Legalizing the Use of Drugs

Many feel today we are losing the war on drugs. When a battle goes to the point where there is no winner, there needs to be a re-evaluation of how to solve the problem. In the case of the war against drugs, years of fighting have caused increased crime, overcrowding of prisons, and the wasted use of money and resources with no results. It is now time to look at alternative methods to solve the nation's drug problem. Although, legalization will increase use of the drug a majority of use will be by those who already use drugs not by new comers who might only try it once out of curiosity. Proof of this can be found in Holland when in 1970 the government legalized the use of marijuana for adults. The legalization of illicit drugs has proved that just because a drug is made legal it does not mean it will cause a rapid rise and abuse by society (Friedman). However, many supporters of continuing the prohibition of drugs believe that by legalizing drugs they will become more accessible and use will therefore increase. They base this argument on past experiments dealing with alcohol prohibition. After the end of prohibition with the 21st amendment, alcohol consumption doubled, while prohibition decreased use by 50 percent (Light). Another example can be found in Liverpool, England. After a recent legalization of drugs in a regulatory program that focuses on the medical benefits of drugs, most drug pushers there left town because there was no longer a market for them. This shows that legalization actually decreases use because of the increased emphasis on rehabilitation and the decrease of drug pushers. Such a dramatic decrease in drug dealers has not only resulted in crime reduction in England but there has also been a decrease of drug use. It is true, legalization will not eliminate the major cause of violent crime; however, most arguments, that say that drug legalization will not decrease crime, deal with the idea that most violent crimes occur as a result of alcohol use. If this is true, legalization will not effect crime that is alcohol related but it will decrease violent crime that is linked to drug dealing and use. The drugs themselves may not cause violent crime, but people involved in the distributing of illicit drugs commit the deadliest crime. By legalizing drugs the dealer would be eliminated and therefore crime would be reduced. Granted, the overall cost of drug use would not decrease; however, supporters of the continued war on drug and the further prohibition of these drugs say that legalization would cost more both socially and economically. They say that legalization would result in increased use and eventually will mean an increase in deaths with. Another result they say will be the decay of family values as a result of increased drug using mothers and children. Actually, the legalization of drugs will put money, which is used for law enforcement into the construction of better rehabilitation and education programs. Education is an essential element in this proposal because through education the problem will find a better than merely covering it up behind jail bars. Economically, for every dollar spent on drug treatment there is a $7 return due to decreased criminal activity. Through the regulation and supervision of the distribution of marijuana, there would be no increases in the number of drug-addicted newborns, nor will it induce the deterioration of society. Thus the overall cost of drug use would decrease and would bring new revenue for our nation. After looking at and knowing the pro and cons of marijuana legalization, I have decided that it is a valid and necessary solution to our country†s drug problem. By implementing such a program the American population can use its money and resources to combat the problem through rehabilitation and education instead of stalling the problem through the legal system. Legalization will decrease violent crime associated with drug dealers; it will decrease the number of users and will lower the wasteful cost, which is connected with the current system. Such legalization will not destroy our youth in any way, because the drugs will only be accessible to adults in the country. If we continue with our current system we will never solve the problem. Drug dealers and addicts will continue to crowd our prisons and plague our streets with violent crime with no hope for help and a better future.

Essential Skills for Higher Education and Healthcare: A Reflection

Abstract This reflective essay aimed to present the key learning and gaps in knowledge and practice of a student nurse. The Gibbs model of reflection was used to evaluate and analyse the learning needs of the author. An action plan is presented at the end of the essay to demonstrate the learning aims and activities needed to achieve these aims. These are needed to prepare the author in her future work as a registered nurse. Introduction Reflection allows student nurses and healthcare practitioners improve current and future nursing practice by learning from one’s experiences (Bulman and Schutz, 2013). This essay aims to present a reflective account on my role as a student in health education and as a future healthcare practitioner. Gibbs (1988) model of reflection will be used to reflect on my experiences as a student nurse. Description My work as a Health Care Assistant in the past six years helped me decide to pursue a nursing education. I was able to work in a busy environment and experience working with patients with different ethnic background and a multicultural healthcare team. Seeing patients improve as a result of the care they receive from healthcare professionals was one of the significant events that helped me decide to become a nurse. My life as a student nurse is challenging since I have to balance family life with work and my studies. I have to demonstrate key nursing skills, become a self-directed and independent learner, take responsibilities, manage my time and follow rules and regulations of the university. I also have to prepare myself to become a future healthcare practitioner. For instance, I have to acquire skills to meet the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of my patients. I also have to ensure that care received by my patients is evidence-based. In addition, I have to achi eve the competencies required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC, 2008) code of conduct. Feelings I am excited in my new role as a student nurse. My training in the past has been in accounting and business and my career shift brings some challenges. However, I am happy pursuing what I love to do. While I am passionate with my new role, I am also aware that becoming a nurse requires extensive training and study. Hence, I want to develop skills such as becoming an independent and self-directed learner in order to succeed as a student nurse. I also need to demonstrate key skills in order to prepare myself to become a registered nurse. At times, I am worried if I would be able to acquire all the skills needed to become an effective nurse. For instance, I feel that communicating with patients with different ethnic backgrounds could be a challenge. While I was able to witness how nurses communicate with patients of different ethnic backgrounds, I am aware that this would not be easy in actual practice. I also feel that I need to develop skills on how to deliver patient-centred care thi s is holistic. Analysis and Evaluation Developing the self-directed and independent learning style is crucial during the undergraduate nursing years. Kaufman and Mann (2010) suggest that problem based learning is common in medical education and helps students to become independent learners. Learning styles differ amongst adult learners. Biggs and Tang (2007) emphasise that an individual’s learning style is a result of affective, physical and cognitive factors. An individual’s learning preference is influenced by motivation, cognitive style, attitude, personality and a student’s stage of development (Cassidy, 2004; Biggs and Tang, 2007). On reflection, I have to consider my own motivation and cognitive style in order to become a successful independent learner. I also have to determine my own stage of development as a student. Learners are identified into at least four types of learners. These are the visual, aural, read, write and kinaesthetic learners (Cassidy, 2004). During independent learning, students should be able to identify their learning style in order to optimise the learning process. On reflection, I learn best through observation (visual), reading and writing (R) and practicing what I learned (K). I can use all forms during self-directed learning. For instance, I can participate in simulation training to visualise the skills that I need to learn. Next, I can read on the topic and write a reflection or notes on what I learned. Finally, I can report my learning to my supervisors or mentors through presenting clinical skills. While self-directed learning is only one method employed in my nursing curriculum as a means to acquire knowledge and skills, this learning method is very important in my future role as a nurse. It should be noted that the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC, 2008) code of conduct stresses the importance of providing quality evidence-based care to my patients. To meet the competencies contained in the NMC’s code of conduct, it is necessary that I inform my current nursing practice with current evidence from published literature. This is also emphasised in the NMC (2010) standards for nursing students in the UK. Evidence-based care (Greenhalgh, 2010) is described as the type of care supported by findings from published literature, personal experiences, expert opinion and patient experiences. Becoming an independent learner will help me in future role as a nurse since this will help me search for literature and evidence on the current and best form of intervention for specific healthcare conditions. Apart from becoming an independent learner, I also realised the importance of developing my communication skills. The NMC’s code of conduct states the importance of developing empathy to patients and providing them with quality care. This is only possible with effective communication (Purden, 2005). Barclay et al. (2007) suggest that effective communication is possible if patients have learned to trust their healthcare practitioners and are allowed to participate in healthcare decision-making. Communication involves listening to both verbal and non-verbal messages of the patients and identifying their healthcare needs (Barclay et al., 2007). It is noteworthy that language barriers may become a deterrent to effective communication (Leonard et al., 2004). This is especially evident when patients and nurses have different ethnic background (Leonard et al., 2004). These differences may contribute to misunderstanding especially if patient education is not culturally sensitive or nu rses fail to consider the patient’s preferences, cultural background, tradition and beliefs before introducing an intervention. As a student nurse, I am aware of the importance of communication and why it is necessary for me to develop communication skills that are sensitive to my patients’ culture, traditions and beliefs. Developing these skills during my student years will help me become more sensitive to the needs of my patients. It has been shown (Barclay et al., 2007) that effective communication is a prerequisite to quality care. Many patients (Majumdar et al., 2004) express that the time nurses spent with them allowed them to communicate their feelings and needs better since they were able to communicate in an unhurried environment. On reflection, it is essential that as a student nurse, I will learn how to listen to my patients and determine their needs. It is also essential that I receive training on how to develop cultural sensitivity when dealing with patients with different ethnicity. Majumdar et al. (2004) stress the importance of assigning patients with different ethnicity to healthcare w orkers who share similar ethnic background. However, this might not be achieved in all instances in actual healthcare settings. Hence, it is essential that nurses should be trained on how to develop cultural sensitivity. On reflection, I also learned the importance of developing skills on how to promote psychological, social, emotional, physical and spiritual care of patients. As a student nurse, I am still beginning to develop these skills and understand that it will take time to develop all these skills. I realised that these skills are best learned when working with other healthcare professionals. Hence, it is crucial that I learn how to collaborate effectively with other healthcare workers. Apart from developing effective communication skills, I also need to learn how to work with others and manage conflicts during meetings. It is suggested that conflicts (Leonard et al., 2004) do not lead to poor team working but provides an opportunity for team members to choose the best form of intervention for a specific healthcare condition. Conflicts also allow team members to view an issue from different perspectives. Conclusion In conclusion, there are many skills that I still need to develop as a nursing student preparing to become a registered nurse in the future. To date, I need to hone my skills in independent or self-directed learning. I also need to develop communication skills, cultural sensitivity and learn how to collaborate effectively with other team members. All these skills are necessary to help me observe the NMC’s code of conduct and gain competencies for registered nurses in the UK. Action Plan The following are the objectives of my action plan: Improve skills on how to carry out independent or self-directed learning. Develop communication skills. Develop cultural sensitivity. Learn how to collaborate effectively with team members Table 1. Action Plan AimActivitiesWeek(s)Mentor/Supervisor Comment(s) Improve skills on how to carry out independent or self-directed learningEngage in self-directed learning on specific topics in nursing.1-4 Develop communication skillsAttend simulations on how to communicate effectively with patients suffering from chronic or acute conditions; Observe/shadow senior nurses on how they communicate with patients suffering from different conditions5-8 Develop cultural sensitivityAttend simulations on how to develop cultural sensitivity; watch videos showing nurses demonstrate cultural sensitivity when caring for patients with different ethnic background; shadow senior nurses and observe how they show cultural sensitivity to patients with different ethnicity9-12 Learn how to collaborate effectively with team membersBecome part of healthcare teams/ shadow healthcare teams and observe how they collaborate with each other13-16 References Barclay, J., Blackhall, L. & Tulsky, J. (2007) Communication strategies and cultural issues in the delivery of bad news. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 10(4). p. 958-977. Biggs, J. & Tang, C. (2007) Teaching for quality learning at university. 3rd ed. England and New York: Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press. Bulman, C. & Schutz, S. (2013) Reflective Practice in Nursing. 5th ed. London: John Wiley & Sons. Cassidy, S. (2004) Learning styles: An overview of theories, models and measures. Educational Psychology. 24(4). p. 419-444. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Educational Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Greenhalgh, T. (2010) How to read a paper: the basics of evidence-based medicine. 4th ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Jarvis, P. (2010) Adult education and lifelong learning: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge. Kaufman, D. & Mann, K. (2010) Teaching and learning in medical education. In: Swanwich, T. (ed.). Understanding medical education. ASME: Blackwell Publishing. Leonard, M., Graham, S. & Bonacum, D. (2004) The human factor: the critical importance of effective teamwork and communication in providing safe care. BMJ Quality & Safety. 13. p. i85-i90. Majumdar, B., Browne, G., Roberts, J. & Carpio, B. (2004) Effects of cultural sensitivity training on health care provider attitudes and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 6(2). p. 161-166. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2010) Standards for pre-registration nursing education. London: Department of Health. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Purden, M. (2005) Cultural considerations in interprofessional education and practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care. 19(1). p. 224-234.

Effective Teaching and Learning Essay

Teaching is not just one way, giving information to students and expecting them to draw from the information! A teacher (to be professional and effective) also needs to know all the different theories, models and learning styles. Embedding models to enable best practice in each session and allow students to absorb valuable information. The tutor is to reflect on each session, for example look at what went well and what didn’t go so well. Differentiating between different students abilities and learning styles. Teachers are constantly reflecting, not only if the students are learning from the tutor but the tutor should be constantly learning best practice and not become stagnant! Petty, G states â€Å"It is not an admission of weakness to seek advice and support; it is a measure of your active professionalism† The author explores the different theories associated with teaching of learning and assessment, demonstrating how she uses them in her confidence and self esteem course. The main ones that will be looked at in detail are behaviourist, cognitivists and humanist, Transactional analysis and types of assessment. Androgogy and Pedagogy, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the three main ego states and Temporal and Boydell’s (1977) Barriers to learning. There are three main theorists; behaviourist, cognitivists and humanist. Behaviourist theory was based on stimulus response from a dog. To see and measure how it learns. Pavlov (1927) states that what can be measured is classed as learning. Pavlov did an experiment with a dog. This to me is more like conditioning rather than learning. Pavlov was primarily a physiologist and very interested in how the mind works. If a person was hungry they could be conditioned to salivate by the ring of a bell if they were conditioned to have food straight after. Starving a person and getting it to do something (ring a bell) to enable it to eat is a strange way to analyse a human is learning! To treat humans in this way and relate it to humans is barbaric, just look at the year it was printed. This was also the time when electric shock treatment and locking people in straight jackets was acceptable! Skinner (1938) also did some work with animals and called it operant conditioning. His findings were the reward that the animals were working towards not the stimulus e. g. not the bell but the food! Reward is good and has been proven by theorists that this keeps the students interested (although these findings were tested on animals and humans). The reward could be learning new skills to change and overcome a barrier, gain the qualification in confidence building. Getting a pat on the back for good work handed in! The students will repeat behaviour if they are gaining a reward. The reward can also be the achievement of learning new skills for life, as in the confidence course. Skinner also believed that negative feedback was demoralising and stopped learners learning which the author fully backs up. One has to be very sensitive with feedback, especially when dealing with students with low self esteem. Most of the learning is self reflective and many self awareness exercises are done, rather than criticising or not passing a certain grade. Most learning is done through discussion and self reflection Piaget (1926) had a different view from Pavlov, he believed that the persons thought process was more important and learning was developmental. Meaning they learn and add to what they already know or have learnt. It is about linking information Knowledge is constructed though interaction with the environment. A cognitive process which requires new information, allowing the learner to evolve and transform their existing knowledge and apply this to new situations. (Armatage, 1999 Pg62) On the confidence course a cognitive approach could be to ask the learners to describe how you have used the goal setting to achieve a happier life? I am asking the students to work on a deeper level, not just retaining the information but also demonstrating how to develop it into their own life and past experiences. The cognitivists and the behaviourist are more to do with controls and being tutor led, the Humanist theory looks more into the nature of the learner and the learners’ actions that create the learning situation. The direction is for autonomy, development and growth, the search for meaning and setting goals for themselves. This is very relevant in the goal setting stage of the confidence building course. When the students goal set for a happier, healthier and more positive future. This is looking at and building on the skills that learners already have through life experiences. The role of the tutor is to encourage the students to reflect and to increase the range of experiences for the students to move on with their individual goals that are not dictated by the tutor (myself) The two major writers in this field are Rogers (1974) and Maslow (1968) Rogers viewed this as a series of drives towards adulthood, autonomy, responsibility and self direction. This is all about empowering oneself rather than being told what to do. Maslow looks at a whole hierarchy of needs (please see graph below) Maslow believes that one has to move up the pyramid of needs before they can self actualise. For example one wants their basic needs to be met Biological and Physiological needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep. This then moves on to look at safety and security. Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, and stability. Belongingness and Love needs – work group, family, affection, relationships. The learners on the confidence course are encouraged to continue as a group to support each other with future goals once the ten weeks are up. This continues to have a positive effect on the learners’ future goals and encourages positive relationships. Esteem needs – self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility. This comes from the achievement of attending and finishing the course. Cognitive needs – knowledge, meaning, making sense of things. Understanding why they come to have low self esteem and understanding there are many ways to change this. Self-Actualization needs – realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. This definitely comes on the last session when the learners feel so empowered to move on with goals that have been set. Making a vision board that is related to a persons self actualisation. Up until 1970 teaching strategies were known as pedagogy which is Greek and means â€Å"to lead a child† Knowles who is a huge figure in the humanist school challenged this as he didn’t think it appropriate for adults. Knowles (1970 Pg 57) believes â€Å"Once an adult makes the discovery that he can take responsibility for his own learning, as he does for other facets of his life, he experiences a sense of release and exhilaration. He then enters into learning with a deep ego involvement, with results that are frequently startling to both himself and the tutor† Hanson (1996 pg 99) argued against a clear dichotomy between adult and compulsory education. He believed that adults are not necessarily more experienced because they have lived longer! This can be true as some of the students I come across have no literacy skills which will be classed as a major intellectual barrier (see the five barriers below) and come on the course with a support worker. This does not mean they don’t have articulate skills in other areas, such as time management and people skills. There is no point taking only an androgogical approach until students acquire the ability to learn the basic study skills. This leads onto the barriers that adult learners may face. Temporal and Boydell (1977) highlighted five barriers to learning which were: perceptual, cultural, emotional, intellectual and expressive. Perception could be a huge barrier that students face. Most that come on the course have had a bad school experience and this maybe the last time they studied. Students are worried if they will feel comfortable in the class, worried if they don’t understand what the tutor is talking about, concerned if they know someone in the class from their local area, or have concerns about feeling stupid. Perception is a huge barrier to overcome and nothing the tutor can do if the learner does not start the course. Cultural pressure could be family and friends not wanting the learner to do courses to progress, especially when they see time is being taken from the family. Temporell and Bordell (1977) have identified low self esteem as a barrier to learning. This is very difficult as there are many potential learners that phone up to do the course but then don’t have the self esteem to walk through the door. When the learner finds it difficult to express themselves, they can still learn from the course by listening to group activity. It has been noted on many courses when introducing another person to the group the learner finds it easier to talk, rather than introducing themselves they can talk for a longer period of time about their colleague. This is useful on this type of course (self esteem building) if this is not the first course the student does as a mature learner I am not sure how they will cope if they are moving onto more academic courses. Overcoming personalities and ego states can also be classed as a huge barrier, getting the student to the adult- adult ego state. They may only have had the experience of critical child ego state. One of the students commented on their childhood school memories, of standing in the corner and made to feel stupid because dyslexia wasn’t recognised then! The critical teacher (ego state critical parent). Transactional analysis (D Childs, 2004) describes three ego states Parent, Adult and child. The parent ego state falls into two categories, critical parent and nurturing parent. The nurturing parents function is to nurture themselves and others. Critical parent function is to control the behaviour of themselves and others. This can show as a critical teacher putting their students down and being condescending. The first class is entered by most students in the adapted child ego state, helpless and hurtful. Facial expressions looking scared and tearful. All students are treated as adults with a lot of nurturing parent in the first session. This is to put the students at ease and in a relaxed state with myself the tutor and their peers. The scene is set together writing boundaries as a group for the group to bond, be comfortable, respected and respectful. Once this is done the students are aware that they are being respected. This is overcoming the first barrier to allow learning to take place. The author strongly believes that if a student is not at ease they will not absorb valuable information. Also putting the students in the adult ego state. This agreement is done in unison, with the students taking ownership of their actions and behaviour with others. This can be done through setting their own boundaries. The last group agreed to switch off mobiles, only allow good gossip, no dumping (talking about personal problems), have fun, respect on another, what’s said in the room stays in the room, listen if someone is talking, not hog the conversation (give everyone time to talk), not to give opinions unless they are asked for, support one another, no swearing. This could be a Eureka moment as some students may have never been aware of how they come across nd wonder if they have been respectful to people in the past. Learnt behaviour is very hard to change in just one session. This is a huge self awareness exercise. A student may write â€Å"no swearing† (as a boundary) as it is offensive; another student may challenge this as this is challenging how that student has been reared. Where swearing is part of everyday language. They are bewildered to find that this would offend another person. Due to another student being brought up in a house full of arguments and fighting he feels threatened whenever he hears swearing. This could be the first course students have done out of their comfort zones. Other students can be from other classes, cultures and backgrounds. Being made aware what is acceptable and what is not acceptable can sometimes come as a shock. Some students complain to me of other students not washing and smelling unclean. This is a very sensitive issue and has to be dealt with very carefully, especially when working with people with mental health or very low self esteem. Some students wonder why they should bother washing as they have come from a family with no hygiene. How would a person know this if it wasn’t taught at home? We don’t learn from people sniggering behind our backs! When looking at why the students have chosen the victim path, their eyes widen as discussion unfolds. Especially when looking at critical parent. Most of the students have got or had a parent, partner, friend (so called), sibling or even a child that tries to control their behaviour. For the student looking at this in black and white is a real Eureka moment. What they find hardest is when they change ego state to adult. They find that the person that plays critical parent in their life becomes angry and resentful. Critical parent usually trying to make the student feel guilty for their â€Å"adult† state. The student then becoming the victor not the victim. When reflected upon the student can see how this relationship no longer serves a purpose. Unless the critical parent changes their behaviour the student sees the relationship as negative and will no longer want to pursue it. Learners generally come onto the course with some negative attitudes about the world or people around them. Empowering learning and research and overcoming barriers they may have encourages the students to challenge their own behaviour. When the tutor contradicts learner’s attitudes and values, class discussion can become heated. Students can become angry. This is very much a part of the learning journey in confidence building. Self assessment and self awareness exercises come in very useful, enabling the student much self reflection allowing students to overcome their own barriers through their own assessment. Initial assessment is used to see what level the student is at if the learner can cope with the work load. Do they need an individual learning plan or see if extra support is needed with numeracy, literacy or ICT. Petty, G does agree â€Å"If the needs of the learners are met, the chances of success are greatly increased† backing up how important an initial assessment can be (2009, pg 530) Curzon, L argues that examinations on many courses can be different, so can sometimes not have legitimate weighting (2006 Pg385) meaning they can have repressive or restrictive influences on teachers and students. It is thought that an initial assessment (numeracy or literacy) could startle a student at the beginning and make them feel inadequate. This could be because they were academically inadequate at school, the same fear could return, with no return of the student on the next session. Petty, G also states that just because a student has their math’s GCSE doesn’t mean they can do algebra or percentages. This won’t help in the science lab. (2009, Pg 542) One argument would be that this has separated the wheat from the chaff. Teachers now have to teach to individual learning styles, instead of blaming the learners for not learning or gaining the qualification, the tutors are looked upon! Petty believes all students can learn, given the help and support that is needed, the author being agreeable. Assessment is very important to know where the learners are at the beginning, middle and the end of the course. This is to reflect and measure where they are at the beginning of the course in terms of self esteem. This is done by a scaling questionnaire, which also measures where the learner is in terms of happiness, self esteem, confidence, relationships, communications skills, health, social skills and social activities. The author would prefer to empower her students, instead of giving the students fish, she would prefer to give them a fishing rod to eat for life. It is about empowering students to move on with their life positively. The students don’t need to be spoon fed or hand held. They just need to learn the tools and skills for a happier and productive healthier lifestyle. This is why the tutor is in favour of the Humanist theory. Skinner believes that positive feedback gets students motivated whilst negative feedback stops students in their tracks, demotivating. The behaviourist teacher is in charge and is a good role model to her students giving the students rewards which are positively reinforced with praise, smiles and positive comments on work done. This is very useful as it also activates growth in self esteem. This theory is very successful with students who lack self esteem, therfor very apt in the confidence course. The learners work more effectively as they are encouraged to reflect and self evaluate where they are in terms of self esteem and confidence. Students work well interacting and challenging negative self fulfilling ideas as a group and overcoming barriers together. The students finish the course still on a learning journey of positive self discovery through meetings and recommended reading. The role of the tutor is to encourage the students to reflect and to increase the range of experiences for the students to move on with their individual goals that are not dictated by the tutor (myself) The two major writers in this field are Rogers (1974) and Maslow (1968) Rogers viewed this as a series of drives towards adulthood, autonomy, responsibility and self direction. In conclusion the author believes teaching is not directive and one way, It has to be two way for it to be effective. Tutors need to be reflective and differentiate between all students learning styles and abilities. The author strongly feels that Pavlov’s theory is inhumane and out with the ark. Taking responses from animals is very old hat and I’m sure if you starved any animal or human they would ring a bell to get food, as this is our primary need to live. Humans are much more intelligent than rats and dogs. Pavlov was firstly a psychologist and would be looking at animal responses rather than learning. The author backs up Skinners theory and has seen it work in the confidence course. Once the student is told they are actually good at something (not just a mother, father or sibling) it encourages them to want to do better and have a happier, healthier life style for all their family. This has a huge knock on effect on their friends and people around them. They usually signpost their friends and partners on to the course. Negative feedback is demoralising, what the tutor finds useful is asking the student how they would do it next time if they wanted a positive outcome. This allows the student to self reflect and learn by experience, which is a far great learning curve. This theory links in with what Paignent, 1926 believes, that a persons thought process was more important and learning is developmental, linking information and learning what they already know. The cognitivists and behaviourist are more to do with being tutor led. The author prefers the humanist theory which looks more into the nature of the learner and their actions that create the learning situation. Maslow looks at the whole hierarchy of needs and backs up the belief of the author. Maslow believes that one must move up the pyramid before they can self actualise. Maslow’s theory is used and demonstrated on the confidence course. The tutor wants the students to see what is needed to move up the pyramid. One student came in the following week and told me she had moved house because her safety needs were not being met due to having ASBO neighbours. The student had been complaining to the council for many years. After seeing Maslow’s hierarchy the student decided to take herself out of the situation! Using the Maslow model in class, students can see in black and white why they have no self esteem and cannot self actualise and why their social or safety needs are not being met. For example fuel your body with healthy food like a car would use the best oil. Safety needs, live with people that you feel happy and safe with. Look at the positive people and negative people in ones life. Associate with positive people more rather than the negative ones. Belonging and love. Students start measuring who is respectful and positive in their life. Teporal and Bordell (1977) have identified low self esteem as a barrier to learning. One believes that overcoming barriers and having self esteem is much wider spread than one thought. It would be beneficial for students to have a self esteem test as part of their initial assessment. This would be invaluable efore the students go on to do literacy and numeracy. Looking into how ego states come into learning is very interesting; the humanist would welcome the adult to adult state. Whereas the cognitivists would play a more critical parent role when teaching. Whilst doing this essay the author has really looked into all the theories and models and it is apparent that these ideas were put forward many year s ago. We have moved on so much in seventy years, it would be interesting to see new theories or updated old theories that are based on more realistic activities and research.

The Increasing Need for Authentic Reading Texts in ELT Classrooms Essay

The Increasing Need for Authentic Reading Texts in ELT Classrooms - Essay Example By working on a "living" language as used by the community, this could give learners the feeling that they are in touch with reality and thus increase their motivation for learning. For this reason, more and more authentic texts are being incorporated into the materials used for English language teaching to close the gap between pedagogic texts and the real world. Authentic texts, being culled from day-to-day living, may appeal to students as relevant and interesting and thus serve to increase their motivation to learn. Hence, text authenticity has become popular as part of the current orthodoxy in ELT, its relevance considered especially high in the communicative exercises. In this essay, we shall discuss the rationale, advantages and benefits of authentic text, including the problems that may arise from its use. Together with the reasons for its increasing use in the classroom, we will also explore the factors that may dash its effective use, how the materials are actually taught a nd the different contexts and requirements for a successful teaching of such authentic materials. For the past 15 years, the conviction grew among applied linguists and those who design ELT texts that language teaching involves not only an immersion in its grammar but also how grammar is used in the business of actual everyday communication (Widdowson, H., 1979). Language teaching, in this view, will not go far if it seeks to develop only the student's grammatical competence without paying heed to his communicative ability. For language study to be productive, the language experiences must engage the thoughts and minds of students. This gave impetus to the development and increasing use of authentic text, which brings real communication into the classroom (Nunan, D., 1985). This arose out of the need to shift our attention away from an almost exclusive concentration on grammatical competence and give equal attention to communicative competence (Widdowson, H., 1979), because knowledge of language involves both. Authentic text is seen as an effective tool to provide communicative competence. But for this to happen, English teaching must be presented as authentic enough to serve as a "door to a whole new world of possibilities, career or otherwise, be it in the business world or other sectors (Nunan, D., 2004)."Clayton, Fomo defines authentic texts as "genuine samples of language in use," which are not produced specifically for the purpose of language teaching. This text, sometimes spoken and sometimes written, simulates and uses the language of the real world, which is adapted in the classroom for its relevance to the students' social milieu. The objective is to develop the students' language skills for the real world, and bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and the students' capacity to participate in real-life events. Exposing students to the language of the real world will help them acquire "an effective receptive competence in the target language (Guariento, W. & Morley, J., 2001)." Samples of authentic text, which are described as forms of "genuine and less formal" English, are offered in the volume Cambridge Skills for Fluency: Listening Series (1998). Such a text could be anything from newspaper clippings to flyers promoting a

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Research paper - Essay Example The initial interaction of culture and marketing appears at this level where the language and symbols used must be meaningful to the market in question. It therefore follows that the marketer must use the symbols that are synonymous with the particular culture Bryan, (2013). Marketing does not only involve presenting a product to the consumer, but also entails designing the product to meet the customer’s wants. For a product to satisfy people, its design, style, use and any other marketing activities must be culturally acceptable. Culture features in all marketing activities ranging from promotion, pricing, distribution channels, packaging of products and styling. The interaction between market forces and the culture of the market is responsible for success in marketing. It’s important to note that the way in which human beings satisfy their wants, the amount of a commodity they consume and the way they consume the product is all a function of their culture. Marketers play two roles in a market. They extend all their efforts to satisfying the cultural demands in the market as well as act as agents of change whenever the idea or product marketed is innovative. The usage of a new product in a market is the beginning of change in the people’s traditions making the marketer an agent of change. It’s therefore very crucial for a marketer to study cultural differences between societies and identify the important aspects that he/she should focus on. The influence of culture on a market of commodities can be demonstrated by the examples below, Michael, (2007). According to Brian, culture affects nearly every portion of our lives from birth till death. These effects have very remarkable consequences in the market of products (2013). For example in Chinese culture, it’s considered to be good luck to be born in the â€Å"year of the dragon†. This leads to an increase of birthrates

Management concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management concepts - Essay Example Traditionally organisations were designed keeping bureaucratic structure in mind. Bureaucratic structure can be defined as a kind of organisation structure which is based on judgment, order and reasonable use of proper authority. This type of organisational structure is destined to be organised, reasonable and highly efficient. The bureaucratic structure consists of clear allotment of job, ‘strict hierarchy of authority’, strict rules and actions and capability based promotions (Cliffnotes, n.d.). Bureaucratic organisational structure is based on official structure of authority which is formed cautiously and followed strictly. The features of bureaucratic organisation structure are: Clear job specialisation Departmentalisation by job Formal model of allocation High extent of centralisation ‘Narrow span of management’ Clearly described line and staff manager position Strict relationship between manager and subordinates Source: (Pride & Et. Al., 2009) Bureaucr atic Structure In Contrast To Matrix Organizational Structure In contrast to bureaucratic structure, matrix structure is based on vertical and horizontal form of authority. The delegation of authority in this type of organisation can flow in both ways down and across, however in bureaucratic structure the authority flows only from upward to downward. In each department there are cross functional groups. The groups consist of individual employees with varying specialty, proficiency and capability which are brought together to accomplish a mutual objective. For example, in the Matrix Structure, the less recognizable team is known as Project A, B, C team. The managers of these teams are known as project managers. The projects might be temporary; when the project is completed the teams will be separated. These teams have the authority to make major decisions. Any individual employee who is performing in the team can directly communicate with project manager as well as individual superio r manager (Fontaine, 2007). Contrary to matrix organizational structure, the bureaucratic organisational structure has strict control over their employees. The organisation is tall in nature. Max Weber, a German sociologist had introduced the bureaucratic theory. He had highlighted the requirement for hierarchical structure in organisations. The theory acknowledged the significance of allotment of labour and specialisation. A formal set of regulation is bound into the structure which ensures managerial constancy and regularity. Unlike matrix structure, the information in this organisation must pass through each layer of the structures which result in deliberate decision making. There is no authority of team with respect to decision making in this type of structure (Advameg, 2011) & (Walonick, 1993). Fig 1: Contrast of Bureaucratic and Matrix Organisational Structure Bureaucratic Organisational Structure Matrix Organisational Structure High Degree of standardisation Regular working m ethod are pursued in bureaucratic structure Low level of discrimination The organisation structure is mainly tall in

Select ONE Retailer of Your Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Select ONE Retailer of Your Choice - Essay Example If the global sales and domestic market share of the company is taken into account then it is found that the company is the largest British retailer by far. The profit of the company exceeded ?2 billion for the year 2008 and it is believed that the profit will be much higher in the year 2009. The company mainly focuses upon food and drink but it has also started dealing in clothes, financial services, internet services etc. â€Å"Tesco started life in 1919 when Jack Cohen started selling surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London. Mr. Cohen recorded a profit of ?1 from total sales of ?4 on his first day.† (A History of Tesco) The brand Tesco first appeared in the year 1924 when Jack Cohen supposedly bought a tea shipment from Mr. T. E Stockwell. The year 1929 marked the opening of a store in North London and the company rapidly developed from there on. The head quarters of the company was first established in North London in the 1930s. In the year 1932 the compan y became a private limited company, another feather in the cap of Tesco. Expansion of the Company The expansion of the company traces back to the year 1950 when the company quickly bought rival shops so as to expand and compete with other Giants. In another endeavor to do so, the company bought as many as 70 William stores and an unprecedented 200 Harrow stores. 1960s saw a revolution in the supermarket trend, the stores started selling more products in larger shops and Tesco was quick to capitalize on the very same opportunity. In the year 1961, the Guinness book of records acknowledged that Tesco was the largest store in the whole of Europe and more growth followed as the company opened another Superstore in Sussex. â€Å"Supermarkets once and for all changed the way people shopped and by the 1970s Tesco was building a national store network to cover the whole of the UK, which it continues to expand to this day, while also making other products available to its customers.† (A History of Tesco) The company recorded annual sale of ?1bn in the year 1979 and the sales doubled by the year 1982. The year 1987 was historical for the company as the company completed a successful takeover of their supermarket rivals Hillards for a whopping ?220m. The term superstore was an alien term but Tesco was the first company to introduce this term, the term referred to two aspects of the company, namely the size of their store and secondly the vast choice of inexpensive food and other items to choose from. The appearance of the stores mattered a lot and in order to ensure that the stores looked great, the company spent massive amount in order to put some daylight between their competitors. The company also took into account the parking space for the customers and ensured that their customers were provided with enough space and a wide range of products to choose from. The company was the first to install enhanced lightning and also widened its aisles. The company extensi vely worked on providing its customers with fresh food items to choose from. The company stopped depending on the manufacturers by opening a centralized warehouse to cater to the demands of its various stores spread across the whole of Europe. The company teamed up with Marks & Spencer to establish stores in all major cities, in an attempt to do so the company established a 65,000 square foot superstore which was

Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way Article Critique Essay

Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way Article Critique - Essay Example Cornelia Dean has used an important subject of science for this article. Global warming is an issue of concern for the entire world and Dean has explained the new atmospheric changes that can worsen the situation and promote further warming of the environment. The article has been supported by the research work which has been carried out by different countries including Britain, Germany and the United States. This highlights the fact that the subject is essential for all the countries across the globe and scientists are working towards checking for the climatic changes of the world. The article portrays a new research which must be new to a large group of readers. Many people would be unaware with regard to the fact that undersea release of methane could be an ongoing process. The author has written the article in a very understandable way and the writer has provided evidence from different studies. Thus, the article is readable by the common man and it will be of further assistance to the people possessing scientific knowledge. Â  It also serves to explain the subject in a complete manner by providing a proper history of the release of methane gas into the atmosphere followed by the negative effects of increased amounts of the gas in the atmosphere. The article explains the entire global climatic situation which results from the release of methane gas into the atmosphere. It highlights the fact that the increase in methane gas in the atmosphere occurred following the era of industrialization.... He also explained that the release of methane from under the sea bed was not in great amounts but this situation could take a different turn. Cornelia Dean has used an important subject of science for this article. Global warming is an issue of concern for the entire world and Dean has explained the new atmospheric changes that can worsen the situation and promote further warming of the environment. The article has been supported by the research work which has been carried out by different countries including Britain, Germany and the United States. This highlights the fact that the subject is essential for all the countries across the globe and scientists are working towards checking for the climatic changes of the world. The article portrays a new research which must be new to a large group of readers. Many people would be unaware with regard to the fact that undersea release of methane could be an ongoing process. The author has written the article in a very understandable way and the writer has provided evidence from different studies. Thus, the article is readable by the common man and it will be of further assistance to the people possessing scientific knowledge. It also serves to explain the subject in a complete manner by providing a proper history of the release of methane gas into the atmosphere followed by the negative effects of increased amounts of the gas in the atmosphere. The article explains the entire global climatic situation which results from the release of methane gas into the atmosphere. It highlights the fact that the increase in methane gas in the atmosphere occurred following the era of industrialization and it continued to increase owing to the activities of man which include agricultural activities as well

Contemporary Management Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Contemporary Management Problem - Essay Example Organizational sustainability depends on efficiency of management team. The organization is not a mere set of employees or top management. Organizational sustainability depends on synchronization between top level management, middle level management and lower level management. Business management helps to integrate functions of each department to increase the efficiency of service delivery. Business management plays a cordial role to solve critical organizational issues (labour related problem, irregular trade practices, employee disruption, maintaining transparency between each department’s works, designing vision and mission statement and maintaining a stable organizational hierarchy). Many companies use Business Crisis Management (BCM) and Continuity Management (CM) to identify and solve business related problems. Centrality of management functions revolves around few departments of the organizations. Various departments (like production, marketing, finance, operation) play pivotal role to decide the dynamics of business management. Business management plays important role in solving people related issues of management. Many organizations have failed due to poor performance of top level management in last few years. ... Learning organization concept has been used by many management research scholars to distinguish between successful and failed organizations. Learning organization can be described in the following manner. The organization gives importance on acquiring or creating and transferring information and knowledge (Porth and McCall, n.d.). Four key things are important for a learning organization. They are- 1-problem solving in an ethical and systemic manner, 2- encouraging new thoughts or process to change the management functions, trying to learn from past mistakes committed by other organizations, 3- trying to maintain equilibrium between good business practise by other organizations and self evaluation, 4- maintaining transparent communication dynamics across the organization. Free flowing communication model helps to spread the knowledge across every department of organization (Garvin, 1993, p. 81). Many organizations failed to maintain a steady business policy to create a sustainable or ganizational structure. Various management problems are explained in the following section. Organisational structure (problems regarding management hierarchy, board members are not very clear about their responsibilities, lack of communication between different functional departments). Leadership (organization is running without any mission and vision statement, organization is managing business without any long term objectives). Motivation (lack of motivation among employees to perform a particular task, lack of support from the top level management creates communication gap between them and employees). Business ethics (many companies fail to maintain fair business