Improving Student Learning Through Technology Essay

Abstract In this day and age of all sorts of technological advancements, the wonders and possibilities for convenience and assistance could be met almost instantaneously. From arms’ reach to finger tip accessibility of knowledge and information, these advancements only pose greater advantages for more and more people, especially for the school and university sector. The dawn of the valuable personal computer, the mighty internet, and more soon to follow show only promise of development, improving further the chances of success for students is bettered. It would only be of true benefit because as these students step and extend into the real world, they shall be technically and technologically well-equipped to face anything and everything. Improving Student Learning Through Technology The essential purpose of education is one which opts to offer every student the chance to be able to succeed in life, amidst any challenge, circumstance, and failure. This goal could be better realized if and when all efforts, tools, and processes for education are used and optimized to it full potential. With numerous advances among the lines of technology, almost all issues of social, political, economic, and also academic importance could be facilitated with much ease and efficiency. With the use these various tools made easily available, students’ overall learning processes could be improved which would greatly benefit them. With subjects such as Algebra, Physics, and Chemistry, it must be considered that students are very much accustomed the more traditional methods of teaching, learning, and everything else that comes with it. Through the use of new technologies, a fresh, innovative approach is taken, which would stimulate and keep the students interested. Hence, scholarly institutions must recognize the habits of their students and capitalize on such opportunities. They must learn how to adapt with the changing times and incorporate use of technology in their programs. Take for instance gaming programs on the surface and as presented, such tools are used more for leisure than learning. However, the Queensland Government (2008) emphasizes that this must be implemented with function: â€Å"purposefully selected games blended with carefully constructed learning experiences can be used to improve student learning outcomes† (n.p.). Such options are often overlooked, for they are believed to only serve as distractions. However, as argued, the games must of course integrate needed scholarly requirements to help the students learn with passion and sustainable interest. Academic bodies and organization may take this in serious account, for it could truly bring a new sense of learning element that the more traditional methods of education may be lacking. References Queensland Government (2008). Games in learning. Queensland Government: Department of Education, Training and the Arts. Retrieved November 6, 2008, from http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/strategy/dp/games.html.

Explanatory essay of gambling addiction Essay

It’s a rush, putting money to the felt and threatening the cards to obey. Gambling is quickly becoming one of the favorite activities for many Americans. Where else could you have this kind of excitement with the potential to make money instead of lose it? Only amidst the flashing and heat of the casino lights can a person really let their money turn their brain into an emotional feeding frenzy. This rush, like any other high, has psychological and chemical impacts to a person. You could link gambling to any other drug that equates to the violent excitement. This is exactly what the brain does, represents an action with a feeling, and for many people these feelings become an addiction. Compulsive gambling is a serious affliction that affects many people. While it may seem perverse to consider this a serious disease, realize that the consequences of compulsive gambling can dwarf that of any other addiction. For these people, once they start they just cannot stop, and like any addiction they build up a tolerance and experience symptoms of withdrawal when trying to abstain from gambling. For most people we can abide by certain guidelines, quell the whispers of our brain telling us to go for it and bet it all on this hand. What causes compulsive gamblers to lose control? There is no one reason to satisfy this question. However, with study patterns emerge, and we can recognize the psychological and chemical reasons for this handicap. So why the rush when instead of betting five dollars this hand you bet twenty? It has to do with drugs; specifically those produced naturally by your brain, which affect mood, emotions, etc. A recent study found that â€Å"Hemodynamic responses in the sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEA) and orbital gyrus tracked the expected values of the prospects, and responses to the highest value set of outcomes increased monotonically with monetary value in the nucleus accumbens, SLEA, and hypothalamus. † (Breiter et al. ) In this study, people were given $50 dollars and allowed to gamble with it while their responses were tracked. What the results basically said is that as the people’s expectancy of monetary gains went up, so did the chemical reactions in their bloods. This chemical imbalance when gambling is possibly the reason why many people are unable to quit gambling. It is true that the symptoms of many compulsive gamblers are â€Å"equivalent to a drug-induced high. † (â€Å"Addictive Gambling†). Like addicts of any drug, compulsive gamblers show signs of withdrawal and tolerance. After you’ve been betting the same amount for some time on a simple wager without making much money, you will start to look for ways to increase the betting pleasure. A simple strategy to do this is simply to bet more! When more is on the line there is more risk involved and more excitement. Another way these people can increase the risk involved is by lowering the stakes. There’s nothing more exciting than hitting a long shot. Compulsive gamblers would rather get bigger odds by trying to win a 10% shot than win a small amount with a 90% chance of winning. So as we have seen, the chemical attributes accompanying gambling can create an addiction, but the more interesting and relevant I think are the psychological impacts of gambling. By psychological impacts I mean how gambling affects the mind and actions of the compulsive gambler. This handicap is really defined as a â€Å"disorder of impulse control. † (Something 1). When most people go to gamble they bring with them rationality, and with rationality comes this innate ability to know when you’ve hit a limit. The disorder is the compulsive gambler’s inability to set a limit and stick to it. So you have to ask yourself where is the line drawn? When does fun gambling become a â€Å"maladaptive behavior? † The Washington State Council on Problem Gambling sees it as this: â€Å"A. Persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior as indicated by five (or more) of the following: (1) Is preoccupied with gambling (e. g. , preoccupied with reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble) (2) Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement (3) Has repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling (4) Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling. (5) Gambles as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e. g. , feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression) (6) After losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even (â€Å"chasing† one’s losses) (7) Lies to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling (8) Has committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling (9) Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling] (10) Relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling. † This list seems to be a slippery slope of symptoms. You might realize that this gambling can cause devastating effects to the life of a person. Committing crimes and trying to chase loses will cast a person into trenches of insurmountable debt and grief. There are so many people who do go to casinos and don’t fall into debt. It makes you wonder what is different about these people that made them weak? Perhaps the answer is that â€Å"Addiction is a way to escape from reality, from something that is either too full of sadness (such as living in a violent family) or too devoid of joy (an emotionally hollow life). Emotional trauma in early life may be at the source of many addictions. † (â€Å"Addictive Gambling†). The reality of the world is overbearing sometimes, and thinking about spending millions of dollars in winnings in a fantasy life can help people escape. Whatever the reason it must be understood. Gambling will only continue to grow, and as fun as it is it must also come shackled with precaution.

Tag Lines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tag Lines - Essay Example As businesses have become highly competitive in today’s world so it has become very important for organizations to differentiate themselves from the other competing products in the market. Logos and tag lines are ways with which organizations differentiate their products and services in the market. Logos and tag lines are used everywhere by the organization; these two things are used in the packaging material, letter heads, invoices, business cards, shopping bags, flyers, brochures and therefore it is important that the logo and tag line of the company should be good and attractive enough to catch the attention of the audience (Davis, 2005). One of the most important aspects of logo and taglines is that it is used to communicate the audience about the offerings of the company and how the company or the product can help the customer. An attractive logo along with a catchy and engaging tag line can make the customer think of buying the product or service whereas a dull and boring logo might not entice the customer to buy or purchase the product or service in fact it can influence the buying decision of the individual (Verhoef, & Leeflang 2009). There are many things that the management has to look at while designing the logo and thinking about the tag line of the company. Some of the most important things that the management needs to look at include the target market, the kind of products and services the company is offering, the visual and look of the logo, combination of right colors and fonts so that the logo and tag line look attractive and eye catchy, the culture and image of the company and there can be several other factors. However it is important that the final visual and look of the logo is pleasing and attractive enough to grab the attention of the audience. Tag lines should be catchy enough that it positively influences the buying decision of the individual. Logo and tag lines

Women finding their identity in the modern world Essay

Women finding their identity in the modern world - Essay Example The author correctly points out that the world as young women see it today is something that was not there before 1950s or before the feminist movements. Rosen maintains that young women today cannot even identify with the 1950s era when life of women revolved around home, husband and kids. Various feminist movements, ideologies, and objectives have changed the landscape of rights for women. This change was seen as "the most powerful challenge to the feminine mystique," i and changed the way things were in women workforce increasing their participation in economic activities. It was during the 1950s that young women slowly "rejected the world of their mothers" and because of this change, this generation was termed anti-motherhood. The various changes in feminist movements have been witnessed over the decades. In the 1950s since feminism was still new, women had adopted the rather ill fitting tools to compete with men. They had become sexually, socially and intellectually rebellious but over the years, they realized that these tools were not helping them with their objectives. Rosen notes that during the 1970s, FBI got involved with feminism movement in order to stifle the latter. The paranoia had spread far and wide and feminist politics had become a major party of US political scene. Many feminists had become wary of government's interference as Rosen states: "Still, in my wildest flights of paranoia I never imagined the extent to which the FBI spied on feminists or how many women did the spying"ii. It was believed that FBI had recruited women informers to tip them off about such subversive aims as: "They wanted equal opportunities that men have in work and in society" iii. Many people saw feminist activitie s as a threat to internal security as Hoover was found saying: "Inter woven with its goals for equal rights for women is the advocation of violence to achieve these goals," that he saw as a threat to internal security iv. Thus FBI files contained information on feminist activities and agenda as one operative explained: "This movement has no leaders, dues, or organizations"v. The most disturbing aspect of FBI involvement was that it had a negative impact on solidarity of feminists. Some of the women would accuse each other of being informers thus hurting their bond of sisterhood to the effect that "feminists sometimes found it easier to accuse one another of being informers than to accept the inevitable differences among them that, even without the FBI, would naturally result in different feminist perspectives and different ideas of sisterhood"vi. Such differences resulted in the complete dissipation of feminism's objectives. These disagreements grew to the extent that by the mid-1970s, this movement "was everywhere and nowhere" vii. This means that during this time feminist movement was suffering from diffusion and misunderstanding. Many people felt that feminism was all about becoming a super-woman who cared about nothing and no one except her own dreams and herself. That was certainly not good for the movement as Rosen explains: "when Americans took a good hard look at this narcissistic superwoman who embraced the values of the dominant culture, they grew anxious and frightened, for they no longer saw loyal mothers and wives who would care for the human community, but a dangerous individual, unplugged from home and hearth, in other words, a female version of

Manegment theory and practice case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Manegment theory and practice case study - Essay Example In 1999 Nissan was the third largest car manufacturing company in Japan and around the world. However in comparison to 1996, when Nissan had last made a profit its production was down, its market share was slipping, it losses mounting and utilization of production capacity was poor. There was an urgent need to find a suitable alliance partner, willing to invest in the company, if Nissan were to survive (p. 3). Renault on the other hand in 1999 had become lean through restructuring and downsizing was in a position to make strategic investments to further its future business activities. Renault mainly operated in Western Europe, from where it derived 85% of its revenue. Renault had limited activities in the important geographical regions of Asia, North America, and Eastern Europe. (p. 4). Investing in Nissan was attractive to Renault, as it provided Renault access to the important markets of Asia and North America due to Nissan’s active presence in these markets. However, there were major issues in the form of the organizational culture variances, diversity in the workforces of the two companies and management practices that would pose major problems in the smooth merger of these two car manufacturers and the changes that would have to be brought about in the corporate culture and management practices at Nissan (p. 5-6). After long drawn negotiations the alliance between Renault and Nissan came into being in 1999, with Renault acquiring 36.8% stake in Nissan. Carlos Ghosn from Renault was appointed as Chief Executive of Nissan and given the responsibility of leading through the restructuring and developing of Nissan focusing on the objectives of the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP) actual profitability by 2000, an operating profit greater than 4.5%, and reducing debt by 50% at the end of the fiscal year 2002 (p.7). The rest of the story is the manner in which Carlos Ghosn through inspired leadership achieved the seemingly impossible

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Thinking - Essay Example From this perspective it is clear that a critical thinking initiative simply makes good business sense. There is little question that the business environment of today is changing rapidly. Through the process of globalization employees of a major organization are exposed to a number of new challenges. Chartrand et al. (2009) emphasized that there are three keys to critical thinking that need to be implemented which are the RED Model. Recognize assumptions- Separate fact from opinion and gather information from a variety of different stakeholders. Evaluate arguments- Although it is difficult not to bring one’s prejudices to an issue, employees need to be taught not to simply jump to a conclusion and weigh all options. Draw Conclusions- After all information is in hand and sound reasoning is applied employees should employ ‘good judgment’ based on the facts. The risks associated with a business environment that does not encourage critical thinking was highlighted by MSNBC (2007) wherein the case Study of Circuit City was presented.

Employee Retention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employee Retention - Essay Example ty of a company to entice their work force to maintain allegiance and exhibit superior performance delivery in order to satisfy the organization’s clientele. A compromise on the latter may be equated to increased staff turnover and decreased employee retention which can, thus, rescind the organization’s services and customer care (Mohr et al., 2008). Several studies and researches have aimed to analyze the marketing impacts, causes and financial aspects that govern employee retention in order to make an accurate prediction and overall formula to help organizations maximize their human resources capital, minimize the negative feedback from the consumers of their goods or services and continually improve the quality of service that a company offers. However, despite these efforts, there may be no universal policy that can accurately predict employee turnover. In most cases, it is affected by the individual characteristics, nature and environment unique to a particular field of work and the labor environment it is subject to. Nonetheless, these researches have served as a basis for designing developing programs that can aid any human resources group to come up with a suitable plan to fit their diverse objectives and eventually execute a pioneering human resources program that benefits workers without endangering incomes (Etchings, 2005). This paper aims to consolidate the recent results of these studies and, eventually, come up with a general theme that can assess employee retention in work places. One of the major concerns of a company that elicits these kinds of researches on job retention and turnover is the balance in the expenditures incurred while maintaining new and old personnel. The reason being that low employee retention results in increased costs to the company due to the increasing costs of separation pay, job announcements, staff rehiring and employee training and upgrading. Estimated values show that these costs may be in the range $3000 to

The Constitution of the United States Assignment

The Constitution of the United States - Assignment Example It has long been the tradition of rulers to have a constitution that is used to form the basis of governance. Since the earliest recorded history, constitutions were used to define who held the authority to tax or hold property. Constitutions had the additional responsibility of defining what the public's rights were and designing a structure of law enforcement. The wording and intent of a constitution define the nature that the government will have and the limits of its authority over individual freedom, free thought, free thought, and the ability of the people to make any necessary change. These traditions carried over to the US Constitution, which is a written document that defines the structure of government and its relationship to the people. As with the constitutions that preceded it, the document sets limits on power and provides a means to enact and enforce legislation. The US Constitution presents an agreed upon set of principles that are acknowledged to be universal and a system to implement these beliefs. The US Constitution spells out the rights that the people have and the legal recourse available when these rights are violated. The US constitution is based on the principle of separation of powers, which divides authority among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. These basic principles were adopted from earlier European thinkers and constitutions, and form the foundation of the more eloquent expression that the legislative process is based on. In addition, the US constitution embodies the philosophical beliefs in equality and fairness that Americans have come to take for granted. While these principles were written into the original text, additional elaboration on individual rights and the need to accommodate a changing society have necessitated the addition of amendments.  

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay Example for Free

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Essay What do the terms race and ethnicity mean to you? Why are these concepts important to United States society? Race is usually defined by the color of a person’s skin such as black, or white. These words are used very frequently. Ethnicity is a more proper way to define us as people and usually refers to our cultural background/ancestry. For example: Africans, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics. These concepts are important to the United States because of the diversity, and all walks of life, census plays a big role. Our ethnicity/race is what distinctively separates us from one another by groups. Also according to (Office Of Management and budget August 28,1995) In 1977, OMB issued the Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting that are set forth in Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. The standards in this Directive have been used for almost two decades throughout the Federal government for recordkeeping, collection, and presentation of data on race and Hispanic origin. The standards have been used in two decennial censuses and in surveys of the population, data collections necessary for meeting statutory requirements associated with civil rights monitoring and enforcement, and in other administrative program reporting. Data collection agencies have legislative authority to collect racial and ethnic data needed for Federal programs and in the case of the decennial census, for redistricting. They also use racial and ethnic data for analyses of social, economic, and health trends for population groups. Basically it is important for them to collect this info for federal, business, and statistical reasons. References: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_race-ethnicity

The managerial ideas of Taylor and Fayol Essay Example for Free

The managerial ideas of Taylor and Fayol Essay Classical Management comprises three different approaches: Scientific Management (associated with the work of F W Taylor); Bureaucratic Management (hierarchical structure associated with the work of M Weber); Administrative Management (associated with the work of H Fayol). The Human Relations approach is associated with the work of E Mayo and F Roethlisberger. Immediately, we can see a difference between the ideas of Taylor and Fayol and those of Mayo as they are even classified differently. In order to explain how these managerial ideas differ, I will first explain what those ideas were. Taylor Taylor developed the four scientific principles of management: 1. Development of a true science 2. Scientific selection of the worker 3. Scientific education and development of the worker 4. Intimate and friendly cooperation between management and workers. The focus was on the individual rather than the team, aiming to improve efficiency through production-line time studies. Each job was broken down into its components and the quickest and best methods of performing each component were designed. There could be only one best way of maximising efficiency, developed through scientific study and analysis. Rewarding productivity was encouraged as money was seen as the one true motivator. Employees did the physical labour and management did the organising and planning. Through standardisation, worker specialisation and tight  managerial control, Taylor promised increased efficiency. Although Taylors methods did not allow scope for individual workers to excel or think for themselves, they were widely adopted. Fayol Fayol laid down 14 principles of management to be applied in any situation: 1. Specialization of labour. Specializing encourages continuous improvement in skills and the development of improvements in methods. 2. Authority. The right to give orders and the power to exact obedience. 3. Discipline. No slacking, bending of rules. 4. Unity of command. Each employee has one and only one boss. 5. Unity of direction. A single mind generates a single plan and all play their part in that plan. 6. Subordination of Individual Interests. When at work, only work things should be pursued or thought about. 7. Remuneration. Employees receive fair payment for services, not what the company can get away with. 8. Centralization. Consolidation of management functions. Decisions are made from the top. 9. Scalar Chain (line of authority). Formal chain of command running from top to bottom of the organization, like military 10. Order. All materials and personnel have a prescribed place, and they must remain there. 11. Equity. Equality of treatment (but not necessarily identical treatment) 12. Personnel Tenure. Limited turnover of personnel. Lifetime employment for good workers. 13. Initiative. Thinking out a plan and doing what it takes to make it happen. 14. Esprit de corps. Harmony, cohesion among personnel. Fayol divided managerial activities into five functions: planning organising commanding coordinating controlling The emphasis was on rational, central planning, looking at the whole picture, managing from the top down. Like Taylor, Fayol looked upon organisations as machines, viewed money as the one true motivator and emphasised maximum efficiency and productivity through standard operating procedures. Mayo Mayos Hawthorne studies are a landmark in management thinking. They followed preliminary illumination experiments, which studied the affect of light on productivity. The Hawthorne studies examined the affect of fatigue and monotony on productivity and experimented with the introduction of rest breaks, changes in work hours, temperature and humidity. Two key aspects of the Human Relations Approach are employee motivation and leadership style. Mayo learned that: Job satisfaction is increased through employee participation in decisions, rather than through short-term incentives; Leaders are able to positively influence employee motivation and productivity by showing concern for employee relationships; Work groups establish their own informal group performance norm, what it considers to be a fair level of performance, punishing those who perform above and below the norm; Pay can only motivate lower-level needs, once they are satisfied, non-monetary factors such as praise, recognition and job characteristics motivate human behaviour. Differences Classical Management (CM) attempted to apply logic and scientific methods to management of complex organisations. Human Relations Management (HRM) focused on working relationships to improve productivity. Fayol and Taylor both emphasised the production process and adjusted humans to this process, whereas Mayo emphasised the coordination of human and social elements in an organisation through consultation, participation, communication and leadership. CM emphasised the work of the individual, HRM viewed work as a group activity. Although moving in the right direction, Mayo merely replaced rational economic man with emotional social man, shifting the blame for poor performance from structural to personal attitudes and emotions. Both approaches mistakenly held that there was one best way to manage all organisations. Relevance of Classical Management theorists today Taylors work saw the introduction of time studies, work studies and industrial engineering, making an important contribution to the central procedures of many organisations. The modern assembly line is just one legacy of Scientific Management. Its efficiency techniques are applied to many non-industrial tasks, such as fast food service through to training surgeons. However, Taylors methods did not allow scope for individual workers to excel or think for themselves. Innovation is vital in order to maintain a competitive edge. Taylors belief that workers are solely motivated by money has since been proven wrong. Furthermore, his methods emerged from a negative bias against workers, whom he viewed as lazy and uneducated. Nowadays, the extent of command and control over workers that Taylor believed necessary would never work. For one thing, people are better educated nowadays! Taylors methods were also hostile to trade unions and labour organisations, which are widespread nowadays and were heavily relied upon during the 1990s to gain workforce stability, helping attract foreign investment. On the other hand, some of Taylors theories still ring true today, such as: increased output leads to fewer workers; poor incentive schemes and hourly pay rates that are not linked to productivity result in inefficiency (the introduction of Benchmarking confirms such an approach); poor job design leads to poor performance. The concept of separating planning from execution is still in use to some degree, however, workers are now considered to know best how to do their own job and are encouraged to think for themselves. Fayols ideas about central planning set the basis for many modern management techniques, such as Management by Objectives and PPBS. However, motivation is considered a key element in modern management. A third approach to Classical Management is the Bureaucratic approach of M Weber. The hierarchically structured organisation that emerged from CM still bears much relevance today and is widespread amongst large corporations and government departments. However, a mixture of hierarchical and inter-departmental coordination is now considered the way forward. Contemporary management builds on the Classical and Behavioural approaches and goes beyond them. The Systems approach of different strokes for different folks finally put the one best way theory to bed and has dominated modern organisational analysis since the 1980s. The Contingency approach views the organisation as an organism, segmenting as it grows, each segment specialising in knowledge and activity, all of which must cope with their external environment and integrate harmoniously. The main difference between Classical and Contemporary approaches is the modern belief that it is futile to search for one best way to manage an organisation. Instead, managers must take into account the internal and external environment and match the appropriate management practices to the surrounding circumstances for an effective outcome. In my own work, I find myself using a combination of Classical and Contemporary approaches to management. The hierarchical structure is necessary to a certain degree. For one thing, the prospect of promotion motivates staff to do better. However, teamwork definitely gleans better results from the workforce as a whole. Worker specialisation has its uses when certain jobs require particularly high efficiency and speed, however, if used on a permanent basis they would lead to monotony and dissatisfaction. Workers tend to produce good ideas about how best to do their own jobs, however, the policy of the organisation as a whole is often separated from the motivation of individual workers, indicating the need for managerial planning, organisation, coordination, command and control.  Balance is key.