectives. Task 2: Using Newcastle College website find out about entry requirements to a Level 3 Business related course: 5 GCSEs A – C or equivalent at Pass level, ideally inc English ; Maths. If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS score of 5. Task 3: Using the college library research using a book the area of business you are most interested in: Business administration is the process of managing a business or non-profit organization so that it remains stable and continues to grow. This consists of a number of areas, ranging from operations to management. There are many different roles related to business administration, including business support, office manager, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), among others. Most companies have a dedicated group of administrators. Main Areas The main areas incorporated into business administration are operations, logistics, marketing, economics, Human Resources (HR), and management. An administrator oversees these parts of an organization to make sure that they’re all functioning properly and efficiently individually, and that they’re all working together to make the business profitable. He or she may also come up with ways to make the department more profitable, and often delegates tasks to employees in the department. Large companies usually have at least one administrator assigned to each area. Roles Most companies have a range of administrative roles in different parts of their corporate hierarchy. At the office level, there are business support officers, who might develop and maintain an office database, oversee other employees for projects, and help the manager with analyzing performance trends. At the next level there are office managers, who oversee an entire office, make budgets and analyses of staff performance, design procedures, and assign projects, among other things. If an organization is large, it may have several assistant managers to help the overall office manager. After office-level managers, there are division administrators, who oversee large portions of an organization. They generally specialize in one area of business administration. For instance, a company might have a person with a specialization in HR administration oversee that department and make sure it’s working efficiently to meet the business’ overall goals. This includes things like measuring the performance of HR staff members, hiring new staff for the department if needed or getting rid of non-performing staff, and making sure that the process for hiring is workable. The head of overall operations in business administration is usually referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or president. The CEO and president may be the same office, but this varies between companies. The CEO, depending on the size of the company, may have several vice presidents, each responsible for one area of company operations. For example, there could be a vice president for marketing, one for research and design, and one for sales or customer relations. Each of these operate independently. Work Environment The work environment for someone in business administration depends largely on the type of job he or she is doing. Those on the lower end of the hierarchy often work in structured environments and make frequent reports to their superiors, while those higher up may have more freedom with their schedules. Depending on the type of organization, work hours may be 9 to 5 or they may be more flexible. Overtime is often required when big projects are nearing completion, or when annual analyses and presentations need to be made. Generally speaking, anyone in this type of position needs to have excellent communication skills, as he or she will be working with a lot of different people, sending out memos, and making reports. They also need to be comfortable with making presentations, and they need to be able to lead people. Another important skill is being able to understand how many different parts of a system or organization work together, so that they can make workable systems and figure out what’s wrong with those that don’t work. Most are also very good at math and have an understanding of economics, since they usually make budgets and analyze their office, department, or company’s performance. Education Many universities offer business administration programs for both online and offline study. A typical curriculum covers the critical aspects of operating a business such as customer service, business finance, marketing, and human resources. Aspiring administrators can improve their marketability by minoring in a related field such as an applied science for engineering or psychology for marketing and sales. Most large companies want applicants that have at least a master’s degree in a business-related field. This involves getting hands-on experience, typically by interning at a corporation to get a feel for how the different aspects fit together. Depending on a student’s chosen area, he or she may need to write and enact a business plan to prove your competency; for example, he or she might need to come up with a marketing or sales plan for a hypothetical product, targeting it at a given demographic. How to cite Functional Areas in Business, Essay examples

Teacher

Introduction It is a generally accepted fact that the educational system of a society is inseparably tied to the development and future advancement of the community. With these considerations, governments all over the world have made significant investment in the education system. A key component in the system is teachers whose primary role is to instill knowledge to the students.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Teacher-Leaders: What they need to know and do to Contribute to School Improvement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Teachers are the traditional â€Å"purveyors of information† and they play the roles of guides to help students generate ideas and develop intellectually. However, the role of teachers is not limited to instilling knowledge to students and teachers can also act as leaders in the school. Danielson (2007) declares that the need for teacher-leaders is important today more than ever before. This assertion is corroborated by Hinchey (1997) who declares that for the efforts to improve education to succeed, teachers need to assume leadership positions. Considering this importance given to teacher-leaders, this paper will set out to discuss what teacher-leaders need to know and do in order to contribute to school improvement and better student learning outcomes. This paper will specifically focus on the teaching context in Saudi Arabia. Teacher Leaders: A definition Teachers today are expected to take on more roles in addition to providing an education to the students. A key role is that of leadership within the school context. Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001, p.17) define teacher leaders as teachers who lead â€Å"within and beyond the classroom, identify with and contribute to a community of teacher leaders and leaders and influence others towards improved educational practice†. Leithwood, Begley, and Cousins (1994) assert that the word â€Å"leadershi p† should not be taken to mean anything different just because the word â€Å"teacher† is put in front of it. Leadership in this context therefore still means the exercising of influence over the beliefs, actions and values of others so as to achieve some desirable goals. Teacher leaders are of great importance since in the school context since not every formal leader has the knowledge, ability or know-how to lead in every possible situation (Millwater Ehrich, 2009). Teacher leadership has the ability to transform schools into professional learning communities where teachers are empowered to become closely involved in the decision making activities of the institute.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sergiovannie (2001) demonstrates that having many teacher leaders’ results in a high leadership density which is desirable for the success of the school. This is because as more teachers are trusted with information and involved in decision making, they feel more involved with the school affairs and have a stake in the success of the school (Ingersoll, 2003). For leadership to be effective, it has to be sustainable. Crowther et al. (2002) argue that leadership that is undertaken by a select few is not sustainable and as such, it makes sense to harness the contribution of other teachers in the school. Types of Leaderships Millwater and Ehrich (2009) state that teacher leadership is characterized by â€Å"shared† or â€Å"distributed leadership†. This suggests that teacher leadership is dynamic and multi-directional in nature. Leadership is therefore not limited to one individual and it is not necessary exercised by the person who has formal authority. Shared instructional leadership gives teachers the opportunity to work together with administrative figures in effective teams that can produce optimal effectiveness in classro om practice. Distributed leadership entails having power allocated to different members of staff based on their strengths. Harris (2004, p.1) asserts that â€Å"distributed forms of leadership can assist capacity building within schools which contributes to school improvement†. It should be noted that distributed leadership is more than simple delegation of some of the responsibilities of the formal school administrators to the teachers; distributed leadership involves the relinquishing of power to other. The Saudi Arabian Context The Saudi Arabian educational system is significantly different from that of most western countries both in structure and governance. A major reason for these differences is the religious and cultural backgrounds of Saudi Arabia.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Teacher-Leaders: What they need to know and do to Contribute to School Improvement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Saudi government has expressed a strong commitment to the provision of education to its population and a study by Rugh (2002) shows that as a general rule, primary education is free while secondary and higher education is highly subsidized by the government. A unique feature of Saudi Arabia’s education system is the strict separation of the sees at all levels of education except the kindergarten level. This separation is because of the influence of Islam on the Saudi community. A study by Walsh (2009, p.33) on education in the country documented that â€Å"Islam is not only integral to Saudi education but also serves as the very essence of its curriculum†. Saudi Arabia’s education system is highly centralized with overall supervision being done by the Ministry of Education. The ministry is also the body in charge of the training and employment of teachers. This high degree of centralization results in little autonomy being held by the teacher. Al-Abb as (2010) reveals that due to high centralization from the top to the bottom and at the school levels, the school principles often adopt a form of centralization in managing their schools. The Need for Teacher Leaders The role of teachers in school management today has changed significantly and they are required to play a bigger role. In the past, school management was the sole premise of the school principle and other individuals with formal administrative roles. Today, schools require the teacher to play more roles outside the traditional teaching role. Sunal and Kagendo (2008) reveal that teachers are required to be public relations personnel for their institute as well as offer insight on school programs. In the Saudi context, there is a shortage of teacher leaders and many teachers demonstrate reluctance in taking up leadership roles. Research by Al-Abbas (2010) on the influence and importance of leadership behavior by principals in Saudi Arabia demonstrated that a significant number of teachers did not desire to participate in the distribution and sharing of leadership.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Instead, the teachers preferred having the principle engage in the leadership role since they saw leadership as a distraction from their performance in the classroom. This withdrawal from leadership is detrimental to the Saudi Arabian schools since teacher leaders are a key ingredient in school success. Principals are required to relinquish some power to the teachers and give them opportunities to lead so as to foster growth and development in the school (Childs-Bowen, Moller Scrivner, 2000). Attributes of a Teacher Leader York-Barr and Duke (2004) suggest that teacher leadership is practiced in a variety of ways and this range from formal leadership to informal leadership. Informal leaders are not selected but they rather take the initiative to deal with issues that arise in the institute. The informal leader does not have a position of authority and the influence that they bear comes from the respect they command from their colleagues as well as their expertise in a particular su bject (Danielson, 2007). Decision making is one of the roles that a leader is expected to fulfill. The leader is responsible for making decisions on behalf of his/her followers. Teachers in Saudi are not involved in the decision making processes of the school and they are seldom consulted in school decisions which sometimes affect the teachers’ context and work. This status quo has a negative influence on the schools development since teachers feel that their opinions are not valued (Al-Abbas, 2010). Teacher leadership has the ability to transform schools into professional learning communities where teachers are empowered to become closely involved in the decision making activities of the institute. Sergiovannie (2001) demonstrates that having many teacher leaders’ results in a high leadership density which is desirable for the success of the school. This is because as more teachers are trusted with information and involved in decision making, they feel more involved w ith the school affairs and have a stake in the success of the school. A core attribute in a leader is that he/she should be a knowledgeable professional with a good record of having achieved goals and objectives in the past. Danielson (2007) asserts that to assume a leadership role, a teacher must have some expertise which is relevant to the profession. In addition to this, the teacher leader must exhibit innovation and creativity which results in success or the institute since it brings about motivation by the members. An effective leader should be able to come up with creative and innovative ideas that can positively impact the schools. This can be done by the teacher proposing novel ideas for doing certain tasks or by coming up with more efficient ways or performing key tasks in the school. Interpersonal skills and tact are very important if the teacher leader is to be effective in his/her efforts. Teacher leaders are required to play a major role in the coordination and manageme nt of events in their school and this will invariably require the use of other people. How the individual deals with colleagues as they fulfill the tasks is very important. This is especially so in the Saudi context where personal relationships play a major role in society life. Respect is of critical importance in the Arabic culture and as such, the teacher leader should demonstrate respect to other members of staff at all time (Al-Abbas, 2010). The importance of good communication skills cannot be overstated since communication is the cornerstone on which any successful relationship is built. The teacher leader should be able to effectively communicate his/her mission and vision for the school. By doing this, the teacher will be guaranteed that the task at hand shall be carried out effectively. Competency in communication is a differentiating attribute for leaders. Alexander (2011) states that this communication includes; persuasive argumentation, public speaking, and engaging the participation of others. Being able to communicate effectively is important since the teacher leader must be able to enlist the support of colleagues as well as superiors to support their vision. A leader is of little or even no value if he does not have the support and backing of the followers. A common feature of all institutes and organizations is that there arise contentious issues among members at some point in time. The way in which the contentious issues are diffused in the school will spell the difference between future success and failure. As such, it is of great importance to resolve issues in the most amicable manner. Danielson (2007) states that the teacher leader should be able to build consensus among diverse groups of educators. This calls for the teacher leader to be well equipped in practicing diplomacy. Diplomacy is the â€Å"use of power and authority carefully so as to achieve positive outcomes by being unanimous or arriving at a consensus† (London, 2002, p.259). An individual’s conflict resolution skills can be greatly improved through leadership seminars which empower a person with necessary skills. Once a teacher is equipped with the means of dealing with conflicts, his/her efficiency as a leader is greatly increased. For one to be a truly effective leader, they must possess some leadership skills which can be used to foster productivity. While some people have obvious leadership skills and are aware of their leadership abilities, others are unaware of their capabilities or require honing them. This second class of people may shy away from leadership roles since they do not believe that they have the skills. The typical training offered by the Ministry of Education to teachers does not help to accentuate leadership skills or give teachers the skills required for teacher leadership. It is therefore necessary for the teacher to seek opportunities to learn leadership skills through courses or seminars (Gronn, 2003). The profe ssional development for teacher leadership must be focused on specific aspects of the individual teacher’s leadership role. These skills include; leading groups, collaborative work and mentoring. A study by Solmon et al. (2007) on the effectiveness of the Teacher Advancement Program showed that such programs provided opportunities for shared instructional leadership which increased the efficiency with which the school was run. In addition to this, the program introduced professional growth which helped teachers to improve their instructions by working on specific needs. For progress to be achieved, all institutes must be open to changes. These changes may include improvement in the manner in which things are done or doing away with traditional practices that are no longer effective. The teacher leader must be a champion for positive change within the school. He/she must challenge the status quo in the school’s culture and seek ways to improve the way things are done in the school (Millwater Ehrich, 2009). A novel contribution of teacher leadership is initiating positive change within the teaching staff of the institute. Crowther et al. (2002) states that teacher leaders have the ability to encourage their colleagues to engage in practices that they would not typically consider doing without the influence of the leader. Effective leaders practice open-mindedness which calls for the teacher leader to exhibit flexibility and respect for the opinion of others. Having a rigid mindset may hamper development since the followers will not be willing to follow a leader who is unwilling to consider their input. Sunal and Kagendo (2008) contend that successful teaching and learning are the result of a number of factors including; variety, engagement and excitement. These factors are influenced by the individual teacher and it can therefore be said that the approach taken by an individual teacher has an impact on the success or failure of the individual. Tea chers should take part in external professional teacher’s networks. Such networks consist of talented teachers who have skills that can be helpful to other teachers. Such networks offer educators with the tools to develop themselves by developing their leadership skills. It is only through collaboration and networking that the teacher leader can develop their leadership potential and therefore become even more effective in their roles (Sergiovanni, 1998). By disseminating their findings to colleagues and teachers in other school and engaging in action research, the potential of the teacher leader is greatly enhanced. As has been suggested in this paper, the teacher leader will mostly practice â€Å"distributed leadership†. As such, he/she will be required to solicit the help and support of other members of staff on a constant basis. Sashkin (2003) reveals that some leaders fail to choose competent people to work with them since they feel threatened by a capable colleag ue. Such a leader will therefore only enlist the help of the people they feel they can outshine. This fear of being outshined is detrimental to both the schools progress and the teacher leader’s ability to advance professionally. The teacher leader attempts to influence the development and implementation of the curriculum used in his/her school. The curriculum is defined as â€Å"A program of activities designed so that pupils will attain, as far as possible certain educational ends and objectives† (Taylor Johnson 1974; Hirst 1968). In Saudi Arabia, the creation of the curriculum is undertaken by the central government and close monitoring of students performance is done to ensure that the teachers are teaching in accordance to the law. Even so, private schools are at liberty to adjust the curriculum as long as they â€Å"add to the government approved curriculum, not subtract from it† (Rugh, 2002, p.45). The teacher leader must have motivational skills which a re a core attribute for the successful leader. Kondalkar (2002) defines motivation as the process through which people are stimulated to accomplish certain desirable goals. Effective leaders are able to create conditions that motivate and encourage commitment of others to work as a group and collectively achieve set goals. Motivational skills will enable the teacher to inspire a high degree of commitment by his/her followers to the task at hand. This commitment will invariably result in higher performance being exhibited. Hinchey (1997) suggests that every leader should be able to ask relevant questions to enable him/her to understand the situation better. Through questions, the teacher leader will ensure that projects are successful since questions bring about a deeper understanding of the situation and from this, viable plans to deal with various situations can be developed. Questions minimize the margin or error that may occur as a result of miscommunication or even ignorance fro m the followers. Gender plays an important role in the Saudi community and the male figure is still seen as the head. Alexander (2001) theorizes that these cultural constructs have caused leadership to be seen as a male domain and leadership is associated with a male figure and masculine characteristics such as dominance and competitiveness. This perceptions and gender stereotypes are a barrier for women to take up leadership positions in Saudi Arabia. As it is, there is a shortage of women in leadership and dominant positions in Saudi Arabia due to the stereotypical view of leadership as a masculine domain (Walker, 2004). The attitude by females regarding their perceived leadership competences needs to be changed for more teacher leaders to emerge. This can be done by educating women in leadership practice so as to empower them to take up this role. Saudi Arabian teachers are plagued by a lack of both local and informal leadership experience. Research by Al-Abbas (2010) found that 80% of teachers in a survey had no leadership experience despite having worked in the educational field for an average of eleven years. These findings suggest that the number of teachers with leadership experience in Saudi Arabia is very small. This reality is in stark contrast to the situation in the Western world where teacher leadership is stressed upon and seen as important in transforming schools into professional learning communities (Harris, 2004). Discussion Traditional models of educational leadership were characterized by concentrating power and leadership responsibility to appointed administrators most notably of whom was the principle. However, recent years have seen the devolution of power as a better understanding of the impact of leadership has been gained. Empowerment of teachers to lead has been seen to be a significant contributor to school development and student achievement (Gronn, 2003; Harris, 2004). Schools today are pressured to produce more than just academi c achievement in students. Coles and Southworth (2005, p.1) confirm that the schools for tomorrow will â€Å"Schools for tomorrow will require leaders who are passionately, obsessively, creatively and steadfastly committed to enhancing students‟ learning†. Strong leadership attributes are necessary for the success of any institution and the school is no exception. Research findings by Silins and Mulford (2002) suggest that the learning outcomes by students are enhanced when leadership sources are distributed throughout the school community. From this paper, it is clear that leadership is not the province of any one person and the contribution of teacher leaders is great. Teacher leadership requires a fundamental shift in organizational thinking about leadership since every person (teacher) can in one way or another demonstrate leadership (Zehr, 2001). This is contrary to the traditional focus by organizations on positional leadership. By adopting this new view on leader ship, schools can harness the expertise of all teachers and hence propel the school to greater heights. Conclusion This paper set out to discuss what teacher-leaders need to know and do in order to contribute effectively to school improvement and better student learning outcomes in the Saudi Arabian Context. From this paper, it has been highlighted that the Saudi education system is mostly characterized by high centralization which may inhibits teacher leadership since great emphasis is placed on the role played by formal leaders. In addition to this, most teachers lack any formal or informal leadership experiences which they can use in the school. In spite of this, it has been revealed that teachers in Saudi Arabia wish to play a more prominent role in the development of the school. Effective leadership requires effective leaders and with this understanding, this paper has demonstrated the ways in which teachers in Saudi Arabia can become better leaders. By engaging in the practice s suggested in this paper, all organizational members in the school can become leaders and influence others towards improved educational practices. References Al-Abbas, A.M. (2010). Leadership Activities and Behaviours that Enable Classroom Teachers. 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Women and leadership: A female private institute for higher education, Al Nour College, in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from: www.mbifoundation.com Zehr M. A. (2001). Teacher leadership should be strengthened, report says. Education Week, 20 (32): 5. This critical writing on Teacher-Leaders: What they need to know and do to Contribute to School Improvement was written and submitted by user Jeram1ah to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.